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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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Unique Spanista Holiday Getaway Spa Suchness Eureka Springs is todays story to inspire giving Spa Experiences to your treasured loved ones who seek a talkworthy experience. Giving the Gift of Self Care is always welcomed. That is why it is always on my gift list to get and to give. This includes Gifting Yourself to a Spanista Style Spa Experience.

Here is a great example. Our first road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas proved so unexpected – an interesting and fun experience. For Spanista every destination comes with a trip to a local Spa. Growing up in the Midwest I have come to love the juxtaposition of small town American compared to the sophistication of urban city life. Small town America is seeing a resurgence – so if you are willing to take the roads less traveled  you will discover many memorable places. Eureka Springs is just such a place. My last Spa feature was in the heart of San Francisco. Now I want to take you to a Spa in the heart of the country. Eureka Springs is very near Hot Springs where Bill Clinton was born and  the area he launched his political career. You may pick up a tread about him in this story.

This part of the world is new to me so I see it with fresh Spanista eyes. Exploring the area’s history proved to uncover some twists. It goes back to Civil War Era, where the warm natural spring waters were touted as possessing healing powers – The Balm of Life.  The war battled soldiers who were lucky enough to come this way by fate, were able to find respite from the horrors of war for a time in the freshness of these waters. This part of the world less spoken about than the east coast was a huge battle ground between North and South but did benefit form Civil War healing opportunities like this.

Today Main Street holds a spirit of cowboys and the wild west. The architectural authenticity is stunning. You are immediately transported back in time. If you stop on the board walk and listen, I swear you can hear the echos of boots steps and jangle of spurs. Meandering from boutique to hotel to boutique, each step releases a story in you mind. Coming upon New Orleans Hotel one discovers Spa Suchness. Walking into the historical hotel was a trip back in time – one could feel the centuries come to life. The Spa called to me so I explored it with great curiosity – there really are not words to describe  the feeling – mysterious, intoxicating and sensual – clearly and adults only world.

Perhaps you can feel what I mean through my picture essay tells the story of a place that treasures its quirky past and marries it with the now. Read on – the story has a quirky twist.

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What is extraordinary is the secret past – there are underground tunnels under Eureka Springs open for viewing by tour guides. Folk lore has it that wealthy business and influential men of the South (like government officials) would travel to this town to join their wives while they were taking The Wellness Cure – the spa treatments with healing waters. What was revealed is the men, in the meantime were taking time at local boudoirs with Lovely Ladies for Hire. REALLY!  Funny thing is this reputation has endured as  lovely ORIGINAL lingerie boutique still exists across the street from the hotel. It is called Romance. Seems these lovely working ladies were well cared for enjoying the finer things while presenting themselves in the very best light.

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Spanista Rating: Extraordinary!  This is Spanista’s top rating on a 5 level system. I found Spa Suchness fascinating for this reason -it just captured my imagination. I loved it for its quirky, historical nature. The service also have a unique quality in tune with the atmosphere. The entire town and its also quirky people added to the joy of it. You can find old world hotels or more modern accommodations quite affordably. Some outstanding restaurants too. Spa Experiences really make for great Holiday Gifts so find one near you home and give away. We plan to take another trip to Eureka Springs in 2015. I have my eye on another interesting Spa there. Cannot wait to share it with you.

Tomorrow another Holiday Gift Collection Idea!

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

Ginny

 

 

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Holiday Gift Collection Stylishly Warms Your Toes – literally. Take a look at this range of Boote’s! My friend Mindy owner of Design in the City and I find them irresistible and wanted to include them on our Top 10 List as a quirky Self Care idea. We call them Toasty Toes!

Seriously, in most of the country really chilly temperatures arrived SO EARLY this year. If you are like me and run around during your work day in heels, the first thing I do when I arrive home is kick off the shoes!  But the floors are so chilly to the touch. Here is where LEMON Boote Toasty Toes are such great idea. Just slip them on and wella- as dose of Self Care – casual, fun, comfortable – not to mention oh so warm! Boote is an immediate moon enhancer.

At first look the appeal is the tactile appeal – they call out to be touched. The handmade look gives you a feeling of Pure Love!

Spanista-Holiday-Gift-Collection-Stylishly-Warms-Pink.jpegPINIMAGEThere are three styles created by LEMON Boote, cozy and warm – Calf length, blow the knee-length and  top the knee-length. The color palate is sumptuous – a variety of soft pastels. Each style has a different luscious yarn texture.  These thick yarns, knitted in the vintage looking fashion make you feel like your favorite aunt knitted them just for you.

Even vintage design touches like floral buttons and lace touches add a European country charm – cozy. And with today’s wood and stone floors in many homes and dorms, there is another great little feature -the bottom footies have skid proof designs shaped like tiny snowflakes to help keep footing secure.

And as you can see in the pic, the Snowflake Style offers an extra layer of footing material on the foot bottoms with visible stitching to adding a layer of detail to hand-made look.

 

Spanista-Holiday-Gift-Collection-Stylishly-Warms-Skids.jpegPINIMAGELEMON Boote Toasty Toes three length styles are priced right at $25, $30 and $40. They will bring hours of comfort and help keep your warm and well.

Remember if you are interested in purchasing LEMON Boote just email me at [email protected] with your list. I am your Spanista Personal Shopper and will help you shop – including shipping your gifts to you.

Spanista Takeaway:  At the heart of Spanista Philosophy is prioritizing Self Care which is especially important during the holidays. It is the everyday simple things that can bring us joy – if we do them with style. This holiday think about simple creature comforts like warm toes and legs to warm your heart – and the girls in your life who would love them.

See you next week when 3 more Spanista Holiday Gift Collection Ideas will be featured.

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

Ginny

 

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Friday-Wellness-Tip-Plan-Holiday-Stress-Relief-Rituals-Now.jpegPINIMAGEDear Wellness Seekers,

Friday Wellness Tip Plan Holiday Stress Relief Rituals Now before to prevent stress from getting the better of you later as the holidays get into full swing.

One important aspect of the Spanista mindset is Self Awareness coupled with Proactive Self Care. So may I suggest this Friday Wellness Tip – Take time out this weekend to do a bit of considered planning for your own wellbeing. It will provide a  healthy emotional and physical context for living out the holidays so enjoy everyday, every way. Your deserve to be happy during this time of year so keep calmness top of mind.

Here are some things to consider as you look forward to the next 5 weeks. The idea is to ward off the ugly dragons of stress especially during a time when we are over-scheduled, over-burdened – but now is the time to be conscious of NOT overextending yourself. Your goal is to take charge of yourself.

1. Take a Calendar in hand with days outlined from now until January 5th, 2015. Make sure you have the type that you can write on. Now find a quite spot at  home or at your favorite coffee spot to close your eyes and reflect on how you want to feel this holiday?  What the overarching theme – Joyful? Peaceful? Love? Once you make your choice – make some note about how you want to bring this to life. Now proactively establish the mod and mindset your want to prevail. Every night as you fall to sleep revisit the theme while being thankful for the ways it came to life that day and the role played to make it happen.

2. Next review what  plans you have coming up – list the ones you know and also consider allowing for spontaneity as great unexpected events may come your way. Prioritize which ones will bring your happiness while staying on your Holiday theme. Now edit out the ones that do not. Say ‘No Thank You’ to invitations that are not on your theme. Remember block out time once a week for your Self Care time.

3. Now set back to observe your stressful behavior patterns. Monitor your moods shifts that show signs of stress. Learn to recognize your stress as it starts. Here are some tips – Observe your muscles, and insides like your gut.  Observe your breath. Physical tension will take its toll before your mind catches up. The idea is to stop it early before it gets out of hand.

4. Be ready to bring your senses to the rescue just in case you miss steps 1 to 3 or in spite your best efforts stress gets the better of you. Find one of two ways to melt it away and get back to your  Happy Holiday Theme. Here are 3 suggestions. You will find that once you practice it – the positive results will come quickly as your body shifts to respond to the relief it seeks.

~ Sight: Pick a cherished iphoto you can look at that brings your joy. Print is out and it visible in strategic places – wallet, kitchen counter so it is there when you need to stress reduction.

~ Sound: Pick a stress reduction sound track on Pandora – three songs that you can turn to that shifts your mood to something calming and peaceful like water waves, birds singing or arias.

~ Smell: Select your favorite scent – mine is lavender for stress reduction rituals. Get it in couple of small purse size roller ball pens from Whole Foods. Take it out as soon as you feel your body take on tension

Lastly, perhaps putting a personal ritual in place every night – something you can look forward where you put your feet up late at night  and simply chill with one glass of beautiful wine and  apiece of dark chocolate. Indulge yourself in the treat – put the technology down and pick up a book or your journal and write observations of the holiday as it unfolds – your feelings, observations, events memorable moments. It will help your digest the business and stress in a productive way.

All these are easy affordable ways to keep your stress under control so you can stay calm. It just take a bit for mindset planning and Self Care Rituals you can turn to.

What ideas do you use to reduce stress during the holidays?

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

Ginny

 

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Crazy-About-Ribbonwick-Modern-Candles-Trio.jpegPINIMAGEDear Wellness Seekers,

Love Ribbonwick Modern Candles Spanista Holiday Gift Collection Idea #2 in my collaboration with Design In The City. Mindy, the owner of this stylish boutique and I both are crazy about the magnificent scents and the ribbon wick innovation.

For me, The Ritual of Lighting Candles has spiritual overtones, it is an act of faith. The practice is so simply – so elemental and primitive. Yet it endures amidst the extreme technology advances the world has embraced. From this beginning candles grew to become a mainstream way to transform the ambiance of any room and lift ones mood. Especially with the loss of daylight, I find lighting candles as the sun sets warms me up emotionally while it makes a room dance with light. They are a small wonderous blessing.

Why do you light candles?  To set a romantic mood? To create an ambiance of elegance and peace? To make a wish? To gaze into the flame to focus and reflect? To light your way forward?  All these reasons are wonderful and enrich our experiences when we do! This is Spanista Self Care at its best – easy, affordable and uplifting for the soul. Not to mention festive at the special time of year.

Crazy-About-Ribbonwick-Modern-Candles-3.jpegPINIMAGESo when I tried Ribbonwick candles, I knew it would be hard to go back to a regular wick candle again. It surely has to do with the intoxicating glow of the wick flame. After all, isn’t that what draws us to candles in the first place – the power of the flame? Ribbonwick transforms a room in a modern sophisticated way – just right for the holidays. Thanks to Mindy and Design In The City, I have already picked a few as gifts for family and friends. Now you can too because of our collaboration.

This holiday why not treat yourself to countless hours of joy with a bit of Self Gifting? Or introduce those you love to a great candle like Ribbonwick? Spanista’sCrazy-About-Ribbonwick-Modern-Candles-8.jpegPINIMAGEHoliday Gift Collection features a range of Ribbonwick Candles by Virginia Candles pictured here. Scents like: Alpine Evergreen, Flickering Fireside, Cashmere Oak are amazing. To learn how to get the most from your candle go to Ribbonwick.com to see a video with great tips on how to maintain it to get hours of joy.

They are affordable and provide long-lasting value: Priced from $28 to $48 as pictured here.

How To Shop The Gift Collection: As your Personal Shopper for our Spanista Top 10 Holiday Gift Collection I will be happy to help you shop for your Ribbonwick candles. Email me 

Crazy-About-Ribbonwick-Modern-Candles-5.jpegPINIMAGEat [email protected] with the candles you are interested in and I will send you specific prices and help with the transaction. Also check out this Tuesday’s Holiday Collection Idea #1.

Mindy and I wish you much happy candle light in your life as the holidays unfold.

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

Ginny

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Thanksgiving Preparation Rituals Bring Heartfelt Happiness but of course it all depends what they are.

It maybe valuable to take stock in your Rituals – make a list of what you do to get ready for Thanksgiving and the long weekend with your immediate family to make the time special and memorable.

Now, what on that list really makes you happy? Deeply happy?  Sometimes things become  seasonal activities become routine but we should not mistake Routine (habit) with the Rituals (satisfaction). May I suggest spending the most time on the top 3 – if you can try to manage down the things that do not or eliminate them? Life is too short. Go for satisfaction. It is what The Seasons of Spanista is all about.

As Thanksgiving approaches spending time with favorite Rituals can warm ones heart in many ways. For me, happiness is about making loved ones feel welcome like treasured guests in our home while expressing my creativity. To me once I am centered on my priorities, self care can expand to be expressed through the special things we do for others when the time is right. Thanksgiving is indeed one of those times when giving from the depths of ones heart brings about great joy.

This time of year as I set to preparing, I hear the kind words of my husband, who always looks out after me saying, “Why are you fussing so much? Our family knows they are loved – why are you  making so much extra work for yourself?

I trust his good intentions but I press on to do the things that bring me heartfelt happiness and that is tending to the little things that bring comfort and express genuine joy for our visitors joining us for this special holiday experience. It’s the kickoff to a full season of celebration until after the New Year rings in.

Here are 3 of My Favorite Things to do as Thanksgiving Rituals:

1. Creating inviting Guest Bedroom Experiences to be a plush and welcoming – especially the bed presentation with richly colored fabrics and at minimum one pumpkin on the bed!

2. Taking time to write a handwritten ‘Welcome to Comfort House’ note to make sure they know how much we appreciate the time they took to travel to see us and spend time with us. The Art of the Hand Written Note is valued on a different level especially in this intense digital world we now live in.

3. Setting an Exciting Thanksgiving Table – with dramatic pieces that are talkworthy – the excitement grows when everyone wakes up to see the table – it is almost like Christmas morning. Watch the anticipation for the meal to come grow in good ways.

Alexandra Stoddard an interior designer, author and lifestyle authority who professes “Love & Live Happy” helped me understand the virtues of caring about the little things and how they can enrich our lives. Love her writings on ways to create a great life everyday.  So to inspire me I search for  themes to translate into my home and lifestyle.  You’ll see my inspiration for this Thanksgiving Weekend experience here. These beautiful interior settings are at Nell Hills Design at Briar Cliff Village.  with Thanksgiving  one week away this weekend will be my time to create 2014’s theme: “Thanksgiving Comforts of Home & Happiness”.

So I wrap up today’s post by asking you – What Thanksgiving Preparation Rituals Bring Heartfelt Happiness? And why?

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Extraordinary This Thanksgiving,

Ginny

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