Sugar & Spice and All Things Nice...

What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails, and puppy-dogs tails,

And such are little boys made of.

What are little girls made of?

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice and all things nice,

And such are little girls are made of.

I've always liked this section of "What Folks Are Made Of", mostly because I revel in the idea of being sweet with a bit of a bite. As far as boys being made of frogs and snails and puppy dog tails... I might have disagreed with this premise until having boys of mine own. Granted they are both little ones who mostly smell like the Mustela wash I bath them in but I'm beginning to glean my future and it's not pretty. In fact its filled with dirt and sand and trucks and poop. All of which my oldest son is interested in playing with and in some cases eating (not the poop, God, please say not the poop!)

So, when it all becomes too much I book an appointment for some girly pampering. Alas I can no longer spend all day at the salon or spa in this case but I can get away for an hour or two thanks to DH.

During the last couple of months I've spent a number of blissful hours at Sugar House Spa. Located in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria, Sugar House offers a wide range of services that you can read about here. If you live in the area or are just visiting and looking for a little (or a lot of) pampering please call and book your appointments now!

I usually don't get mani/pedis at nice spa/salons because in my experience they are at best the same as the cheap places and at worst much much worse. In fact the worst mani/pedi I've ever gotten was at Elizabeth Arden in Chevy Chase. (sorry I hate to name names but it's true) For the most part I go to Eastern Market Nails on Capitol Hill. Tina and the other ladies are wonderful!! However, my experience at Sugar House was pure unadulterated bliss. From the moment I walked into the second floor nail room and met Monique, my nail technician I was pampered. I settled into the ultra comfy chair, flipped on the vibrating back, pulled out my book and ipod and sighed deeply. By the time I left, an hour and a half later I was practically jello. Kudo's to you Monique, I will be scheduling with you in the future!

I have had my hair cut and styled here, although it was at least five years ago. To be honest I thought it was just okay. I'm sure there are wonderful and talented stylists but I've long since fallen in love... head over heels kind of love with Kym, co-owner of Aquilano. As a girl who's seen the inside of a lot of salons in her 30+ years Kym is the best I've ever known. She gets my hair, knows what it can and can't (or shouldn't) do and her cuts and color are exceptional.

But back to Sugar House...

Okay, lets get personal... waxing. I know some of you love it, some hate it and some simply tolerate it. Now, I'm no waxing expert but my time with Timmy (Yes it's a woman!) was as painless as a girl could hope for given the purpose of the visit. Thats about as detailed as I'm getting for this PG rated post. The point being, she's the best. Oh and book now, she's clearly got a following!

I wanted to add a review of their massages, I mean doesn't just the idea of a massage relax you?  Alas, I couldn't get an appointment until Feb. 13th and since I am including Sugar House on my list of Valentine's Day gift ideas (a work in progress) I wanted to get in the overall review before then. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's spectacular!

Since I can't speak to the massages at Sugar House I will share another gem, Fountains Day Spa, also in Old Town on South Washington. I've been going there for years for facials and massages and I can attest they are fabulous! It's less frilly girl spa and more European health spa. And their line of Guinot skin care products are phenomenal!! I particularly adore their moisturizer and exfoliating wash.

Hope you spend time pampering yourself sometime soon! And if you are at Sugar House be sure to stroll around the corner after your treatments for a sweet treat at Bittersweet. They have to die for cupcakes, cookies and cakes as well as savory fare.

Cheers, 
Ouiser