Spanista » Self Care Rituals, Reflections & Resources for Joyful Living by Ginny Shiverdecker

  • Spa Style & Self Care Reflections, Rituals and Resources for Joyful Living

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  • About Spanista

    Ginny Shiverdecker, Creator of Spanista is Spa Wellness Enthusiast, Adventurer Seeker and Brand Builder.
    Ginny is……Read more

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Happy New Year Wellness Seekers From Spanista!

This is a wonderful day to spend enjoying things you love most. The Spanista Philosophy encourages us to reevaluate our happiness needs with the arrival of every new season. At this time of year I unify the arrival of Winter Equinox and the launch of the New Year into one reassessment time – A time for New Beginnings.

To welcome the New Years, I ease into the first day of the year without any pressure to have all the answers. So it starts with simply asking the right questions to open up my mind to take stock of the moment. Especially beneficial is to engage in a conversation with your significant other as your primary partner relationship – husband, wife or life partner can have an impact on the quality of our lives. As relationships are always changing and complicated it is great to seek alignment on fey themes in the partnership.

Our New Year’s Day Ritual is to enjoy a long leisurely champagne brunch with my husband – just the two of us spend time reminiscing about the good moments of the past year; we explore ideas on what we want to experience together in the upcoming year like things we want to do together as a couple and as a bigger family; and share notions on personal goals and how we can offer each other mutual support.

With the learnings and ideas of this day I move on to an assessment on a personal level, however, I give myself time to take is slowly day by day. My goal is to have my Self Care Lifestyle Plan thought through by Valentine’s Day where in I have established my intentions and journey to joy lifestyle priorities set. More on that in a future post.

Let’s return to our tradition of New Year’s Brunch for 2015 at the Marriott Historic Grand Hotel in Point Clear. The buffet presentation was one of a kind indeed. The picture here shows the fantastical ginger bread miniature rendition of the entire Grand Hotel Estate that is the focal point.  The fresh crab omelette was to die for as was surrounded with southern style sides, salads, pastries, breads and much more. We were seated at a lovely water front table. Too bad  the dense marine layer prevented us from enjoying full view of the bay. None the less we enjoyed or time together, thankful for this new experience together to set a positive tone for the year ahead with the help of focused time to talk.

After brunch we set out of a bike ride around the property with the free bikes they provide guests. The fresh air felt great as did the exercise. Bothe so welcomed. After the ride we headed back to the main Hotel for refreshment and discovered Bucky!

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Around the central fireplace is affable wait staff  offering guests a free glass of  famous Bucky Punch! Part of the historical lore is the story of Bucky the longtime Hospitality Ambassador who posesed a charm and wit that warmed visitor’s hearts – president’s, dignetaries, celebrities and everyday folks were all treated with his special warmth. He  set the tone over his domain – the bar room and large patioarea which over looks the back lawn and the beautiful shoreline. As you can see his reign at the hotel is legendary.

Such unique personalities who enhance the reputation of a service establishment like this are to be honored as Bucky clearly was – treasured by so many. This statue and awards prove he left his legacy by simply who he choose to be – happy with life!

Toasting with Bucky’s special punch is a wonderful way to welcome in the New Year with New Beginnings. A fresh start is a blessing – a chance to live the life of our dreams and take steps to do so if we put of happiness first.  Bucky left his mark on me too juts by knowing his story.

More to Share on The Grand Hotel experience tomorrow.

May 2015 Enhance Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

 

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Introducing Historic Alabama Grand Hotel & Spa as our stop off destination on our trip to our home in Tampa, Florida. Come along with Spanista on this Spa Travel Diary journey.

Having packed the car the night before, at exactly 4:15 a.m. we boarded our Audi Sport Convertible setting out to navigate a 900 mile day of driving. The stars were sparkling brightly in the deep dark morning sky as we said goodbye to Kansas City’s silhouette in the rear view mirror. The sun finally woke up 4 hours later (and us with it) when we got to St. Louis. The freeways around the city took us due south on into Mississippi then on into the southern tip on to Alabama. As we left St. Louis, it started to rain and continued to do so the entire 900 miles! Fortunately, the freeway was not very busy. In spite of the rain, Bob enjoyed driving a new route. We settled into a ‘groove’ for the duration.  Spanista love’s visiting historical hotels of America with noteworthy Spas. I discovered the Grand Hotel & Spa of Point Clear, Alabama in the Marriott Historic Hotels directory and thought it looked like a unique place to restore and extend the holiday – just the two of us.

The Grand Hotel comes highly rated and told people go back again and again because they fall in love with the comfortable yet refined atmosphere. As you may recall I have a penchant for the south – its grace, traditions and charms.

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We cruzed comfortably in the Audi listening to our favorite music and chatting the time away. Darkness fell at 5:30 p.m. when we crossed the state line from Mississippi to Alabama. Suddenly we were on a very dark curvy two lane road looking for Mobile. With our patience dialed up, we took it at our own pace. Soon we reconnected to the freeway system going into downtown Mobile. The lights of the city were pretty and a welcome sight. Bob deftly navigated a few turns downtown to get us to an unexpected tunnel. Coming out of it we found ourselves crossing a long causeway bridge to the Peninsula. To the right I saw a very large naval base and a destroyer ship anchored to the shoreline and brightly lite. Impressive. Power and pride beam from it like beacons of freedom. Mobile is a large ship building reputation. Sadly, an attempt at a photo did not come out.

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On the Peninsula we suddenly we came to a magical village dancing in white lights – Fairhope. I let out a shriek of delight that made Bob laugh. It was so unexpected and charming dressed to celebrate. The GPS said we had 4 miles to go so reluctantly we drove through the little town into more darkness. The journey was almost over for the day but I could almost hear Bob thinking – ‘Where is this place?’ He was feeling weary as we had hit the 900 mark in Mobile!

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Then pretty lights appeared marking a gated entrance Introducing Historic Alabama Grand Hotel & Spa. A guard welcomed us warmly while guiding us to drive down a winding lane to registration. We both sighed, so thankful for having arrived safely. The hotel architecture looked historically southern. Bob pulled up and stepped out of the car to greet the doorman while I went into register. I so wanted him to feel the drive off the beaten path was worth it. And from first glance at the lobby we struck gold. We secured a room in the Marina Lodge.

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Frankly, it was so misty we could not see the property layout but a bellman got us to the right place where this 5 ft. Santa greeted us. This lovely cozy room with a balcony and rocking chairs was our new home – so southern. Yes, we could be happy here for a couple of nights. Tomorrow, in the light of day we could see what was in store for this experience. Will Pharrell’s song ‘HAPPY’ popped to mind so I busted out in song!

Exhausted, Bob slams on the bed to stretch his body now formed tightly to the shape of car seat. I knew I would not get him to move again. He surely deserved a good night sleep after the long successful drive.

Tomorrow we would have a day to relax and explore what the Grand Hotel  had to offer especially the Spa! I took a moment to read about the hotel’s rich history. All is well. Spanista looks to a New Year’s Eve of happy dreams.

More about Introducing Historic Alabama Grand Hotel & Spa tomorrow. Happy New Year’ Eve to you all where ever you are – 2015 is almost here and a chance for a fresh start to be a Spansita is a welcome thing!

May Your Self Care Journey to Joy Be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

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Spanista Road Trip Destination Point Clear Beach, Alabama on to Tampa, Florida.

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Travel Diary Returns on the road again with a new destination just feels right to us Wellness Seekers after a very enjoyable holiday. Hope you had a fabulous holiday with those you love most! Christmas with our family was wonderful – a day full of joy, love, gifts and yummy foods. What more could you ask for?  What remains is marvelous memories to treasure.

Now It’s Get Away Day in Kansas City!  And Spanista Travel Diary returns. Yes, my friends we are Florida bound. It starts early at 6 am with one day to get our home and lives organized. There is so much to do given the importance of the season loads of holiday decor need to be gently packed away and stored.  But I always find it sad to put all the decorations and tree away. I come to love the festive air of our home with all the seasons dressings giving our home a special sparkle and warmth. Post Christmas can sometimes bring about a bit of let down after all the excitement and preparation.

Spanista believes having an enjoyable destination trip sustains the happiness factor throughout the holiday window and beyond. It can be a place you enjoy for a couple of days or for a few months. For us we are looking forward to heading to Florida again. I long to experience the warm sunshine as the result of early arrival of winter in the heartland of America meant lower sun levels. Vitamin D is an essential for wellbeing.

While our home in Tampa, Florida is our ultimate destination, we are planning a couple of days at a destination off the beaten path. It is on a peninsula in the western Florida Panhandle – Point Clear Beach, Alabama. Just South of Mobile. As place we have never been before.

Now back to my Get Away Day List. Need to be done by 6 pm. I’ll stop for a cup of strong tea to revitalize me. Then I prepare a light grazing dinner. Finish packing my personal bag. Read something inspirational and off to bed. Revelry would be at 3:30 am for a 4:15 departure. We are driving our Audi Convertible in the true sense of a road trip.

Come back to tomorrow for more on this chapter of the Spanista Travel Diary.

May Your Journey To Joy Be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

 

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Dear Wellness Seeker,

Powerful Listening, Give Priceless FREE Gift those we love, including ourselves. This time of year we all can feel the pressure to give material gifts that may stretch our financial capacity. Yes, the commercialism of the season can draw us into the feverish pitch of generosity. Yet we sometimes fail to realize there are gifts of the hearth that can be more precious than any tangible thing. And they are indeed FREE to give.

Why Powerful Listening? The end result is so positive to our Self Care because it surrounds us with positive relationships. Take a moment to suspend activities for a moment over a cup of your favorite warm brew to consider what your loved ones value most about sharing life with you. May I suggest there is one gift that is very potent and highly prized – that is Power of Listening.  Consider for a moment your current listening practices with your loved ones – and you may realize the opportunity that lies before you. Lets face it, we can be terrible at listening – distracted, preoccupied or composing a counter response

If you are still in search of something meaningful for special people in your life – your children, you parents or your friends perhaps this is the year you can give a different kind of gift, how about 1 hour of Powerful Listening? Give your loved one undivided attention one day a week for a year? You promise to give them quality time with you just to talk about little everyday things where you are actually devoted to listening skills. The fact that so few people are good listeners means that people who do possess this rare skill set have some advantages.

Here are 5 Benefits of Powerful Listening:

1. Deeper Meaning: Giving an intangible gifts can help you and your loved one rediscover the True Meaning of the Season – Giving of oneself freely, without expectations from an Open and  Loving Heart.

2. Respect: When you listen with full attention, you are communicating respect. By offering speakers respect, you gain theirs.

3. Learning: Attentive listening helps you gather information and learn more about your loved ones. The more routine quality conversations become the more open the person is to sharing deeper needs and feelings. Things that may never have been expressed are suddenly revealed. Knowing more about them is helpful to better connect emotionally. Imagine the benefits when you understand your family members better.

4. Greater Clarity: Careful listening helps you avoid some of the confusion, misunderstandings and conflicts that are common in personal conversations. Careful listening offers an opportunity to circumvent the usual arguments and conversation traps.

5. Better Relationships: Listening creates a feeling of goodwill in intimacy. Improve your relationships by listening openly and non-judgmentally to concerns and problems. The more you listen without judgment, the more freedom loved ones have to find their own solutions to problems.

Most relationships either thrive or fail due to a breakdown in communication.  The way in which we communicate can be additive or detrimental to the message being sent.

Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, suggests “we communicate face to face about our likes and dislikes; our body language, tone of voice, and feelings communicate more loudly than the words we use.” He further states that 7% of our communication comes from words we use, 38% is determined by how we say words, tone of voice, and style, and 55% of effective communication is determined by facial expressions and body language.

The benefits of Powerful Listening, Give Priceless FREE Gift are interdependent and synergistic – the more you reap one benefit of good listening, the more listening you will do, and the more the other benefits will start to pile up. As with most other social skills, to master listening, practice is required. Why not begin this season by giving the gift of Powerful Listening? And remember this gift can also be a Self Care gift for yourself. Merry Christmas!

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

 

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Holiday Collection Gift #12: Sparkling Kendra Scott Jewelry honors our feminine sensibilities at this special time of year.  We welcome dressing up as a wonderful change from the everyday casual style that is today’s norm.  The Spansita Holiday Collaboration has focused on demonstrating our unique point of view on Spanista Self Care Lifestyle. Now its time to offer a touch of glamour!

But first may I say, it just seems like yesterday Mindy, owner of Design In the City Boutique announced our collaboration of Spa Chic Style Ideas and here we are sharing our last idea in our Spanista Holiday Gift Collection. It has been great fun playing with Mindy to create gift ideas for you. Thanks to Spanista fans for the positive feedback. In fact given your encouragement, we started with a top 10 list and expanded it to 12 given your interest. We are thinking about more seasonal collaborations to bring more Spa Chic Style Ideas in the future. I welcome your feedback on what you want to see more of or suggestions on new Spa chic Style you discover.

Today, Idea #12 is the gift of “Sparkle With Joy” by celebrated jewelry designer Kendra Scott. These designs are spectacular and wearing them make you feel beautiful. These are modern quality pieces to treasure for a lifetime. They add just the right touch of class to any outfit day or night and can be found at Design In The City if you are searching for a last-minute gift or the right finishings for holiday wearing occasions.

However in true Spanista fashion, I want us to mindful about prioritizing what is important as we go into a special holiday events. That starts with how we collect ourselves around Self Care practices before we experience an evening out this time of year. Why? Because what is most important is that we sparkle on the inside first.  We take time to ready our heart, mind and body while we reflect on our mood and reset our intentions for a happy experience. We leave any issues behind and reset so that a glow of joy emits from our hearts and sparkles in our eyes. People who “Sparkle With Joy” naturally attract other positive people into their lives. Now you are ready to enhance your natural brilliance, liveliness, and vivacity as the definition states with sparkle jewelry designed by Kendra Scott on the outside. These pieces will make you feel special with a touch of glamour as they sparkle in the night-light of a social gathering, a cocktail lounge or candlelight dinner. And at the end of your event when you take them off, remember the sparkle you kindled in your heart will last long after your jewelry is safely tucked away.

For fun I turned to the online dictionary to explore the word SPARKLE:

verb (used without object), sparkled, sparkling.
1. to issue in or as if in little sparks, as fire or light: Candlelight sparkled in the crystal.
2. to emit little sparks, as burning matter: The flames leaped and sparkled.
3. to shine or glisten with little gleams of light, as abrilliant gem; glitter; coruscate.
4. to effervesce, as wine.
5. to be brilliant, lively, or vivacious. 
verb (used with object), sparkled, sparkling.
6. to cause to sparkle: moonlight sparkling the water; pleasure sparklingher eyes.
noun
7. a little spark or fiery particle.
8. a sparkling appearance, luster, or play of light:

the sparkle of a diamond.
9. brilliance, liveliness, or vivacity.
I LOVE THE WORD SPARKLE!  How about you?

May you “Sparkle With Joy” this wonderful time of year Spanista friends!

Ginny

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