Manicure Monday: The start of a new blogging tradition!

Hey folks!

Like many other blogs, I've decided to hop on the bandwagon of writing the same themed posts on certain days of the week. Lately, blogging has admittedly become more difficult for me to commit to on a regular basis because of, you know, life! But themed posts are a foolproof way to ensure that I blog often. These posts will also help you as a reader look forward to something each week on a specific day. I'm planning on releasing several of these kind of posts, but first up is Manicure Monday!

What is Manicure Monday? 

I'm glad you asked! Manicure Monday is simply where I share my manicure for the week. For quite a while now I have been dedicated to making time for a nice manicure each week. I find that committing to at least one activity a week that makes me feel pampered and put together helps make me feel like my best self. Manicures are easy, something I can do myself, and it's a simple way to get some "me time" in.

Manicure Monday is certainly not my attempt to try and be perfect, look better than others, or be too self-focused. Manicure Monday is just a light, fun way I can share something that makes me happy with the world. I also have a hefty collection of nail polish that only seems to keep getting bigger, so by committing to a new mani each week, I can actually use all of my nail polish! I'm trying not to use the same colors over and over like usual, but to use the colors I tend not to use often and to try new nail painting techniques.

Admittedly, I actually end up doing most my manicures on Sunday afternoon. Sundays tend to be a day of relaxing after church and prepping for the week ahead. I like to clean my apartment a bit, make a nice dinner, make some to do lists, see what's happening for the week, and just re-coop on Sundays. I also happen to typically have extra time on Sundays, which allows for this little pampering treat. So while the post is called Manicure Monday, I will most likely actually do the manicure the day before when I have time. This also gives me time to get the post ready the night before or the day of without having to rush.

My Manicure Techniques 

Okay, so I am by no means a beauty expert or even really that good at doing my nails. You know those really awesome manicures you see on Pinterest all the time that look like you could never do at home? That is not what I am capable of or what I am going for. This is not a beauty blog, but I do love beauty and I will share what I am personally capable of doing, but don't expect a lot! With that said, there are a few mani staples that I swear by. They are:

* My Miss Manicure Kit: I picked this beauty up at Wal-mart. I'm not sure where else is may be available, but probably any similar retailer. It was around $10. The kit includes any tool you would need for nail care: nail files, cuticle sticks, nail clippers, tweezers, trimmers, scissors, a nail buffer, etc. It comes in a cute bag that has room for nail polish or other supplies on the opposite side. It's great for travel and every day use.

* Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails: This stuff is my nail life saver. Exposing your nails to the harsh chemicals of nail polish and nail polish remover each week can really suck the life out of your nails. This stuff revives them, keeps them strong, shiny, and long. I used to have very weak, brittle nails that would peel, but my nails have been nothing but awesome since using this product for probably about 3 years. If you've ever had fake nails that were left weak and damaged, this stuff will fix that right up with regular use. What's more is that you can put this on first as a base coat and then paint over it too. It's awesomeness in a bottle. I try to use it at least once a month with no polish on top to give my nails a break.

* Decent Nail Polish: I am not a total nail polish snob, but some decent polish is a must. Yes, I have a few dollar store polishes that actually work great, but who knows what are in those! My personal favorite brands as of right now are Essie and ORLY. Both of these brands are relatively inexpensive, available locally, and chip less than other brands I've used.

And that's it! As simple as it is, painting my nails is fun to me. I like finding ways to incorporate what I do in real life into my blog writing, and this is one of them. And so without further ado...

The Manicure of the week is Essie "She's Picture Perfect" topped with Funky Fingers "Sand and Stilletos." Don't you just love nailpolish names? I wish I could come up with all the names of nail polish! What a fun job. For this mani I did use Sally Hasen's Hard as Nails as a base coat. I just recently started shaping my nails square, and I find that they need to be stronger in the square shape versus rounded/oval. Anyway, I put two coats of "She's Picture Perfect," let it dry for a good long time. Then put a piece of scotch tape (just a strip) diagonally before painting "Sand and Stilletos" in the corner. Peel the tape off and finished with Essie's "No Chips Ahead" top coat. Pretty simple! :)

Do you find joy out of a nice mani or do you find it more of a chore? Would you ever commit to pampering yourself with one thing every week?