Serene Spa July continues

 

Hello chic friends!

 

I am back today with the second week in our ✨ Serene Spa July ✨ series, where the aim is to make our home life feel as relaxing and peaceful as a high-end spa. In last week's post I shared Days 1-3, and today we continue on :)

 

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Day 4 - Apply your makeup in a relaxed fashion

 

I love how beauticians are always beautifully made up. Their maquillage is impeccable - poreless complexion, a richly pigmented lipstick, and enviable eye makeup.

I’m still practicing my eye makeup each day - even after all these years of doing it I know I still need to push myself out of my comfort zone and try new things.

Today was not one of those days 😅 But I did put on a brighter lipstick than usual because I always admire a bold lip on a lady and think it brightens her whole face up.

I know we all prefer differing amounts of makeup. Personally I believe that any face can be improved with even a little.

Plus it’s a creative way to spend ten minutes with an enjoyable audiobook or listenable YouTube video.

 

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Day 5  - Make yourself a spa snack.

Many years ago, my brother won a couples massage at a five-star hotel. Because he was single at the time he took me as his plus-one. Thank goodness we were in separate rooms is all I can say! Anyway, it was blissful, and afterwards we lay on loungers in white fluffy robes while a light snack was served to us.

We had herbal tea, dried apricots, raw almonds, and dates. It was so elegant and delicious to nibble on.

And we can do this for ourselves easily. Here are my favourite ideas for a spa snack:

💝 As above, dried fruits and raw nuts in a small dish.

💝 Fresh fruit washed, sliced, and displayed nicely.

💝 A small portion of unsweetened Greek yoghurt, I have tiny glass bowls that I serve a few good blobs in and it tides me over until dinnertime if I get hungry in the afternoon. Yoghurt plus half an apple sliced beside it is bliss!

💝 Crudités and a little hummus

Plus herbal tea if you like a drink too. There are many luxurious herbal teas around now. As part of a facial I had recently I was given a très fancy herbal tea in a takeaway cup. I looked up the brand and maybe I’ll treat myself to a box one day (it’s called Storm and India and the tea bags are handmade from fabric!) I see they also have loose tea in tins. I have a teacup with a removeable strainer so I am set up for it!

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Day 6 - Curate your own lady basket

 

 

 

A while back my husband Paul noticed how much I carry around - from my desk, to the living room, to beside my bed - my phone, iPad, reading glasses, a notepad, AirPods, current book or magazine... there was a teetering pile or else two trips.

Anyway, he suggested I needed a basket to carry everything around in, and the lady basket was born!

I repurposed this one, and it does the job perfectly.

 

You can put whatever items in your lady basket that are useful to you. But make sure to clean it out often. You don't want a big heavy lady basket with tons of stuff in it. Keep it to only the items you use often.

Isn't the name cute? I just love it!

Have fun curating your lady basket (and I bet you can find a container that you have already for it).

Let's start a lady basket movement shall we?

 

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Day 7 - Infuse your home with fragrance

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many ways in which to do this. Some of my favourites include:

💝 Lighting scented candles

💝 Using wax melts

💝 Diffusing essential oils

I love to light a candle in the hall, that way it wafts throughout the whole house, and I have an essential oil diffuser in my office which smells beautiful.

I have favourite recipes (usually three drops of each) such as:

Orange, geranium, lavender
Lemon, mandarin, peppermint
Lavender, lime, orange

I am a fan of citrus essential oils, and lighter fragrances overall.

There are also other ways to make your home smell wonderful too:

💝 Using naturally scented or fine fragrance cleaning and laundry products.

💝 Throwing the windows open each day even if only for a short while.

💝 Keeping dusting, vacuuming, and bedding up to date. Clean smells clean!

💝 Baking or cooking a cozy meal.
 

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Day 8 - Dim the lights 

 

 

 

 

As you may have noticed from the various photos I have posted of our home, it has quite a moody, deep vibe. In addition to our dark painted living room we have long eaves on our home, so I always keep lamps on every day. I just love the look too. If it costs me a bit more in power each year so be it.

Lamps on in corners gives such a cozy, lovely feeling no matter the season.

Even in our loo here (with the fabulous gallery wall :) the overhead light is very soft. The shade is gold on the inside so the light is gentle.

At night it is soothing to switch off lights and only have lamps on. Our mind is calmed and begins to wind down for sleep time.

I love dimmers on lights too. Whenever we've had any electrical work done, I switch out that room's light switch for a dimmer.

All of this corresponds nicely with being at a high-end spa. The moment you walk in it's hushed and softly lit and it is an invitation to feel peaceful and relaxed. I love to make my home feel like that too.

 

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Day 9 – Sip on your spa drink

 

 

 

When you visit a spa, you are served a simple yet delicious drink. Often it will be fruit-infused water, or sparkling water.

It’s so simple to do this at home by slicing washed fruit into water and storing it in the fridge. Lemons and other citrus, fresh berries, and even slices of cucumber are all delicious. Use what is in season and least expensive, or even better, what you have growing at home. F R E E is always preferable, and freshest!

We have the best little lime tree which is so prolific. I freeze washed quarters and use them for ice cubes in my cold drinks, and also in my smoothies. And I’ve squeezed them and made ice cubes from them too.

Herbs are lovely in water as well – a sprig of mint is delicious, and looks wonderful.

And course, if your spa serves champagne, even better! But for day-to-day sipping, infused waters are just the ticket.

I love chilled for sipping, but I drink lots of room temperature water every day too.

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Day 10 – Increase the beauty that surrounds you

 

Even in the home you currently live in, and without going out and buying anything new, you can increase the effect of beauty in your environment.

This is something I love to do every day, and here are some of my favourite ways in which to do so.

💝 Set a beautiful table for dinner (most of us have lovely dishes and napery that we rarely bring out!)

💝 Tidy away surface clutter such as half-read magazines and newspapers. They can be stacked neatly if still in use.

💝 Take photos of rooms to see what stands out and sort those things (I read that home magazine photographers tape lamp cords to a table leg if they are visible, as an example).

💝 Bring elements of nature into a room with faux or fresh flowers, or a potted plant.

💝 Have small groupings of ornaments or candles. Cluster them rather than spread around. A home stager gave me this tip when she was photographing our last house for sale.

💝 Rotate décor items so they seem fresh in different areas or even different rooms. Art on the wall can be moved around too.

There are so many things we can do to increase the beauty in our home. I love to think of the term ‘elegant lifestyle’ or ‘elegant living’. Keeping this phrase in mind inspires me to do even five minutes of tidying and beautifying.

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And that's this weeks' wrap-up! Please join me again next Thursday for the next instalment, or you can follow me for daily posts on Instagram or Facebook if you'd like some instant gratification :)

I hope you enjoyed this week's tips for Serene Spa July. Please tell me your favourite, and also anything you would add!

xx Fiona