Back in 2011 when attending the first Lucky Fabb (Fashion and Beauty Blogger) Conference, Joan Rivers was a guest speaker. Prior to this event, all I knew of Ms. Rivers was what I saw on TV. I have to admit, I was more excited about hearing Tory Burch speak than I was Ms. Rivers because it was my belief that she would be rude, crass, obnoxious and basically full of herself. She changed my mind that day. When Ms. Rivers began to talk about her life, her career, and her family, what began to emerge was a very real, and down to earth person. I was taken aback. I wasn't ready to see her as a human being. I wasn't ready to see her as a mother, who clearly made her daughter, Melissa, a priority. I was prepared to hear endless rants, bullying comments and insults intermixed with a lot of cursing. Believe it or not, in the 35 minutes she spoke, she only cursed about 3-4 times.  She didn't pick on anyone, she didn't make rude or disparaging remarks...essentially the "persona" was off for that time she spoke, and the woman, Joan Rivers, was very present. What I saw before my eyes was a self-made woman who encouraged the women in the audience to keep pushing forward, to let go of pride, to find humor in everything, to value the bad times as much as they do the good times, to love and be there for your family, and to understand that life is cyclical and nothing is forever. She spoke of struggles, bother personally when her husband committed suicide, and professionally. I became so enchanted with her as she spoke, that I got up the confidence at the very end to ask her how she balanced motherhood with her career. She admitted that it was hard, but said that no matter what, every day in her schedule book from 6-8pm was dinner with her (late) husband and daughter, Melissa. As a celebrity, Joan Rivers belonged to the world, but she wanted her daughter to know this time was only hers. While some may say, "That's only 2 hours a day?!" I could relate. As someone who is self-employed and CEO of my own brand, it's easy to be "present" but not always easy to be "there." And while I was already having daily sit down dinners with my 4 boys prior to this, it reinforced it as a treasured time with my sons to listen to them and have them share their day. Once Ms. Rivers' time was up, her entourage wanted to quickly escort her out. However, she told them to wait and took the time to take pictures with many of us and talk, including myself. Now that Joan is gone, I am so grateful that it was when we snapped this picture that I honestly admitted to her with a smile, "You changed my mind about you today." Clearly understanding what I meant, she smiled back, said, "Thank you," and gave me a squeeze as we smiled for the camera. On an episode of Joan and Melissa back in 2012, there was a point before surgery where she told Melissa that if she died she had no regrets about her life. Her life was amazing because she lived every second of it. There is no doubt that Joan Rivers lived her life to the fullest, a lesson we shouldn't take lightly because you never know when your time is up. 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! Shannon on G+

My addiction of a good scrub goes beyond just body and facial scrubs. I adore lip scrubs and Treat Beauty's newest organic sugar scrub is one you'll want immediately. First and foremost, I love that this scrub comes in a handy tube. This makes it easy to bring with you when traveling, and even easier if you are using it in the shower because your fingers won't get messy and slippery. It also means there's basically no chance of getting water into the tube as you would with a jar. This lip scrub is also pretty big! It's jumbo in size and not your typical small lip tube. To use, simply twist up a little scrub (don't worry, it won't fall out), press to your lips with your mouth slightly open and rub in a circular motion. If in the shower (which I found easiest), simply rinse your face. If at the bathroom sink, just use a wet washcloth to wipe away the sugar. It doesn't leave any greasiness behind, just super soft lips. Aside from exfoliating well, this lip scrub smells and tastes delicious! Not that I am one for licking scrub off my lips when I just exfoliated the dry skin, but at least when I first apply it, if it happens to get in my mouth it's no biggie. Stop by www.treatbeauty.com and get one for yourself! Treat is cruelty free. 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! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure

If you're looking for some simple abstract floral nail art, here’s a tutorial to get this floral look in three easy steps, using only a couple colored polishes, a striping brush and dotting tool! Step 1: Polish your nails with a base color.  For this look I used Morgan Taylor One and Only. Step 2: With a striping brush, add some “grass” lines to the tips of your nails. For this look I used Precision Lacquer McDreamy. Step 3: With a dotting tool, add colored dots to represent the flowers; you can use any number of colors for the flowers to get a different look every time. (You can see a similar look I created with 3 flower colors here.) For this look I used Morgan Taylor Get Sporty With It and Morgan Taylor Lip Service. Top with your favorite topcoat and Voila! a simple abstract floral look. Tip for Fall: You can switch this up for fall by using orange and red toned polishes for the flowers and/or base color! Let us know if you try this look! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

The best body lotions are the kind that leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated, not just for hours, but for days at a time. I am incredibly picky when it comes to my beauty products, and when it comes to body lotion, I need something that delivers. Here's a few of the best body lotions (according to my skin!) Makes Scents Spiked Lemonade Body Butter: The fragrance is bright and uplifting and the butter is creamy and decadent. This is a summer-only product, so if it is still available on their site when you are reading this, don't hesitate to buy it! LATHER Lotus Flower Whipped Body Creme: This velvety soft anti-oxidant rich moisturizer has an herbal floral fragrance. It is non-greasy, soothing and softening. LAVANILA Vanilla Coconut Body Butter: This body butter has a mousse-like texture that quickly absorbs and a scent that makes you want to take a beach vacation and never come back. A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Body Lotion: Yes, shameless plug, but I honestly stand behind my amazing natural body lotion. It literally quenches the driest of skin and brings it back to the land of the living (which happens to be on your own private island with a butler.) Faith, Soaps & Love Coconut Dreams Solid Lotion Bar: Solid lotion in a tube is where it's at. My oldest son uses this on his elbows, as he is prone to pretty bad eczema there. Not making any medical claims, however when he uses this... the eczema becomes less and less. (You can see my review of their handmade soaps.) What are some of the body lotions that you use?  

Best Body Lotions http://t.co/2gSR9cTqrc — A Girl's Gotta Spa! (@agirlsgottaspa) January 13, 2015

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Skin cancer has been on my mind a lot lately. My aunt died at the age of 29 from Melanoma, family members have caught skin cancer early, and my friend, Amanda, constantly battles skin cancer daily.

Amanda is a Melanoma survivor, but just because they caught it early doesn't mean she is in the clear. Over the past few years, Amanda has repeatedly found new moles and marks on her body, and even though some of them appeared completely normal and not within the ABCDE's, each time she has been told that what her dermatologist scooped was found to be in the stage just before turning cancerous.

Being able to transform my shower into a spa-like experience is my idea of absolute bliss, so one can only imagine my elation upon hearing the words "aromatherapy shower kit." Immediately upon hearing those few words, pictures of a completely relaxed, zen-like me began dancing in my head. Needless to say, I could hardly wait to get my hands on this magical product that would allow me to turn my boring old shower time into an invigorating spa time. This magical product that I speak of is the Essio Aromatherapy Shower Kit.  The kit includes a shower arm and essential oil pods and is exceptionally easy to use...honesty it took me less an a minute to attach the arm to my shower and insert the essential oil pod. Best of all? Set up required zero tools.  After setting up was compete, all I had to do was turn on my shower water and tilt the pod into the stream of water and the essential oils began to diffuse into my shower. The first Essential Oil Pod that I tried was the Breathe blend, it was minty, refreshing and soothing and contains a blend of Cedarwood Atlas, Peppermint, Lemon, Eucalyptus.  I am currently using the Unwind Essential Oil Pod, which is more of a citrusy floral scent containing a blend of Orange Sweet, Bergamot, Petitgrain, Lavender, Patchouli, Vetiver and is utterly relaxing.  Even after I get out of the shower my entire bathroom still manages to smell positively delightful. The Essential Oil Pods last for about 3-5 showers each and when you're out, refills can be ordered at Essio Online.  The Essential Oil Pods are 100% organic, pure and sourced from the finest oils in the world.  They do not contain any harsh chemicals, synthetics or additives and both the Essio arm and essential pods are also 100% recyclable and disposable. I am not quite sure how Essio managed to create Essential Oil Pods that do not leave my skin or hair with an oily residue after I get out of the shower.  This is one of the most genius products that I have tried in a very long time.  And now that I have given Essio a try, I honestly do not think I can go back to taking showers without my daily dose of Essio Aromatherapy!

.@essioshower Aromatherapy Shower Kit #review: http://t.co/CN0C5hPPkY #beauty

— A Girl's Gotta Spa! (@agirlsgottaspa) January 15, 2015

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. 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! Disclosure: Press sample

Carolyn Doe, spa director at The Umstead Hotel and Spa (Cary, N.C.) has whipped up a DIY Coconut Coffee Foot Scrub recipe to soothe weary feet at home. The rich blend of antioxidant-filled coffee and moisture-locking coconut oil, combined with the refreshing scent of vanilla extract, is a perfect combination of natural ingredients to remove and repair rough skin. Coconut Coffee Foot Scrub Recipe

• 1 cup     Virgin Coconut Oil
• ½ cup    Favorite Ground Coffee
• 1-2 tsp  Vanilla Extract

  Method: Blend ingredients together. Prepare a tub of warm soapy water and soak feet for 10 minutes. While soaking, apply 1 teaspoon of the scrub to feet in a circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin away. Rinse feet in warm water and pat dry.  (Mixture can also be used as a body scrub in the shower, but take care as it can make for a slippery surface.) Store leftovers for later use in an air-tight container at room temperature. Not only is this scrub invigorating, your feet will feel incredibly soft and pampered. 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! Shannon on G+

A Girl's Gotta Spa! natural bath and body products can now be found on Amazon.com via Lock & Mane. I'm beyond thrilled at the exponential growth we're having with our retail partnerships! Amazon.com strives to be Earth's most customer-centric company where people can find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online. I honestly don't know a single person who hasn't shopped Amazon at least once. Now that A Girl's Gotta Spa! can be found on this expansive e-commerce platform, the potential to reach more eco-conscious consumers looking for a naturally luxurious and cruelty free body care brand is endless. To stay in the loop regarding our bath and body line, please subscribe to our mailing list. Also check out our ever growing list of retailers that believe in our mission statement – You Deserve to be Pampered. Looking to sell A Girl's Gotta Spa! wholesale in your spa? Please contact us!

During my two month stay in Bali, a significant amount of time was spent at Amo Spa in Seminyak.  I enjoyed the most amazing spa treatments that I've every experienced and though I have only been back in the US for a week, I am going through serious Amo Spa treatments withdrawal.  I figured the best cure for my withdrawal symptoms was to try to recreate one of my favorite Amo Spa moments at home. One of the many things I loved about Amo Spa was the little luxuries that they took the time to incorporate into their treatments.  One such luxury was the cucumber mask that was always applied to my face during a facial, massage and body scrub.  The cucumber mask consisted of thinly sliced cucumbers sliced lengthwise (not rounds) and left in the refrigerator to cool, then applied directly to the face.  In hot and humid Bali, this cucumber mask was an absolute dream. Cucumbers just so happen to be amazing for the skin.   Cucumbers contain vitamin C, an antioxidant, as well as plenty of vitamin K, also an antioxidant, which fights dark circles under the eyes.  Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B-5, is another compound found in cucumbers that helps your skin retain moisture.  The vitamin A, or retinol, in cucumbers fights dark spots and freckles because it helps control your skin's production of melanin.  Cucumbers are a source of silica, which, as a precursor to collagen, can help fight wrinkles, in addition they have high water content and a cooling quality, making them appropriate to help soothe mild burns, particularly sunburn. They can also reduce swelling and relieve minor skin irritations. Now back in LA where summer is in full swing, the cucumber mask feels just as amazing especially after a day at the beach.  To recreate the Amo Spa mask, I bought some organic cucumbers from Whole Foods, sliced them thinly, placed them in a bowl and left the slices in the fridge overnight.  I then applied the very cool slices to my face the following evening.  I plan on adding some face serum or lemon juice to the slices at some point to mix it up a bit.  This mask is super easy, has amazing benefits and is perfect for your skin during summer.

I'm very grateful for the opportunity Mutual of Omaha gave me to put #myahamoment on video. I'm also very grateful for all of you that have continued to support the concept of You Deserve to Be Pampered by purchasing A Girl's Gotta Spa! natural bath and body products.

I hope the video helps you to get to know who I am better and how my goal has, and always will be, to help you. You can also read in more detail the full story behind launching A Girl's Gotta Spa! bath and body products. Watch the video and let me know what you think in the comments! 

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Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. 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! Shannon on G+