A. Day spa menus can be confusing, especially if you are unfamiliar with the lingo and the services.

I am not sure what spa you looked into, but in general most day spas will highlight their most popular and more expensive services. You often have to look closer to find the items that are at lower price points.
I suggest you do a few things before you make your gift selection. First check out the web site for the spa you are interested in.

Valentine’s Day is a high volume gift holiday and spas often run specials on services and packages. Get a hard copy of the spa’s menu and spend some time going through it to find services within your budget, you’ll also find the entire menu is usually on the web as well.

If you still don’t find what you need by all means give the spa a call. Most spas will have a select employee or set of employees that can help you build a great gift, or gift package within your budget requirements. Many families are in your situation and are living on a tighter budget these days, so at my spa we have an entire section of our menu now designated as “Express” services. These are shorter, less expensive versions or our regular and deluxe menu options. You get the same great service and the same skilled spa staff with “smaller portion sizes” for your services. Without knowing your budget limits I can make some suggestions for popular spa services that tend to be on the lower end of the price scale. Manicures, especially Spa Manicures are always great. Many spas, including mine, have several Pedicure options within various price ranges. Popular services like massage are often available in smaller ½ hour segments.

At our spa we even offer ½ hour Couple’s Massage, a very popular gift service at Valentine’s Day. You could consider some services that are less well known such as a warm paraffin hand treatment with a basic manicure or a combination of a warm hand paraffin treatment and a basic pedicure. You could try a scalp massage and deep hair conditioning treatment plus a facial masque treatment. This combo is great for the dry winter months.

Another option is a basic spa gift card for a set dollar amount. This allows your recipient to choose her own services. Be sure if you choose this option that you get a nice hard copy of the spa’s service menu so your wife can shop, circle services, and think about what she wants from the comfort of her home. You will not go wrong with a spa gift for Valentine’s Day.

Your wife may not remember what you gave her last year, but if you make this choice, she will remember what you give her this year!