Have you ever heard the phrase “Calgon, take me away!”? Even if you’re not old enough to remember the Calgon bubble bath commercials of the 1970’s and ‘80’s, you’ve heard it and you know what it means. The classic commercial always featured a frazzled homemaker who couldn’t wait to disappear into the perfect bath of Calgon bubbles. The phrase endures, especially in today’s stressed-out world.
Baths Were an Acquired Taste for Us
There’s something so enticing and calming about a bath. Some people are just “bath” people, it seems, while some of us have grown to appreciate a nice soak. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, there are actually people out there who find soaking in a bath, well…yucky. The idea of sitting there in our own filth was never appealing to us, until we started soaking in the tub AFTER a shower, just to relax. Go ahead and laugh, but we know we’re not the only ones with a touch of OCD, ha-ha.
Choosing Between a Stand-up Shower and a Tub/Shower
If we had to choose between a stand-up shower and a tub/shower, we’d choose the shower every time, just based on practicality. However, if you have a large enough bathroom for both, you’re fortunate; at Monica’s house, we are lucky to have a sizable shower and room for a clawfoot tub. We must admit that at first we chose the tub because it’s really pretty and it looked perfect under the double windows. We must also admit that we were a little late to the bubble bath party, but better late than never, right?
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Our Freestanding Tub
We chose the Kohler Iron Works Historic 66” x 36” freestanding oval bath with reversible drain, and the beautiful Kingston Brass tub faucet in polished chrome to go with it. Although a 66” tub is not terribly long, it fits perfectly in the space between the wall and the shower. After washing away a long day in the shower, we love soaking the rest of it away in our gorgeous tub. The perfect bath really can soothe your soul and relax your nerves for a little while, and the wonderful array of bathing products that are available today can make your experience even more relaxing and luxurious.
Bathtub Essentials
What does your most relaxing bubble bath setup look like? We like having everything at our fingertips, while also creating mood. We bought the cute little Ranier Floor Storage tiered table in white from Potterybarn to hold all of our favorite bathing essentials. We have a double towel bar to keep our thick, soft Brooklinen bath towels right at our fingertips, along with robe hooks on the walls that flank the tub. We perched simple white pillar candles atop shiny mercury glass stands for a little candlelit glam. We found the best wooden tray caddy on Amazon (Royal Craft Wood Luxury Caddy Tray) to hold everything we need for a calming bath: book, wine/water glass holder (has a slot for the base of the wine glass), cellphone niche, expandable trays for soaps, wash cloth, reading glasses, etc. Also from Amazon, we ordered the Viventive luxury bath pillow with support for your head, neck, shoulders, and back. This spa pillow is super-thick and soft, and sticks easily to the back of your bathtub with suction cups. No bath is complete without one.
Keep the lights low, using dimmers or candlelight, play a little music, and enjoy a glass of wine or ice water. Make sure the water is comfortably warm, add your favorite bubble bath, bath bomb, oil, or salts, and if possible, fill the tub enough so that the water covers the tops of your shoulders when you sink in. If you’re using bubbles, pour directly into the stream of water for maximum volume. Not sure how much bubble bath to use? We don’t really measure; we simply pour in enough to create lots and lots of bubbles (maybe a ⅓ – ½ of a cup if we had to estimate).
Our Favorite Stress-Reducing Bath Products
What are our favorite stress-reducing bath products? We’re glad you asked. Here is a list of our favorites:
- Vitabath Cucumber & White Tea Bubble Bath (Ulta)
- Vitabath Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath (Ulta)
- Kai Bathing Bubbles
- Herbivore Calm Ylang Ylang & Vanilla Soaking Salts
- Herbivore Coconut Milk Bath Soak
- Ouai Chill Pills
- Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution in Lavender
- Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Stress Relief Body Wash & Bath Foam
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Stress Relief Sugar Body Scrub
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Stress Relief Moisturizing Body Oil
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Stress Relief Bath Soak
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Stress Relief Moisturizing Body Cream (after bath)
- Eucalyptus & Spearmint Cracked Heel Treatment (after bath)
- Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion in Lavender, Chamomile & Ylang Ylang (after bath) (Ulta)
- Bath & Body Works White Barn Candle in Vanilla Bean
- Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Candle in Eucalyptus & Spearmint
- Don’t forget a bath pouf or sponge, a soft cuddly robe (we love Uggs), and snuggly slippers (Uggs)
Whether you’ve always been a bath lover, or you’re new to the scene like we are, nothing helps to relax your mind and body like a warm bath. The next time your world closes in or it seems like the sky is falling, close your bathroom door, turn on the faucet, pour in some bubbles, light a few candles, let the wine flow, and say to yourself, “Calgon, take me away!”
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We would love to discover your favorite products. Please share with us in the comments section. Until next time…
From the HartLand with love,
Monica, Brittany & Cheyenne