The Glow Up: A Pre-Wedding Cryo Facial

Did you guys know that Austin Powers is on Netflix? Honestly, it still holds up! Such a gem of a mooovie. Lol! So I watched it this week and was inspired to get cryogenically frozen myself! So I booked my first cryo toning facial at the CryoBar in Bucktown. I was not sure what to expect– I had been wanting to head to CryoBar for a while now, but the full body services are not prego-approved. When I found out the facial is A-OK– I was pumped.

It’s different from a typical facial- no extractions, and it’s quick: in and out. You can start 6-8 weeks before wedding, quite different from the 6 months before wedding with a standard facial (extractions, etc need a longer lead time to make sure you aren’t having a break out pre wed!).

Touted Benefits

Skin tightening, wrinkle reduction, and increased collagen production! Hello, sign me up! Who doesn’t want that?! 

The experience

The girls working there were very welcoming and nice, especially with my pregnancy brain (my birthday was in their system wrong twice? How? Why? I couldn’t tell ya).

You head into a room with a standard facial table with a blanket. You can have light make up on, but need to take off jewelry.

They take a machine emitting cold vapor steam and run it over your scalp, face, and neck. At first it feels really cold and weird, but then it starts to feel so good.  It was almost kind of addicting. It felt amazing! I typically hate cold–but I loved the sensation. I can only imagine how great it feels on a hot summer day!

The best part? It only takes 10 minutes. I loved that for fitting it in, but definitely not a full spa-like experience.

Cost

It cost me 20 ClassPass credits (on my plan that equals about $36) + tip. At CryoBar they price by “the chill”. For one “chill” (which could be the cryo toning facial, full body, or localized treatment) it cost $65. They have packages at discounted rates as well. First time client special is $40. I did see some better rates at other cryo spas (but can’t speak to the experience), so doesn’t hurt to shop around! Don’t forget to factor in tip, too (always go off of the full price of the service!).

Results

Afterwards, the rest of the day my skin felt tight, and good! I felt like I was glowing. To see a real difference I think I would need to see a built up response. I will definitely be heading back there soon!

Do it before the wedding?

If you are looking for wrinkle reduction and skin tightening, and it’s in your budget– 100% go for it! There doesn’t seem to be any reason that this would be problematic to do before the wedding! I would just make sure you start 6 weeks before the wedding, just in case you have an unanticipated adverse reaction! Also, if you are more concerned about skin clarity, I would recommend sticking with a standard facial.

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Have you tried cryotherapy? I would love to hear what results you have seen! Leave me a note below or on social media!

Morel of the Story

I don’t quite have the words to capture the magic I feel in this place. Particularly in this rainy spring weather. The birds in chorus. The forest full with fresh greens. Moss covered trees. Fungi on everything. Damp bark, the clean, fresh air. Little tree frogs. Red tailed squirrels. A white tail frolicking away from us. The energy of trees that are hundreds of years old. The view of the river bluffs carved from the same glacier that made the ole Mississippi.

I’m at my dad’s (no longer working) farm, that has been in our family for almost 200 years. The farm land (consisting of corn and soybeans as crops) was sold a few years ago. What’s left? 150 acres of woods, creeks, ponds, and furry friends!

Sup lil brah

I want his shell to be replicated into art for my home! So pretty!

An atmosphere perfect for foraging morels. Morel mushrooms are incredibly good tasting mushrooms that can’t be cultivated. They (seemingly) just grow at random during the Spring. They are native to the midwest– and they are fabulously yummy. I’ve only come down to the farm maybe twice before during this time of year. I remember coming as a kid, and being very disappointed in the process. My husband has a joke he loves to say, “Alexandra vs nature”– well imagine a young kid version of this. Bugs? Cold? Rain? Looking in dirt? Yeah not so ideal. But adult Alexandra, while still hating insects in my space, handles all of this much better. And in fact, I kinda love it!

Walking in the woods, listening to the birds, the crunch of the branches beneath my feet. It is very much a magical, meditative experience.

Then comes the actual search process. This is the part I am learning I am not so good at. I thought being so distinctive, I would have no trouble with this. Pattern recognition is my jam. Well, finding them is a pretty random game. There needs to be some sunlight, so that the land isn’t too moist. And they tend to be close to elm trees, but not necessarily directly under them. Lots of rain seems to help them to pop up, too.

I’m embarrassed that my initial thoughts made me feel like I was in a real life version of Zelda. Searching for any oddities or things out of place. I felt like I was pretty good at that. I found a tree frog, countless spiders, a deer antler, various other types of fungi, deer fur, and more. But the morels… a bit tougher. I found the first one of the trip, but my beginners luck ended there. The thrill of finding one is addictive. It feels like finding gold–nature’s gold, that is! 

My dad really seems to have a knack for it. Miraculously, on day 2, my dad found the hot spot of all hot spots. We found an area with about 100 morels! It was like hitting the jackpot. So so satisfying, everywhere we turned we could find one! So satisfying. 

This is beyond farm to table. This is natural food, uncultivated, just created because mother nature is incredible, then foraged and immediately put on the table. I’m beginning to understand the appeal of hunting. I’m much happier with being the gatherer in the hunter-gathering scenario though! 😅

I’m so thankful for the experience: for the connection to the land and my food! “Morel” of the story: I came back after 3 days having a much deeper appreciation for all that our mother earth provides for us! -AHS

How to Prepare morels

In terms of preparation- simpler is better! My step mom lightly breads them and fries them. A delicious option if you are into crunch! After cleaning them thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly!!!) I prepared them in a large pan. I heated them and let them release their water for a few minutes. With some of the mushroom juice still available I added several pads of butter, and white wine! They pair beautifully with pasta, steak, or even a burger!