Spa Gifts For Under $20

For delicious smelling gifts that bring comfort and joy home for the holidays, Urban Sanctuary is your one stop shop! Shop with us online or stop by the spa and browse our vast selection of eco-friendly, man-friendly, organic and natural gifts for bath and body, house and home. These are some of our favorite items available for under $20.

• Good Karma roll on aromatherapy $15
• Calm Bath Salts by Herbivore $18
• Fig and Honey soap wrapped in beautiful craft  paper $8
• Zum Body Lotion Sandalwood  $7
• Prayer Bead Bracelets handmade by our own Sheri Stout $12
• Clear Head Soy Candle Tins by Way out Wax $8.50-$14.50
• Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath $14
• Vitality Tea handcrafted by Naturopathica $18
• Eucalyptus and Lime Bath Bombs $3 for one or $18 half dozen
• Menthol Cucumber Shower Bombs pack $7.99
• Hand In Hand Vetiver Candle $12
• Zum Goat's Milk Soap Bundles $10

Great Gifts For Under $50

•  Half Hour Swedish Massage $45
•  Brocade Neck Pillows $44
•  Herbal Ease Canvas Neck Pillow $39
•  Asian Foot Massage Gift Certificate $45
•  Fig + Yarrow Hygene Kit $36
•  Patch NYC Stag Soy Candle $36/$48
•  Sweet Birch Mineral Bath Flakes $36
•  Scalp Massage Gift Certificate $45
•  Cardamom Coffee Body Scrub $48
•  Hot Stone Pedicure $40
•  Acupressure Neck Pillow from Bed Of Nails $39
•  Monarch Deluxe Spa Bathrobe $40

Make Your Own Sleepy Time Bath

A night time bath is a great way to release the stress of the day and promote deep and restful sleep. A good blend of sea salts and pure essential oils for aromatherapy will nourish, relax and cleanse your body and calm your spirit.

Here is how you can put together a nice sleepy time bath blend to fill an 8 ounce mason jar or bath container. This makes a great hand crafted gift. It smells delicious and can be used as a bath or a foot soak.

You will need the following:

•  4 cups of sea salt or himalayan salt 
•  8 drops of Bergamot essential oil
•  12 drops of Cedarwood essential oil
•  6 drops of Organic French Lavender essential oil
•  1/2 ounce of organic sesame oil

Blend your ingredients in the order in which they are listed above and enjoy! 

Use 2 tablespoons for a foot soak or 1 half cup or more for an aromatherapy bath.

Miniature bath baggies are a fun gift idea. Portion out one cup of your sleepy time bath blend into 4 potpourri bags and tie with a ribbon or a bread  bag tie. Gift your salts as a one time bath or 3 foot soaks.

10 Great Gifts For Her

These lovely hand  crafted Lavender Neck  and Body Pillows can be used hot or cold.

• Four Seasons Herbal Steam Fig +and Yarrow $24
• Cucumber Wasabi Cilantro Soy Candle In Glass by Level Naturals $19.99
• Brass Cameo Locket crafted by My Sweet Nomsa in black or pink $36
• 2 Hours of Spa Time $190
• Little Barn Apothecary's Cedarwood + Rose Body Scrub $24
• Aromatic Alchemy Essential Oils Blends Kit from Naturopathica $98
• Meadow Bath & Body Oil from Fig and Yarrow $44
• Lavender Neck and Body Pillow by Whispering Willow $39
• Herbivore Botanicals' Coconut Milk Bath $18 or $32
• Queen For A Day Gift Certificate $302

How To Make Your Own PMS Remedy

 PMS remedy ingredients available online and at Urban Sanctuary.

PMS is no joke. Anyone who suffers from it can attest to that, as well as anyone who lives with someone who does. The fatigue, body aches, inflammation, upset bowels, headaches, muscle cramps, water weight gain and irritability that show up for many women prior to the start of the monthly menstrual cycle are a DRAG!

This aromatherapy blend is a wonderful stress reliever and healing agent focused on targeting the most common symptoms of the much dreaded and often endured PMS.  

PMS  Remedy Ingredients List:

• Rose Geranium Essential Oil 12 drops
• Clary Sage Essential Oil 8 drops
• Organic Lemon Essential Oil 6 drops
• Organic French Lavender Essential Oil 10 drops
• Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil 10 drops
• Organic Sunflower Carrier Oil 1 ounce
• 5 clean droppers
• 6 cups of sea salt, Epsom salts or Himalayan

Blend in a clean bowl and store in an air tight glass jar with a lid. Use 1/4 to 3/4 cup of PMS salts to soak your body for relief from aches, cramps and irritability. Inhale salts blend for stress relief and energy re-balancing. Carry a small vial on the go to use for emergency PMS relief.

Try this blend and have a professional massage to ease your premenstrual woes.  Urban Sanctuary, in Athens, Georgia, is open 7 days a week and proudly offers a great variety of targeted pain and stress relief massage modalities.

Please write us and tell us how you like this blend!

DIY Holiday Gifts: Energizing Aromatherapy Salts

Aromatherapy salts make a great holiday gift or party favor. If you make your aromatherapy salt blends in big batches to portion out in a dozen or more containers, you can really stretch your gift list dollars!

Have fun blending your salts. It is not time consuming and there is lots of room for variation and creativity. Get the kids involved!

This recipe yields approximately 6-12 gifts depending on the size jar you choose. Substitute 6 ounce clear potpourri bags to yield more gifts from your batch.

This blend can be used for smelling salts and foot soaks. Not recommended for a body soak (too tingly) due to the quantity of peppermint oil.

Aromatherapy has many well being benefits, including stress relief, relaxation, increased energy, relief from headaches, PMS, insomnia and much much more.


You will need:

• 12 cups salt
• 32 drops Organic Peppermint essential oil
• 32 drops Organic Rosemary essential oil
• 16 drops Lemongrass essential oil
• mason jars and lids
• sprigs of fresh rosemary or pine clippings
• decorative ribbon or raffia

Dump your salt into a big mixing bowl. We recommend using Epsom salts, Sea salts or Himalayan salts for their healing and pain relief benefits. Choose a bowl that will not be reused for food. The essential oils will forever flavor any future foods blended or served in this bowl. A clean beach bucket or paint bucket will work for mixing also.

Drop your Organic Peppermint essential oil, Organic Rosemary and Lemongrass and blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Let the blend sit for 10-30 minutes and portion out into your mason jars or potpourri bags. Tie the containers with a bow and tie or tuck your decorative sprigs onto the container. Use a marker to write on the jar or a note card with instructions for use.

Instructions for use: Inhale this energizing blend as needed for a boost. Use 2-4 tablespoons in warm water for an energizing foot soak.

Do have the window open while you make your energizing salt blend. These essential oils will seriously pep you up. Rosemary and Peppermint are powerful natural stimulants, so use sparingly to avoid getting over stimulated. If you suffer from insomnia, do not make this blend at night. You may feel as though you drank coffee before bed.

Natural Face,Hair and Home Products By little barn Apothecary

Cocoa Cardamom Detox Mask  feels delicious! Available at Urban Sanctuary Athens, Georgia.

At Urban Sanctuary we search far and wide for the best available earth friendly, high quality, hand made natural products to carry at our spa store and share with you for your skincare, body care, house and home. We seem to have struck gold this season, thanks to the efforts of Emileigh Ireland at our front desk! Practically in our own back yard, Little Barn Apothecary was launched in early 2015 in Stone Mountain, North Atlanta.

Pure and natural, Little Barn Apothecary products are made in small batches by hand using whole botanicals in high concentration with no synthetics. Their formulas are innovative and effective and provide your skin with earth given nutrients to unveil a state of harmony and provide a clear, radiant, and healthy glow.

Certified organic, wild crafted and responsibly harvested ingredients are used in these GMO free, cruelty free, earth friendly products. Urban Sanctuary and Little Barn Apothecary are a match made in heaven. Co-founders Joshua and Brad share a love for all things natural and holistic and we are very happy to share these gorgeous products with you!.

Here is a list of the face, hair and home Little Barn Apothecary products available at Urban Sanctuary in our Athens, Georgia spa store and our online products store:

• Flowers + Pink Clay Dry Shampoo $16 
• Chamomile +Rosemary Hair Oil $20 
• Aloe + Rosewater Balance Mist $16
• Lemon + Rice Powder Brightening Mask $24
• Cocoa + Cardamom Detox Mask $24
• Lemongrass + Basil Air Water $16
• Ylang Ylang + Coriander Air Water $16

  

8 Reasons To Eat An Apple a Day

It has been said that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Turns out, there is a lot of truth to this and if the apple is organic and locally grown, all the better for vibrant health and well being. Studies have shown men who eat an apple a day reduce their risk of heart attack by 32%. Apples have more antioxidant power than any common fruit found in the U.S., next to cranberries, which are not as nice to munch on.

Here are 8 great reasons to eat an apple every day:

1. great source of fiber
2. great source of boron - builds bones, prevents osteoporosis
3. blood sugar regulator
4. energy booster
5. powerful anti-cancer properties
6. great for cardiovascular health
7. tremendous antioxidant power
8. anti-asthma benefits

10 Food Remedies for Winter Blues and Low Energy

                                         Heal the Blues

  Food is strong medicine. Thank goodness.There is a special magic and sense of power that comes with being able to cure what ails you in your very own kitchen. It's both nurturing and satisfying to prepare food with one's whole being and one's well being in mind--a simple approach to self-care that most of us embrace at Urban Sanctuary ...

  Please bare in mind that all people's bodies respond uniquely to various foods and that all foods are not created equally. Here are 10 energizing, mood stabilizing, comforting and uplifting foods for you to try:


1. Mushrooms- B Vitamins for strength and energy, ease depression
 
2. Sweet Potatoes- grounding, stabilizing, good for nerves and anxiety

3. Red Beans- twice the fiber of most other beans, iron-rich, grounding
 
4. Kale- brain food, blood purifier, iron, oxygenating, can ease depression

5. Apples- stabilizing, balance blood sugar, fiber, ..an apple a day...

6. Salmon- brain food, joint pain healer, good fatty acids, mood stabilizer

7. Oranges- uplifting, Vitamin C source, good for immunity

8. Red Bell Peppers- energizing, good for body aches, mood swings

9. Leeks- great for immunity, joint pain, eyes, nose and throat soreness

10. Green Grapes- stabilizing, balancing and energizing

   Organic and locally raised foods are better for your body, more nutritionally rich and better for the environment and the community, in most cases. Do your best with what is available to you. Most people will have a taste for at least half of the 10 foods on this list. Don't force yourself to eat anything that turns you off. There is no need. Oftentimes your body will be attracted to the look and the smell of foods that will help you feel balanced.

   In the winter time, we're exposed to less sunlight and fresh air. Each season comes with both its inherent gifts and challenges. One of winter's challenges is the experience of less hours available in the day. That creates a sense of lack or low grade anxiety for many people. Overeating and long hours in front of the television can exacerbate the looming depression that people refer to as seasonal depression or the winter blues. Internal and emotional ups and downs are natural.  As the seasons change, mood and energy enhancing foods will help bring out the best in you and minimize your periods of feeling down.

  When the weather grows cold and grey, it is really beneficial to eat food rich in Vitamins B, C and E, fiber, iron and Omega-3 fatty acids. This is very good for you whether seasonal depression and energy lows occur for you or not... Please remember to be kind to yourself throughout every season. Make good things in your kitchen.

   Candice Courcy is Urban Sanctuary's co-founder who made the happy discovery of the power and magic of healing foods at an early age. That combined with the love of mud, seaweed, aromatherapy and massage lead to a long and happy career in the spa industry and the healing arts. Candice enjoys being the person her friends come to for nurturing food and bath recipes when they are feeling blue. If you have any questions, please email Candice at candice@urbansanctuaryspa.com.

12 Ways to Ease Holiday Season Stress

  The winter holidays bring up lots of feelings for people. The holidays have a way of amplifying certain tendencies within us both positive and negative. There's ample room for being sentimental, celebrating, being generous, being grateful... There's also plenty of opportunity for overdoing things; overworking, overspending, spreading oneself too thin, getting worked up and worried about appearances, family, the money, the gifts...

  Whether you love the holidays, love the celebrating, love the traditions or not, the world around you will be turned upside down from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day. There's no way around it! Here are 12 ways to keep you at ease during the very stimulating month of December.

1. Drink water. Water helps your brain and body function while stabilizing your moods. The holiday sweets, drinks and running around get people dehydrated and crazed.
2. Plan for quiet time. Carve out time for you. Have a nice fire, book a massage, or spend some quality time on the couch listening to beautiful music. Peaceful hours replenish your reserves of energy. You have more to give and share once your well is replenished.
3. Call Wonder Woman. Run around and do just a little less this year. Get some professional help with shopping, errands and pet care from Wonder Woman Services. The best in town. Ask my Siggy.
4. Eat fresh foods. Sweets and buttery party foods are all good and fun, until you're bloated and irritable. Balance out your junk food indulgences with nutrition-rich foods. Fresh vegetables, fruit and local fair prevent crash and burn. Heirloom Cafe and Fresh Market is our neighbor. Try them.
5. Sage, Rosemary, Lavender and Thyme aromatherapy heals all... Insomnia, scattered brains, fatigue, grief and sadness, aches and pains can be eased by one or more of these four. Read about how to use essential oils, if you wish.   
6. Take baths. This is nourishing any time of year, especially in the winter months. Chapped dry skin, insomnia, frayed nerves and achy joints can be eased in a bath of medicinal oils. Lemon Balm, Arnica and Hyssop are particularly effective as well.
7. Make shorter lists. Long lists breed anxiety. Whether it is a shopping list, greeting cards list, party list, errands or to do list, I bet you can shorten it. You just might breathe easier...
8. Buy gift certificates. They require no wrapping, people love them, you can buy them online and support your favorite local businesses while covering your gift list. Try Avid Bookshop , Cine, ATHICA, Normal Bar, The National, Canopy Studios or Urban Sanctuary. Joy and more joy...
9. Get some fresh air and sunshine. It's harder to do in the winter. Maybe a lunchtime stroll or morning jog? Your brain needs the natural light and so does your skin.
10. Hire a travel agent. Best thing I did this year. After hours of struggling online with cheap tickets and 6:00 am departures, I called Natalie at Global Escapes. She saved me hours of frustration and found a first class ticket to Boston for only $60 extra.
11. Have a facial. Either do your own at home or come see us. Facials relax tension around your eyes and face, while cleansing, toning and moisturizing until your skin just glows.
12. Be kind to yourself. Avoid comparing yourself harshly to others. Don't torment yourself with criticisms that don't serve you... Be glad for your own good qualities and the beauty your life holds.

 Happy Holidays to you and yours. Unwind at Urban Sanctuary any day of the week. View our entire menu of services online. You can contact us at 706-613-3947 or email Candice at candice@urbansanctuaryspa.com.

      

Staff Highlight: Krista Kramer

   Krista Kramer has been a massage therapist at Urban Sanctuary since we were in our infancy. This is her 7th year on staff and we feel it's a real compliment that she's stayed with us for so long. Before our paths crossed, Krista became interested in massage while studying dance.

  Her background in the medical massage environment and her love of anatomy bring a special strength and versatility to her massage. Some of Krista's specialties include TMJ massage, Asian Foot massage, Deep Tissue Foot massage, Prenatal massage and the Urban Neck massage. 


Krista, where are you from?
I was born in Illinois and grew up in Marietta. I've been in Athens on and off for 15 years.

What brought you here?
 The UGA biology program.

What are some of the things that you like about living in Athens?
The Botanical Gardens, the parks, the people, the music, the art and culture here.

Do you have favorite places to shop and eat in town?
The Last Resort, Heirloom (across the street from Urban Sanctuary), Farm 255, Earth Fare and The Daily Coop.

Tell us about getting into massage through your studying dance.
I've danced all of my life, and danced with a competitive company in high school. Growing up as a dancer, my mom would massage my calves at night when they hurt so bad that I couldn't sleep. She massaged my low back and legs, and I think that's what got me into massage...

What are your favorite pastimes now?
I go to Good Dirt where I love making pottery, especially mugs and bowls. I play the flute. I love photography. My garden is my favorite place to be.

Have you traveled?
I love to travel! I've been to Costa Rica three times and to Europe once, just recently.

Music?
Music is the international language. I love how it effects people physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Want to share anything else?
I'm into holistic health care, prevention and wellness through eating organically, using herbs, yoga and massage. Take care of yourself!

  Krista has shared her green thumb with us by planting and caring for herbs and plants on the deck at Urban Sanctuary. Stop by and take a peek. Call 706-613-3947 to inquire about booking a massage with Krista. She works four days a week. View our entire menu of services online or other staff profiles.

                           

Tea Tree Aromatherapy

                                Clarifies Lungs and Sinuses

  Tea Tree essential oil is non-toxic and has a wide range of uses. The Australian tree that it comes from is a relative of Eucalyptus. The two essential oils are similar in scent, but Tea Tree is softer than Eucalyptus and much smoother. While each has distinct cosmetic and medicinal properties, both essential oils provide great cold & flu relief as well as good immune system support. We carry both at Urban Sanctuary in our gift store.

 There are two things that stand out to me about Tea Tree essential oil. Tea Tree is second to none for relief from dust & mold and allergies. It's also the only essential oil (apart from Lavender) that can be applied directly to the skin with out harm. Other aromatherapy oils need to be blended into a carrier before being applied or else burning & scarring could occur. Tea Tree is very versatile, in part, because of its ability to be applied neet. This makes it essential to first aid kits.

  Here are some of Tea Tree's uses:

• cold and flu remedy
• good for sinuses
• non irritating antiseptic oil
• eases mental fatigue
• treats acne, rashes and skin wounds
• fights lung and sinus infection
• great for foot fungus, foot soaks and tired feet
• great for scalp massage

  At Urban Sanctuary, we have many services and products incorporating Tea Tree aromatherapy. One is our Tea Tree Eucalyptus bath aromatherapy blend called To The Rescue. It's our house-made cold remedy. We also have foot soaks, candles, bubbles and organic body wash containing the essential oil. My favorite Tea Tree fix of all time is our Tea Tree Eucalyptus scalp massage. It's completely revitalizing. View our entire menu of services online or call Urban Sanctuary to inquire at 706-613-3947.