Moms Love Glen Ivy!

With Mother's Day just around the corner, "Mom" is definitely the word at the spa lately. In our office we were talking about Mother's Day and Elizabeth and Jennifer both shared some great Glen Ivy memories of their moms.

"My mom and I come to Glen Ivy every few months to spend quality time together - in fact, we just got some one-on-one time here on Monday! While we were relaxing she commented on how she finds herself at Glen Ivy for all sorts of different reasons: personal getaways when she has a day off work, Mother/Daughter days with me, and one special memory she recalled from Mother's Day two years ago when my brothers and dad joined us at the spa. We reflected a bit on that happy, fun day and she said spending time at a place she loves with the people she loves most is a memory she will cherish forever." - Elizabeth F.

"Just a few weeks ago I brought my mom and future mother-in-law to the Hot Springs for a relaxing Spa Day before the Big Day. We got a Cabana and we were so thankful to have a Cabana Concierge taking care of all the small details so we could just sit, soak and enjoy each others' company - quite a contrast to the wedding planning, that's for sure! Weeks leading up to the wedding can usually be very stressful so it was nice to carve out a full day for time together. We had such a great time laughing and chatting, and really celebrating the fact that our families will soon be joined. It was the perfect way to kick off the one month countdown to the Big Day!" - Jennifer S.

Do you have a Glen Ivy Mom Memory? Leave a comment with yours below!

10 Easy Ways to Go Green

It's the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and here at Glen Ivy we try and go green whenever possible. Going green helps to reduce your impact on the environment and if you aren't already doing your part, today is the perfect day to start! Here are some little ways to go green but that will make a big change!

Paperless Bills. Do all of your billing online. Just check with your bill companies to sign up!

Turn Off Lights When You Leave a Room. Try opening up those blinds or curtains to let natural light in.

Fix Leaky Faucets. You would be surprised how much water gets wasted by a leaky faucet. Another way to conserve water--turn off water while you brush your teeth.

Get a Reusable Water Bottle. Grab an inexpensive reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic disposable bottles. Just purchase a water filter for your refrigerator or sink and you'll be set! Check out The Story of Bottled Water for some interesting facts!

Unplug Unused Appliances/Electronics. Try plugging all electronics into a power strip and switch the whole thing off when they aren't in use. This helps prevent "phantom" energy use and can save you up to $200 a year!

Take Shorter Showers. Not only will this lower your water bill, but it will lower your heating bill too!

Purchase Energy Efficient Appliances. Even just switching to one helps! Just look for the "energy star" label.

Install Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. CFL's consume 75% less electricity and last up to 10 times longer!

Use Reusable Bags. Pick some up bags you can use over and over again for shopping trips.

Recycle Electronics. Donate or recycle when it's time to say bye-bye to your electronics. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins that are hazardous to the Earth.

Remember, even the smallest actions can have lasting environmental effects.

Tell us how you've gone green!

Glen Ivy Poetry Contest Winners

Congratulations to Erin S. who sent in her poem and is our winner for the "Glen Ivy Poetry Contest." For her creativity, Erin will be receiving two complimentary admission passes and lunch for two! Here is her winning poem along with the 2nd and 3rd place entries! Enjoy!

1st Place:

Glen Ivy
By Erin S.

The Grotto is green,
Club Mud is brown,
At my favorite Glen Ivy,
There's so much to be found.

Get a massage or facial,
Let the stress melt away,
Bring all of your friends,
For a memorable day.

So pack on the mud,
Float in the pool,
Laugh and relax,
Forget work or school.

You'll be so pampered,
From your head to toe,
And at the end of the day,
Never want to go!

It's life at the spa,
Part of my motto,
Enjoy the poem,
If I win, see you in the Grotto!

2nd Place:

My Favorite Things
Mrs. Shane H.

Lavender sugar scrub and luscious facials
Eucalyptus wraps and polished toenails
Glen Ivy gift cards tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Steam room and spa rooms and crystalline pools
Mud baths and mineral baths enchant like jewels
Stress floats away on dragonfly wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Nibbling and noshing at Cafe Sole
Field greens and dressing prepared by gourmets
Birds of paradise burst bright blossoms of springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the job bites
When the kids whine
When I'm feeling sad
I simply mend myself at Glen Ivy Spa
And then I don't feel so bad.

3rd Place:

Untitled
Crystal C.

I look out the window and it's that time of year, the time to bring out bathing suits cause Glen Ivy is here!
I'll book a nice facial or even a back massage, time to put my stress aside cause ladies were off to the spa!
No more yelling, screaming, or pitter patter of little feet, it's the end of my work week and lemme tell ya I'M BEAT!
I'm ready to get pampered now & covered in piles of mud, close my eyes and reminisce of times when I was young!
Here at Glen Ivy I can always count on one thing--To close my eyes, relax & remember here I'm always STRESS FREE!

Thank you to all who sent in their amazing Glen Ivy poems! I hope that you all had as much fun writing them as I did reading them!

5 Stress Relieving Strategies to Help You Enjoy Life

Everyone can use a little less stress in their life, but reducing stress always seems easier said then done--until now! Here are our top five ways to relieve stress and help you enjoy life. Whether you try just one or all five, we're sure you'll notice a more relaxed body and mind:

Meditate.When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes, you use oxygen more efficiently, you sweat less, your mind clears, and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up life-damaging like smoking, drinking and drugs.

Yoga. Virtually everyone can see physical benefits from yoga, but its practice also has some psychological benefits such as stress reduction and a sense of well being. Certain poses can be done just about anywhere and a yoga program can go for hours or minutes depending on your schedule.

Get a Dog or Cat. Recent research shows that, when conducting a task that's stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present!

Take a Cheap Vacation. Here are come creative ideas:

• Take a Quiet Day: Take a full day without answering your phone or connecting to the Internet. This will help you disconnect from the stresses and demands from your daily life, allowing you to relax.


• Be a Hotel Guest: It can be surprisingly relaxing to stay in a nearby hotel. Basically, you are escaping from the constant reminder of the work that needs to be done at home. Turn off that cell phone, close those thick drapes, and sleep in as late as you want!


• Visit a Day Spa: If you can't afford the time or money that it would cost you to go on a traditional vacation, you can spend a fraction of the money a few hours at a day spa getting a heavenly massage that will leave your body relaxed and your mind clear.
  

Good Nutrition. Here's how to combat stress with good nutrition.

• Eat Breakfast-Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels and effective functioning during your busy morning; you need it!


• Opt for Green Tea-You can reduce your stress levels and improve mental performance by weaning yourself off of caffeine. An easy way to do this is to replace coffee with decaffeinated Green Tea.


• Try Sparkling Juice or Perrier-Both are a more healthful alternative to coffee. You'll still get a refreshing treat but you'll be adding water to your system!

What do you do to help relieve stress? Please share your stress-relieving tips with us!

Glen Ivy Poetry Contest

April is not only Stress Awareness Month, but also National Poetry Month! How is Glen Ivy celebrating you ask? Since writing helps to reduce stress and allows for better sleep, we thought we would combine the two while giving you a chance to win some passes to Glen Ivy Hot Springs!

Whether you choose to write a haiku, couplet, acrostic, or limerick, we're giving you creative freedom! The only requirements are that your poem must:

-be 100 words or less
-contain ALL of the following words: Spa, Stress, and Glen Ivy

Submit all entries to meghann.pracanica@glenivy.com by 10:00 a.m on Friday, April 16. The winner, and their poem, will be announced that afternoon. The winning poet will receive two complimentary spa admissions and lunch for two!

So grab a pen or pencil, tap into your creativity, and start writing! Who knows, maybe you're a poet and you just don't know it!!

Making a Difference: Chule Day at Glen Ivy

Lovable. Incredible. Giving. Generous. Those are just a few words that describe Dimitri and Vera Chule. The same words can also be used to describe the guests who donated non-perishable food items this past Saturday, April 3 in honor of "Chule Day."

With help from our guests, we were able to collect various food items that will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank in Riverside. In addition to the food donations, Glen Ivy Hot Springs will also be making a monetary contribution on behalf of the Chule family and our Glen Ivy guests.

We'd like to sincerely thank all those who contributed donations and we hope everyone will remember:

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference."--Barbara DeAngelis