Island Finds

Relax, you're on island time, which should be sufficient to cast off your woes, be they mental, physical, or spiritual. It might, however, take just a little more to wind down completely. Fortunately, local shops offer a tantalizing selection of novel and tried-and-true stress-busters.

Fans of potpourri will find a large selection at Islander Trading Post on Periwinkle Way. The shop also carries many types of aromatherapy candles. "And we have very relaxing background music," adds employee Beau Stults. New CDs and cassettes by pianist George Davidson mellow shoppers out. 1446 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/395-0888.

At Heart of the Island Plaza, Arundel's offers Hallmark's new line of Serenity Cards, which come with such items as incense sticks, scented soaps, or scented bead candles. One card even includes an herbal foot bath made of tea tree leaves. The card says: "Hoping you'll feel the warming power of healing move through your body and mind today." 1626 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-0434 or 941/472-0430.

A cassette tape called Transcendence, with music written and performed by well-known local musician Val Parker, is available at Sanibel Chiropractic. Side one features "guided relaxation" with massage therapist Brian Healy, and side two features Linda Lee and her "Body Theater" meditation. 1717 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-0900.

In Tahitian Gardens, Spices & Spoons Bath Shoppe offers an anti-stress product known as Fizzmos, "mysterious objects that fizz your tub into a fazzmagoic bath experience." All the different scents are big sellers, according to employee Greg Miller. Love and Care makes a loofah body scrubber, and Body Kiss makes a back scrubber sponge. Also for sale are aromatherapy candles, and massage oil and creams. Aromastones' potpourri is made of "real gems, pure aroma oil, and terra cotta 'feelings' chips." 1993 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-5599.

The Mole Hole of Sanibel Inc. sells the Five Blessings brand of aromatherapy oils. The store also stocks "100-percent cruelty-free" aromatherapy candles in scents named Cinnamon, Dreams, Cleanse, or Eucalyptus. 2055 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-2767.

On Palm Ridge Road, Eckerd Drugs has a bonanza of relaxation products. The Ezy-Care eye pillow is made of organically grown flax seed to "block all light," and the Squeeze-Easy ball "massages sore hands and feet." A collection of wooden back massagers is also available. They are effective but "weird-looking," according to pharmacy assistant Jacque Dammann. The innovative Hot/Cold Medi-Tedi is a plush brown bear that can be frozen or microwaved for relief of kids' aches and pains. Healing Garden makes holistic fragrances for "mind, body, and spirit" and meditation tea candles. Cuddle with the Aromatherapy Kitty or indulge in the tub with bubble bath, gel, and bath salts or sands. Afterward, dab Pond's aromatherapy capsules on your temples, wrist, and neck. 2331 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel, 941/472-1719.

Across the street at Sanibel 5 & 10, stressed-out customers make a beeline for the Martian Popping Thing, a four-and-a-half-inch rubber doll. If you squeeze the doll's belly and eyes, its nose and ears pop out. The instructions say you'll "watch your troubles and frustrations fly out the door when you make this creature's features bulge out of his head." 2330 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel, 941/472-8288.

When it comes to music, "relaxation means different things to everyone," explains George Lawson, owner of the Disc Café on Palm Ridge. Customer favorites include "nature stuff" such as Dream of a Manatee, Whales of the Pacific, and Music To Disappear In. Another relaxing choice is Native American flute music by Alice Gomez. 2330 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel, 941/395-0446.

You can also find relaxing music at the nearby Sandpiper gift shop. It carries "wonderful music that's perfect for people who are stressed out. Or maybe they're driving in heavy traffic, for example," says owner Nola Francis. Particularly popular are the 20 different tapes and CDs recorded by pianist Newell Oler. 2330 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel, 941/472-4645.

A top-selling item at the Confused Chameleon on Andy Rosse Lane is the Diving Dolphin back massager. The dolphin-shaped device comes in blue, purple, green, or pink. "There's a big market for our relaxation products," according to owner Vanessa Lombardo. Her shop also carries aromatherapy candles and many kinds of wind chimes. 11528 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva, 941/472-0560.

Don't forget to treat yourself by creating an at-home salon with items from the Spa Boutique at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa on Punta Rassa. The shop features Dermalogica and Aveda botanical and aromatherapy products, and Aveda's Euphoric Candles. Flora Spa and Repechage offer sea-based self-exfoliation treatments and cosmetics. Try the spa mitt, a synthetic loofah sponge that conforms to the shape of your hand and body. In addition, the resort has its own line of hair, skin, and bath products, and aromatherapy body buffs and massage oils. 17260 Harbour Pointe Drive, Ft. Myers, 941/466-2156. -LG