Serenity Skin Care and Body Wellness in Englewood, NJ

April 30, 2018 by 12 Comments

Looking for a great Mother’s Day gift?

 

If your mom is anything like most moms, she can use a break. Some rest, relaxation, and perhaps someone taking care of HER for a change of pace. Who wouldn’t like a minute to herself? I can’t think of too many things I like more then a good massage, and I’m guessing your mom is not too different in that arena.

We recently headed over to Serenity Skin Care and Body Wellness in Englewood, NJ. It was located on a really cute “main street” type of road, with a bunch of cute shops and restaurants- it would be easy to make a day of this trip.  The atmosphere was calm and relaxing, and the people who greeted you as well as the therapists were all very relaxed, easy going, and pleasant.

serenity skincare

They offer quite a few services, from facials and massages to waxing and sugaring, to manicures and more. If you want to give it all to mom (or your spouse, mother of your children, your best friend, yourself- whomever), they also have packages available. Make an afternoon of it, and enjoy the time together.  You can read a list of available treatments here.
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One Thousand Nights and One Day,” a new musical at ART/NY Mezzanine Theatre

April 16, 2018 by Leave a Comment
One Thousand Nights and One Day will play the ART/NY Mezzanine Theatre (502 West 53rd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues) and is produced by Prospect Theater Company (Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director.)
 
In mythic Persia, a daring young woman spins tales to save the kingdom and her life. In modern-day New York, a Jewish man and Palestinian woman fight to find love in a fractured world.  This world premiere musical, adapted from Jason Grote’s critically-acclaimed play 1001, reinvents “The Arabian Nights,” colliding the contemporary and the ancient.  Through a genre-bending score, it questions past and present images of the Middle East, exploring the power of story in our everyday lives.
 
One Thousand Nights and One Day features Sepideh Moafi (“The Deuce”, “Falling Water”), Ben Steinfeld (Fiasco Theatre Company’s Into the Woods), Ashkon Davaran (The Great Comet – Ars Nova), Yassi Noubahar (The Body Politic), Chad Goodridge (Passing Strange), Gabriella Pérez (Anything GoesNational Tour), and Graham Stevens (Peter and the Starcatcher).
 
One Thousand Nights and One Day features choreography by Karla Garcia(Regional: In The Heights; currently performing in Hamilton), scenic design by Jason Ardizzone-West (The Royale, Illyria), costume design by Becky Bodurtha (The Strangest; The Wife), lighting design by Carolyn Wong (This Was Written In Water; The Oracle) and sound design by Jeremy J. Lee (Tamar of the River; Broadway Associate: Superior Doughnuts; Mary Stuart). Kurt Crowley (currently the musical director/conductor of Hamilton on Broadway) serves as musical director and co-orchestrator with Marisa Michelson.

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CloudMover Day Spa Huntington Beach

April 10, 2018 by 1 Comment

CloudMover Day Spa Huntington Beach CaliforniaThe Beach and a Spa, What Better Day…

Huntington Beach California is a vacation destination, or if you are lucky might be right outside your backdoor. Sunshine and relaxation are only enhanced by a day at the spa and the one to hit is CloudMover Day Spa. Voted #1 seven years in a row by the OC Hotlist you want to go where the locals go to get the best service in massages, facials, body treatments, and more. My experience was eye opening.

I am going to start with the facial, because I never knew the process could be this good. I have had facials before, but just a few and I never got very excited about them. Often after my skin was irritated and I never felt it looked any better for going through the discomfort and occasionally painful burn of the peels. CloudMover Spa completely changed my mind with their HydroMicrodermabrasion facial. Their staff is amazing.

Basically in the past spas had been using treatments that were too harsh for my skin type and I didn’t know better than to ask for what others recommended, I am not experienced with the beauty treatments out there. So I ended up irritating my skin and not getting good results. The HydroMicrodermabrasion method was amazing because it is gentle enough for all skin types and effective enough to really get results even with the toughest jobs. I went in with my Italian skinned gentleman friend who spends every day in the sun, pool, and slathering on sunscreen, clogged pore city. His skin looked amazing afterwards and the effects have lasted for weeks. My face has never looked so good and all of my skin issues were cleared up without any tenderness.
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THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF THE STING at Papermill Playhouse

April 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

papermill playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced today the cast and creative team of the world premiere production of the new musical The Sting , based on the 1973 film, and with book by Bob Martin, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis with Harry Connick, Jr. In addition, the score will contain music by Scott Joplin including “The Entertainer.” John Rando is set to direct with choreography by Warren Carlyle and music direction by Fred Lassen. The Broadway-bound engagement of The Sting begins performances TONIGHT, March 29, 2018, for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 29, 2018, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive) in Millburn, NJ. Opening Night is Sunday, April 8, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the Major Sponsor of The Sting .

Chicago. 1936. Get ready to enter a smoke-filled world of cons and capers, where nothing is what it seems and no one is who they appear to be. Based on the 1973 Academy Award-winning film, The Sting tells the tale of a pair of con men, small town grifter Johnny Hooker and big-time hustler Henry Gondorff (Harry Connick, Jr.), who plot to bring down the city’s most corrupt racketeer. The Sting takes you back to an era where jazz reigns, the stakes are high, and the dice are always loaded.
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Couples Massage at Elements Massage in Irvine Ca.

December 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

You have heard about a couples massage. The topic comes up around the Holidays and Valentines as a great gift idea, which it is! There is no reason though to wait for a special occasion to enjoy this bonding experience. A couples massage can be a regular occurrence that helps you relax, enjoy each others company, and feel closer. Because there is nothing better than sharing the blissed out feeling you have leaving a great massage with your partner.

Elements Massage is an excellent choice to embrace the couples massage. They have a room specifically for side by side massages which is intimate without being claustrophobic. A relaxing, airy space for you to enjoy you choice of massage, which is customizable for each person. You can choose from Swedish Massage, Hot Stone, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, and Aromatherapy.

I enjoyed the Himalayan Salt Stone Massage. This massage incorporates thermal therapy and salt therapies through the stones enhancing the experience. My partner chose the Deep Tissue Massage to deal with shoulder issues, a therapeutic massage to really go deep and help get him back in balance. The whole process was perfect. Lovely setting, the staff was delightful, and the massages exactly what each of us was looking for.
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18|8 Fine Men’s Salon in Morristown NJ

December 7, 2017 by Leave a Comment

18|8 Fine Men’s Salons are the destination for a well groomed man. With 400 stores operating or in development 18|8 is the go to place for men wanting to look their best. Lets face it, when you look better, you feel better and more confident. Taking the time to pamper yourself a little at the salon does more than just give you a haircut and men deserve more.

18/8 salon

Opening a new location in Morristown NJ at 40 W. Park Place the salon will offer a full selection of grooming services and treatments. More than just men’s haircuts and styling, they will offer waxing, straight edge hot lather shaves, and facials. If you are looking for more you need go no further, color services, scalp and hair replacement therapy, nail treatments, and styling products can all be found at 18|8 Fine Men’s Salons.
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Friendship and the Spa @FriendshipDairies #ThePowerofFriendship #ad

October 12, 2017 by 6 Comments

Friendship is a beautiful thing. Friends offer you comfort, support, share laughs, and and bring you joy. They also sometimes drag you places you never thought you would go or to do things you never imagined. There are times that these adventures open our eyes to whole new experiences that enhance our lives. I will also confess there have been times I say one and done to such adventures, but not so with my trip to the Korean Spa.

I knew what spas were, women and men walking around in robes as they were pampered in one way or another. I confess I had never experienced more than a massage myself. I walked down to the room then crawled in just my panties under the sheets to be enjoyably rubbed down and relaxed. Even that level of nudity made me somewhat uncomfortable, because lets face it, we all have some reservations about certain parts of our body. I certainly don’t fit the Barbie body model.

This is where friendship took me to a place I had never been before, a whole new level of spa, the Korean Spa. My friend Carrie convinced me that this was something not to be missed and I confess I am always up for a challenge. Even if the idea is terrifying. So I embarked on a trip to the Korean Spa or as my friend sometimes calls it, naked lady bonding time, lol.

The closest you have likely come if you have never had the experience yourself is the gym locker room and sauna. There are usually one or two women that strut their stuff in the buff. These are not always the young, or the fittest, but they are confident and not afraid to be exposed in front of strangers while the rest of us hover in a corner trying to show as little as possible. Well at the Korean Spa you have no choice but to let it all hang out, which is a hurdle only friendship got me over.
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Visit the New York Renaissance Faire #NYRenFaire

September 6, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Longing for a break from the routine, but don’t have the time to take a week off right now? Travel to distant lands and faraway time periods, all within a short drive from your home.  We recently visited the New York Renaissance Faire (or if you aren’t local to NY, you can find another in your area- visit the website’s main page for locations and dates) and it was a fun way to spend the day with your family and friends and get away from your routine.

Take a step back in time (but not too far back, it’s just fun and not a serious event) and get into the spirit by dressing up in the time period. Don’t have a costume? That’s OK, there are plenty of vendors there that have items to sell, from clothing to headgear to fantasy peices and beyond. You can be a knight, a princess, a squire, fairy, or anything in between.  We saw unicorns and minotaur this past weekend- really, only your imagination will stop you. There are also fun “theme weekends”, such as Pirate, Celtic, or Time Travelers weekends, where some Faire goers will dress accordingly, and shows will also reflect the idea.

The marketplace has, as mentioned, a fantastic selection of clothing vendors. Yes, you can try on before you buy, and better still, they will help you be fitted and learn how to get into things you might not know how to wear properly. Lacing up a floor length dress is not exactly pulling on a pair of sweatpants, is it? The shopkeepers are helpful and friendly (and usually very funny), so be prepared to have a good time shopping. Yes, guys too.

There are many other fun finds as well. All sorts of jewelry and shiny baubles (of course, what is a Faire without crowns?) to pick and choose from, plenty of toys, swords, shields-  if you are into it, you can even find chain metal and armor.  There are home decorations, spices, and a live glassblower that you can watch and then make purchases from. The kids loved watching him create, and honestly, so did the adults.
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