Holiday Gift Guide: What Men and Women Really Want

Hello SASsy Friends, now that the holiday season is in full swing, it's time to think about gifts for others.  In this week's edition, I will tell you what gifts women and men really want this season.

What Women Want:

Men, women are relatively simple if you pick up on the hints we drop you.  If your lady has been asking your opinion on bags or shoes, that's probably what she wants.  Some of us even go as far as dropping brochures on the counter turned to a specific page or shopping for items we want on your computer so you get served ads for it.  (I just told on myself)

The Bag Lover


Tory Burch "Amanda" Belted Bag $495

The Shoe Lover

If your lady is a shoe lover, get her an amazing pair of boots like these:
LAMB $419 ( I saw these on ideeli.com yesterday for under $300)

Dolce Vita on sale $95

If all else fails, we will always love jewelry!  You should know her birthday so you can always go with a piece that has her birthstone in it or go big with diamonds!!  Here are a few options:


1/2 Carat Diamond Studs $379.99

Black and White Diamond Necklace $349:

What Men Want:

Ladies, men are just as easy to get gifts for.  They tend to talk about things they want all the time.  Most men like gadgets, iPads, Kindle Fire, Xbox or a laptops.  My policy is to get them what they really need and maybe something they want.  Get all the basics as stocking suffers like new underwear, socks and t-shirt and then put the main gift under the tree.  Here are a few gift options:


The Business Man:

Marc Jacobs Satchel $498

The Watch Lover:


Burberry Watch $595:

The Casual Man


Cashmere Sweater $145:

In next week's edition, I will have more great gift ideas based on personalities as well as gifts for the other special people in your life. Have a SASsy Week and happy shopping!

Spa Reviews

Hello SASsy Friends, I hope everyone is having a great week.  With the weekend rapidly approaching, many of us will be heading to the spa for some much needed R&R. Here are my reviews of 3 spas in NYC:


The Setai Spa- Setai 5th Avenue:

This is by far my favorite my favorite spa. I will start off by saying this spa is located in one of Manhattans newest and most posh 5 star hotels.  The services are not cheap by any means but what you get for your money is well worth it.

With the purchase of any treatment, you have full access to all of the spa's facilities for the entire day. I checked in at 10am and left at 7pm and really didn't want to leave then.  Fellas, this is the perfect holiday, just because, mother's day out, or even get out of the doghouse gift for your lady.  Trust me she will LOVE it and you!

I started off my day with a great workout in the well equip gym, and then enjoyed a relaxing shower with music.  From there it was off to my 1hr massage. ($185)  I have never felt so relaxed in my entire life and my chronic neck pain subsided for weeks.


After my treatment, the masseuse led me to the humum (steam room with lights on the ceiling that look like stars) for a complementary Turkish body wrap and mud mask.  Then she showed me the lounge, whirlpool and shower rooms.  There simply isn't a better way to spend a day!
Overall Grade A+

Humum Room

Lounge

Whirlpool

Skin Spa:

The skin spa focuses on various skin treatments to prevent aging and to keep your skin fresh and healthy.  They recently started offering massages (I haven't tried one of theirs yet)

Unfortunately their Soho location is quite underwhelming.  It's a typical NYC building, no posh amenities or anything special about it and the treatment rooms feel more like a doctor's office than a relaxating spa.

The facial I received was great and I loved how soft my face felt afterward.   Their services are reasonably priced (1hr facial $75), but if you are looking for luxury, look elsewhere. 

Overall Grade B-

Treatment Room

Silk Spa:

Hidden in the lower east side of Manhattan is this gem of a relaxation.  Silk spa is an Asian themed spa that is the perfect place to relax after a long week.  When you are arrived you are allowed to select the type of music you like, it's volume and even how much you like the masseuse to talk during your treatment. My massage was wonderful, in fact I fell asleep.  Afterwards you are taken to the relaxation room and then provided with amenities to shower and refresh yourself.   There's a huge selection of treatments and I will be going back to try more.

Overall Grade A

Lounge

Bath

That's all for this weeks edition.  If you would like more information on any of these spas, please leave comments and I will respond within 48hrs.

Twitter: @MzSAS

SASify Yourself

Hello SASsy friends, I am so sorry it's been so long since I last wrote.  Since my last post, I've started a new job and working longer hours but I promise to keep this updated on a much more regular basis.

This week's topic is SASsify Yourself.  The inspiration came while watching Madonna's old video for Express Yourself and thinking how original she was and as her career and life progressed, she kept changing her look and how she carried herself.

That got me thinking, as women we wear so many hats, and as our lives change the hats we wear change right along with it.  Many times we forget who we were and what we liked to do before the long hours at the office, relationships, kids etc all started.  We tend to settle into comfortable lives taking care of everything and everybody else and our own wants and needs take a back seat.

So how does one SASify herself?  It’s simple; you have to take time to do the things that make you happy.  Go shopping, have fun drinks or brunch with your girlfriends, go to the spa whatever it takes to make you happy and satisfy your personal needs.

Go to the spa!  When you plan to go to the spa do your research first.  Check the spa's reputation and possibly even tour the facility prior to making a reservation.  Trust me there is nothing worse than thinking you are going to have a day of luxury and pampering and end up in ghetto spa.
(TIP: Ask friends which spa and technician they recommend.) 

Additionally, be sure to look up each procedure or treatment and their possible side effects.  For example if you are under 40 you probably don't need a microdermabrasion or a face peel. These procedures can leave you looking like a cooked lobster for days.  Remember the episode of Sex and the City when Samantha got a microdermabrasion, and looked like a peeled tomato?  Go with a regular facial instead, especially if this is your first trip, you are much less likely to have a reaction and your face will be still smooth and refreshed.

Also when going to the spa, look into the different types of massages offered and what they do for the body.  If you have a lot a tension, headaches and/or muscle pain, skip the hot stone and go with a deep tissue.  This will help relax your muscles and can even alleviate pain. I personally recommend an hour but if you are short on time, a 30 minute massage can be a good pick me up.

Shop, shop, and shop some more! When I say shop, I don't mean you just go to the mall and buy a whole bunch of clothes and shoes that you really don't need.  Clean out your closet first and take inventory of what you have versus what you want.  Get rid of old clothes and shoes that you haven't worn, are old or the quality isn’t that great and donate them to charity. (TIP: When cleaning out your closet, put everything backwards on the hanger.  Once you wear it, hang it back the right way.  After 6 months if it is still hanging backwards, it goes.)

 The next step is to determine your personal style and the looks you are going for.   Do you find yourself wearing more business clothes, or casual? Heels or flats?  Dresses or pants?  Most women have either a great business wardrobe, full of dresses and pants or a not so great casual one and vice versa. After taking inventory of your closet, you will have a better understanding of what you need to shop for.  When shopping, stay away from your traditional look and go for things you like but usually don’t wear.  For example if you wear solid colors, try a fun pattern.  Whatever you do, please remember your age and body type.  Not everything that comes in your size is meant for your body. There is nothing worse than looking like a walking mid-life crisis.

Hang out with your girlfriends.  We all need girlfriend time and it is an essential part of your life.  Be sure to try to hang out with your friends without the significant other and/or kids at least once a month.  Try organizing a monthly ladies brunch.  If you live in NYC I highly recommend Poco on the Lower East Side.  The food is great and there are bottomless sangria and mimosas (TIP: I highly recommend the lobster mac and cheese. It will totally kill your calories and fat content for the entire week but trust me it's so worth it.  Just go to the gym and run it off, like Forrest Gump style running.)

Another option is to have a monthly girl’s night.  Girl’s nights are a good chance for us to fully enjoy being a woman.  We love to get dolled up with hair and makeup and step out on the town.   Most of my readers are past the club phase of life, as am I, so I recommend choosing a nice lounge with a more upscale vibe and an older crowd. I don’t mean the golden girls crowd or the Steve Harvey suit collection crowd but older in the sense that the average age is around 30.  In NYC, the best spots are hotel rooftops.  The Gansevoort, Hudson and Dream hotels are great options, drinks are a bit pricey but the upscale atmosphere is well worth the price.

That's all for this week's edition. Be sure to let me know if you like my tips and if you try any of them how they worked out for you! I promise I will keep this updated more often.  Until next time keep it SASSy!

Follow me on twitter @MzSAS