Quick and Easy Manicure with Jamberry

Thank you Lisa Eriksson, Independent Jamberry Consultant, for the sheet of Jamberry Nails to review!

Jamberry began with three sisters looking for a better solution to the expensive, time-consuming manicure adventures in a salon. They started their business in 2010 with Jamberry nail wraps. With 100's of colors and designs and a home party base business they continue to thrive!

When my nail wraps came in the mail I waited a while before putting them on. I felt I needed to have some uninterrupted time because it didn't seem like it could be nearly as easy as they say it is.  Well, it really was easy! As I was starting to apply the third wrap my two-year-old woke up. I can't tell you how great it was to be able to pick him up and not be concerned about having 'wet nails'. With jamberry there is not waiting period. You put your wrap on and you're ready to go!  Seriously easy process!

Each sheet of Jamberry nails has 18 strips of different sizes, made to fit pinkie fingers to big toes! Each individual sticker can be cut in half and used for two nails. Jamberry nail wraps come on a clear plastic sheet to allow you the ability to easily choose the correct size strip for each of your nails.

How to apply:

1. Start by pushing back your cuticles, remove any skin or debris from the nail bed and clean nails with rubbing alcohol. Place the clear sheet of wraps over your nails to find the one that will fit best. Cut the wrap in half. 
2. With nail wrap on an orange stick or other manicure stick place in front of a Jamberry mini heater or hair dryer (I chose to use my electric range- not recommended by jamberry) to heat the wrap for a few seconds. Wrap will be easily pliable.
3. Place wrap at bottom of nail in line with the edge of your cuticle. Press the nail wrap onto your whole nail, paying close attention to all the edges.
4. Trim most of the excess nail wrap with a small scissors then use a nail file in a downward motion to remove the rest and round out your nail.
5. Add a little extra heat if necessary and press again to make sure you have a good seal. For a finished look, use some cuticle oil (or olive/coconut oil) to keep your cuticles moisturized. 

To remove:

     Use heat then peel off or soak your fingers in nail polish remover and slide off. 

My nail wraps were secure for 1 week before they started lifting around some of the edges. I believe Jamberry says they'll last for up to two weeks. For them to last 1 week was surprising to me for a few reasons. One, being a mom to two boys, I am always digging in something. Two, I have problems keeping artificial nails on. I never make it to the two week fill appointment with all of my artificial nails intact. So I wasn't sure how they'd hold up.

Overall I am very pleased with the product. It was fun, quick, super easy and I got so many compliments on my manicure! 

Because I like to do things a little different, I used my Jamberry wraps on 3 of 5 fingers and did french manicure on the other two. The next day I decided to also put some Jamberry wraps on my toes! I wish our MN spring had been more spring like. Because of our recent snow storms I haven't had the chance to show off my cute toes! I have to say though (especially being so pregnant) it was much more difficult to apply to my toes. I just couldn't get close enough or the best angle to do it as easily as I could with my fingers. I'd do it again, but it wasn't as easy!

Tips:

     A wrap that is a little too small, is better than one that is a little too big. I had one wrap that didn't quite fit my entire nail and left a little sliver along the edge. It was only noticeable if I looked for it. But I also had one that was too big. Getting a good seal is difficult and will require trimming some off, which is not that easy.

Buy It: You can purchase Jamberry Nails through Lisa Eriksson Independent consultant for $15 per sheet.

Connect: With Lisa through her Jamberry Facebook page where you can get more information about her business. She is located in Minnesota. If you are in the area, contact her for you Jamberry home party! I can honestly say your guests will really enjoy Jamberry nail wraps! Visit her website, send her an e-mail, or call at (763)856-5079!

Have you ever tried nail wraps? Which Jamberry design would you like to try? 

Disclosure: I received one sheet of Jamberry nails complimentary to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and 100% honest. No other compensation was received. 

Pregnancy Update {29 Weeks}

Oh my gosh. Feeling bigger and bigger everyday! How can I still have 11 (ish) weeks to go?! I am going to have to find some new shirts! As you can see in the photo above, my belly is starting to play "peek-a-boo" out the bottom of my shirts. If you look close enough, you can also see my belly button, which popped at 12 weeks or so... didn't pop at all with my previous pregnancies. 

According to my "I'm Expecting" app, at 29 weeks baby is roughly 2.5 lbs and about the size of a butternut squash. 

Heart rate has been in the 140's for the last month. Baby is head down and my vitals have all been in a good range. 

She (I still have a hard time saying that) is moving constantly. The other day when I was driving she was moving so much I would describe the feeling as ticklish!  

The best news since my last update (besides the baby doing well) is that I no longer have to take the progesterone shots! This is a huge relief for me. They were getting more an more painful with each shot, my body wasn't getting the chance to recover between them. I do have some nerve damage in my left hip, which has left a numb zone below the injection site. From the research I have done, this is fairly common. Unfortunate, but common. Happy my progesterone levels are now right were they should be.

The second trimester was easy and just comfortable, didn't really have any complaints.

I am now in the third trimester and I am starting to get physically uncomfortable. Sitting in one position for a long (or short period) of time is becoming difficult. We recently signed up for a family pass to our local community center. This has given me the chance to get some cardio in which seems to really help. I am much more comfortable when walking/standing. I've been enjoying the increased level of energy I get after spending some time on the elliptical. Now if I'd only pull through on my off days with some leg and arm exercises! 

This brings me to weight gain. I have gained 24 lbs already. I was doing really well with my eating habits, but lately I have been quite a bit more relaxed. I cave easily to chocolate and sugar. I think I just need to keep those things out of my house. I am hoping to gain no more than 35 lbs this pregnancy, which is about what I gained with Bug. I felt like that was a reasonable amount of weight to gain and I actually dropped below pre-pregnancy weight while still nursing. 

The heartburn has started to come back. I don't usually take anything for it, but I found a sample I got from Earth Mama Angle Baby of their Heartburn Tea. It has a great flavor and actually took care of the heartburn! 

The boys love on my belly all the time. They actually refer to my belly as "baby tummy". Bug (2 years) came up with that name and Squirrel (4 years) follows along. They constantly want to see "baby tummy" and give kisses, pats, and in Bug's case, hits. Trying to teach that boy "gentle" has been tough. I will have to work hard on that the next couple months!  Squirrel likes to feel for the baby, he gets excited when she is moving around. 

I have had a lot of people ask if I am having a baby shower. I don't feel it is necessary with subsequent children. We have everything we need. The only thing we'll be collecting over the next few months are clothes. Some friends have lent us clothes, others have been buying clothes for us and I am gearing up for garage sales! 

Are you pregnant? How far along? How are you feeling?

Womb to Walking Giveaway

Welcome to the Womb to Walking Giveaway Event

How would you like to try some tried and true product with your little one? The great prizes as part of this giveaway will benefit you and your precious cargo for their first year and beyond! You'll be set with some great baby gear!

hosted by Momma Without a Clue

co-hosted by Addicted 2 Savings 4 U

Spring is in the air, everything is blooming... It's definitely baby shower season!  What better way to bring in Spring than with a giveaway??  We've brought together some of the top baby products that you would need from womb to walking - the best for baby's first year - into a great product guide and now we're giving those items away!

Prizes include:

Combi Coccoro convertible carseat - ARV $200
BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier One - ARV $170
Ju-Ju-Be - Better Be Diaper Bag - ARV $120
$100 Gift Certificate to Mimi and Maggie - ARV $100

One month supply of Luvs Diapers - ARV $30

Classic Alphabet blocks from Uncle Goose - ARV $35

Evenflo Feeding Bottle Set - ARV $20

Baby's First Book Set - ARV $25

For a grand total of over $700 worth of baby gear!

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  All entries are optional, but the more you complete, the better your chance of winning!

Giveaway will run from April 14th until April 28th. Giveaway is open to US only. You must be 18 or over to enter.  Winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. Winner will be notified by email at the end of the Giveaway and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.  Momma Without a Clue and the other participating blogs are not responsible for prize shipment or fulfillment

Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Momma Without a Clue received the above items in exchange for review. This blog did not receive financial compensation or product in exchange for this giveaway. Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest are in no way associated with this giveaway. Prize fulfillment and shipping will be handled by the Sponsors.

Kinsights $500 Amazon GC Giveaway

Welcome to the $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway brought to you by Kinsights.com.

Kinsights is a social network made just for parents – and it’s designed to help you get and share great advice with parents who have actually been in your shoes. You can ask anything, and Kinsights will find the right community members who can provide guidance. Questions about potty training? They’ll reach into their community and find potty training pros to help you out. Questions about tantrums, sleeping habits or your picky eater? You'll get answers to those as well! All from parents who have been there and done that! You could even be the one to help out another parent! 

 

Struggling with a food allergy? They’ll connect you with other parents who are dealing with the same concerns. And they make finding the best answers easy – community members vote up answers, so great content rises to the top of the list. And they also provide an interface to create a health record for your child. There’s no need to lug around files and loose papers! You can organize your child’s milestones, medications, allergies, immunizations, and emergency contact information – all in one easy form.

   

 I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to remember what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone all of my child's medical information! The days of scrambling to remember when and if your child had his or her immunizations are coming to an end! And there's no need to worry, your child's personal information can only be seen by you.

And, best of all, everything is free!

To celebrate this exciting platform for parents, Kinsights is giving one lucky person a $500 Amazon Gift Card!

This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on April 30th. It is open to US residents, 18+ only. Please use the Giveaway Tools widget below to enter. Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment and have received no compensation for sharing this giveaway with you. If you you have any questions about this giveaway or the opportunity to host one in the future, please contact the Blogging Mamas Network at bloggingmamas.blog@gmail.com.

MinneSNOWta's Spring {Winter Wonderland}

By yesterday afternoon almost all the snow had melted from our yard. We had just a few piles left along the driveway where he had shoveled. Then it started snowing, this is the beautiful Winter Wonderland (in Spring) that I woke up to! We sure got the 8-12 inches they were predicting!

My husband had spent a good chunk of time shoveling off our deck on Sunday. The deck is on the north side of the house and doesn't see much sun this time of year, so we still had 1-2.5' of ice snow on the deck. Hopefully it will warm up enough today/tomorrow that we won't have to shovel too much! 

My garden, which was completely free of snow, is now coated with a thick layer. It really does look beautiful!

The migratory song bird don't seem to be bothered by the snow at all! I was actually dive bombed by one while taking pictures! They were more bothered by me! 

It really is beautiful. But it would be more beautiful in October or November...

Spring will actually come, right?

What's the weather like where you live on this wonderful April day?

Toxin Free Manicure with Knocked Up Nails

Thank you Knocked Up Nails for the samples!

During pregnancy we are faced with many decisions about what we ingest and use on our bodies. From special diets to help our little ones grow, to the beauty products we use. We need to be conscious about the products we use, their ingredients and how they will affect our baby through our body. 

Knocked Up Nails offers a line of nail polish that is free of 5 toxins that are commonly found in some nail polish lines:

• Tolulene 
• Formaldehyde
• Formaldehyde Resin
• Dibutyl Phthalate
• Camphor

To learn more about these toxic ingredients and see the ingredient list of Knocked Up Nails, visit their About page.

While this product is geared toward pregnant women to help alleviate some stress as to what is safe, or not so safe, to use during pregnancy, it is also a good option for children, cancer patients and those with allergies.

I was sent two polishes for review. One is their "Top & Base Coat", the other is a purple shimmery color called "Rock-a-Bye Radiance".

I am a very strong believer in a base coat. Not using a clear base coat under colored nail polish could lead to discoloring nails. 

The Top & Base coat worked wonderfully as a base coat! A good base coat will still be slightly tacky when dry, allowing your nail color to adhere well to the base coat polish. Top coats should dry smooth and shiny. I liked using this as a base coat, but I didn't think it was the best option for a top coat, because it didn't have the right finish once dry. I'm not surprised by this, as top/base coat combinations are usually better as one or the other, but don't typically function well as both. 

Rock-a-Bye Radiance... love it! What a gorgeous color! I was also surprised at how well one coat of paint covered. I almost always do two coats of color. I felt like this color was one that you could easily get away using only one coat of color. 

I hadn't painted my nails since I found out I was pregnant. I had heard about tolulene and formeldahyde being products you wanted to avoid in nail polish (or any other product for that matter). So for my first manicure since pregnancy I wanted to do something a little fun!  Of the two pictures below, the bottom one is what I did first. The color underneath the Knocked Up Nails is not a pregnancy safe nail polish. I was however confident in using it because I first used Knocked Up Nails base coat. For my second manicure I did clear with the Rock-a-Bye Radiance tips! I love doing colored tips, so much fun! 

So, how did this nail polish function despite missing these harmful ingredients? I didn't have issues with the polish chipping, the color was great and I had piece of mind that my polish would not negatively affect me or my baby! Truly makes me wonder why these chemicals remain in traditional nail polish, they don't at all seem necessary in the outcome of the product.

Knocked Up Nails is a great polish line for anyone (pregnant or not) who is concerned about the chemicals in their beauty products. This polish will hold up with the best of them! With 25 color options you'll find the one(s) you love!

Buy It: You can purchase Knocked Up Nails on their website for $10.00.

Have you ever thought about what is in your nail polish or how it will affect you and your child?

It definitely wasn't anything I had considered until this pregnancy (my third) I had no idea nail polish could be harmful! 

Disclosure: I received two bottles of Knocked Up Nail Polish to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and 100% honest. I was not compensated in any other way.

In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to the In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway sponsored by the USA Herald, the Daily Globe, Indyposted, and the Daily Digest and hosted by The Parenting Patch.

Keeping up with the news is no joke. Unfortunately, busy parents often do not have the time to sit down a read a newspaper each day. The USA Herald, the Daily Globe, Indyposted, and the Daily Digest are here to help. Each news site offers a slightly different view of the news happening around the world each day. Plus you can stay up-to-date from your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device!

This makes on-the-go time perfect for catching up on national happenings! If you commute to work with some form of public transportation you don't have to lug around the newspaper, simply use your phone or lap top. Many forms of public transportation now even offer free WI-FI so you don't have to use your phone's data plan. You could even catch up on the news while getting your hair or nails done! It really is that easy!

One lucky reader of The Parenting Patch and Just Me and the Boys will win one (1) $100 Target gift card compliments of the USA Herald, the Daily Globe, Indyposted, and the Daily Digest. To enter for your chance to win the In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway, simply use the following Rafflecopter form. Be sure to stop by each day to claim your daily entries. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway is open worldwide. An international winner will receive $100 minus any PayPal charges via PayPal in lieu of the specified prize. The In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway ends at midnight CST on April 22, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. The winner will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. The Parenting Patch and YOUR BLOG HERE are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Target is not affiliated with the In the News April Fool's Day $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway.