At Glen Ivy our goal is to inspire memorable, meaningful and enjoyable experiences in everyone, every day.  With this in mind, 2011 was a year filled with focus on improving your spa experiences, and as a team we look forward to continuing these efforts in 2012 and thank you for your ongoing support. Here are just some of the accomplishments we’re proud to share:

Better Experiences and Products

Our new Grotto Mask is superior silky, made with naturally sourced high-quality ingredients. Now featured in your Grotto Treatment and available for retail purchase.
Hot Springs Stone Massage – A stone massage like you’ve never experienced! Energetically cleansed in Glen Ivy’s healing mineral waters in accordance with the lunar calendar, volcanic basalt stones silky smooth from hundreds of years of weathering impart their warmth and soothe muscle tension.
Exceptional Spa Products – Partnerships with other iconic brands including organic skin care from Primavera, mineral makeup by industry favorite Jane Iredale, COOLA Suncare, Moroccan Hair Oil, facial cleansing with Clarisonic®, and high quality personal care amenities from Body Bliss.

Enjoy plush new towels for your shower and Grotto experiences. Brown towels are provided for your Club Mud treatment and we thank you for bringing your own beach towel for poolside use throughout your day.
Rancho Las Uvas, an outdoor working garden and program area built by Glen Ivy’s Landscapes & Sustainability Team.
Sunflower, a new dining experience from Executive Chef Bill Wavrin offering fresh sushi, temaki and shaved ice.
Look for a beautiful new Gazebo lounge area with comfortable shade in the summer and shelter in the cool season, designed in the woodwork style of the historic Glen Ivy Lodge. Also freshly renovated Cabañas, and the new Paradise Falls private group area.

New Ways to get more from your Time at Glen Ivy

Guest Programs – A spectrum of complimentary fitness and wellness programs offered daily so each visit holds new opportunities.  See this month’s calendar.

Expanded Workshops and Retreats from Glen Ivy’s renowned industry experts and special guests in the areas of nutrition and cuisine, stress management, fitness and wellness, life balance and personal development, connecting with nature, and beauty.

New Ways to Experience Glen Ivy at Home

Book Club – Connect with other Glen Ivy guests and employees in our online book club to discuss chapters of each selection, then join us in person for lunch, great conversations and a day at the spa! In 2011 we enjoyed reading with author Erica Bauermeister and she even joined us for our final meet up at the Hot Springs! Click here to see our first book selection for 2012.

Glen Ivy Garden Shop – Enjoy the natural beauty of Glen Ivy Hot Springs in your home, garden or office. From tropical and succulent interior container gardens, landscape plants including many of the most popular plants found at Glen Ivy (such as birds of paradise), plus gardening tools and resources for your book shelf.

Farmer’s Market – This past year for a few special events, local organic farms brought their goods to Glen Ivy for mini farm markets. We had such rave reviews from guests and employees, it is our hope for 2012 that we can host a regular Farmer’s Market each week so we can support local farms and eating fresh, healthy foods.  Stay tuned for updates!

Subscribe to Glen Ivy Email Newsletters and you will be the first to know about special offers, events, and programs.  Also be sure to bookmark our Spa Specials page to check for new packages and offers. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

At Glen Ivy, putting intentions into actions is a philosophy we live by and we hope you will too by starting your year with a day of wellness and relaxation. Whether it’s a day just for you or to spend quality time with the people you love, please call us at 888-GLEN IVY so we may help you make the most of your day.

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2012!
– Jim Root
President/CEO
Glen Ivy Hot Springs

Share your New Year’s Intentions and
Enter to WIN a Day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs

As we say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012, many of us like to take this time to reflect on little (or big) ways that we can make this upcoming year a little better. Whether it’s quitting a bad habit or taking up a new hobby,  challenging yourself to stick to a resolution can be difficult so we are here to help with our annual “Intentions into Actions” contest. We’ve made it easy to enter, and think you may find hearing what your fellow spa goers are aspiring towards may offer inspiration and support to your own journey. In case you need a little inspiration, here are a few of our favorites from last year:

• To care for others, the way others took care of me when I was stressed out.
• This year I am going to put my health first.
• I am going to move my focus onto the positive of every situation, and pick my battles.
• I am going to keep a journal, because writing this down right now has made things seem clearer.
• This year, I intend to entertain more and invite friends over… as well continue to make new friendships

How to Enter

Share your intention with us right here on our blog by leaving a comment on this post before January 9, 2012. Make sure to tell us your resolution, why it’s important to you and how we can help you keep it all year long.

The Prize

We will randomly select three lucky winners who will each win a pair of complimentary admissions to Glen Ivy Hot Springs. A day at the Spa can be a great incentive or reward and can help make putting your intentions into action a little easier. Winners will be announced the following week.

New Year, New You

From new Treatment Specials to Events and Activities, we’re here to  help you kick start  your intentions and start the year off the best way possible. Book the New Year, New You Detox Treatment or Pedicure to add a little bit of bliss to 2012 or enjoy $18.60 Admission any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday throughout the month for some post-holiday relaxation.  Download the January Schedule of guest programs that include delicious Lunch and Learn class with our own Executive Chef Bill Wavrin and Container Gardening for a Colorful New Year.

We are eager to start the New Year with the New York Times best selling novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, (click title to purchase now at amazon.com)

We look forward to hearing your thoughts each week via comments. The reading/blog schedule is as follows:

January 9:     Chapters 1 – 10
January 16:   Chapters 11 – 19
January 23:   Chapters 20-28
January 30:   Chapters 29-36
February 6:    Chapters 37-48
February 13:  Chapters 49-58

Garth Stein is the author of the New York Times best selling novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper, 2008). Now published in 30 languages, The Art of Racing in the Rain was the #1 BookSense selection for June, 2008, the Starbucks spring/summer 2008 book selection, and has been on the IndieBound bestseller list since its publication. Stein’s previous novel, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets (Soho Press, 2005) won a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and was a BookSense Pick in both hardcover and paperback. Raven Stole the Moon (Harper, 2010) was Stein’s first novel. He has also written a full-length play, Brother Jones, and produced a number of award-winning documentaries.

Garth is the co-founder of Seattle7Writers, a non-profit organization comprised of 42 prominent Northwest authors dedicated to creating connections between readers, writers, booksellers, and librarians to foster and support a passion for the written word.  Born in Los Angeles and raised in Seattle, Garth’s ancestry is diverse: his mother, a native of Alaska, is of Tlingit Indian and Irish descent; his father, a Brooklyn native, is the child of Jewish emigrants from Austria. After spending his childhood in Seattle and then living in New York City for 18 years, Garth returned to Seattle, where he currently lives with his wife, three sons, and their dog, Comet.

For more information, please visit garthstein.com.

As we get ready to welcome in a new year, we want to take a moment to thank our wonderful guests for your continued support. Words can’t express our appreciation that you choose Glen Ivy as a place to relax, celebrate and make memories.

As a reminder, all Glen Ivy locations will be closed Christmas Day.

Still looking for a perfect gift this holiday season? Make them smile with a Glen Ivy Instant Gift Certificate you can personalize and print, Shop now!

We look forward to your next visit and, on the subject of visits, we have a special one to share…

T’was the day before Christmas at Glen Ivy Spa,
not a soul was stressed, and you could hear all the “ahhhhs.”

Friends gathered close, with conversations to share,
and sounds of joy and happiness filled the air

Some soaked in baths or lounged peacefully instead,
while scrumptious treats from Chef Bill danced in their heads.

By the end of the day, all faces were a’glow,
each wishing they could stay and not have to go.

We all knew that Santa was well on his way,
but still stopped in at Club Mud for a last play in the clay.

Then all of a sudden what did we hear?
It was Santa’s merry sleigh bells and his team of reindeer.

On the top of Solé Terrace they landed with such ease,
relieved to be in So Cal and away from the freeze.

He stopped at each pool, bath house and more,
and stretched with some yoga before visiting the Spa Store.

His reindeer grew restless so they hit the salon,
where they had Primavera facials and red hooves painted on.

Before he departed Santa enjoyed one last treat,
a massage under the oaks (focusing on his feet).

A trip to the grotto and a mineral bath soak,
then Santa took off his spa robe and donned hat and coat.

He filled all the bird feeders with special holiday seed,
and visited the turtles hiding under the reeds.

With the moon on the rise o’re the mountains around,
he took one last stroll through the botanical grounds.

The reindeer stood ready, restored and renewed,
as Santa left gifts for the good Glen Ivy crew.

A cup of Paradise Tea and he was on his way,
exclaiming “Happy Spa-lidays to all, I do wish I could stay!”

Our wish for you this holiday season is continued health and happiness and to let you know we’re here for you all year-long.

From all us of at Glen Ivy,

Happy Holidays

CONGRATULATIONS to the grand prize winners of our Win a Spa Day Contest! Jaimee Hoff and her friend Jennifer Santel (who referred her to our Facebook page) are each the lucky winners of A  SPA DAY at Glen Ivy Hot Springs! Ladies,we will be contacting you to send you your prize!

For those of who didn’t win, don’t worry! There will be many more opportunities in the New Year. Watch for our annual “Intentions into Actions” coming in January.

Thanks again to all of our fans who shared Glen Ivy with their friends and family on Facebook, and we are sure they will thank you for it too. Glen Ivy also makes a wonderful gift, and right now you can give even more with our very special holiday sale…

$100 Gift Cards on SALE for $75

Everyone loves a great deal and our best deal ever is back for you to enjoy! Purchase Glen Ivy $100 Gift Cards for $75 for everyone on your holiday list and ends December 24, 2011.

Buy now online!

I’ve read a dozen articles this season about the wonders of giving fitness gifts during the holidays. “The gift of fitness is something you can give to virtually anyone on your list,” one author proclaimed. “After all, who doesn’t want to look better, feel better, and live a healthier lifestyle,” another one argued.

Bah Humbug!

Let’s be realistic: Giving the gift of fitness is not as easy as it seems. I know from personal experience. Not only did I give my husband a fitness dud last year–a high tech heart rate monitor that ended up in the bottom of his sock drawer–but I’ve also sold many personal training packages to well meaning spouses that never got used.

Gift giving at any time of year can be tricky. According to marketing experts, Davy Lerouge and Luk Waldrop, who have studied how we give gifts to people close to us, we often use our own attitudes to predict what our friends and loved ones will enjoy, and then go on to choose gifts based on these preconceived ideas. Add to that the emotional baggage surrounding lifestyle habits, body image, and lack of confidence in the exercise department, and your fitness gift of a shiny new treadmill with a bright red bow on it, may be received more like a big lump of coal in the toe of a Christmas stocking.

I fell into this trap when I gave my husband a heart rate monitor last year. While I thought that a trendy fitness gadget might nudge him back to a running program he seemed to enjoy during less stressful times, it turned out to be just one more thing to add to his already full plate.

Don’t let my fitness gifting faux pas stop you from giving it a try though. I still believe that fitness gifts around the holidays can be both fun and meaningful. Start by setting aside your preconceived notions of what the receiver should want in the health and fitness department, and focus instead on what would really make them happy. Need a few ideas? Here are my tips and suggestions for scoring the perfect fitness gift for just about anyone on the fitness spectrum.

For the “I hate to exercise!”

Don’t even go there. This is probably the worst time of year to remind someone with a gift, that they need to exercise or eat a healthier diet. (I’m thinking stay away from a pedometer, a scale, or a year’s supply of Healthy Choice meals) Instead, why not plant the seed of wellness with a gift card for a massage or spa day.  This says, “I care about you. It’s time to put yourself first. Go enjoy the day—I’ve got the kids!”

For the “fitness shy.”

Gym memberships, personal training sessions and fitness equipment can seem wonderfully extravagant, but can be overwhelming for a beginner exerciser. What do I wear? What do I do when I get there? Will the personal trainer kill me during my session? Instead, look for clues that might lead you in a better direction. Do they watch Dancing With the Stars each week and dream of being on the show? Why not salsa lessons or a class card for Zumba classes? (Their tag line is, “Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!) Fitness newbies respond well to “fitness in disguise.” Think fun, not exercise, and you have this one in the bag.

For the “fitness fanatic.”

Time to pull out the gadgets and put a little bling into their workout. Fitness warriors are always on the hunt for something to take their workout to the next level. Jennifer, a marketing manager at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, received a pair of Nike running shoes from a friend, complete with a snazzy sensor in the heel to track her workouts. While she loved the shoes, she re-gifted the sensor to her husband who loves that sort of thing. Other cutting edge gifts for this set include a TRX Trainer, barefoot running shoes, and yes, even a heart rate monitor–especially if comes decked out with a GPS system.

There’s no doubt that fitness gift giving can be perilous, especially at a stressful time of year when we are most aware of our fitness limitations and shortcomings. On the other hand, consider the positive potential of a fitness gift well-given. It may be that your gift reconnects the recipient with how wonderful life feels when they take good care of their health. Focus your attention on the happiness of your recipient, and meet them where they are on the fitness continuum, and your fitness gift will be, without question, as fun to receive as it is to give.

Meg Root is an ACE certified Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist with over 25 years in the fitness and spa industry.

Don’t let the busy holidays stress you out! Treat yourself to a relaxing spa day and enjoy the season. With just 12 Days till Christmas, we are counting down the days with ways to SAVE…. and have found a Spa Special for YOU every day until Christmas!

Available at Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona. Reservations are required, please call 888-GLEN IVY to reserve your spa treatments now. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
December 13, 14, 15

$18.60 Admission

Your Spa Admission is only $18.60 to Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona when you reserve any 50 minute spa treatment. Available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays thru December. Call 888-GLEN IVY to reserve your spa treatment.

Friday, December 16

$39 Weekday Admission

Friday only, visit Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona and pay the weekday Spa Admission rate of  $39 (regular $59) when you reserve a 50 minute spa treatment. Call 888-GLEN IVY to reserve your spa treatment.

Saturday, December 17

Holiday Detox Package

Our most popular package this time of year! Enjoy a Sugar Scrub, Eucalyptus Body Wrap, and a 30 minute Swedish Massage combination (80 minutes of service) plus the Grotto Body Moisturizing Treatment. $145 (SAVE almost $20!)

Sunday, December 18

Relax Package

Now is the time! A perfect day in paradise includes Spa admission and your choice of TWO of the following treatments: a 50 minute Swedish Massage, 50 minute Glen Ivy Facial, OR a 50 minute Body Treatment. $220

Monday, December 19

SAVE 20% on any Spa Treatment (50 min or more)

Receive 20% off your full length spa treatment (50 minutes or longer). Choose from massages, body treatments and facials.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
December 20, 21, 22

Glen Ivy Getaway Package

Pick any day Monday thru Thursday and enjoy a mini vacation, just what you need! Includes Spa admission, your choice of a 50 minute Swedish Massage, 50 minute Glen Ivy Facial, OR 50 minute Body Treatment, Grotto Admission, and lunch. $160

Friday December 23

Youth Infusion Facial

Start the New Year with your most beautiful face!  This rejuvenating facial featuring Primavera Skin Care boasts the antioxidant power of organic Argan Seed Oil and organic Rose Hip Seed Oil to nourish and revitalize skin. Includes a cooling, mineral-rich eye mask which will assist in minimizing dark circles, puffiness and fine lines, leaving skin with a healthy, radiant and youthful glow! (50 minute) $99

Saturday December 24

Last Chance! $100 Gift Cards on SALE for $75 each

Our best deal ever can’t last forever, and your last chance to purchase Glen Ivy $100 Gift Cards for $75 ends December 24, 2011. Buy now online!

Sunday December 25

Happy Holidays!

Please note that we will be closed on this day to celebrate our families and friends, and wish you the very best of the season! We will open again to welcome you on Monday, December 26.

The air is crisp and clean as it rolls off the Santa Ana Mountains and through the Spa, chasing Coldwater Creek on its pilgrimage to the ocean. The mountainous backdrop is framed by palm trees and softened by the steam rising from our mineral waters, and in this moment, I can’t imagine a scene more beautiful in Southern California that we have the gift of experiencing for these winter months at the Hot Springs.

The creative hands that deliver the beauty and celebratory touches this time of year (and all year, really) have done so with the theme of our Glen Ivy Wheel of Wellness and the earth’s elements of Water, Sun, and Earth in mind. Through the New Year, guests at the Hot Springs may view our three Yuletide trees which have each been decorated to represent one these three elements with a slice or two of the wellness pie included. Connecting with nature, good food, a healthy lifestyle, and nurturing our relationships are embodied in the designs and inspire deep self reflection, therapeutic experiences and the inspiration to expand our knowledge.

We encourage you not to let the stress that so often accompanies the season get to you, and invite you to come visit our trees, soak in the unique and wonderful Glen Ivy winter experience, and especially, to celebrate the season in a way that reminds us that when taking time to enjoy the details and the magic is how to celebrate each day—and how we do all year long at the Hot Springs.

Warm Water Wishes,
Patrick Mitchell
Director of Landscapes & Sustainability
Glen Ivy Hot Springs

With the turn of the calendar page, a favorite holiday season begins! Everyone has their own special way of celebrating this time of year, my thoughts immediately go to planning parties, cooking delicious food, the smiles on children’s faces, time to spend with friends and family… However you enjoy the season, the thing that too many of us do have in common is feeling some holiday stress. Since we believe in tackling stress so we can live happier, healthier lives, our December challenge is to put a little bit of Spa into your holiday, to keep it simple and make it meaningful.

I know my favorite way to add Spa to my holiday is to “go to the Spa!” Which is a great idea and we hope that you do. What could be better than a few hours to step away from it all, relax and recharge, even spend some quality time with friends or family at the Spa. But there is more to it than that. Throughout the month we will be offering advice for keeping things simple, from gift giving to planning get-togethers. We will be asking you to do a review of what the season means to you, which things are most important, and ways to keep your focus. You can also count on us for tips for stress relief, healthy and delicious holiday food, and how to get a head start on your new year’s intentions.

Get started…

To get started, we want to hear from you. What is one simple thing that makes your holiday season special and meaningful? Whether it is a tradition, a favorite food, or special memory, please tell us in a comment on Facebook. And since it is the season of giving, we will choose two random comments to receive a gift from our new skincare partner Primavera!

Happy Spa-lidays!

More this Month:

A sampling of the December Guest Programs and Events Schedule for Glen Ivy Hot Springs, complimentary with spa admission:
• Stress-free Spaliday! Saturday December 10 at Glen Ivy Hot Springs
• Scents of the Season, Handmade Aromatherapy Gifts with Paula Hamilton
• Creating Loving Holiday Celebrations with Ariel Hubbard
• Gifts from the Garden with Patrick Mitchell
• Natural and Eco Friendly Holiday Gift Wrapping Ideas
• Traditional Mexican Holiday Tamales and Chile Relleno with Chef Bill Wavrin

Join us on the Glen Ivy Blog, Facebook and Twitter for updates.

As we wrap up our “5 Days of Giveaway,” we want to thank everyone who participated. Congratulations to Laci R. who won Primavera’s Revitalizing Intensive Seed Oil Capsules!

These five skincare products from Primavera are just a small sampling. Stay tuned all month long as we will be talking more about many of other amazing products for your skin, face and senses from Primavera, each with their own holistic benefits. You can try them out for yourself in the new selection facials at the Hot Springs, all which feature Primavera’s harmonizing aromatherapy products created exclusively for Glen Ivy. Call 888-GLEN IVY to book yours today.

MORE GIVEAWAYS!

We hope that you all enjoyed getting to know Primavera a little better and are as excited as we are for this partnership. Since we love the Primavera products so much, and we are entering the season of giving, we want to share MORE of their products with you! We’ve selected another random five winners to experience Primavera first hand. Congratulations to:

Lisa A.
Beth
Pamela H.
Lucy
Alex A.