Category: Parties & Gatherings

Jan 15

Floating Sauna for the Sauna Tribe

If you’ve built a sauna in your backyard from scratch just so you can enjoy the sauna anytime you want, and the way you want it; chances are you’re a sauna diehard!

While such individuals may be common in Finland, I didn’t expect to find any in Iowa, well, maybe with the exception of a unique community – Fairfield. We have two great sauna lovers residing here who have hand-built their own private saunas in their backyards.

These sauna masters are: Bill (see Blissed Out on a Blizzard Night) and John.

They always send out sauna invitations graciously, religiously every week to their sauna tribe.

Sauna tribe weeds out the cry babies because they can’t take the heat.

@ John’s floating sauna retreat

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May 12, 2008

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A short walk to the sauna from John's house (January 11th, 2010)

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When there's hot sauna, there's happy Bill

The pond that the sauna is sitting on is frozen. John made a hole in the ice for the polar bears.

Max going in the ice hole

From the sauna room to the ice hole next to the sauna (Max is going in...)

Okay... we haven't lost you yet

Okay... we haven't lost you yet

Oh well...

After the plunge ...

Going in

Dora's turn

Dora is a sauna regular

Dora is a sauna regular

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Me - taking a break from the sauna

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Jasper: Can you throw me the frisbee?

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Karan walking back to the house after the sauna.

Whenever possible, John would invite his sauna tribe to stay for some warm soup. Sometimes it turns out to be a feast if each sauna member contributes a dish.

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Nourishing salad with secret ingredient: goji berries

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Avocado in fruit salad? It worked!

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John: If sauna hasn't cleared your sinuses yet, try one of these Wasabi Peanuts.

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Eggplant lasagna

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Sauna Tribe + V!

It’s always a great experience to share stories around the table.

I would like to say a big “THANK YOU” to both sauna masters for their generosity in spreading the sauna love.

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Jan 08

Blissed Out on a Blizzard Night

It’s 0 F (-17C) outside, with wind gust of 29mph which makes the weather even colder at -17F (-27C). 

It has been snowing non-stop for a day now. On a bone-freezing day like this, I crave for a hot sauna.

Sauna offers unbelievable healing benefits such as deep cleansing, stress relief, detoxification, weight loss, improved metabolism, and more!

I feel truly blessed to have access to Bill’s outdoor sauna (another one is at John’s- sauna on a pond!!), just minutes away from my house.

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Serenity: One of a kind Japanese style hexagonal design with wood burning stove

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Snowman guarding the sauna room

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Karan steps out of the sauna; from 170 F (76C) to 0 F (-18C)

Alternating hot and cold (change in temperature) strengthens the immune system of the body!!

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Viking wool felt hat helps keeping head cool during sauna

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Hello to Mr Snowman. My feet were sticking to the floor (ice & sweat).

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Blissed out on a Blizzard Night

With my feeling of well-being significantly expanded, I left Bill’s feeling great and grateful.

Namaste.

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Nov 10

My New Year

[Tuesday]

Ahhh… officially one year older. I DID IT (like how Neal would say)!

I want to thank my mama and papa for giving birth to me and for loving me. :)

I had a great birthday dinner at home last night. Simple, but it was exactly what I desired.

Thanks to Karan for cooking.  A couple of friends stopped by, and joined us for dinner. Nothing planned, super casual, but it was perfect.

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Chocolate Mousse Cake, cute and delish like me

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A bottle of red wine. Why not? It’s my birthday

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Checking to see if things are under control

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The art of multi-tasking

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Scallop Linguine

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Talking to Dima

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Make a wish :)

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Happy Birthday to Ting-Ting

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Thanks for the flower, Dr Neal

Now that I am officially one year wiser, what are the big plans for next year?

Since AirAsia.com is having Free Seats promotion, so I booked tickets to Vietnam and Australia for next year. How about that for a start of my new year? :)

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Nov 05

Ecstatic Dance – Just Let Go

[Wednesday]

You gotta love Fairfield. It could be a huge BORE hole at times, but our community members are trying hard to keep introducing something new and exciting to Fairfield, like the Ecstatic Dance.

The first ecstatic dance took place at Morning Star Studio last night. It was my first ecstatic dance and probably the first for many people there.

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Ecstatic dance @ Morning Star Studio

I did read about ecstatic dance before I went and had certain goals that I wanted to achieve: stretch, relax, let loose and let go.

Thanks to DJ Reptile and DJ Flow for the music. I especially enjoyed the drum and organic rhythms.

I am a dance maniac. I am happy when I dance. :rtdance1:

It’s important to relax the body and mind before the dance.

Forget about thinking. Let ‘yourself’ melt away. Forget about YOU.

Just let go. Be unpretentious; be free, like a child.

Let your body moves to the music naturally. Don’t use your mind to analyze if your moves are silly or not.

I like to dance barefoot, so that I feel more connected to the ground.

It was amazing that I was aware of what I was doing, but I wasn’t telling my body what to do. My mind was ONE with the universe. I was simply happy.

It was a personal journey and I enjoyed mine.

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Here are some articles on ecstatic dance if you want to read more about it:

http://www.firetribehawaii.org/articles/ecstaticdance.shtml

http://www.dancingbotanicals.com/ecstaticdance

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Nov 01

Hangover Hell

[Sunday]

I had a crazy Halloween night at Marcias, MUM and Vivos. What a fun night, hanging out with good friends.

If that wasn’t crazy enough, as soon as I reached home from the parties, all hell broke loose!

I started to throw up the minute I came back. Arghh….

I only had two drinks the whole night, but I got a little carried away and forgot the golden rule of drinking: never drink on an empty stomach! Oh boy!

I managed to drag myself to bed and hoped for the best.

It’s Sunday today and I was captive in Hangover Hell the whole day. Thanks to DJ Reptile for delivering the gatorade.

I was in and out of consciousness, but managed to take care of my baby Kai’s basic needs. So sorry, baby, mama will take you to the park tomorrow.

Until 6pm, the Hangover Hell admin decided that they’ve had enough of me and kicked me out.

Muahahahaha. I AM ALIVE!

Let me keep my fingers crossed and go to bed now with a good feeling that tomorrow will be a great day. :) Ciao!

I’ve posted some photos on my Facebook, please check out the photos.

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Naughty School Girl

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I love my fluffy flogger!

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