Spa water.  Magically better because of some fruit or veggie slices.  It feels posh and luxurious and extra relaxing to sit in those fluffy robes while sipping spa water. 

But here's a secret girls...it's super easy to make at home.  I make pitchers of it all the time.  And I am using the word "make" and "recipe" rather liberally here, peaches.

Not only is spa water great at a spa, but it's perfect for a bridal or baby shower too.  It really adds a special option for those seeking something non-alcoholic.  I actually make it on a regular basis, just for my little self too.

So the standards are of course water with either cucumbers or lemon slices.  But other fun options, which were even picked up in Reader's Digest, for spa water are as follows...




* Creamsicle: Orange slices and one vanilla bean, sliced down center. 
* Blackberry:  Handful of blackberries, lime slices and mint sprigs.
* Garden:  Fresh sprigs of rosemary and/or basil. 
* Herbs:  Fresh sprigs of rosemary, mint, lemon and cucumber slices.
* Lavender Berry:  Blackberries or strawberries, fresh sprigs of lavender, and either slices of lime or one vanilla bean, sliced down center.
* Berry Basil:  Fresh strawberries, sliced (green tops on for aesthetics) down center and handful of fresh basil.
* Ginger Cream:  Slices of fresh ginger and one vanilla bean, sliced down center.
* Citrus:  Slices of oranges, limes, and lemons.
* Melon:  Slices of watermelon and limes.
* Tropical:  Slices of fresh pineapple, watermelon and lime.
* Mojito:  Sliced fresh pineapple, a slice or two of fresh ginger, handful of mint sprigs.
* Peaches and Cream:  Slices of very ripe peaches and one vanilla bean, sliced down center.

In all of the cases, the longer the water marinates, the better the flavors.  I tend to make a big pitcher before bed to enjoy the next day or two. 

The only things I would avoid are fruits that tend to mush easily.  Such as mango or raspberries.  In my opinion, the are too soft to withstand all the ice bumping against them.  After an hour, they will look less pretty and more like a a blob of mushy ick.  Not what you're going for, I assume.

And while I am not an organic only person (I firmly believe that any vegetable is better than no vegetable!), the skins of the citrus will be sitting a while in the water.  If possible, I recommend using an organic orange, etc in this case.  I mean, you really only need a small amount of the add ins anyway.

All of this can also be done using seltzer water but in that case, I would set out seltzer water and let guests add in their fruits.  The seltzer would lose it's fizz after a short time if you made a big batch before guests arrived.




Have yourself a glass of "I'm pretending I'm at the spa even though I'm really at my desk or cleaning up my messy house" water today!