Is body pain stopping your new year goals?

New Year, New You. But same ol' body aches and pains.

A new years resolution to be your best self is a great way to start the year. But as you get back into the gym and your workout routine, your body is protesting. Those old injuries are flaring back up. And  we just want to give up it hurts so bad.

Don't Give Up!

Take back control of your body with these:

Pain-Relief Strategies.

Get back pain? 2 simple steps for quick results

Wellness Wednesday for today is a stretch duo for the mid to upper back. Thanks to my client Tina G this tip. 

You can use this stretch duo for muscle strain from lifting and pulling. Great for nurses, massage therapists and furniture movers. Also for gamers, students and smart phone users, that spend hours curled over their devices. 

Get Upper Back Pain? Follow this simple stretch then give yourself a big hug!

How to improve relaxation with fascinating, unique sounds

Want Better Sleep and Relaxation? Try this. 

What sounds do you find soothing? What sounds help you sleep? 

Your quick, easy 3 minute heavenly self-care massage

1 simple tip quickly treats your Thanksgiving pain

(Body and muscle pains only. We still can't do anything about the guests.)

This week for Wellness Wednesday I have a quick, easy tip from our massage therapist Erin. 

Transform self-doubt to inner strength in 5 steps

  Found this inspiring post from Dawn Serra on Self Doubt. She discusses the debilitating power of self-doubt, how "making yourself happy" is damaging, and offers empowering steps to conquer self-doubt and transform it into inner strength.

Do you know how to combat muscle pain?

Easy step to keep you pain-free and healthy

When I moved out here from Ireland I thought the winters were delightfully warm. It wasn't very damp, unless it rained, and the cold weather didn't feel very cold. But after a couple of decades I am a true Californian and have to find my warm, thick cardigans when the barometer veers down to 65F.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside." How to use one simple trick and be pain-free.

Living in Southern California means you get a sudden weather change. From triple digit heat one day to cranking up the heater the next. We don't get any sympathy. But the sudden change does bring with it a host of problems. The worst? How it impacts our bodies leaving us in pain. We have a have a great tip.

Joy and struggles after 10 years of spa bliss

Flyer Tuscany Spa #10YrSpa event

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE FESTIVITIES

Today, we were doing our last minute planning for this Saturdays 10 year anniversary party and fundraiser for our local chapter of Ronald McDonald House Charities. At first I couldn't believe that much time had passed.

My sister and I went over the time line and realized she was not yet pregnant with my delightful 8 year old nephew when she helped set up our Grand Opening. We checked our grand opening invitation and sure enough we had our grand opening on Oct 8th 2005.

WE'VE BEEN IN MONTROSE FOR 10 YEARS!

Invitation To Tuscany Spa Grand Opening and fundraiser on Oct 8th 2005

Skincare myths exposed! The best top 10 ever.

Do you know the truth about skincare?

Skin Care Myths, 10 Lies You Need to Know

1. Chocolate causes Acne

When good facials go bad. How to spot trouble.

How to know your facial has gone horribly wrong

A beauty blogger made Internet infamy when she told the story of her awful post-facial reaction. The images are heart-breaking. Sadly the follow-up care she received from the salon made it even worse.

As an esthetician I have had the privilege of viewing this industry from the inside and was appalled at the flawed and damaging information she was given.  So what do you do if your facial goes horribly wrong?
In this two part post we cover what is a normal vs abnormal reaction and then the home care tricks you should follow.

Your skin burning STILL? How to calm it, NOW!

You just had an amazing facial and peel. The peel brightened your skin and has given you a glow. Wow! Just, WOW!

Remember to follow your esthetican/skin care technician post-peel home-care recommendations for optimal results. Its worth investing your money in the right home-care. Your skin will thank
you. 

But now! (queue dramatic music *dun-dun-dun*) Relaxing at home you notice an annoying tingling or burning on an area of your face. It's not comfortable. It may be start to look red and feel irritated. What can you do when you can't reach your skin care technician? Worry not! I have the solution.

BEHOLD! The answer in your hands! Your recipe that stops: (queue spooky intro music *wuoo-uuu-ooo*)

"THE RETURN OF THE BURNING FACE PEEL!"

How to get that Sexy Decollete at the Spa

When treating the delicate skin of the decollete at the spa our focus is on exfoliating, or removing, the surface damaged cells to reveal your healthier, younger and fresher cells that are hiding below the surface.

The exfoliating treatments have the added benefits of triggering the "Inflammatory Cascade" which is how your skin regrows stronger and healthier tissues. An example of this process is working out your muscles, which creates minor trauma, only to grow stronger better muscles.

In part one we gave you several home care regimens to treat your decollete. Your skin will have improved already but you may want stronger treatments to speed up the benefits . Here are 5 Spa/Salon treatments you have at your disposal.

What do YOU want to know? 9 Questions to get you brainstorming

Thanks for being a VIP and improving our blog with your ideas.

This past year I have blogged about skincare, bodycare and wellness topics that had come up at the spa. But I recently heard a criticism that I "didnt need to blog anymore about sunscreen". Although I may never completely stop blogging about SPF (my hubby continues to claim that I am addicted to sunscreen) I am interested in learning what topics are of interest to YOU.

Below are a few questions to get you started. Please answer those questions that interest you and share your ideas to improve and update this blog.

6 tips to quickly, easily improve your physical well being

Have you ever gotten out of work feeling stiff and sore? Or just felt achy in the middle of the day?
Physical labor takes a toll on your body, knots up your muscles, creates tightness in the joints and makes it difficult to get any rest.

So what is the solution?

The solution is to tell your boss that you are taking off for just a few minutes during your workday so you can do a "right in the middle of the work day stretch-out". (*waving "Hello"  to my boss as she reads this*)

Here are my 6 favorites!

Bizarre dangers of contact lenses you need to know

Got an eye on "The perils of contact lenses" article.

This scary eyeball is a warning to all contact lens wearers: "Be careful with your eyes!!!" 

The article "The Perils of Contact Lenses" has disturbing information about the rise of eye infections in contact lens wearer with tips to keep you safe.

How to be your spectacular self!

Today has been an odd day. Everything was off kilter from time I left home to the time I got to bed. A big part of it was going to my grandmother's 95th birthday. And knowing it would be her last since she has chosen to stop dialysis.

Most of the family attended, smiling, take pictures with grandma and singing happy birthday. At one point someone joked about her wheeling her oxygen tank a bit too close to the candles. Only 5 candles, my aunt Adrineh was keeping the cake from becoming a flambe.

I held her hand, felt her skin and kept from crying. She was beautiful with her wrinkles, feisty spirit and amused smile.  As a young woman she was strikingly beautiful. I wonder if she suffered from the same lack of self confidence in her youth as I had. As we all have had. Probably . 

How often do you see yourself as the true beauty that you are? Or do you sometimes get caught up in your worries about your perceived imperfections? 

The truth i have to re-remember when those flaws appear glaring back at me, is that right now I am more beautiful than i realize. And i know that to be true because my future self, especially my 95 year old self, will look back and think "Dang, i looked awesome then. Wish i had realized how good I was."

Sitting with friends and family I didn't see anyones flaws or imperfections, those features were just a quintessential part of each person. I suspect no one focused on me either. We were busy being in each others company and surrounding our grandmother with affection.

Next time we see only our imperfections, imagine what our future 95 year old self would think about us, and how our current self would be remembered?

Love who you are today! Why? Because you are SPECTACULAR; you are just waiting for your future self to remind of you.

Don't forget to treat yourselves  to some tlc, it brings off-kilter days back into balance and reminds us of our awesomeness. 

I look forward to seeing your spectacular self at Tuscany Spa for your TLC time.

Michelle 

PS: tablet died in middle of this post so redid it from my phone. Any errors are blamed on technology. ;)

Do you know the shocking truth: skin cancer and Organ transplants?

Congratulations on your new Heart! or Kidneys, Lungs or Liver! Now you can also have a dose of Squamous Cell Carcinoma aka Skin Cancer, for you to enjoy.

Sounds snarky but its true. If you, or a loved one, have been an organ transplant patient, the risk of skin cancer will occur at an astounding rate of 65 to 250 times more frequently than the general population. Why and what can you do? Read on then share this info.

Stressed? You need this 1 minute quick fix!

Stress is common. Too common. Problems arise when you lest expect them and can turn your ordered day into chaos. Or you may work at a chaotic job -  in an ER, at fast paced office or as a parent. How do you keep from losing focus?

I learned the most effect de-stressing quick fix from my personal exercise experiences with Alexander Technique Pilates, Yoga, and Weight Training instructors. What is this incredible quick fix, you ask?

Introducing the best way to improve chronic pain...

Is the Targeted ZONE MASSAGE PROGRAM right for you?

Muscle pain can be very debilitating. It makes it harder for us to do our job, pick up the kids, do basic errands. 
Popping a pain-pill can help but it can also make the problem worse. Because if you continue to use your injured muscles you can re-injure them. And re-injury is actually worse for you than the initial injury and it can dramatically slow your healing. 

One of the best way to treat those areas of muscle pain is to have a series of regular massages focused entirely on that area. So we have created our popular ZONE MASSAGE PROGRAM.

The Zone Massage sessions offer targeted massage focused on your areas of discomfort and is designed for ongoing, chronic pain and injury-related pain. 

If you have been suffering with ongoing pain and are ready to try something that will finally ease the discomfort then you are ready for our Targeted Zone Massage Program.

Save money, calm your skin! #1 quick, easy trick.

Soothe angry inflammed skin: quickly, easily and naturally

Recently, I was consulting with a client that wanted a more natural way to treat a red, inflamed patch on her skin. I recommended she start with the estheticans GO-TO, 1st step treatment, before she do anything else.
Can you guess what it is?

Moms 3 life lessons to be a better person

Our moms do so much for us and this mothers day is one day we set aside to recognize them. Mom gets to be pampered, take the day off and get showered with love. 

It's easy to #PamperMom when you buy a Tuscany Spa Gift card ONLINE

Some of us are lucky to have our moms be our mentors as well. When I became an esthetician, following in moms footsteps, she was my greatest supporter and wonderful mentor.

There were 3 important lessons I learned from my mom when I started out as an esthetican. These 3 lessons guided me well in my new career and are powerful lessons for life.

Be Brutally Honest

Of course we believe in honesty. But how many of you have refused to sell over $200 worth of products to a client because they were the wrong products for the clients skin. My mom does this frequently and everyone loves her for it. Having our clients use the right skincare products often translates into fewer, less expensive products for them with real results.

Trust Yourself

Giving a 100 % as an esthetician was always a given for me. But as a new graduate I was terrified I'd make a mistake like spilling a full bowl of cleansing water all over the floor, narrowly missing soaking my client. When I actually did that my mom was calm and supportive and the client and I got to laugh about that incident for years. The only way to get over newbie anxiety - trust myself and just give it a go because a part of learning is putting that knowledge into action

Can't Please Everyone

The old adage is you cant please all of the people all of the time. Mom told me even if I give 120% I am not going to connect with every potential client I meet. It is a hard truth that applies to the beauty industry and to life. So as long as I do my best, stay true to myself and be honest with others the only other thing to do is to wish them well as they go on their way. But the positive in this is I have formed amazing, inspiring and long-lasting relationships with some incredible people I am blessed to call "clients".

This mothers day remember all that mom has taught you and say "Thanks". But don't forget to give her a wonderful day off so she can pamper herself.

So how are YOU going to Pamper mom? Share your plans and ideas with the hashtag #PamperMom.

Michelle G. Lathe, L.E.

Buy mom a Tuscany Spa Gift Card of $100 or more and Get a $10 coupon to use on yourself. That is my mom in the photos, in case you were wondering. MGL