Life lessons from The Back of a Camel (part 1)

Sedona Skyline, photo by Janice Summers

Every year, at the end of the year, sandwiched between New Years, Christmas, Kwanza, and Hanukkah is the annual "Girls Trip". It's a time of year to detach, relax, breath, dream, and plan for the future all rolled into a 4 night 5 day trip. I know it may sound like a fairly aggressive plan, but when you get a bunch (or one or more) of Type A Alpha women together, it is amazing what you can accomplish in a very short period of time!

Each year we plan a different location in the US to visit. The only priority criteria is that it have a Spa. Of course! Even if you don't know me, you can tell by the name of my company that I place a high value on the importance of a good spa visit. Why even a mediocre spa visit is time well spent, but I digress. Each year we also invite other women to join with us, always hoping but understanding if they cannot come. Because deep down we know that who needs to be there will be there.

This year we planned a trip to Sedona with high aspirations of spiritual healing and rejuvenation, it's Sedona after all! As usual, we invited others and this time a third came along. How lucky is that Three Alpha's in Sedona?! Oh, and it is winter solstice time. OK can this get any better? I think not. Three little hares at the spa..... do I need to show you the logo?

So here I was, all set for the spiritual enlightenment that many say Sedona will give you. The year behind me had been a rough one full of doubts and uncertainty so an ounce of clarity and knowing was going to be very welcome for me. 

But little did I know that the messages I needed to receive would not come from an awe inspiring experience in Sedona, the life lesson that I needed would come from the back of a Camel miles away from Sedona.  

Winter skin care

Winter is now upon us! The air is crisp and cool outside and as we hustle and bustle taking care of our business, we bundle up against the freezing cold. So we seek refuge in the comforts of our homes, our office, our cars - all equipped with heat to keep us warm. 

Frost on the pines, photo by Janice Summers

But no matter how hard we try, our skin pays a hefty toll between the cold dry air and the warm dry heat. You may find yourself feeling itchy or irritated. For some this can be the most painful time of year with dry cracking flaking skin and bouts of exzema breaking out. and the older we get, the more we feel the toll of the super dry air around us. Why, because it gets harder for us to retain the lushly plump skin from our youth as we age. But no matter the age, we are all susceptible to the pains of dryness and in winter it can go beyond the slight tightness.

If you find yourself chapped and chaffing here are some things we recommend trying:

• Get some moisture into the air with a humidifier. Humidifiers come in many shapes and sizes if you want to purchase one. If you have no budget, a simple tea kettle or even a pot of water on the stove will work just fine.  Kick it up a notch with a drop or two of your favorite Tres Spa Synergy blend to add some aroma therapy while you are at it.
• If you have been sloshing about in the cold and you've gotten wet. Dry off! Wet socks and gloves can cause your skin to feel very irritated. It may sound odd, but water can really be drying.
• Moisturize your skin!!! Do it often, as often as you need to. But choose what you moisturize with wisely. Winter is the time to favor the butters and the body oils over the lotions and creams. Why? Because they tend to lay down a thicker layer and take their time to absorb into the skin. We recommend our Whipped Body Butters and our Body Oils.
• But what about your face? The face gets the full brunt of it no matter what time of year it is and you want to take extra care here. But most butters and body oils are not formulated for the face. You want to make sure you are using readily absorbed oils that will not clog he pores of the face and cause other problems. If you are using Tres Spa products, you are in luck! We have amazing face oils and a thick rich cream called Defiance!. For super dry face's I always recommend Sahara as it contains avocado oil but you can also use our body oils since we formulate using what are called "dry" oils.
• What is you have those deep cracks in your feet or hands? Butter 'em up with a good whipped butter and then place them in a plastic glove or booty and give the oils plenty of time to absorb in. The trapped moisture in the plastic helps to soften calloused super tough skin and the protective cover makes sure the butter stays on your feet and hands and not on your sheets or rugs or whatever else you may touch.

Are you Resolved?

New Year is one of my favorite holiday's of the year. I love it more than any other festival time. I'm not into the parties and the drinking and dancing, that has never been who I am and what I am about. Being a shy person, the last place you will find me is at a wild New Year's party. So why do I love this time of year so much? It's a festival that transcends all religious and cultural beliefs. It is equal to us all young old and is the same no matter how much currency you posses. Healthy or ill skinny or plump, it is the same for everyone. It is the festival of equals.

We are all at the same precipice at the same time. On the horizon of new and at the last embers of the old. It is no wonder why so many take at least a moment to reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. Resolving to make improvements and to push ourselves forward to our true potential is only natural.

I have meet several people who refuse to make New Years resolutions since they never live up to them. Well..... make a different set of resolutions then! It makes no sense to resolve yourself to failure. Personally,  I never worry about whether or not I will "live up" to the resolution in the fullest. In fact, I have had resolutions that I have made more than one year. It may have taken me a few years to achieve it, but eventually I made the goal a reality.

When given a choice, I would much rather resolve to be successful in attempting and achieving my goals then to get by without direction. So resolve away and don't be afraid of missing the mark, take pride in the fact you had the courage to resolve yourself to make improvements. What changes would you like to make in the year ahead?