girly spa playdate

We are having our annual family portraits taken tomorrow (more on that at a later date), which got me thinking about primping to prepare to look my best.  This will go on the Christmas card, after all!  I desperately need a pedicure, and while the pre-thrifty me would've thought nothing of splurging on a relaxing hour at the spa pampering my toes, ("honey, in Florida it's a 'need,' not a 'want.'), the new budget-conscious me knows I can make my toes look just as pretty at home.  For free.

In a previous life I was the director of a large day spa and salon.  Getting manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages on a regular basis was literally a job requirement.  (Yes, I know, it was a rough job but someone had to do it.)  So while I'm not actually an esthetician or stylist or massage therapist, I do know a thing or two about spa treatments.

Which got me thinking, wouldn't it be fun to have an at-home spa day with my four-going-on-fourteen girly-girl princess?  It took me about 5 seconds to realize that in order to have a spa day, someone needs to be doing the spa services.  (Sigh!)  So we invited a friend to join her after school yesterday, and they had a fun little girly spa playdate by the pool.

I started by gathering a random smattering of kitchen ingredients--oatmeal, sugar, salt, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, and yogurt--to whip up some homemade beauty remedies.

I let the girls scoop & stir the ingredients.  They had a blast!  We made an oatmeal-yogurt face mask and a sugar-salt-olive oil-lemon juice-oatmeal foot & hand scrub.

I then gathered the rest of our supplies--washcloths, hand & foot cream, lotions, foot soak, & "spa water," and headed outside.  I covered our two chaise lounges with two (old pool) towels each, more to protect the lounge chairs than anything else. 

We swam for a while, until they finally noticed the bowl of soapy water for their feet.

They enjoyed splashing around more than anything else.

Foot soak complete, we moved on to "facials," which involved smearing their faces with our homemade mask and placing chilled teabags on their eyes.  The girls found it hilarious that the teabags kept falling off.

Hand and foot scrubs were next, which were also a hit with the girls.  I'm glad we did it outside on towels because it was a MESS!  There was oatmeal everywhere.

I used the washcloths to wipe off the scrub as best I could, and then the girls headed back into the pool for another swim session.  

Dried off and re-dressed, we moved to phase 2 of our spa day:  nail polish.  (Pink, of course!)

We finished with face painting, (proving once again that the Klutz Face Painting book I bought last year on Amazon.com is one of the best purchases I have ever made!)

Are those two gorgeous girls or what?

And how cute is this?  When A's big brother showed up later that evening, he wanted to get in on the face painting, too.  (Of course tigers aren't girly at all!)  I'm telling you, that book is amazing! 

(For ordering information, click here)

(Total cost: $0)

Zero dollars spent, fun had by all, two happy girls (and one happy big brother.)

Now that's what I call a spa day.

LA-Thanks for letting me borrow your sweet daughter for the day!

P.S.  If you are new to my blog, or haven't been by in a while, don't miss this week's share-the-wealth giveaway, worth $75!  Click here for details!