Spa Week: 7 Ways to Pamper Yourself For Less

I love to pamper myself and often times I am just too busy to do it like I used to. I love to sit down to give myself a manicure, pedicure, body wax or just soak in a long, hot bubble bath! Ahhhh, I can feel my body relaxing and the stress floating away just thinking about that!

Recently I was sent some tips to share with all of you. These 7 tips are great ways to pamper yourself for less! Yay! We all love being pampered and if we can save money in the process, well...it's a win-win for us all. Some of these tips are very unique and I can't wait to try them out!

This week kicks of Spa Week, the annual seven-day event where spas, massage parlors and wellness centers offer deals and perks for newbies and seasoned clients alike. Facials, massages and related treatments are beneficial to the body and mind, but are often hard on the pocketbook. In addition to Spa Week specials, check out these tips to pamper yourself for less.

Go Somewhere New -- Most chain spas offer new client specials with one-hour massages costing just $40 or $50 in most cases. If you're looking for an occasional rub down and don't have a strong preference about your masseuse, this is a great option for saving money.

Gift Yourself -- Gift cards aren't just for friends and family during the holidays; you can purchase them for less than face value at websites like GiftCardGranny.com. Look for savings of up to 20-percent off gift cards to SpaWish, SpaFinder, Bliss Spa and many others.

Skip the Extras -- Aromatherapy, foot scrubs and hot stone therapy are popular services offered by massage parlors for an added fee. Since reps aren't upfront about those added costs, always ask and decline accordingly.

Ask About Discounts -- Students, groups and members of the military may be eligible for massage membership discounts. This benefit varies by location for franchise massage parlors but can help you pay a lesser rate for your experience. For example, Massage Envy offers military members $60 off annual memberships, while Massage Heights offers special pricing to couples and families.

Finish with DIY -- Bummed about missing out on those extra services? Finish off your massage experience at home with DIY facials or foot scrubs. SpaFinder offers a Tightening and Brightening Facial recipe composed of common pantry items, while fragrant scrubs for all skin types can be made out of sugar, salt, oil and fruit, as illustrated by this Brit.co post.

Be a Guinea Pig -- Students training to be massage therapists need clients to help them hone their skills. If you don't mind being a guinea pig and offering constructive feedback on your experience, contact your local massage school and inquire about opportunities to be a "client."

Find Daily Deals -- Spa treatments are almost synonymous with daily deal sites as most up-and-coming salons look to boost sales with heavily-discounted promotions. Browse offers on Groupon, LivingSocial, Amazon Local and others, and be sure to read facility reviews before buying.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.

Quick and Easy Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe

Last weekend I went to the store and bought a box mix to make homemade banana bread. Once I got home, I realized I had a little bit of frozen blueberries left in my freezer that needed to be used up and a great idea quickly came to me!

I prepared the banana bread according to the box instructions. I thawed out the blueberries and drained away the liquid. After measuring them, I had exactly 1 cup of blueberries which I gently stirred into the bread batter until everything was well combined.

Lightly spray your loaf baking pan with some nonstick cooking spray or grease with just a tad of butter. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven according to the box directions. With the addition of the blueberries, I saw no increased baking time.

Once it was done, I removed mine from the oven and left it cool for about 8 minutes. I sliced it up and served it warm with melted honey butter on each slice. Wow, this was delicious!!!

Next time around I am going to experiment with some strawberries or raspberries that I have sitting in my freezer too. Using that $1.00 banana bread box mix saved me a lot of time and mess and my blueberry and banana bread came out super sweet, moist and delicious! Give it a try sometime!

Carrot Raisin and Walnut Cookies Recipe

Last month I was visiting with my sister and she gave me a bag full of her homemade carrot and walnut cookies along with the recipe. Today, I wanted to share that recipe with all of you because these cookies are easy to make and taste delicious!

Carrot and Walnut Cookies Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup carrots, grated
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins

In a large mixing bowl combine together the all purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda and the salt. In another large mixing bowl beat together the brown sugar and butter until well blended. Beat in the large egg and the vanilla extract. Using a large mixing spoon and stir in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts and the raisins by hand until all ingredients are well blended together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spray your baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease them up with a little butter. Drop cookie dough onto the baking sheets leaving 3" of space between them. They will expand a little bit during the baking process. Place baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are done. Remove and let cookies cool before serving.