Best Massage Therapy October 29, 2007

Here’s my real-life, unbiased and unpaid review:

As a special treat for our anniversary, my husband arranged for us to have a couples massage in our home.  We had looked at the rates for tandem massage at some of the nicer Scottsdale resorts, but couldn’t see paying over $300.  A friend referred us to A Healing Touch Massage, an in-home massage therapy team based in Phoenix.

Roxie Reimer and Dan O’Clair, the owners and our therapists, arrived to our home on time for our evening appointment.  In minutes, they set up their very comfortable massage tables side-by-side in our living room along with everything you’d expect: soft music, sheets, blankets, pillows and aromatherapy oils…. all we had to do was light some candles.  Meanwhile, we filled out a questionnaire about our health & massage preferences.  Dan & Roxie left the room while we each got settled in on our own table.  Roxie & Dan both gave us such relaxing and skilled massages, coupled with the automatic comfort of being in our own home, that we both fell asleep about halfway through the 90-minute session.  Afterward, we didn’t have to discontinue our relaxed state with a drive home.  Roxie & Dan packed up as quickly as they had arrived and we were left to bask in the candlelight and our sleepy good feelings.  For the very reasonable rate of under $200 for both massages, I’d say that A Healing Touch Massage is the perfect choice for in-home massage… professional, polite, customized and an overall outstanding massage without the drive.

Do you have a suggestion for Best Massage Therapy in the Scottsdale area?  We welcome your comments and suggestions!

Farmers Market October 21, 2007

This summer, I took two trips to see family: First, to Oak Park, Illinois, a village suburb just west of Chicago made famous by several Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the area. Later, I headed to Ogden, UT near Salt Lake City. Both of these cities had awesome Farmers Markets every weekend.

I came home to Scottsdale wondering: Where the heck is/are our Farmers Markets?

I’m dying to have this experience in my hometown. I want to head out of my house every Saturday morning and drive (or better still, walk) to my weekly hangout – my neighborhood Farmers Market. I’d make a beeline to my first booth to get a steaming cup of organic coffee, then cruise the tents and booths picking up fresh, locally grown organic produce for the week and maybe a loaf of artisan bread and some plants or flowers. People just like me will be pushing strollers, pulling wagons and/or walking dogs and buying the wares of local farmers and cottage-industries. Doesn’t that sound great?

Comment here on Farmers Markets you’re familiar with and we’ll compile a healthy, organic and fresh list… appropos of the Farmers Market, wouldn’t you agree?