The Spa at The House

We sat under the restaurant pavilion, patting our faces with chilled, aromatic white face towels eager for the arrival of rum punch and bruschetta – the recovery from hours of traveling has begun.

Our concierge takes the necessary check-in documents, brings paperwork for signatures and proceeds to name the fabulousness that is available or can be made available “no problem”. There’s no doubt we are impressed with the inclusiveness of the package: afternoon tea, 24 hour bar, water sports, water taxi to sister properties, free massage at the The Spa. Pause. Rewind. Play. Yes, free massage at The Spa. As a spa lover and junkie, this was my “in-love with a resort” moment.

The spa smell, cleanliness and soft music had me falling into relaxed mode instantly. Shakeria, my masseuse, her voice was calm and comforting, took great care to make sure I was all good:

pressure – deep massage for this women, temperature – cool enough so the blankets were not annoying, noise – light music that lulled me to sleep at some point

Element: Wood (determined when you fill out the get to know you card during checkin) Aromatherapy: bergamot, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, orange (what I think I picked up with my “oh so keen” sense of smell)

Thank you Shakeria and The House by Elegant Hotels for another great spa experience!

Cooking With Ghee

After a character building week, recharging is an absolute must. For me, that starts with having a big breakfast. If you’ve never tasted ghee, you are doing your taste buds a disservice.

Ghee, a form of clarified butter, is a staple for people that follow an Ayurveda lifestyle. Its highly aromatic, nutty flavor accentuates the taste of your favorite veggies.

Breakfast for People Who Do Too Much:

Mixed greens, purple kale, white button mushrooms and vidalia onions over eggs. Veggies sautéed in ghee – homemade ghee that is, and yes, I did that 2 weeks ago.

Brown Paper Bag – please?

I accompanied my daughter on a field trip last week.  I got to pack lunch for us – quinoa with kale, spinach greens, watermelon radish and onions, rattlesnake green beans, spinach with garlic and sesame seeds and sprouted mung beans.  Of course I knew she loves this compilation because she cleaned her plate when it was previously made.  As the brown lunch bags were handed out to her other classmates, my daughter looked around for other “misfits” but could only find one, a girl apparently not on her BFF list.  I knew what was happening, she stared from quinoa to turkey sandwiches on white bread, I could see it unfold as she stared from the other misfit to her friends giggling as they crunched potato chips – “Mommy, I don’t like this.  Can I have a brown bag please?”

Fitting in is important for children and for the most part a lot of adults.  We seek like minded people and communities that share our same qualities and family values in order to maintain the feeling that we belong.  This can sometimes be stunting to our growth; we are not always able to focus on exploring individualism first then allowing ourselves to be nurtured among people that support our lifestyle choices whether or not it is the same as their own.  Having a holistic, healthy lifestyle does not always fit in workplace luncheons, family dinner, girls’ dinner and night out or preschool field trips but it is a choice that I am committed to because ultimately, feeling good about myself is much more powerful than appearing to fit in.  My daughter will learn that one day.  She will begin to listen to her body, her instinct and intuition, and she will not see herself as being a misfit but a happy compliment to the people around her.

Allow yourself the greatest opportunity of self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-love.