Time flies when you are happily married and having fun with the love of your life. And now you’ve made it to the first milestone, 365 days later…so how do you celebrate?

There are so many great ways to mark this special occasion, aside from going out to dinner at your local neighbourhood haunt. And Granny Mouse Country House & Spa General Manager, Sean Granger, has just a few ideas to save you from having a borderline boring anniversary plan, and wants to help you come up with some ideas that could be just the best thing to do on your anniversary.

Get away from your daily routine and savour your special time together, and maybe look at revisiting your honeymoon spot, which will bring back so many great memories. Or even go back to where you got married, and, if possible, spend the night there.

Spoil yourselves, and enjoy a couple’s spa day – what better way to relax, connect and enjoy time together in a serene, quiet environment.

If you are an adventurous couple, take out your bucket lists and see what you both would love to do together. It could be something that gets the heart pumping. What about doing something you both haven’t done before, like shark cage diving, zip-lining or taking a dance class together.

If you are lovers of nature, head to one of many places where you can be one with nature. We have so much on our doorsteps, and with beautiful weather pretty much all year round, get out there and spend time loving it.

If you and your partner want to make a difference, what about spending the day doing good for others together?

The first year anniversary gift is paper (tradition) or if you are a bit more modern, a clock. So, instead of giving a watch or clock, why not create an anniversary journal, capturing the best moments of the first year? This gift will sure to be a treat, and appreciated, and you get to relive these moments year after year.

If you both consider yourselves wine connoisseurs, or just want to do something a little different by learning about wines, Granny Mouse has just the offering. With over 4 000 bottles of South African and International wines in their cellar, specifically temperature-controlled and situated underground, this provides the opportunity to enjoy a private function, wine tasting and, even more special, a wine-and-food pairing, created by the culinary artists at the Mouse House.

There is so much that you can do to make another memorable memory, and it’s not about spending loads of money on gifts, as the gift of time spent together makes it that much more special.

Go to www.grannymouse.co.za to create more memorable magic moments together!

There’s a big difference between dry and dehydrated skin, yet both tend to feel the same— DRY!!!!

The Granny Mouse Spa team wish to share some observations on how to tell if your skin is dry or dehydrated? Try the pinch test! Pinch a small amount of skin on your cheek, abdomen, chest, or the back of your hand and hold for a few seconds. If your skin snaps back, you’re likely not dehydrated. If it takes a few moments to bounce back, you’re likely dehydrated.

Dryness refers to a skin type, while dehydration refers to a skin condition.

While both dehydrated and dry skin can feel the same, there are some significant differences between the two. It could be the skincare products which are just not doing the job for your skin.  In a nutshell, dehydrated skin is lacking in water, while dry skin is lacking in oil.

Dry skin is a skin type, and it’s something you’ve always had. Dry skin happens when your sebaceous glands don’t produce enough oil and this affects the skin on your entire body not just your face.

Dehydrated skin however is more of a skin condition and it can come and go depending also on the season. It occurs on every single skin type and can also include dry skin. The factors that cause dehydration could be your environment, weather, diet, and of course not drinking enough water.

Sometimes however, even when you drink sufficient water daily it’s just not enough. This could be due to the electrolytes which help bring the water to your cells. So, if you are drinking lots of water and not seeing results and your skin is still dehydrated, maybe patch in with your doctor to check your potassium levels.

Also, in the instance of dehydrated skin, you may have it that your skin looks oily but feels dry, and due to be dehydrated, it will try to produce more oil to compensate.

If your skin is feeling dry but you’re not sure if it’s just your skin type or because you’re dehydrated, there are some key things you can look for.

Your skin might be dry if you experience:

• Red, aggravated, flaky or itchy skin
• Arms, legs, scalp, and body skin is also dry
• Moisturizer absorbs quickly after applying

Your skin might be dehydrated if you experience:

• Your skin feels stretched or looks dull
• Your skin might feel and look both oily and dry
• You’re having more breakouts
• You notice more fine lines
• Under eyes may look darker and more sunken
• Up close in a mirror, skin may look like cracked

If you have dry skin, the following can help:

• Use A Moisturizer – make sure that you consult with a Granny Mouse Spa team member who can help you with selecting one for your skin type. Moisturizers help dry skin by providing a protective barrier.
• Avoid scolding hot Showers – Hot water removes the oil from the skin, so using warm water instead, is the way to go.
• Stay Away From Harsh Cleansers – Try using a cleanser that is cream-based and formulated with dry skin in mind and again consult with the “Mouse House” spa – they do advise that you avoid cleansers that contain fragrance and alcohol.

If you have dehydrated skin, the following can help keep your skin hydrated:

• Use a gentle cleanser and warm water and NOT hot – Similar to dry skin, you’ll want to avoid using hot water, and choosing a cleanser that is designed for dehydrated skin is best.
• Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol – These two are some of the worst things for dehydrated skin. Both act as diuretics, which deplete the body of its water content.
• Stay Away From Scrubs – Exfoliation is essential for both dry and dehydrated skin. For dehydrated skin, though, you’ll want to avoid an overly gritty scrub. Instead, you might look for a fruit enzyme that exfoliates.

Visit the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa team to see which treatments would be best suited for you at https://grannymouse.co.za/our-spa/