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

11 • 04 • 14

Visiting Bridges of Madison County Spanista Autumn Treasure

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Visiting Bridges of Madison County Spanista Autumn Treasure one must experience, especially if you are a fan of the famous movie featuring celebrated actors Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. I certainly consider it one of my Top 10 Favorites. And even more beautiful is the book that inspired the movie script – elegant prose written from the heart by Robert James Waller. It is not often one has a chance to visit Iowa where much goodness exists on so many levels. Having grown up in Midwest before heading to the East Coast to expand my horizons, I know well the natural beauty, values and inspiring people who make up the heart of our country. It pulses with rich stories of real people living real lives. Many people who have made significant contributions to humanity.

This Spa Enthusiast Story is for he romantic at heart. This chance occurrence came about because I was called to visit the CEO & Founder of BSB Design, an architectural firm that is located in Des Moines, Iowa for the purpose of planning the future of our shared humanitarian project, AbodShelters. (More on this in another post.) As I am currently in Kansas City it meant a three-hour road trip north to Des Moines. Great. At this lovely time of year I do not mind a drive through the country side where peak Autumn colors would sparkly against brilliant clear blue skies. Luckily along the drive in Iowa, I discovered road signs indicating I was near the Bridges of Madison County. I made a mental note to ask my friends about it after my meetings. The next day the weather was spectacular so I promised myself a Self Care treat. I could escape into the story of romantic destiny. A side of life that triggers deep emotions. After our Board Meetings, rather than rush down the freeway to get back to Kansas City, I planned to explore the town where the Bridges of Madison County are curated – Winterset, Iowa. Interestingly, I discovered it is also the birthplace of John Wayne. Who knew?

Much to my delight, I found Winterset to be a cozy countryPINIMAGEtown with a unique personality that celebrates its heritage. With pride it looks after its special Hollywood cache with tender loving care. The Town Square is full of quaint shops with both new and vintage treasures, comfy restaurants and more. I went to the Winterset Chamber of Commerce where I was told I could obtain a map and puruse through memorabilia from the on locations production shoot.

This was amazing. I immediately felt thrust into the spirit of the film. The black and white photos of Clint and Meryl displayed here seem to come alive right in front of me. Script lines by Robert James Waller from the script and book rushed back to my consciousness. Oh the tender romance of it all – seeing the pictures of Francesca’s actual house brought her and Robert to life again. To my mind, some of the best lines ever written in movies were delivered by Meryl Streep. She is my favorite living actress bar none. I could hear some of these reflective quotes:

~ “In a world of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes once in a lifetime.”

~ “Such physical matters were nice, yet, to him, intelligence and passion born of living, the ability to move and be moved by subtleties of the mind and spirit, were what really counted.”

~ “The only thing in life you regret are the risks you don’t take.”

I had to pull myself away from the photos to get a map so I could begin my visit to The Bridges. I learned there are six bridges – and four would be within range of my return trip. The other two were in the opposite direction. No worries. Getting my first taste would fulfill my curiosity for this visit. And allow me the opportunity to dream about a return visit in the future.

Here you will see pics of the beautiful Bridges of Madison County I was able to enjoy. This is about following the road less traveled. They can be seen only by venturing along winding country dirt roads adding to the romantic, adventurous effect. The Bridges are delicate creations. To see them is to know they have been lovingly cared for while retaining their authenticity of design and structure. When you approach the history of each whispers to you – you feel their spirit is alive. Thank goodness for the fan following of the book and the movie as it brings in tourist dollars to help them be restored. You can find the book and movie on Amazon.com.

This day stole my heart. It was time well spent. I dream of going back to see the other two bridges and Francesca’s house and spend more time enjoying Winterset Square too. (And sneak a peek of John Wayne’s House too.)

Spanista Takeaway: Self Care can be about The Magic of Spontaneity – following an inner calling to explore and enjoy an unexpected pleasurable escape. be open and alert to what it can offer you and then head the calling. It will reawaken what is deep in your heart and brings your, moments of great joy. The kind you will never regret and always remember. My only wish is I would have done more of it earlier in life rather than pushing forward with other things that prove far less joyful in retrospect.

How about you?

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

P.S. Tomorrow come back to Spanista.com to see the great local Winery and Owner I ran across!

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11 • 03 • 14

Introducing Spanista Self Care Values System Transition Rituals

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Introducing Spanista Self Care Values System Transition Rituals. As Autumn color rides the winds of transition and the clock now brings darkness in early evening in many parts of the world, we feel an emotional shift externally and internally. We shift our routines – hopefully mindfully.

With this our thoughts may begin to turn to treasuring the remaining time we have in 2014 – How will we use it wisely? Will we recall anything significant about it when we look back? Will we recall precious moments when we really felt cared for or felt true happiness? Is it a truism, happy memories bring us joy. Perhaps the rest of the year can call for a change of heart wherein you take charge of your wellbeing and take a different path that serves you better? To seek inner happiness so in turn you can offer it to others?

This is especially important as the holidays unfold when preparations, travels and events can cause added pressure and stress. Will you be ready to cope with it well and make the most of the time you spend with others – especially your loved ones?

One of my favorite quotes is:

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.

So let the light into your life. How? Take some time now to plan how YOU will take care of yourself over the next couple of months.

This is the focus of the Spanista Self Care Values System developed from personal experimentation over the past few years. I am active in Self Care and a frequent user of spa services so have learned much along that way that is the foundation of this system. And I am happy to share what I have learned with you. The idea is to enjoy the Holiday Season more – to get more personal joy from this beautiful time of year.

The Spanista Self Care Values System is about taking responsibility for your wellbeing in a different way to begin your journey to joy. It’s about visualizing and embracing your value on your own terms. Spanista offers a three step guide is designed to help. At this time of year the adopting self care RITUALS can offer healing for the mind body and heart. As a happy heart exudes love. here is Steps 1 of the 3 part guide –

I. Rituals – The Key Dimension of Your Journey:

Start with you – begin a conversation with yourself about your potential to achieve real happiness. Explore getting in touch with your true nature through Self Care Rituals through a combination of possibilities that you enjoy at a spa and at home or while traveling.
Prioritize your Self Care Itinerary of Experiences – establish the three things you will do each week, once a month and a milestone during the year ahead: Examples are Self Care Thursday’s, Weekend Reflective Reading & Writing, Tea Time, Monthly Massage and Destination Spa Vacation or the seasonally inspired Holiday Idea below.
Create an inspiring atmosphere for generating a flow of positive energy with stylish inspiration which includes Rhythm of the Seasons to reconnect with the beauty and benefits natural world.

Here is a Self Care Ritual Idea for Holidays:

Let’s start with something simple. As the nights comes so early now, let’s make it work for us. Keep the lights off for a bit. Have you ever considered the significance of candles in your life? This time of year, for me, they become the symbol of the soul. When several are a glow in a room they play with the senses by offering comfort, warmth and scents of the season.

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However, there is something more -if one takes time to consider the act of lighting candles as a personal ritual it can become quality self care time. Taking this one step further, you can set a mood that calls for a short time to take pause for 15 minutes, close your eyes and go inward and relax into yourself. When I was a girl I was brought into the symbolic significance of candles as a spiritual practice. Today it is one of my favorite ways to enjoy self care time and celebrate the seasons. Get in touch with your body and how you feel and then release the tension around you body. To gain the most benefits do this several times a week at about the same time. YOU DESERVE SELF CARE TIME!

This is Holiday Self Care RITUAL that is easy, affordable and enjoyable – welcome the the night with candle light to enrich your soul.

Thanks you for investing time to review my message. Allow yourself time to reflect on it. I would love to hear what resonates with you.

To Your Self Care Journey to Joy,

Ginny

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10 • 31 • 14

Friday Wellness Tip: Witches Brew Spanista Style

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Friday Wellness Tip: Witches Brew Spanista Style is a way to bring in Halloween night with a wink and a smile. How wonderful that this fantastical event happens on Friday so we can ease into the weekend by celebrating in what ever fashion we desire. This year we will spend a family evening together trick or treating in the neighborhood.

The girls I am with tonight love witches as much as I do. We all attribute this to one of our favorite family movies we all grew up with – The Wizard of Oz.

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Spanista Glamorous Witch and Witches Brew Bottle Compliments of Sandi Brown.

Just for the fun of it the adult Witch in me has a few cravings of her own – perhaps a bit more refined than a chocolate bar in plastic wrap. After we return tonight I plan on enjoying my style of Witches Brew I concocted – you will find the special ingredients were inspired with the help of non other than William Shakespeare and his famous poem from Macbeth!!! While creating the brew this pretty little witch fashionable dressed in purple lame made certain I measured and stirred to recipe.

Macbeth

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

NOTES: Macbeth: IV.i 10-19; 35-38

Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)

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Post Trick or Treating: After the walking the neighborhood with the kids it is time for some Spanista personal fun. Time for Spanista Witches Brew Menu – Adults Only’ cause it is just too scary! Add these great dark chocolate treats to this CranPom Sparkling Cocktail. (Love the color!) Mini’s deserts are great fun as you can enjoy a few for the calorie price of one piece of cake and tonight is a night to indulge and be happy with a Raspberry Mouse, gourmet cupcakes and bon bons.

Spanista Witches Brew Sparkling Cocktail:

~ Cranberry Juice

~ Natural Pomegranate Juice

~ Dash of Peach soda

~ Sparkling Wine

Mix to your satisfaction and serve chilled in champagne glasses – healthy base with a zing!

Spansita Wishes you a safe and Happy Halloween!

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

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10 • 30 • 14

Hotel Vitale Features Intimate Urbane Spa In The Sky Experience

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Hotel Vitale Features Intimate Urbane Spa In The Sky Experience is a very unexpected and welcomed Spanista Travel Diary moment I will always remember.

After several days of non stop activity in California Wine Country and now The City of San Francisco I felt the calling for respite away from it all. I had hoped to have a Spa retreat with my friend Launa amidst the vineyards with a glass of pink champagne in hand but we just did not have proper time to devote to it. As you get to know the Spanista Philosophy you will recognize the importance of devoting proper time to optimize the benefits of your Spa experience,especially massage, is of paramount importance. With mindful attention to the pre, during and post treatment time you enhance the emotional and physical outcomes exponentially. So I determined I would seek a wellness experience while in San Francisco.

By day two in the city I could feel my body crying out for a break from it all. I had done some research before the trip and found a few day spa’s online however sadly, as you may have experienced, like I have, the websites and reviews can only tell you so much and many times they may not tell the full story – both good and bad. As you can see from my Spanista Anatomy of a Spa Experience (see menu Tab) I have developed and rigorous criteria for 360 degree quality. So my expectations are high.

I often turn to hotel Concierge as they are great resources for Spa’s that are around your hotel. I shared what I was looking for the lady at Pier 2620 and settled in on 3 possibilities – One was a California Spa Club chain, another an independent Asian inspired massage expert and last a boutique Spa in a hipster hotel at the edge of the financial district that focused on service to business travelers.

Hmmm….What do you think I choose as an adventuresome Spanista?

Hotel Vitale was unfamiliar to me so I checked the location and appears to be great. So I booked an appointment for the afternoon thinking it would not be busy so I could really relax. Happily the plan worked.

PINIMAGESo before the appointment I walked along the waterway to my destination and found it was across the street from the Ferry Building Marketplace. I came up to a very interesting contemporary sculpture at the corner of the hotel entrance. Any Hotel that loves art enough to invest in it to share with the world speak well of its intentions – I was already feeling a good connection. Getting through the lobby and onto the elevator to the Penthouse floor had an effect on my state of mind – I could begin to feel leaving the busy city behind and elevating above the madness of it all. I arrived at the Spa Vitale’s door. Fabulous! I could see the outdoor patio and it was calling me. I was greeted warmly and asked to change into a very cozy robe. Gladly. I was served tea and I lay back on the chaise lounge overlooking the waterfront eight stories above it all.

Spa Vitale message is “to relax in our penthouse hideaway overlooking famous San Francisco Bay and to seek balance in luxury, naturally and enjoy our signature style of revitalizing your body, energizing your mind and nurturing your soul. Incorporating the use of organic oils, remineralizing salts, pure essential oils, and wild-crafted herbal blends, our services are designed to delight your senses and inspire lasting wellness.” Oh my. This does sound perfect – An intimate urbane Spa in the Sky Experience. I felt blest to be here. And planned to use the time a blocked out wisely.

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Spanista was impressed with the location as it delivers on every promise. You can indeed look out over the Bay in an outdoor setting surrounded by luscious bamboo. You can see it felt like a hideaway. Spansita expectations were to be able to have preparation time before my Vitale Wellness Massage and I had the outdoor lounge to myself on the delightful autumn day. My message was skillfully delivered by a talented Therapist who thoughtfully tended to my care while I looked through the big picture window looking over the Bay Bridge while listening to a waterfall while Tibetan bells range rhythmically.

PINIMAGEThen the creme de la creme was the Spa Vitale Signature Bathing Ritual on the private outdoor spa patios surrounded by gently swaying bamboo that reached to the sky. You can see the attention to detail – rose petals laced the perimeter. Cool water and hot tea within my reach with fresh fruit and cool rosemary scented face clothes for my comfort. Well this is what I call quality post massage reflection time!

Spanista Rating Takeaway: Spa Vitale – Joie de Vivre! This was a top-notch, a one of a kind experience. What made it so was adding the Signature Bathing Experience on top of the Signature Massage. I felt amazing after the experience. It was extraordinary to be able to enjoy the outdoor aspects from a high up perspective as they added a heavenly spirit. The gentle breeze blew your cares away. While the bamboo setting made you feel exotic and organic. And both the therapist and the personal attendant who created my bath were caring and provided the extra attention to details.( Like the slippers.) I hope the pictures capture the things that made this unique and a cut above the typical. With out stealing the surprise if you wish to visit. tell them Spanista sent you. Ot was shear bliss.

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

P.S. The Hotel Vitale Concierge deserved a great tip. Thank you dear lady!

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10 • 29 • 14

5 Favorite Indulgences Ferry Building Marketplace San Fran

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

5 Favorite Indulgences Ferry Building Marketplace San Fran offers delights that are local, seasonal and sustainable in a vibrant gathering place – the historic Pier 1 Ferry Building. Music to my ears. One thing I do love about Northern California culture is the commitment to support local independently owned farmers who are passionate about producing world-class food and wine as well as great products that spawn from their efforts.

With farming as part of my heritage, I respect the renewed commitment to traditional farming practices.

Yesterday, I shared the Spanista Top 10 Things to Love About Fisherman’s Wharf with a teaser about #10. Why? Because this special place deserves a post of its own. Even though it is #10 it punches well above its weight for a Spanista Travel Diary, Self Care Shopping excursion that awakens the senses, stimulates the appetite and inspires curiosity.

Perhaps you have heard of Ferry Building Marketplace? Perhaps you have visited it. If not, you will not want to miss it on your next trip to San Francisco. It is a discovery of one of a kind local artisans with successful stories. Each has shaped a different approach to developing product experiences. Deftly curated with an eye for local quality brands, it is a quirky collection that appeals to all the senses. You will find your typical fast pace slows down as you meander from artisan to artisan. There is so much to appreciate in the loving details of their products and displays, time will pass quickly so plan plenty of it for your visit. Perhaps visit with lunch, tea time or dinner in mind as the restaurants are indeed one of a kind and sumptuous. In the evening the atmosphere changes even more. Note that weekends can be extraordinarily busy especially if the weather is outstanding as it was for us. Northern California is having a spectacular autumn – we have been extremely luck to enjoy it fully.

While it is all full of fun, The Spanista 5 Favorite Indulgences Ferry Building Marketplace are:

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1. Tea Time at Imperial Tea Court is a wonderful place to experience quality tea with old world tea traditions.

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2. Mushrooms at Far West Fungi is overwhelming with variety even for the well versed fungi lover.

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3. Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese Shop competes well world-class cheeses and boasts flavorful specialities.

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4. McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil is a Self Care delight for Spanista. Olive oil holds tremendous power to mend our bodies.

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5. Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet has so much to savor not to mention a great place for a special snack.

While this list of favorites is personal, know that there is much, much more to discovery that you my like more. Of course one requires replenishment on a shoppers excursion so to extend this journey to joy Spansita has two suggestions:

~ Try BouliBar as it features boletes larders new bar and dinning room with wood burning hearth. Relaxing, chic with good eats. Find it on yelp.com.

~ To create coffee envy back home pick up a package of Blue Bottle Coffee beans to grind at home over the holidays – itPINIMAGEwill be a great way to remember Ferry Building Marketplace while sharing it with friends who are coffee lovers and may not have tasted it yet. It is all the rage in the Bay area – on the weekends people stand in long lines to get it.

Spanista Take Away: Practicing Self Care can include shopping for simple everyday indulgences that are enhanced by the quality of the experience – so where you shop can mean everything – helping you feel worth it. Here is how – What did you learn along the way – did you make a discovery? Explore a new taste that can become part of a new recipe? Or find a natural body cream with a scent to die for? These are the pluses of shopping at independent shops that add to the journey to joy. And give you great stories to share too.

Have you tried a local artisan shop that has become one of your favorites?

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Ginny

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.

So let the light into your life. How? Take some time now to plan how YOU will take care of yourself over the next couple of months.

Ginny

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Macbeth

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Ginny

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Ginny

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Ginny

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