You probably look like this around Christmas!

Christmas is officially upon us!  As I mentioned in my last post, not a single moment was wasted last week tearing down the Halloween decorations and putting up the Christmas ones.  With ONLY 46 MORE DAYS till Christmas (Seriously? That sounds like a lot of days to me! ) some people are already switching to panic mode, running around frantically shopping for the perfect gift for all 100 people on their Christmas lists this year.  Not to mention, the kids who have been writing out their own Christmas lists since Dec.26th last year.

For example, I was at Costco this weekend, which is normally pretty hectic — but with the holiday spirit in the air, the place was crazy. Almost every shopping cart was either loaded with various toys for the kiddies or the must-have decorations for the season. They had these Christmas ball decorations for the tree that were the size of a small child and literally every second person was buying a set!

What size trees are these people buying???  Is there a new trend this year where you are supposed to decorate the 20-foot Douglas fir in your front yard?

Watching all these people tripping over each other to score the giant Christmas balls got me thinking…we all need to take a big breath before the Christmas Holidays actually start (the official date is Dec.24th, not Nov.1st!) and give ourselves some time to relax!  This especially goes out to the Moms of the world as it’s usually Mom who shops, Mom who cooks, Mom who bakes and Mom who decorates for the holidays! The best advice my friends gave me when I got pregnant and became a mom, was to make sure to take some time for myself each day, whether it be having a bubble bath, reading a book for 5 minutes or simply remembering to take a few deep breathes.  I especially think this advice comes in handy around the holidays.

I was fortunate to heed this advice a few weeks ago and take advantage of a discounted spa treatment I had purchased on one of those great online coupon daily deal sites. It included a 1-hour organic facial (my first one!) which was amazing! As I was lying there being pampered, I realized that this could be something anyone could do for themselves at home.  Now I know most people at this time of year would say they don’t have time, but really all you need is 20 minutes and you will feel like a new woman (or man…men need to pamper themselves too, you know!) So based on the facial I received, I did a little research and figured out what I need to give myself an at-home facial:

DIY 20-minute facial

1. Cleanse your skin with your usual cleanser applying in circular motions from your neck upwards. Then wash off with a hot wet towel.

2. Have a hot bath so that the steam can open up your pores making it more receptive to the mask treatment. Add some lavender oil for maximum relaxation. If you don’t think you have time for a bath, fill a bowl with hot water (not boiling) and add a couple of drops of lavender oil. Place your head above the bowl of water with a tea towel over your head, and then breathe deeply for a few minutes.

3. The next step is to exfoliate your skin. Mix oatmeal with honey (try not to eat it first!) and apply to your face in circular motions. It feels weird but smells good. Gently massage it into your face in circular movements. Wash off the yummy goo in the sink or with a wet cloth.

4. Next comes the mask. The woman at the spa used an all natural honey mask which smells great. You just need 1 egg, 2 tbsps of honey, a splash of milk and 1 tsp of vitamin E oil. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. If you have normal to dry skin use the egg yolk, and if you have normal to oily skin use the egg whites. Place the portion that you are going to use in a small bowl. Add the honey and mix a little bit. Now add the vitamin E oil and a very small amount of milk. If you use too much milk, the consistency of the facial masque will be too liquidy and the mask will not apply properly. Leave on for 5-10 minutes – pop a couple of slices of cucumber or cold tea bags over your eyes whilst you are waiting for the mask to work. Then wash off the mask.

5. Now massage your skin with whatever daily moisturizer you use and voila!  A new more relaxed you ready to face the holiday madness!!!

Now you look like this around Christmas! Much better huh?

And for an added bonus, if you really want to relax, I highly recommend purchasing one of those home foot spas to put your tootsies in while you let the mask set.  Pure heaven.  In stores they are pretty expensive but I managed to find some brand new on UsedVic for around $20.

Now…take 3 deep breathes and relax…and try not to think that there is ONLY 46 MORE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!! Tee-hee. Just kidding.

Coupon Tip of Week:  Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for coupons from your friends and neighbours. Last week the P&G and Smartsource coupons came with the local paper and there were some really good ones like Pampers diapers. Most people just throw these out in the recycling so why not ask them to simply put them aside for you to use? This way you can really stock up on items when a great sale comes along.