Special treat.

Today, I was treated to a luxurious pedicure at the Whole Foods spa! It was a thoughtful gift from my dear friend Amy Claire, who upon hearing that I needed to paint my toenails but could no longer reach them, called me and said, "Stine, this is unacceptable.  We must get you a pedicure immediately so you don't scare the baby when she comes out."   {And it's true - believe me, you don't want to see the "before" pictures.}  Knowing that nail salons are one of the most toxic places you can go, Amy chose a natural option, which I also appreciated. 

So I waddled up the stairs inside the Whole Foods on Preston & Forest this morning at precisely 11am to the second floor spa.  It's one of the biggest stores in Dallas and only a few years old, but I'd never ventured up this mysterious winding staircase to see the zen-like world that lives above the store.  Apparently this is the only Whole Foods spa in the country, and the only one there is every going to be.  It was beautiful!  Vases of lucky bamboo, clean lines, soothing music.  Misty checked me in and ushered me into the quiet, dimly lit waiting room.  The only sounds?  The trickling of the water wall and the hiss of an electric tea kettle boiling me some hot water for a cup o' tea - Tazo Sweet Cinnamon Spice to be exact.

After a few moments of waiting with my eyes closed in a cozy chair, Nicole, the pedicurist, led me down a long hallway lined with massage rooms into the manicure/pedicure room.  And that is when I saw it - the comfiest chair I could possibly imagine, draped in hot towels. 

"Is that where I'm sitting?!" I asked.

"Yes!" Nicole answered.  "Please, sit and relax.  You can even nod off if you want to..."

There wasn't another soul in the room.  As I positioned myself in the "zero gravity" recliner chair and let it tilt me backwards, I actually said aloud, "Oh, heavenly day..." realizing this was the first time I'd been able to lay on my back in months, and without any pressure to my pelvis.  Nicole then offered me a heated neck wrap, heated blanket for my legs, and an eye pillow that smelled like lavender. 

This, my friends, was no "Fancy Nail."

The description of the pedicure on the Whole Foods website says, "Fully relax with a foot soak of pure essential oils and sea salt, an organic brown rice and kaolin clay scrub to stimulate circulation, and natural nail care including shaping, filing, cuticle treatment, foot massage, and buff or all-natural nail polish of your choice."

And that is exactly what it was.  With my eyes covered the entire time by the lightly-scented eye pillow, I drifted off for 50 minutes into a world without troubles or uncertainty or discomfort.  Best of all, there were no charlie horses.  She wrapped my legs in hot towels and massaged my calves with a mixture of sea salt and olive oil.  And I left with the most adorable purple toenails.  Now I'm ready to meet our little girl in style!