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Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble...Not
By Christina Barr
CN Editor-in-Chief
Three witches hanging out in a cave stirring a cauldron
of turmoil might be the first thing that comes to mind
when you hear the familiar Shakespearean lines, “Double,
double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble”.
If you study literature, that is. Here at Connected
Now, the first thing we thought of was a hot tub – akin
to the bubbling cauldron, but without the poison and
the chanting. There is hot water, a large vat to sit
in, and ideally a dark night to enjoy the stars. We
wouldn’t mind the witches being there, as long as they
don’t try to throw in some eye of newt or toe of frog
– rather, we’d enjoy some scented bath oils and a large
glass of water to keep us relaxed and hydrated.
 Now
that the kids have gone back to school and everybody
is gearing up for the hectic holiday season, we all
need to remember to take a moment (an hour, an evening,
a two week vacation) to pamper ourselves. With all the
stresses in our daily lives, it’s easy to forget to
take care. But we quickly remember when that familiar
know in our back tightens up, or when our dogs are barking!
Don’t panic just yet, folks - luckily there are numerous
ways to aid these afflictions all depending on you.
For those brave souls ready for a commitment, there
is the truly amazing hot tub. Yeah, I know it’s just
a big cauldron, but like I mentioned before, keep the
creepy ingredients out and the good stuff in and you’ve
got yourself a relaxation party at your house! You can
go big and have a tub to fit a party, or keep it simple
and cozy with enough room for two or three. The power
is yours – just decide how much room you have, how much
you want to spend, and how many people you want magically
appearing on your doorstep every night whimpering about
chronic this or backache that. For a real treat, stop
by Your Home Resort in Rancho Cordova. Mark Quinn is
sure to give you the grand tour, and help you find the
size and style that’s just right for your needs and
budget. Not to mention all the hours of hydrotherapy
and privacy (Oh, someone called? Too bad we couldn’t
hear the phone ring over the noise of all these jets
massaging our tired muscles!).
 When
I paid ol’ Mark a visit, he was charming and eager to
guide me around the lavish showroom, which includes
indoor and outdoor functioning displays of CalSpas.
You can get yourself a bubbling pot of bliss for just
under $3,000 – seating two people in a round, redwood
tub with nine jets. Or, you can say to heck with the
kids’ inheritance and get crazy with a $40,000 spa setup
including a 48-inch plasma television, surround sound,
70 to 100 jets, and all the bells and whistles (I think
it’s bigger than my apartment). And I know there’s a
middle ground in there somewhere. According to Mark,
their bestseller is the Victory 800. It’s seven by seven
feet, with 42 jets, holding 425 gallons of water with
adjustable water levels so shorties won’t drown. There’s
even a water-purification system for those that think
the hot tub is a festering pool of germs. The Victory
800 is, according to Mark, “an Expedition without the
Eddie Bauer kit…you get extreme therapy at the lowest
price,” which weighs in at just under $5,000. Talk about
value! Visit Mark and Your Home Resort at 2300 Mine
Shaft Lane, Rancho Cordova, (916) 294-0100, or at their
website,
www.yhresort.com. If you just want to see CalSpas
in all their glory, visit www.calspas.com.
If sitting in a large bath with other people isn’t your
thang, you might enjoy a trip to a day spa. You might
be thinking that a day spa is one of those cult-like
places you send the wife off to when it’s time for a
round of golf with the boys, but men are becoming more
and more susceptible to the allure of the day spa and
all its indulgent services. Lucky girl that I am, I
took a trip to Blue Sky Day Spa in East Sacramento and
have been longing to return ever since. I had this gift
certificate floating around for almost two years (don’t
ask me why I waited so long to cash it in! I must be
crazy) so I figured I’d treat myself to a relaxing Swedish
massage. Now I’ve had a massage or two in the past,
but just between you and me, this was by far the most
outstanding hour massage I’ve ever experienced. Honestly.
I made my way to the nondescript building at H and 42nd,
entered into serenity, and was greeted by the owner,
Cindy Ajay, with soft voices, a glass of water, and
a momentary wait for my appointment. Janelle, my massage
therapist, greeted my with a warm smile and escorted
me to a room named Rain. With soft, soothing music playing
and a warm table with sheets and blankets to lie on,
I melted away. I think I hovered an inch or two off
the ground after my hour treatment.
Even though massage therapy is their most popular service,
they offer a variety of other services for men and women.
I want to return to try something new, such as a spa
pedicure, mud wrap or facial. There are spa packages,
some of which include a catered champagne lunch, and
a limo service is available! You can see it all for
yourself on their website at www.blueskydayspa.com,
or pop in for a visit at 4250 H Street inSacramento.
Their phone number is (916) 455-6200. Cindy welcomes
all clients, even those a bit apprehensive of a stranger
touching them. The services are designed to fit each
person’s comfort level and needs. Cindy has actually
been a massage therapist since 1992, starting out in
a private practice. She opened a day spa to be able
to give her clients the best service possible. She offers
specials quarterly that are designed around treatments
she develops herself. As she told me, “I love to create
new body treatments,” which is obvious by her current
special of “new and innovative” treatments featuring
rosemary and mint presents decadence! The Blue Sky Day
Spa happily offers gift certificates as wonderful presents,
and I highly recommend them! If you are looking for
a way to relax, either just for fun, as part of a routine,
or to celebrate a birthday or wedding, Cindy and her
lovely staff are ready to help! Just think, the basic
Swedish Massage starts at a More $65 for 55 minutes
of bliss!
Maybe your budget just doesn’t allow for something like
a hot tub, or maybe you don’t have time right now to
slip away and treat yourself. I understand! But that’s
not excuse to neglect yourself! There are plenty of
gadgets specifically designed to turn your home or office
into a cozy retreat. From Sharper Image (www.sharperimage.com),
or Homedics (www.homedics.com)
to Walgreens (www.Walgreens.com)
you have many local places you can visit to pick up
a gadget or two. I have many theraputic products to
keep me sane and happy. When I have a bad day, I like
to lock myself in my apartment, turn off the phone,
turn on soft lights and good music, have a glass of
wine, turn on my tabletop fountain (I do love the sound
of rain falling), use my Shiatsu Massaging Cushion,
and forget the world.
Whatever the method, you really have no excuse to complain
about tired feet and achy backs now that you know how
to relieve these ailments! No matter your budget or
schedule, you should be able to indulge in some sort
of spa experience, and learn to enjoy it! I recommend
getting an early start before the holiday season kicks
in. At least start dropping the hints now so you’ll
find that massaging ottoman, gift certificate to Blue
Sky Day Spa, or new CalSpas hot tub under the tree in
December. They all beat being in a cauldron!
For more information, contact Christina Barr at
cbarr@connectednow.com
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