As a frugal mom, I tend to be a do-it-myself kind of person. Like, doing my taxes. Doing minor repairs. Doing yard work (with the kids’ help, of course!). And I do all that not just to save money, but to know it’s being done right and honestly, because it feels good to be self-sufficient!
But I’ve also been a do-it-myself kind of person when it comes to pampering myself. I do have friends who do my hair and massages (they’re awesome and I love supporting their businesses), but for manicures, pedicures, and just de-stressing in general, I tend to handle most things on my own. I love being pampered, and would love to spend hours at a spa every now and then (like most busy moms!), but I haven’t really fit it into my budget.
But I know that we busy moms definitely need to spoil ourselves once in a while (“doing it all” can definitely get overwhelming sometimes!), so when the Woodhouse Day Spa invited me for a spa treatment to experience their new location in Woodbury, I thought wow, yay, I’d love to try something I never normally do for myself. And when I read about their spa services, I was excited to try it out, so I was booked for a pedicure. But not just any pedicure – an 80-minute Signature Seaweed Leaf Pedicure!
My Arrival!
My appointment was on a Monday at 10:00am, and I was told to arrive 30 minutes before my appointment. When I arrived, I was greeted by their front desk staff and a nice personal greeting on their sign. I was right away taken back to prepare for my appointment.
There was really nice, relaxing music playing throughout the spa, and it smelled very nice. I asked for a brief tour which they were happy to give me, so I was shown various rooms and what they were used for.
Going clockwise from top left:
- I was first shown a room for a Vichy shower. This I had never heard of before, but it’s a spa treatment used worldwide, originating in Vichy, France. Basically the guest lies facedown and the rainbar is placed above them to shower water that alternates from warm to hot to cold which detoxifies and firms the skin (who doesn’t need that?).
- There were many individual rooms for massages and facials.
- There were rooms for duet massages – like couples’ massages.
- Some treatment packages include both a tub soak and massage, like the “Lazy Days Renewal Ritual.” For these, the tub is in the same room as the massage table, which is nice and private.
I was then brought to the women’s changing room and WOW – I was immediately impressed. There were lockers and my name was on mine, and then my host asked me my size and brought me a robe and slippers. The lockers could be programmed easily – you just type in a 4-digit code of your own choosing, then lock it. Just type in the code again to unlock it.
The women’s changing room had two private bathrooms, a private shower room (which was huge), and then the open locker area with sinks and amenities. I was told I could help myself to anything I wanted. Looking at the sink area, there was everything I could imagine – toiletries including toothbrushes and toothpaste, mouthwash, soaps and lotions, hair clips and other accessories.
Here’s a glimpse of the women’s changing room (and yes, I made sure there was no one else there!):
I was asked to change and then meet my host outside the room, and she asked me what kind of beverage I would like, listing the various options. I chose the fruit-infused water and she left. I then changed into a robe (you can keep whatever clothes on that you want, but for a pedicure, most people just keep their undergarments on).
Then I left the room to find my host, who took me across the hall to the Quiet Room, which was a beautiful room with a fireplace, comfortable chairs, reading material, beverages and snacks. My name was by a chair there as well, with my beverage and some paperwork to fill out.
Now I understood why I was asked to arrive 30 minutes early. That way I had plenty of time to change and relax here in this room before my appointment!
Here’s what the Quiet Room looks like:
Every Service is a Full-Service Experience
What’s really neat at Woodhouse Day Spa is that ALL services include a robe, slippers, refreshments, time in the Quiet Room to relax, chocolates, and pampering from beginning to end. You don’t just go in and out for a service – your whole visit is an experience.
My Pedicure
After sitting for a bit with my drink and filling out the paperwork, Kassidy, my nail technician, came and brought me to the manicure/pedicure room. My appointment was right when they opened at 10:00am so it wasn’t busy, and I was the only one in the room. And it was a beautiful room, with several massage chairs, and Godiva chocolates between the chairs!
I sat on the first one and Kassidy helped me get comfortable.
The pedicure soaking tub/bath was beneath the chair which she pulled that out and adjusted the temperature to my liking. As my feet soaked, I was shown different nail colors I could choose from. There were quite a few but I eventually chose a pink color for spring.
I also had fun playing around with the massage chair controls and trying various rhythms and settings.
Then after my feet soaked, my legs and feet were scrubbed and exfoliated with sea salt, which they definitely needed after a long, busy winter!
Then warm stones were massaged on my legs and feet, followed by a leg and feet massage and a seaweed leaf wrap.
So, I had never experienced anything with seaweed before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was definitely a new experience, but it just felt soft and comfortable, and definitely warm. It was, I’d say, comforting. I asked what the seaweed does and basically it’s good for toning, detoxification and relaxation. It’s a paste that’s applied, then the seaweed is wrapped around my legs, and towels are wrapped around my legs and feet.
As I sat there wrapped in seaweed, I got a hand massage, which was nice.
Then the seaweed was rinsed (along with hopefully some toxins! Bye bye stress!), polish was put on. When it was all done, it was about 11:20am. Definitely a good, long pedicure!
I was brought then to the Quiet Room to let the polish dry, and could sit there as long as I wanted. I sat about 20 minutes and then went to change and go, though honestly I didn’t want to go!
As I sat in the Quiet Room, there was a guy waiting for his wife – they had just had massages together. He said it was their first time there and they really enjoyed it.
Summary
Overall, this was an amazing experience. I left feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated.
The cost of the services is what I would expect – the cost for the 80-minute pedicure I had is $90. Other services I thought were appealing were “The Woodhouse Escape” which is a 110-minute sampler of seven treatments for $220, and a 50-minute Swedish Massage for $100. But now that I’ve been there, I realize that you get a lot for your money. Just being able to sit in a plush robe in a comfortable room with a fireplace, relaxing music and snacks, which I wasn’t expecting, was a huge plus for me.
I think a spa experience is a great gift to give to yourself, if you can fit it in your budget (and I do think investing in yourself is important!). It also makes a great gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, a birthday or anything else. (And if you’re pregnant or know someone who is, there’s a Mellow Mama massage starting at $120.)
Tips for Saving Money and Making the Most of your Spa Experience
Because the prices can be a bit high for frugal families like mine, I signed up for their email list to receive specials and updates. So far I’ve received some good deals – basically upgrades, like “Buy a 50 minute massage and get a 30 minute upgrade free.”
You can sign up for their email list on their website here. Note: The sign up is only visible on their full desktop site. If you’re on a desktop computer, look on the top, right of the page for the sign up, or if you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom and click “View Full Site”…then sign up on the top, right of the page.
Also be sure to follow their Facebook page for deals and promotions!
7 Tips to Make the Most of Your Experience
I also recommend some things to make the most of your experience at Woodhouse.
- First, arrive EARLY. You will want to enjoy your time in the quiet room as long as possible.
- Schedule your visit during an off-peak time. Mine was on a Monday right at opening, at 10:00am. There were hardly any people (though it picked up a bit by the time I left). I enjoyed having the Changing Room and Quiet Room (almost) to myself.
- Arrive prepared – remove makeup if you are having a facial, shave your legs if you’re having a pedicure.
- Don’t waste time on your cellphone. I had mine with me to take pictures and it was tempting to check emails and such, but your time is limited at the spa – be fully immersed in the moment!
- Don’t chat if you don’t want to. My technician wasn’t chatty which was good because I wanted to zone out, but if yours is, let them know you’d like to just listen to the music or zone out.
- Bundle your treatments. They have deals to purchase in bulk and this saves you money per service.
- Watch for deals around holidays or change of seasons.
Note: Though there are ways to save money, I personally believe it’s important to be sure to tip. The standard amount for spa services is 15%.
Website
Visit their website for more information!
(Note – there are Woodhouse Day Spa locations nationwide, and if you’re on the west side of the Twin Cities, there is also a location in Maple Grove.)
Location
The Woodhouse Day Spa of Woodbury is located at Woodbury Lakes:
9040 Hudson Road
Suite 206
Woodbury, Minnesota 55125
(Disclosure: I received a complimentary pedicure to facilitate writing this review. All opinions are 100% mine.)
