Pamper Yourself with Non-toxic Treats

 There comes a time in your pregnancy when you need a little pampering. For me it was when my husband came home at 2am with Jagermeister  on his breath and tried to snuggle. Just the smell of him made me want to vomit, let alone the fact that he then was snoring one minute later, and I was up for an hour, pacing. In that hour I thought about what nice thing I deserved and booked it the next day.  A nice foot rub, a great lotion, fresh paint on the toes...whatever your fancy may be it is well worth the dollar investment. I figured, hey, I haven't had a glass of wine or cocktail in seven months. Like the dress you find for half off, you just saved money! Or, even better, you may have a friend who has been through this process and knows just the present to give...

A good friend, who recently had a child, came to lunch bearing gifts. Yippee! Little did I know how much I would love the Mama Mio  Tummy Rub  and Super Rich Body Creme.  Everyday I have my ritual to rub the oil on my quickly growing belly and the lotion on my  new, fascinating, body. Once you are pregnant you become overly aware of the ingredients in a product and how they may be soaking through your skin and making an impact on your baby.  The Mama Mio products are "no nasties" (as they say)-- no paraben, petro-chemicals or synthetics fragrances -- so soak it up!

There is one spot in town that takes the toxin-free approach seriously, Julep Nail Parlor. I went in for the Pregnancy Pedicure (55 min, $78) and came out a new woman. Yes, a little on the pricey side for a pedicure, but not only are they using organic moisturizers on your skin and their great “three-free” (free of toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate) polish, but you also get to take home the polish of your choice. What sealed the deal for me? They are germ freaks too. When was the last time you went for your pedicure and you weren't afraid to use their bathroom? How about knowing that they would never pull out that razor thingy and try to shave off the bottom of your foot? Then there was that time I got these little red bumps all over my ankles...yea, for real, yuck. Julep is unique and pushing the boundaries of what we know of a nail salon. Mondays they offer free childcare while you have your treatment of choice. These women know what moms need!

Lastly, prenatal massage is hard to beat. If you have ever been on a massage table with the special pregnancy pillow you know joy. Your enormous boobs fall into their respective places and the weight of your belly rests as your body becomes weightless. My favorite place in town is right next to our gallery, Ananya Spa. Call and book Jesse. She rocks it and whatever it might be that aches today will be gone tomorrow.

Yes, most days I am on a budget, like most moms-to-be (how will I pay for...fill in the blank?), so simple joys like chocolate milk are good enough, but the day when your husband is hung over watching football, and you are a little shy of sleep, is as good a day as any to pamper yourself. You deserve it.



A new chapter began in Leigh Canlis' life in May of 2009, when she became pregnant with her first child. Follow her blog as she documents the sometimes hilarious, and other times trying, moments of pregnancy and the thoughts of how to handle it all as a working fashionista Mom-to-be.