Thursday, May 17
12:30 in Rancho Las Uvas

Learn to create your own beautiful Spring Herb Container Gardens with Glen Ivy’s own floral designer Shannon Ballew.  This class is complimentary and you will take home your own mini Spring Herb Garden!

Monday, May 14
3 pm at the Lap Pool

Join Erika Faith Calig for this unique and fun yoga class. Aqua Yoga allows for greater flexibility and balance with less stress on the joints. Appropriate for beginners as well as more advanced students. Erika Faith Calig is the founder and owner of Cloud Nine Yoga Studios.
Visit Cloudnineyoga.com for more information.

Saturday, May 12
Throughout the Day in The Pavilion

Beautiful skin for Mother and Daughter!  Join Glen Ivy’s team of expert skin care specialists for this complimentary skin care event that includes an in-depth skin analysis, exfoliation, and multiple layers of hydration.  This event is complimentary with admission.

Glen Ivy Hot Springs is proud to offer Primavera organic skin care products in their spa facial treatments and for sale in the Glen Ivy Spa Lifestyle Store. Primavera was started over twenty years ago in Germany by a group of friends to become one of the most well known names in aromatherapy. From there Primavera took this great start and expanded it into an exceptional organic skin care line, based on the brands heritage with essential oils. Their mission is to create products that are not only natural and plant based, but also perform outstandingly and are a pleasure to use.

An environmentally and socially conscious company, they have established a worldwide network of fair trade partnerships with organic and biodynamic farmers to provide them with the pure ingredients used in their products. The company practices great care and respect for the environment every day with efforts to minimize the use of packaging wherever possible, recycling the warm air from their plant room to heat the warehouse, and have installed energy efficient movement detected lighting throughout their facility. And of course they recycle all glass, plastic and cardboard.

Today Jennifer and I took a walk over to our Spa Lifestyle Store at the Hot Springs to check out the new products (one of our favorite things to do!). Our goal today: experience Primavera, a new product line of organic skincare and aromatherapy products.

The first thing that caught our eyes while we browsed the testers was the beautiful packaging and display – and that was only the beginning. We could hardly contain ourselves as we opened all of the testers to smell the different scents. Being a bit obsessed with nail care, it didn’t take long for Jennifer to shout “I found my favorite!” There she stood, grinning ear to ear with a bottle of Primavera’s Hand and Nail Cream. Shortly after, I found Primavera’s Lip Balm – a sure addition to my ever-growing lip balm collection. Needless to say, we spent quite some time perusing the entire line!

Next time you’re at Glen Ivy Hot Springs, be sure to try the Primavera Pure Facial (description below) or stop by the Spa Lifestyle Store to smell and sample these products – they’re amazing!

Stay tuned, we’ll have more information about Primavera from an expert.

Primavera Pure Facial

This revitalizing facial uses effective, natural products including restorative Rose Essential Oil with antioxidant-rich Pomegranate Seed Oil to naturally enhance skin’s youthful radiance, ease fine lines and wrinkles, and boost firmness and elasticity. (50 minutes) $89
Upgrade to the 80 minute Primavera Pure Facial that includes a double mask along with a harmonizing facial massage accompanied with a hand and arm massage. $149

Shop for Primavera products online.

Call 888-GLEN IVY to book now!

Patrick Mitchell, Glen Ivy Hot Springs Director of Landscapes and Sustainability, Shares thoughts about Connecting with Nature and Earth Day

When I began to think of the theme for this month, “Connecting with Nature,” and what I would write, many thoughts raced through my mind. It’s a big topic and one we often take for granted. We fail to observe nature all around us like the red-tail hawk that soars far above us or the dandelion that sprouts in the cracks of concrete on the city sidewalk we stroll over every day. Each of these missed connections is a missed opportunity for personal growth and improved mental and physical health.

Then I considered writing about therapeutic gardens. But felt that this topic might be limiting to a general audience. To recognize the value of plants in therapeutic settings, however, I will recommend the book Green Nature/Human Nature: The Meaning of Plants In Our Lives by Charles Lewis and published by the University of Illinois Press. Mr. Lewis covers so many important aspects of the human-plant relationship that even an avid gardener, naturalist and restoration ecologist like myself found it enlightening.

As an undergraduate student at Prescott College in Arizona, I learned to recognize that ecology wasn’t something that only happened in natural areas, but rather, it was all around us no matter where we were.  I thought I could write about urban ecology and the great efforts at re-wilding that are occurring in many cities across the country but ultimately decided that it is far more important that we go out and volunteer to plant trees or a create a vegetable garden in a corner of our yard than it is for me to tell you about what others are doing.

I thought about sharing some of my personal experiences connecting with nature like watching wolves take down an injured elk in the Yellowstone Valley or learning about agriculture from my grandfather, an Iowa farmer who would dig both hands into his topsoil and raise a handful to his nose to take in its aroma.  He did this everyday like a religious ritual and it taught me how important it was to know the piece of earth you dwell on. These experiences and many like them have created in me a deep and intimate connection with the nature around me.

And so, I have ultimately decided that this month, this Earth Day, everyday, I will simply suggest that we all try to connect with nature by watching the birds outside our cubicle windows, or by planting tomatoes on our apartment balcony. Next time you are taking a walk, take the time to look at the tiny plants that grow along your path. Observe the changes in color, light and sounds that occur as seasons change. Or take the time to come to Glen Ivy…lay back on a cozy float in the Lounge Pool and watch the sun as it crosses over the Santa Ana Mountains and maybe you will notice the red-tail hawk that soars above.

See you soon,
Patrick Mitchell
Director of Landscapes & Sustainability

Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 27! Not sure how to celebrate their hard work and highlight their importance? We’ve made it easy for you and are sharing our favorite finds that they’ll be sure to love!

For the spa-goer: Hard work deserves rewarding relaxation. What could be better than a spa day? Shop for Glen Ivy Gift Cards online, call 888-GLEN IVY, or swing by any Glen Ivy Spa in Brea, Corona or Valencia. Need it NOW? Try our Instant Gift Certificates that you can print or email in a few clicks!

Spa-at-Home Gifts: Pick up the perfect products so they’re ready for summer! Visit The Spa Lifestyle Store at any Glen Ivy and you will find great gifts for relaxing at home, from cushy robes to aromatherapy body care, like Crabtree & Evelyn’s La Source Spa Luxuries nourishes and revitalizes the skin while leaving a clean, fresh scent.

For the nature lover: Give them a mini garden at home or in the office that will last all year! “Year of Seeds” from Redenvelope.com includes 12 packets of easy-to-grow seeds and candy colored earthenware pots. They just plant, sit back, and watch the flowers come to life!

For the book worm: Do they love a good book? How about this fun and heartwarming novel The School of Essential Ingredients, and they can even enjoy it with the upcoming “virtual” Glen Ivy Book Club.  More on the Book Club coming soon!

For the foodie: Recommended by Glen Ivy’s Executive Chef Bill Wavrin, The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution is the perfect addition to any food lovers kitchen. With everyday recipes and  helpful techniques, this cookbook is the perfect gift!

Skin Scanning using the Ultra Modern Reveal Imager

Now available at Glen Ivy Spa, Valencia
SPECIAL: Free with any full length spa treatment (50 min or more) through May 31, 2011. Call 888-GLEN IVY to reserve. Based on availability.

This imager uses polarized light to take pictures of multiple layers of the skins’ epidermis, thus creating a blueprint of the topical view of the skin. These images can then be used to detect sun-damage, dehydration or hyper pigmentation that needs special attention. Our trained estheticians can then help develop a skin care program to best suit your skin’s condition.

Your esthetician may also use the skin scan images taken over a period of time to document the progress of  your skin care treatments, showing how skin conditions have improved or changed.

NEW Clarisonic  Brush Head Available
in Glen Ivy Spa Lifestyle Store, Valencia

NEW! With the same powerful cleansing ability as the other brush heads, the new design of the Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head is able to target those hard to reach areas of the face thanks to dual action inner rings that move with skin for optimal results. Compatible with the PRO Skin Cleansing System, also available in store. Clarisonic cleansing brushes are used in all facial treatments at Glen Ivy Spa, Valencia.

A message from Jim Root, President & CEO, as well as some comments from guests that day…
March 19th was the anniversary of the re-opened Glen Ivy in 1977 and by acclimation is the same date in 1860 when we welcomed our very first guest. Since March 19, 1977 and through March 18, 2011 we had welcomed 3,164,722 guests at the Hot Springs and several hundred thousand more in Brea and Valencia. For countless generations even before 1860, Glen Ivy has welcomed folks to enjoy the waters and renewal that is this special place.

Today we are the stewards of the history and traditions of Glen Ivy and everyday we are continuing to add to the richness and fullness of the story and experiences that we share with our Guests and which all together, make Glen Ivy such a special place. I’m proud to be here with you and am grateful for your support and engagement as we strive to inspire memorable, meaningful and enjoyable experiences in everyone, every day.

Thank you for all you do.

Happy Birthday Glen Ivy Hot Springs!
-Jim Root, President & CEO

In the birthday spirit, Glen Ivy Manager of Guest Experiences Paige Rock set out to interview two guests on our special day.  Here’s what they had to share:

Elvia was a birthday girl herself, here at Glen Ivy for the first time.  She shared that she felt relieved to be here, away from bills, kids, and any other worries she has.  She said (via her interpreter) that she felt like a rockstar – very much like J-Lo. Elvia was here celebrating and she said that the memorable experience in her day was creating memories with her sister and friend. She shared that she felt blessed to be turning 50, celebrating in such a beautiful place.  Her initial first impression just by walking into the spa was one of overwhelming beauty and then throughout the day said she was so happy with the service she received while here, noting how nice everyone had been to her.  Her birthday wish?  Getting to come back soon (and often)!

The second guest, Anita, has been coming to Glen Ivy Hot Springs since 1962! She has memories here from her childhood, visiting the Spa with her father and is now a Club 1860 member along with both her mom and sister. She said she’s happy to be a Glen Ivy ambassador, spreading the word.  Anita is a teacher who drives to Glen Ivy from Glendale (about 70 miles) once a week to be here.  Paige asked her what keeps her coming to Glen Ivy and she couldn’t quite put it into words but the general idea is that she feels like Glen Ivy is another world – the atmosphere, the place, the relaxation, the people…meeting new friends, seeing old friends…it’s her therapy all around and whatever her visits bring, she always leaves feeling awesome.  Despite coming to know and love Glen Ivy as a child herself, as a teacher, she cherishes the fact that we no longer allow kids at the Spa – Glen Ivy is her personal relaxation haven!  One of Anita’s favorite memorable experiences at Glen Ivy is a particular visit in which she went from the sauna to the cold plunge and then into warm water and onto the Grotto.  She says she hopes one day to see ice cubes in our cold plunge!  Anita shared that she’s seen Glen Ivy evolve over the years and couldn’t be happier with the changes she’s been seeing lately – she loves that we offer more ways for her to grow and learn and challenge herself like in Hula, Yoga, Jungle Tours, and Water Aerobics – and it’s her birthday wish for Glen Ivy is that we continue to provide those opportunities for her and other guests, all while keeping our “like family” attitude in all that we do.

Cheers!

Maybe everybody doesn’t know Chule, but I would bet just about any Glen Ivy Hot Springs guest who visits regularly does.

Dimitrije and Vera Cülevski first came to Glen Ivy in 1968. Better known as Chule, for more than 40 years he has been Glen Ivy’s most enthusiastic promoter and frequent guest. You may know him as the aging European cherub of  the mineral baths, an ivy leaf on his nose held in place by thick glasses. All who know him love his zeal and zest for life. Many of us have experienced his springing out of a mineral bath to greet us with a wet hug and kisses on both cheeks.

The Cülevskis are from the city of Bitola in southwestern Macedonia, just north of the Greek border. The land is naturally beautiful and the people are tenaciously cheerful in character. These are Chule’s roots.

Chule and Vera met during World War II and married in 1947. Having mastered the traditional skills taught to him by his father and grandfather, he had his own small shop in Bitola about 1940. In addition to weaving, he also spun his own wool into yarn and dyed it in homemade vats. After the war he moved to a larger shop along the Dragor River in Bitola, and became locally known as the master weaver in a town of master weavers. Weaving was and is his passion. It’s in his blood. Chule is the 5th generation of weavers in his family, who altogether produced rugs and blankets for a century and a half.

Living in a socialist society entrepreneurship was discouraged. Private business owners were disapproved of by the government, taxed heavily, sometimes forced to fail so the state could take over the enterprises. Unwilling to continue under these conditions, the strong-minded Chule applied for and obtained a visitor’s visa to the United States. He left Macedonia alone in 1966. Vera, daughter Lidi, and son Niko couldn’t join him in America for nearly two years. In the meantime Chule was granted a permanent visa as an artisan, and could stay in the U.S.

He worked hard to start their new life, learned English, and saved all he could to later realize his vision of having his own business, free from the oppression of the past. In 1968 he brought his family, his entrepreneurial drive, and his Macedonian weaver’s skills to California. He was finally able to set up his first weaving shop in 1974, in a rented garage in San Pedro.

Literally thousands of times over the years, Chule, often with Vera, visited Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa. He thought nothing of making the hour’s drive each way, even if just to stay and soak an hour or two. Glen Ivy was their break, their relief from work. The healing waters soothed their bodies and salved their souls. Chule attributes his longevity to Glen Ivy. “Without Glen Ivy, I would have died from stress. Here is where I relax. I am happy here. I love it!”

Weaving is an ancient textile craft in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp and the filling, or weft, are interlaced to form a fabric. The way the warp and filling threads interlace with each other is called the weave.

The fabrics of our lives are woven of the warp of our character and the weft of our choices. Every day – indeed, every moment – our behaviors, how we express ourselves, pass like weaver’s shuttles left and right, revealing patterns in our fabrics. Like all of us, Chule is more than a weaver of blankets. Across generations he and Vera weave an old world and a new in the warp and weft of their lives. Their love and their blankets touch many people. The colors are vivid, the patterns rich, the results lasting. Chule’s blankets are both facts and symbols of a life’s work.

From its 1970s beginning, “Chule’s Wool Blankets” has been a family business. Chule wove. Vera hand-tied the wool fringes on both ends of every blanket. Lidi and Niko, adults with families of their own and full time jobs, displayed and sold blankets as many as 30 weekends a year at art shows and festivals all over California. After Vera tied tied the fringe, every blanket was washed to pre-shrink it, hung in the shop to air dry, and brushed to fluff it up and to remove excess wool fibers, before folding and storing. For 20 and more years the business grew. Chule added looms and other equipment, bought wool by the ton, worked endless hours, and visited Glen Ivy to get away. Through all those years the Spa was growing too, and Chule often remarked on the entrepreneurial parallel: “Give a good product at a fair price, and you’re happy. I’m happy, everybody happy.” His vision for his business was “to warm the world with blankets.” He saw Glen Ivy’s as “to warm the world with water.”

This year during the holiday season, Chule blankets will be for sale in the retail shop at Glen Ivy. With each blanket comes a measure of history along with the touch of two special spirits, woven together through time.

-John C. Gray, Glen Ivy Founder

Updated: In loving memory of Vera Cülevski

Staying hydrated during summer is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy as the temperature rises. As part of our August Challenge, we encourage you to Elevate Your Water Wisdom and you can start by drinking plenty of water!

Try this eco- and travel-friendly Glen Ivy Spa Tumbler, perfect for holding 16 ounces of your favorite hot or cold beverage. It is made of BPA free material and double wall insulated so it won’t leave a mess on your desk! So do away with plastic and Styrofoam cups and grab a reusable option instead!

Stop by the Spa Lifestyle Store during your next visit to the Hot Springs to pick up your Glen Ivy Tumbler or head to our online store!