How To: Home Manicure & Pedicure

It's a new year and if your 2008 was anything like mine you are grateful to see that 2009 is already here! In this post I want all you moms to do something for yourselves. I know I don't have enough time in a day to focus on myself for more than 15-20 minutes (long enough to get a shower and get dressed). So its time to take time for ourselves. It's a new year and we deserve it! Plus Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Some of these tips could come in handy for getting all primped and pretty for that special someone in your life!

Tools Need for Pedicures

Nail polish remover

Cotton balls

Toenail clippers and/or nail scissors

Nail file

Nail brush

Orange stick

Cuticle oil

Foot file

basin

Foot Scrub

Foot Lotion

Base Coat

Clear Nail Polish

Colored Nail Polish

-Start by removing any nail polish using the cotton balls and nail polish remover.

-Trim nails with toenail clipper. The best shape for toe nails is straight across. This will help prevent painful hangnails. Smooth out edges with a nail file (remember to only file the nail in only one direction, or else you can crack your nails).

-Clean your toenails with the nail brush and soak for ten to fifteen minutes in the water, you can add some lemon slices for a great pick me up (they also can be used by rubbing them on your cuticles and your nails to soften the cuticle, strengthen the nail, and make them shiner and brighter)!

-Apply a foot scrub. Keep on for ten minutes. Rinse mask off with water and foot file to thoroughly ex-foliate calluses and other rough spots on the bottom of the feet(If you have a wal-mart/Super Wal-mart by you, they sell the foot shaped packages of masks, foot scrubs, leg stuff, etc, for less than $2.00 a piece, so you can invest in some of these and do this more often if you have time)!

-Wrap a little bit of cotton from a cotton ball around the edge of the orange stick. Apply cuticle oil and gently push cuticles back with an orange stick.

-Apply a base coat to the nail once the cuticle oil has absorbed into your cuticles.

-Pick out your favorite color and apply two coats.

- Allow the color to dry, apply a top coat or clear nail polish to prevent chipping and to help the polish last longer.

- Once your toenails have dried, apply a foot lotion to keep the rough patches away. Wear a pair of socks or spa booties to keep the moisture locked in and to get the ultimate benefits from a pedicure. If you really want to get soft feet after your pedicure, you can use a trick that I love!

My Trick

Invest in some Vaseline if you don't already have some, some plastic wrap, and an old pair of socks that you can get Vaseline all over.

Slather on the vaseline, all over your feet, wrap in plastic wrap, and place the socks on your feet to make your feet warm up more!

Let sit for about 30 minutes, and then wash your feet off in warm soapy water! You can do this either before or after your pedicure. I've even done this on my husbands feet, and he couldn't believe the difference!

(You could probably do this for your hands to if you really wanted too!)

Its essentially the same thing for a manicure except you as a female should not have too many calluses on your hands unless you have a really hands on job or just don't take care of your hands!