Makeover Monday: Putting my money where my mouth is...

A few weeks ago I came home from the dentist in tears. I found out that I have a whole mess of work that needs to be done. Thankfully my teeth are fine... it is my gums that I am worried about. My six year old patted me on the back and told me not to worry. She had a plan...she knew what to do. "Just rinse your mouth with salt water, mommy. That will fix it." I stopped crying and gave her a big hug. I had whipped up that home remedy only the week before for her when she had lost her 3rd tooth. If only it were that simple.

Well maybe it is not that simple, but maybe a little simplicity is what I really need. So I'm looking around at natural options for my ailing gums and I'll see if they help. It won't be enough on it's own. I'll still need to get some work done. But perhaps I can avoid oral surgery for a while with a little TLC.

This week I'm going to try out a rinse that uses Chamomile tea, vanilla extract and lemon juice. I'll also do salt water rinses(per my daughter's orders) and look into other options as well. I'll continue to brush and floss like a maniac, and do all the gum massage that my dentist recommended.

I need to do this so that I feel good about myself. To me beauty is not about makeup or a fancy hair style. Beauty is about feeling good about yourself and taking care of your body. I need to stop neglecting myself and take the care that I deserve.

Wish me luck!

Jenn

Does anyone else know of any homemade mouth care remedies? Leave a comment and share them.

Makeover Monday: Poison Ivy.... a rash decision...

Sorry this post comes late this AM... I was awake most of the night struggling not to scratch this poison ivy that has been plaguing me. So this morning I have been hanging out with a paste of baking soda and water (is there anything this combination of ingredients doesn't do?) smeared on my itchy areas searching the web for pictures of rashes, but the truth is most rashes look pretty much the same to the untrained eye. So I followed it all with a LONG soak in an oatmeal bath while I prayed that the kids wouldn't destroy the house. Now I'm dry and wearing cotton clothing and I'm hoping that it'll will go away soon.

I've never had poison ivy before... I didn't even think that I was allergic, but since that is about the only thing that will grow in the drought and I've been exposed on numerous occasions it seems pretty likely. Wish me luck dear readers and be sure to hop on over to the Zany Housewife's Blog for a hilarious story about back waxing.



Cheers,
Jenn

Makeover Monday: Out of toothpaste and terribly unprepared edition

This weekend I got an unexpected break from my children after being stuck at home with them for almost 2 weeks with a mysterious illness. First one and then the other got a fever that lasted for 5 days. I had about 12 hours of fever free time between to run a few errands... they didn't even have the manners to get sick at the same time... so while I was nursing one sick kid the other was driving me crazy by running in circles and climbing the walls.

Thankfully by Saturday both kids were fever free and we got a chance to do a few fun weekend activities. We did a little geocaching and went to a friends birthday party. On Sunday we headed up to Austin to buy a new fish and have lunch with my folks... and that is where the unexpected break comes in. We had the wonderful pleasure of leaving both kids at my parents house overnight. It was nice to come home to a quiet kid-free evening.

The last thing I wanted to do with my free time was whip up a beauty treatment, so when I woke up this morning I had no idea what to write about. Then it came to me... I was out of toothpaste. So I went to my kitchen in search of the remedy. I had read one of the Zany Housewife's blog entries about how disgusting baking soda was... so I should have know better... but I was armed with a recipe and desperate after an evening of garlic rich foods, 1/2 bottle of wine, and then a cup of morning coffee.

I mixed together 1t. of cinnamon, with 2 t. of baking soda, and 2 t. of water to make a thick paste. I smeared some of this "oh-so-appealing" brown gunk on my toothpaste and brushed my teeth for as long as I could stand it. YUCK! My husband ventured into the bathroom to give it a try, but upon seeing it decided instead to to cut open the toothpaste tube and scrape out the last little bit of Crest.

Sure it tasted bad... but did it work? I got my answer with the quick, tight-lipped kiss my husband planted on me on his way out the door. Sure you can make your own toothpaste... but why? Now... Where is that mouthwash?

Cheers,
Jenn

Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me about your own homemade toothpaste experiments... and don't forget to visit the Zany Housewife.

I Love Making Soup.

I don't usually make soup in the summer. It is too hot this time of year to have a pot simmering on the stove for hours at a time. This week I was desperate, however. There has been a nasty bug going through my house. Both of my kids have run fevers for days on end and I need something to boost the ol' immune system... so I made chicken noodle soup.

I started out by making chicken stock from scratch. We had picked up a rotisserie the night before for a quick easy dinner... so the next day I pulled all the extra meat of the bones and put the bones and some vegetables in a stock pot with water, salt, pepper and a couple of bay leaves. I cooked that down for 3-4 hours and then strained out the big bits leaving behind just the broth.
After that I just added the leftover chicken, 3 chopped carrots, 3 ribs of celery, 4 cloves of minced garlic, and 1/2 a diced onion. I cooked it until the veggies were soft and then added in some fresh basil from the garden and 1/2 a package of noodles. I then seasoned it with salt an pepper. Once the noodles were cooked it was ready to go.

I love making soup. It is a great way to be intuitive in the kitchen. You just throw in a bit of this and a bit of that... The hell with measuring cups or spoons.

My oldest daughter is done with this nasty illness... but today I am stuck at home with the little one. Hopefully this illness will clear up before the weekend. I have plans to go camping and I'm itching to get out of the house. Perhaps it is time to make some more soup.

Cheers,
Jenn

Makeover Monday: I'm feelin' Just Peachy.

Who doesn't love a peach? Even if you don't like the taste... they smell so wonderful and they are soft and fuzzy. They are the cute and cuddly stuffed animal of the produce isle. Not only are they cute, but peaches are good for your skin. They contain fruit acids that exfoliate, plus Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which are both excellent for your complexion.

I woke up this morning with nothing for my Makeover Monday post. All I had was some watermelon and a peach that I had set aside for possible face masks. I planned to try one last night, but I never got around to it...frankly I was exhausted. My older daughter has been sick since Wednesday and while we tried to still have a bit of fun... most of the weekend was spent trying to entertain a whiny, bored kid. Poor thing... 5 days with a fever really sucks!

But back to my makeover post...The watermelon facial that I read about sounded super messy due to the watery nature of the fruit and it was something I was going to have to remain still for... and with two kids wanting breakfast and 6 year old whose fever had finally broken I couldn't imagine sitting around for 20 minutes... So I reached for the peach... and here I sit with a mashed up mixture of peaches and egg whites on my face writing about a beauty treatment I haven't even finished yet. In a moment I will pause, save my work, and head to the shower to find out just how well this peachy little face mask fares.

Thirty minutes have elapsed since I typed those last words. I have emerged from the shower... clean and peachy fresh. I'm dressed and ready to attack the day thanks to my morning peachy makeover. It is amazing how much better I feel. My pores are tight from the egg white, and my skin is shiny (but not in a greasy way) and bright.

The mask I used was made from one peeled and mashed peach and the white of one egg. I mashed it by hand... but it was still a little lumpy so I pulsed it in the blender for a few seconds. After that all I did was smear some on my face and then I went about my normal morning routine. My six year old even told me that it didn't look "that bad." Now that I'm rinsed and ready to roll I feel great! Thank you Makeover Monday!

Cheers,
Jenn

Makeove Monday: I'm bananas about this face mask!

We are always looking for a way to turn back the clock... a miracle cure that will make us young again... the fountain of youth. Isn't that what everyone wants? To tell you the truth I wouldn't turn back the clock for anything! I haven't spent 41 years on this earth for nothing. I've learned a lot of things, experienced a bunch of really cool stuff, and I have earned every wrinkle and gray hair that I have. Sometimes, however, I'd like to make those wrinkles just a little less noticeable. That is why I love my weekly pampering sessions.

This week while I was searching through books, the Internet, and finally my pantry...I found a recipe that was suppose to erase all those tiny lines that time has etched on my face and all I needed was a banana. And not even a whole banana....just a 1/4 piece of that little yellow fruit would be enough to make me look young again. What did I have to lose? My daughter had eaten half a banana earlier that day and so instead of putting the other half on the compost pile or freezing it for a smoothie I mashed it up and spread it all over my face.

It felt a bit sticky and cold (I had to dig it out of the freezer), but if it could erase my wrinkles I could endure the discomfort. After about a 20 minutes I rinsed it off and found that my skin was firmer and very soft. Was it the miracle cure that erased the wrinkles from my face? No not really... but it did make me feel good and my skin is thanking me for the extra care. I will definitely use this one again.

Cheers,
Jenn





Please leave a comment and feel free to link to a post about beauty, fashion, or anything that makes you feel beautiful... and as always stop by the Zany Housewife and read about her makeover misfortunes and triumphs.

Makeover Monday- Summer fun has not been fun for my skin or my hair.

The past few weeks have been jam packed with days in the sun, trips to the pool, late nights, and early mornings. All of this has had an impact on how I feel and look. Overall I'm having a blast and feeling great... but last night I took some time to at least repair a little of the damage that I've done to my hair and skin.

I've had a number of trips to a chlorinated pool lately and decided that before my hair turned green in protest I needed to do something about it. So last night I whipped up a mixture of the juice of a couple of limes, 1 t. baking soda, and a squirt of shampoo. I applied this to my hair and let it sink in while I shaved and showered. The original recipe used lemon juice and suggested leaving the mixture on for 30 minutes... but I probably left it on for about 10. My hair has been kind of dry lately and I didn't want to leave something that acidic on my hair for so long.

After I rinsed it out my hair felt VERY clean... squeaky clean in fact. I felt like all the product buildup was gone... but my hair also felt in serious need of some deep conditioning. I decided to do a hot oil treatment with some olive oil from the pantry. I heated it up in the microwave for about 20 seconds (checking it at 10 so it didn't get too hot) and then combing it through my hair with my fingers.

While my hair was soaking up all that oily goodness I decided to do one of my all time favorite facials... an egg white facial. I've covered this one before on Makeover Monday... but it's such a good way to tighten pores that I felt like it deserved a revisit. My skin has been so greasy from all the cheap sun screen that I smear on daily that I needed something to tighten up my pores and make my skin feel smooth and young. I also didn't want to let that egg yolk go to waste so I took the plastic wrap off my hair and added it to the oily mess as a bit of a bonus.

After the egg whites dried I washed my face and then shampooed the oil and yolk out of my hair before going to bed. I took a picture of my with oily goo in my hair... but it is too horrible to post here. I'm not usually shy about posting horrible pictures of myself, but trust me, this one is better deleted and forgotten.

This morning my hair looks pretty good. Usually after I do a hot oil treatment my hair lacks body for a day or two... but today it is nice and full and it looks like a lot of the damage has been repaired. I'm surprised to find that it is not oily at all. My skin feels a lot better too.

Now if I could only get a good nights sleep I think I would be back to normal. The next couple of weeks are going to be packed with birthdays and events... I turn 41 on Thursday, and my husband turns 40 the following week...but after that, perhaps I can catch up on my beauty rest.

Cheers,
Jenn

As always... grab a button, link up, and visit the Zany Housewife... She has a beautiful new hair color.

Makeover Monday: This Job is the Pits--Apple Cider Vinegar

Our first natural deodorant trial has come to an end. This week my husband used apple cider vinegar in lieu of his normal deodorant. I would have to say that for the most part it was very successful, but if you are looking for something that works as well as a commercial products it's probably not for you.

The smell when you first apply the vinegar is really strong, but that fades fairly quickly. While we were on vacation at the beach my husband commented that he smelled like a sweaty pickle. That said, I never had one of those "oh my god get the hell away from me" moments... In fact, I never really noticed his smell at all. I noticed the smell of vinegar when he first applied it, but since I use vinegar as a cleaning product around the house I associate that smell with clean. I tried it out as well. We decided to go to a State park one morning as part of the Texas Geocache challenge so I decided to put vinegar to the ultimate test by using it while hiking in Texas in July. I certainly was sweaty when it was all said and done... and while I wasn't odorless I wasn't stinky either.

My final verdict on apple cider vinegar as a deodorant is that you wouldn't want to use it as your sole deodorant if you were going to a job interview in the heat of the summer, but it works pretty well for recreational use. My husband's verdict is that while he didn't lose any friends this week he didn't make any either.

Other beauty uses for apple cider vinegar:

1. You can mix it with water to make a rinse for you hair. You can either use 1 c. per quart of water as a final rinse to remove product build up... Or if you have dandruff apply 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water and apply to scalp before you shampoo. I've even read that you can use it to treat head lice.

2. Add a cup of it to your bath for sun burn relief... or just for a soothing bath for softer skin.

3. Apparently it also works to lighten age spots. Just apply a little undiluted vinegar to you skin and leave it on overnight.

4. Keep a little in your medicine cabinet for use as aftershave or to treat blemishes.

Do you have any beauty uses for vinegar... do you have a natural deodorant story to share? If so post a comment and let me know about it.

Post a comment, link up, and be sure to visit the Zany Housewife. I hope everyone has a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Makeover Monday: This Job is the Pits!

My husband worked his last day for this school year on Thursday. Summer vacation has officially started in our household and it has already been an activity packed few days. I expected my husband to get off work on Thursday, pop open a beer, prop up his feet, and sigh with relief to know that his work year was at an end. Instead he surprised me by proclaiming "WoooHoooo! I don't have to wear shoes, shave, or put on deodorant for the next six weeks." THEN he popped open a beer, propped up his feet, and sighed with relief to know that his work year was at an end.

I'm usually pretty tolerant to his crazy plans and schemes... but I was about to respond to his proclamation with a predictable "you'll wear deodorant if you want to have anything to do with me for the next six weeks"... when that cartoon light bulb appeared above my head and an idea began to form. I asked my husband if he would mind being my Makeover Monday guinea pig for the next month and a half. He responded with an enthusiastic YES.

So dear ladies (and gentlemen) for the few weeks we are going to be conducting a natural deodorant experiment in the name of science. We will attempt to find out if any natural products really fight body odor... or if it's all just a bunch of hippy bull $h!+.

We started our little experiment yesterday. Our first trial is going to be apple cider vinegar. I read that the vinegar is suppose to kill odor causing bacteria. It won't stop a person from sweating, but it is suppose to keep your sweat from smelling bad. We also have plans on trying a mixture using baking soda and cornstarch, and then a spray using witch hazel and sage oil (which is supposed to be a natural antiperspirant). Unfortunately we will also have to have a week to set up the control where he wears nothing at all.

If anyone has a recipe for any other natural deodorants please feel free to email me or leave it in the comment section.

Wish me luck!

Cheers,
Jenn





As always leave a comment, post a link, and be sure to stop by the Zany Housewife's blog for more makeover mayhem.

Makeover Monday- I'm not so Loco about Coco-nut.

This weeks beauty treatment didn't really work all that well... and I was so excited about it too. I had a vision of myself with luxurious locks that smelled of tropical islands and conjured up images of sipping piña coladas on the beach. I think I even thought it might make me look better in a bathing suit.... How wrong I was!

What I ended up with was greasy lifeless hair that I hid in a bandanna while I stood in warm waist deep pool water and sipped a beer. As I watched the kids play in the chlorinated water my tropical dreams floated out to sea.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a can of coconut milk in the Asian food section while I was doing my weekly shopping. I looked for the purest coconut milk I could find... I stayed away from the alcoholic beverage section because the coconut mixers there included corn syrup (or worse) and were intended for making sweet mixed drinks. The recipe I had instructed me to refrigerate the milk overnight and then use the solids that accumulated on top as a hair conditioner. For some reason the coconut milk I had never separated.

It did thicken up somewhat, however, so I made do with what I had and smeared the creamy stuff all over my hair, covered my hair with plastic, and then sat back for 15 minutes with a cool drink. I washed it out like I would a hot oil treatment and yet I still ended it up with a lot of greasy residue in my hair. I washed my hair again the next morning... and it was no longer greasy... but the second washing seemed to strip my hair of any benefits that the treatment had to offer. In fact due to over washing my hair seemed more fly away than usual.

I'm not sure if it was the coconut milk I chose or if the coconut oil was just too rich for my hair type. I'm just thankful I didn't make the facial mask I was planning with this ingredient. I am going to have to do a little more research and possibly revisit this ingredient on another day.

So next time you dream of the salty sea air blowing through your hair while you sit in the shade of your umbrella on the beach... Put the coconut in your drink and NOT in your hair. You'll thank me for it later.

Cheers,
Jenn

Honduras trip 2010... The right way to enjoy coconut!

Be sure to check out the Zany Housewife for more makeover madness...

Makeover Monday- Holy Guacamole!

Avocado the beauty fruit! Not only do they taste wonderful but they are great for your skin and hair. The vitamin A in them helps the skin look more youthful. The vitamin B works to balance your skin's oil production. And of course you can't forget vitamin E which helps protect skin from environmental damage such as the sun and pollution (a big plus in the summer months).

I cut open a lovely avocado for my dinner the other night only to find that it was a little overripe. Since I couldn't eat it I decided that (at almost a dollar a piece) I couldn't waste it either. I set it aside and waited until the kids were in bed to whip up my beauty product du jour. I usually do my beauty treatments with my husband... but for once I was glad he was out of town. I know... I know... nothing says sexy like guacamole smeared on your face and hair, but I guess I'm just not ready to take that step in our relationship.

All I did was mash up the avocado with a little almond oil (to make it smell and spread a little better) and then I spread it on my hair, face, and neck. I wrapped my hair in plastic wrap and a towel and then I sat back and watched a movie while I waited for the avocado to work it's magic (10-20 minutes). It was easy enough to spread it on my hair, but I had a little trouble getting it to stay on my face. Next time I think I'll spend a little more time mashing it up. I might even mix in an egg or some other ingredient to make it more spreadable while adding more nutrients to the mix.

Like most of the kitchen treatments I've tried I have to give this one a thumbs up. It was a bit messy and it was really yucky looking... but it made my skin feel fantastic and it didn't cost me a dime (the avocado would have gone to waste if I hadn't smeared it on my face). It also tastes better on chips than any other treatment I've tried so far. So if you ever find yourself with some leftover guacamole after a party don't let it sit in the fridge and turn brown... spread it on your face instead. That way even if you wake up feeling like you overindulged the night before, at least you'll look like a million bucks!
Cheers,
Jenn

As always please feel free to leave comments or post a link to your blog. Also don't forget to visit The Zany Housewife... I'm not sure what makeover mayhem she's up to this week... but I look forward to finding out.

A Topo Chico Facelift for Makeover Monday

This weekend I had a wedding to attend. My husband was officiant at the ceremony and so we dropped the kids with grandparents for the rehearsal and then had a friend watch them the night of the wedding.

I don't get out much, so for the wedding I wanted to look my best. I decided that a little makeover madness was necessary and I didn't have much time.

I started with my hair. I mixed together a couple of teaspoons olive oil with a teaspoon almond oil. I added an egg yolk, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. I wet my hair and combed this gooey mess through my locks with my fingers. I then wrapped my hair in plastic wrap and a towel while I got dinner ready for the kids (about 15-20 minutes). After that I shampooed and dried my hair as usual. This treatment smelled fantastic and I loved the way my hair felt afterwards. The results were not nearly as stunning as when I made the cream cheese hair pack... but it smelled a whole lot nicer and the clean up was much easier. I'll definitely try this one again.

I was HIGHLY skeptical about my next treatment.. in fact I already had my blog entry all planned out. The treatment is called a salt face lift... and I must say that rather than being underwhelmed by the results I was extremely surprised. I certainly didn't look like I'd had plastic surgery or Botox (thank god), but my crows feet and laugh lines were much fainter. At a couple of months shy of 41 I actually got carded buying "wedding supplies." I've only been carded three times in recent memory and it has happened twice since I started Makeover Monday. Natural skin care rocks!

Here is all you do:
1. Dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt in 1 cup of hot mineral or filtered water (I used distilled water). The instructions said to boil the water... but I was low on time so I just heated it up enough so that the salt would easily dissolve. When water is warm saturate a cotton ball and apply to face. Leave for 5 minutes.

2. Next I saturate a cotton ball with ice cold mineral water (I used topo chico). I used gentle pressure on my face for thirty seconds to apply the cold water. It felt good to rinse off the salt.

3. Then I dried my face and repeated the treatment several times. I think that the sea salt is a little hard on the skin so this is a treatment that should be used occasionally and not everyday... but I suggest you give it a try.





After that I simply applied a little powder, some lip gloss and a little waterproof mascara (I always cry at weddings). I wore a dress I purchased at a vintage store for 5 dollars and a pair of shoes I bought on sale at Payless for 3.99. My whole look (including a face lift) cost less than $10 dollars.

Cheers,
Jenn

As always please leave comments and feel free to link up. If you get a chance stop by The Zany Housewife's blog. She may not make it to Makeover Monday this week because she is in the middle of moving... but check out her old Makeover Monday posts.

Makeover Monday:How I Made Fruit Salad into a Beauty Treatment, and a Whole New Way to Pull Taffy.

One night for dinner I was peeling fruit for a salad when I came across a kiwi that was too bruised to use. I set it aside with the hopes of finding out about the beauty benefits of kiwi. After dinner I looked around a bit and found THIS recipe for a hair mask. So the next morning I mashed it up with some yogurt and applied it to my hair. I wrapped a warm towel around the whole icky mess and shuffled about in my bathrobe to do my morning chores. Since the flies were already following me around I decided that a generous smearing of honey on my kisser couldn't make things any worse. For the next 15 minutes I did housework and swatted away insects. The final result was a bit underwhelming. Maybe it was the type of yogurt I used... or maybe kiwi isn't really all that great. The next time I have a hankering to smear dairy products in my hair I think I'll go with a full fat yogurt.


I also tried pineapple skin as a all over exfoliate. While I was cutting up pineapple I made sure to leave a little fruit on the skin. Instead of taking it straight to the compost I put it in a tupper ware for my evening shower. I used the inside of the skin (the outside would be far to rough) like a loofah for my evening shower. The pineapple juice mixed with the exfoliation power of the rough inner skin made me feel nice and soft all over.
Another beauty related thing I did this week was make this basket full of homemade beauty products for a friends birthday. I made lavender linen spray, lavender body powder, an herbal massage oil, an oatmeal cookie bath, and I crocheted a small disc to clean and exfoliate the face. You can read more about the crochet project on my Worth A Knit blog... I'll be posting instructions for this easy project later today.

To make the oatmeal bath you simply take one part baking soda to two parts oatmeal and then season it as you like with vanilla extract and cinnamon. Place it all in the blender and blend until it resembles wheat flour. If you are giving it as a gift simply put it in a bag and tie it with a ribbon. If the lucky recipient happens to be you then just throw the whole thing in a warm bath and enjoy.
And now for something completely different...

While looking at books about natural beauty products I stumbled across an interesting natural hair removal method. It is similar to waxing except instead of smearing unknown chemicals on your delicate parts you use a mixture of sugar, vinegar and water that you cook into a sticky paste. You apply it to your body and much like waxing you pull.
It is called sugering and HERE is a tutorial for making your own natural "wax". What I found funny about the whole process is that when I looked at the ingredients (2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup lemon juice... it looked a whole like the basic recipe for taffy (2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar).
Well May 23rd just happens to be National Taffy Day (I love meaningless food holidays)... so let's celebrate this Makeover Monday by giving the old fashioned taffy pull a whole new meaning!

I promise NOT to post my pictures... if you'll promise not to post yours.

Cheers,
Jenn



As always fell free to link up and don't forget to visit The Zany Housewife.

Makeover Monday- Rain Day Manicure

Another Makeover Monday is here and this past week I got a chance to spend some special one on one time with my little one to share a rainy day manicure together.

Thursday was a rainy day and we were stuck inside. Both of us were sick of movies and so we decided to do something special. I'm glad we were able to pamper ourselves in the morning because it turned out that my little girl was coming down with something. Later that afternoon she had a 103 fever and slept the afternoon away. That morning, however, she was all about the sparkly nail polish.

1. We started by cleaning our hands. We removed all our old nail polish and washed our hands. Then I scrubbed my hands with coffee grounds. L would have nothing to do with this.... but she told me that she didn't mind if I did it. All I did was remove the cooled coffee grounds from my coffee pot and scrub my hands all over. It left a residue from the oils in the coffee but it felt really nice.

2. Then we softened our nails and got our hands really clean by soaking them in some warm water with a nice lavender/vanilla bubble bath thrown in. L loved this part.

3. Next we pushed our cuticles back using a damp cotton swab.

4. We also trimed our nails and shaped them to make them even and strong.

5. Next I applied a hand mask. Once again little L. wanted nothing to do with it so I massaged a little sesame oil into her hands. For myself I simply combined a couple of tablespoons of warm cooked oatmeal with 4 to 5 drops of almond oil and spread this on my hands to dry. I sat there for about 15 minutes while we enjoyed a glass of lemonaide.

6. Next we took turns massaging cream into each others hands. She was very sweet and took her job very seriously.

7. After that it was time to apply the polish. I painted her nails a pretty shade of light pink and sadly forgot to snap a photo. For myself I tried to use a natural nail polish. I read that you can use henna to add a slight tint and shine to your nails. I'm not sure what I did wrong... it looked uneven with more color on my cuticle than anywhere else. I wasn't very happy with the effect so I applied some copper colored nail polish to cover up the mistake.


After all the time and care my hands felt fantastic. I'm not usually the type to paint my nails and take so much time on my hands... but days later, although the polish is chipped and needs a touch up, my hands still look and feel better for the care. I also had a great time with my little one.

Do you like to get a manicure? Do you like to do your manicures at home or go out for a little pampering? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Also feel free to link up with Mr. Linky. Any makeover posts are welcome... whether you write about fashion, makeup, or maybe you just make things (sew, knit or whatever) to add a personal touch to your wardrobe. Any posts about making yourself look and feel better are what Makeover Monday is about... so come on... post a link... You know you want to.

And don't forget to visit the Zany Housewife and read her Monday Makeover post.