Save this spring with Groupon Coupons!

Sponsored Post (This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.)

Y'all know how much I love Groupon. I wrote a post a few years ago about how I used a Groupon to get a massage locally and a few times I've mentioned how you can get JulieG by Jesse's Girl Cosmetics polishes at a really awesome deal price through Groupon. But did you know that in addition to having amazing deals for over 500 cities and 28 countries around the world, Groupon also has a whole section dedicated to coupons?

JulieG Cruise Collection on Groupon!

Affiliate Link
YAY! I had a little birdie tell me that the new JulieG Cruise collection was going to be on Groupon and now here they are!  For the next week, you can purchase all 6, SHIPPED (in the USA) for $12.99. That's a fantastic deal.

Edit: Yesterday when I went to check out, the price was $12.99 with free shipping. This morning, I was shown shipping was $2.99 but no tax. Right now I was showing shipping of $2.99 and tax of 99 cents. So it's not $12.99 shipped - there is shipping and tax based on your location.

The fantastically love Leslie from work/play/polish provided all the swatches and a review on her blog - in case you wanted to see more but don't let this deal sell out before you get yours!

The Groupon Link is my affiliate link where I will earn $10 in "Groupon Bucks" if you click my link, subscribe to Groupon and make your first purchase.

JulieG is on Groupon!

Affiliate Link

It's true! If you missed out on the JulieG Gumdops pre-sale or you don't live near a Rite Aid, Groupon has an amazing deal for you.  All 6 polishes are now available for $12.99 + $2.99 shipping.  If your purchase is over $15, then shipping is free.

I have my own Groupon Affiliate Link here. Using this link will earn me $10 in Groupon Bucks (to be spent on Groupon) if you purchase something over $10 within 72 hours of you signing up for Groupon.

If you'd rather purchase JulieG Gumdops without my affiliate link here is the page for that.

Either way, you can't go wrong with this price!  Speaking of, the price was strictly set by Groupon - Jesse's Girl had no control over how much Groupon was going to price this collection.

Groupon: Stress Free Massage Therapy - Corpus Christi, Texas

I have another Groupon** posting today.  Last month, there was another massage Groupon in my local area (still 45 miles away) but instead of buying three like last time, I only purchased one.  This was for the Stress Free Massage Therapy at 4925 Everhart Road, Ste. 121, near McArdle in Corpus Christi, Texas.  For $30, you received a 60-minute deep-muscle therapy (a $70 value) or for $45, you received a 30-minute massage of your choice (a $45 value) and a 30-minute coconut-lime feet retreat (a $45 value; total of $90 value).  I went for the 60-minute deep-muscle therapy for $30.  There were 228 Groupons purchased.


Stress Free Massage Therapy doesn't have a Facebook Page, but does have a personal account located here.  I had decided to drive to Corpus Christi semi-last minute so I didn't think I'd be able to get an appointment on the same day I was calling, but I tried anyway.  My call went to a voicemail and within 7 minutes, I was receiving a call back saying that an appointment was available at 2 p.m. (it was almost noon when I called).


This location is inside of an L-shaped one story business building - near the end of the building.  Unfortunately, the signage is located on a wall of the building that you don't see when driving up, so I spent a few minutes in panic trying to find it.  When I walked in, owner Johnny Valenzuela was calming waiting (and reading a Bible sitting in the waiting area) and warmly welcomed me.  The waiting area has a couple of chairs & a small table where I filled out my questionnaire.  We ended up talking for 11 minutes (I timed it) about Groupon, my walking boot/rheumatoid arthritis, and a bit about his business before we went into the next room where his table was set up.  Johnny and his wife love to help others, from volunteering at the soup kitchen, to massage therapy.  Their motto is "Great Strength comes from Faith in GOD".


The massage room was about the same size as the waiting room, high ceilings painted in a forest green with some inspirational words on the wall and a large mirror on one wall.  The mirror was a bit awkward when I was getting under the table because it was so large, but later it would be useful when making sure my makeup wasn't smeared.  (Thank you Urban Decay potion primer & eyeshadow and MAC mascara!)  There was a small wall hanger for my purse and a chair that I could put my clothing but no hanger (which I'm always iffy on hangers anyway - jeans can be very heavy when hung, but if I had on a nice dress shirt, I wouldn't really want to just throw it on the chair...) but he did have a hair clip available which was awesome since I forgot mine.  He gave me a few minutes to disrobe and get under the sheets on the massage table and said to just vocally let him know I was ready.


I had listed that I was having problems with my right shoulder and I had mentioned the edema in my left ankle/foot, so I was hoping those two places would definitely have more time spent on them.  The lotion that was used was very lightly scented (very appreciated) and had enough give to it that the massage was comfortable (unlike the oil from the last experience).  The pressure was just right and there weren't any distractions.  The ambient music was all instrumental and at a calming tempo with the right volume located near my feet, not my head so I could still hear if Johnny asked me about pressure or how I was doing.  The majority of my massage was done while lying on my stomach which was great for the sore shoulder and ankle which both did have extra attention given.  After the back/shoulders were done, he asked me if I would be okay with a hot towel on my back.  I said yes, and three towels were applied at an appropriate temperature before a final draping was added.  During the foot massage, I fell asleep (always a good sign).


For the final 15 minutes of my massage, I turned over and he asked what I would like focused on, and I mentioned the shoulder again.  He spent the whole time working my neck and shoulders (so they were evenly relaxed) and I definitely felt much better than when I walked in.  After he left so I could redress, I checked the time, and I received an entire hour of massage, even though we started over 11 minutes late.  A true testament for me that someone would honor the entire massage time, even when we didn't start on time.  (Please note that they do require you to show up for your appointment time.)


Upon exiting the massage room, I was offered a cold bottle of water and was not pressured to re-book or purchase any extra services.  This is especially valuable to me, as I was on a time schedule and don't like the pressure of purchasing more after a relaxing massage.


Unfortunately, this location does not take debit or credit cards, and I didn't have any cash on me whatsoever, so I was unable to leave a tip.  I did take a business card so I could mail a check in later (he does take checks).  While this is his business, he does have 2 female masseuses available as well.  When I asked him about a tip, he asked that I only leave a review on his website - that was enough of a tip for him.  I have one better - I'm going to be booking another session.  He does offer some price specials if you're a repeat customer (another great incentive) but that wasn't mentioned until after I said I wanted to re-book at a later date using his website.


Overall this location is definitely an A+ for me: relaxing atmosphere, knowledge and polite masseuse, and great customer service.


Stress Free Massage Therapy has a policy that if you are not satisfied within the first 15 minutes of your massage session, you may request to end the massage and you owe nothing.  They are open week days from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m and you may call or use their online form to request an appointment.  


Disclosure: The services in this post were purchased by me through Groupon.  Stress Free Massage Therapy did not know I would be blogging about my experience but will receive a copy of this blog posting via Facebook message & on their Reviews section of their website.  For more information, please read this post.

**The above following link is a referral link.  I will receive $10 if you sign up for Groupon using my unique link.

Groupon: Island Day Spa, Flour Bluff/Corpus Christi, Texas

Let me start by saying I love Groupon**.  It's really taken off in the past 6 months, offering everything from restaurants to cruises!  Back in December, my local area was having a 1-Hour Swedish Massage to the Island Day Spa for $35 ($70 value) as well as a 1-Hour Microdermabrasion with Facial for $60 ($125 value).  Over 122 of them were purchased - three by me (2 of the massages, 1 for the microdermabrasion).


Because this location is over 60 miles northeast of where I live, I've put off using them until the last moment.  I was going to use one of the massages for myself and the other massage and microdermabrasion for my Mom.  With the expiration date fast approaching, I decided to call last week to see if we could schedule all 3 services for one day and was told we could (great!).  Wednesday, I called again to see when we could get all 3 services scheduled and surprisingly their schedule was pretty open.  It took a total of 3 phone calls before I finally got everything scheduled because I had to coordinate with my Mom but finally it was done.  I was semi-interested in having an extra service done because my Mom was scheduled for 2 hours, and I was only scheduled for 1, but I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted, so I just said I'd pass on anything extra.


Now, by no fault of their own, the Island Day Spa is showing up in the wrong location on Google Maps and on the Groupon iPhone app itself.  I'm glad I left early because where the map said this location was and where the spa actually was were a few miles apart from each other (it's located OVER the JK Causeway, but the maps had you take a turnaround before getting on the bridge).  I do wish their website had some kind of map or directions on it.


When we got there, we walked into a naturally lit front area that had AVEDA products on the left with their receptionist table and two chairs to wait in, and their manicure & pedicure stations on the right which were richly draped in red and black fabrics and did look very luxurious.  They had the OPI Texas Collection out and I snuck a look at some of their other polishes - a few CNDs (old design) and a bottle of FingerPaints and even a couple of Essies in the background.  Colors were all fairly new and recent collections.  The back half of the spa was sectioned off by partitions with fabric and pretty dimly lit.  I did visit the restroom which had slightly damp toilet paper (which was kind of weird - still not sure why), and an area to get spa sandals and they had one white robe hanging up.


We were given forms to fill out and offered something to drink.  They ask that you speak quietly and turn off your cell phones.  The place had a neutral fresh smell (remember, AVEDA products) and was playing vocal New Age/World music.  We were asked who was getting what service and if we'd like to add any services today but we both declined.


Here where things got a little...  uncomfortable.  While my Mom's massage therapist was there on time (and we were 10 minutes early ourselves), my massage therapist was over 15 minutes late.  Instead of starting my Mom's service, they had us both wait until my MT showed up.  When she did, I was taken into a room with a door, but my Mom was taken into one of the sectioned off areas in the back that is only covered by a curtain.  I changed and was told there was a place to hang my clothes behind the door but it was actually an oversized beach bag that was hanging from an over-the-door hanger.  I folded my clothes and put them inside, but it would have been nice to have a hanger available.  I laid under the linens and waited another 6+ minutes for my MT to come back in.  The music was being piped directly in the room so I went through 2 songs (which is where I'm getting my 6 minutes from).  I would have preferred something less vocal and more organic in the music, but that's a personal preference for all.


My MT came in and started the massage.  The lotion that was used was not very thick or moisturizing for me - it was almost like a dry oil that was completely dry on my skin by the time we left the spa.  I had listed on my form that I wanted a firm massage with some focus on my hurt right shoulder and hurt left ankle.  I need to mention that within the first 5 minutes, her cell phone started vibrating.  It was quite loud and ON her physically, so I had to endure that for a good 30 seconds.  She started with my back and sides, then moved to the shoulders and arms, down to the legs and then asked me to turn over.  No special attention was placed on either my right shoulder or left ankle and while the pressure was okay, it would definitely not be called "firm", especially for a Swedish massage.  Once turned over, my shoulders again were massaged, then moved into the aromatherapy lotion on the face (which did smell good) and scalp massage where I actually fell asleep.  I woke when she moved to my arms and then my legs and finally the feet where I fell asleep again.  The one thing that was uncomfortable for me here was that while she was massaging my legs, she would put the bottle of lotion between my legs over the sheet, weighing down the sheet.  It was just a bit uncomfortable - most MTs I've been to wear a belt that allows them to have their lotion attached at all times.


The massage felt entirely too short when she covered my feet back with the sheet, but I always say that.  I was asked again if I'd like a facial, manicure or pedicure but declined again.  While I did feel better, I still had some ankle pain and some shoulder pain - but since no extra time was dedicated to either, I expected that.


I got dressed and walked to the front, hearing my Mom's voice from another sectioned off area where she was getting her facial.  Because the Groupon did not cover any tax or gratuity, I wanted to make sure I took care of that before she was finished.  I tipped 20% on the original price of my massage (not what I paid for it), 20% on the original price of my Mom's massage and 12% on her microdermabrasion original cost (a math error on my part because I forgot how much it cost).  In all, I paid an extra 35% on what the Groupons cost - more than I normally tip but what I felt should be fair for spa services.  I wasn't even through an entire magazine before my Mom was already done.  We were thanked for our time and walked out.  I hadn't looked at the time at this point and my Mom asked me if they offered me a discount or rebate.  She HAD been watching the time, and her massage didn't start until after 1:25 (because my MT was late), and it was stopped at 1:55 because her esthetician was "ready".  My Mom didn't receive a scalp, hand or foot massage which she really likes those three.  This means that my massage was also approximately 30 minutes long instead of the hour that was scheduled.  In addition, we left the location before 3 p.m., so she did not get an hour long facial/microdermabrasion either.  Now, that may just be the alloted time in case of any problems, and not the actual procedure time but I don't have the answer for that.


At this point, I was ready to walk back in there and ask to see the manager but we were both tired and wanted to drive home.  Plus based on this experience, neither one of us wanted to make the drive again to this location.  While I mostly enjoyed the massage, I'm extremely disappointed in the actual execution, especially not being given our entire time for the massages.  I spent more time on the road than I did on the table (which was going to happen anyway), but knowing that I only got half my services was frustrating.


Would I go again?  Probably not.  The drive alone was a bit much when I can go somewhere closer in the city and there is one MT in my town that always pays close attention to what you say is ailing you at the time.  I almost want to go again to check it out, possibly using a Groupon and NOT tipping so much (I need to watch the time, etc) but at this point, I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth.


Disclosure: The services in this post were purchased by me through Groupon.  The spa did not know I would be blogging about my experience but will receive a copy of this blog posting via US Mail.  For more information, please read this post.


**The above following link is a referral link.  I will receive $10 if you sign up for Groupon using my unique link.