With the change of season it takes an extra dose of effort (and nutrients) to ward off dreaded colds. The Umstead Hotel and Spa (Cary, N.C.) is treating spa guests to a soothing seasonal Lemon Ginger Lavender Elixir that will be more pleasant on the palate than cough syrup!

Chef Greg Gettles shares his recipe for a refreshing, vitamin-packed pick-me-up that combines potassium and calcium-rich Lemon, Ginger, which has antioxidant and direct anti-inflammatory effects, relaxing Lavender and Thyme, which helps relieve coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion.

Lemon Ginger Lavender Elixir Recipe:

· 7 lemons (peeled and juiced)

· 7 bruised and chopped lemongrass

· 3 oz. peeled and chopped ginger

· ½ oz. dried lavender

· 12 oz. lemon juice

· 16 oz. honey

· 7 oz. simple syrup

· 3 ½ oz. ginger puree

· 12 sprigs thyme

· 16 qt. simmering water

Method: Combine all ingredients in a cambro and pour over with simmering water.  Allow mixture to steep for at least 4 hours before straining.  Adjust seasoning and chill.

Enjoy and feel better!

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My lips are one of those areas of my face that I will admit gets neglected. I wear a protective lip balm to keep them hydrated, but when it comes to pampering them I am neglectful.  Lately I have been making it a beauty priority to give my lips their very own spa time.  I exfoliate them, apply a lip mask and hydrate them the same way I do with the rest of my face.  I've realized that it is actually extremely easy to whip up lip care treatments with a lot of the items in my refrigerator for soft, plump, hydrated lips.  A great lip scrub can be created by combining coconut or olive oil, with honey, brown sugar and lemon juice.  Just mix together to form a paste then apply with your fingers in a circular motion.  I also like to let this scrub sit on my lips for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water.  A great moisturizing lip mask can be made by simply mixing equal parts honey with equal parts lemon juice.  The lemon juice works as a gentle exfoliant while the honey is extremely moisturizing (don't apply if you have any cuts though, as it may sting.)   If your lips are really dry and feeling irritated, apply one of my all time favorite spa product to your lips...cucumber.  Yes the same cucumber found in infused spa water and it's coolness used to depuff eyes.  Just gently rub a slice of cucumber over your lips until they are saturated with the cucumber juice then let sit for a bout 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water.  These lip treatments are fast, easy and effective, but I would recommend doing test patches before since some people are highly sensitive to lemon juice as well as raw honey.  Your lips are going to feel softer, smoother and kissable in no time! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

 

My favorite beauty treatments are those that I can create myself with ingredients from my own kitchen.  Creating my own beauty treatments makes me feel good about what I am putting on my skin because I know exactly where the ingredients came from and I know that they won't harm my skin.

This morning my sister greeted me at her door with bright, glowing, soft skin sans makeup.  And since my sister is a walking  beauty encyclopedia, I had to know what got her skin looking so amazing.  Turns out it was her own concoction of coffee grounds, honey and lemon. The coffee grounds exfoliates the skin, functions as an anti-inflammatory and contains antioxidants.  The honey is a really great  moisturizer and leaves skin feeling soft and supple.  The lemon brightens skin and minimizes the look of pores while getting rid of oil.  I applied the exfoliating mask to my skin and left it on for fifteen minutes.  When I was ready to remove the mask, I applied a bit of water to my face and gently massaged my skin in a circular motion to exfoliate with the coffee grounds, then rinsed my face.  The mask rinses away easily and cleanly.  My face immediately felt softer and smoother and it looked great.  It was clearer and brighter and best of all the mask took about two minutes to make and all of the ingredients can be found in the kitchen. Have you tried making a DIY mask at home? I'd love to hear your recipe! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!     *Disclosure

Last month, thanks to my beauty guru of a sister, I was introduced to the amazing exfoliating properties of coffee grounds, which I of course just had to pass along to you, our awesome readers.  And today, thanks to a serious case of boredom, I have found a way to make the Coffee Grounds Scrub even better, by combining it with my Crabtree & Evelyn Naturals Verbena & Sage Deodorising Shower Foam.  I am absolutely in love with these shower foams, which unfortunately were discontinued, but I have been able to find them on Amazon (as I seem to be able to do with a lot of other hard to find beauty products).      By combining the coffee grounds with the shower foam, I not only created more of a paste version of the scrub that was a lot less messy, but I also created an exfoliating body cleanser, as well.  As I mentioned above, the Crabtree & Evelyn Naturals Deodorising Shower Foams might be a bit tough to find as they have been discontinued, but I am sure the scrub would work just as well with most other shower foams.  Happy cleansing and exfoliating at the same time! Have you tried our DIY Coffee Scrub yet? If you know of a great shower foam, please let us know! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

My sister is, and always has been, my beauty mentor.  Whenever I've had  a beauty ailment (which is a weekly occurrence,) I've always been able to count on her to steer me in the right direction.  Whether it be over plucked brows, breakouts or a lackluster complexion, she always seems to have a remedy in hand.  Her latest beauty advice for me was a body scrub using coffee grounds. This DIY body scrub was honestly one of the easiest and most enjoyable beauty adventures I've been on in a long time.  I got to enjoy a delicious cup cup of coffee then indulge in an amazingly effective...and cheap at home spa treatment.  I just took the leftover grounds into the shower with me and rubbed it all over my body.  The coffee grounds make a really gentle scrub, but also does a great job of exfoliating.  Caffeine is also known to be a fantastic anti-cellulite treatment. The strong smell of coffee in the shower also gave me an energy boost.  I do have to caution that the coffee grounds do tend to get very messy in the shower so it's a good idea to create more of a paste by combining it with olive oil...or shower oil.  My skin was soft and incredibly smooth and the best thing of all is that it did not cost me a thing! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!