why i love living in san diego. part one

1. it's possible to get sun burnt in the middle of novemeber. wear sunblock people!
2. if i had the time in the morning, i could avoid the 78 and 5 and just take pch all the way to work
3. there are nightly fireworks at seaworld during the summer. san diego's unofficial welcome of summer.
4. we've probably all worked in an office that all of the sudden smells like sex wax around noon each day of the summer because the guys are hitting the waves during their lunch break
5. the choice for your morning coffee isn’t simply between starbucks and the coffee bean. support your local coffee shop! (shout out to bill and the crew at the solana beach coffee company)
6. i can take my dog to the local farmer's market and people are eager to feed her organic and locally grown almonds, apples and pears
7. the soothing sounds of tristan prettyman, jason mraz and greg laswell
8. the encinitas and carlsbad street faires
9. hash house a go-go and extraordinary desserts in hillcrest
10. acai bowls at swami’s café
11. the beaches: moonlight, tamarack, swamis and del mar shores

why 11? it's my favorite number :)

stay tuned for other editions.

oh, birdrock, how i love thee

i've been going to my hair stylist, lynnzee valerio, for almost a year now. we met a few years back when we worked at the same coffee shop and i followed her when she started her professional hair stylist career. LOVE what she does to my hair, she's amazing.

seven or eight months ago, she opened up her own space, muse salon, in birdrock, la jolla. her space is adorable and private enough to feel like your own private sanctuary. you can check out my photo album to see how she transformed by hair color and style. anyways, i was early to one of my appointments with lynnz so i walked around la jolla blvd to check out the local businesses.

Embody Yoga Therapy is a quaint studio with a huge space to practice your balance and postures. i loved their yoga wall and it helps to improve your spinal alignment and open your body up to positions that you may have thought you were never able to reach.

Embody offers several classes, including Happy Back Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga for Women, Pilates Mat and Vinyasa/Anusara flows. private classes are also offered, as well as massage therapy and nutritional counseling.

i also checked out beaumont's for late lunch/early happy hour. their beaumont burger was awesome and was topped with sun dried tomatos, balsamic glazed onions, feta and basil aioli. and don't forget to try their sangria. everyone there was beautiful to look at and i'd recommend taking a seat on their patio for the best in people watching.

birdrock is a beautiful beach community right in between the overly priced la jolla village and college-student crowded pb. check out the spot for awesome shopping, hair salons, dining and friendly neighbors.

my top pick for the best north county waxing studio

i've been going to the beehive waxing salon for the last summer and would NEVER go anywhere else! i've visited at least a dozen different waxing studios around the county and could never settle on one studio to return to for my regular waxings. and then i found the beehive.



not to be confused with the hive in encinitas, which i also love for their $9.99 eye brow waxes and kitschy jewelry, the beehive is an uber feminine space where the girls can go to pick up the latest in beauty products, lingerie, pajamas, accessories and seasonal products.



as soon as you walk into the beehive, you're instantly greeted and offered coffee or tea. there are cozy couches and magazines to keep you entertained if you have to wait a few moments for your room to get ready. however, there are so many cute products and clothes that you will want to look at, that you may not find any time to sit down before your session.



my suggestion: don't go there on an empty stomach. the whole studio is filled with little nooks filled with chocolate and candy surprises that you might end up throwing them in your purse for later. trust me, i've done it :)



i go to catherine or jessica for my waxing services and they both have always been gentle and gotten rid of every unnecessary hair while making you feel comfortable at the same time. some of the women i've seen to get waxed are sometimes awkward or silent during the whole process. if you are a newbie to getting waxed, these girls will automatically give off that friend vibe and you'll be done with your waxing in no time. i've never been so happy with one waxing studio and constantly praise the beehive for their staff, services and products.



one of the neat things about the beehive, is that after every bikini or brazilian wax, you can choose from their wall o' panties and pick out a free pair of cute undies to take home with you--free of charge. i've never seen any other studio offer this and this is another reason why i love going here.

my new favorite north county sanctuary

after a particularly difficult week dealing with work and a messy break up, i was in desperate need to clear my mind and pay a little attention on me. my freelance position with discoversd.com has opened my eyes to search for the latest and most upscale spas and salons in the county. i've known about spa for one sanctuary for a few years but never walked in or introduced myself to the spa owner.

i included spa for one in my list of the top 10 alternative healing spas for discoversd.com and was surprised to hear that she wanted to meet me in person to thank me. the owner, peggy, is one of the sweetest spa owners i have met. i've met quite a few spa managers and owners and they sorta just pop in to put a face to an email and go on their merry way.

peggy welcomed me into her sanctuary and encouraged me to take a breather and leave all of my stress at the door.

spa for one sits atop downtown encinitas on vulcan ave. and their store front can be very misleading. what looks like any other medical building turns into an aromatic, boldly designed loft when you open the doors. each treatment room was lit my candle light or had surf-inspired pictures hanging on the wall to remind you that you are, indeed, still at the beach.

i came in for a foot soak and 40 minute session in the infrared sauna. i was led into the lounge for my soak and was greeted with a fireplace, flat screen tv, water, tea and granola bars. the room was plush and i felt like i was sitting in my own living room with even better accoutrements. the soak was great and finished with a little lavender spritz. i caught up on some reading and completely forgot about how stressed i was that week.

for the record, i NEED an infrared sauna for my own home. this type of dry sauna is heated to 140 degrees, about 40 degrees cooler than the sauna you would find at your local gym. the uv rays sink deeper into your body and helps to eliminate toxins, improve your sun kissed glow and boost your immune system.

the best part of the session: you can burn anywhere from 600 to 900 calories...just sitting there. i was drenched in sweat after the session and definitely felt like i had just finished an hour long kickboxing class. i'd recommend an infrared sauna session to anyone that has a high tolerance for heat and is looking for an aid in detoxing.

the rest of the menu of services boasts revitalizing facials, natural body treatments, waxing, med spa treatments and natural nail care. check out their website to find your own special treatment.

just in case you were interested...

i also created a personal blog about my life as a fool for love. it still needs some work but i plan on publishing all of my personal stories and poetry about the men i've encountered in my life and how they have helped to make me who i am today.

http://nadiaibanez-thisbeautifullife.blogspot.com/

stay tuned for new additions and updates!

peace and love,

nadia

coolest waxing studio in banker's hill

Not only do I love the company's name, but the interior design at The Undercarriage is uber cute and vintage. Originally posted on DiscoverSD.com

Walking into The Undercarriage in Banker's Hill is like stepping foot into your Grandma's finely decorated living room full of antique art and furniture. The only difference is she probably doesn't offer to wax your bikini area or chest hair.

The Undercarriage décor is bright and funky and the ambiance is inviting and warm. Guests are treated as if they are in their own home and receive personal consultations before each visit so treatments are catered to specific and special needs. Owners Kirsten Prunty and Malinda Turner, who have been in the business for over ten years, opened The Undercarriage three years ago with compassionate customer care as the backbone of the company.

Estheticians at The Undercarriage use different waxing techniques based on each client's needs. They use strip wax (soft wax which is spread onto the body and removed with muslin cloth strips), hard wax (wax that hardens on itself), and sugaring wax (the up-and-coming means of hair removal).

Skincare and massage services are also available at this San Diego waxing establishment. Come in for a spa facial or check out the anti-aging and acne treatments. The Rosemary Body Facial is a favorite and stimulates your senses with the application of an aromatic Geranium Grapeseed scrub followed by a shower, application of Epicuren's Rosemary Emulsion and ending with a slather of glycolic cream that leaves your skin supple and dreamy.

one of my favorite day spas in north county

LOVE this spa! Take your honey there and they'll love you forever! Orginally published on DiscoverSD.com

I visited Pukalani Day Spa & Salon in Del Mar on a typical May gray day and was certain that I needed some warming up.

The reception area is full of skin care lines, fresh flowers and water features to stimulate my senses. I was escorted into the women's changing room and met my locker room attendant for the day. She was extremely helpful and put me to ease that anything I needed would be taken care of.

Pukalani offers a wide range of services varying from waxing to permanent make-up, cellulite reduction, massage, medical skin care, hair salon services, and nail treatments. And gentlemen, this Del Mar spa features a private section only for men incase you're weary of others recognizing you during upkeep rituals.

I entered the Hamman steam room, which was hotter than any other steam room I've been in. A hot burst of steam engulfed the room as I walked in, then turned off and settled to a comfortable temperature after a couple minutes. After a quick sweat, I was ready for my Hawaiian Ritual, a 180 minute spa treatment inspired by the island's native florals and techniques. I was guided upstairs into my private room for the next three hours. My aesthetician drew a hot bath for me and added a mixture of coconut milk and frangipani blossom fragrance. It took a few minutes to cool the water down before I could take a dip, but I eventually sunk deep into the hydrotherapy tub.

After a few minutes, my aesthetician returned and proceeded with a coconut crème full body exfoliation, frangipani body butter rub down. She then applied warmed beach stones to melt the butter into my skin and wrapped me into a soothing cocoon. While I was swathed, she gave me a Hawaiian scalp and hair treatment and cold stone facial - a nice contrast to my warmed body. My private room came equipped with a rain shower in which I rinsed off the scrub with the massive rain shower head above me and three shower heads on either side of my body.
The Hawaiian Ritual treatment concluded with a stress relieving massage. This spa day definitely thawed me out of May gray, and I definitely plan on returning the next time the sun decides to hibernate.