Chlorophyll Water, Special Spa Treatments, More: Tips for Mom Bods Emerging from Long Winter’s Nap
The author suggests Pilates as part of her plan for ‘mom bods’ to renew for spring.
AS WE SWAP out our warm comfy PJs for swimsuits, the thought of showing off our bodies can stir up all kinds of emotions, especially for us moms. Here are a few strategic steps to stride into the spring and summer months with confidence and feeling your best.
First, renewing your skin is a must, to wash away the winter blues. Dry winter weather — both in indoor heating and the cold outdoor air, dries out our skin and actually clogs the pores. Not to mention giving us ashy legs and arms. Escape Spa has two treatments that are ideal for making the body and face bright again.
The "Nourishing Glow Wrap" is a vichy shower treatment that will leave your skin feeling refreshed and radiant, perfect for showing off your summer glow. And your therapist is using a trifecta of some of our best products in this service. The LaTika Vitamin C scrub, Skin Authority’s Vitamin D serum and an aloe avocado oil. We use at least three of our product lines in this treatment for ultimate results.
The “Complete Fix Facial” — for a facial from which you can see the effects. Your skin will immediately appear more youthful, fuller, even toned and radiant. Powered by our best-selling, patented SGF-4 Technology this professional treatment elevates topical treatments to produce a new level of immediately visible cosmetic wrinkle and texture improvement without the need for injections of chemical hyaluronic acid formulations.
Implementing chlorophyll water as a part of your daily routine can do wonders for both hydration and overall skin health. You can buy drops online and create a refreshing morning beverage, like I do every day. This simple addition will enhance your wellbeing and glow from the inside out!
My year-round go-to for fitness is pilates, which is what helps me with the sluggish feeling of working out in the winter months. First created for ballet dancers who are rated some of the strongest athletes on the planet, this low-impact workout that focuses on core strength, toning and flexibility is an ideal way for busy moms to get toned and be able to come out of their cold weather cocoon firm and fit. High-impact workouts are great, but there's no need for intense high-impact with Reformer Pilates.
By following my few tips, and taking care of yourself both inside and out, you will be ready to step into summer with confidence and feeling your best! With the support of our trusted wellness partners that we carry at Escape, like Skin Authority, Zents, Dr. Dennis Gross, and LaTika you can enhance your self-care routine even further. Embrace the season ahead with self-compassion, determination,and a sprinkle of indulgence — you've got this, ladies!
Gulf Red Snapper at The Annie
These CityBook partners are among the best eateries in the most deliciously diverse city.
Annabelle Brasserie
Infused with the charm of a bustling Parisian café, Berg Hospitality’s newest concept is in Autry Park on Buffalo Bayou. Anticipate modern French cuisine — brunch, lunch and dinner — served in a very pretty space with picturesque views of the park. 811 Buffalo Park Dr.
B&B Butchers
Venture in for the deep-fried A5 Wagyu katsu sando, or similarly stacked deli sandwich in the adjoining butcher shop, at this boutique steakhouse. A rooftop terrace makes B&B a premiere Sunday brunch destination. 1814 Washington Ave.
B.B. Italia
Find classic Italian-American food with modern twists in a lively setting, in the heart of Sugar Land’s Town Square. 16250 City Walk
BB Lemon
The old-fashioned-yet-upscale bar setting, complete with green-checkered tablecloths and tufted leather banquettes, serves starters like blue-crab beignets, chili and New England clam chowder. 1809 Washington Ave.
Benny Chows
Bringing to mind Chinese restaurants in Ben Berg’s native New York, from the menu to the decor, Benny Chows is a delight. With Chinese-born exec chef Shirong Mei at the helm, it serves dishes both familiar — dim sum, Peking Duck — and uniquely Texan, a la the Smoked Brisket Egg Roll starring Truth BBQ. 1818 Washington Ave.
Brasserie 19
Wine with lunch and bubbles with brunch is the norm at this sceney River Oaks spot. Situated in the center of a busy shopping strip, it’s reminiscent of a Parisian sidewalk café. 1962 W. Gray St.
Emilia's Havana
At this speakeasy lounge reminiscent of a 1950s Cuban club, guests can enjoy cocktails designed by Alba Huerta, chef-driven small plates, as well as nightly live “bossa nova style” music and tunes by local DJs on weekend nights. 1800 Post Oak Blvd.
Jonathan's The Rub
Jonathan’s the Rub has two locations in the Memorial area and is open for brunch, lunch, dinner and special occasions, touting steaks, meatballs, gumbo and hearty American cuisine. The eatery is also known for its catering services, private events and putting on amazing wine dinners at the Memorial Green location. Multiple locations
NoPo Cafe
An all-day café from Ben Berg, NoPo offers a menu of classics like a piled-high club sandwich, pizzas and more. In the front, find unique local provisions, premade meals and freshly baked pastries to-go. New happy-hour specials and cocktail list! 1244 N. Post Oak Rd.
Potente
Chef Danny Trace’s handmade pastas come with the option of tableside truffle service, and baguettes and pastries are made in house by pastry chef David Berg. A supremely sexy cocktail lounge serves as a festive gathering area with a happy hour to boot. 1515 Texas Ave.
Sorrento Ristorante
Under new ownership, the upscale spot on the Westheimer Curve is an elegant space touting a richly classic menu — lobster tortellini, stuffed lambchops — that now includes killer pizzas and dessert staples like cannoli. One of the best bread baskets in town. Brunch is lovely. 415 Westheimer Rd.
Steak 48
A steakhouse standout delivers in its rich side dishes — the Hasselback potatoes are excellent — and desserts. Crowds of pretty people pour in early and stay late, so reservations are recommended. In River Oaks District
Tavola
Polished and glamorous, Tavola on Post Oak aims to be the next see-and-be scene in a neighborhood known for them. Chef Luca Di Benedetto’s wild-boar ragu is a must-try. 1800 Post Oak Blvd.
The Annie Café & Bar
A fine-dining stalwart for decades, The Annie Café & Bar has ample private-event spaces and impeccably executed white-tablecloth service. 1800 Post Oak Blvd.
Tonight & Tomorrow
The restaurant inside storied Montrose hotel La Colombe d’Or boasts eclectic but sophisticated European dishes with Southern touches. Be sure to check out the cocktail lounge, Bar No. 3. 3410 Montrose Blvd.
Trattoria Sofia
An Italian-American spot from Berg Hospitality looks like a trattoria you might stumble upon in rural Italy, with enchanting and spacious indoor and garden seating. 911 W. 11th St.
Turner's
At hidden-gem Turner’s, the food is as decadent as the environment (which is kicked up a notch further with live vocalists accompanying the pianist on weekends). 1800 Post Oak Blvd.
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With a Must-See Narrator, ‘Peter and the Wolf’ Blows Into West Houston for One Night Only
Emanuelee 'Outspoken' Bean, left, and ECHO
ON THURSDAY, MAY 16, at the beautiful St. John Vianney Catholic Church in West Houston, the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra closes its 10th season with a performance of Peter and the Wolf. The famous show is Sergei Prokofiev’s “symphonic tale for children,” in which each character in the story is represented by a different instrument.
Stepping into the role as narrator is spoken-word artist, educator, and Houston’s fifth Poet Laureate, Emanuelee “Outspoken” Bean. It’s an inspired choice for a program celebrating ECHO’s commitment to music education, and another example of Bean’s commitment to stepping outside of his comfort zone and introducing poetry to artistic domains.
The concert also features ECHO’s 2024 Young Artist Concerto Competition winner Arturo Gonzalez, a supremely talented junior at The Woodlands College Park High School, who will perform the third movement of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
Since its premiere in 1936, Peter and the Wolf has introduced countless young audiences to the individual sounds of Western classical instruments (the bassoon, the flute, timpani, etc.) through now-famous musical passages or “themes” representing the story’s characters, including the animals. It’s a favorite of concert audiences, and everyone from Sting to Patrick Stewart to Viola Davis has narrated performances — but before ECHO reached out to him, Bean had never heard Peter and the Wolf.
“This is something new for me,” says Bean, who has performed live with Houston Ballet. “I’ve performed with music a ton of times, but never something like this.” In rehearsal, with ECHO’s co-founder and music director Michael Fahey conducting, Bean is exploring different voices for each character, and using his ears and eyes to stay “in the pocket” with the music as it unfolds. “There’s so much audio color in this, with the bassoon, the horn, the drums,” says Bean. “I just don’t want to get swallowed!”
Meanwhile, across town, Bean has taken on his own conducting duties as music director for Othello: The Remix, currently running through June 9 at Stages. In this Hamilton-esque hip-hop version of Shakespeare’s tragedy, every line of dialogue is rapped over prerecorded music, and Bean’s job was to ensure the actors stayed on beat and sounded convincing as rappers. “I coached them on how to say every syllable,” says Bean. “I mapped out a diagram and legend for them to follow for what to do with their voices.”
It was a job not dissimilar to what he’s been doing for 14 years as coach and mentor of Meta-Four Houston, a program of Writers in the Schools that nurtures and prepares young poets from across Houston to compete as a team in national poetry slam festivals. “The years of working with Meta-Four have been flowing into the work I’m doing with these other performances,” says Bean.
On Sunday, May 19, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Bean wraps up a stimulating month of performances with a solo set of original poetry written in response to Kehinde Wiley’s monumental exhibition, An Archaeology of Silence, an exhibit MFAH director Gary Tinterow described as “one of the most moving exhibitions that I can recall in my last 11 years at the museum.” The intimate nature of the performance, one lone voice among Wiley’s large-scale paintings and sculptures, speaks to Bean’s gift for connecting to varied and unexpected artistic endeavors across Houston, be it a symphonic fairy tale by a Russian composer, a Shakespeare tragedy re-imagined as hip-hop, or a teenaged team of future poet laureates.
- As Its Youth Orchestra Wows Galagoers, Virtuosi Honors Healthcare Heroes ›
- Stages Gives Shakespeare a Hip-Hop Twist with Off-the-Hook ‘Othello: The Remix’ ›
- Mayor Turner Names ‘Outspoken’ Bean as Houston’s Fifth Poet Laureate ›
- Stunning Westside Sanctuary Hosts Timely Concert Celebrating Music from Jewish, Muslim and Christian Faiths ›
