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Personal,
In-Home Health Spa |
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(ARA) - In the hustle and bustle
of today's busy lifestyles, weekend health spas have become a
welcome retreat, but are often too extravagant and costly for
frequent visits. With a little creativity and imagination, you
can create the therapeutic and rewarding effects of a spa in
the privacy of your own home -- with a sunroom.
A sunroom is an ideal space to create a relaxing, in-home spa.
Typically surrounded by the beauty and serenity of the outdoors,
sunrooms often provide a dramatic yet private setting. Moreover,
the natural light that they provide has the power to change your
mood, according to doctors, who believe that sunlight has positive
effects on a person's overall well being. Combined with other
spa-like features, such as aromatherapy, the practice of using
plant-derived fragrances to change your mood, you can have your
own private retreat in no time.
"People are discovering
all the added benefits a sunroom can have," explains Rick
Jones, president of Patio Enclosures, Inc., North America's largest
designer and installer of sunrooms. "From their therapeutic
sunlight, to their versatility and beauty, sunrooms are perfect
places for personal relaxation," he said. |
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With some creative planning --
and planting -- you can treat yourself to a restorative herbal
mask or an aromatherapy message. Here are a few basics for starting
your own home spa. You might even try growing some of the ingredients
on your own, possibly in your sunroom.
Roses are for more than smelling. Tea with rose hips offers
more vitamin C than oranges. In a coffee grinder, grind the hips
and add to a cup of very hot water. Add one-quarter cup of fresh
leaves to one cup of boiling water. For a lemon-flavored tea,
add lemon balm. This tea is ideal for soothing nerves and aids
in digestion.
Marigolds act as a natural antiseptic when picked as they
begin to bloom. Mixed with oil, they help relieve cuts, burns,
itchy skin and chapped lips.
For soft skin, try a homemade oil with lavender. Fill
a jar with lavender flowers. Gently crush the flowers and add
enough olive oil to cover the herbs.
Cover the jar and place it in the sun, shaking every day. Strain
the oil after a few weeks. Massage the oil into your skin or
add to your bath.
For a refreshing facemask, mix the following ingredients
in a blender: 1-cup mint leaves, 2 tablespoons oatmeal and 2
tablespoons water. Keep on your face for 15 minutes.
Lettuce is for more than salads. To soothe sunburned skin,
boil lettuce with water and after it has cooled, add the liquid
to your bath.
Grow your own loofah. This relative of the cucumber works
great as an exfoliator.
Follow the growing instructions on the loofah packet, which can
be purchased at most nurseries. After harvesting, soak them in
water. Peel the brown skin and remove the seeds. Place them in
the sun to dry.
For a refreshing foot soak, mix 3 drops tee tree, crushed
lavender petals and a fresh squeezed lemon to warm water.
For the added spa-esque feeling, try arranging scented candles
throughout your sunroom. You can also play soothing music or
purchase a miniature running fountain, available at most home
stores. To really go all out, the investment of a Jacuzzi is
sure to offer years of enjoyment and relaxation. In addition,
your new sunroom spa is an ideal setting to practice yoga. Earth-tones
pillows and rugs add an element of relaxation and there are many
casual furniture and window treatment options available to you
for your sunroom spa.
"The great thing about your sunroom spa is that it can transform
into a romantic dinner setting or a planetarium on a starry night,"
adds Jones. "A sunroom is the one room in the house that
can be used for almost anything." |
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