Zoya : A Safe Manicure for Expecting Moms

 

Over the years I have perfected the at home diy manicure. I have all the tools and about 200 nail polishes from Essie, Loreal, and OPI. I almost never step foot in a salon. However, once I became pregnant I was very cautious about using my industrial stength nail polish remover and regular nail polish.

I even went my entire first trimester with bare nails which I have not done since middle school. Some sources say that pregnant moms should go for a manicure and it is "probably fine" for the growing baby. (Not very convincing)  Other sources say that the polish is okay, but to WEAR A MASK to avoid breathing in the fumes, (Yikes) and finally, some sources discourage any use of it. 

An old friend ( and new mom) turned me on to ZOYA. They offer products that are 5-free, meaning no Dibutyl Phytalate, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor.  Their polishes will run you about $9. If you follow on Facebook, they offer great promotions so you end up spending much less. During their 4^th of July sale, I placed an order on their website using promo code THREEDOM. This meant 3 nail polishes- of any color- were free! You just had to pay $12 shipping. ZOYA is also available in beauty supply stores and some salons making it easier to find. 

My Favorite New Product: The Camera Wrap

I love my DSLR camera! When I first bought it, I saw a difference instantly in the quality of my photos- even in auto. Then my pictures really improved when I upgraded from the kit lens to a 35mm 1.8 prime lens and 50mm 1.4. I was finally able to master the blurry background that I loved. Finally, the pictures improved even more when I learned to shoot in manual mode.

However, even after spending all that time to learn, and the money on the equipment, I barely used the camera! A major reason for that was I HATED carrying it around. I would have to bring a big bag, that fit my huge padded camera case to make sure I didn't scratch the display with my keys or anything else in the bag. The bulky case also had a clip and zipper closure which made it a mission to take it out and put it away between snapping pictures.

Then, I bought this...

This is the Camera Wrap from kmdesigns09. It is a small camera case/camera insert made to fit in any bag! It's protective and practical and comes in 4 colors - red, hot pink, turquoise, and black(shown). You give them the dimensions of your camera and they make you a padded wrap that secures with Velcro. I was able to order the standard size for my camera (5"x4"x6") but there is no extra charge for the custom sizing. It holds the camera snug to keep it in place and takes up WAY less space in my bag. I was also going to purchase another wrap a tiny bit larger to fit my camera when it's attached to my tripod clip, but because the whole wrap secures with Velcro, I was able to adjust it to fit both with and without the clip.

I debated between the camera wrap and camera cube for a while. I figured the cube would be easier to quickly reach for and get great action shots of Baby M, but the wrap with the added closure on top made me feel safer when stuffing it into my diaper bag just incase something spilled or fell on top of it. Plus the Velcro would make it easier to access even with the top.

The best part about this was the price. The Camera Wrap was only $25 and the Camera Cube was only $20! Now I actually bring my DSLR camera out of the house resulting in much better photos.

DIY Cupcake Toppers: Part 2: Assembly

Hello! This is part two of the cupcake topper tutorial. Here I will show you how to assemble the toppers you created in Part 1.

Supplies

• Your printed designs from Part 1
• Circle paper punch 1 3/8"
• Scallop paper punch 2"
• Glue
• Scissor
• Toothpicks
• Construction paper or scrapbooking paper.

Step 1: Cut out everything. Using the circle paper punch, punch out your designs upside down. This provides more control when centering. Then punch out the scalloped circles. You will need 2 of these for each topper, and punch out any decorations you might use. Here I used Martha Stewart's ribbon bow punch.

Step 2: Glue your design onto the scalloped circle.

Step 3: Add glue and glue on your toothpick. Then use another scalloped circle to seal it making sure the two scalloped punches line up exactly. This will seal in/hide the toothpick and make your cupcake topper look pretty from any point of view.

If you have any questions, please comment below.

DIY Cupcake Toppers: Part 1

This is a tutorial for how-to create cupcake toppers for a celebration. You will learn how to use your computer to create the correct size and shaped text to be used to tailor make cupcake toppers for any occasion. These can be used for any holiday or celebration because you create the text or images you want. 

Supplies:

Part 1:

• Your computer & printer
• Microsoft Word
• White paper or cardstock.

Part 2 ( Coming Soon)

• Circle paper punch 1 3/8'
• Scallop paper punch 2'
• Glue
• Scissor
• Toothpicks
• Construction paper or scrapbooking paper.

 Step 1: Open Up a Microsoft Word Document. Click on Insert> Shape> and click on the oval shape. Then move to your screen and click and draw your shape. 

Step 2: Adjust the size to fit your paper punch. My circle punch was 1 3/8 so I changed the diameter of the circle to be 1.45. This way, I can guarentee that I won't see the outline, but the text will be visible after it is cut out.