RITZ CARLTON MARINA DEL REY

Lately, I have been feeling a little under the weather. You know, when things just don’t seem to be going your way in life and love. Well, I’m tired of being down in the dumps! It’s time to turn that frown upside down! My friend Samantha and I found the perfect cure for a BAD MOOD! The RITZ CARLTON MARINA DEL REY is FABULOUS!

After work Monday morning (I teach music and creative music at a pre-school), I rushed straight to the Westside to meet up with Samantha poolside at the RITZ CARLTON. In the car, I changed into my bikini and a little red cover up and parked down the road in public parking (way cheaper than valet at the hotel). I marched right through the door and swung a left to the pool (You gotta walk like you know where you are going since the pool is for hotel guests and members only)!

Sam had already snagged two loungers poolside. She was glistening with suntan oil and basking in the sun. I stripped down to my suit and began my deep relaxation. I swear a bit of sun and a dip in the pool can cure almost any amount of stress!

I read my book THE SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL (Trashy and fantastic gets your mind off life… also watch the TV show on Showtime! FABULOUS!) We chatted while reading the gossip rags (Who doesn’t love US Weekly, In Touch and People) and got caught up on the latest fashion and beauty trends (in ELLE and InStyle). We also laughed out loud at the silly sex and man advice in Cosmo (Who writes that stuff?)

For lunch, we shared a huge and delicious BLTA (Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) on thick toast. I usually don’t like avocados (they’re so green and mushy), but this sandwich was to die for! I snagged the majority of the French fries and dunked them in a yummy garlic aioli (YUM)! In the afternoon, we sipped on frozen lemonades. We may as well have been on vacation in South Beach or the Bahamas because we felt bronzed, relaxed and FABULOUS!

Now time for the main event! The RITZ CARLTON’S FABULOUS spa treatments! We headed into the spa and I went into the eucalyptus steam room, showered and then snuggled into a plush robe. I drank jasmine tea in the Relaxation Suite till the massage therapist took me back for my treatment. Candle lights flickered and the smell of roses filled the air (AHH)! I had chosen “Red Carpet Ready” from the list of treatments (Sounds FABULOUS as well as being one of the cheapest treatments at the spa! Haha)!

I removed my robe and lay under a plush towel. My whole body was scrubbed from head to toe with a soft pomegranate scrub (This is great exfoliation and one of the reasons my skin is so soft)! The woman left the room while I took a warm shower, then I laid back down under a clean sheet where I was massaged with warm, herbal moisturizers. As I laid there getting pampered, my mind drifted from the things I stress about and into oblivion. After the treatment, I’m not sure I felt “Red Carpet Ready” but I definitely felt relaxed beyond belief.

You too can pretend you’re on vacation and sneak into a hotel pool. They usually don’t bother you if you order lunch or cocktails (If they ask if you are a hotel guest, say you checking in this afternoon. Act like you are supposed to be there)!

Some other ideas to pamper yourself when you’re feeling down:

- Get a mani/pedi at one of your local nail salons and add 5 minutes of a massage (at my local spot its only a dollar a minute)!

- Buy a pile of trashy magazines, turn off your cell phone and your TV and veg out in your bed!

- Light some candles and take a hot bath (stay in until your fingers and toes are all prune-y)!

Life had its ups and downs, but in the end you gotta SMILE because life if FABULOUS!