Shall We Dance? Foot Care For Dancers

April is National Foot Health Month!

All dancers whether ballroom, bebop, ballet, boogie-woogie or belly know that a lot is riding on their feet - and we can learn a lot from them about foot care tips and routines that really work.

Perhaps one of the most demanding types of dance is Pointe Ballet, which looks so graceful and so uncomfortable both at the same time. Here's a great article from e-how about foot care for serious ballet dancers.

The author recommends "soaking in Epsom Salts after dancing, and applying thick moisturizing foot balms on your heels and areas where corns, blisters and calluses may develop. Do this every day, if possible, and even before getting your feet ready to wear pointe shoes."

We've worked with a lot of dancers over the years - and two crucial products are our Revitalizing Foot Soak Crystals, which feature Epsom Salt, Sea Salt and Shea Butter, and 95% Shea Butter Balm, an incredibly rich balm that melts into dry skin.

And of course, if you have any serious issues like bleeding or significant pain, you should visit your podiatrist. With just a couple of products, you can be sure to keep your dancing feet healthy and tip-top!

Foot Care for Runners

April is National Foot Health Month!

Although it's still pretty chilly, serious runners are already out in force, and they need to be especially careful about foot care to enhance performance, prevent injury and protect their feet both while they run and afterward.

Amongst runners, there's a lot of discussion about calluses, preventing blisters and moisturizing. Calluses are a natural way for your feet to protect themselves against rubbing that's not serious enough to cause a blister. So in a way, they're good, but allowed to grow too large, they can alter the way your foot fits in a shoe, and you can still get a blister there.

The key seems to be finding a balance, and the Foot Scrubber is excellent because unlike a razor or a grater style callus remover that can cut off too much, you only remove a little each time.

Another issue is the problem with feet getting hot and sweaty during a run, which can exacerbate blisters. We have heard of people using petroleum jelly to coat their feet, but really prefer 95% Shea Butter Balm, as it seems to provide a better barrier to moisture.

It's also important to keep your feet well moisturized - and Gilden Tree Nourishing Foot Cream is excellent. The main ingredient is Certified Organic Aloe Vera, which helps reduce swelling and inflammation, and can help soothe burning.

One of our favorite bloggers on running is Jon Vonhof of fixingyourfeet.com. He's written an excellent book, "Fixing Your Feet", now in its fifth edition. Jon has a common sense approach to taking care of your feet and is easy to read and follow.

Whether you're a serious runner or a casual jogger, don't forget to start taking care of your feet now!

Home Decor Trends

I was reading Organic Spa Magazine recently (which I love) and came across an article by Elaine Williamson, "10 Home & Decor Trends." I'm always a sucker for numbered lists - and reading about new trends is always interesting.

Among other fun trends, like the focus on vintage accents, it was her Trend #4: Elemental Color that really caught my eye.

Elaine writes:

Trend #4: Elemental Color

"Boldly colored accent pieces give a space visual interest and appeal. Brightly colored and/or patterned pillows, rugs and other accessories will bring an otherwise bland space to life and can be transitioned by season."

I was thinking how true that is based on my own experiences. I have an original 1920s era bathroom, with white tile and black accent tiles. (No awful greens or pinks, thank goodness!) But still it's primarily a white bathroom.

I've always used white towels - I love how clean and fresh they look and that they can be bleached in case of a disaster. But when we introduced colorful towels, especially the gorgeous colors in our Modern Design Towel line, I took some home for myself. What a transformation! The Sage Green and Espresso towels just "pop" on that white tile. I don't think I'll ever go back to White.

There is just something so summery and fresh with the Sage Green Towels and the Espresso ones are so warm and rich for Winter.

If you want to add a splash of color - you can even add a jewel of a hand towel. It's an easy way to get a bright fresh note in an otherwise bland room.

Now I just need some Orange towels for Fall, and maybe a Cream set for Spring?

Does Anybody Have a Monkey Wrench?

Gone are the days when you could fix things with a few simple tools, or what my college roommate Cecilia called "percussive maintenance." (Basically just whacking whatever wasn't working, which worked surprisingly often.)

Alas, websites are a little more touchy and due to a technical problem, our website is down. We're working diligently to get the site back up again, but we've already received some calls with orders over the phone, and thought we'd make it just a bit easier for you.

Please click on a link to see our new retail catalogs:

Then call us toll-free at 888-445-3368, and we'll be happy to take your order by telephone. Just ask for Carrie or Rosemary and they'll take care of you. (Isn't it nice to have real people help you?!) Our office is open from 8:30 to 4:30 CST Monday through Friday.

If you'd rather place an order via email, please include your telephone number so we can call you for your credit card information. Please do not send your credit card information by email as it is not secure.

We'll let you know as soon as the site is back up and running consistently.

Thanks!

Ann
Toll-free 888-445-3368

The SHE Show and Summer Sandal Season

Update: Spa Hospitality Expo

Well, the SHE Show (the virtual spa show we just exhibited at) was really interesting. I think our booth looked pretty cool and we had tons of information for spas and hotels. We "chatted" up lots of really nice people and want to welcome our new rep in Florida, Cheryl Locke! Welcome, Cheryl!

For me the strangest part was connecting with people all over the world, while being in my office, sipping tea and petting Jeanenne's dog Pogo, a golden retriever who comes in quite often to visit. (He and I have a special connection, a sort of meeting of the minds. That is, I have dog treats in my desk and he wants them.)

I'd say it was not bad for a first try, and that there is definitely a future for virtual shows. (I may need to get more dog treats.)

Time for Summer Sandals: Ready.... Set.... Stop?

Have you been letting your feet go a bit this winter? Or have you been gardening barefoot? I know I have been doing both, so until I get busy with my feet - I'm not showing them to anyone!

Fortuntely, it's not that hard to get your feet in shape, if you have the right tools. Click here to get tips on a fast fix for neglected feet. Make good use of your Foot Scrubber - after more than 20 years, I've never found anything I like better than mine. If you've never tried one, for heaven's sake order one now!

Welcome to our booth at the Spa Hospitality Expo!

We are exhibiting at the first "virtual" trade show for the Spa Industry.

If you're like me, you're wondering just exactly what 's going to happen when they "flip the switch" and the show is live.

Will there be fireworks and smoke coming out the back of our computers?

Or will the silence be broken only by the quiet tick-tock of the clock on the wall?

Probably somewhere in the middle.

We're hopeful that like in a real trade show, that we can make you feel welcome, and that you'll let us know what you're looking for, so that we can help you.

There are going to be so many things to look at - it is all visual, after all.

What will we be showing at Gilden Tree?

Well for starters, we offer perhaps the best quality Waffle Weave Robes and Wraps in the country. Our spa waffle weave is not thin or prone to becoming the incredible shrinking robe or wrap.

This is the real stuff: the thickest, softest waffle weave you've ever felt, made with a blend of Natural Cotton and Polyester.

And of course you noticed that word Natural, right? Seems like you see that everywhere these days. If it's any help, our cotton is made without chemical processing, from defoliant-free cotton. We've been making our robes that way for about 18 years.

So, I'd say you should definitely look at our waffle weave spa robes and wraps.

But we also make wraps and headbands in a velvety soft French Velour. A few years ago at a trade show, a spa owner came to our booth on the last day and said she'd looked at all the wraps at the show, and that ours was the "Gold Standard of Spa Wraps."

The second thing you should look at is our Velour Wraps and headbands.

We also carry some beautiful, pure Natural Cotton Velour Robes, that are made of a thick terry that's sheared one side and brushed to velvety softness. These are luxurious robes, thick and lovely enough to be given as a gift.

What else?

Laundry: It's a six-letter word that couldn't be less glamorous, but it's something we need to talk about.

Because you'll want to know that every Gilden Tree robe, wrap, headband, blanket and towel is made to be machine washed and dried. Not just once or twice, but hundreds of times.

For a lot of waffle weave, machine washing and hot drying cause major, major shrinkage. But our robes, wraps and headbands are a blend that's stable, so you don't have to worry about laundry.

What about Personal Care?

We carry a line of foot, hand and body care that's so effective and offers so much natural healing that it's carried by podiatrists and other health care practitioners.

We actually say our products help your skin heal itself.

That's because we use ingredients that have been shown over time and in many cultures to offer genuine healing effects: Certified Organic Aloe Vera, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter and Comfrey Extract.

These are in fact, the building blocks of our line, which makes our products very concentrated without being overwhelming.

So be sure to check out our personal care products. We offer them in Pro sizes, and retail sizes so you can use them in treatments and then sell them to your guests. Our footcare displays are really special, too. Black metal with our signature regimen: Soak, Scrub, Moisturize and Protect.

We're looking forward to getting to know you and finding out how we can help you. Don't forget to sign up for our email prize drawing, and if you'd to chat by telephone just give us a call at 888-445-3368.

Thanks!

Ann Thariani
President

Gilden Tree at the Naturally Green Expo

Never say it can't happen - and right here in our own backyard!

Omaha was finally host to a "green" show and Gilden Tree was there as an exhibitor at the "Naturally Green" Expo last Saturday and Sunday.

It was fun to be around other "greenies" for the weekend and to get a chance to chat with many of the other vendors: especially organic farmers (nice to have great cheese across the aisle), the Slow Foods Nebraska folks and Safe Earth the organic lawn care company we use.

We met tons of neat people, and of course like any hometown event - bumped into old friends! Thanks for everyone who stopped by to chat and try Gilden Tree, especially the out-of-towners who were in Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting. We never realized how many people already use and love Gilden Tree!

Thought you'd enjoy seeing some of the photos (albeit with poor lighting) and the expo commercial where our towels make a very brief appearance.

Special thanks to Carrie, Kumy and Mark for working the show. Our daughter Maya was there too, but she was pretty much glued to the Beak N Wings Bird Rescue Society's booth. We've talked about getting a bird for a long time, and so we adopted Apple, a friendly and cheerful gray Cockatiel. Maya's totally thrilled, and the Beak 'n' Wings people were incredibly helpful - I can't say enough good things about them.

And of course the biggest news: Joanie K. from Omaha was the winner of our Prize Drawing: 2 Modern Design Sage Green Guest Towels!

All in all it wasn't bad for a first event - and hopefully, the first of many.