Treat yourself to the hottest apparel, products, services, and workouts, and spring will be here before you know it.
(Featured right) Ikea Enholmen chaise, $139 @ Ikea, 8000 Ikea Way, Bloomington, 952-858-8088, ikea.com. Faribault Woolen Mill Soho blanket, $130 @ MartinPatrick3, 212 Third Ave. N., Mpls., 612-746-5329, martinpatrick3.com. Add Icon 10 coat, $495; Dena New York earmuffs, $88, both @ Nordstrom, Mall of America, 952-883-2121, nordstrom.com. Seafolly Goddess bandeau top, $82 and skirted pant, $93 @ Nani Nalu, 3821 W. 50th St., Edina, 952-546-5598, naninaluswim.com. Hunter Cathi Rabbit boot, $225 @ Pumpz & Co., Galleria, Edina, 952-926-2252, pumpzco.com. OndadeMar carry-on bag, $64 @ Nani Nalu.
Warmth
Wear It Out
If you can’t beat it, join it. It’s cold out. Wearing subpar gear just gives you that patented cold-weather pinch-face, so bundle up. Skip boring neutrals and go right to the colors that will pop against the snow (without needing much light). Metro coat, $178 @ Nordstrom, Mall of America, 952-883-2121, nordstrom.com
Hat Trick
Mom should no longer need to admonish you to put your hat on, especially when such stylish options abound. Woolrich Arctic Trooper and Trapper hats, $150 and $45 @ MartinPatrick3, 212 Third Ave. N., Mpls., 612-746-5329, martinpatrick3.com. Earmuffs, $88 @ Nordstrom.
. . .
Body
No Place Like Om
If you can’t jet off to St. John, you can at least fake a vacation by doing exercise. No joke. With a little heat detox and deep breathing, you can change your frame of mind. Bask in Moksha Yoga’s 105-degree radiant-heat room, breathe deeply, and relax. The benefits of a good workout (and an even better Savasana) are just like those garnered from a week away. Well, as good as you can get if you’re stuck in Minneapolis mid-January. $17 for a drop-in class. 3252 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-920-3004, mokshayoga-minneapolis.com
Well on the Web
“We don’t see healing as black or white,” says Pamela LaBelle, founder of RestoreHealing.com. “We see it as people making informed decisions based on information they are getting.” But she discovered when she graduated with a master’s degree in Holistic Health Studies that most people weren’t getting accurate information about alternative health and conscious living. Enter her website, where users can learn about a wide variety of modalities— from chiropractic to acupuncture to Bowenwork and Guasha therapy—and then get referrals to providers who have been vetted by LaBelle and the community, not to mention awesome weekly deals. Even the Mayo Clinic approves. restorehealing.com
. . .
Nourishment
The Ancient Art of Aromatherapy
To get some quick comfort in our harried, modern times, you might want to try harking back to the ancient art of aromatherapy. No, seriously, it’s thousands of years old.
The basis of aromatherapy is this: oils distilled from specific plants can produce aromas that sharpen or calm the mind and spirit, and can have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic properties. These oils are known as the “life force” of any plant—it’s basically what makes up their immune system, and can dwell in the leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, seeds, or bark of plants. Each plant, of course, has its own set of specialties.
Just inhaling peppermint, for example, can relieve nausea or soothe sinuses. Lavender is ideal for calming and sleeping. Orange is a powerful mood enhancer, as most people affiliate its scent with sunshine. Put a few drops on a tissue and inhale. Add a few drops into a spray bottle with water and mist your sheets for a lovely scented sleep. Or put in a diffuser and scent your entire home.
Adding small amounts of the oils to a carrier (unscented) oil—like sweet almond or jojoba— makes for a luxe massage, delivering moisture and a lasting scent on the skin (not to mention the benefits of massage). And then other benefits of the oils kick in—lavender calms rashes, peppermint soothes muscles.
Wyndmere Naturals is right in our own backyard, and besides making individual high-quality essential oils, they also make no-brainer blends, hydrosols, salt soaks, and more. Easy, inexpensive, and so soothing on the senses. wyndmerenaturals.com
Photos By Darrell Eager, Styled By Style-Architects
. . .
For the rest of this story, please visit your nearest newsstand to purchase Minnesota Monthly‘s January issue.
