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Ever feel like you are so stressed that you can't get up in the morning? You workout, you eat well, but day to day worries bring you down and there is no energy left? This is the time to get a nice relaxing massage. With Mimoza you don't need to make special preparations, just pick up the phone and give us a call at (044) 493 6201 and a massage therapist will be at your door, sometimes as soon as within one hour.

There are however a couple of things you can do while you wait for your therapist that will help you get the most of your massage appointment. If you follow tips below, you will get your money's worth and enjoy your massage to the fullest!

MASSAGE TIPS

By Anna Lynn Sibal

To make the massage a truly worthwhile experience, here are some tips to bear in mind.

1. Before the massage. When you make your appointment, make it a point to know exactly what kind or technique of massage that will be used on you. Know as much as you can about the massage technique and make sure you are comfortable with it.

Bring yourself into a frame of mind that will enable you to absorb fully the benefits of the massage you will be having. Clear your mind of whatever worries you before you show up for your appointment. If you can manage it, clear the entire day of your scheduled massage and devote the day instead for some relaxation and healing.

Be aware of what time your appointment is and show up early. Being at least fifteen minutes early is good. This will prevent you from arriving at the appointed place stressed out about the rush and the traffic, and it will also give you time for a shower or a soak at the tub, if these are available at the place you are going to.

If you know you are going to be late or you would be running to another place right after the massage, it would be better for you if you just reschedule the appointment. But before you do that, find out first the cancellation policy of the spa.

Do you want scented or unscented oil? Find out from the massage therapist what kind of oil she is going to use. If you are allergic to that oil or prefer something else, do not hesitate to bring your own.

2. During the massage. Always communicate with your massage therapist and be open with how you are feeling with regards the massage. You are there for your own comfort and relaxation, and so you should tell the therapist if there is something about the room or something that she is doing that you find uncomfortable.

Do you feel that the strokes the therapist is giving you too hard or too light? Speak up and ask her to change the pressure. Please keep in mind, though, that some massage techniques are supposed to be light, but you ought to ask her nonetheless.

Does a particular part of your body hurt and you want your therapist to pay attention to that part? Ask her to focus on it and she will concentrate most of her strokes towards treating that area.

Open your mind during the massage and relish the sensation of your muscles getting loosened and relaxed. Breathe deeply to make the cells of your body get the most out of the massage.

3. After the massage. A massage therapist will hand you a glass of water (or in case of Mimoza, a cup of tea) after the massage. Drink it to flush out the toxins that the massage released from your body. It would help a lot if you would spend the next hour after your massage on quiet and relaxing activities, such as a short and leisurely walk or a nap. Doing so will let the massage take its full effect on your body. A nice soak in warm water before you go to bed that day will help you feel more rejuvenated the morning after. 

Health Freaks Rejuvenate After the Holidays

What's On, #2(2008)

25-31 January, 2008

If you’re thinking it’s time to get in shape after a mammoth binge over the holiday period, then Kyiv offers you everything you need to do just that. There are plenty of gyms to choose from and spas are also becoming very popular. It’s been suggested that the word “spa” is an acronym of various Latin phrases, such as “salus per aquam” or “sanitas per aquam,” which mean “health through water.” Today, though, a spa is more than just water: it’s an entity devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body, and spirit. A spa is a great way to feel and look fresh, and it’s not going to break the bank.

One day of total spa therapy will cost you about 1000 hrv here, and typically includes different massage and water procedures along with natural cosmetic treatments. And don’t forget that these procedures make the most sense when they’re united with a physical exercise regime! Check out these What’s On-recommended spas and gyms to renovate yourself after the gruelling Christmas and New Year celebrations

Mimoza Mobile Spa

Tel.: 493-6201

This is the only phone number in Kyiv through which you can order a spa treatment to go – spa therapists will come to your house, your office, your dacha, or anywhere else. The team of cosmetologists and massage specialists will show up with all the equipment they need – bathrobes, towels, special underwear, candles, a massage table, tea, and even music. The quickest and the most popular procedure is the one-hour “Sweden” massage. Along with a facial treatment it will cost you 378 hrv. Spa-parties are ideal for a healthful weekend and it’s much more fun to trim down and detox in the presence of your friends! You can add a special body and facial treatment to your massage, too, or a coffee peel (219 hrv) and a Mimoza Tala-spa Slimming Body Wrap (329 hrv)– a body mask that promotes drainage of toxins while revitalising the skin, and culminating in a light and stimulating massage. Prices are mild but you pay the staff’s travel and equipment-transfer costs separately.

For more information go to www.mimoza.com.ua

International Women’s Club Kyiv Doing Good Work

The International Women’s Club Kyiv has been raising money for charity in the city for the past 15 years. Last year they raised $150,000 for good causes, and this year they hope to top $200,000. Their annual Christmas Bazaar, Ukraine’s biggest charitable event, will take place on Saturday 1 December and we caught up with Vice President - Fundraising of IWCK, Tanya Gabrielyan, to find out how it works, and how the money raised is spent.

The International Women’s Club is a global non-profit organisation with branches all over the world, all of which raise money for good causes. The International Women’s Club Kyiv was formed 15 years ago by Katerina Yushchenko and a small group of American women, and now it has 230 members from Ukraine and the rest of the world.

Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Vice President in charge of fundraising, Tanya Gabrielyan, has been living in Kyiv for ten years and is one half of a very charitable partnership as her husband, Ken Nachbar, is President of the Kyiv Lion’s Club. Tanya has held the position for two years, and explains IWCK has two main functions. “The club is designed to help ex-pat women integrate into the local community. It is a great way of making friends, and helps people feel at home here. We hold classes for members on all sorts of topics such as local customs and traditions and cooking. We give all our members our in-depth survival guide, and every new member gets a sponsor who takes them under their wing and shows them the ropes. All of this helps people feel at home here,” Tanya says. While the social side is important for members, the main function of the club is to raise money for charity, which it does very well. “IWCK has one of the most developed selection process when con- sidering charities to be supported,” Tanya explains. “The selection process is very rigorous. Only NGOs without any political affiliations can apply, and the organisation has to demonstrate it is able to raise a minimum of 15% of the requested funding itself.”

The club, using the slogan ‘People Helping People’, supports four main groups – children, the elderly, women and disabled people. One of the main causes it supports for children is Childhood Without AIDS. There is only one hospital in the whole of Ukraine that has a department for children suffering

IWCK has one of the most developed selection process when considering charities to be supported, from HIV and AIDS, and it had no facilities to cater for visiting families. The project is creating a family centre next to the hospital. IWCK also provides monthly food packages for the elderly, and has a number of soup kitchens where older people can come to get something warm to eat. In addition, it provides help to risk-group girls, and also provides psychological counselling and education to women who are suffering from domestic abuse. Finally, the IWCK has a number of programmes for disabled people such as Horses are our Healers, where kids with mental and physical disabilities go horseback riding, and Sunny Circle which offers early intervention classes and holidays for autistic kids. The IWCK holds two main events every year to raise money to support these important projects. The first, Evening with the Stars, takes place in spring and is an elegant dinner where lots of celebrities donate their time and belongings. Each table has its own star who brings things to sell to the guests and receives tips for keeping them entertained, all of which goes to charity. “Last year’s star of stars was novelist Andriy Kurkov who not only sold everything he’d brought such as signed copies of his books, and when he’d run out he started to sell the clothes he was wearing,” says Tanya, laughing.

The biggest fund raising event, the Holiday Bazaar, takes place next week and always does extremely well. “This is the largest charity event in Ukraine,” Tanya explains. “There are around 1,000 volunteers, with the vast majority of embassies participating, and we have around 4,000 visitors.” During the bazaar, every stand is manned by volunteers, and everything provided for sale, whether it be clothes, food or gifts is donated. In addition, the IWCK runs four stands which are a tombola offering various prizes, a boutique selling almost new designer clothes donated by the rich and famous, a white elephant stand with odd items and knickknacks and a Grand Raffle with fabulous donated prizes such as airline tickets, mobile phones vouchers for hotels and resorts and this year there is even a scooter up for grabs. The Holiday Bazaar is a real family affair with a kids corner which has fun events throughout the day to keep the children entertained while the parents hunt for those bargains. And remember, all the money raised goes to good causes and the heroines at IWCK do not make a penny for the huge amount of time and effort they invest in the event. So Saturday 1 December there is only one place everyone should be, and that is at the Holiday Bazaar where you can shop for some really interesting and worthwhile items at very affordable prices, have the chance of winning some fantastic prizes, and do it all content in the knowledge that you are helping those less fortunate than ourselves!

WORD WITH TANYA NACHBAR

by Larissa Babij, Staff Writer

Oct 04 2006, 23:51

Between organizational meetings for the International Women’s Club and impending travels, Tanya Nachbar finds an hour to meet me at Repriza to talk about running her own business in Kyiv. As much a listener as a speaker, the managing director of Mimoza mobile spa starts our interview by asking me how long I’ve been in Ukraine, before revealing that she herself is a native of Dnipropetrovsk. I never would have guessed, for in the multiple phone conversations we had arranging the interview, her American accent was flawless.

After graduating from university with degrees in psychology and English language, Tanya moved to Kyiv to start her career in investment banking. By 1998, she had taken a job with the World Bank, where she met her future husband. After sharing the trials of living abroad for many years, they were officially married in 2004.

“Because my husband is American, we tend to spend time with bi-cultural couples,” says the delicate-featured businesswoman with large, dark Armenian eyes. “He’s also involved in the Lion’s Club so we do have a lot of expatriate friends,” she adds.

After completing the World Bank project, the couple moved to Moscow. After two years, Tanya decided to go for an MBA in the Netherlands. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” she says, describing it as, “18 months, great life, very challenging, beautiful people – 150 people from 50 nationalities.”

A job proposition from American firm Johnson & Johnson lured her back to Ukraine. “It was a welcome opportunity to come back,” says Tanya, though she longed for staples like green vegetables and the Financial Times that she had grown used to in Holland.

“By the time we came back in 2003, we didn’t even have friends here because of the constant rotation in the expatriate community,” she remembers. Uncomfortable with the business ethics at her new job and with a Yanukovych presidency looming on the horizon, Tanya and her husband decided to move to the U.S. Then the orange revolution turned them back to Ukraine. They bought an apartment in Podil, promising, “Let’s commit for five more years at least, see what’s going to happen.”

The idea for her own business was born when Tanya received a professional massage as a gift. “For three hours I was pampered like I’d never been before,” she says, recalling the time she spent with the masseuse. “But at the end of it, I had to call a taxi and get into a cab, and the driver was kind of smelly and kind of angry, and my state of bliss just disappeared in a matter of minutes,” she laments.

Thinking of how to provide the relaxation of a spa without the hassle of traveling home, Tanya began researching the beauty industry and came across the mobile spa concept. “Having a virtual business could be a very good option from a business side,” explains the director, especially in a climate like Kyiv with exorbitant real estate prices and no functioning tenant protection laws.

“I think we have hit the jackpot with it,” says Tanya. Mimoza’s services, available since December 2005, are especially popular with Kyiv’s expatriates. “We are happy to see that, because the level of expectation is much higher, both for the standards of hygiene and the customer service, so we’re trying to deliver on that,” she asserts.

One of the first misunderstandings faced by the fledgling spa delivery service was the perception of a massage business not being an ethical business. “We did get enough calls to show us that people do not understand that a massage could be just a massage,” Tanya confesses. To keep things in check Mimoza has a strict ethical policy and code of behavior for staff. Depending on the package ordered, the spa sometimes sends a team of specialists to a client’s residence. “People were actually not very comfortable about letting someone new, someone strange into their homes,” says Tanya, explaining the need to continuously reinforce Mimoza’s reputation for reliability.

In business school, Tanya learned the value of networking. “I give away a lot of my time to charity. That gives me a platform from which I can introduce myself and my business. I’m not pretending to not be a little bit selfish about it. I want to do good things; I want to be a good corporate citizen; and I’m trying to balance those two,” explains the young business owner.

Tanya’s major charitable activity is the International Women’s Club. She is full of praise for the 250-member organization, where she currently serves as Vice President for Events and Fundraising. “It’s not just a club for wives who don’t do anything,” she says to dispel any misleading stereotypes.

“One of the things the club does best is it’s charity program,” says the VP. She is responsible for organizing the annual Charity Bazaar, which in one day raises around $100,000 for local causes. Thousands of people come to browse various country stalls sponsored by Kyiv’s embassies and stocked with native handicrafts and cuisine. This year, the bazaar will be held on Saturday, December 2. “I’m very excited about it and very stressed because I want it to be very successful,” admits the organizer.

In spite of her elegant, unfrazzled appearance, Tanya’s life is a whirlwind of activity. She chides herself for not keeping a more disciplined beauty regimen as a representative of Mimoza. However, she keenly follows the latest spa and beauty trends. Before launching any new services, Tanya vows, “I always test them. Not one service goes on the menu without being tested by me personally.”

She stays physically fit by going on bike rides with her husband and the three-year-old black lab they recently adopted. Biking around Kyiv can be dangerous, but Tanya reveals, “Our favorite place is Park Druzhby Narodiv over Moskovskiy Bridge.” Relatively free of cars, it’s safe for bicyclists and their pets.

Tanya and her husband are also devoted to his two children who live in Portland, Oregon. “We go very regularly,” she says, “because we are trying to maintain a very close relationship with them.”

However, Tanya regrets not spending more time with her parents and younger brother who still live in Dnipropetrovsk. “Oddly, the closer you move, the less you see of your parents,” says the frequent traveler.

When I remark on Tanya’s lively schedule, she responds, “This is the time to do it. We’re young, we’re energetic, we want to make a difference, make money to be able to retire.” The optimism driving her attitudes and hopes for the future strike me as unmistakably American, just like her accent.

WOMAN OF THE WEEK

Vsya Nedelya
June 08, 2006
By Kseniya Putilina

A true professional and a business lady Tatyana Nachbar was at the peak of her career when she decided to change her life and start from scratch. An act like this by itself requires courage and strong character which was especially important in Tatyana’s case, since she decided to launch a business in an entirely new area.

Tatyana decided to devote herself to what is believed to be an ultimately feminine business - to open a day spa. Not a regular one though – a mobile spa.

Mobile spa is a hot new trend even for such sophisticated market as the US. That is why we are particularly happy to see that we are in sync with the world’s wellness industry.

Mimoza Mobile Spa… The name itself evokes feelings of relaxation, brings to mind sweetness of the fresh spring flower - mimosa. Keeping up with this romantic mood Tatyana told us how she started running her business, let us into the secrets of spa philosophy and its advantages.

Yes, my husband and I planned to move, we even started shopping for a house, but then the “Orange Revolution” took place. We had been awaiting this for such a long time. So why leave when it finally happened? We had a feeling that life here would become more interesting. So we stayed. And even though the changes, to be honest, are not as impetuous as we expected, we still think it was a good idea. We made a choice to be where we wanted and do what we wanted. By the way that was when I started thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.

Any corporate career is a kind of a “rat race”. You run for the bait and once you get it a new race begins for a bigger and more attractive bait. As a result you run faster and faster and your life simply goes by. It was a turning point when I realized that and decided to stop.

Actually there is nothing mysterious about it. A friend of mine as a birthday present gave me with an invitation to enjoy some spa services. It’s worth mentioning that she used to run her own day spa in Cyprus and performed a variety of services herself. So, I came into the room where she created a soothing spa atmosphere (complete with candles, stones, music, hot tea etc.). What followed was an amazing and luxurious experience – I was enveloped in different aromas, enjoying a gentle massage and facial – I could not remember a more relaxing experience. When it was over, I had to take a taxi home and, in an instant, all my divine feelings evaporated… There was a strong smell of gas in the car, the driver began cursing somebody on the road and then, as a final touch, we got stuck in a traffic jam. By the time I was home the feeling of lightness and joy was long lost. Later, I started thinking about creating such a place where people could come and relax. I wanted to create something beautiful. So, during my research stage I came across the mobile spa concept which existed in the States. I thought – yes! – this is what we need! There is no more comfortable place than your own home!

What does the term “spa” embrace?

There are lots of theories. For me personally, spa is a state of soul, a philosophy, a style of delivering services. By the way, spa includes not only water-based treatments as some think. For instance, massage can have not only therapeutic functions but also relaxation, harmony of body and soul. Above all spa is the atmosphere.

We offer all services of one can find at a regular day spa: massages, facials and body treatments, manicures and pedicures, hairdressing and image services. But all these will be delivered to your location – our spa comes to the client! We also developed customized packages for some special groups of people, such as moms-to-be, travelers. Our most interesting product are the spa-parties.

Our spa parties are a way for friends or colleagues, or families to get together and enjoy first-class spa treatments. We not only bring our treatments and accompanying inventory (including state of the art massage tables, cozy robes and soft slippers) but also other elements to create a special atmosphere (flowers, candles, spa treats). We prepare special music playlists. If it is a Bachelorette Party, or any lively event, we can set-up a cocktail-bar and bring a DJ. The most important thing is that the client gets all services delivered to her location and on her terms. We have an extremely customized approach. If a client wants a quiet atmosphere, we will tiptoe, if our customer requires a more dynamic set-up – we will adapt our approach to reflect their wishes. Before a party, we discuss the menu of services, the style of the party. We can offer small party favors for spa guests, or custom-make T-shirts with pictures of the hostess or a guest of honor, etc.

Our partner hotels are ready to provide us with the accommodation for a spa-party. Radisson SAS and Senator Apartments are among them. We also intend to cooperate with Vozdvyzhensky Hotel. In general mobile spa can provide its services anywhere, for example, on a yacht or a boat, at a summer cottage or even in the office. Our designers are now working on developing a special spa tent that we can set up in your garden or back-yard.

Everything in our life becomes mobile, people are constantly moving, rushing somewhere. They want to get the level of comfort which brings more intimacy, privacy. Judging from our experience we can see that our residential and hotel clients appreciate anonymity and exclusivity of our services. When we are with the client, there is nobody else that exists for us - everything we do is meant exceptionally for you. There are no lines, no-one rushing you out, no-one to find out the secret of your beauty. I see the clients enjoying themselves and having fun with our services. Is there anything better?!

Mobile Spa

WHAT'S ON
No 19/2006 26 May - 1 June

Why go to the beauty centre when the beauty centre can come to you? The mobile spa is the latest form of treatment to have swept Kyiv's well-heeled trend-setters with a top of the range facilities being made available to be delivered to your home or, should you be so inclined, to the office. It may appear to the type of decadence that even Marie Antoinette would have balked at but it certainly makes more sense than to unwind at a spa only for the effect to wear off after five minutes of sitting in one of the capital's traffic jams. That's if you can afford it that is.

Valentine's Day gift ideas for the men in your life

by Yulia Boyle, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Feb 08 2006
[abstract]

From personal experience I know how hard it is to shop for men. Seriously, how many more times can you give your husband, brother, or boyfriend a belt, a business-card holder, or another “Simpsons” mug? Valentine’s Day is the toughest nut to crack: does a gray scarf, beige sweater, light-blue button-down shirt really say “I love you”? On the other extreme, you can’t bring yourself to give him a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

This year, why not try something different – something that breathes more life into this romantic day? Here are some ideas that could constitute quite refreshing and uplifting Valentine’s Day gifts for the man in your life. [...]

Mimoza Mobile Spa offers a romantic spa party for you and your Valentine with a chocolate massage, rose-petal bath, cocoa butter hand and foot treatment, and warm vanilla-sugar facials. If you want to give a “personalized gift,” Mimoza can organize a special Valentine pedicure for men (Hr 239) or an “Executive” manicure/nail grooming session (Hr 149) and scalp massage (Hr 69). So think twice before you buy that beige sweater: there are so many yummier options.

DID YOU ORDER A DAY SPA?

by Svetlana Ostrovskaya
January-February, 2006

Popular service enjoyed in the West is now available in Ukraine. All treatments that one can get in beauty salons are now brought to your home. A spa team will arrive at the appointed time and will bring everything to create a true spa atmosphere in your apartment, summer house, hotel suite or office.

At a quarter to ten my cell phone rang and a pleasant female voice informed me “We are already downstairs”. I started bustling around, it absolutely slipped my mind that Mimoza Mobile Spa arrives 10-15 minutes earlier to set-up the spa area. My plan was to spend this time in a shower.

Smiling Katya with a woven basket in her hands appeared at my doorstep. She introduced herself, changed her shoes and looked around. In a few moments a small tray with a Japanese-style tea-set was out. I did not have to do anything - Katya brought the steaming hot tea with her.

While I was changing into a snow-white bathrobe (included as part of a “spa-program”!) and cosy slippers, Katya put on Zen-music, lit candles and served herbal tea. Welcome to the Day Spa!

At the beginning I was asked to fill out the Client’s Form. The questions on the form were about my physical condition: injuries, allergies, frequency of cosmetological treatments, etc. For my aromatherapy massage I was offered a choice of five essential oils to choose from. Once all the formalities were settled, Katya asked the massage therapist, aesthetician and the nail technician to come in. The make-up artist was expected to arrive later.

I was anxious about where the mobile spa specialists will be while I am receiving treatments. Turned out I did not have to worry – mobile spa comes equipped with its own folding chairs and if there is a shortage of square meters they set up in your hallway or even in the bathroom.

I will not describe treatments here. It is better to try them yourself. All I will say is that there are about 100 specialists in Kyiv’s only mobile spa, sixty of which are massage therapists. You are sure to find a team that will fit your personal standards. Mimoza claims that only the best beauty industry professionals make it through their rigorous selection process.

• You don’t have to waste time in traffic jams on your way to beauty salon, wait for your turn to be treated, and then return home through snow-covered streets navigating through less than friendly Kyiv traffic. Not to mention the constant problem of smudged nail polish! Mobile spa will come to you wherever you are, and you will be pampered in your space and on your terms.
• You will not bump into other clients, as you do when passing from one treatment room to another in a regular beauty salon. Nobody will ever know the secrets of your beauty.
• You will be the center of attention. The next client will not come earlier. The spa team makes sure their mobile phones are switched off before they enter your apartment.
• Prices for mobile spa services tend to be lower than those in standard beauty salons. For instance, a 60 dollar mini spa-package includes a 30-minute back massage and a spa face therapy. Mimoza Mobile Spa will bring equipment (their portable massage tables are state-of-the-art!), professional beauty products (mobile spa makes it possible for you to use spa products that traditionally are limited to use only in salons), and day spa ambiance and decor!
• Everything is at your disposal – your bathroom and your cosmetics. At home you need not worry about contracting any infections. And if you trust only certain brands, you can ask your mobile spa team to use your own facial products, lotions and scrubs.
• Some treatments can be performed simultaneously. Such time saving is especially important for business women or young moms who are always struggling to find time for themselves.
• Ordering spa services together with your girlfriends could also be fun! Mimoza will bring its signature cocktails, and even spa-style snacks to your spa party if you wish.
• You may give mobile spa as a gift to someone – what can be better than making a gift of health and beauty! Mimoza will deliver its elegant Gift Certificates for free. Think about it when preparing for St. Valentine's Day this year!

• Spa-facilitator will recommend you to keep your valuables outside the treatment room. This may make you feel cautious at the beginning.
• People that you don’t really know will be there at your place. Despite the fact that each spa team is staffed with a spa-facilitator whose job it is to make you feel comfortable and taken care of, having several people in your apartment may be disconcerting. If this really bothers you, ask Mimoza to send a therapist that is trained to perform a variety of services – massage, facial and manicure. Mimoza has several such specialists in its database.
• Mobile spa services need to be booked in advance. Despite their novelty, Mimoza’s services are enjoying growing popularity. Mimoza encourages its clients to book at least a day before your requested service time (however, they may offer some same day appointments).
• Not all of us have apartments big enough to host a spa. To set up a spa-area you will need a room that has enough space to put up a massage table. A free space of 2 by 3 meters is required.
• You may not develop a perfect fit with your therapists from the first time. Your mood and energy levels are very delicate matters.
• You can’t order all treatments that are available in beauty salons. For example, Mimoza will not bring a tan-booth or a hydro-massage bath to your apartment.
• If you have pets they will need to be locked up for the period of treatment. (A tip for Mimoza – why not include pet massage into their service menu, some Western mobile spas already picked up this trend!)

Mimoza Mobile Spas for feel good inside - and out

by Yulia Boyle, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Dec 07 2005, 22:33

As a mother of two who works part-time, I am often desperately in need of a physical and mental boost, so I have looked for spas in Kyiv. However, the ones that I have found were either really expensive, with pretentious and overly exercised people giving me some impossible-to-reproduce advice, or really dirty and scary, where it crossed my mind that I could catch some sort of indeterminate disease there.

Thankfully we have reached a new level of comfort in Kyiv, where the recently launched Mimoza Mobile Spa service brings physically and mentally rejuvenating treatments straight to your home, office or any other locale. Even without trying it (I saw their kiosk at the IWCK Christmas Charity Bazaar), just talking to the manager of Mimoza over the phone, and looking at their very user-friendly Web site, this establishment seems refreshing and promising.

Tanya Gabrielyan, the managing director for Mimoza, gave me a run-down on the service, and the concept seems quite original: you do not have to drive through crazy Kyiv traffic or even step outside your home in order to be immersed in their magical healing, coziness and caresses. Mimoza Mobile Spa is a full-service spa with options for skin care, body treatments, massage therapy, manicures/pedicures, make-up and hair styling, and wellness programs.

Gabrielyan says Mimoza s hottest new trend is the Spa Party: friends get together to treat themselves to massages, facials, manicures/pedicures or the whole works; whatever they want. Whatever the treatment ordered, the best thing is that Mimoza people do everything from providing the equipment, linens and candles and more, and they offer robes and slippers as well as disposable undergarments for certain treatment sessions. They also bring their own music, herbal teas and aromatherapy supplies and even serve signature cocktails! You can also go crazy and get them to do as an added bonus a buffet of finger foods, drinks, as well as bring over a movie. Moreover, they recommend their services for team-building parties, client appreciation soirees, and for corporate wellness programs.

Mimoza Mobile Spa services are available a la carte, and prices for individual sessions start at about $30. Check the Web site for more details.

With Mimoza Mobile Spa up and running, the timing of their launch fits in well with the holiday season. With winter just starting and here to stay for the next few months or so, it's hard to imagine how anyone would mind such a treat, so consider a Mimoza Mobile Spa gift certificate for the ultimate stocking stuffer for men or women!