– I’m giving up on manicures. Manicures only. Not pedicures. I really hate getting a manicure these days. I switched to gel nails (95% of the time) over the last 3 or 4 years and as much as I thought I loved them….now I hate them. I hate getting them soaked off every time I go. I don’t have time. I”m always anxious and impatient and it’s never comfortable and convenient. And I really hate the $10 extra they charge to soak them off.
– I recently saw that Young House Love was taking an indefinite sabbatical. I know they are an extremely well-known DIY, home design and organizational blog; but honestly I never followed them. I did read their last post that spoke about going on hiatus. I thought it was very interesting. They felt like their blog had become more of a business than the heart-felt blog they had started 7 (?) years ago.
– That post made me think about some of the blogs that I have been reading for a few years now. Have you started to feel that way about some of the blogs that you used to love but now are heavy in affiliate links? For the most part, affiliate links don’t bother me nor does that occasional sponsored post. But recently (maybe a year), one of my very favorite home and organizational bloggers has heavily dipped into fashion and I have zero interest in her fashion choices. It has really made me less interested in her blog and I hate that. It’s obviously a passion of hers, but I don’t think that it’s the best decision for her to add to the blog at this point other than to add some additional income. And there lies the problem….
We’re all looking for an extra dollar!
What are your thoughts? Sorry for jumping around, but I warned you that I was going to be completely random today.
Link up starts at 6am EST.
I completely know how you feel. I'm constantly worried that C is going to get sick. He has only been sick 1x and I was a mess! We had an awful time with preschool for the first 2 weeks. He hated it! Now he doesn't love it, but there are less tears and he seems to be having a good time. So hang in there. It is REALLY hard, but you need to do what is best for you and your child. You know him better than anyone so if keeping him home is best, do it. It will get better!!
xoxo,
Whitney & Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
Sorry to hear that Brody is still not feeling well, hope things turn around soon. I get you on the manicures, I only do mine at home now! Over the last couple months I discovered the CND Vinylux weekly polishes and I LOVE them. They last about a week and you don't have to cure them OR soak them off. I buy them on Amazon for about $6, just bought another shade yesterday. Building my collection 🙂
Ugh poor Body and Mama!! That's not fun. I hope the next few weeks are better. So I love that you brought up the business of blogging I've been thinking about doing a post on it, I definitely feel like blogging has changed a lot in the past year and I'm really not against monetizing your blog ( I would love to make a ton of $$ off my blog) but I feel like people are losing site of their original blog intentions. I've seen quite a few sites that used to be just interior design stuff suddenly doing fashion and I'm like what are you doing?! I used to read YHL but stopped a few years ago I'm still shocked that they are taking a break. It's weird to see someone so popular "quit" blogging. Sorry for the long rant!
i gave up on manicures a few years ago — my nails always chipped and no chip polish makes my nails super weak. I love pedicures tho. xo jillian – cornflake dreams
I forgot to add that I paint my own nails! I have no patience for manicures these days. Buy the Seche Vite top coat. It dries in 2 minutes and lasts for at least 4-5 days! It's the holy grail of top coats! You can find it at Sephora or Ulta.
This was great! Let it all out! Ugh that's the downfall wth daycare I guess. Once they go they catch something ASAP! I've given up on gel manicures months ago. I love how they look and dry fast but they're too much of a pain of the ass to come off. Once one chips they all gotta go so you start picking then you realize you've ruined your nails!!
I hope you're little guy gets better soon, that's so tough! And I'm totally with you about no mani's yes pedi's 🙂
$47 that is absolutely insane!! I do like to paint my own nails and with a fast drying top coat it's so much more enjoyable!! Plus when you get bored with a color you swap it out free of charge lol!! Sorry to hear Brody is still not feeling well – my sister went through the same thing with my oldest niece and then eventually they just get acclimated to it!!
Loving your random thoughts! Poor Brody! I hope he feels better soon! I usually paint my own nails, but just got a gel mani because I was tired of them chipping all the time! Then I remember that I have to soak them off… Not fun! I usually do it on my own at home to save the $, but it's aweful and kills your nails. I love the new essie fall collection!
I hope Brody feels better, that's the only thing that gets me with daycare. My kids were in gymnastics and just from going once a week for an hour they were getting sick SO much! It's aggravating.
I was shocked about YHL too. I read them on and off, but totally understood where they were coming from. I agree on the affiliate links and sponsored posts – I don't mind them too much as long as they don't overtake the blog. Fashion post after fashion post JUST to make money bothers me, I feel it to be very forced.
So many thoughts on this:
Nails – probably the one cheap thing in Los Angeles is mani/pedis. So I do splurge every week or two, but I know what you mean about getting so impatient. I'm the same, especially with my hair.. Does your salon
(My iPad is being weird)…polish changes only? For us they at like 5 minutes and 5 dollars, but they paint your nails so well and it lasts a full week. Something to consider.
Also, I've been bugged by a lot of my fav blogs lately. I like blogs to see how people are living their life, not to tell me how to life mine….if that makes sense. I just feel like the authenticity of a lot of blogs has gone down
It is hard but the good thing is that it's helping build their immunity. He'll have perfect attendance in kindergarten:) My little one is getting over HFMD right now actually. She's had it before. It's no fun but three are worse things. I hope gets feeling better soon.
Awwww, hang in there. I had a tough experience with my first going to school!! She was sick allllll the time. Thankfully, she is over it now
Sick kids are so hard!! Hang in there. I do my own nails 99% of the time. I've recently been using the Sally Hansen gel polish (the kind that does not require the light) and it lasts a good week — which is about 3 days longer than normal polish. I still use normal polish also, but on weeks I know I won't have time to mess with my nails I pick the Sally Hansen gel polish. Good luck!
I recently started painting my own nails instead of going to a salon, but I am just so bad at it!!! It's not quite the same when you don't have a professional shaping them, etc… But I do the best that I can – and it's free! 🙂
Hi there, found your blog through the link up! I feel the same way about manicures, I just gave up on getting them because I am super hard on my nails! They always chip within a day (or less) unless they are the gel nails which as you said are $$$$$$! But definitely love my pedicures! 🙂
I so feel your pain on the daycare thing … we had ear infections for a month over here – and that was my poor baby who's older sister was bringing home germs from daycare! He doesn't even go! Ugh! I've also "lost touch" with a few bloggers too. People change over time and some fun "home/lifestyle" blogs that I used to LOVE I just can't relate to anymore (I was finding myself grumbling "who has time for THAT!??")
Kaitlin
http://www.littlegoodiesblog.blogspot.com
Oh poor sweet Brody! Sorry he's so sick. I know that's tough on you!
I don't get my nails done either ($47?! What?!). I typically do Jamberry, which I like. A girl at work started me on them. They look great, I can do them myself, they don't chip, and I can take them off without any damage to my nail.
I definitely agree some blogs don't handle monetizing very well. It's sad to see it go downhill so fast. I don't really mind sponsored posts as long as it's pertinent to what the blog is about.
Awww I hate that your little man is still sick! I'm with you on the bloggers thing. I have stopped reading a few "well known" blogs because they've just become sponsored post after sponsored post.
Poor Brody 🙁 I hope he gets better! That is ROUGH! I am with you on the gel nails, except they charge you a ton! Girl come up here and get them done! Mani/pedis are my mom treat because they don't take a ton of time and I feel like a whole new woman. I have been digging the CND Vinylux because it goes on and off like normal polish and lasts me about 5 days without a chip. My salon only charges $5 more than a regular mani for it. Worth checking out!! Sending you and Brody big, healthy hugs!
I am with you on the daycare sickness….Brady started right before he turned one and immediately got terribly sick, like almost put him in the hospital. It was terrible and SO HEARTBREAKING for me to see him like that. However, he got over it and went back to school. I thought about taking him out, but he loved going so much we stuck with it. I am telling you the first year is the worst, but it does get better. They are going to go through it at some point, and it is better to do it now than when they are in kindergarten and missing so much school. If I wasnt working I can't say I wouldnt have just pulled him out, but now I am glad with the choice we made. I am totally with you on the manicures AND the blogging. I have had that same thought recently about how it seems like several bloggers just try to cram crap down our throats to make a dollar. I mean one blog I used to love wrote a whole post on that time of the month to promote a maxi pad as a sponsorship…I mean come on?!
Im with you on the whole being raped at the nail salon these days. I still love my pedicures but the fingernails only get done on special occasions/vacations! I hope your baby boy starts feeling better, its always a bad time for mamas when they dont feel good!
so sorry about Brody – I know that must be sooooo frustrating! i definitely splurge on pedicures, but feel the same way about manicures now as you do….no time, and not worth the $$. i invested in a few nice base and top coats, and pretty polishes, and now i do my own once a week during naptime. success!
Love this post, Annie! Not loving that you have a sick baby, but loving your honesty. I am in the same boat, except I have a teething baby who is cutting another molar. Going cray-cray is an understatement. So I totally feel ya. And also with you on the whole mani thing. Aint nobody got time for that! 😉 I am a Shellac girl, but I think I need to hop off that train, and get back to painting my own nails. I used to be so good at it, but then I had a baby. And as far as bloggers being too business-y and not more personal—totally with you. 🙂 Doing a whoo-sahh for the both of us, and here's hoping we get a few moments of relaxation in the near future.
Sorry he's so sick! Every time we start to get into a rhythm it seems like one child picks up a new germ and everything gets thrown off again! I don't get manicures but used to get pedicures pretty often and now they're incredibly infrequent. I get so annoyed when I see how much they charge and am too worried about catching a fungus to go somewhere cheap so I just do my own (look fine but it's not at all relaxing)! As for the blogging world shift, I completely agree. Bloggers that I used to love now get skipped over because I just can't stand another blatently sponsored post; while I'm happy they're able to earn income blogging, I feel like too many blogs are becoming so commericalized these days or they're making an obvious plea for a company to send them free items. Hoping to see a shift back in the near future!