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Nothing is more irritating that having a problem with your boat when it is full of family and friends ready for a weekend on the lake. Most such problems are caused because a boat is not properly maintained and prepared for the season.

In our area, most inboard or inboard/outboard boats are winterized during the cold months of the year. Have your boat dewinterized by a certified technician. When your boat is being dewinterized, that’s the perfect time to take care of some routine maintenance items that will prevent problems when you have that boatload of buddies.

Dewinterization of larger boats, houseboats, and yachts should include complete tests of water systems, marine heat and air systems, and impellers for all water-cooled systems including generator, heat & air, and engine(s). Inboard boats with V-drives or straight-shaft drives should have the shaft packing and props checked annually.

Engine oil should be changed every year or every 100 hours of operation, whichever is less. Outdrives should be serviced every two years. All impellers should also be replaced every two years. Gear lube should be checked at dewinterization to make certain the system is full – and gear lube should be changed every two-three years to ensure proper protection. If you keep your boat in a slip on the water, be aware that it will need to be pulled for both gear lube replacement and service of outdrives, so schedule accordingly. If your engine(s) utilized closed cooling systems, be sure your coolant is adequately filled.

All onboard systems should be thoroughly checked prior to the peak boating season – stereo, drive trim, trim tabs, windlass anchor systems (if your boat is equipped with a windlass), and all other options newer boats may have (such as Power Steps on swim platforms, electric folding arches, etc. If your boat has an electric or vacuflush head, make sure it is operating properly and that you have an adequate fresh water supply on your boat.

Check your batteries for a full charge. They oftentimes lose some of their charge during the winter months of non-use and may need to be replaced. Batteries should be replaced at least every three years.

There’s nothing quite like that fresh facial feeling. After your skin’s been cleansed, massaged and custom-treated by an expert esthetician, it has that addictively smooth, baby-soft radiance that’s impossible to achieve outside of a professional spa. Which is why we all go home, look into the mirror and wonder, “How soon can I go back?”

28 Days And Counting

The one thing you should know is that skin regenerates every 28 days. New skin cells are born in the basal layer, the deepest of the four layers that make up the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of our skin. Thick and column-shaped, these new cells divide in two with half of them remaining where they are and the other half pushing up through the different layers, changing shape and appearance as they move along. By the time they reach the surface of the skin, the cells have lost their nucleus. They’re essentially dead and slough away in a constant process of renewal.

How Often To Get A Facial? A General Answer

So, given the amount of time it takes new cells to generate and rise to the surface, you run the risk of aggravating your skin if you have facials too often. You want to be in the sweet spot between getting a facial often enough to get maximum effectiveness but not so often that you’re doing damage. After all, your skin is going through stages of recovery after a facial: Within 24 hours, your complexion is still pink after a chemical peel treatment; 48 to 72 hours, the skin might continue to purge impurities, and up to five to seven days, the skin could still be healing from vigorous extractions. In addition, your skin is waiting for new cells to come to the surface.

Eminence Organics Product Support Representative Alana Henrikson follows the cell renewal schedule for timing facials: “Generally speaking, every four to six weeks would be ideal since your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 28 days.” Not only does this sync with skin cell turnover, it also means you’re regularly checking in with your esthetician so that they can make sure your skincare routine is on track.

While a facial every four to six weeks is a safe bet, it also varies according to what kinds of facials you’re getting. “The frequency of receiving a facial can also depend on the specific concern that is being treated,” says Alana. “Someone with severe acne or hyperpigmentation may visit the spa for a series of more frequent treatments initially.”

Facial For Acne Treatment

If you’re following a series of treatments for acne, you’re probably receiving a light chemical peel once or twice a week over a four to eight week period. Your facial also probably includes extractions, especially if you have blackheads, which are open pores impacted with sebum that are close to the surface of the skin, or whiteheads – “closed” comedones that are clogged with built-up impurities but covered in a thin layer of skin. After you have completed your treatments, the esthetician will typically reassess your skin and follow up with monthly visits.

Facial For Hyperpigmentation

Like acne, hyperpigmentation facials also employ chemical peels to treat dark patches like age spots, areas affected by injury and skin inflammation, and melasma, which sometimes appear on women who are pregnant or taking birth control pills. Laser therapy or intense pulsed light are other hyperpigmentation procedures. Expect a weekly schedule of treatments for a period of four to five weeks, but, as Alana points out, “The frequency of receiving a facial for hyperpigmentation would depend on the client’s skin sensitivity.” After the once-a-week facials are over, your esthetician will let your skin recover before starting another cycle, if you need it.

Monthly Microdermabrasion

Another high-tech treatment is microdermabrasion where you trick your skin into replacing old skin cells on the surface of your skin with new ones. How? By making your skin think it’s being injured, which it is in a way, though, gently. A microdermabrasion machine exfoliates your skin with a stream of tiny crystals or a diamond tip while gently suctioning up the dead cells. Quick and non-invasive, microdermabrasion will brighten and smooth out your skin but the immediate after-effects can be a little redness and sensitivity. It’s best to keep these sessions to once a month.

So check your calendar, consider your options and count up the days until your next spa visit. What kind of facial do you need at your next spa appointment? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.

Click Here To Shop The Spa at Shangri-La by our Affiliate Link today!

To book an appointment with one of our licensed professionals, try our selection of body care essentials, or speak to us about our specials, give us a call at 918-257-7734 today.

Boating access to venues on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees is unique compared to any lake in Oklahoma. As a hydro power-producing lake, Grand Lake operates under the supervision of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rather than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That means private docks, courtesy docks, and waterfront businesses accessible by boat are far more plentiful than most lakes. In this part of the United States, only Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and Grand Lake enjoy this luxury.

There are far more “boat accessible” business spots on Grand Lake than any other lake in Oklahoma. Shangri-La Resort is the most notable, with courtesy slips available at Shangri-La Marina allowing boaters to access Doc’s Bar & Grill, Eddy’s Lakeside Bar (in season), The Anchor Activity Park, and the facilities of Shangri-La’s Resort Hotel and Golf Club (complimentary shuttle service to the golf course is available).

There are, however, many other venues “accessible by land or by Grand.” Along with the many options at Shangri-La Resort, the Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda Harbor Resort is also located on Monkey Island by boat.

Cherokee Yacht Club and Arrowhead Yacht Club are private membership clubs, but are easily accessible in Grand Lake’s Duck Creek area. Docks Bar and The Waterway Café, located at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina, and Ugly’s Grill & Bar located at Ugly John’s Thunder Bay Marina are also boat accessible in Duck Creek.

At the south end of the lake, Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill is located in Disney adjacent to the Pensacola Dam. It’s a popular bar and restaurant, and also has courtesy slips. Hi-Lift Marina in Drowning Creek offers food and beverages, as well. VIP Pizza and Sharky’s Bar are located at Hammerhead Marina in Ketchum Cove. Juan Montez Restaurant and Cantina are located at Red Arrow Marina.

Near Sailboat Bridge in Grove, The Pourhouse at The Regatta, is boat accessible via courtesy slips at Royal Bay Marina. Additional courtesy slips are planned at The Regatta. Nearby Waterside Bar & Grill located in Grove’s Wolf Creek area, also has available courtesy docking. At the other end of Grove, courtesy slips are available at Honey Creek Landing Marina for access to The Parrot restaurant & bar. Mulligan’s, located at Grove’s Patricia Island Country Club, also has courtesy slips and shuttle service available. Mulligan’s is a private club and restaurant, but is open to the public on Sundays.

Popular raft-up spots on Grand Lake are Courthouse Hollow, Woodard Hollow, Grays Hollow (Dripping Spring), and Check-In Bay. If you don’t already have Grand Lake boating friends, you’ll make plenty of fun friends at any of those popular raft-up spots.

There is a variety of outstanding clubs and restaurants all around the Grand Lake area; but it is always faster to get around the sprawling lake by boat than by car – and Grand Lake boaters are privileged to have many outstanding dining and drinking venues available without ever getting in your car. Grab a helpful Grand Lake map at any marina and take advantage of dining and drinking access – by boat!

Where would we be without the love of our pets? Each day my pups wake me up, no need for an alarm clock. Each evening they keep me warm—no need for a blanket. When I am sad, they comfort me. When I am happy, they dance with me. When I take walks, they follow me. When it’s time to play, the world stops, and the ball flies. When I am scared, they protect me.

February 20th is World Love Your Pet Day, and this week we are celebrating with the Shangri-La Resort Pets. Our pets are a gift, and we love them unconditionally every day. Still, it’s nice they have days during the year to be recognized for their loyalty and selfless love they give to us each day.

Please join us in celebrating your big or little ball of fluff.

If you are new to a particular lake – or new to boat ownership – choosing the right marina to store your boat is an important factor in ensuring a trouble-free, hassle-free, FUN boating experience. It is easy to find an available slip, but it’s important that you choose a marina that has the other available amenities to fit your boating lifestyle.

Before signing on the dotted line for an annual slip rental, check to make sure your marina matches your needs. Do they have readily available service technicians? Do they sell the fuel that your boat uses? If your boat is equipped with a head, do they have pump-out facilities to properly dispose of your waste? Are they open year-round to ensure a watchful eye on your boat during the off-season?

Those are the basics, but in our 21^st century lifestyle demands often leave us longing for other amenities that may not occur to you before you sign that agreement. Do they offer free WIfi, for example? Does each slip have water and the proper electrical hook-ups your boat may require – 110, 30-amp, or 50-amp power capability? If you boat at night, is there sufficient lighting to safely dock your boat at night? If you are a year-round boater, make sure your marina offers the services you may require in the off-season. If you are not a year-round boater, double-check to make sure someone is available regularly in the off-season to keep an eye on your investment.

When you come in off the lake, that is not the end of the lake lifestyle. You may want to make sure you have ready access to food and beverage options. If you are a year-round boater, it may be important that those dining & drinking facilities are available to you in the off-season, as well.

If you are in a live-aboard style boat and you stay on the boat overnight, the marina night life may be important to you. You may enjoy live music, for example. Or, you may not want to be subjected to music late at night. Boaters in small boats or open-style boats without cabins may want a safe and comfortable place to clean up and change clothes before heading to their next stop. Even those with live-aboard boats often prefer not to use their onboard shower facilities. Does your marina have available showers and/or changing rooms for slip renters?

You will likely find it important that there is a Ship Store or retail establishment in or near your marina that can accommodate your need for last-minute items you may have forgotten – bathing suits, jackets, footwear, phone chargers – not to mention the things you really need for every boating experience: ice, beverages, snacks, replacement batteries, life jackets. Again, if you are a year-round boater, check to ensure that those “necessities” are available to you throughout the year.

If you are considering a marina affiliated with a club facility, check to see the cost and benefits of that facility. Some require memberships prior to renting slips. If so, make sure the club is one with which you are comfortable and that you understand the additional related cost requirements.

If you have frequent guests aboard your boat, but have no ability to house them overnight, you may want to make sure there are nearby hotel/motel rooms or rental cabins or homes available to ensure that your guests are as well taken care of throughout the night as they are while boating during the day.

Most importantly, meet the marina manager. If you have questions, be sure to ask them. If you are going to leave the lake entrusting someone else to care for your property worth tens of thousands – or hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is important that you be comfortable with their plans to look after your investment. Amenities are important – but reputation and trustworthiness are everything!

Once you have selected the boat that fits your lake lifestyle, it is equally important that you select the right marina home that provides all the necessities, both for your boat – and your family