Back Away From the Cell Phone!

Once upon a time, in a far away country, there were no cell phones.

Gasp! No cell phones?! How did people survive?

They did pretty well actually. Stress was infrequent, families actually spent time together at dinner rather than text messaging their status to their social network, and the women were able to enjoy those few stolen moments alone without interruption.

We are all guilty of answering our cell phones when we shouldn’t. No matter where we are, or what we are doing, as soon as we hear that ringtone, we dive into our purse for our lifelines…I mean cell phones.

Out for dinner with the family…we answer the phone. Taking a bubble bath..we take our phones with us so we don’t miss a call. Even after a manicure and with our nails still wet, we will search our purses for that cell phone regardless of the damage to our fresh coat of polish.

A friend of mine recently shared a story about what happened during the birth of her grandson. I could hardly believe it when she told me, but unfortunately it is a true story.  Her daughter had endured eighteen hours of labor and was in the delivery stage.  In the middle of a huge push, a cell phone rings.

Everyone in the room, the Doctor, the nurse,  even the father-to- be,  reaches for their cell phone. After a few seconds, a chorus of,  “Not Me” chimed. Her daughter, red faced and annoyed, yells to the assembly, “It was me! Can we get back to work?”

We can laugh about the story now, but at the time it wasn’t funny at all.

I know this is an extreme example of our addiction to our cell phones,  but I am sharing this to make a point.  When you finally schedule those few precious minutes of  “me time”, turn the cell phone off! The world will soldier on without you for a while.

Make those fleeting moments of serenity worthwhile.  Enjoy your massage or manicure without interruption. Take that time to recharge and prepare yourself for the next battle of life.

A Busy Woman’s Day of Bliss at Serenity Spa

Contributed by Sheryl Brennan

There is no doubt in my mind… I’d hit the wall. You know the one, where even the cute grins of your children and significant other rub you the wrong way and you just want to crawl into a cave and not emerge for about a week. The one where all you crave is silence from the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day grind you call your life. Yup- I was there in full force.

I am a single mom to three teenage girls (talk about hormonal overdrive), a full time candidate in a fast track MBA program, a business owner in start up mode, and freelance writer. Needless to say, I am VERY busy. Sometimes, there are days where I feel I need a schedule just to keep up with my schedule. So as I said previously, I’d hit the wall.

My friends offered lots of advice, but the one solution that stood out was a “pamper me” day at a local Louisville spa. I did a quick internet search and found one that sounded exactly what I was looking for: Serenity Spa of Anchorage. Ahhhhh. Just the name implies relaxation!

Their google hot link pointed me to an informative website with a listing of services and spa packages sure to entice the stressed. The Timesaver package, Serenity Experience, and Day of Bliss lured me in with their descriptive phrases detailing all the wonderful services included in them. In the end, I chose the Day of Bliss because face it, I REALLY needed a day of bliss.

Serenity is tucked along the main thoroughfare of the village of Anchorage, Kentucky. If you don’t know anything about Anchorage, it is among the short list of historic suburbs of Louisville. It’s well manicured lawns, mini-estates, and English Village charm draws you in immediately. All of the specialty shops, café’s and restaurants are within a couple of square blocks, so you can walk to each of them with ease during a leisurely day trip excursion.

When I entered Serenity Spa, I felt like time had stopped. The friendly staff greeted me with smiles, while tranquil music softly played throughout the cozy building. Almost immediately, I was served chilled green tea in a wine glass. Now if that doesn’t start your Day of Bliss on the right foot, I don’t know what will.

My blissful day included an Anti- Aging Facial with Vitamin C mask and Eye Treatment, a 60 minute Massage, Seaweed Body Wrap, Spa Manicure & Pedicure,  Lunch and Champagne. Five full hours of pampering for me and only me! I gladly turned off my cell phone and sipped the luscious green tea as I bid the hectic world good-bye for a while.

We started with the Seaweed wrap. Now if you’ve never had a seaweed wrap before, it’s definitely not what you envision. Your massage therapist coats your skin with an emulsion derived from seaweed designed to draw out toxins from your body, then wraps you in a thermal blanket for a short period of time, all while you rest on a warm massage table and listen to relaxing music. No kids arguing with each other, no phones ringing off the hook, just you… drifting in and out of repose while the seaweed does its job in extracting all the ickiness from your system.

I could tell it was working when my massage therapist arrived and I immediately needed to use the restroom. I think the combination of the seaweed wrap and the green tea was definitely helping my kidneys and bladder kick it into overdrive and remove the toxins from my body.

Onward to the massage…ahhhhhh. My masseuse applied pressure to my muscles at just the right depth to release all the tension built up from months of stress. When my hour was up, I just wanted to fall fast asleep on that warm massage table, but my bladder protested. It appeared I was a little more toxic from all that compounded stress than I thought and my body was just waiting for this opportunity to release all those evil substances from their dermal prison!

I have never had a facial before, so this experience was another new journey for me. At age thirty-something, I admit I’ve been assessing the appearance of a few “wisdom markers” in the mirror wishing they would go away. My esthetician analyzed my answers to their client profile questions and decided an anti-aging facial was the best choice. The products smelled heavenly, not at all what I expected, and my face felt clean and smooth afterward. As a former Mary Kay consultant, I thought I knew a thing or two about skin care. For fourteen years I have been religious in using my cleansers and moisturizers, but after Serenity’s anti-aging facial, I truly felt fabulous. And I swear those little lines between my eyes and above the bridge of my nose are gone!

After my facial, I was treated to a gourmet lunch from one of the local restaurants. It was such a nice day, I probably could have walked, but my legs were still wobbly from that relaxing massage. LOL!

My last two services were the spa pedicure and manicure. Have you ever had paraffin on your feet? Well let me just tell you now that it is the bomb diggity! Serenity Spa uses The Perfect Sense paraffin treatment which comes in your very own sanitary, single use  slippers, eliminating risks of bacterial and fungal cross-contamination. No more worrying about whose feet were in the wax last.

For my manicure, I did something a little different and opted for the new Shellac manicure. This revolutionary product is a manicure that doesn’t chip. Ever! Polish lasts for 2 weeks! I am here to attest that it does just that. I can’t tell you how many women have tried to carry things for me because they think I just got my nails done and didn’t want to ruin the polish. When I tell them about Shellac and Serenity, they BEG me for the phone number. I’m tellin’ ya gals- you GOTTA try Shellac!

My spa day ended with a relaxing walk under a canopy of trees where my car was parked. The birds were singing, bees were buzzing, and I was definitely blissful. Even my kids noticed the non-stressed Mom that came home.

Do yourself a favor ladies, and take a mental health break with one of the spa packages at Serenity Spa in Anchorage. Denise Willinger and her staff will guarantee you a Day of Bliss that you will not soon forget.

A Day at Serenity Spa Louisville; The Grown up version of BFF

Contributed by San Dee Crabtree

“Best friends forever” describes Diane and Debra even though  Diane lives in Kentucky and Debra in Texas.  So when Diane got the news that her friend Debra was visiting, she immediately went to work.  What could they do to enjoy the visit?  Where could they go for plenty of peace and quiet to “girl talk?”

A quick internet search yielded a plethora of spas in Louisville, but Diane lucked upon one that stood out among the rest, the Serenity Spa in Anchorage.  “It was a beautiful small place that spoke ‘welcome’,” says Diane.

The girls decided to treat themselves to a package that included facials, massages, manicures and pedicures.  Debra has traveled and visited lots of spas in many areas and commented this was the “best experience anywhere bar none. The size and decor of the place made it intimate.  You felt like the staff was also your best friend and their service went beyond anything expected.”

Both ladies said they were surprised and happy that the staff phoned in an order for them at a local restaurant and they enjoyed their meal while having their pedicures together.  Both ladies commented on how laid back and comfortable the entire experience was.  “The spa facility was impeccable and you left feeling relaxed and knew undoubtedly you had received your monies worth.”

Diane and Debra both highly recommend this homey spa.  The girls could not quit talking about the comfy experience, especially versus the larger institutional spas. The massage, according to Debra, the traveler, “was one of the best. And believe me, I have had many.”

Debra couldn’t stop complimenting the atmosphere:  “it made the place,” she exclaimed.  Both women were in awe of the “real “customer service in this non-customer service world.  “One of the staff even recommend an over the counter product to solve a problem I mentioned to her.  Typically you would expect them to only tout their own products and services,” Debra boasted.  She was pleasantly surprised and both said there was not one part of the day better than the rest, and they are telling everyone to go to Serenity Spa and try it out.

At the end of the interview, they both said the same thing, “it is the best spa ever, go and see it for yourself.”

You’re really doing this? Are you getting paid for it? No? Are you crazy, why would you do that!?

After offering to accept the gift cards of a local spa that was suddenly closing it’s doors, much of my week consisted of conversations sounding something like this:

“Hi, I just saw on television that you were going to be accepting Light Touch gift cards after they close, is this true?”  “Yes, ma’am, it’s true.” “Really? My daughter just bought this for me in October and when I heard they were closing, I tried to make an appointment to use it and they wouldn’t let me. When I heard you were willing to take the gift cards, I didn’t believe it. Thank you so much! That is the nicest thing!! I guess now I have a new spa, when can I make an appointment?”

Trust me, there were times after I made the decision I wondered if I really was crazy!  What on earth have I gotten myself into? After all the positive feedback from everyone and seeing the benefit to my business, I know I ‘m really crazy like a fox. This is one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. I knew that The Light Touch, who were in business for 28 years, had a very loyal customer base. By giving the customer more than they bargained for, we are creating goodwill that will last a very long time. I just knew that if I could get those customers through my doors, I could earn their  business.

My bread and butter is the regular customer. We have folks that have been coming to Serenity since it opened 6 years ago, and a handful that have stayed with me for over 25 years!  The value of a long-term customer is worth far more than the time we’ll put in giving a complimentary service. Are we getting paid for the gift cards? No, we’re not. But my staff and I are willing to forgo our commission on the service in order to earn the repeat business of the customer. We are confident that the service you receive will wow you, and by earning your trust we’ll earn your business. Then when you decide to treat a friend or loved one to a spa experience, you can purchase one of our gift cards with the confidence that we will not only be here to fulfill their service, but it will be the best darn spa experience they’ve ever had!

Here’s the fine print:

Small spa with big heart offers to accept Light Touch Gift cards after they close their doors on November 14. Serenity Spa in Anchorage has offered to honor The Light Touch Gift cards until June 2010. Up to 10 cards will be accepted each week for services including facials, massage, manicures, pedicures, microdermabrasion, glycolic peels and waxing. Unfortunately, we can not accept expired gift cards or unused packages. However, we will send a coupon for a 1/2 price service to any former Light Touch customer that signs up for our e-mails at Please call 245-6484 to schedule an appointment.

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