imPress nails: I’m not impressed…

Well, I decided since I hadn’t done it yet, to test my imPress nails from my UniVoxBox.

Needless to say… I’m not impressed.

During application, the pros were that they were initially easy to apply, stick fast, feel semi-sturdy, and look professional. But that’s where the pros end. The tabs on the back were a pain to pull off. They were tough to apply once a few of the nails are on. Many of them are too long, once I found ones that matched my nail size. They fit awkwardly on my nails, and to be honest, I REALLY hated not being able to cut them to the size I personally like for my nails.

I opted, at that point, to test them under real-life circumstances. Started out with the dishes. They did not hold up well… Most of the nails made it through, 9 out of 10 of them did, but the water severely  loosened the glue. The right index finger popped off. Nails felt flimsy while washing dishes, like they would come off anytime. They were also uncomfortable.

After that, BOTH thumbs popped off while I was using the restroom and then undressing for my bath. While typing this, the right ring finger came off while fixing my hair for said bath, and the left ring finger was hanging on by a thread post-bath, as was the left pinky finger and right middle finger.

While typing this, the left pinky fully came off.

I was left with this… One lone middle finger with a nail on it.

 

Yeah, one nail. So, you can guess, out of 10, what my rating is, since I usually rate out of 10?

One out of 10. Has to last more than 2 hours under normal mommy circumstances for me to say differently, sorry. 

NYC Expert Last Lipcolor and Stay Matte Foundation makeup look!

I’m finally getting around to making a nice look for this NYC lip color and the Stay Matte Foundation I got from Influenster over a month ago. What can I say, I’ve been busy. Anywho, I’m going to tell you how to get from point A, no makeup, to point B, the finished look.

11)      Start with fresh, clean skin. I like to use an exfoliating wipe personally. I also use some makeupo remover to get any old eyeliner that may be stubbornly clinging to me, off.

22)      Apply the Stay Matte foundation to the face as needed. I do under the eyes, on the cheeks lightly, and on my nose and chin.

33)      I use a white powder eyeshadow, a loose powder with glittery flecks in it, for the eyeshadow. I find spring looks do best with light shades.

44)      Line the upper lashes, and then the waterline, with a black eyeliner. Smudge to make less dramatic, leave as it is for a sharper look.

55)      Apply mascara, I’m a fan of Rimmel Scandelash.

66)      Apply lipstick, I have the bright pink NYC Expert Last lip color on.

77)      Done. Enjoy!

Child Harnesses: Good or Bad? Or No-one Else's Business?

So, today I was out at our local mall with Mike and the kids, we were just out to walk because, to be honest, our mall sucks, has chased out half the stores that were in it, and there’s nothing to do. While out, I noticed a mom and her, probably 18 month old at the most, daughter out for a walk as well. The mom had her child on a harness, and they were content, the daughter stayed near the mom, no one was upset or fussing, no one was harmed.

And then this old lady walked by and shot this woman a snide, snooty look. And I could not for the life of me figure out why initially… could it be because the mom is in a t-shirt or something? No, because then I’d have gotten a look too, and when she looked to me and Mike and the kids, she smiled as broad as you could. Maybe her lack of a man with her, some people are like that around here? No, because her wedding band was on her finger in plain sight. I was stumped. Then I figured it out when I heard this lady say to her friend “… just like a puppy.”  

Not Child Abuse

She was being judged for her harness.

Now, before you ask, no I didn’t get in this old woman’s face and say something, because I had the kids with me, and to be honest she was so far off when I overheard that snippet that it wasn’t worth it, besides the woman didn’t even seem to notice or care what the lady had said or how she had looked at her.

That said… I don’t get the judgment at ALL. She wasn’t doing something evil or mistreating her kid, she had the child in a safety harness. That’s nowhere near hurting her kid. And yet, all around, parents are being judgmental or holier-than-thou, all because of one of those pesky parenting choices that they don’t agree with.

Shame on these people for having a parenting preference and doing things differently than others!

I mean come on. It’s a harness, not a shock collar. It’s not going to hurt the child to be on a harness, in fact, in busy areas, it can be a blessing.

I bought one of those for the older munchkin when she was learning to walk. She was EXTREMELY independent and wanted nothing more than to get into everything. This was fine in our small town, I held her hand everywhere we went. But we decided to take a trip, around 18 months of age, to an amusement park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg to be exact. Now, my 18 month old looked like she was 3. She was and still is VERY tall for her age. She wears a 4T or 5T from the toddler department or a XS or S from the girls department, for her height, for an example. And I fully intended to hold her hand through that park.

Still not Child Abuse

But, in case some jerk got the idea to try and kidnap my kid… I wanted an extra line of defense. I wanted her attached to me by more than a single hand. So, we harnessed her through the park. And you’d have never known it unless you watched us remove her harness to get on rides. It was a lion, looked like a backpack. And it made me feel safer being out around so many strange people with my baby.

Did we need it? Who knows, maybe it deterred some sicko from grabbing my kid from me. But it made me feel better.

I haven’t used it since then. It’s literally put away until we possibly need it this summer if we go back to the amusement park. But it has its benefits for people. It can help give an independent child some freedom, it can add a safety measure in crowds, it can help when the mom has her hands full or has more than one kid, or forgot the stroller, or SO many things. I have never seen one of those things and thought, oh man that mom is LAZY! Not even before getting one for DD to use the one time did I think that.

So why is it that so many people jump to conclusions about that? All I think is, what a cute harness, and the kid is so adorable! And a responsible parent too, keeping their child safe! It’s great to see people doing what works for them!

 

Maybe... Nope. Still not Child Abuse.

So why judge? Why can’t we, as parents, just let people do what works for them?

I challenge you to look beyond the arguments of ‘it looks like a dog leash’ or ‘it’s lazy parenting’, and see it as it really is… a parenting choice different than one you may use. I challenge you to look beyond the stigma of this item, and to instead of throw a look at a parent with her hands full and a child on a harness, smile and offer a kind word of encouragement. Because that’s what we should be doing anyhow. As long as that child is not being beaten or abused in some other way or isn’t running rampant, the parent’s choices are not your concern.

What do you think? Can you look past the stigma of harnesses? Did you harness your little one?