5 Tips for the Perfect Pedicure

Photo by Jessica To'oto'o on Unsplash

If you find yourself with some downtime an at-home pedicure is a great way to unwind and relax. To get started let's gather up the essentials. You’ll need a bowl, washcloth, towel, some yummy smelling things, your favorite nail polish, and a bit of time. Here are 5 steps to get the most out of your DIY pedicure.  

Soak Your Feet--

Fill a bowl with nice warm water and let your feet soak for about fifteen minutes. To make the foot bath even more enjoyable, add a bath bomb, bath salt, or essential oils to the water. This will give you a little aromatherapy while you enjoy your soak.

Wash Your Feet--

Before you pull your feet out of the water, take a soft cloth and wash your feet, gently rubbing away any dirt or grime from your daily life. If you have a foot scrub this is a great opportunity to pull it out for that extra soft finish. Once your feet are good and clean, pat them dry with a towel.

Clean Your Toes--

Now it’s time to get a little more nitty gritty with your toes. If you need to clip your toenails always remember to trim your nails straight across. This will help to prevent ingrown toenails and infection.

Next, you’ll want to give your feet a little moisture. Pull out your cuticle oil or lotion, whichever you have available, and thoroughly rub it into your toes and feet. This will help to lock in the moisture from your soak and give you nice smooth feet.

Slow Down With the Polish--

One mistake that a lot of people make is trying to rush through the nail polish process. They want the dark color of the bottle immediately so they glob on a whole bunch of paint in the first pass. By doing this you are actually slowing down the overall drying process and increasing the chance of your paint chipping.

To have long lasting paint, it is best to do thin coats of paint a few minutes apart so the paint has a chance of setting. Remember that less is more in the nail polish world.

Take a Load Off--

Now it is time to let your nails dry. How quickly your nails dry will depend on how thickly you applied your nail polish. This takes time so don't try and rush the process. Instead kick your feet up and snuggle in for a good book or a nice movie.

If you’re interested in keeping your feet feeling soft, then put a little lotion or oil on your feet each night before you go to bed and throw a pair of socks over the top. This will help your feet to stay moisturized and keep from cracking during dry weather.

You don’t have to take 30 minutes to an hour to help your feet stay fresh and looking great. Just a little bit of time once a week will keep your toes sandal-ready after your initial DIY pedicure.  

How to Follow Your Keto Diet If You're on a Budget

According to the general belief, keto diet looks like an extremely effective way of losing weight might drill holes in your pocket otherwise. On the contrary, one could replace the regular packaged and processed food from their plates to the more affordable and healthier keto diet.

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This article puts together some of how keto diet could be budget friendly. Let's take a look.

Figure out a Budget Before You Start Dieting--

Working out a budget is an essential step to any planning, same goes for a keto diet. You need to be sure about the weight of your pocket before you start with the procedure. The following steps can help you plan a budget and abide by it. There are many budgeting tips you can follow to make it work.

Make a Meal Plan, Shop Accordingly--

The most critical step to making the budget successful is by planning your meals elaborately. Do ample research on the things that you can and can’t eat while on a keto diet. If necessary, do not hesitate to consult your dietitian. Decide well before in hand, what you want to eat for the week and only then go shopping for your groceries.

You can cut down on your lunch or dinner and replace it with a hot beverage, like coffee. This gives you an instant energy boost while keeping both your calorie count and budget in check. There are many creative ways to save money when you’re having a tight budget.

Don't Miss Out On Sales--

Sales might help you get through your keto diet, a great deal. Make sure to keep track of the local grocery store sales and adjust your shopping dates to those of the sale to save some bucks. You should bag your keto products during these sales so as to handle your budget effectively.

Cook Your Meal Instead of Buying It--

Buying packaged meals will always cost you much more than the expenses of cooking a meal.

However, with the use of a food processor, you can easily make your diet meals at home without spending heavily. Processed food bought from the supermarkets will cost higher, plus there are elevated chances of adulteration in the products. By cooking your meals, you will not only have firm control over your budget, but you can also be ensured of the quality of the meal.

Shop in Bulk, Cook in Bulk--

One foolproof way to control your keto expenses is buying groceries in bulk. Other than the raw items, you can always buy dry groceries in vast quantities without the fear of those getting spoiled. The raw items too can be stored in the deep freezer for more than a week. So, the next time you go shopping– make sure you buy enough for the fortnight at the least. Keep the essentials like olive oil, nut, and seed butter, and flour free meals handy. Do not complicate the process, try to keep your meals as simple as possible.

Cut down Snacks and High Calorie Foods--

For obvious reasons, you would eventually have to cut down the purchase and consumption of snacks and other food items that contain high calories. These products incur a massive expense, ruining both your budget and keto diet at the same time. So, it would only be wise if you cut these down, right at the beginning of your process.

Takeaway:

Difficult as it may seem in the initial days, maintaining a keto diet budget is not much of a challenging task. If one can be determined enough, proper planning right from the start and a few things kept in mind can make the process of keto dieting a whole lot easier while also making it significantly budget friendly.

7 Ways to Have Fun in College During the Winter

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Are you tired of the cold and you’re looking for ways to still have fun instead of just be stuck inside of your approved student housing? If it is snowy, that does not mean you should stay inside the house for the rest of the winter waiting for the snow to melt. Put on a warm coat, gloves, a hat, and head outside. There are lots of things to do, from skiing to snowball fights.

Skiing/Snowboarding--

There are few things more exhilarating than speeding down a mountain with wood/plastic strapped to your feet. If you don’t know how to ski or snowboard, don’t worry. You can always start on the bunny hill and work your way up to the larger slopes. These particular activities can get pricey, but if you have a little extra cash there are few things more fun than this.

Snowman--

Maybe you don’t want to go too far from home so you can hurry back inside and get warmed up. Grab your friends and head over to the nearest park. You can build snowmen, winter forts and even have a snowball fight.

Ice Structures--

Do a search near you to see if there are any ice creations you can go see. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find ice caves, a frozen waterfall or even an ice castle!

Frozen Bubbles--

If the temperature is in the negatives then you could try freezing bubbles outside. Sometimes if the air is cold enough and you blow bubbles, the bubbles will freeze in the air and then slowly drift to the ground.

Sledding--

Drag your roommates with you, find a good hill and then get yourself a cheap sled from the store. You can find one for around $5 at Walmart or Target. That little piece of plastic can provide hours of entertainment for you and your friends.

Hot Chocolate Party--  

It doesn’t necessarily have to be snowing for you do to this, but cold weather is the best time to host a Hot Cocoa Party. All it takes is a canister or two of hot chocolate, access to hot water and maybe some candy canes and marshmallows. Just ask the people that come to BYOM (bring your own mug) so you don’t have tons of dishes to wash.

On-Campus Entertainment--

If you’re looking for some indoor entertainment then head up to your college campus. There should be a list of performances available on your campus website from choir concerts to guest performers. If you don’t want to sit and watch a show, then join a club or head over to a dance. I’m sure you can find one happening somewhere.

You are only limited by your willingness to get out and find something to do. There are tons of things going on, and if none of them seem like a good time, then you take charge and make something fun happen. Anything can be a party if you go at it with the right attitude.

Activities to Do Every Season of the New Year

Were there things that you wanted to do over this past year that you just couldn’t seem to get to? Not to worry, because another year is starting, and this is the year you can do it all!

When we make plans ahead of time, they are much more likely to happen than if we simply state, “I want to do this” without giving much thought as to when or where.

In this new year, we want you to be able to do all of those fun things that you weren’t able to. If you’re not quite sure what those are, maybe we can help you recreate your bucket list for 2019.

Winter Activities--

In the winter, there are always tons of fun activities that we forget about in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But before you let the winter months pass you by and have to wait until next winter, pick a couple of these activities to add to your new year goals.

• Learn to ski
• Learn to snowboard
• Go ice skating
• Build a snowman
• Go sledding
• Have a hot chocolate bar

Spring Activities--

With Spring being a little further away, you have more time to plan for the activities you want to do then. Think about the local spring happenings in your community and what you missed out on this past year. Is there anything you need to plan for in advance so you can take for advantage of the opportunity? We have a few ideas to help you out.

• Run a 5k
• Dance in the rain
• Go hiking in the mountains
• Drive somewhere you’ve never been before
• Finally try that new restaurant

Summer Activities--

Summers always seem to pass us by the quickest. There’s always so much we want to accomplish and never enough time to do it. But this year, we want you to make it a resolution to pick some things that you want to do this summer, and make it happen. Maybe some of these things are on your list.

• Go camping
• Try glamping
• Sleep under the stars
• Swim in the ocean
• Take a vacation
• Have a bonfire
• Host a back to school party
• Go boating
• Try fishing
• Go to a drive-in theater

Fall Activities--

Fall is always a wonderful time of year with tons of fun activities surrounding the harvest and Halloween. But with school starting, sports games, and for many of us our busy seasons at work, it can be hard to find the time to just enjoy the seasonal joys. Just pick one or two things that you want to do this next fall, and you’ll be able to find the time to do them.

• Go to a corn maze (check out this awesome corn maze locator)
• Pick apples
• Go through a haunted house
• Host a harvest party
• Make a costume
• Go to a costume party
• Go to a pumpkin patch
• Carve a pumpkin

There are some many fun seasonal activities, and it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday busyness of life, but try to find the time in this new year to enjoy these activities. You’ll be happy that you did.

Moving Out

Moving can be a fun experience.  It most definitely is a hectic, stressful, and overwhelming experience, but a little fun can be found in everything if you look for it.  For one, most of the time people come to help you move—it is not necessarily a solo experience so there is a lot of bonding time with family and friends.  Secondly, moving almost instantaneously promotes a fresh start whichever way you tend to look at it. All places are different; whether you choose a condominium, a single family home, or an apartment. Having to identify with a new type of living is a fun way to learn more about yourself and life in general.

Getting Rid of All the Trash--

One of my favorite things about moving is getting rid of all of the garbage.  Straight trash!  Broken items that have been sitting around for years that ‘were going to get fixed’. Moving does not allow time to deal with that.  It is time to give that up, and move on with life.  One way to handle the stress of all the garbage is to hire a dumpster company like Eagle Dumpster Rental, all you do is put the trash in the dumpster, and they haul it away.  It is so easy!  No need to fuss about trash.

Getting Rid of Stuff You Won’t Use Again--

As you are moving, packing is a necessity.  As you are packing, it is inevitable that you will come across multiple items that you just will not use again.  It is safe to say that they are not dumpster worthy, but you do not want to bring them along with you on your move.  You can easily donate them to your local thrift store, or pass them along to one of your friends who may need it.  Moving really alleviates the consumerism that we are all pressured with in our lives.  We can finally see what simplicity is and live with it, if only for a short time!

Starting Fresh--

There is nothing like a little fresh paint and clean carpet to clear your mind.  Moving from a house that you have been at for years can dull your mind and creativity.  When you move, it is a fresh start.  You can do anything!  You can decorate how you want, even if it is very different from what your previous house looked like.  Since it will be a new house, the set up will be different, and even that will calm your mind into thinking differently.  Overall, it is exciting and not just bad news like everybody makes it out to be.  I have moved seven times myself, and with each move, I have found a new piece of myself that I have discovered from the prior move.  It is an experience, and one to look forward to!