Day spas are magical places. As are Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf establishments. Both of them make me equally happy, though one with significantly less damage to my bank account. Today my sister and I had a day at the spa, and it was glorious. Unlike some spas that I'm rather fond of, this one includes a huge amount of perks with a massage or skin treatment. You get a bathrobe, slippers, fresh fruit, admission to the steam rooms, saunas, jacuzzi, social rooms, quiet rooms, and showers (fully stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors and shaving cream). Additionally, they have a special vanity area for getting ready to leave, complete with hair dryers, curling irons, clean brushes, and a variety of hair products, all free of charge. Not only that, while we were in the sauna, a lovely woman came in and offered us all little cups of frozen lemonade. I felt so pampered and wonderful!

My massage therapist was excellent as well. She asked about my last massage experience and I told her how it was wonderful at the time, but due to the excessive pressure used, I felt horribly bruised for the next few days. she promised to be gentle, and was true to her word. For the first time in a very long time, I almost fell asleep on the massage table. When she was done, I had no pain at all. I went into one of the quiet rooms to read and wait for my sister to be done with her massage. We hit the jacuzzi, misting room, and sauna before showering and finally leaving. We spent almost 5 hours at the spa treating ourselves and I'm so glad we did it. I feel great and relaxed and ready to start a short week of work, and then be on vacation for 5 days. Yay spa days!