Step into the Weekend

Good evening fellow Bloggers/friends/ family!

I'm sure after this cold tundra of a week, many of us could not wait for this weekend (Mainly me). So I decided it would be great to have a "spa" weekend to recover from the madness that was outside. As part of my "spa" weekend I really wanted to have a pedicure. During the fall/winter time I totally just wear boots 24/7. I am sure every girl can attest to that. Even my slippers are boots. Plus I began my work out sessions recently and that has been taking its toll on my feet, as well.

So below I just have pictures/products and tips I use to keep my feet happy and my toes fancy during the cold months. Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional in painting my toes or giving pedicures. I just wanted to show you guys what works best for me at home. Its a budget friendly alternative for a pedicure at a fancy spa. All the products used are not sponsored and they are my opinions alone.

If you got this far you know the post is about a pedicure..if you have a feet fetish please feel free to exit out of the blog now because there will be pictures of feet below (SHOCKING, I know)

To begin I usually remove nail polish from my toes. Then I fill up my amazing Brookstone foot spa. I tried finding the exact replica online but I have had mine for over 6 years now so they don't make it anymore. However, I am attaching a link below to one on their website that is very similar with some extra gadgets.

http://www.brookstone.com/aqua-jet-foot-spa?bkiid=SubCategory_Bath___Spa_At_Home_Spa_Foot_Baths|SubCategoryWidget|728219p&catId=L3_FootBath|L2_HomeSpa|L1_BathSpa

I love this product because they have 3 amazing settings along with three push in brushes in the center that help clean up your feet even more. This product was a little on the pricey end but its really an investment especially for me because I honestly wear flip flops as soon as it hits 50. I don't want my feet to be neglected just because its cold. Plus being in college and school doesn't allow me to have extra money to spend on pedicures. So, this  product has a longevity that I think is another plus to owning it. It's easy to maintain/clean and plus very easy to store.

I know Many of you might not have this at home and might wonder whats the point of reading on. Well I have tried also doing this similar routine by actually filling up a flat bucket or tub with warm water/massage liquid and letting your feet soak in it for several minutes. Although it doesn't have the massage qualities, it still cleans and addresses the neglected feet issues.

Following that I usually fill up the foot spa with warm water and let my feet soak in for about 5-10 minutes before cutting my toe nails. I won't show you a picture of that because by now you should know how to do the basic. But I just attached a picture below of my feet in the foot spa. I like to use it on the heat/bubbles setting if you do happen to have a Brookstone. Its very relaxing…it also tickles a little.

Then I use the center attachment that removes dead skin from your feet and just focus on the ends of my feet and toes. I usually spend about 5-7 minutes on one side. 

So for those of you at home without the Brookstone you can achieve similar results by doing this by hand. I got this leg scrubber attachment for dead skin from Costco. It came in this Burt's bees' gift basket. I am sure you can find them at walmart and other stores. I attached a picture below of me just showing you how to scrub your feet and focusing on the ends of my feet. 

Then after doing that I usually Re-soak my feet for another 5-10 minutes depending on how much time I have and how much my feet need it and repeat the process. Once I am done with that I dry my feet .

Then I apply a lotion that is good for your feet. I have recently been addicted to the Burt's Bees' peppermint foot lotion. I attached a picture below of what it looks like. If you google it you can find the product online. Another option I have used in the past is the Body Shop's Peppermint foot lotion. Both leave your feet happy. Happy feet (i want to watch the movie now). Side note a dime size portion of this lotion is good for both feet. I attached a picture of how much I used of it as well for comparison. If you have really cracked and tired feet, feel free to apply the lotion on a daily basis to see results without the pedicure process. 

Then once thats done I usually pick a color to paint my toes and use separators to keep it as clean as possible. I went with the NYC "Big apple Red" option. Not a fancy or well known nail polish brand but it definitely has sentimental value. My friend was pledging for his Frat junior year of undergrad and got this nail polish in his gift bag when he was required to guess his BIG. The color was their frat color. Lucky for me he gave it to me because he had no use for it. I felt happy wearing it reminding myself of the undergrad days..can we go back to college?

Then once you are done painting your toes you are done!!!

 I usually clean and put away stuff right away because I have OCD but you can always get back to it later.

This post was much longer then I planned. It is my first time doing something like this "tutorial" based. I hope it helped and left you inspired to treat yo self. Enjoy your week and remember to begin each dawn onwards with a positive outlook and happy feet!