Put Office Supplies To Work In Your Kitchen
Kitchen organizers can be pricey and hard to find, but your local office supply offers inexpensive storage solutions for under $5. Here’s a trio to try.
Use the typical file organizer shown above to stash your baking sheets and cutting boards. No more hard to sift through stacks!
Store your freezer wrap, foils and sandwich bag boxes upright in a magazine box like the ones shown below. It’s so space smart!
Use colorful pen and pencil cups to organize flatware for a party buffet.
Please share some of your office to kitchen ideas.
Pillow Talk: Save vs. Splurge
If your pillows are more than four years old, take advantage of January’s white sales. But how much should you invest?
It depends on the type of pillow you prefer. According to consumer testing, there’s very little quality difference between high and low priced memory foam pillows. So you might as well save in this category. Try Target and QVC.
Most reports indicated testers preferred luxury down-filled or polyester-filled pillows over budget brand counterparts. This is worth the splurge. Try Soft Surroundings, Frontgate and Cuddledown.
Nailing It! Make Your Gel Manicure Last
If you’ve invested in a gel manicure, you want it to last. This type of manicure uses a UV or LED light to cure and immediately harden the gel polish between coats. The result is perfectly polished fingers for up to two weeks. There are several brands, including CND Shellac and OPI Gel Color. The salon cost ranges anywhere from double to triple that of a basic manicure. But results can vary. I’ll point a nicely polished finger at two of the biggest problems and the solutions.
Nail Tech Error
Is your nail tech properly caring for the product? For example, OPI Gel Color must be stored away from light and caps must be firmly closed between uses.
Has she been properly trained in gel manicures? Ask friends for recommendations. Nail pros, click here for technique tips.
Client Care
Keep your nails away from mineral oils or degreasers, says Regina S. Kelley, an OPI educator and nail technician. For example, dish washing liquid (Joy) and body moisturizers (Bath & Body Works) can cause early lifting and peeling in gel manicures. Check those labels.
Avoid acetone removers which can be very drying and damaging. “Acetone destroys the protein in the nails,” explains Kelley. Instead, use non-acetone removers enriched with aloe.
Although it’s tempting, do not pick and peel at chips. Any type of polish or lacquer adheres better to a healthy nail.
Hands together for these products:
Essie Naturally Clean Purifying Polish Remover, 4 oz, $6, Ulta.com
Manicure by OPI Finishing Butter, 8.7 oz, $32.75, Amazon.com
OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go, .25 oz, $7.50, Drugstore.com
Five-Finger Discounts: Don’t Steal! Make Your Own for Free
Natural Nail Polish Remover Recipe
You can save even more by doing your own Gel manis at home with the customer top-rated Mally 24/7 Professional 17-Piece Gel Nail Polish System, $164.88, QVC.com.
