The651.com

Spa visits are one of my “healthy living” guilty pleasures. They involve all kinds of decadence that some people would argue you don’t really need. To be honest, I agree. But facials and massages and pedicures and such can make you feel just plain wonderful.

That’s exactly how I felt after a three-hour session of pampering at New Beginnings Face & Body Spa on Grand Avenue, just west of Snelling. (1672 Grand Ave.)

When I arrived I was led to a dimly-lit room to change into a robe and slippers, then to a private room with a large Jacuzzi bathtub surrounded by candles for a “Destress Bath Soak.” A cool glass of water and a plate topped with fresh strawberries and pineapples was waiting for me to nosh on. What more could a mother of an energy-filled 1-year-old want than 20 minutes of solitude in a warm bath?

But oh, there was more. Melissa, the spa’s owner, treated me next to a 60-minute Swedish massage, complete with a relaxing scalp massage (my favorite). As I climbed onto her heated massage table, she told me to focus on my breathing. “Let yourself completely relax”. The power of suggestion is an amazing thing, because I think I practically fell asleep after that. A quick tip: if you have plans right after your spa day, skip the scalp massage or make sure there’s no massage oil left on your therapist’s hands. My hair was super greasy afterward (though it was worth it) and I had to run home and wash my hair before going out later that night.

Next up was a 60-minute deep cleansing facial. Melissa tailored her product choice to my sensitive, dry skin type, using a heavenly-smelling papaya and pineapple exfolation after steaming my skin to open my pores. The revitalizing mask she applied at the end of the facial left my skin feeling baby skin-smooth, hydrated, and looking ridiculously radiant. That ought to teach me to go several years without a facial again.

After my spa afternoon, I stepped across the street for a snack at the fairly new restaurant Cat Man Do (1659 Grand Ave.), which serves a variety of tasty Nepali, Tibetan, and Indian dishes. Their momos (meat or veggie-filled dumplings), with the fresh and zesty tomato-based dipping sauce, are divine with a cool and refreshing lassi (yogurt drink).

As for New Beginnings Spa, there were so many fun-sounding treatments there—like the Chocolate Fondue Wrap and Mint Soother Pedicure—that I’m already plotting my next visit. Their candlelight yoga classes piqued my interest, too.

Most of us don’t treat ourselves to spa-cations that often, and I’m no different. Sometimes it just seems like too much to spend. But if you really want a “getaway” without paying for a pricey plane ticket, I urge you to go ahead and pamper yourself for a day. You deserve it!