The keyword is “relaxation”
Let us clean for you – so you can relax. We offer residential cleaning in Toronto with safety guidelines during COVID. Whatever stage we are at, we recommend fun and relaxing activities on the weekend for you and your family instead of cleaning!
... at-Home ?
Being at-home used to represent down-time and joy. Home has lost part of its glamour with Covid lock-down and so many working from home. Take it from an entrepreneur who has worked at home for years – it takes more than a few years to learn to separate work from home. It is important to create some at-home time that is taking care of yourself – time strictly for you. Taking care of yourself will remind you that your home is a place of relaxation and not work!
1. The Full Monty – a Bathtub!
Every home and rental needs a bathtub. A good soak is a great heal for sore arches, stiff muscles, and an aching soul.
Add mineral healing power with fragrance-free Dead Sea bath salts or the aromatherapy of pure essential oils. Wonderful combinations of essential oils are found in Aura Cacia Mineral Baths: “Tranquility”, “Relaxation”, “Euphoria”, “Soothing Heat”, and “Heart Song”. Check out the essence of each with our aromatherapy guide.
Aura Cacia also creates luxurious adult Foam Baths with their pure essential oils. Bubbles are not just for kids! However, we do have bubble bath for kids too – bottles of Attitude kids’ bubble bath or packets of Aura Cacia kids’ foam bath.
2. Relax & Soothe
Not all of us have that picture perfect deep tub with the sloping back – so the dream bath pillow is a necessary feature for full relaxation – and to read a book and drink some wine.
in the movies! Sometimes mood items work better in fantasy than reality. I find the heat from the bath and alcohol are just too much inner heat for my body – and that was before I was menopausal. Consider this only because it can ruin the feel of a bath. We associate wine and bathtubs because of movies and blog promotions and then wonder why that bath wasn’t as good as the picture. See our Mocktail & Mocktini Guide!
3. Soap Up
We all know how to soap up – but not all things are created equal. For example, the delicate konjac sponge is a plant – stop & pause – a natural sponge that makes plastic facial sponges obsolete – and somewhat embarrassing – need we say more. This bamboo pouf is made from sustainable, re-useable and biodegradable bamboo – providing a gentle foaming cleanse for the whole body and the soul. Say good-bye to plastic.
Foam up your bamboo pouf with seaweed body washes and shower gels for sensitive skin. Or use one squirt of Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps on your pouf or wash cloth. If you prefer bar soaps, Mountain Sky from British Columbia creates cold pressed castile soaps with aromatic essential oils and river-friendly ingredients. The rich mineral content of the Dead Sea is harvested with consideration for preservation in One With Nature soaps – triple milled for lasting integrity.
4. Scrub - Dry Brush or Wet Scrub
You can exfoliate with a dry brush as well as a wet brush. Out of consideration for the sensitivity of the bikini area, there is the dedicated bikini brush. For the rest of your body, a simple loofah, elegant bouclé bath mitt, various jute bath mitts, or the jute back scubber. It can be hard to decide. My favourite is the two-sided hemp exfoliating face & body cloth with finer fibres on one side to exfoliate delicate areas and knobs of fibre on the other for a full body scrub.
The North American Hemp Co. uses natural hemp seed oil and husk to create theirexfoliating facial cleanser – keeping small particle plastic and nano beads out of our waterways. If the little things didn’t count, we wouldn’t have plastic nano beads in our oceans and waterways.
5. Foot Bath & Pedicure
At the end of a long day on or off your feet, have a quicky – the foot bath. A white dish pan or any storage container that is the right size will do for foot bath magic. Store your spa items in containers when not in use. The secret to a good foot bath is foam bath bubbles or mineral salts, plus the unique experience of different essential oils (see our guide). For the ultimate foot sensation, add bath-bombs to your foot bath.
The humble pumice stone or bamboo foot file can be used wet or dry. Pedicures can be simple and short or elaborate with polish. Go buff-naked with the simple pedicure below.
Fish and polish-free at-home!
- Clean your tools before starting!
- Soak your feet in warm water for at least five minutes.
- Then use a foot file, pumice stone, or exfoliating scrub to remove calluses and rough skin. Take care not to over file.
- Cut toenails – straight across to prevent ingrown toenails.
- Clean underneath toenails with a manicure stick.
- Moisturize cuticles with oil or cream. Gently push back cuticles with a wooden cuticle.
- Optionally buff your nails for a smooth shine and finish.
- Apply foot cream or body butter and give each foot a massage.
- Clean your tools after!
6. Nourish & Massage Your Body
Note that extensive massaging requires oils, but that doesn’t mean you can’t include massage motions as you apply body lotion – to give your body a little love. Attitude Body Cream for sensitive skin comes in Fragrance-Free, Avocado-oil, Chamomile, or Argan-oil. For a lighter fast absorbing lotion, try Attitude Body Lotion for sensitive skin. While the best massage is with a partner, a little self-love is also possible. Here are some basics!
One hand at a time, holding the opposite shoulder, squeeze working from outside to the base of your neck. Apply pressure with your fingers to the back of your neck and shoulders – hold and release.
Hold one arm out with your palm up. Hold it under the elbow with your other hand. Don’t squeeze you arm, just Use a comfortable firm grip – no need to squeeze. Now flip your palm down, then back up. Move the holding hand up your arm as you move your palm down and up, repeat until your reach your wrist.
Wrap fingers around your ankle and work you way up with one leg at a time. You can use one or more of the following techniques. 1) Apply pressure with fingers without causing pain and work from ankle to hip. 2) Squeeze muscles with your fingers and use your thumb to apply pressure in a kneading motion. 3) Wrap both arms around leg and gently draw up and down the leg. back up. Move the holding hand up your arm as you move your palm down and up, repeat until your reach your wrist.
7. Nourish & Massage Your Face
The face massage is a wonder of sensation and relaxation. Apply lotion to your face and finish off with a face-massage. The North American Hemp Co. produces a light facial lotion as well as a rich Linoleic Line Lifting Cream – all made with hemp-oil. Derma-E has lush lotions, rich in vitamins A & E, such as their Vitamin A Renewal Cream and Vitamin E 12,000 IU Cream.
With your fingers, gently apply pressure from your chin up to your cheekbones, along your cheekbones to your temples, then towards to the centre of your forehead. Repeat with small gentle circular motions. Pull open palms directly down from forehead to chin and separate palms to move up to each ear – known as ironing the face. Repeat. Cover each eye with palms and iron towards the temples. Repeat. Stroke your eyebrows with firm pressure. Don’t forget to massage your ear lobes – you won’t regret it!
Apply gentle but firm pressure around the eye area, above and below the eye: (1) the depression at the inner ends of eyebrows; (2) along the nose where inner eye meets the nose; (3) the centre point below the eye; (4) the outer corner of eye at eye socket; (5) the depression at outer edge of eyebrow; (6) the hollow found at the middle of the eyebrow; and, (7) the third eye – the spot directly between the eyebrows.
8. Nourish & Massage Your Hands & Feet
After gardening or a day of sanitizer, your hands need a little loving. For sensitive skin, Attitude Hand Cream comes in Fragrance-Free or Avocado-oil. A day on the keyboard is hard labour for your hands. Add massage motions below as you moisturize. or
Use your thumb to massage with a circular motion while your fingers support and massage your hand underneath. Work the heel of your palm and the muscles on the base of fingers and thumb, then work on each finger individually. After completing each finger, cup your hand around it and gently pull to stretch it, and then do your thumb. Now, clench your hands in a fist, then stretch your fingers by expanding them fully, then release.
After washing your feet, place one foot on the other thigh. Use both hands to rub your hands back and forth across the sole and top of your foot in short strokes. With thumbs of both hands on your sole and fingers on top, use circular motions to rub the soles of your feet. Start at the bottom of sole and apply pressure with both thumbs, moving towards the toes and then out towards the edges of the foot with each thumb going in an opposite direction – as if you are drawing a T. End with long gentle strokes that encompass the whole foot.
9. The Cotton Glove Treatment
Simple but effective! Seal in moisture and soften skin by putting on 100% cotton gloves and cotton booties after moisturizing. You don’t have to wear them overnight – 20 to 60 minutes does wonders. Both are reusable and machine washable.
10. Hair Treatments
The web is full of DIY at-home hair treatments that involve massaging a recommend oil or recipe throughout hair. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E & A but heavier and suited to dry hair. However, coconut oil holds in moisture for longer. Jojoba is less accessible but great for oily hair. Common herbs make great rinses and additions to recipes. Rosemary is good for oily hair and sage for dry hair. Oregano, parsley and, thyme helps dandruff. Mint and lavender are great for soothing the scalp. Basil adds body and shine. All improve growth and prevent thinning of hair.
2 – 4 tablespoons oil: olive, coconut, or jojoba
Optional: a few drops of essential oil, such as rosemary, sage, argan, lavender, mint, teatree…
- In a large saucepan, Bring a cup of water to a boil. Place oil in a glass or ceramic bowl over the boiling water. Let heat for a few minutes. Take bowl off and put aside to sit until warm and not steaming hot.
- Apply to wet or dry hair.
- Massage oil into hair throughout from tips to the roots and scalp.
- Wrap a hot damp towel around head.
- Wait 15 – 30 minutes.
- Remove towel and massage scalp once more.
- Wash hair to remove oil.
- Repeat wash until oil removed from hair.
- Condition as usual.
Dilute 1/4 cup (50 ml) of ingredient with 2 cups (500 ml) water.
- Aloe vera
- Apple cider vinegar
- Baking soda
- Lemon
- Herbal tea
Alternatively, try these traditional spa quality treatments and serums in our store. Deep repair & treatment oil and smooth & shine hair serum or let is shine spray.
In Conclusion
Time spent on self-care is never wasted time! I hope this guide provides you with inspiration, comfort, and relaxation.