I leave for Spain in a few days and I've been busy preparing for my first international trip in 2 years! I definitely want to look and feel my best when I go on vacation, so there are a few maintenance appointments that I like to do before I travel. Depending on the type of trip, I mix up my routine. For Spain, we'll be taking a ton of photos (okay, that's every trip, duh), doing some touristing, some beach lounging, and a lot of walking, so here's everything I did last week to prepare myself! 

HAIR

I always like to get a fresh cut before I go on a big trip...mainly because I neglect regular haircuts so it seems that it's always time for one and right before I leave town. Last week I got a trim, THEN I did something new: I colored my hair! haha don't panic, it looks the same...although I did think about becoming a red head for a few minutes just to mix things up. ;) It's a tiny bit warmer and definitely a lot shinier!

I tried a new place: the Madison Reed Color Bar, and they ONLY do color. No cuts. (think: Drybar but for color!) I don't like admitting this, BUT I had some gray hairs popping up that were not looking too cute, so I figured I would just go for it and color my hair. The Color Bar made it easy- they have a simple color menu and their specialists work with you to determine which exact color you need! Their Shops at Legacy location is the first one in Texas but they have shops in plenty of other locations and are expanding. Overall, my hair looks fairly similar so my upkeep will be easy, but no more grays yay! They make root touchups easy (around $50!) so it's not going to break the bank to keep up the color.

SKIN

Y'all know that I LOVE a good spa treatment, massage, or facial, and I try to get them regularly BUT they can priceyyy. Last week I did some undercover research at Hiatus Spa. It was my first visit, but I heard that they do a kind of monthly membership that gets you a service each month for super affordable, so I had to check it out. I visited their Inwood/Lovers location on Friday for my first-ever "body wrap!" (note: they're opening a new location in October at Walnut Hill/75- so excited!)

So. I went in to check it out...I was v pleased. I really liked the overall spa vibe, the facility was welcoming, felt modern but not too sterile, and their bathroom/showers were stocked with all Aveda products for me to use after my service. The body wrap was great- it was total body exfoliating, moisturizing, then getting wrapped in a warm cocoon while I received a head massage and foot massage! It felt like a half massage/half skin treatment, which was a great mix for me. I'll be spending some time in Ibiza on the beach, so I wanted my skin to be in good shape, and I don't do a great job of exfoliating on my own, so this helped! 

I'm going to be working with Hiatus to try their membership program called "H-circle" and I'm v excited about this partnership! I don't share brands and businesses with you that I don't support, and I love being able to offer you something special when I work with a brand that I like! I don't have to post this, but I'm excited to share with you because I think it will benefit some of you! The H-circle membership is $69/month and with my discount code you'll have your membership fee waived ($29) so you'll just be paying $69 for full services (regularly $100+)! YASSS! Details here! Use code: RhondaHCircle

NAILS

I have a couple different nail salons that I frequent, depending on what kind of mani or pedi I want. I was holding out (for weeks!!) before I got my mani/pedi for Spain. (Trying to live on a budget over here and it's tough!) Since I had waited so long, I knew that I needed to go to Miniluxe for a classic mani/pedi because I trust that they are CLEAN! I love that they run on appointments and I've never had to sit and wait for long for my technician to be ready for me! ALSO major points for their performance polish because it usually lasts around 2 weeks for me. Traveling can be pretty tough on my hands with grabbing suitcases, etc., but I'm hoping that my manicure will last for my whole trip!

BODY

Alright. Let's get down to it. After Labor Day weekend I was on the struggle bus. I was eating junk, feeling gross, and needed something to wake me up and get back into a good routine! I booked some tough workouts and those ALWAYS make me feel like I'm back on track, which I love! I worked out at Evolve on Tuesday morning at 7:30am after Labor Day and couldn't figure out why there were only TWO other people in class. (lol guess everyone else was recovering from the weekend) There is definitely NO slacking off when there are only three people in a class! Ha! I use StudioHop to book my workouts and I'm on the unlimited plan, so I started booking workouts and a few extra yoga and stretching classes to help me! I included a lot of yoga in my lineup last week to try to keep everything loose so I don't get so tight on a long flight. (I'm not really sure if it works like that, but in my head it does, so that's what I'll stick to!) PS. You can use code Rhonda20 to get $20 off your first month at StudioHop!

BUT here's the big thing that I did last week: WHOLE8! "What's that?" Well, I made it up...haha but it's basically Whole30 rules but only for 8 days. Why 8 days? When I decided to do it, there were 8 days remaining until I left for Spain. Easy. At it's core, it's just clean eating, nothing special. "Whole8" is all about eating fresh, non-processed foods, and focusing on meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, and healthy oils. It cuts out processed crappp and sugar, grains, alcohol, and dairy. I have to be careful when I adjust my eating and make sure that my mindset isn't focused on "restrictive eating." So instead of focusing on what I can't have, I just try to think of it as eating healthy and clean to fuel my body with the best food possible. It's been 6 days and I. FEEL. SO. GOOD. Once I'm in Spain, I'll be eating local foods, bread, cheese, etc., but will still be focused on fresh non-processed meals, which is MUCH easier to do in Europe than in the US. Overall, my body feels great, I'm eating way more vegetables than I was, and as a bonus: I'm saving money because I'm not eating out as much! (win win!)

I'll be sharing a packing post next week (aiming for ONE carryon bag! yikes!) but I hope this helps some of you as you book appointments in Dallas for your services. These are places that I really enjoy, so I'm always happy to share!