What’s your gift card spending strategy? Are you all about stretching it out and buying a bunch on megasale, or do you see gift cards as a way to go for that splurge you’d never get otherwise?
I used to be the former, but I think I’m turning into the latter — especially when it comes to shopping locally. I’m a huge fan of Des Moines Downtown Gift cards as a way to encourage people to explore all of the unique shops and restaurants in the city and have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of a few of them, too.
Well, I had been plotting all of the ways I was going to use the sweet Salon Spa W gift card that I “earned” helping them with their Holiday Promenade open house. (If you recall, this was the amazing deal where they made me look like a moviestar so I could delight people with chocolate and champagne for a few hours.) First purchase: the Aveda eye definer. I am in awe of women who have perfect eyebrows. That’s probably super weird, but whenever I get them filled in, it instantly makes me look more put-together. Suddenly I feel like I might be able to look like a lady.
Anyhow, when I stopped in for the eye pencil, makeup guru Gina gave me a coupon for $20 off a facial and suggested I check out the 90 minute options because they incorporate quite a bit of massage. I’m honestly not trying to get all Salon Spa W infomercially, but as I sit in the Village Bean waiting for Ephemera to open up, the tingly sensation on my feet mixed with this Earl Gray lavender tea is taking me to a happy place where I forget that I had to wake up early on a weekend.
I don’t wear makeup alot or often and I’m not a girl who had an arsenal of schmancy beauty products, but there is definitely something to be said for taking some time out to give yourself a little TLC.
If you aren’t able to swing a salon facial (this is my typical route): bath + nice smelling candle + Norah Jones Pandora station + one of those Walgreens minty green masques (when you spell it with a qu it’s fancy). Oh and I totally have on of those wire head massage things that, especially when employed by a love one while you’re sipping a cheap Malbec, can melt away a bad day.
Okay, end of the gift card and the end of my Oprah moment.
