My Essential Nail Care Products
For growth & treatment
Nutra Nail Naturals Growth Serum
Nailtiques After Artificial Treatment Kit
Nutra Nail Power Minerals Growth Formula
Nutra Nails Growth Treatment with Tea Tree & Acai Berry
Nailtiques Formula 2
As promised in my last post, I’ve got together all the essential products I’ve been using over the last few months in my nail growing journey! It’s only through trial and error that I’ve found these work for me; other products might suit you better, it’s simply down to personal preference. Today’s list is all about growth and treatments ……
I guess I must have tried almost every product out there on the market in my efforts to both grow and strengthen my poor nails, which were so badly damaged after acrylics. I tried them – and ditched them! The well-known brands were just too harsh and full of chemicals. As a big fan of Argan oil, I massaged this into my nails and cuticles faithfully, at least twice a day and always last thing at night to try and hydrate my nails and this helped get them back on track and provide some necessary natural goodness. Then I read about Nutra Nails Naturals Growth Serum which had very good reviews. 
I’d used one of their products previously, the 5-7 Day Growth with Aloe, so I got hold of a bottle online as none of our stores here sell Nutra Nail products. This one product has done more for helping grow my nails than any other and I still use it at least twice a day. The water-based gel formula rubs into your nails and cuticles easily without any greasiness and leaves your nails feeling soft and shiny.
Having sorted out the growth, I needed to look at improving the actual health of my nails as they were and still are, not 100% as they should be. I heard about Nailtiques from the same source as the Nutra Nail Naturals Growth Serum and after checking out various reviews, got hold of their After Artificial Treatment Kits. This kit contains two bottles of treatments plus a jar of cuticle gel. You begin with Formula A, applying just one coat to clean, bare nails. You apply a further coat for another two or three days, then remove the layers with a non-acetone polish remover before starting again. You treat your cuticles with the softening gel on a regular basis too. The plan is to use up the whole of Formula A before starting on the bottle of Formula B. These add essential proteins to your nails and although I’ve only been using my bottle of Formula A for just over a week, I can already see a significant difference in the condition of my nails. These aren’t strengtheners, they are proteins to get your nails back to a healthy condition. Once I’ve finished the Kit, which will probably take several weeks, I’ll be moving on to the Nailtiques Formula 2, which is specifically designed for soft, peeling, bitten, weak or thin nails and has also had very good reviews.
As well as the pink Naturals Serum, I also love the Minerals Power Growth and Green Tea & Acai Berry serums, which are also both water-based gels and rub into your nails beautifully.
Next stop will be the extras I use, such as cuticle softeners, cuticle remover, hand lotions and scrubs so I hope to see you then ….
Nail It!
I’ve written about it here but I wanted to give you a heads-up as to where I am now with my nails… it’s been a long, long journey to get where I am today – over 50 years to be precise which is why I’m so thrilled!!
Drum roll please …… I’m over the moon to tell you that I haven’t nibbled my nails since well before the beginning of this year! It’s been my daily passion to keep on looking after them in order to let ‘em grow. And grow they have indeedy.
My nails to date, October 2012
Oct 2012
It hasn’t been all plain sailing tho – having had acrylics on for many months, I suddenly developed some kind of allergy to one or more of the products used and my fingers swelled up like balloons!! The skin broke, I could hardly bend my fingers and they were SO sore!! It took a good few weeks to really settle down and they were really itchy; drove me mad at times!!
My swollen fingers
So, having found that acrylics were out, I was left with two choices; I either carried on biting and spending the rest of my life wondering what it would be like to have nice nails OR I could really go for it and just STOP!! Once I’ve made up my mind to do something I really want, I stick to it and so it’s been with my nails. Over the last few months, I’ve taken time out each and every day to look after them, trying to get them back to a nice, natural state. It’s been really tough going, as they were so damaged but with trial and error, I’ve found products which are working for me, which I’ll give you the low down on shortly. I’ve certainly spent a bit of cash on different products before finding my ideals but that’s the way life goes.
Me wearing dark polish?
Oh the fun I can have….
So that’s where I am now with my nails. Those of you who’ve also struggled with nail biting/chewing/picking will now where I’m coming from but I’m here to prove that you CAN stop; you just have to want it badly enough.
In my next post, I’ll be showing you the products I’ve discovered which are really working for me, after trawling through many different brands over the course of the last few months. Hope you’ll join me 
Latest Addition to our justmoms family
It’s been a while since I last got onto our pages here at justmoms but a lot has happened over the course of the last few months. But we’d like to welcome our latest addition to the family – Archie James, born on July 25th to Leah and Si, after a pretty horrendous labour, resulting in an emergency c-section!
The latest addition to our family
I’m determined to get back into regular posts on here, I’ve missed my updates ……
Photobox – make money from your photos!
If you’re like me, you LOVE taking photos! I’ve always got my Nikon Digital slr or my iPhone to hand, ready to snap that once-in-alifetime shot … but did you know that you could earn some cash from your pictures? Sure, there are sites online where you can submit your photos and get paid, but some of these are hard to break into, such as iStockphoto and they also require a whole heap of ID checking before they’ll even allow you to upload a single image and competition is extremely fierce here.
Photobox, on the other hand, is totally free to join and you can upload your images for free 
too.
But that’s only the beginning of the fun; once your photos are online, you can create albums and galleries, you can set your own prices and there are a huge selection of products on the site which can be transformed with YOUR photos, such as books, t-shirts, pictures … the list goes on!
As you can see from Photobox’s main page below, you can create canvas prints, mugs, albums, keepsakes, wall decors … the ideas are only limited by your own imagination! Head on over to Photobox and see what they have to offer; if you don’t want to create yourself, or upload, you can just as easily create a gift using one of your own images or choose from one of the online galleries, like those I’ve created myself.
6 Ways To Improve Your Relationship With Your Mom
The relationship between moms and daughters is a special one, although it can be complex and frustrating depending on individual circumstances. Here are 6 quick suggestions to help improve your relationship!
1 Show your mom affection
Make sure you hug and kiss your mom whenever you see her. Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you can’t be affectionate. Your mom got to cuddle and kiss you when you were a baby so return the favour!
2 Show her she’s appreciated
Let your mom know how much you love and appreciate her. Give her little gifts occasionally – it doesn’t have to be anything expensive – home-made gifts will always be well received, such as preserves, oils or baked goodies. Make and give them with love. Always remember to give her a card and gift on Mother’s Day to show your appreciation for all she’s done for you.
3 Make sure you spend quality time together
Make time for your mom. Life can be pretty busy but your mom is an important part of that life. Visit her often if you live close, or telephone regularly. Keep her up to date with the little things happening in your life
4 Listen to her advice
Not everyone likes to be given advice but don’t forget, your mom has a few years’ wisdom under her belt, so it’s wise to listen to what she says. She only has your best interests at heart after all
6 Help your mom
If you’re still living at home, it’s easy to help your mom around the house with jobs and housework. If you’ve moved out, check on your mom and offer help when you think she needs it – she might not ask you outright. Let her know that you’re there for her if she needs you. This applies particularly if your mom is on her own at home.
Every relationship has to be worked on and moms and daughters are no different. So often, they clash, particularly when young women are trying to find their place in the world. Teenagers can be a challenge and it’s worth remembering that you too were once the same age, feeling the same worries and frustrations. All I can say, from personal experience, is that my daughters came through their teens unscathed and we enjoy a very close and open relationship – which still includes heated discussions and well-voiced opinions!
Use Your Loaf!
They say bread is one of our staple foods and so, if you must eat bread, then you want to eat the best loaf you can. Surely, then, the freshest bread is the one to go for, with the crispiest crust and the softest, fluffiest inside. You can get this in one of two ways; either straight from the bakers but of course, by the time you get home, your loaf probably won’t be too warm or you can bake your own.
The answer? Get yourself a breadmaker. Sure, you can make your bread the good old-fashioned way, using your hands and elbow grease but in today’s busy world, why not save yourself time and trouble? We’ve had a breadmaker for a few years now and we wouldn’t be without it. Nothing beats the smell of fresh bread cooking and it tastes as good as it smells!
There are plenty of really good breadmakers on the market, it’s simply a case of checking them out and choosing one that’s right for you and your family.
Below I’ve shown one or two of the best that I know of:
Once you’ve got used to your breadmaker, you may want to get a little more adventurous and try out some different bread recipes; most breadmakers also make such things as cakes, butters and jams to name a few. I had a go at making some fresh butter in ours and it tasted out of this world! Definitely worth a try!
I invested in a couple of books so that I could source some different recipes and these have turned out fine! Don’t be afraid to experiment with your breadmaker but always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, especially when it comes to the order of loading the ingredients into the pan.
Coconut Oil – The All-Round Miracle Worker
I’ve always been a fan of using natural products, such as Argan oil and sweet almond oil and a few weeks’ ago, I added virgin coconut oil to my oil “store”.
The smell of coconut-enhanced products has always hooked me in; whether they are hair products, sun-screen lotions or bath products, if they smell of coconuts, then I’ll be using them! I guess the fragrance is reminiscent of hot, sunny holidays and lazy days. Either way, I have them in abundance. Finding out that coconuts are also extremely good for your health just put them further up the scale!
I was researching coconut oil and its benefits when I came across a great book by the leading authority on the subject, Bruce Fife. Having bought the book, I was amazed to find out exactly how beneficial virgin coconut oil can be, in so many ways!
I’ve bought and tested a couple of brands of coconut oil, both pressed and fractionated and these are my two favourites to date:
The smell from the Barleans jar when the lid is removed reminds me of summer holidays on the beach …. coconut-scented suntan lotions ….. mmmm
There are plenty of different brands of coconut oil around, it’s simply a matter of personal choice. I prefer organic and virgin oils and I’ve found Barleans and Naissance to be perfect for my needs. Fractionated oil (the runny oil) doesn’t have much of a coconutty smell but leaves your skin luxuriously smooth and silky when massaged in. It’s great for your hands and nails and also as a facial moisturiser. You only need a very small amount which will disappear into your skin, leaving it soft and hydrated without any stickiness at all. I’ve also found that if you rub it in sufficiently, it won’t leave any marks on your clothing or bedding.
Following the advice in Bruce Fife’s book, I began eating virgin coconut oil on a daily basis, both neat from a spoon and also as a cooking oil and adding it to various dishes.
You might not know it but adding virgin coconut oil to your diet is one of the most valuable things you can do to help you lose weight and also improve your overall health and your immune system.
Coconut oil can also help control food cravings and the essential fatty acids the oil contains are great for your general well-being. If yoo’ve never used coconut oil in your cooking, try using it instead of vegetable oils. Many people like to eat coconut oil neat but start off slowly – if you’ve never used coconut oil before, begin with just a single teaspoon a day and slowly work up to three tablespoons per day. This will help your body slowly adjust to all the beneficial effects of the oil. Make sure you use only organic and unrefined extra virgin coconut oil.
Although coconut oil is actually a fat, it can help promote weight loss. The reason for this is due to the healthy medium chain fatty acids contained in the oil. These fatty acids don’t circulate in the bloodsteam like other fats in our body but go directly to the liver, where they’re immediately converted into energy, exactly like carbohydrates. In this way, the body uses the fat in coconut oil to produce energy rather than be stored as body fat.
It’s early days yet as to whether my health will improve, but I have noticed that my skin has been clearing itself out, detoxing if you will, by a few days of spots and blemishes suddenly appearing (not a wonderful thing at my age!!)and my face is definitely softer and smoother.
Coconut oil’s been used as a beauty aid for hundreds of years, and once you’ve tried it yourself, you’ll see why it’s such a good choice. Here are some of the more popular uses:
• Use pure virgin coconut oil as a moisturizer for both your face and body. Simply scoop the oil out of the jar and apply it all over your body, paying attention to any dry areas. If you prefer, you can use fractionated oil (the runny oil) which is easier to apply to your face
• Try mixing some virgin coconut oil with sugar to make a body scrub. Rub over your skin then rinse off with warm water to leave your skin silky soft and smooth
• Apply some oil under your eyes to help reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles. Use on your eyelids before going to bed to nourish the delicate skin whilst you sleep
• Coconut oil is a great hair conditioner. Apply a teaspoon of oil to the ends of your hair, then run your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest evenly. If you want a deeper treatment, rub a tablespoon of oil onto your dry scalp and then gently work through to the ends.
• Coconut oil makes a great lip balm – simply rub a little onto your lips to keep them soft and smooth
• Coconut oil on a cotton ball makes a great natural cleanser and make-up remover
Organic coconut oil also has restorative and medicinal qualities, which you can easily try yourself.It’s been used for centuries and has many benefits, including helping maintain your cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity and aiding digestion. It can also aid with relief from kidney problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and improving bone strength.
Coconut oil contains lauric, capric and caprylic acids – the body converts lauric acid into a substance called monolaurin, which is said to help with fighting viruses and bacteria-causing diseases, such as influenza and herpes.
Coconut Oil Is:
· Anti-inflammatory
· Antimicrobial
· Antifungal
· Antiviral
When applied to any scrapes and cuts, the oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust and bacteria. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues.
If you’d like to find out more about the healing qualities of virgin coconut oil, take a look at Health Impact’s comprehensive list or check out the book I mentioned earlier, by Bruce Fife (see above)
I’ll post on here with my thoughts as I continue to use coconut oil over the coming weeks …..
justmomsanddaughters expanding ….
photo - Ann Geddes
justmomsanddaughters will be expanding by one in the summer – Leah and Si are expecting their first baby (and our second grandchild)!! The weeks are passing really quickly and that stork will arrive before we know it!
Will post updates here on the site ……..
