Frugal & Fabulous: Staycation Spa Day (& giveaway!)
Being frugal doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself of the fabulous essentials. I just wrapped up graduate school so it meant my life was measured by three things: Low on time, low on money and high on stress. In my two years as a struggling student I perfected the art of the spa staycation- you can too!
The Tennants of a Successful Spa Staycation:
- You’re saving money already, splurge a little on pretty nail colors & good products.
- You need to unplug for a day and rent your favorite, most cheesy movies.
- Stock up on good food or order in delivery.
- Champagne (even the cheap kind) for mimosas is suggested but not required.
- Enter a cool giveaway from Frugalbeautiful.com
Unless you’re a good cook or someone chips in to take kitchen duty- I’ve avoided food prep during my staycation spa days. Today is the day to treat yo’self and get yourself some frivolous foods that are easy to prep- quiche, chips and guac, cheesecake, veggies and dip…anything that’s easy to make or pop in the oven that also makes your mouth water is a win.
Before you take your spa staycation also pick out a special nail polish color for the occasion unless you’re totally in love with a shade you have. Remember, you’ve already been smart by DIYing your spa day- stock up on the nail polish colors you crave, the right mani and pedi tools and all the scrubs, lotions and bubble bath you need. If you don’t know how to give yourself a spa treatment, I did a mani/pedi tutorial.
Oh, and you’ll need candles and good music. Can’t forget that! Before you hit the bathroom for pampering, put some of your snacks in the oven or get them prepped.
After you soak to good tunes and bask in the candle light, bundle up, snack a bit and work your way to the t.v. and put your movie of choice on… you need to give yourself at least 4 solid hours of personal time onyour spa staycation!
Enjoy your fave movies while your nails dry, and at this juncture, order some takeout- or if you have an amazing partner, bat your eyelashes and make kissy noises until food appears (I hear that works too!)
If you want your spa staycations to be a regular feature, invest in a good footsoaking tub, a plush robe and some fab slippers! Again, you’re already saving money on the staycation- so get yourself something fancy to wear around, no tattered robes with your dairy air hanging to the wind!
Here are some of my favorite products for at home spa days:
Barista Bath + Body makes really great products for both men and women- best of all, their fragrances are rather gender neutral so your body scrub can be used by your male counterparts as well!
I use the One Lump Or Two Coffee Body Scrub to soften up my skin on my hands, heels and body- but another thing I love it for is to clean up my manicures! I am notoriously bad at getting the finger paint ON MY NAILS so I usually have a excess paint on my cuticles and around my nail bed- I use a bit of scrub after painting my nails to get off any excess polish.
The Barista Leave Room for Cream is super thick and it smells great for men or women- really just a pleasant cream with almost a small hint of citrus. The coffee scrub does make a bit of a mess in the shower, but a quick rinse down and it’s clean. I love it to exfoliate all over, but it does wonders on rough heels without being too greasy!
Bathing Suit Prep Tip: exfoliate before applying sunless tanner! Also, the coffee grounds in this scrub are great for combating cellulite!
Onto The Polish:
I recently got to try some of the products from CND: Their polish in Tutu and Rose Water ($8) and their awesome Effects Nail Polish in Raspberry Sparkle ($9). I also used their Scentsations lotion in Black Currant & Fig ($10) though they have a ton of other scents I must try like Vanilla Shimmer, Tangerine & Lemongrass and Birch & Mint…yum!
While I’m all for crazy, bright colors, I love the clean look of a pale pink with white tips. When I do at home manicures- I use french tip guides to get a clean line for a french maicure. I also use a four sided nail buffer to shape, smooth and prep nails before adding polish- it usually helps my work last longer! CND has a bunch of colors, and their Nail Effects Polish is a great top coat!
Are you ready for a spa staycation?
CND is going to hook you up! One lucky reader will get to choose a Scentsations Lotion & two nail polishes!
How to enter…do the following & leave a comment for each:
- Like CND on Facebook
- Follow CND on Twitter
- Follow FrugalBeautiful on Bloglovin’
Good luck! Contest ends 5/18/2012 …see disclosure policy here.
Howdy! I'm Shannyn! I believe anyone can afford the beautiful life they want by being savvily frugal. I'm a runDisney addict, Doctor Who fan, stationary nerd & asthmatic runner. I live in Chicago with my pugs.
i LIKE CND on facebook
1i Follow CND on Twitter
2Liked on Facebook
3Following on twitter
4following on bloglovin
5I love spa staycations!!!! I need to learn how to relax more often though. And I really would like to be able to massage my entire body myself haha.
I will be entering once I get home since facebook is blocked at work!
Oh and I will respond to your email, I’ve just been a bit busy today!
6Follwing you on Bloglovin!
7Liked CND on FB. Thank you.
8I like CND on Facebook!
9I follow CND on Twitter!
10I already follow you on Bloglovin’
11Yes! I’ve been needing a staycation and never got around to actually doing it – but this is a great guide!
Liked on Facebook and Twitter. Oh, and I followed you on BlogLovin’ which I actually can’t believe I hadn’t already done haha.
12Follow you on Bloglovin
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
13Follow CND on FB
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
14Follow CND on Twitter
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
15I liked CND – Creative Nail Design on FB.
16My FB names is Abby Kraynick Sovko
I liked CND on Facebook!
17I am following CND on Twitter. My Twitter name is @AbbySovko
18I am following Frugal Beautiful..
19~ Every girl likes to feel beautiful; a new nail polish, new nail polish, and smell beautiful. ~
20~ LIKE CND on Facebook ~
21~ Following CND on Twitter ~ SuziQ523
22~ Following Frugalbeautiful on Bloglovin ~<3
23LIKED CND
24I like CND on Facebook (colleen boudreau)
25holliister at gmail dot com
I follow FrugalBeautiful on Bloglovin’.
26holliister at gmail dot com
I already follow all three!
27Thanks for the giveaway and all your blogging too!!
Follow frugalbeautiful on bloglovin
28Followed CND on Twitter
29Followed CND on FB!
30“Liked” CND on Facebook @JClarice Bean
31uptownurbanblog@gmail.com
Following CND on Twitter! @msjclarice
32uptownurbanblog@gmail.com
Following Frugal Beauty on Bloglovin’! Uptown Urban Blog
33uptownurbanblog@gmail.com
following on GFC!
34following on twitter! (i’m @snaililla)
35liked you on FB (i’m Lyra Dent)
36… by “GFC” i meant “blogloving” up there!
37I love CND products
38I like CND on Facebook
39I follow CND on Twitter @mamavalveeta03
40And I follow you on bloglovin’
41valhoff 3 at yahoo dot com
Like CND on Facebook – Stefanie Gladden
42Follow CND on Twitter – @LuVx143
43Follow FrugalBeautiful on Bloglovin’ – stefanie gladden
44I like CND on FB(Sharon Siqueiros)
lunrei at yahoo dot com
45I follow CND on Twitter(@SharonSiqueiros)
lunrei at yahoo dot com
46I already follow you on Bloglovin’ (Sharon Siqueiros)
lunrei at yahoo dot com
47follow cnd on fb
48follow cnd on twitter
49I like CND on Facebook (FB name: Madeline Brubaker).
50I follow CND on Twitter (@shala_darkstone).
51I follow FrugalBeautiful on Bloglovin’.
52I Like CND on Facebook – Cynthia M Richardson
Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org
53I follow CND on Twitter @hofken
Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org
54I Follow FrugalBeautiful on Bloglovin’
Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org
55I like on Facebook as Muriel Grubb.
56I follow on Twitter as @Azurielm
57I follow on Bloglovin’ as Azurielm
58I think DSAI is trying to make himself popular…dia nak jadi cam Tun tapi pakai negative approach. so jadilah unpopular…cuma I wonder how people has the guts to do all those things…
59For the youngsters…clear your facts first before attacking Tun… well…people make mistakes including Tun…but Tun has made a load of good deeds for Malaysia and the world which I don’t think others can challenge!
It’s just so sad reading your writing this time…don’t bother about the “not your fan” group.if respect pun tak tau macamana nak tau all the facts….nak gali lebih….?what’s that!!!!
cukup setuju dgn komen Biskitani.