Monday, May 21
2:00pm in Rancho las Uvas

Join author, Naturalist, and Glen Ivy’s Director of Landscaping and Sustainability Patrick Mitchell for interactive conversations and workshops that bring the Santa Ana Mountains to life.  This month, join Patrick to discover the history of the Grizzly Bear in Coldwater Canyon. 

Monday, May 07
2:00pm in Rancho las Uvas

Join author, Naturalist, and Glen Ivy’s Director of Landscaping and Sustainability Patrick Mitchell for interactive conversations and workshops that bring the Santa Ana Mountains to life. 

12:30 in the Pavilion Terrace

Join acclaimed performing artist and ninth generation Native American/Latino Abel Silvas for educational and entertaining Native American Storytelling.

A historian, mime, actor, comedian and storyteller, Mr. Silvas utilizes his talents in his unique one-man show known as Running Grunion, whose character is a California Native American storyteller known for his funny verbal antics, miming routines, and interactive audience participation.

Mr. Silvas has studied pantomime for ten years with Marcel Marceau School of Mime to enhance his storytelling abilities. His stories reveal what life was like for his family during different eras in California history: Pre-Contact, Spanish/Mission, Mexican/Rancho and American/Reservation periods.  This presentation shows how California Indians adapted through these periods and continue to be a part of today’s society.

Abel Silvas is a Fullbright-Hays Scholar who has traveled to India, Mexico, Chile, and throughout the United States teaching about Native American History.  He was chosen as a finalist for the Four Directions/NBC Native American Comedian Talent Search in New York City for his portrayal of this witty and comedic Running Grunion character.

Celebrate Earth Day with Glen Ivy Hot Springs!  Our Earth Day Inspiration Station features tips and ideas for living in harmony with the earth and information on local organizations that are working to preserve natural habitats.  View and learn about native southern California foliage and see how Native Americans created baskets using indigenous plants. Learn about Glen Ivy’s greening efforts during our Sustainability Tours. Join special guest Abel Silvis for Native American Storytelling at 12:30.

In the past years we have all become more sensitive to our carbon footprint and how our lifestyle choices impact the environment and our health. As we continue our journey to a more earth-friendly, sustainable lifestyle, we also learn that being “green” can be fun, easy and economical. The following household cleaning recipes are offered in this spirit.

To learn more about the chemicals used in common household cleaning products and their impact on the environment and your health, visit the Environmental Working Group.

Supplies

• White Vinegar: cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up
• Baking Soda: cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours
• Natural Unscented Soap: unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
• New, unused spray bottles
• Water
• Essential oils of your choice:
• Tea Tree antiseptic, antibacterial, anti fungal Stimulant
• Lemon antibacterial, astringent Uplifting, clarifying
• Sweet Orange repels insects, disinfectant, antibacterial, anti fungal Cheery, happy, calms the mind
• Lavender antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial Lifts the mood, calming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory
• Oregano antiviral, antibacterial, anti fungal, repels insects Clean and fresh
• Eucalyptus antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, repels insect Stimulating, fresh, clears the mind
• Grapefruit antiseptic, disinfectant. Uplifting, stimulating
• Pine strong antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, repels insect Invigorating

Use only good quality, single note, 100% pure essential oils. Fragrance oils, perfume oils or nature-identical oils are synthetic chemicals or chemical blends and do not have the same properties as pure essential oils.

Purchase essential oils that are packaged in small, (4oz or less), dark colored or opaque glass bottles. Beware of plastic bottles or glass bottles with rubber eyedroppers; plastic and rubber will degrade and contaminate the oils.

All Purpose Cleaner

2 cups water
7 drops essential oil of lavender, tea tree, pine, grapefruit, oregano or eucalyptus

Combine ingredients in a clean, unused spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

 All Purpose Cleaner II

1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 gallon of water
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops grapefruit or eucalyptus oil

Combine ingredients and store in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

 Kitchen Scouring Cleanser

1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
6 drops lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Mix ingredients to make a paste. Use to scour microwave interior, sink and other hard surfaces in the kitchen.

Bathroom Scouring Cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda
1 Tablespoon Natural Soap
7 drops lavender oil
7 drops tea tree oil

Add enough white vinegar to make a thick, creamy texture.

Mix ingredients to make a paste. Use to scour bathroom surfaces.

Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner

2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Tea Tree Oil
1/4 tsp. Lavender Oil

Combine and store in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Use where ever a disinfectant spray is needed.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda

Pour both ingredients in to toilet bowl and allow to soak for about 10 minutes. Swish with toilet brush. A few drops of lavender and tea tree essential oils may be added to disinfect.

Window Cleaner

1 cup White Vinegar
10-15 drops of Lemon oil
Water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

Floor Cleaner I

1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
14 drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend

Add all ingredients to a bucket of warm water.

Floor Cleaner II

1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
5-10 drops lemon, pine, spruce
1-2 squirts natural dish soap

Add all ingredients to a bucket of warm water. A plain water rinse may be needed after mopping to avoid stickiness or slipperiness from the dish soap.

Carpet Freshener

1 cup baking soda
16-20 drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend

Combine ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Cover and allow to sit overnight so that oils can be completely absorbed by the baking soda. Sprinkle over your carpet the next day and then vacuum.

Warm water wishes,
Seraphina Ashe,
Guest Experience Program Director

Go green this Easter by making your own naturally colored Easter eggs! Making your own egg coloring is fun, easy and economical – nearly any vegetable or herbal tea can be used to make beautifully colored Easter eggs, and kids will enjoy making the dyes just as much as coloring the eggs!

Here are some tips and what you’ll need to create different colors of natural egg dye at home:

After hard-cooking (boiling) your eggs, simply place the eggs in a bowl with the desired natural dye.

The longer you let the eggs soak, the deeper and more vibrant the color will be.

To give your Easter eggs some extra flair, try drawing designs or writing inspiring words on the eggs with a crayon before playing them into the dye mixture.

Red

Boil the skins of a red onion in water
Pomegranate juice
Boil beets in water

Orange
Boil the skins of a yellow onion in water
Boil carrots in water

Yellow
Boil ground tumeric in water
Boil lemon or orange skins in water
Chamomile tea

Brown
Coffee
Green
Boil spinach leaves in water

Blue
Canned blueberries (with juice)
Violet
Diluted purple grape juice
Red Zinger Tea

Pink
Juice from canned beets
Cranberry juice
Red grape juice

As a parent and chief of the Glen Ivy Gardens I want to express the importance of clear communication. My children behave better when I clearly state my expectations of them and so do my plants. You only get one shot at raising them so providing them with a loving and well-defined foundation is very important. With this in mind, here are my expert tips for a few conversations you should absolutely have with your plants:

Don’t drink too much - Water is so important and it’s a drought year.
Choose your friends wisely - That cactus is gonna get you into trouble!
What’s that noise your listening to? – Country builds character so turn down that punk rock.
You can’t be seen in that! - Terra cotta is classic and suits you much better; that plastic pot isn’t fit for a plant as beautiful as you.
Eat your vegetables - There are carrots in your compost and they are good for your eyes.
Get plenty of exercise - You don’t want to grow up with weak limbs, do you?
Respect your elders - That’s an old growth forest, you know.
Do your homework - You will be tested on biology.
Cleanliness is next to godliness - Stay out of the mud!
Are you feeling okay? You’re looking a little green. - Good for you!

-Patrick Mitchell
Director of Landscapes & Sustainability

The last time hula-hooping was popular in America Elvis was all the rage and had just come out with the top 40 hit “A Big Hunk of Love.” The years may have have passed, and you might not even be old enough to remember, but no worries, the passion for hooping has circled back to the 21st century with whirl wind speed and is being embraced as the latest new fitness trend by young and old alike!

A Hula-Rama Participant

And no one understands this better than wonderful folks at Hoopnotica who have been fundamental movers and shakers in reviving hooping and getting people really excited about fitness! Hoopnotica, in case you haven’t heard, is the hottest new hooping trend out of LA and they teamed up with us last Thursday for the first-ever Hula-Rama at the Hot Springs, bringing the community together to celebrate the benefits of spa lifestyle and the sheer joy of fitness. It was a match made in heaven! Guests (along with some energetic Glen Ivy employees) were quick to pick up a hoop and join in one (or more) of the three classes held on the front lawn that day. Although the initial instruction was about how to perform the basics, by the end of the day, we saw hip and leg hooping, arm hooping, halos and even how to stretch and relax with a hoop. The Hoopnotica hoops themselves are beautiful to look at; larger than a child’s hoop, they span 4 feet and are brightly colored in vivid pinks, reds, greens and blues with flashes of metallic gold and silver. We even saw travel hoops that break down to the size of yoga mat and sling over your shoulder with an easy carry strap. For the more creative types, hoop decorating classes were available in Tiempo Lounge and the results were dizzying!

After a solid cardio workout (hooping burns 420 calories per hour, by the way), spa guests were able to enjoy a calming yoga stretch routine with Glen Ivy’s fitness expert Meg Root.

Stretching class led by Meg Root

In addition, we were joined by the traveling Spa Buzz Bus girls  on their west coast tour — a country-wide mission to create buzz for active and healthy living. Not only were guests invited inside their amazing Airstream for a refreshing glass of lavender lemon elixer, they received gifts and prizes throughout the day including some amazing products from COOLA (a line of sun care products that contain certified organic extracts, antioxidants and vitamins) and Melt (a delicious organic butter spread). Primavera skin care professionals were also on hand to introduce guests to this wonderful organic line that we are now using in our facial treatments and to spray the occasional over heated hooper with the Primavera Moisturizing Refreshing Mist. Botanical tours through the spa had guests stopping to adorn the succulent wall with more plants and other activities during the day including seed bomb making, a labyrinth walk, container gardening classes, bird watching, and an aromatherapy workshop kept everyone busy connecting with the sights, smells, sounds, and feel of nature all day long.

Happy, relaxed and renewed guests were heading home from their spa day only to be greeted with one more very special treat, a farmers market featuring local organic produce. Bob Cat Properties, 3 Hart’s Grove, and Unity Farms have long been supplying Chef Bill Wavrin’s kitchen with everything from honey to avocados, to citrus and squash and had their booths set up in the Hot Springs parking lot. Everyone stopped by to fill their bags with healthy, colorful veggies and cool off with a sample of sweet and juicy watermelon, commenting “I wish it was like this everyday at Glen Ivy!”

Here’s the good news! While you still might have to visit your local farmers market to get your fresh organic produce each week, many of the featured activities at the Hula-Rama event are available on a regular basis at the Hot Springs. The Events & Activities schedule is updated monthly with new classes and presenters, so be sure to check it before your next visit. If you have ideas for an activity that you think we should add, please let us know. Our program of classes and activities is always growing and we would love to know what has you spinning!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Hula-Rama a success! We had entirely way too much fun and we hope that you did too.

View photos in the glenivy.com gallery or visit Glen Ivy on Facebook.

Did you join us for the first-ever Hula-Rama at the Hot Springs? We’d love to hear from you!

Summer is usually the time to pack up the car and head off to your favorite vacation spots, but between hotel reservations, gasoline, food and other travel expenses, a full blown vacation can get pretty pricey.  Well our own Glen Ivy staff is here to help! That’s right, they shared their favorite local activities and hopefully you can take some time to explore them! Whether you’re a  nature lover, adrenaline junky, or a history buff, there is something for everyone and the best part is—it’s all in your own backyard!

Chino Hills State Park, Chino Hills- Perfect for camping, hiking, bicycle rides, and horseback riding

Natural History Museum, Los Angeles- Travel back in time to see dinosaurs and come face to face with wild animals

Mt. Baldy Tram, Mt. Baldy- Take a scenic chair ride or go hiking

California Missions – Walk the grounds of the historic Spanish Missions in San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Barbara, and Ventura

Santa Ana Zoo, Santa Ana- Rediscover the wonder of the natural world and touch and feed the numerous animals featured

Skull Canyon Zip Lining, Corona- Enjoy some hiking and experience several zipline courses on 160 acres of undisturbed mountainous terrain

Farmers Market, Los Angeles- A favorite local destination for food lovers. Grab a bite to eat and enjoy a little shopping

Temecula Wineries, Temecula- Enjoy award-winning wines from over 30 different wineries and incredible winery restaurants

Downtown San Diego, San Diego- Catch live music, browse shops and boutiques, and grab a bite to eat at one of their 150 restaurants, cafes, bars, and taverns

Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach- Explore exhibits and discover everything from sunny Southern California to the frigid waters of the North Pacific

Do you have any favorite local day trips to add to our list? We’d love to hear about them! Just leave a comment below.

My training in ecology has taught me that everything is connected to everything else and all plants and animals play a role in the functioning of the community in which they dwell. Every now and then, however, there is a critter of one sort or another that challenges this idea.

Last summer yellow jackets invaded the spa on a daily basis, attacking unattended plates of nachos and chicken, and far too often, stinging guests. As the complaints and concerns rolled in I cursed the little yellow carnivorous wasp. I questioned how and why this relatively small airborne pest could wreak such havoc on our quaint, little natural oasis. And I mistakenly questioned its role in this community.

I was charged, along with several others, to figure out how to reduce or even eliminate the “Yellow Jacket Problem” from Glen Ivy Hot Springs so we’d be prepared by the time this summer rolled around. I began by researching everything I could about these dynamic little flyers with the voracious appetite, learning that these insects are actually considered beneficial for their roles in the decomposition process and their predatory practices against far more destructive insects that attack plants. We already love our honey bees and do our best to care for them while also protecting our guests so it was only natural that we take a proactive step toward managing our yellow jacket population as member of a healthy, thriving eco-system, making the best of their valuable efforts while minimizing their harmful side effects.

Here’s some insight into what we were doing, what we learned, and what we’re doing this year:

Last year: Traps were hung throughout the spa to attract and trap yellow jackets.
What we learned: The yellow jackets were not fooled to enter the one-way doors of the clear plastic tubes, but still drawn to them, thus luring them into guest areas.
This year: Baiting has been set up on the far edges of the property well away from guests and their delicious nachos, chicken and lasagna.

Last year: Food scraps dumped into trashcans attracted many yellow jackets.
What we learned: The smart little critters will return to the source of their sustenance for weeks following its removal.
This year: Lids have been installed on every trash can to keep wasps from getting in.

Last year: We searched high and low for yellow jacket nests never finding a single one.
What we learned: Yellow jackets like to use abandoned burrows left behind by gophers, voles and other ground dwelling animals.
This year: A plant-based bait that doesn’t have secondary risks to other animals was used and ground burrows and cavities where yellow jackets like to nest were sealed to prevent yellow jackets colonies from flourishing.

This year we are proud to provide a nearly yellow jacket-free oasis on the edge of a canyon where healing hot and cold waters flow from deep beneath the Santa Ana Mountains into our many pools for your enjoyment. We were so delighted to learn the many things we did about yellow jackets all while improving the quality of experience for you, our guests, and at the same time protecting and practicing responsible stewardship of the land.

While we don’t expect to you to exactly “love” yellow jackets, we do hope that you feel a little more in the know about these bright yellow friends and how to live more harmoniously with them. So, come and enjoy the Hot Springs, and may the only sting you feel be the refreshing and rejuvenating jolt of our cold plunge as you submerge yourself in the 65 degree water!

Patrick Mitchell
Glen Ivy’s Director of Landscapes & Sustainability