SPA-tacular Me IP

The SPA-tacular Me IP is an interest project from the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast.

To complete this Interest Project:

* + - Do the BOTH REQUIRED activities
		- Do ONE activity of your choice in each of the three categories (LEARN, DO, SHARE)
		- Design and do ONE activity of YOUR OWN
		- Create a short REFLECTION after you have completed all of the activities.

# Required

1. 1. 1. Research teen stress in books, magazines and online. Answer the following questions. What is Stress? What are Stressors? Is all stress bad? What causes stress to be good or bad? What are some good (happy, excited, etc) stressors? What are some bad (sad, scared, etc) stressors? Is too much stress bad? What are signs of stress? How can you balance the stress in your life? What are some ways to handle too much stress?

2. Complete both parts A and B.
1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Based on what you discovered in Required Activity #1, answer the following. What are some stressors in your life? List several of your good stressors. List several of your bad stressors. List ideas of ways to balance stress in your own life. List ideas you have to handle the stress in your life.
					2. Create a video, power point on CD, poster or brochure with all of the information you gathered in the first required activity. Share your creation with another troop or group of friends and family.

# Learn

1. 1. 1. Spas are all about making you feel relaxed and rejuvenated; they also want you to feel beautiful. Spas use a variety of techniques to give their clients the most relaxing experience possible. Here are a few homemade alternatives for you to try:
			1. 1. 1. Facial Mask - Homemade egg white facial mask:

* + - * + - * + - 1 egg white
								- 6 drops witch hazel
								- 6 drops lemon juice

Whisk the egg white until it is stiff. Add the other two ingredients. Gently apply the mask to your face avoiding the eyes. Let dry for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. To really get into the spa mood, slice cucumbers and place them over your eyes while you wait for your mask to dry.
2. Bath Salts - Try this recipe to help you relax after a long day!
* + - * + - * + - 2 1/2 c Epsom salt
								- 1/2 c sea salt
								- 1 c baking soda
								- food coloring (your choice)
								- Food flavoring for fragrance
								- containers

Mix the salts and baking soda together in a bowl. Add the food coloring and flavoring of your choice. Mix well, pour into containers, and enjoy!
3. Super Silky Hair Conditioner:
* + - * + - * + - 1 jar of mayonnaise
								- 1/2 avocado

Peel the avocado, and remove the pit. Mix the avocado into a bowl using your hands, adding mayonnaise as needed, until it is light green. Start applying it at the ends of your hair, and work your way up. Leave it in for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water. For super shine, blow-dry your hair for the last 5 minutes to make sure the moisture is locked in!
3. Back and Shoulder Massage
Invite a professional masseuse or massage therapist to visit your troop meeting. Ask her to explain the importance of massage, share techniques and show you specific areas to target. Later practice on a family member at home.
4. Music
Listen to different types of music to see what makes you feel the most calm. Try natural sounds like ocean waves or ambient noises, or maybe you are calmed by the classical tones of the masters like Bach or Mozart? Perhaps acoustic music puts you at ease? Experiment and find what calms and relaxes you. Make your own CD to use when you are feeling a little stressed.
# Do

1. 1. 1. Go online, to the library or around your community (with permission of course!) and look into different types of relaxation techniques. Research relaxation methods used in the different countries and cultures around the world. Share what you find with the other members of your troop. Practice at home and with friends.

2. Healthy glowing skin beats having on tons of make-up to cover up blemishes any day. The problem now is choosing the right product for your skin. There are thousands of products out there, all of them promising the best results. So how do you choose? Knowing your skin type is the first step. Go online, in a magazine, or invite a dermatologist to help you find out. Maybe you have dry skin, oily skin, or a combination of them. Next go to your local drug store and look at the products they offer, check what skin type they are designed for, what their ingredients are, and maybe try a few to see what works best for you.
3. Invite a yoga instructor to come and show you a few relaxing moves. While you practice your new yoga skills remember your breathing. It seems silly, but breathing is very important in yoga in calming you and clearing your mind.
# Share

1. 1. 1. Host a spa day for other girls in your service unit. Use the calming music you tried earlier, or the egg white facemasks, and other relaxation techniques you know or have researched.

2. Remember those bath salts, and relaxing CDs you made earlier? Make Relax-packs for your family, friends, anyone you know who might be feeling a little stressed! Include the bath salts you made, a relaxing CD, and anything else you think will help them mellow out.
3. Visit your local massage therapist or masseuses office (with permission of course!). Talk about the tools they use to help people relax, and what techniques their clients prefer.
# Your Own Activity

1. 1. 1. Write one paragraph or so explaining what the goal of YOUR OWN activity is. When writing the goal, take time to consider questions like:

* + - * + - What interests you most about this topic?
					- What would you most like to learn, do, or share?
					- What do you hope to accomplish?
					- What do you want to come away with from this experience?
					- When you have completed your activity, what will you have learned, done, or shared?
					- How will you measure your success?

2. Once you've written the explanation, list the steps you'll take to achieve this goal.
3. Review what you've written with your adult advisor before beginning work on YOUR OWN goal's activity. Discuss how the chosen steps will enable you to reach your goal.
http://www.studio2b.org/lounge/gs\_stuff/ip\_intro\_owngoal\_form.pdf

# Reflect

Prepare a short REFLECTION describing what part(s) of the Promise and Law relates to what you did while earning the IP. Think about how this IP has given you skills or greater understanding to help you live out that part(s) of the Promise and Law in your own life and then prepare a REFLECTION that best expresses your experiences and personality, such as a:

* + - * + - 1-2 paragraph description
					- Poem
					- Song/rap
					- Drawing/painting/photograph
					- Short movie

http://www.studio2b.org/lounge/gs\_stuff/ip\_intro\_reflection.pdf

# External Links

Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast Council Patch Program
SPA-tacular Me IP