After all of the hauntings and endless late nights,
the cooking and cackling and long broomstick flights,
a witch needs a break, and a little vacation,
a witch needs a place for some REAL relaxation.
And so begins this whimsical children’s book by Samantha Berger with wonderfully creative and colorful illustrations by Isabel Roxas. The Boo-La-La Witch Spa (Dial; August 2015) is a fun book to read aloud, and will be appreciated by little ones and adults alike.
What does a witch spa look like? Well, for starters, “there are toadstool and skunk candles filling the air, and paths of black rose petals, scattered with care.” On the menu you’ll find Broom Bristle Facials, Hag Stone Massages, and much more. I was pleasantly intrigued, so I telephoned Samantha to learn more. Here’s what she shared.
A Dream Come True
As soon as I could spa, I went spa-ing. I’m a longtime spa-goer, and I try to go to spas all over the world whenever I travel. I’ve always loved the health benefits of spas and the tradition of taking care of yourself. It’s one of the nicest, kindest things you can do to yourself. I love all of the things that come with spas—the names, the treatments, the products. One night, I dreamt about the book and woke up laughing the next day. I wrote the whole book that day. When I say this is a dream come true, I mean it!
The Fab-Boo Witch Spa
The book is a real hybrid mashup of the glamorous and the gross. It’s the most fabulous spa in the world, and all the treatments are witchified—broomstick facials, serpent spit spritzers, and more. I wish there was a spa like this; I think it would be great for kids’ parties.
Keeping Creativity Alive
I stay creative by getting a lot of sleep and going to spas! My last book was about the joys of sleeping, called Snoozefest. It’s about a sloth who sleeps all year long, but gets up once a year to go to a festival for the world’s greatest sleeper. Boo-La-La Witch Spa really is a love letter to the spa industry.
On Making a Wish
Health is the number-one thing. Without health there is nothing else. Every candle wish, every four-leaf-clover wish, every dandelion wish, every wish you get—you should wish for the best health you can be in. There are lots of times when I forget that and get caught up in the day to day—goals, money, achieving. But really, spas are always the reminder to myself that health is the most important thing, and we must honor our own health. It’s a gift to the self. I will be a lifetime spa-goer.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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