alright, I have been itching to talk about a few things I have just been OBSESSING over lately….so buckle up + get ready to read my blabbing.

in really no particular order, I have 5 (well, kind of six) things I want to tell you about. the first one is my new agenda from Target. the brand is Sugar Paper + the price tag is JUST RIGHT, at under $12. you cannot beat that! I love it because it’s SUPER simple, clean + durable. I need durability for throwing this thing in + out of my bag when I travel + head to the shop (gather + grace in Chaska) twice a week! the outside is a VIBRANT blue but you can choose any design or color that speaks to you, of course. the material is amazing – it’s like a soft rubbery material + I find myself petting it like I do my cat. kinda weird, I know. don’t judge me until you have it in your hands + totally understand. hahahah.

second fave is my rose salve. this stuff is like heaven in a jar…a really freaking cute little vintage looking jar that I FOR SURE plan on cleaning out + using for something else when it’s gone. hahah. it is basically a healing salve that has lanolin (super duper moisturizing) + some other ingredients in it, as well, including rose extract. I personally use it on my lips when they are chapped, my cuticles when they are dry + painful (UGH, remind me why I live in Minnesota, again?!) + even on my elbows, nose (boo for having to blow my nose every five seconds). it smells great + has so many uses. the jar is sure to last me a REEEEALLY long time. I’ve already owned it for a year + it still looks brand new!

#3 is a really cool looking canvas pocket I actually picked up in Italy for about $10. I LOOOOOOVE it. I walked into a cute little design store + noticed it immediately because the owner had a few sitting around – some had rolled up washcloths in them, some had apples + one in particular had a succulent in it! THEY HAD ME AT SUCCULENTS. hahahah. I got lucky because they were 30% off that day, but now I wish I would have bought MORE! The designer is Dafne Pascolini + the store I found it in is called Dettagli D’Arredo in Arezzo, Italy!

FOUR. not many words are needed for this one. CERISE LEMON La Croix sparkling water. hands down, best flavor ever. cherry lime. get it. drink it. thank me later.

ok…so I lied a little bit earlier when I said that these things aren’t in order. it’s a lie because the last two reviews are my FAVORITE right now…..

Awaken for Wellness – located on St. Claire Ave in St. Paul (which alone makes it amazing. I FREAKING LOVE St. Paul).

+

The Salt Cave MPLS in Minneapolis.

I am actually obsessed with salt rooms right now. I read a lot about the benefits of salt in the last few years + year or so ago, I purchased my very first Himalayan salt lamp to reap the benefits at home. Somewhat recently, these salt rooms have been popping up around Mpls/St. Paul + have been super curious! so what better time to REALLY dig into them, when I am stuck home sick with some sort of weird flu-like sneezing + coughing annoyance that is also fogging my brain up quite a bit?

I LOVED EACH ONE SO MUCH. Want to know the purpose, how they work/what to expect + how each of these two places differ? OK, let me explain!

WHAT IN THE WORLD is the purpose of sitting on a metric CRAPLOAD of salt?! well, salt therapy aka halotherapy is actually pretty common + has enjoyed by Europeans for centuries. it is surely becoming more widely recognized in the U.S. as a natural, drug-free supplement/alternative to common medical treatments. to break it down REALLY simply: it emulates the conditions inside a natural salt cave by infusing the air with tiny particles of pharmaceutical-grade salt. these particles are not only safe to breathe but also have been shown to alleviate symptoms of various ailment. inside the rooms or caves, there are walls + flooring made of Himalayan crystal salts to further enhance the experience + create a calm, relaxing environment.

OK, OK, just HOW do they work? well, you walk into the room, sit on one of their relaxing zero-gravity chairs + literally chill out for 45 mins-hour. the room has salt on the walls, ceiling, floor + there is a vent that shoots out salty air into the room while you are relaxing. You are told to focus on your breathing. I kind of relate it to sitting at the beach. the salty air helps you breathe better, it clears your thoughts + mind, banishes stuffy noses + I feel like it’s SUPER beneficial for your skin + hair, too!

wear comfortable clothing + expect a little dusting of salt to line your clothing by the time you’re done. it’s okay thought, it’s not harmful + you can easily brush it off. at AWAKEN, the floors were hard + you could wear your shoes. at SALT CAVE, the floors were basically like walking in sand, but instead…yeah, you guessed it! SALT! you can walk in socks, barefoot, or you can put some disposable booties over your feet if they are gnarly. ha.

at AWAKEN, I was able to book a room that is private – just me + my man this time, but I am SURE you could sit alone, too. they had a GIANT 70+ inch tv screen with the ability to watch Netflix, choose a Pandora station, or just about anything else you wanted. they were streaming off Apple TV, which kinda rocked. I liked that about it, even though I chose to sit + close my eyes, listening to the AWESOME Pandora station they had playing, which I totally forgot to scope the name of. they had super comfortable zero-gravity chairs that you can totally relax in + the room is warm – like, you might want to take off your top layer of clothes warm. we were in the room for an hour total.

at SALT CAVE, they have ONE giant room that holds about 8 people total, all with your own zero-gravity chair + blanket. the temp in the room was comfortable, but not too warm. the owner/guy working was super nice + I loved that he explained that your session is time for you to turn off your brain, relax, breathe deeply + just be. he explained that we have over 70,000 thoughts in JUST ONE DAY alone, so to choose to turn your brain off is hard but SO necessary to relax + benefit from the cave. he had a nice selection of salt lamps + other things for purchase  so I got myself a cute little round salt lamp that is USB powered + changes color. I totally dig it. my session was 45 mins.

After EACH session, I felt like ONE MILLION BUCKS. I could breathe better, I felt energized + I had a REALLY great attitude, too. I plan to head back to salt rooms in the NEAR future. I got to try the Infrared Sauna at AWAKEN, and I loved that too. It’s something I would go back to do again for sure. I also want to try FLOAT THERAPY, which is offered at Awaken, so check out this blog for a review on that soon!

xoxo, a