Number 36: Pamper Yourself At An All Day Spa

Let's face it, there's no way that this chica has the time (or the capital) to spend an entire day at a spa. What I do have though, is a great friend, we'll call her Em Elle, who knows the swankiest hot tub spa in town. And thus my Wednesday night date was born. Em Elle and I headed to Inman Square for our Girly Night Out. First we hit up CityGirl Cafe. I have to say, I had one of the better home cooked meals I've had in awhile. The interior is small, but cozy and the retro-rustic decor makes up for the lack of square footage. For the price of a mani-pedi combo at a spa, I enjoyed a starter salad, entree, and half a bottle of vino. (My taste buds were appreciative of my 99 cent nail polish, trust me.)

A few glasses of red and some portobello lasagna later, the girl talk continued just a few doors down at Inman Oasis, a hot tub spa. For $25/person we enjoyed a personal, bamboo hot tub for 45 minutes complete with cold drinking water, low lighting, private speakers connected to Em Elle's ipod, and of course lovely hot, bubbly jets to warm up our winter bodies (and souls). At the end of our session, the girl talk still flowed, but the the stress in my shoulders did not. I left the tub in an almost altered state, my limbs warm and relaxed, and my mind at ease. I've never had a massage, but I'll say that THIS was the best stress-reducing, self-pampering experience I've ever had. This perfect evening ended as we walked outside and into a light and lovely snow flurry. And all of a sudden I thought, "I'm 23, I live in Boston, I just had the nicest night with my girlfriend. I felt like I was in Costa Rica for 45 minutes, and now I have this gorgeous ride home. What could be better?" And that was that. (And isn't that the point of the blog anyways?!)

I highly recommend this spa, which Em Elle tells me was started by a former actress. I mean, we supported the local arts scene AND had a beautifully relaxing evening. This girl's thoughts? Three quarters of an hour in a tub with my one of my closest friends totally beats out a day at the spa by myself.