winterize your feet.

we ask a lot of our feet. we expect to be able to stand on them all day, cram them into tight shoes and boots, even run or walk for miles on them. we often don’t pay them any attention until something goes wrong — an achy arch, an ingrown nail, or something else… it’s time to give them a little break.

as i started to winterize my feet this year, i realized i’d never shared this idea on the blog. i’ve been doing this each winter for years now, and i look forward to the routine.

how it works:

at the end of summer, after the very last time i may possibly want my toe nails painted, i take off the polish, i cut my toe nails fairly short. i have to keep them pretty short year-round because of running anyway. next, i file, buff, and rub them down with coconut oil. once again, i use my favorite cuticle oil {the scent is almond! love almond!} on my toenail-cuticles.

and then: i refuse to paint my toenails all winter long. that’s right. i refuse. in order for your toe nails {and fingernails!} to remain healthy they need a break from polish! have you ever seen someone with really yellow natural nails? do you have yellow nails? yellowing nails are unique in that they can have several different causes, some ok and some very serious. changing the appearance of your nails is notoriously difficult. unlike, say, skin cells, your nails aren’t made of living cells and, accordingly, can’t repair themselves. but you can help them remain healthy! as a result, many treatments for yellowing nails involve fixing the cause and waiting for a healthy nail to replace the discolored one. so with that in mind, winterize your feet! if this doesn’t help your yellowing nails, you should consult your doctor. just to be safe.

and, not just your toe nails! at least once a day, either after i shower or at bedtime i will use coconut oil or a really thick skin butter to rub my feet. i like to wear super warm socks when possible to hold in the hydration, and love running around in my uggs barefoot to let my feet breathe and relax. when my son was about four years old, i was putting his ugg boots on for school one winter morning when he said, mom, my feet go in my boots and go to sleep all day so perfectly said. we should all let our feet go to sleep.

so, if this is possible –

* take off your polish
* rub those feet with coconut oil or a good, thick lotion as often as possible {one of my favorite coconut oils}
* use cuticle oil on your toe nails
* refuse to polish your nails till at least March maybe April? or May!

the perk: it’s nice to not think about painting your toes for a few months. just enjoy the season to let your feet heal. {ha! pun.}

thoughts?

{photo by me. my feet: winterized!}

Posted in beauty, jane | 4 Comments »

the perfect pale pink fingernail polish…

every once in a while i will be doing something in my typical beauty routine and think, does everyone do this? does everyone know this?  and then realize… it’s too good not to share!

i like painting my nails. for me, it’s relaxing. and it makes me feel a bit more polished! the trick is actually finding a little chunk of time to polish my nails and let them dry without the paint being embedded with sheet prints.

i go through moody trends when choosing what color i want on my nails – sometimes deep dark blues, purples, orangey reds, bright pinks but most often i crave the perfect pale pink. finding the perfect pink can be hard. they are often too opaque or too clear. when you use a polish that is sheer the polish can appear streaky. have you experienced any of these pink challenges?

so, today i am letting you in on a little secret. the trick is to mix two pale pinks to find a winning combination. this also {usually} eliminates the streaky challenge. now, it takes a bit of experimentation to find the perfect combo for your shade of skin. right now, i like Essie’s Sugar Daddy + Mademoiselle, it’s such a quiet, feminine combo.

do you know the basics of a good manicure?

* clip/file to your preferred shape
* apply one coat of base coat
* two coats of the color{s} of your choice
* finish with a dry fast top coat.

now, you don’t want to paint each of these layers too fast or the polish won’t have time to set in-between. paint each coat, and wait a minute or two before the next. also: after both of your color coats are applied, i recommend waiting 5 minutes or longer before you apply your top coat. and! if you have trouble with polish bubbling. that is caused by one of two things: either you are using old polish that needs to be replaced, or you used too much air/fanning to get your nails dry — the extra blowing/fan will “blow” bubbles into the polish. try to be patient and let your nail polish air dry on it’s own.

* last: when your polish is dry and any other time possible: use cuticle oil and lotion! this and this are my can’t-live-withouts.

i believe i have mentioned this before, but when i was fifteen years old i took a “nail technician class” and became certified to do nails. this little teenage career of mine lasted till i was twenty. and i loved it – and i still do. only now, my kids, husband and self are the only clients i maintain.

my besties like to tease me about the mini manicure kit i carry around in my handbag that includes my favorite cuticle oil, it’s pretty easy to catch me putting some on in a restaurant – at the ball park – in carpool line… all i have to say to their teasing is – a momma with four kids has got to get things done on the go sometimes!

my suggestion: paint your nails and GO VOTE! today is the day!

do you have a favorite color/brand of polish right now? i’d love to hear.

{all photos by me.}

Posted in beauty, jane | 8 Comments »

*new to me*

i really appreciate, and enjoy a good spa day, so when my niece {Heather Johnson} gave me a gift certificate for a 50-minute massage + a luxury pedicure at the spa club where she works – i was stoked! a mom has to relax, right?!?

The Spa club that is *new to me* has three locations in Salt Lake City. While I was in Utah, I stopped by the Jordan Landing location for both of my services. i loved how clean and new the spa was – there is something magical about walking in to a calm place where you can retreat after a crazy day or week. amen?!?

the massage was absolutely incredible – who doesn’t want to spend 50 minutes getting oil massaged all over your body? my favorite part of a massage is that i feel like i am taking care of my body – giving it a little preventative love. if you are in the SLC area, give the spa club a call & request my niece! she splits her time between two of the locations. {tell her jane sent you!} the nice thing about the spa club – they offer everything! hair, nails, waxing, massages, special treatments and they sell some of my favorite body products.

plus, the deluxe european pedicure with aromatherapy was the most amazing pedicure i have ever had! i mean, she rubbed orange slices on my feet. and used a hot stone. plus a brown sugar scrub. my feet are still glowing from all the attention!

my final recommendation: run, don’t walk!

{photo by me – me getting the indulgent pedicure!}

* i was given the gift certificate by the spa club to share a review on seejaneblog. all thoughts and opinions are mine. if you have a product that you think would be a great fit on this blog for a review, please email me at: jane@prolook.com

Posted in beauty, health and exercise, new to me, sponsors | 2 Comments »

buns and bows

my oldest daughter has had an interest in styling her own hair since she was a little tyke. when she was younger this saddened me a bit because i dreamed of having daughters so i could do their hair. yet, over the years i’ve grown to really appreciate her ambition because it really helps with time in our get-everyone-ready-routine. kiana also helps her sisters with their hair which is a huge blessing!

since miss fourteen is a dancer, and more specifically she has been a ballerina for the past year – i’ve really appreciated the fact that she doesn’t require my help since her hair needs to be in a bun six days a week for ballet school.

as i’ve mentioned on seejaneblog before – kiana grew-up training in a few genres of dance in utah, but this year chose to focus on technique. her year at boston ballet school is coming to an end in the next few days, and with that closure – i wanted to document her 2011-12 buns and bows style. each afternoon i watch her run out the door and quickly glimpse at how she’s wrapped up her hair – usually topped with a bow.

we have collected these bows from Soel boutique in Provo, Utah. my friend Ann’s shop – Lou and Lee {her creations are incredible, you will be seriously obsessed!}, Anthropologie. Wendy and Peter – we love their striped bow headbands. and various other little shops/markets.

the best part about buns and bows: you don’t have to be in ballet class to pull this off. it’s a perfect look for casual, or fancy! it’s especially great for lazy-days. i consider it my back-up hairstyle for many days of the week, especially running out the door to bikram yoga. do you have a favorite quick hairstyle?

{photos by me.}

Posted in beauty, bowlicious, kiana | 5 Comments »

a few of my favorite things…

for my birthday giveaway,
here’s a peek at what i sent the winners!

one two three four five

…they’re in the mail, keep your eyes peeled for those adorable mailers!
xo.

Posted in beauty, favorites, gift ideas, giveaway, treats | 7 Comments »

coconut oil

i am jumping on this bandwagon really late.

but, very happy i finally made it!

do you know about all the health advantages that coconut oil offers? have you heard of coconut oil?
{here is one article to get you started… please read!}

i have at least a dozen friends who have been raving about coconut oil for some time now {many of my besties are serious health nuts} , and for some reason i just kept listening but not acting on their advice.

not smart. not smart at all.

i finally purchased some {and a book} a few weeks ago & started using it -

i am in love. seriously. first of all, it just smells so good! but, i am already a total fan of the coconut scent…

since my purchase, i’ve used it on my skin – as a facial moisturizer, and as a lotion on my legs! it is a little weird at first to just rub this oil on your face/skin, so i tend to only use it at bedtime, so it is slightly absorbed before i go to sleep – then, yes, my sheets absorb a bit of the excess… but, when i wake-up, i love how my skin looks! i put it on a sunburn a couple of weeks ago and my burn was so much better by morning!

i’ve started cooking with it in place of vegetable oil and olive oil. our veggies/meat are delicious! AND, my very very favorite use for it so far – i put it on my morning spelt bread {toast} in place of butter! it’s warm-grainy-coconuty deliciousness! in fact, husband likes it so much, he stocked up on spelt bread + his own supply of coconut oil this past week to take his own stock to asia with him. we love it. i find myself even craving it throughout the day.

so. dear readers, have you tried it? do you have other uses for it that you recommend? i know this is just the early stages of my relationship with coconut oil, but i am hooked.

***

also:
i so dearly appreciate all your kind words in regards to my blog going private. i’m truly overwhelmed. i thought maybe TOPS i would get about 30 comments – and the post has peaked over 100 now! holy schmoly, i don’t even get that kind of response around here when i host giveaways! i’m sorry i haven’t responded to each and every one of you, there are SO many! and, besides the comments i’ve had a few dozen emails + facebook messages. i promise, i adore you all and again, thank you so very very much. you truly made my week! very possibly, my year.

xo.

Posted in beauty, food, health and exercise | 39 Comments »

last saturday…

these two little girlies are the cutest of friends.

last week, they were both going to be fairies in their dance recital, and being a fairy required special fairy make-up!

so, my friend rebecca and i decided to take our girls to lunch after their morning rehearsals… we all had lunch at the nordstrom cafe’, and then headed right on over to the mac counter.

this was their first time, for both girls, at the mac counter for makeovers. {obviously!}

omgosh. i was rolling. these two cutie-patooties were crack-ups! they loved every minute of it & i was dying at some of their expressions in the pictures!

i will let the pictures speak for themselves:

oh my my – two gorgeous little fairies!
we love the mac-make-up stylists!
sela wants to grow-up and be one of them!!!

…in fact, i caught her at kj’s baseball game this week, putting make-up on all the other little girls under the bleachers! we had to have a little chat about sharing lip-gloss with strangers, eeeks!

{more to come about the recital!}

{all photos by me.}

Posted in beauty, dance, friends, sela, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »