Creating an Inexpensive Home-Spa Experience

All of us single moms have one thing in common: we don't take enough time for ourselves. And what do our single, childless friends have that we don't? Time (and money) to go to the spa!

Feeling attractive and relaxed can combat a lot of life's little demons, like the blues and being stuck in a rut. And you can create the same results at home, using some of the ingredients that you'd find in your kitchen!

For a pedicure: Fill a basin big enough for your tired feet full of hot, but not scalding water. Add in some baking soda and olive oil to provide moisture, deodorize and soften your skin. Soak your tootsies for 20 minutes and drain the basin. If you want to go for the gusto, do a second soak with Dead Sea salts, since it will further loosen dead skin cells. Pat feet dry after another 20 minutes.

Using a skin file, face cloth, pumice stone or loofah sponge (or combination of these items), scrub off the dead skin cells you've loosened - but be gentle because you don't want to remove the healthy layer of skin underneath them! Apply a deep moisturizing cream to damn feet - they'll retain more moisture this way. For extra dry skin, apply petroleum jelly and put some warm socks on for a half hour, then gentle wash off with a good, non-drying soap.

Clean under your toenails and trim them straight across, then carefully file any breaks or splits. Push back the cuticles gently using a cotton swab. Prepare your toenails for a coloured polish by painting them with a basecoat - or a coat of clear polish. Once this has had about 10 minutes to dry, apply your favourite coloured polish.

Give this coat another ten minutes at least to dry and then apply another coat of clear polish to seal in the colour and protect against chips. Voila!

For a facial: Fill a large bowl with boiling water and grab a towel. You're going to hold your face over the bowl with the towel tented over your head, allowing the steam to open up your pores and hopefully drain some clogs. Don't get too close, though! After about 5-10 minutes, rinse and pat dry your sweaty face and discard the water.

Now, you're going to apply a mask. Choose your ingredients according to your skin type: use frothy egg white for normal to oily skin, egg yolk mixed with dead seal salts or sugar for dry skin and milk of magnesia for oily skin. Apply your choice all over your face and neck and leave for approximately ten minutes.

All skin types will benefit from using some rolled oats to exfoliate with after wards, so rinse off your mask and use a "paste" of rolled oats and water to gently scrub in circles, thoroughly rinsing after you feel revitalized. Follow with your normal toner and moisturizer and you should be glowing!

Hair mask ideas: To leave you with soft, silky and shiny hair, try using one of the following suggestion, taking care to rinse mask out thoroughly afterwards.

To remove product build up, blondes can use a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in their rinse water; redheads and brunettes might want to try a couple of tablespoons for cider vinegar; for everyone, try mixing a couple spoonfuls of honey into a quart of water and rinse with that.

Products you can use as a mask include mayonnaise; mashed avocado, banana or papaya; olive oil mixed with baking soda; a one to three ratio of egg white and plain yogurt; and equal parts of olive oil and egg white. Work your choice through hair thoroughly and leave in for 15 minutes after covering your head with plastic wrap to seal in heat and moisture.

Rinse out your mask well, shampooing as necessary and follow up with one of the residue removing rinses previously described. Condition as needed, ensuring you rinse all traces of conditioner out and then style your hair as usual.

For general body exfoliating needs, try using one of the following in the shower. Use a paste of oatmeal and water to scrub in small, gentle circles, rub your skin with sea salt crystals, mix equal parts of baking soda and water (though that can seem like a lot of baking soda if you're using it all over!), or mix a couple of tablespoons of sugar into some olive oil. As always, make sure you rinse well and then moisturize damp skin after patting it with a soft, cozy towel!