As you are probably aware of if you read Spa Week Daily on any consistent basis, we have a thing for moms. Not just any moms… HOT moms! And by hot I don’t mean hot mess, hot diaper change, hot flashes, or even MILF hot. To us, HOT means you’re lookin’ good because you’re taking time for YOU, you’re tending to your needs with the occasional massage, mani-pedi or yoga class, and you’ve not forgotten about facials and makeup since your first born arrived. And this is all despite the terrifying toy mess in the living room.

In an effort to encourage busy moms to take Mom(me) time, we’ve enlisted the Hot Mom Spa Squad, a growing list of influential mommies nationwide to blog and tweet about relaxation, and encourage their fellow busy mom friends to trade in Pampers for pampering.

We’re proud to have some of the mommy-blogging elite as part of the Hot Mom Spa Squad – such as our very first two #HotSpaMoms Audrey McClelland of MomGenerations.com and Colleen Padilla of ClassyMommy.com who just released their book the Digital Mom Handbook a few weeks ago – we couldn’t be more excited for them! And just this week we added power moms Nicole Feliciano of MomTrends.com and Stacy DeBrofff of Mom Central.

Well, I get a lot of requests to be part of The Squad, but for the first time I yesterday I got an email with this adorable video request from the mom of Charlene Chronicles to be part of it. No makeup and you still look gorgeous but guuuuurl, use those spa gift cards STAT! Charlene, you are SO in. And your little dog too.

Have a HOT weekend, mamas!

As I sit here at my desk, three weeks overdue for a highlight touch-up (it’s been a REALLY busy summer – stalking my favorite colorists for cancellations has become more of a sport), I appreciate the value of ANY advice to make a top-dollar color treatment stay rich and vibrant as long as humanly possible. My roots have thankfully been kissed by the sun for a somewhat decent camouflage, but some days are worse than others – you know how it goes, fellow faux naturale friends.

For my own purposes, and of course for yours, I got in touch with Celebrity Colorist Rita Hazan, who’s created the signature looks for stars such as Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Carmen Electra and Brooke Shields, for her hair color staying power secrets. With a popular salon in Midtown Manhattan, her color-enriching products at Sephora and an apartment literally the next building over from me, she’s definitely someone whose tips I trust. Her color belief is: “You don’t want your hair to ‘wear’ you—you want to have hair that complements your skin, your eyes—hair that really reflects who you are.”

For optimal color, yes, it is very important that your colorist is highly skilled, is able to deliver just the right level and depth of hue to complement your entire appearance, and frames your face with finesse. But once you walk out of the salon, it’s up to you to keep the color as strong as can be. Beer, anyone?

Rita’s 7 Secrets for Long-Lasting COLOR:

1. Apply a conditioning treatment 1-2 times a week, and try to use overnight if you can.

2. Use a clear gloss every couple of months to keep hair shiny, you can have it done at a salon or find it at any a beauty store for use at home.

3. Take vitamins to keep hair strong from the inside out. Biotin or fish oil are best.

4. Spraying a UV veil on hair keeps color protected during time in the sun. Not just by the pool or at the beach, but even when exercising or walking around outside.

5. Beer! (We’ve been there before.) Beer is a great remedy for dull, lackluster hair. There is a protein in beer that fills in spaces that are lagging between damaged cuticles, which in turn makes hair smoother and shinier. Take a bottle of beer (preferably a more full bodied like Guinness) and step into the shower. Pour in hair to cover from roots to ends, and let it sit for a minute or two. Rinse out with cool water afterwards to get rid of the smell.

6. Coconut oil with avocado is great for reviving dry hair and eliminate flaking, and also protects hair from damaging UV rays. Take one tablespoon coconut oil and put in microwave for 10 seconds, then massage into hair from roots to ends. Take an avocado, peeled then mashed, and apply to the ends of hair only. After 10-15 minutes, rinse with cool water and then shampoo as usual.

7. Try my Root Concealer! After years of listening to clients, stylists, press and beauty experts’ pleas for a better way to make their color-treated hair last longer, this aerosol spray was born to cover gray, and also to conceal roots for brunettes, blondes, and redheads. Get it at Sephora.

Check out the video to learn all about it and meet the color queen herself:

By Jolene Hart
Running low on beauty masks? Looking for a rainy day treatment to perk up your skin or hair? Chances are, you’ve got a few ingredients that fit into your beauty routine right in your bathroom or kitchen cabinets.Check out the below 4 household ingredients and products that we all have in the fridge or cabinets that will help keep you looking fahhhbulous! Dig out these everyday products that give a surprising boost to skin, hair & nails:

HONEY

This complexion-saver smoothes skin with mild acids that act as natural exfoliants, loosening dead skin cells. Raw honey is a humectant that attracts moisture (perfect to counteract winter dryness) and is also a go-to ingredient for those with problem skin, thanks to its natural antiseptic properties. Be sure that your honey is raw and unheated to get the most powerful beauty benefits. Spread about 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey over clean, dry skin and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and towel-dry.

TEA TREE OIL

If you keep a bottle of this antibacterial essential oil at hand for home cleaning, you’ll be thrilled to know that you can also use it on your skin! Dilute two drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of water and apply with a cotton ball onto blemishes for bacteria-killing benefits. A drop rubbed into nails also nixes toenail fungus!

PEPTO-BISMOL

Ready for a bright pink facial? The salicylic acid in Pepto is a common ingredient in skincare (especially products for blemish-prone skin), thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-acne properties. If you’re feeling daring (or looking broken out), spread a capful of the pink stuff on clean skin and leave on until dry, about 20 minutes Rinse thoroughly and see blemishes go bye-bye.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Your salad dressing staple just became a hair helper as well. Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a cup of water and pour through hair before washing to cleanse it of buildup and bring out its natural shine (don’t worry, you wont smell it later!). Follow with your regular natural shampoo and conditioner.

Have other around-the-house beauty savers? Let us know!

Originally featured on Healing Lifestyles.

Are you in the midst of the Joy Bauer’s Spa Week Daily Challenge? Did you give up soda for 2 weeks? I did. And I am seriously bored of plain old water. I tried iced tea  and orange juice and fizzy water with fruity flavors but nothing is really quite the same as the bubbly “Ahhhh” soda (especially if you’re a recovering addict like me). I have been  super tempted to sip on soda pop again and have been trying ever alternative without success until… THANKFULLY our friend Pam over at Spa Water gave me this delicious, healthy and hydrating  summer recipe to try instead of giving in to carbonated temptation.

Recipe courtesy of Pam Wenzel, Author of The Spa Water Book – A Guide to Creating World Class Spa Water at Home which features 22 creative water recipes  from some of the top spas throughout the world.

Ingredients:

1 half English cucumber diced
1 half English cucumber julienne sliced
2 cups cubed watermelon
6 to eight strawberries cut in half
1 bunch mint
3 to 4 cups of ice
3 to 4 cups of cold water

Instructions:

• Combine ingredients and allow 20 to 30 minutes for flavors to infuse. Use julienne cuts for garnish.

To find this delicious recipe and many more, download the Spa Water App for your cell phone.

Column by Jackie Silver This is the last in Jackie’s 7-part Aging Backwards series. And in the spirit of this final post, for all your wisdom, tips and insight, on behalf of Spa Week Daily and all our readers, we say a sincere and gracious thank YOU.

You’ve probably heard the old cliché, “Beauty comes from within.” Newsflash, it’s not old – it’s timeless – and it’s not cliché. Beauty definitely radiates from the inside, out. Have you ever met someone you thought looked beautiful at first, but after talking to him or her for just a few minutes, you wonder why you thought this person was so beautiful? If you have, it could be because you were noticing that the individual did not radiate beauty from within.

One way to cultivate and reveal inner beauty is to appreciate the world around you and the riches in your life, weather material or not. Grateful people are happy people. Happy people smile more. Smiling makes you look younger and prettier. It’s a beautiful cycle.

Here are some Aging Backwards gratitude exercises to help you show off your inner glow:

Focus on the positive.

Happiness is a choice and I choose to be happy daily. According to psychological research, positive emotions are associated with greater creativity, increased problem-solving ability and greater overall success in life. Why not make a conscious decision to have a great day when you wake up in the morning? See what can happen…

Give back.

Studies show that people who volunteer on a regular basis are the healthiest and live the longest. There are sure to be organizations in your area that need volunteers year-round. Don’t know where to start? Check out VolunteerMatch to find a worthy cause in your local area. All you do is type in your zip code and VolunteerMatch will find organizations near you that would love your help.

Meet The Gratidudes.

These fantastic young men are spreading the word worldwide that an attitude of gratitude is cool! You won’t want to miss their Gratidude Dance!

Start a gratitude journal.

Writing down all the reasons you have to feel grateful every day or even just once a week can really lift your spirits. Seeing it all in one place always reminds me of how fortunate I am. It’s also handy on days when you might be feeling blue. Any time you need a little pick-me-up, you can get cozy on the couch, pick up your gratitude journal and be reminded of all the positives in your life.

Tell someone how you feel.

We’re so busy being productive individuals, which is a good thing, but sometimes we can take for granted those closest to us. Any time is the right time to express your appreciation for your loved ones and all the joy that they bring into your life. If you don’t feel comfortable telling someone face-to-face, why not buy or make a nice card or write a letter? In this digital age, most people don’t receive many cards and hand-written letters, so one from you would most likely be well-received.

Jackie Silver is Aging Backwards and she shares her secrets, tips and shortcuts in her book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young, on her website agingbackwards.com, on TV, on radio, in print and in person. She is a frequent television news guest, one half of The Ageless Sisters radio show, a columnist with The Tampa Tribune and contributor to numerous websites. In addition, she is the National Anti-Aging Beauty Examiner, New York Beauty Products Examiner and NY Charity Examiner for Examiner.com. Silver is a New York City based speaker and coach and is sought-after as an anti-aging and beauty expert by the media.