Yesterday, was Spa Day. In the morning I was working at the reference desk and a woman asked if we had any Spa Day fliers. I had just printed out several of them, so I handed her one. I also gave her the Spa Day Menu & Recipes that were freshly printed. She said that it sounded like a wonderful program and would think about attending. She did come and when she left she said, by the way, I don't live here, I live in Westlake Village (40 LA traffic miles away) but today, I decided to go up to Mt. Wilson to see the view. On my way back, I knew I could stop at the library to relax for a bit and use the restroom. I saw the flier for the program. I went down to Montrose for lunch and to purchase a pair of flip-flops. Here I am, and what a wonderful program it is. It looks like you have a wonderful sisterhood happening and I really enjoyed being part of it. What a story! (Guys are welcome, too. Occasionally, we will get a man to drop in. And yesterday we did have one husband that joined us for a cup of tea and some coloring--but for the most part it is seen as a woman's program. I would like to change that but don't really know how.)
Here are other stories from the program. One regular works for child services and has to remove children from homes. Her job is stressful and emotionally draining. She says that Spa Day is her opportunity to recharge. Another regular has a difficult marriage that she feels she cannot abandoned. She comes to find solace and peace. Yesterday she told me that it was her favorite program of all the programs that the library offers. A couple of years ago, we had a regular that attended with her aged mother who was suffering from Alzheimer's. She said that Spa Day soothed her mother and afterwards she often saw glimmers of who her mother was before the ravages of the disease had shrouded her.
Several years ago, during our Season of Health, I wondered if a library could become a spa? I searched to see if other libraries did something like that and sure enough I found one that hosted a Mother Daughter Spa Day at the Library. I didn't need a mother/daughter event as the Mother Daughter Tea check that box. I wanted it to be something that used everyday ingredients that people might find at home and could repeat at home if they wanted. I checked out a couple of natural beauty books and did quite a bit of research on the internet. I then crafted worked on developing a spa menu and how to set up the room.
At Michael's I found a couple of $2 grab bags--I usually grab a few of them because they often have things that we can use for crafts or giveaways. This time serendipitously there were wicker turtles and snails covered in moss. I had a long piece of white cotton fabric that I used for the table cloth covering 3 tables. I had some of the Mother Daughter Tea decorations and some of my Japanese decorations that I could also use to create table-scapes as well.
I purchases some essential oils, epsom salt, witch hazel, oatmeal, coffee, cocoa, olive oil, sugar, and lotions that could be reused and added some perishable items like yogurt, cucumbers, bananas, & strawberries.
We dimmed the lights, added some relaxing music, filled the hot water urn up. I created a slide show of relaxing images and affirmations to loop. We added some light refreshments--teas, fruit, cheese & crackers and then opened our doors.
The initial Spa Day was a five week series but then people asked if it could continue, so we added it to the monthly programming schedule. That was 3 years ago. Because of my staffing I dropped the Spa Day out for about 9 months, but the regulars continued to ask when it would return.
Three months ago I revived Spa Day. Our Reference Librarian started an Adult Coloring Club that meets monthly, so I asked her if she could include some of the coloring pages for Spa Day. One new regular has a passion for essential oils so she has been sharing some of her knowledge about how to use the oils. One regular contributes salts. lotions and oils. And yesterday, we had a yoga/meditation teacher that attended and graciously agreed to lead us in the opening centering and closing guided meditation exercises.
I always open the program with a set of cautions and disclaimers. I offer no professional advice. Only do those things that are comfortable. Do not engage in things without first consulting a doctor. Listen to your body and if something is painful, it is your body telling you shouldn't proceed without professional guidance. Essential oils are powerful and if you are are pregnant or have health conditions you should not use them. Never ingest essential oils and use only 1-2 drops. safety first, etc. etc.