Home Pedicure Tips for Moms

Sometimes, it’s the simple pleasures in life that make us happy.  Pampering, even for just an hour, can make all the difference. If you’ve never had a pedicure, or it’s been ages since the last one; you’ll agree it is the most soothing and relaxing hour you’ll probably ever spend in a salon.  However, you can also derive the same pleasure at home. Wait until the kids have gone to bed; and proceed to your bathroom. Then, follow these home pedicure tips for moms.

1. Light an aromatherapy candle, and place it on the countertop in your bathroom.
2. Fill your tub with warm water. Add either Epsom salt or your favorite bath salt.
3. Using cotton balls, remove old polish from your toenails with nail polish remover.
4. Soak your feet for ten to fifteen minutes.
5. Using a pumice stone to rub the heels and balls of your feet to remove dead skin. If you have a soft brush, you can use that as well.
6. Dry your feet thoroughly.
7. Cut your toenails.
8. Using your favorite moisturizer, massage your cuticles and both feet.
9. Gently push back your cuticles with an orange stick, and remove the excess cuticles.
10. Massage your legs with the moisturizer as well.
11. One foot at a time, apply clear nail hardener.
12. Apply your favorite color nail polish.
13. Apply a second coat of nail hardener.
14. Add cotton balls in between toes until nails are dry.
15. Use flip-flops if you need to walk around, or simply relax in your scented bathroom until nails are dry.

Wasn’t that a wonderful experience? Do you feel relaxed? Home pedicures can be just as soothing as going to a spa or salon; the only difference is it doesn’t cost anything except the price of a small bottle of nail polish. In addition, having an hour of alone time is completely worth the experience.

How To Avoid Time Traps

We face many different time traps each day. It can be easy, and sometimes a lot of fun, to fall into these traps and waste time. However, that isn’t the most proactive way to spend your day. Here are some tips on avoiding these time traps:

* Maintain your focus by sticking to the fifteen minute rule. When you focus on a whole project, it can be very overwhelming. Instead, focus on working for fifteen minutes. You’ll be surprised by how much you can accomplish in that time frame.

* On the other hand, when it comes to surfing the net or checking email, limit yourself to fifteen minutes. You will be able to find the information you are looking for or respond to your important emails. When your fifteen minutes is up, get back to the tasks on your to-do list.

* Thanks to technology such as DVRs and Tivo, we no longer have to set our schedules around our favorite shows. Simply record the shows you would like to watch throughout the week and watch them when you have time. The bonus is that you get to fast forward through all the commercials.

Bonus Tips:

The following are some miscellaneous tips to help you save even more time:

* Getting your kids ready for school in the morning can be hectic. To help speed things up, try to get the majority of work done at night. Lay out the kids clothes, make sure their homework is done, and hang their backpacks by the door.

* If your children take their lunch to school, pack as much of it as possible the night before.

Instead of driving to the video store to rent movies, sign up for an online rental service such as Netflix.

If you have a doctor’s appointment, call about a half hour before leaving to make sure the doctor is running on time. The nurse may tell you upfront that the appointments are running a half hour late. You can use this half hour to do something more productive than sitting in your doctor’s waiting room.