One Thing You Can Get In Shape Without Exercise: NAILS

January 16, 2019April 20, 2023Leave a comment

Back in the day, I was THAT girl with the French, fake, acrylic tips. While they may have looked completely flawless to strangers, one thing’s for sure that I grew to quickly hate was how broken, brittle and quite honestly, painful my fingernails had become. I couldn’t bare to show them in public not ‘done,’ (they looked horribly paper thin) and they had been so grinned down that they physically hurt. OUCH!!

Fast forward, I decided to revamp my nails. First, by going cold turkey on the whole ‘getting my nails done,’ and second, I started researching healthier ways to keep my nails strong and happy. That’s when I found gel nails! Gel nails have a more natural look with a glossy finish. And, unlike acrylics, if the nails are primed correctly, there is no damage to the nail bed! I absolutely love Gel nails. I’ve had them and kept up with them since I’ve been about 20/21 and have the healthiest nails I’ve ever had since.

However, gel nails are also more flexible than acrylic nails. And let me tell you . . . I’m no delicate daisy when it comes to my nails. One thing I found most frustrating was that if I was rough on them, they chipped and sometimes broke; many times unreasonably early from the last time I had them done at a salon. I found myself having to check-in or have them re-done every 2 weeks, which wore on me over time. I found myself not making the time to get them done, doing DIY removal myself (which P.S. is the WORST for your nails) and just plain allowing them to look less than average for what I was paying out of pocket. #byeeemoney

Most recently, a dear friend of mine told me about her love for the trendy SNS, or “Dip Powder,” nails. Being skeptical, I naturally had a MILLION questions. Taking the leap, I decided to try it out for myself! Here’s my verdict:

The process was pretty upfront and simple. I don’t know why I was so nervous – then, again I’m nervous with anything new! The nail tech primed my nails, just as if I was having a standard gel manicure done – which I really appreciated! No abrasive grinding or shaving – just simple cuticle trim up, shaping and buffing before the powder application began. This part I found most intriguing! It’s like an art! She carefully painted an adhesive on each nail before dipping individually into the colored powder of my choice. And – my favorite part – NO UV rays!! She continued with three layers of powder before finishing out with a final shaping, buff, and –layered top coat, which took only 2 minutes to air dry with no fan.
This new manicure lasts longer than gel polish and doesn’t use UV light. The dip powder treatments have lasted me a month on average versus gel, which typically lasts me few weeks.
Many have asked me if it’s “thick” or “too fake” feeling: it’s definitely something to keep in mind as I’ve heard some women experience/feel this way. But, if you do your research, and mention it to your nail tech upon arrival, I’ve had experience with techs who have been very careful to paint the adhesive on in staggered layers away from the cuticle. This way, it grows out smoothly and naturally. Not with a huge ridge, similar to what you’re probably envisioning from acrylic nails.
Of course, the thing that makes gel or dip powder more desirable is how well they stay on. BUT – remember the small drawback that anything intended to last thing long will resultantly be rather difficult to remove. In my best advice – DO NOT do yourself/at HOME!!
The removal process is crucial. Getting the polish properly removed is just as important as the application. In my experience, most issues occur and and stem from attempts at a DIY home removal. OUCH!! It is always safest to go back to your salon and have a licensed professional remove/update any product for you.

All in all, I love the new process! It saves me time, money and lasts significantly longer, no matter how much I beat them up. As with any nail applique, remember to take care of your nails by taking breaks. Having anything on your nail for an extended length of time without proper removal and rejuvenation can be harmful, whether it be acrylic, gel, or powder.

What’s your typical nail routine? I’d love to hear! As well as your thoughts on dip powder if you’ve tried, or are planning to try?!

Talk soon!

Xoxox
Brittany

cheery and charming_dip powder nails_review 1

NEW Keto Recipe: Chicken Nuggets

January 16, 2019Leave a comment

Woo hooo! Feeling not only FULL, but also fully re-energized after last night’s bake sesh of Keto meals for the upcoming week and even MORE eager to share them with you!

I never knew going into this how much I would love reading, learning and understanding so much about the Keto diet, the general process and the overall impact it has had on my attitude and lifestyle so quickly.

I’m addicted!

I love having a more structured and routine eating regimen, I love that I’m eliminating sugars and limiting complex carbs/foods that aren’t entirely good for my digestion – both from a daily perspective and for ongoing weight management and healthy living. I even more so love the ritual of researching & discovering new, fun recipes and ideas for tweaking, testing (taste-testing is the best part – amiright?!) and making my own!

Scroll on to see this week’s tasty delights: a NEW variation on my Pizza Chips – Hellooooo Salami! + what you’ve all been waiting for . . . Keto Chicken Nuggets

NEW Variation to my Keto Pizza Chips – Helloooo Salami!

While you may have read my original Keto Pizza Chips recipe here utilizing pepperoni, I found when I was snacking, that I couldn’t help myself but wonder if it would still be as tasty if I swapped up the meat and cheese combo in order to to have more variety throughout the week.

I tried it – and yep! Still. Just. As. Tasty!

Ingredients:

Boars Head Genoa Salami
Kraft Natural Cheese Cubes – Natural Colby Jack
Paprika Powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Take out some cookie sheets. You may need 2-3.
Arrange salami and place cheese cubes on top – don’t worry, they’re not going to expand like cookies. They can be close together!
Bake for 10 minutes
Lay the chips onto paper towels to soak up any excess grease.
Let sit for 3-4 minutes to cool off and crisp up even more.
Enjoy!

Nutrition:
Fat: 15g Protein: 15g Net carbs: 1g

cheery and charming_keto_new salami slices_1

Now . . . the moment you’ve all been waiting for . . . KETO CHICKEN NUGGETSSSS! DUN DUN DUNNNNN!! I have to say – when I uploaded photos of these little fried dreamboats to Instagram, I couldn’t believe all of the comments and asks I have for the recipe! So, here we go!

Keto Chicken Nuggets

The easier way to do these is likely via a deep fryer . . . but given not everyone has one of those (myself included) . . . I made do with the below steps and I LOVED how they turned out 🙂

PLEASE NOTE: I’m 99.9% sure I scared the living $%!# out of my pups while making these – LOL! If you’re not careful to keep a lid on your simmering oil, it does create a decent amount of smoke. Be sure to crank a door, a window, anything, if you possess the lack of coordination that I do.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast
1/2 oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tbsp Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Eggs
1 tbsp Water

Directions:

WITH DEEP FRYER:
1. Start by heating your deep fryer to 375F
WITHOUT DEEP FRYER:
1. Cook a chicken breast (I cooked (3) at once for approx. 20 – 25 minutes)
2. Pour ¼ cup avocado oil into a deep skillet/pan and set to med – low to bring oil to a simmer
3. Pull chicken from oven. Cut chicken into cubes. (Don’t worry if your chicken isn’t cooked ALL the way – this is what you want! The battering and frying in the oil will finish it off just right, without allowing it to be overcooked or dry out)
4. Mix the grated Parmesan, almond flour, and baking powder
5. Add the egg and whisk
6. Add the water and whisk
7. Roll the chicken breasts in the batter until they are fully coated, then use a fork to drop them into the frying oil
8. Cook until the batter turns golden brown
9. Transition chicken bits to a sheet of paper towel to drain excess grease, cool and crisp
10. Enjoy!

Nutrition:
Calories 166 Fats (g) 8.0 Protein (g) 23.0 Net Carbs (g) 1.0

cheery and charming_keto_chicken nuggets_1

Let me know what you think of this recipe! Try it at home, tag a friend, or pass it along – share the Keto loveeeee!

Stay tuned for more recipes throughout the week!

Psst… sign up/subscribe to my blog and you can get all of my awesome recipes delivered right to your inbox 🙂
Talk soon!

xoxo
Brittany

I Visited Peloton in NYC and This Is What Happened

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018Leave a comment

CheeryandCharming_NYC_Peloton2 CheeryandCharming_NYC_Peloton1 CheeryandCharming_NYC_Peloton3
BUBBLELIME high wait yoga pant legging // move with you womens workout tank

<< PELOTON: cheese so hard. >>

Let’s be real in saying that the conference I attended wasn’t the only awesome part of being up in NYC this week. It WAS NYC, of course!! And, what more could you want?! I spent my time gallivanting NYC streets, delighting in boutique shops, sipping fun cocktails along the way and snapping the occasional Times Square/Rockefeller Center selfie… but, my personal favoriteeeee …

I MADE IT TO THE PELOTON NYC STUDIO for my very first IN STUDIO CLASS. EVER. !!!!

From the second I walked in the door, they made me feel like I belonged there – – as if I was family and had been there at least eight times in the past month.

I was quickly given my shoes, assigned a bike (IN THE FRONT ROW, of course) and guided to the I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. locker room, filled with every toiletry you could ever imagine you’d ever need – haha! FOR REAL though. Not to mention, I felt especially spoiled and delighted that both water and a towel were prearranged for me, upon arrival at my bike in the studio! Like – – WOW, Peloton fam !!!

My class with Alex Toussaint made me sweat more than ever before and I loved all the members’ excitement of having a “real-life ‘in-home rider’ (their phrase, not mine LOL) in their class” Hahaha I didn’t even know that was a “thing.”

My trip ended with crashing my amazing NYC cousin’s bachelor pad and grabbing a quick bite of sush with him before I jumped back on the steam engine, headed to the good ol’ 410.

P.S. …. I might have indulged in a little photo shoot fun while I was waiting for him to get out of work…. hahaha a bored girl’s gotta do, what a bored girl’s gotta do!

I swear his Corgi pup, Joe, took the photos !!!

<<see the video below>>

CheeryandCharming_NYC1