From proposals to a simple date night with a friend , we received over 100 entries for this year’s Valentine’s Day Contest! We asked you to share your most memorable Valentine’s Day experiences and once again, we are in awe with the amount of love that graced our blog and Facebook page.

Some entries are humorous while others sound like they could easily be the premise of a romantic movie (and yes, we may have shed a tear or two reading a few), but all entries showed us just how special celebrating relationships can be.

We hope you enjoy reading our winning entries and from all of us here at Glen Ivy, we wish a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love and laughter.

Grand Prize Winner 

My most memorable Valentine’s Day was when I received a card from my Father. I was in college and seeing those words, “I love you” meant more to me than from any boyfriend. There was such joy in feeling the unconditional love of a parent. As a result, Valentine’s Day in our house is celebrated not just between me and my husband but with our children as well. It’s a day for us to remind each other how much we love one another and will always be there for each other – unconditional love.- Maria M.

Runner Ups

My most memorable Valentine’s Day was last year. My husband is usually deployed the first part of the year, but we were blessed to have him home for 2 years. My husband, kids and I made a yummy and fun chocolate fondue. It was so special being together as a family and seeing the happiness in my kids’ faces. This year my husband is deployed again, so the kids and I are going to keep up our new family tradition of fondue, and send some chocolate to daddy too. – Erika N.

It was our second Valentines day together first one with our son and first one in our first home together. It was a simple homemade dinner for two, yet very romantic and in the background our babbling son. What made it memorable was everything. First home, first child, first Valentines together and not going out to a typical date night with candy and flowers. – Joshua M.

My favorite Valentine’s Day was spent with a friend. We were both without a significant other, and I was visiting her in London. While she was at work, I did some research and found a terrific restaurant and bar that she’d never been to. We had a great evening and finished out the day by watching a chick flick that any guy would have grumbled about. Here’s to celebrating friendship on Valentine’s Day! — Kathleen

NOTE TO WINNERS: We have  your email address from your entry and will be contacting you soon to deliver your prize! Thanks so much for participating!

Share Your Most Memorable Valentine’s Day and WIN

February is the month of love and here at Glen Ivy we love memorable experiences and contests! In the spirit of love and celebrating special relationships, tell us about your most memorable, funniest or romantic Valentine’s Day.

How to Enter

Leave a comment below or on the Glen Ivy Facebook page and in 100 words or less describe your most memorable Valentine’s Day and you’ll have a chance to win a day for two at Glen Ivy Hot Springs.

Prizes

Grand Prize: Spa Day for Two at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, Corona
Includes 2 Spa Admission, 2 Grotto Experiences, and Lunch for 2 at Café Solé

Runners Up: 2 Spa Admissions to Glen Ivy Hot Springs, Corona

Be sure to submit your story no later than Monday, February 13. We will announce a winner on Tuesday, February 14!

This month, challenge yourself to make time for meaningful relationships.

Whether it’s your relationship with yourself, with friends and family, or a special someone, February is the perfect time to focus on positive connections, love and quality time with the people that matter most to you.

Love is an important piece of our happiness. It can be found or created in many places… and is most wonderful when shared. The power of love, relationships and romance, the magic of finding it in the simplest places, and the positive effects it can have on our mood and health are the topics of this month’s exploration into spa lifestyle. There are so many ways to bring more love into your life. We hope to inspire you to take a closer look into how you can more deeply appreciate the  moments in your everyday, and feel the joy of making someone else feel special!

Start right here, right now with a Love Note…(to yourself!)

Keep the love going all month long by staying connected on the Glen Ivy Blog, Facebook and Twitter – we’ll have plenty of inspiration and ideas for celebrating love and relationships, and we look forward to hearing from you!

“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.”
— Author Unknown

Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry for our Silliest Dad Contest! We loved reading about all of the silly things that your dads do! From speaking in funny accents to pudding fights in the kitchen, dad will do anything to make you smile which makes him so special. As difficult as it was, we are happy to announce our contest winners whose entries made us laugh and who will receive some great prizes just in time for Father’s Day on Sunday, June 19.

And our grand prize entry who receives two admission, lunch, and grotto passes is……..

“My husband created a “burrito bar” after the kids’ baths. He wraps them in their towels, carries them to the bed and pretends to add ingredients to the ‘kiddo burrito.’”
-Julie W.

Congratulations to our runner-up winners who each won a 2-for-1 admission pass:

“As my son says daddy looks silly when he plays dragons. He puts on fairy wings (he’s the dragon). He’s Peter Pan and is always down in the dirt playing with the kids. Best Dad ever!
-Carissa L.

My Minnesota Pop is so funny! He believes EVERYTHING can be fixed with DUCT TAPE! From skirt hems to musical instruments to cookware! Everyone cracks up at his funny “fixes”!
-Melody

From all of us here at Glen Ivy, we wish all the dads out there a wonderful Father’s Day!

Sunny summer months are the best time to kick it into gear and start eating and moving your way to lasting changes!

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

Shorter days. Colder temperatures. Rainy weather. No wonder so many of us fail to follow through with the healthy commitments we made to ourselves on New Years Day! Looking back, one could argue that January is the WORST month of the year to attempt a major lifestyle makeover.

But with those dismal winter months behind us, I’m here to tell you that there is no BETTER time than the warm, sunny summer months to kick it into gear and start eating and moving your way to lasting changes. Not only is the weather more favorable, but there is something about summer that just smacks of fun, adventure and the great outdoors. And living in Southern California means that we have an abundance of the very ingredients that allow us to move out of our typical routines in search of something new and different.  So, for the next couple of months, I give you permission to throw out the same old predictable approach that I usually preach—goal setting, writing it down, making an appointment with yourself, blah, blah, blah!– and replace it with a sense of playful adventure that puts a healthy dose of  WOW! into your wellness.

Think hike, not walk.

While there is nothing easier and more convenient than a consistent walking program, the summer is a great time to head off road and explore the trails in your community. Turning your walk into a hike means that the varied terrain along with the extra time spent outside enjoying nature (and burning calories) will also benefit your bottom line–literally. Also trending in fitness these days–training for local races and charity events. Choose something you care about and get moving for a good cause–not to mention for your own health!

Think market, not store.

Ditch the grocery store one day a week and venture out to your local farmer’s market. These days, you don’t have to travel to Provence to enjoy a fabulous outdoor market experience (although, that would be nice!). Chances are you have something just as inspiring within 10 miles of your own house.  Have fun with it–leave the paper and plastic at home and bring a woven basket to carry your produce. First thing in the basket should always be a gorgeous bunch of flowers. Then shop around for one new colorful vegetable or unique ingredient you are not used to cooking with and give it a try when you get home. Check out my favorite foodie website, food52.com. They have a fun page titled “foodpickle,” that could probably tell you just what to do with that bunch of purple kale you just bought!

Think social, not solo.

Hey, I’m the first one to seek out the solitude of a solo workout or a deserted stretch of beach for my chair and umbrella. But summer seems like such a great time to do just the opposite. I love watching the fun and camaraderie of beach volleyball games, group surfing lessons, outdoor bootcamp workouts, and music in the park. And when you start hanging out with people who love to do these things, things that get your body moving and lift your spirit at the same time, you begin to want to do more of it yourself.

Now, you may think that I’m giving you the summer off from your healthy aspirations. Well, I’m not! What I hope will happen, and I have a strong feeling that it will, is that putting the fun factor into moving more, healthy shopping and connecting with like minded people, will lay the foundation for the cold winter months when inspiration can be hard to find. You’ve heard of Christmas in July. Well, today I am declaring New Year’s Day in June!

What will be your healthy resolution for the summer months ahead?

Meg Root

Celebrate Father’s Day Sunday, June 19

Does your dad deserve the title of “Silliest Father?” For all the reasons we love Dads, making us laugh and smile is one of our favorites. Taking the lead from our playful June Challenge, we want to hear about your father’s humorous ways and show stealing antics! In 30 words or less, tell us what makes Dad so silly. Does he dance around like a maniac just to make you smile or did he make up silly games to play with you as a kid? Whatever silly things your father does, post your entry right here on our blog. Just add a comment below by Wednesday, June 13 to be entered to win some great prizes.

The winners will be announced on Friday, June 17 right here on our blog and on the Glen Ivy  Facebook page.

Now for the good stuff..the prizes!

One grand prize winner will receive two admission, lunch, and Grotto passes to use at Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona, California. Our two runner-up winners will each receive a “2-for-1″ Admission voucher. There are plenty of chances to win so what are you waiting for?! Brag about dad!

Mother’s Day will soon be here, Sunday May 8.  But why celebrate Mom just one day in May when you can celebrate her all month long? We’re doing exactly that here at the Hot Springs! Let us show you how:

Mudder’s Day Admission

Bring mom on any Wednesday in May and she’ll receive half-price admission with the purchase of a full-price admission.  Spend the day relaxing in the Lounge Pool with mom, playing in the mud together, or getting a massage,  it’s sure to be a Mother’s Day experience she’ll never forget!

Mudder’s Day Photo Contest

Create your own muddy memory with Mom. Meet us in Club Mud every Wednesday at 1 pm for our MUDder’s Day photo contest. Capture your muddy moment on camera and we will choose one winning photo each week to receive 2 spa admission passes!  All photos will be posted here on the Blog and on Facebook . At the end of the month you can vote for your favorite photo, Grand Prize Winner will receive a $100 Glen Ivy Spa gift certificate. See you in the mud!

Gifts for MOM!

If you’re still trying to find that PERFECT gift for mom, look no further. We have $100 Glen Ivy gift cards for just $85 available for purchase online NOW! Head to the Glen Ivy Facebook page and “LIKE” us to receive FREE SHIPPING on your gift card order before May 1.

WIN a Spa Day

Join us on Facebook for our “Mom’s Love Glen Ivy Contest.”  When you LIKE the Glen Ivy Spa Facebook page, and invite your Facebook friends to LIKE us too,  you’ll both be entered to WIN a Glen Ivy Spa Day and 2-for-1 admission passes, get contest details…

There are also lots of great Spa Specials in May at Glen Ivy  in Brea and Valencia.

We’ll see you and your mom at Glen Ivy Spa soon!

Join us for a very special meditation this Sunday at noon for the people of Japan, who are suffering so greatly after the earthquake and tsunami that has devastated their country.

We will be practicing a heart-centered meditation that will send Love, Compassion and Healing to our brothers and sisters in the Land of the Rising Sun. We are pleased to announce that the meditation will be lead by Craig Steven Phillips and Faye Kitariev, who will be playing the gong as accompaniment to the meditation.

As we all know, the Love, prayers and meditational energies that we intentionally send to those in Japan will be beneficial and uplifting, not only for them, but for all of humanity. This energy only increases when we send it out with focused intention in a group setting.

The meditation will be free and Glen Ivy Hot Springs will be accepting donations from guests and employees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan.  Glen Ivy will match all donations received.

We look forward to seeing you on the Front Lawn at Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona on Sunday, March 20 at noon for this special gathering.

Love Love Love!!

What an amazing response to this contest… almost 250 entries! It was incredibly uplifting and heart warming to read so many tales of love and my lonely heart has been given fresh hope – I am now convinced beyond a doubt that love at first sight and the finding of soul mates do in fact exist, as I read the proof in multiple first hand accounts!

All entries are available for viewing in the comments section of our blog. They range from the romantic, stories of chance and coincidence, humorous, and a few arduous tales of persistence paying off.  I would like to also believe that those who took the time to write in found a deeper appreciation for how fortunate they are to have such a story to share. Our winner reminds us that falling in love can happen each day if we’re open to the possibilities of love and look to find romance in the every day things people do to make us feel cared for and special.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day, and that love surprises you at least once…

Here are the winners, randomly selected by a panel of hopeless romantics.

FIRST PLACE:
Submitted by Franci

Was it when I first touched his soft hair? When our knees touched as we shared a book? Or as we drove together on that day to the publisher, and Clapton’s “Layla” played on the radio? The day he rescued me when my car broke down? Or the night we kissed in the darkened studio? Or was it yesterday, when he tucked our children into bed, cleaned up the dinner dishes, and sat down to talk to me before we curled up together for the night? Actually, he just drove up, and there’s butterflies inside….

RUNNER UP:
Submitted by Sara E.

I was 15 years old when my family decided to take a weekend vacation, camping on Pismo Beach. While there I met a boy who was 17 at the time. From the moment I saw him, I had butterflies. His name was Matt. Long story short, we had a few conversations and a couple laughs throughout the weekend. Sunday morning, we packed up and prepared to hit the road. Before I left I went to say goodbye to my new friend (and hopefully exchange numbers), but his camp site was empty; he had already packed up and hit the road. What a hopeless feeling I had (but then again everything feels hopeless when you’re 15). The only thing I really knew about him was that he happened to live about an hour from me. Every Monday when we got back from our weekend, my English teacher would have us write a journal entry about our weekend adventure. I wrote the silliest puppy love essay (which is hilarious now!). After school, I went to develop the photos I had taken over the weekend. To my surprise, the boy had snapped a picture of himself as a joke when I wasn’t looking. I kept that picture in my drawer for 2 years. One day my mom was cleaning and found the picture. She thought nothing of it and placed it in our picture box along with the other odds and ends she had saved over the years (like my artwork, poetry, and journal entries). Another year goes by, and I finally turn 18. One night, a friend of mine invited me to come to a party with him and his friends. As soon as I arrived, he introduced me to his friend from out of town… and sure enough it was him! Three years later! It’s been six years since that day we met again and we’ve been inseparable since. A couple years back my mother decided to move out of town. While moving she gave me that box of all the odds and ends to store at our home. There it was, his picture and my journal entry; my mom had saved them both. I framed them together and they are above our nightstand. It always reminds me that love will somehow find its way to where it belongs.

RUNNER UP:
Submitted by Sherry B.

A chef at a local family restaurant that my parents and I ate at frequently kept looking at me from behind the counter one day. It somewhat made me nervous and a bit uncomfortable so while my mom paid the bill, I decided to walk on ahead out to our station wagon parked in the lot. Suddenly this mystery chef popped out the back door of the restaurant and said hi to me. I certainly never would’ve guessed that this chef would’ve captured my heart the way he did. But the moment I “KNEW” I was in love with him was when I stopped at the restaurant one morning before my college class to have breakfast by myself. I sat in the booth and smiled at him from behind the counter like I always did. Starting my day seeing him in the morning always made me happy plus he was a fantastic cook so I enjoyed eating his food. The waitress brought my breakfast and I began eating when I noticed a piece of paper wrapped in wax paper underneath my omelette. It was a note from him that said “This is made w/Love!” I have carried that tiny 2×3 note everyday in my purse for the last 23 years!

NOTE TO WINNERS: We have  your email address from your entry and will be contacting you soon to deliver your prize! Thanks so much for participating!

Aromatherapy can be very helpful in adjusting our mood, from promoting relaxation and stress relief to energizing and motivation. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we went in search of scents that inspire love and passion. The following list of oils have powerful sensual properties, and can be used on their own or you can blend two or three for a more powerful effect.

• Sandalwood: Invokes fantasy
• Lavender: Invites romance
• Vanilla: Sweet, passionate stimulant
• Ylang Ylang: Euphoric qualities
• Jasmine: Increases passion
• Rose: Increases passion, especially for females
• Patchouli: Provokes passion, particularly for men
• Geranium: Relaxation

You can dab a few drops on your skin as you would a fragrance, or into your bath. An oil burner will set the scene for a romantic dinner in your home, or take it up a notch and give an aromatherapy massage…

HINT: Unlike perfume, essential oils are highly concentrated and often need to be diluted prior to application. When buying essential oils it is always important to look at the label closely to see if it is pre-diluted. If it is you may be able to use it straight out of the bottle. If not, two ‘Carrier Oils’ you can blend them with maybe already in your cupboard – Vegetable Oil and Olive Oil.