Day of Hope #87
Friday March 13 – Day of Hope #87
Goal: Create a wonderful spa day on a budget
Quote: “Every day is a great day for a spa day.” - Unknown
If you read Day of Hope #86, you’ll remember my story about the mix-up of rooms at the Inn at 500. It was frustrating, but life has a way of bringing things in full circle. The following week, my phone started blowing up with call after call from the hotel. I finally answered.
They were incredibly apologetic and wanted to make things right. As a peace offering, they offered me a free weekend stay in their Celebration Room, one of their luxurious penthouse suites, normally priced between $600 and $800 a night. They asked if they could email the details and give me a second chance to experience their hospitality.
I said yes. And what better occasion to turn that opportunity into something special by using it for the March’s Day of Hope and Friday the 13th. A great way to reclaim it as a day of joy and self-care.
That’s also when inspiration struck: why not host a DIY spa retreat with my girlfriends? I wanted it to be beautiful, meaningful, and relaxing, without breaking the bank.
My friend Samantha and I turned that stunning suite into our own personal sanctuary. Scented candles. Soft music. Face masks, essential oils, and cozy robes. Several of my wonderful girlfriends showed up and we laughed, relaxed, sipped tea, and just breathed. No pressure. No expectations. Just the healing power of women coming together to take care of themselves and each other.
This story is part of a bigger journey and a spoiler alert. Below is the full story of March’s event, from Chapter 11: Passengers in my book A Day of Hope. You’ll find the full version on page 183, where I share how that one simple idea, a spa day on a budget, became a cherished memory and a moment of deep connection.
Spa Day for Friends
Another epic day of hope was March 13, 2020. Through a crazy twist of fate, or the universe taking control, I received a free room for the weekend at one of my favorite hotels in downtown Boise, Idaho. The penthouse suite, no less. It is called the Celebration Room at the Inn at 500. The hotel is full of Boise history, and each room is themed. From the Celebration Room, we had a beautiful view of the mountains. The room is often used for brides who are getting ready for a wedding with their bridal party. It was so big that I decided I could not stay there alone. I came up with the idea of giving my game night gals a relaxing spa treat and a night to remember.
There are six of us from the original group: Sunny, Donna, Faith, Samantha, Mari, and me. We’ve been friends for over twenty-five years and have adopted a couple of new friends to the group as well. We try to get together once a month. We have great food, play all sorts of games, and catch up on life. We all get along great with no drama. I can’t even imagine going through life without them. We lift each other up and support each other through everything life tries to throw at us. I really wanted to do something special for them.
There was not a spa in the hotel, but we created our own little spa day. Samantha and I went shopping and planned the night, complete with different spa stations. When the rest of the girls walked into the room, the kitchen had wine and appetizers, complete with cucumber lemon water. There was a diffuser with a lavender scent and spa music. We turned the lights down, and my masseuse came to give us all twenty-minute shoulder, neck, and back chair massages. Amazing!
In the large bedroom and bath, we created a meditation station and a face mask station with mud masks, headbands, and hair clips. There was a tub and shower station, where we added bubble bath and scented, calming bath balls. The tub filled from a waterfall faucet that cascaded down from the ceiling.
We had a hand station, complete with scrubs, nail items, and a paraffin wax machine. Lastly, we set up the foot scrub station with massage tubs we had brought. The hotel supplied us with robes and extra towels.
It was a complete night of relaxation. After the pampering was done, we played games and got some sleep. We ordered breakfast via room service the next morning to complete our package. Spa day on a budget. Everyone was so relaxed, and it was exactly what we needed to de-stress. The day of hope was complete.
It came just in time, too, as the very next day the city shut down when we were notified of the first official COVID-19 case in Boise. Thankfully, the memory of our spa trip kept us close throughout the pandemic, and it’s become an annual event for us all.
My lesson of hope: Once again, the universe reminded me that it always finds a way to create unexpected moments of joy and opportunities not just to fill my own heart, but to overflow into the hearts of others.
