Review: The Dome Retreat Day Spa, Marriott, Brisbane, Australia

When I was invited to review The Dome Retreat Day Spa at the Marriott hotel during our recent stay, I was super excited as well as little nervous. I don’t usually enjoy being pampered in this way but my experience left me feeling rather relaxed. More importantly it left me open to the idea of going again and again.

The first thing that hits you as you walk into The Dome Spa is the smell of heavenly essential oils. The key indication that you are in an oasis or in this case a beautiful retreat.

So what happens? Well first I am shown to my locker, handed a dressing gown and told to strip down (this is where the palpitations usually start). But I was feeling calm, relaxed and safe under my dressing gown. I was so safe I couldn’t help but slip a pair or paper undies (to amuse my mother with) in my pocket even though I was having a facial.

I was treated to a Classic Spa Facial which was soothing, refreshing and cleansing all rolled into a ball of relaxation.

The only thing I didn’t like was the upsell, before my naked bottom even touched the bed. Sure I know I needed the works and not just a classic facial but no matter how much extra I paid (even though mine was free) there was no way in heck they were going to make my skin flawless and radiantly young. After all, I was going to go home and probably use Dora bath wash to cleanse my face and a weekly face scrub is when my little boy runs his toy cars over my head.

Next time I think I will try the Caviar and Champagne package as long as they let me lick the Caviar off my face when they are finished.

So overall a pleasent experience , the staff were nice, (music a little annoying) and best of all were the toilets where no children could knock on the door and say Mummy Mummy are you doing wee wee or poo poo?

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I’m in deep denial about the fact that new year is almost upon us again! It’s been the fastest and the longest year at the same time, and I can look back and see some good things as well as some things I wish had gone differently.

Doing a year in review with your kids — whether in the classroom or at home — is a good way to capture some of their memories and the things they really liked about the year gone by.

There are a lot of different printable year in review worksheets you can use if you want to make this super easy. Here are links to a few (often part of larger posts about NYE celebrations with kids that are worth a read, too):

Teach Beside Me has lots of fun printables fro the end of the year, including a year in review that covers favorite memory, funniest memory and the best book they read, among other topics.
NurtureStore‘s version has space for a self-portrait and prompts like favorite toy, best day out this year and future dream job.
Remember favorites, their “best idea” of the year and have room for setting goals for next year with this one from The Keele Deal.
The year in review from Yes We Made This has room for drawing or writing and includes things like something they learned, a memory they made and a place they visited.

Of course you could pretty easily make your own year in review for the whole family to do that asks questions based on what you most want to remember. (Favorite video game? Best friend? Favorite family memory?)

And if after the year in review you’re ready to look ahead a bit, Mrs. Merry has new year’s resolution printables to inspired kids to look ahead and set goals for things they want to try. You can totally fill this one out as a grownup, too.

[Photo: Mrs. Merry]

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