Spa File: Luxe Lounge at Spa La Costa

June 11, 2013 by 2 Comments

spa pool

For a great weekend getaway, complete with your girls in tow (or to meet up with your girls who live in southern Southern California) visit Spa La Costa in Carlsbad, just 130 miles south of Agoura Hills. But go Friday late at night if you can, because as I have found, no matter what time you leave on a weekend day, you’re going to get stuck in traffic.

Once ensconced at one of the luxurious rooms on the resort grounds, head over to the Luxe Lounge at Spa La Costa, where you and your besties (or your bridal party, or your friends who are supporting you before you have a baby, etc.) can have your own private lounge at the spa. I mean, how many times do you get together with girlfriends at a spa only to have to share the place with a bunch of naked strangers? Better to wrap yourselves in a luxurious robe and hang out with your closest friends.

Spa La Costa recently introduced the Luxe Lounge as a relaxing private space for small groups.

luxe lounge

This chic space was created to take the stress out of party planning for small soirees or celebrations, and can accommodate intimate parties of up to 10 guests.

The already amazing Spa La Costa offers this private space for groups of 6 to 10 people (not just women, but let’s be honest).  You get the use of the room for the day (set hours, contact the spa), treatments right there in the room, a big-screen TV, and food, drinks, and amenities of your choice.

I visited the Luxe Lounge with four of my blogger friends a few months ago. (Here is Candice Kahn’s write up at Fashionably Organized.) We were welcomed with a Bellini bar, a full spread of healthy and delicious lunch items, a candy bar that was done up in shades of pink and white, and the Sex and the City movie playing on the big screen. I’m not gonna lie. I teared up all over again when Big left Carrie at the altar. Maybe it was just the Bellinis…

photo courtesy of Romy Schorr

photo courtesy of Romy Schorr

I was the only dork who didn’t bring my phone into the room. Hello, it’s a spa, a place to relax, so I didn’t want the stress of feeling like I needed to take a ton of pictures. Besides, I was getting a neck and foot massage and drinking champagne at 1pm. Also, we were all in robes and bathing suits, and I figured my friends would all shy away from the camera. I was wrong.

photo courtesty of Kristen Howerton

photo courtesy of Kristen Howerton

Regular day use starts at $115 per person. The spa offers various packages, but the customer service there is so wonderful that they will most likely design a spa day of your choosing if you ask. Current features include:

The Brides & Bellinis package is tailored towards the group that just wants to socialize and take advantage of all the amenities of The Spa. The package includes:

Private Spa Suite
Spa Café Lunch
Inclusive of Beverage, Tax, and Tip
Signature Bellini Bar
Includes (2) Bottles of Champagne, Bellini Purees and Garnishes
Spa Gift for Guests and Celebrant
Themed Décor Options
Day Pass to Access Full Amenities
Complimentary Valet Parking

luxe lounge bellini bar

The Mini-Treatments & Mimosas package is ideal for the group that might not have enough time for everyone to get a treatment, but would still like to relax and get a taste of what our professional therapists can do. A mini-treatment is the prefect way to share time and enjoy a relaxing reflexology or back, neck, & shoulder massage.

Private Spa Suite
One Hour of Mini-Treatments: Reflexology OR Back, Neck, & Shoulder Massage
Inclusive of Therapist Gratuity
Spa Café Lunch
Inclusive of Beverage, Tax, and Tip
Mini-Mimosa Station
Includes (2) Bottles of Champagne, (6) Mini-Carafes of Orange Juice
Spa Gift for Guests and Celebrant
Themed Décor Options
Day Pass to Access Full Amenities
Complimentary Valet Parking

Luxe Lounge Party Food 1

The Luxe Lounge package is the perfect first-class group spa package! You can experience a full 50-minute service, and then retreat back to an intimate spa suite, your own personal lounge to enjoy each other’s company.

Private Spa Suite
Choice of (1) Signature 50-Minute Spa Treatment
Inclusive of Therapist Gratuity
Spa Café Lunch
Inclusive of Beverage, Tax, and Tip
Spa Gift for Guests and Celebrant
Themed Décor Options
Day Pass to Access Full Amenities
Complimentary Valet Parking

For more information, please contact Aprille Ray 760.929.6383 or ar**@*****ta.com.

I visited Spa La Costa and enjoyed various complimentary services and treats to facilitate this feature.

 

Filed Under: Excursions, Fun

Summer Camp at Catalina Island

May 19, 2013 by 10 Comments

Summer camp can be a luxury for some families, a necessity for others, and a legend for the rest of us. When we first moved to Agoura Hills and took a look at some of the offerings around us, I was jealous. Archery, daily swimming, movies, crafts, games, and delicious homemade meals? Sign ME up, never mind the kids!

Now I am a work-at-home parent, and the kids’ schedule takes priority over everything else. Translate that into: I’m not working much, so there’s no need to send my kids to summer camp, aside from the sanity break I will need after a week of two little boys arguing with each other about everything from who gets the blue cup to who gets to press the cross walk button on the street corner.

Last year a friend of mine sent her kids – all three of them – to sleepover camp for seven weeks. 

I know!  When she told me this, my head swam with all of the wonderful things I could do in seven weeks at home with no kids around. I could take a bath! I could reorganize everything! I could go see movies, or paint the bedroom, or sleep in more than one morning in a row!

I dream of this happening someday when my kids are old enough to stay away from home for longer than a sleepover. Catalina Island Camps is close enough to us that it’s easy to bring the kids and pick them up at the end of their term, but far enough away – a ferry ride, even – that it feels exotic and oh-so-grownup. A chance to be independent while also bonding with their cabin mates from all over the country and counselors would be an enriching experience for my boys. Plus, they would have the chance to snorkel, ride a zip line, learn how to sail or rock climb, and participate in a community that has nothing to do with their parents.

Since CIC is priced accordingly, affording the best facilities and staff – and safety – for now it’s just a dream. Meanwhile, my kids will attend the half day camp at the Reyes Adobe Mission which is run by the Agoura Hills Park and Recreation department. The boys know and love the counselors there, and the cost is reasonable. We all get a break from each other, and the kids get physical activity and they learn something, too.

What are your summer camp plans for your children?

This post is an entry into a raffle for a 2-week camper stay at CIC. If I win, I will give the session to a lucky reader in a future giveaway.

Filed Under: Excursions, Fun, Giveaways Tagged With: , ,

Join the MOMS Club Tonight For a Wine-Tasting Fundraiser

May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

momsclub logo
For new mothers, or mothers who are new in town, parenting at home as a full-time job can be a lonely, isolating experience. The best way to find new friends who are living the same life and can at least commiserate is to join a club or group of other new, or new-to-town moms.

Lucky for all of us, our area has a chapter of MOMS Club International.

MOMS Club is an international organization created for all at-home mothers. This club is a great way to meet other moms who share your interests and concerns. There are many enriching activities offered for you and your children. We offer: Weekly age-appropriate play groups, monthly Mom’s Night Out, monthly field trips, community service, holiday celebrations, and much, much more.

MOMS Club of Westlake Village serves the areas of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, and Oak Park. Everyone is free to attend two meetings before officially joining. Membership fee is $30 per year. If you are interested in joining MOMS Club, please email Hyacinth Kearney at hp********@***il.com.

hamo collage

This month, MOMS Club of Westlake Village is holding their first annual diaper drive as a service project. During the month of May, they are collecting diapers (larger sizes most needed) and wipes – you can contact me to find out where to drop them off. Or, you can meet the MOMS Club members tonight at their wine-tasting fundraiser party at J. Hamilton Wines in Westlake Village – $25 per person includes a tasting of six wines, plus appetizers. Proceeds will benefit Help a Mother Out, an organization that collects diapers and funds to purchase diapers for underserved families in the Los Angeles area.

May 17, 7 – 9 PM

J. Hamilton Wines

741 Lakefield Road

Westlake Village, CA 91361

 

Filed Under: Around Town, Events, Fun, Local Businesses Tagged With: , , , , , ,