The easiest way to paint neat french tips on your nails.

 

I learned this method from a friend a few years ago and I'm still shocked at how rare it is that I see someone else do it. So here it is. The easiest white tip ever.

Yay, Right!
 

 

Here's what you will need.

Non-acetone nail polish remover

White nail polish

Clear top coat

Old rage to dab excess remover on

Paint brush

(I used to use an old eye shadow brush and that worked fine too)

 

I start by painting the tips of the nails white. Do it as sloppy as you want.

 

Now just dip your paint brush in the NON ACETONE nail polish remover. You don't want it dripping wet, but wet enough to remove the polish. Put it to the nail and move it left and right to remove the messy part of the polish, and watch a nice neat line appear. It's so easy you'll be sad you ever wasted your time taping off your nails or attempting to paint a perfect straight line. If your getting any running of the white its likely that your paint brush is too wet. If your polish is smearing its because you don't have non acetone nail polish remover. The only other advice I got when I first started was "If it's not working your over thinking it."

 

Let me know how you do in the comments section! Also, if you have any questions feel free to ask!



Fitness Quote of the day

The

Body Achieves

what the

Mind Believes

 

 

A Few Uses for Baking Soda

 

Face wash. Its amazing for blackhead removal!

 

Nail stain remover.

 

Cleaning everything!

 

Exfoliating.

 

Add to bath water to soften skin.

 

 

 

 

Recipes

Caesar Salad for lunch today.

 

Lettuce

Croutons

Parmesan Cheese

Kraft Classic Caesar dressing

 

 

Weight loss journal

 

 

 

 

Keeping a weight loss journal is a great way to help keep you motivated. Having to write down what you eat will likely slow you down when you are looking at that snickers bar, because you won't want to face it by putting it in your journal. It might sound a little silly, but it has really worked for me, so I figured I would share.

 

Here is an example of what my journal looks like.

 

 

 

This is obviously not a real entry since its for a future date, but its the same idea of what I do every day. I made a sample for this post because mine is not so neat. I wanted readers to be able to read it. :)

 

 

Date it

I always date it so I can keep track of which days I do good and try to understand why. I know I eat when I'm bored, so days off of work tend to be harder for me to reach my goals. I do believe the journal helps me stay much closer than I would on my own. It's easy to quit counting after you make one mistake and call a day a loss, but if you have to log it down, you get out of that thought process pretty quickly.

 

Decide your goals

Next, I like to write down the goals. You could just have the same goal every day but if its written down I am less likely to convince myself it can change for the day. If you don't know how many calories you need to consume to lose weight, don't worry. I will add a link to a website that will help you calculate what's right for you. This likely wont be right on, because some days you work harder and need a little more food and vise versa. You will learn in time what number is right for you. Also, you don't need to have the same every day. I have less calories on the weekdays and I up the number a little on the weekends. It's important to be realistic.

 

Here is that link.

http://www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/calculators/app/calorie-counter-calculator

 

If you have more questions on how to count calories feel free to ask. I will have a post up soon with a few tips on how to count calories and the calories in a lot of common fruits, veggies, and other foods that don't always have a nutrition label to look at.

 

 

Motivate yourself

This idea is what makes a journal different than a fitness tracking app. Every night I fill in the next days outline, and the quotes or "notes to self" I find quotes online on sites like Pinterest. I like to add a personal note. Writing something from myself to myself really helps me remember how I felt before there was a bowl of chocolate in front of me.

 

Log your food.

Now just track your food throughout the day. I find it easiest to write the calorie count down right away for things that have a label that states it, so I don't forget. For foods with out a nutrition label its okay to wait until you can find out later. This is one of many websites that will help you figure nutrition facts. http://nutritiondata.self.com/

 

 

This might look like a lot of work, but it gets really easy once you get the basics down. It helps me sooo much. I hope it can do the same for you. Good luck! Id love to hear if you try it and how it works for you! Leave a comment!

 

What's the best whitener for me?

 

 I drink coffee every day.

I love red wine.

I obviously need a whitener.

 

 

 

How do you choose the right one for you? Well, you could spend a bunch of time online reading about every option out there, then waste a ton of money on things that A. don't work or B. damage your teeth. Or you could follow me and watch me do it.

 

 

Crest white strips.

Varies- $35-$50

 These things do work, but if you use them I recommend doing it with caution.  They made my teeth sensitive after about a week of daily use.  I couldn't even take a breath in without feeling pain.  Drinking a glass of ice water was unbearable. The sensitivity stopped a few days after I quit using them.  The reason you feel sensitivity is because they strip the teeth of their protective mineral layer and increase the porousness of the teeth. This exposes the tooth's nerves and therefor increases the sensitivity of the teeth.

Some ways to prevent sensitivity would be to use a soft bristled tooth brush with toothpaste for sensitive teeth and don't brush immediately after whitening. Avoid hot and cold drinks the day of and day after whitening. Also, you could take ibuprofen right after whitening. Don't use them every day. Try every other or every third day to start and see how that goes.

 

Here is a link to Crest white strips on Walgreens online store.

 http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/crest-3d-white-whitestrips-dental-whitening-kit/ID=prod6056550-product

They should also be sold in store. From what I've heard it doesn't matter what type you use as long as they stick to your teeth. Avoid any plastic trays that sit in your mouth. They are uncomfortable and cause uneven whitening.

 

 

 

 

Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Less than $5



A friend of mine used this method for years. It sort of works. Your teeth will be more white after a few uses and more so the more often you use it. I doubt they will ever become the bright white that we all desire. I suspect this method would be okay for maintaining whiteness once it is achieved with a different method.

On a good note it is very cheap, quick and easy.

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp hydrogen peroxide

1/2 tsp water

Use mixture to brush teeth for about 2 minutes.

Use 1-2 times weekly. Once desired whiteness is achieved cut usage back to 1-2 times monthly. The baking soda is moderately abrasive and you don't want to damage your enamel with over use.

 

 

 

 

Activated Charcoal

$10 for 100 Capsules (one capsule per use)

This is not the charcoal you use on your grill! Don't put that on your teeth. It is actually the stuff they give you when you have been poisoned. I guess you can take it if you get food poising. Its supposed to fix you right up in a matter of hours. I've never tried that. I'm actually very new to this idea. I just bought mine the other day. I will be taking before, during, and after pics and updating this post throughout the process to let you know how it goes.

Activated charcoal is a very porous substance that attracts toxins. Supposedly if you put it on your teeth it will trap any toxins and color and you can spit them right out. Rumor has it that you will see results immediately and you can use it daily as it is non abrasive and wont harm your teeth. Sounds dreamy right? We will see. I will update you tomorrow!

UPDATE!!
I was in a bit of a hurry and I forgot the before pic! You will just have to trust my word on this one for now and watch from here on out to see the progress. Sorry about that!

 Here's the bottle of activated charcoal.

 

 Here is my tooth brush covered in the powder.  I just opened up one capsule and dumped it on my tooth brush, being careful to clean up any spills right away to avoid staining (I heard it can stain clothes or anything porous. It wont stain your teeth, don't worry!)  It does slightly change the color of the brush. If that bothers you just pick up a cheap brush for this use only.


 

Excuse my morning look.

Yes, it will be black in your mouth. Eww, right? I gently brushed my teeth with it for about 2 minutes and then to remove it I just rinsed and brushed as normal.

 

 

 

I am having a hard time getting an accurate picture of my teeth. The color just isn't right on. I guess I really need a better camera than my phone for this, but its going to have to do for now. I would say that my teeth are noticeably whiter in one use. Not a full shade whiter, but I can see a difference. They feel great, like I just got a professional cleaning. I love it!

 

Ill update in the next couple days to let you know how the continued treatment goes.

 

Here's a link if you want to try it yourself. You can buy Activated Charcoal at any drug store, but ill stick to Walgreens for the sake of comparing prices.

 http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/nature's-way-charcoal-activated-280-mg-dietary-supplement-capsules/ID=prod6037588-product

 

 

 

Banana peels, Lemons, or Strawberry's

Fruits and vegetables are naturally abrasive and may help you maintain whiteness if eaten regularly. I definitely recommend adding them to your diet, but not really for the sake of white teeth. Its rumored that if you hold them on your teeth for some amount of time, they will whiten your teeth. This may be true. Fruits are very acidic. If you are holding them on your teeth regularly it will cause enamel damage. I do not recommend this method.

 

 

 

Best of luck on your teeth whitening! Make sure to check back soon for updates to this post about the charcoal and also, to learn how to maintain the whiteness you worked so hard for! If you have tried something that's not on this list or if you have any questions, please leave a comment and ill answer ASAP!

 

 



About this blog

My goal for this blog is to motivate myself and others.  I am very interested in becoming more healthy, more happy, and a bit more crafty.
I love DIY skin care, hair care and anything else beauty related.  I will have a few posts on that type of thing, as well as any tips and tricks I've learned throughout the years.
I recently started yoga and eating healthier. I've been trying to lose weight for a few years now without much lasting success. This time there is no doubt in my mind that my dream body is real and coming soon. And you get to be here to learn how I do it and how you can too!