A boutique spa offering Skincare, Electrolysis & Massage. Result oriented, and Holistic minded prod
We offer an authentic skincare experience that provides personalized result oriented treatments in a relaxed boutique setting to improve your skin and nourish the body and soul.
09/08/2025
Welcome Monday, welcome new day, welcome ‘back to school!’ To the moms out there with kids…congratulations! You did it again. You got them ready for school.
You tried on clothes to see what still fit, bought new outfits to make up for what they outgrew, checked off the list of necessary school supplies, shopped for new shoes, got them haircuts, and more. Congrats!
But after the rush of back to school, (and actually spending so many years in school ourselves), many of us still consider September as the start of a new year. Maybe it’s the latent ‘student’ in us remembering the excitement of a new teacher, a new grade, maybe the new shoes, and definitely seeing all of our classmates once again. Our inner student may even fondly remember favorite teachers and the special lesson they shared.
“That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air… Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.”— Donna Tartt, American novelist
Let your ‘inner student’ find the jubilee once again in this annual transition! See you next Monday for another motivational thought!
09/01/2025
Hello new week, hello first Monday in September, hello Labor Day, an official national holiday rooted in the late 19th Century, The day was conceived when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to” recognize the many contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being.”
Today – for most of us, it’s a day off from work and a three-day weekend. It is a day to celebrate all of us who toil in a profession, a trade, a service, a vocation, a calling, a passion, either remotely, in person or surrounded by a team.
Yay, us! We deserve this day.
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." — Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S President
Enjoy a day of respite everyone! And do give a shout out to those who must work today in service to us and our country’s well-being. As stated by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr: "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity."
See you next Monday for another motivational thought.
08/25/2025
Hello Monday! Goodbye August … Wellllll, almost goodbye.
Can you believe this is the last week of August? Where did the time go? Hard to comprehend that summer is almost over!
Not to worry though. Don’t be fooled by retail shelves sporting Halloween decorations or shelves stocked with pumpkin spice everything or whole retail spaces encompassing brightly lit Christmas trees.
Although we are less than a month away from the start of autumn, we all know summer likes to dawdle a bit, much to the delight of many.
Daylight is still lingering until almost 8:00 pm, there are plenty of warm sunny days ahead, and flowers are still blooming. Especially those gorgeous, yellow sunflowers that seem to be smiling endlessly, beckoning us to embrace the leisurely seasonal change.
“May the wind of August lift you up, elevate you and blow you in the right direction.” ― Kyos Magupe, artist, author, motivational speaker.
Enjoy the winds of change out there! Looking forward to seeing you next Monday for another inspirational thought.
08/18/2025
Happy Monday, happy new day, happy new week, and happy “Serendipity Day.”
Yes, serendipity. Remember that time you found an old $20 bill in the pocket of a jacket you were taking to the cleaners? Serendipity! Or that time you were thinking about an old friend, and they text you? Serendipity!
The word itself is the term for “happy accident” or “pleasant surprise.” However, many believe that serendipity is no accident at all, but an attitude or a lifestyle in which people are always reaching for those unexpected things and expecting happy surprises to occur.
“Serendipity is the gift of finding things we didn't know we were already unconsciously looking for.” – Glauco Ortolano, Brazilian author
Stay ‘mindful’ everyone so we can recognize serendipitous moments…those happy little surprises.
Looking forward to seeing you back here next Monday for another motivational thought.
08/11/2025
Happy Monday, happy new day, happy new week!
Well, today is officially the last day of summer’s “dog days,” according to the experts who declare such things. But you won’t be able to prove it in our neck of the woods where the temperatures this week are expected to peak up close to 90 degrees, with humidity around 80 percent. If those numbers don’t register as dog days … well we don’t know what does!
On the brighter side – and we do mean bright! – for those of us who are not terribly fond of heat waves, there will be another type of peaking this week: Tuesday and Wednesday will be the height of the Perseid Meteor Shower, which appears as shooting stars. While the ‘shower’ doesn’t end until August 24, this week will be the best time to see the shooting stars.
And, according to legend, we must always wish on a shooting star. So, this will be a good week for wishing! This annual event is one of the brightest, most numerous, and long-lasting of all the meteor showers, which guarantees a multitude of ‘shooting stars.’
“Look at those stars. See their beauty. And in that beauty, see yourself.” - Draya Mooney, Irish author
Look up, keep your eyes peeled, everyone, and WISH! Looking forward to seeing you back here next Monday for another inspirational thought.
08/04/2025
Hello Monday, hello new day, hello new week, hello first full week of August, hello ‘back to school.’
Wait…WHAT??
Yes, we’ve been seeing a morass of back-to-school advertising everywhere for weeks now. Not to mention an entire section of school supplies – including backpacks – in the supermarket. And right where the canned fruit used to be. Can you believe it?
Of course you can! Rushing the season has been going on for years, Looking for a bathing suit today? Forget about it! How about a nice buffalo plaid flannel shirt instead? Hey, it’s on sale!
Hah, these are the very same retailers that will soon be advertising Halloween, if not already; Thanksgiving, during the real back-to-school month; and Christmas, in early October.
Well guess what? We are now in the “dog days of SUMMER,” everyone. In case some of us are unaware, the dog days are declared to be July 3 through August 11. That includes this entire week!
Yes, we are still in deep summer. Deep summer?
“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” – Sam Keen, late American author
Let’s all get lazy out there. We deserve it!
Looking forward to seeing you back here Monday for another motivational thought!
07/28/2025
Welcome Monday! Welcome work week that begins in July and ends in August. But not-so-welcome, is yet another extreme heat warning.
On the other hand, maybe some of us actually DO like extreme heat?! Well, like it or not there is one rule that holds firm during extreme heat: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Yes, stay hydrated! And that doesn’t necessarily mean sustaining on endless amounts of liquids. There are many foods that are not only hydrating but healthy as well. The following are just a few:
• mint/peppermint,
• watermelon,
• banana,
• avocado,
• cucumber,
• whole citrus fruits,
• celery,
•aloe vera,
• lemon water (ok, so that's a drink) and
• cocoanut water (ok, another drink!)
In addition to hydrating, of course, stay in a cool indoor room if you can, avoiding strenuous outdoor activity. And ooohhhh…head to the pool for a cool splash (wearing plenty of sunscreen, please). Even better, head to the ocean if possible, where the temperature is cooler than it is inland and the delightful salt water can definitely cool down a body. Besides …
“You will love the ocean. It makes you feel small, but not in a bad way. Small because you realize you’re part of something bigger.” - Chief Seattle, leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish indigenous Americans, after whom the city of Seattle, Washington was named.
Do stay hydrated out there! Looking forward to seeing you here again next Monday for another motivational thought.
07/21/2025
Happy Monday, happy new day, happy new week, and happy sun-shiny days … a whole week of them, promise the intrepid weather prognosticators.
And speaking of ‘intrepid’ – we’re referring to all of you out there too; you who put family, jobs, the needs pf others ahead of yourself. Well, get ready to take care of yourself and put YOU first for a change.
You can start practicing right now for ‘International Self-Care Day’ which falls on this Thursday. Yes, the day is all about YOU, caring for yourself, and putting yourself first.
SOME TIPS:
• Focus on prioritizing your well-being and engage in activities promoting physical, mental and emotional health,
• Sit and eat a healthy meal instead of ‘grazing,’
• Take a break from demands and stressors to recharge and nurture yourself,
• Exercise,
• Spend time in nature,
• Connect with friends and loved ones.
“You are worth the quiet moment. You are worth the deeper breaths and you are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still, and rest.” — Morgan Harper Nichols, American artist and writer.
Take good care everyone! Looking forward to seeing you again next Monday with another motivational thought.
07/14/2025
Hello Monday, hello new day, hello new week, hello high humidity.
We’re all familiar with that old saying, right? You know the one: “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humidity,” as the reason for our “damp” discomfort this month. At least in our neck of the woods we are.
But let’s look at the bright side of these ‘dog days.’ And what could be brighter than fireflies? Yes, they are back and likely still thrill us with wonder as they did when we were kids.
Also think, cherries, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and nectarines! Corn is getting sweeter, watermelon is already sweet, and cantaloupe is juicy sweet!
Let’s all relish mid-July, humidity that goes with it. After all … It is a quite delicious, month, isn’t it?!
"The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other. " - Arthur Rubinstein
Just remember to stay hydrated out there and DO eat some of our bountiful fruit. It’s hydrating as well as delish. How’s that for a win-win!
Looking forward to seeing you back here next Monday for another motivational thought.
07/07/2025
Hello Monday, hello new day, hello new week – the first full one of July. Hope everyone enjoyed celebrating America’s birthday, the biggest and most important holiday of the month, but far from the only July holiday.
In fact, the month is literally packed with national holidays – some 55; more than the actual days in July! – although we’ve never even heard of some (actually most) of them. But lucky you! We’ve picked out a daily selection to enlighten us all.
• Monday, Forgiveness Day: Just do it! Holding a grudge is unhealthy and can give a person facial wrinkles.
• Tuesday, Be a Kid Again Day: Oh, yes please! Blow some bubbles and watch them float away.
• Wednesday, National Sugar Cookie Day: Ohhhh…bake some and eat them all!
• Thursday, Pick Blueberries Day: Do it! And eat them too.
• Friday, National Blueberry Muffin Day: How convenient! A good way to use all those berries we picked yesterday!
• Saturday, National Simplicity Day: Why not? It’s Saturday after all!
• Sunday, National Beans N’ Franks Day: Time to get rid of all the July 4th leftovers already.
Yes, one or two of these holidays might be considered laughable. So, if you’re not in a celebratory mood, just r e l a x. It IS summer after all.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”- John Lubbock, late British politician and philanthropist
We totally agree with John; decipher some cloud shapes this week! And do join us back here next Monday for another inspirational thought.
07/04/2025
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!
America. As seen through the eyes of some notable Americans…
• “Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S. President
• "I say to you that our goal is freedom, and I believe we are going to get there because however much she strays away from it, the goal of America is freedom.” – Harry S. Truman, 33rd U.S. President
• "This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " - Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President
• "America, to me, is freedom." - Willie Nelson, renown American singer and musician
• “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense human rights invented America.” – Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President
• "The essence of America, that which really unites us, is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion. It is an idea, and what an idea it is—that you can come from humble circumstances and do great things." – Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State
• “I like America, just as everybody else does. I love America, I gotta say that. But America will be judged.” – Bob Dylan, American singer/songwriter; Winner of both Nobel and Pulitzer prizes
How do YOU see America? Comments welcome!
06/30/2025
Welcome Monday, welcome new week, and new day, the last of June. Tomorrow we start a whole new month: July, meaning the first half of the year is over already. Can you even believe it?!
As some wise anonymous person once put it: “Entering into the seventh month of the year means the next half of the year is yours. Welcome July with positive vibes only.”
Yes, Some of us even look at this halfway point as a new beginning; a sort of ‘little new year,’ by renewing resolutions, reflecting, and setting new goals.
And speaking of a little new year, we get to celebrate America’s birth again this week, usually a joyous occasion! Start of another new year for our country.
Let’s all work up those positive vibes out there as the “…high noon of the northern year…” begins (Hal Borland, late American writer.
Looking forward to seeing you here next Monday for another motivational thought.
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If you ask Cora Ciaramello about her profession – one she has been practicing for twenty years – she will likely describe it in several ways. She’ll say she is a licensed massage therapist, electrologist and aesthetician. But after just a few minutes of conversation it becomes obvious she is more than all that. She is following a vocation driven by a passion to help people feel and look their best, promoting health-based skin and body care.
For Cora, it’s all about helping others feel good about themselves using the skills she learned through years of study, training and doing.
“It’s been a journey,” Cora says, referring to the inspiration that guided her on the path to launching Changes Spa & Aesthetics. The altered course was quite a diversion from the successful sales and marketing career she had been experiencing for nearly two decades; the one college had prepared her for.
But like many of life’s U-turns and winding roads, Cora’s diversion resulted from some personal circumstances along with a measure of introspection.
One circumstance was her own boost in self-esteem following a series of skin treatments for some problem areas. She recalls that “The experience boosted my self-confidence and my desire to help others feel better about themselves.”
Resulting from her own experience, Cora decided to switch gears and begin skin care studies, first with electrolysis. She apprenticed part time, while still working in the sales and marketing arena.
It was after two life-changing experiences, however, that she made the choice to surge full steam ahead on the skin care and wellness track.
And she has never looked back.
Cora says that it was during her father’s battle with leukemia that she fully realized the benefits and rewards of personal attention and care for others. “When my dad was in the hospital with leukemia, I would go to see him
every day to cleanse and put compresses on his face, hands and feet. I would massage his hands and feet a bit as well,” she adds.
“It was then and there, that I discovered how happy someone can look and feel,” after soothing attention, “and decided that was what I wanted to focus on as a career.”
Following this awakening, Cora began intensively studying aesthetics, even taking advanced classes to further her knowledge, experience and skills. As a New Jersey licensed aesthetician and electrologist, she worked at her calling for years at different spas and salons.
A second life-threatening experience – this one a serious auto accident in which she was involved – motivated Cora to further pursue well-being practices and routines: massage therapy.
“During my recuperation from the car accident, I discovered how much massage and yoga improved my recovery process.” As a result, Cora decided to add massage therapy to her skills, taking courses to become a fully licensed therapist. She is also a devout yoga enthusiast to keep herself limber and flexible, a vital part of her wellness regimen.
With so many skills and such a wide breadth of experience – not to mention, Cora’s passion for wellness – it is no wonder that her vision, Changes Spa & Aesthetics, is no ordinary in-and-out salon du jour.
Cora believes there is no ‘one size fits all’ where skin and wellness are concerned. “I call Changes a ‘boutique’ salon because it is different and unique. It’s not like some franchise that has a revolving door of experts and consultants,” she quips.
“Each client receives a full evaluation. At Changes we aim to provide an authentic skincare experience that provides personalized, results oriented treatments in a relaxed boutique setting. Our goal is to improve our clients’ skin and nourish the body and soul…one client at a time,” Cora emphasizes.
“My passion is helping people look and feel their best!” she adds. And her passion is her goal – one she achieves one client at a time. Just ask one!
Come in and visit us at Changes Spa to have your own authentic skincare experience in a relaxed boutique setting--you’ll leave feeling nourished through your mind body & soul. Book a service with myself, Kim, or Mary.
