…but really. You can’t. I say this phrase all the time to clients, friends, family, colleagues, random grocery store strangers. And yet, sometimes I still, stillllll manage to completely forget it myself. 
We’re in a time where all of our cups are probably a little empty. So I want to remind you, and to remind me, to keep it filled.
I want to advocate for everything, and for every single person who deserves it, I want to somehow manage to live both here in Silicon Valley and back in Missouri with my family & friends. I want to run a successful, world-changing business helping people, keep a beautiful house, perfect relationships and be there every second for whomever needs it. I want to always send timely gift and handmade birthday cards (and like, have all of those on my calendar….), I want endless extrovert energy for phone chats and FaceTime dates. I want to bake yummy foods for my friends who are new parents or sick and set out treats for construction workers & take food to those living on the streets and still have energy or care to cook three delicious meals at home every day. I want to workout for myself, not just for my clients. I want to look and feel pulled together all of the time. I want to march, volunteer, and advocate for, and research, and donate to our black community, our homeless, our health care and essential workers, our sisters experiencing domestic and sexual violence even more during shelter in place, people who have lost their jobs in this crisis, and every other cause that needs help. I want to check in on my therapist and other HSP to make sure they’re handling all this crazy energy okay. I want to lead my business networking organization in the best way possible and show up energetically to every endless Zoom meeting we are all having these days. I want to make time for every single one on one interaction I can. I want to hug every person in the world and make sure they know they’re special, loved, amazing. 


And I can do **most** of that. But good God, that means sometimes I need to cry. Breathe. Ignore a FaceTime or two. Paint. Cry. Binge a silly show. Journal. Pray. Therapy. Breathe. And choose. Prioritize. Realize it’s not all on my shoulders. It's not all on your shoulders. There's a reason we all have our talents, callings, and passions. 

Because, it turns out, really and truly, you can’t be there for everyone else if you aren’t showing up for yourself.
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Welcome to Part 7 of our Everything Counts series! This week is such a fun and helpful combination of business and life tips from awesome professionals and rockstar humans! Read on for more info....

-EMPATHY IS A FINITE RESOURCE. PRACTICE DETACHED COMPASSION.---BE NICE, BUT ALSO CHOOSY WITH YOUR WORRIES. -Renée R. This quote from a dear soul sister hit me deeply. As an empath/highly sensitive person, this time lately has been really trying, as I'm always freaked out for...well, really everyone. This is a great reminder that, while we should always be kind, we must also always protect our hearts (and sanity) by keeping it in check.

-CREATE A SPACE THAT IS ALL YOUR OWN, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A CORNER OF THE ROOM. HAVE YOUR "COWORKERS" DO THE SAME. -Chelsea F, Chelsea B. Foster Coaching. As many of us are still sheltering in place and learning how to balance the whole shebang from home, I loved this tip from Chelsea (a productivity expert!) on how to honor that when living in potentially cramped makeshift office or living spaces with others. Whether it's for work, or just to catch your zen moment, having a designated area can be so helpful! 

-DEVOTE THE FIRST HOUR OF YOUR DAY TO A HIGH-PRIORITY TASK. WHEN YOUR FIRST TASK LEAVES YOU FEELING ACCOMPLISHED, IT SETS THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY! -Tommy N, So Gold Marketing. Sooooo....maybe scrolling social media or getting lost in 10043983409283048 emails is not the best way to start the morning, hehe. Tommy & Sophie at So Gold are pros at, not only amplifying your social media to help your business and community, but at productivity and balancing the beauties of life. 

-SPLIT RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS INTO TWO ROLES: QUEEN BEE (CEO) AND WORKER BEE. -Steph W, Steph Woods Learning Designer. I absolutely loved this tip from Steph to help us sort our task lists and prioritize them one at time! It's so easy to have "squirrel!" syndrome when running your business, going from task to task without focus, but remembering to put your different hats on and keep it scheduled can be so helpful! 

-IN THE MORNING AND BEFORE BED, FOCUS ON THREE SMALL THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT YOU'D USUALLY TAKE FOR GRANTED. -Lynnea H, The Abundance Company. It can be easy to think our "attitude of gratitude" has to be big, life changing things, but bringing it back to the basics (you're alive, you have food, a kitchen table, a bed to sleep in, someone to listen to you) can be so incredible for your mindset. 

-SEND FIVE "THANK YOU" OR JUST "HELLO" CARDS THIS WEEK AND WATCH HOW IT LIGHTS YOU UP! -Steph D. We bonded a long time ago over our love of cards and stationary, and Steph makes an awesome point about how little random acts can bring joy to both the giver and recipient! 

-EXERCISE YOUR MIND AND PUSH YOUR CREATIVITY BY TAKING PHOTO SAFARIS AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! LOOK FOR SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. -Corinne, Corinne Cobabe Photography. What an awesome way to look at life! I love the phrase "photo safari," and making exploring where you live an adventure! Check out Corinne's work to see how she helps beautify life every day.

-TAKE TIME TO GO FOR A WALK EVERY SINGLE DAY, EVEN JUST FIVE MINUTES, TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. -Dr Julie T, Silicon Valley Natural Health. It can be so easy to get caught up going from meeting to meeting or chore to chore, but getting in the fresh air and steps can do wonders for your physical, and mental, health! 

-STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND TRY A TOTALLY NEW RECIPE THIS WEEK. -Gregg M. makes an excellent point! I don't know about you, but the past few weeks I've definitely gotten in a rut of recipes, so spicing it up (maybe literally?!?!) can help your overall health, and by shopping at farmers market or local chains, help small business owners too! (Psssst, Chrissy Tiegen's Cravings cookbook is big inspo for me this week!)

We're so grateful to everyone sending in their little tips for keeping productivity, helpful, and confident during this time! Keep 'em coming! 
(We promise to be back to full blogging shortly, but you know, #SelfCare taking a break ;))

Hello! Welcome to our fourth edition of "Everything Counts" where we help each other have some sanity and normalcy in this wild time! This week's edition is an amazing combination of tips we asked for across the board online. We love to see the small things that truly add up every single day to help our mental, emotional, and physical health from experts and incredible beings in all walks of life! 

MAKE A DATE NIGHT AT HOME AND BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT. -Shirani Pathak, Center for Soulful Relationships, is one of the most fierce, fun, heart-centered powerhouses I know. She's a pro at helping you embrace and build your most empowered self AND most empowered relationship, in this crazy time more now than ever! She has an incredible course for couples right now, too! 

MAKE TWO LIST OF CONCERNS: THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL, THINGS YOU CAN'T. BURN THE LATTER. -Travis Jennings, Gaia Flooring, is a total rockstar with a heart of gold. He's not only the owner of an incredible company of breakthrough flooring products (uuuhhh, have you seen my office floors? #magic), but one of the most driven, empathetic, hungry for growth, kind humans I've ever had the honor of being friends with. 

TAKE A WONDER AND AWE MOMENT EVERY DAY: THRILL AT THE PINK OF A SUNRISE, A FRESHLY BUDDING FLOWER, OR THE SHAPE OF A CLOUD AND LET IT GIVE YOU PEACE. -Lisa Simmons is a badass momma and energetic spirit through and through. always balancing her various roles from business owner and technology maven to Grandma & best friend. She knows the beauty and calmness of being able to focus on the small beauties & positives no matter the situation. 

IT"S NOT A RACE TO PROVE WHO CAN FEEL THE MOST OVERWHELMED.- Justin V. always has a way of helping me, and so many others, put things into perspective. He's been priceless, especially during this weird time, with straight-forward gems of advice like this. It's not a competition to see who has it the hardest, and it's not silly or selfish to be feeling overwhelmed or less productive, even if you think otherwise.

PLAN YOUR DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE. PRIORITIZE THE LIST AND TIME BLOCK EACH TASK. THEN CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. -Lynnea Hagen, The Abundance Company, is known as the Get Unstuck Queen and has a myriad of talents and compassion to help business owners find and follow their dreams, no matter the size. She has SO many resources to share her knowledge and love.

TALK OPENLY WITH YOUR ROOMMATES ABOUT HOW TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S SPACE AND WHAT YOU NEED. -Ken R. is currently prioritizing his mental health annnnnnd stretching his patience sharing a small apartment with roommates. Ha! Being candid with whomever you're in Shelter in Place with about your energies, the space you need, and how you run your day can truly save your sanity. 

IF YOU WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR SPACE, START WITH ONE COMMON AREA. -Luis Ponce, Sunwest Painting, is doing amazing things during such a tough time for many businesses! I love his compassion and how he's always giving back, thriving, and still making progress during very different times! Definitely check out their options for painting projects in the bay area!
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CUT YOURSELF SOME DAMN SLACK.- Me. That's it. Everything weird right now, don't add being mean to yourself to that list.

Stay tuned for more tips next week, and message us with what's helping you right now! 
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Happy Monday (yeah, that can be a thing, right?!) and welcome to the third week of Everything Counts! Scroll through the photos and read below for more simple tips for this week!

More details on the posts:
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-FILL IN YOUR BROWS AND LASHES TO INSTANTLY FEEL PULLED TOGETHER! -Arina Izadi, Professional (Badass Creative!) Makeup Artist is all onboard for simple pleasures and skin loving, with tips to help you feel like it's the "good ole' days" ;)

​-TAKE UP A SIMPLE MEDITATION PRACTICE TO HELP YOUR MENTAL STATE. -Dr. Brant Pedersen, Positive Motion Chiropractic, knows that using an app like Headspace or Calm daily can significantly help your mental health. If he can prioritize this as the ultimate go-getter, we all can. 

​-LET YOURSELF EXPERIENCE YOUR EMOTIONS AND STRESS INSTEAD OF REPRESSING THEM. -Kavita Melwani, Empowerment Coach. This lady is an expert at supporting you in your highly sensitive being, owning was makes you special, and teaching how that can propel you to make a difference in the world every day. She knows repressing your emotions and stress often leads to anxiety, and wants to help us all avoid that!

-AN ORANGE (OR THREE) A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY!. -Dr Julie Tran Olive is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist who explains how little practices like this can support and integrate into your daily life to become more healthy, so up that vitamin C intake for an immune boost!

-GIVE YOUR HAIR A BREAK IN BETWEEN BLOW DRYING AND STRAIGHTENING YOUR HAIR (or using any other hot tool) -Josephine Bondi, hair magician, begs you not to cut your bangs in this quarantine time. She'll have lots of tips for waiting till you can see your expert again in the coming weeks ;) 

​-AVOID EXTRA ACIDIC FOOD AND DRINKS TO SAVE YOUR TOOTH ENAMEL AND STRENGTH. -Dr. Sam Infantino, DDS knows it's a wild time, and many of us aren't on our usual schedules. So prioritize little steps to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy (and drink some water after eating your oranges ;) ). 

-NEED A LITTLE PICK ME UP? TRY THE NEW SEMI-MATTE LIPSTICKS. -Patti Maxwell, Mary Kay Sales Director, has a ton of customized product information to help you in this very stressful (and drying out!!!) time! #PamperYourself. 

-EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS TO GET YOUR ESSENTIAL MACRO AND MICRO NUTRIENTS. -Rosetta Chow, Certified Health Coach, is a pro with little steps to help you inside and out, like avoiding processed foods to make sure you're treating your body right!

-I suggest moving for at least 30 minutes per day to help your body, mind, and spirit! It can be anything from dancing in your living room, chasing your kids or dog around, looking up workout videos on Youtube, going for a neighborhood walk, or doing bodyweight movements before the next episode or chain of commercials when you're watching tv.

Check out our blog and Instagram again next week for a fresh set of small tips to help your wellness, confidence, and productivity! We believe in you, and are sending you all the positive vibes possible right now. ​

Welcome to our second week of Everything Counts! Scroll through the photos and read below for more simple tips for this week!

More details on the posts:
-TRY A NEW MAKEUP LOOK THIS WEEK! Whether it's mastering the cat eye, or just the routine of putting on makeup again, give it a try! -Arina Izadi, Professional (Badass Creative!) Makeup Artist is all onboard for simple pleasures and skin loving. 

​-STAY HYDRATED! Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day. -Dr. Brant Pedersen, Positive Motion Chiropractic, knows that, no matter the phase of life, getting adequate hydration is one of the most important things we can do to heal and improve the body. If he can prioritize rest as the ultimate go-getter, we all can. 

​-FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. -Kavita Melwani, Empowerment Coach. This lady is an expert at supporting you in your highly sensitive being, owning was makes you special, and teaching how that can propel you to make a difference in the world every day. 

-EAT STEAMED PEARS WITH HONEY FOR HEALTHY LUNGS. -Dr Julie Tran Olive is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist who explains how little practices like this can support and integrate into your daily life to become more healthy.

-HAVE FUN WITH A CUTE HAT OR HAIR ACCESSORIES....Pssst, avoid the temptation to cut your own bangs or buy box dye. -Josephine Bondi, hair magician, begs you not to cut your bangs in this quarantine time. She'll have lots of tips for waiting till you can see your expert again in the coming weeks ;) 

​-START A NEW BRUSHING ROUTINE ON YOUR ADJUSTED SCHEDULE. PICK THE SAME TIME EVERY MORNING AND EVENING. -Dr. Sam Infantino, DDS knows it's a wild time, and many of us aren't on our usual schedules. So prioritize brushing your teeth first thing in the morning, and again with your new nightly routine. 

-NURTURE YOUR BODY WITH SHEA BUTTER SATIN HANDS GOODNESS. -Patti Maxwell, Mary Kay Sales Director, has a ton of customized product information to help you in this very stressful (and drying out!!!) time! #PamperYourself. Satin Hands is one of my absolute favvvvve products to keep my hands from chapping with all the extra hand washing now!

-KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE! IT'LL HELP YOUR MOOD, IMMUNITY, AND LONGEVITY. -Rosetta Chow, Certified Health Coach, is a pro with little steps to help you inside and out. 

-I suggest daily writing down three tasks you'll accomplish each day. Whether they're big or small, it's great to have a plan, and to read them over before hitting the hay! 

Check out our blog and Instagram again next week for a fresh set of small tips to help your wellness, confidence, and productivity! We believe in you, and are sending you all the positive vibes possible right now. 

Hi there.
This is one of the wildest times ever. I don't know about you, but I'm hardcore a Britney 6-7 on the daily, mixed with a 3 if I don't have any Zoom meetings/clients, because well, duh. #RobeLife. I'm mostly fixating on gratitude for the fact we are healthy right now, that I have the ability to connect with friends and family from afar, and that obviously overall, life is still so damn blessed. But it's obviously also extremely tough handling the pandemic, the worry of every human in the world's health, and the attempt to carry on of our own businesses, health, and life. My anxiety is at a high I've never experienced before just being so damn worried about the world, whether it's people I know or not. I'm so scared and so helpless feeling all the time, and feeling like I can't help every person I meet is the WORST feeling I know. So I've asked some awesome professionals in the wellness/coaching/beauty realms I truly trust and care about to give us just very small tips to help us cope, carry on, improve a bit daily, and simply be able to truck through this wild time. I hope they help you. Part of the process for me was creating these watercolors (go artsy time for selfcare!!!!!) and writing these things out. I think finding whatever piece of creativity, giving back to local businesses, or just trucking forward right now, is all we can do. I plan to post these once per week to help everyone hopefully have even just a little takeaway of what we can do to carry on day by day. 

More details on the posts:
-USE A NIGHTLY TONER TO CLEANSE PORES, FOLLOWED BY MASSAGING A GOOD MOISTURIZER INTO YOUR FACE AND NECK. -Arina Izadi, Professional (Badass Creative!) Makeup Artist, who has many more skin, self care, and beauty tips to share in the coming weeks!

​-ABSOLUTELY PRIORITIZE 8+ HOURS OF GOOD SLEEP NIGHTLY. -Dr. Brant Pedersen, Positive Motion Chiropractic, knows that, no matter the phase of life, getting adequate (goooood quality) sleep is one of the most important things we can do to heal and improve the body. If he can prioritize rest as the ultimate go-getter, we all can. 

​-TAKE 3 RESTORATIVE BELLY BREATHS BEFORE STARTING ANY NEW TASK. -Kavita Melwani, Empowerment Coach. This lady is an expert at supporting you in your highly sensitive being, owning was makes you special, and teaching how that can propel you to make a difference in the world every day. 

-TRY ACUPRESSURE ON THE AREA JUST BELOW YOUR THUMB JOINT TO INCREASE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. -Dr Julie Tran Olive is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist who explains how little practices like this can support and integrate into your daily life to become more healthy.

-TRY A COCONUT OIL MASK OVERNIGHT AND WASH OUT IN MORNING. -Josephine Bondi, hair magician, begs you not to cut your bangs in this quarantine time. She'll have lots of tips for waiting till you can see your expert again in the coming weeks ;) 

​-WEAR A NIGHTGUARD IF YOU'RE PRONE TO TEETH GRINDING. -Dr. Sam Infantino, DDS recommends that If you own a night guard, wear it!  People that suffer from bruxism (grinding) are more likely to grind when stressed.  During this stressful time you are more likely to cause damage to your teeth including increased sensitivity, wear, or even fracturing teeth. If you notice yourself grinding and you do not have a night guard you can purchase an OTC guard at your local drug store. This is a temporary solution and you should have your dentist make a custom appliance when dental offices are able to resume treating patients. 

-SHELTER IN AND SPOIL YOUR SKIN WITH MARYKAY'S VOLUFIRM FOAMING CLEANSER. -Patti Maxwell, Mary Kay Sales Director, has a ton of customized product information to help you in this very stressful (and drying out!!!) time! #PamperYourself

-INCREASE YOUR VEGGIE AND FRUIT INTAKE FOR ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS. -Rosetta Chow, Certified Health Coach, suggests increasing your intake of fruits & veggies. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants which prevent disease and boost your immune system.

-I suggest setting an alarm for every hour to remind yourself to get up and mooooooove! With a lot of people just working from home for the first time, or having a very different schedule, this will keep you from getting too pent up with tight muscles and mental fog. Get it done! 

Check out our blog and Instagram again next week for a fresh set of small tips to help your wellness, confidence, and productivity! We believe in you, and are sending you all the positive vibes possible right now. 
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Self-care has become SUCH a buzzword the past couple years. Which is AWESOME, because it is truly great!—But, it also incorporates much, much more than a bubble bath and face mask (though, we love that to!). It’s all about caring for your mental, emotional, and physical aspects of your health so you keep changing the world and living your most empowered, confident life.
 
Here are PLENTY of options for your self-care practices to try out this weekend and into the next week!



​PHYSICAL:
-Destressing activities
-Moving your body (whether it’s hiking, dancing, stretching, lifting, or otherwise)
-Food: your balance of nutritious and comforting foods
-Sleep (get those Zzz’s, girl!)
-Hydration
-Physical wellbeing
 
EMOTIONAL + PERSONAL:
-Coping mechanisms
-Checking in with yourself
-Phone-free time
-Understanding your feelings (whether that’s just saying “thank you, bye” to them or needing to work through them)
-Time alone
-Creating core values (what are your non-negotiables in your life?)
-Journaling
-Music
 
SPIRITUAL:
-Meditation
-Prayer
-Gratitude practices (writing it down, saying them out loud)
-Creating a practice or routine
-Random acts of kindness
-Time in nature (“treebathing,” hiking, bare feet in the grass…)
 
SOCIAL:
-Time with friends
-Celebrating
-Volunteering
-Good support system
-Boundaries: setting them AND respecting them
 
PAMPERING:
-#TreatYoSelf
-Massage
-Bubble bath
-Candles/essential oils
-Face mask
-New hairstyle
-Mani-pedi
 
HOUSEHOLD + PRACTICAL:
-Budgeting
-Chores (what. I know. I know.)
-Organization
-Home safety and security
-Purging + donating

​Let us know in the comments what you're going to do for your self-care practices this week! 

I recently hosted a home spa night for the ladies in my weekly networking group (we’re a small, but fierce, tribe of women, so having monthly events just for us is really powerful and connecting!). My dream, obviously, is an Upper East Side budget for spa activities to spoil my loved ones rotten, but right now I still get to live the thrill and challenge of events that are fun, relaxing, glam, and friendly on the wallet.
 
SO! Armed with a budget and a fierce mission to help these women feel pampered, I set out (to Target, Dollar Tree, Ulta, Pinterest, and beyond…)!
 
THE SETTING:
- Firstly, wine and cute sparkling waters were essential. I did ask people to bring a drink to help contribute and because honestly, when hosting, it puts my mind at ease--that way everyone has something they’re sure to like! I also went a tad crazy on fruits/veggies and a charcuterie board (which, no, is not typically budget-friendly, but was a collab of leftovers and amazing steals I found…it probably deserves it’s own blog post…#charcuterielove).
-I cleaned my house hardcore to ensure dust/dog hair/any dusty distractions were kept to a minimum, since it’s #reallife and not an actual spa, ha! Turned the lights slightly low, put The Devil Wears Prada on TV quietly, and set up two essential oils diffusers (I used Gathering by Young Living in one, and a mix of Lavender and Eucalyptus oils in the other) plus lit a ton of candles all around the rooms.
-My plan was to have a Crock-Pot full of hot towels waiting for the women to “Ahhhhhhhh” relax right when they walked in the front door. Joke’s on me: it was still 103 degrees at 7pm. Oh. My Gosh. The plan quickly changed, and while I still kept the Crock-Pot of hot towels for later in the evening, I quickly doused some of the towels in water, rolled them and threw them in the freezer, along with several drops of lavender and peppermint to help calm and cool them when walking the door, instead. Pretzel shockingly isn’t the best butler, so I answered the doorbell every time it rang, cool towel in (a cute bin in) hand!
-I truly believe in the power of plants and flowers, so had several bunches of hydrangeas around my house (which now is a pretty standard self-care practice for me, as I find they help with managing my depression and anxiety). They helped set a warm, loving, relaxing tone.
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-One of the only things that irks me about hostessing is late minute cancellations or people who don’t RSVP. But someone attending and not being prepared for them is super <gasp> to me, and as every woman deserves to be pampered whenever the heck they get the chance, I thought the simple and nice thing to do was set up a little “station” for each of them (for those who couldn’t make it, the foot soak bins made an easy way to deliver the stuff to them later)
-I set everyone’s spa bins around my couch, comfy chairs, and fluffy pillows in my living room, so everyone had a good place to sit and chill while soaking our feet, doing face/eye masks, and enjoy the yummy treats.
-The kitchen table became a nail bar, with soaks, a myriad of polishes, and plenty of nail files etc, and bar area hosted the food & fun drinks.
 
THE SPA SUPPLIES:
My first stop was Dollar Tree, because, since it was going to be between 9 and 12 women, we couldn’t all soak our feet in my tub (YET! Ha!) at the same time, and I wanted plastic bins they could use so we could do it all the same time while chilling in my living room. It also made it handy for them to take home and continue the ongoing self-care. I honestly had incredibly low expectations of what would be available but was proven greatly otherwise!
At Dollar Tree, I ended up getting:
-Plastic bins for foot soaks, which I personalized with their names in sharpie
-Gel eye masks in blue, green, and pink, that I cleaned, then kept in the freezer until they arrived and they got along with their cold towel
-Bath slippers in white and pink
-Kleenex with inspirational messages on them; I usually get these at Target, so it was exciting to find them here…they says things like “find your fierce” and “you’ve got this!”
-All kinds of pretty nail files and buffers in mermaid, glitter, and floral prints
-Several nail polishes; I own plenty, but wanted extra for the ladies to take home if they fell in love with a color. I was blown away actually by the quality of the LA Colors ones! One coat handled it!
-24 microfiber towels that I used for the Crock-Pot and surprise cold essential oils towels (washed obviously beforehand)
-Mini-loofahs: I wasn’t planning on these, but they came in really fun colors and were a great addition to the take home baskets, or if they wanted to scrub the foot soaks off a bit more (also pre-washed, and then added a drop of peppermint oil to them)
-Colorful headbands to keep those little wisps away while face-masking
-Calm, Restore, and Cool mini candles that made a perfect addition to the take home bins, as they were classy blue containers and smelled wonderful!
 
At Target I got:
-Pantene Intense Rescue Shots: I’m very, very in love with these and highly recommend them. They smell incredible and make my hair really soft, so I thought they’d be a fun addition!
-Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salts Soaks in Soothe&Sleep, Restore&Replenish, and Relax&Relief. They are hands-down my favorite soaks ever. They’re an amazing price, especially considering how pure they are and the benefits I feel from them. At the party, the ladies chose one of the three for their foot soak, and then I gave them small Ziplocs to take home of any of them they wanted to try. I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Teals and should probably try to get sponsored by them, ha!
-Lotions: I have an insane amount from my Bath&Body Works obsession, but wanted a couple more simple scents, so got the Argan Oil & Lavender from Love Beauty & Planet (I love this brand!) and Soap & Glory’s Buttercream
-Face sheet masks: Not going to lie, they sell these at Dollar Tree but I was too nervous to try them. I’ve got fairly sensitive skin and fully believe in paying a bit more to find brands that work well for you…and you know, don’t cause full hives…so I stuck with brands I know and love from Target. Two of my favorites are Shea Moisture Instant Hydration Gel Masks (several charcoal and several coconut oil), and YesTo brand (several coconut and several cucumber). I happened upon these being on a great deal at Target where you got a gift card for buying $25+, which I think they run pretty often for beauty products, so check out your options there.
-Undereye masks: I’m lowkey (or not so lowkey…) obsessed with these. No idea if they actually do anything for me, but they feel damn great. My favorite is the Que Bella brand. Three masks for under $3, yeah please.
 
At Ulta I just restocked one of my other weird beauty obsessions: Mario Badescu face sprays. These are fun for after doing face masks (on the regular, I use mine in the morning after washing my face, and anytime I need a refresh mid day because I am one sweaty, hotmess lady). They all have aloe in them, and I love the rosewater, cucumber/green tea, and chamomile/lavender ones! Also, they sell them at Macy’s. And on Amazon…let’s be honest, because I hate Silicon Valley traffic, that’s usually where I order them.
 
Once the ladies arrived and we all stopped melting from the insanely hot day, we gabbed and ate some snacks, made sure everyone had some type of drink in their hand, and then filled the foot soak bins with hot water + their choice of soak, slapped some face masks on, did our nails, and reminisced on rom-coms. It was so great to see how excited everyone was just over simple indulgences like this! :D
 
One of the most amazing things was seeing these women truly relax and feel comfy….how many of us hide our real skin and face and hair on the daily is wild. I mean, not judging obviously, mascara is my homegirl. But it was incredible to see everyone’s natural beauty and coziness with each other! Spa nights can be incredibly fun, indulgent, pampering, and fab, no matter the budget or the time. Let me know your at-home spa tips!