Magic Hand and Foot Care

Within the past couple of months I stumbled upon products that have been downright magical for my hands and feet. Two different items providing two fantastic solutions, and this is me shouting it from the rooftops… I feel extra excited to share the moisturizing lotion because it helped me in a completely unexpected way.

Foot Mask

I don’t have a regular foot care routine, but when I feel like my feet need some exfoliation, I’ll reach for one of our DIY foot scrubs:

This spring I felt like my feet were more callused than usual, so before reaching for a scrub, I thought that I’d try one of these exfoliating foot peels. It worked like magic!

As suggested in the instructions, I soaked my feet for about an hour before putting on the booties (which contain the mask). I kept the booties on for another, and then washed off the mask. Like clockwork, about a week later, the skin on my feet started peeling!

The peeling doesn’t hurt, and it basically looks like peeling skin after a sunburn. My feet have been peeling for close to a week now, but this is the last of the dead skin, and feet are looking and feeling so soft.

I like to walk around barefoot, and I was curious if the newly uncovered skin would be more sensitive, but fortunately it’s not. It’s just baby soft and not looking so “rugged”.

Moisturizing Lotion

This magical (not-nail-or-hand-specific) lotion has nipped my nail-biting habit in the bud! How could that be? Let me explain.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that my nail-biting doesn’t have to do with fidgeting, wanting to put things in my mouth, wanting my nails to be short, etc…

It has to do with one thing: when my nails are chipped, splitting, or peeling, it drives me crazy and I want to “smooth” them out. So I do that by biting them, which makes the problem worse, then I bit them some more. And this sadly this applied to the skin around my nails too. It would be dry and peeling, I’d pick at it, the cycle would repeat itself.

Over the years I’ve tried a number of solutions. I used to paint them religiously (see photo above!) because this would make them less prone to drying out and damage, but as the polish peeled off, I would then start to bite them.

I’d use gloves when washing dishes to minimize drying, but it still didn’t solve the problem. I’d put all sorts of salves on my fingers (plenty of them were homemade!). But alas, nothing stopped the nail biting. UNTIL NOW!

Long story a little bit longer: we got this lotion because hyaluronic acid has great reviews for moisturizing skin, plumping it up, reducing wrinkles, etc. After we got the lotion, I was putting a little bit on my face each night before bed. After a few weeks I realized that my hands, specifically my nails, were looking fantastic!

It took me a day or two to realize that the only change in my routine was the lotion. It’s now been close to two months, my nails are so strong, there’s no dryness, and I’m completely hooked. I still just put the lotion on my face and rub it into my hands before bed. I can’t tell if it’s made much of a difference to my face, but given how well it’s worked on my hands, I’m not going to stop any time soon.

There are many hyaluronic acid lotions and supplements out there. I linked to the exact lotion that we’re using, and because it’s working so well, we haven’t tried anything else.

So, if your nail biting habit is anything like mine, give this lotion a try. I’d love to hear if it works for more people!

Homemade Yogurt in the Instapot

Hey there, it’s time for a very irregular installment of some of my favorite things!



I’ve been using my Instantpot to make yogurt this winter, and we are hooked, as in multiple-batches-per-week hooked.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the results are just like using using our yogurt maker. So why switch?

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Crafting with Kids: Sewing a Scarf

If you’re looking for more kid-friendly craft projects, we’ve written about using knitting looms and making rolled beeswax candles.

Last year (2020) the boys got a sewing machine for Christmas. It may not be the typical gift for a 5 & 7 year old, but know how much they love tools and making things, this was the perfect addition to their arsenal. It goes well with a Viking helmet, don’t you think?

During their first year of having the machine, we did a few things.

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Gift Idea: Great Coffee Table Books

We love books. If you know us, you know this. Today we’re sharing some last minute, but golden, Christmas gift ideas: Great Coffee Table Books. I cherish a big and beautiful book, but it is one of those items that is harder for me to justify purchasing for myself. That means it’s a beloved gift when received!

A few things to ask yourself before you gift a great coffee table book:

  1. Does your recipient live in a tiny home? If so, do not get them a book. Do not get them any items, instead take them to a nice dinner or buy an experience for them.
  2. What topic or subject area does your recipient like? Start by thinking broadly by interest for instance, travel, nature, hobbies (surfing or mountainbiking?), design (interior, architectural, or graphic?) subjects (history or geology?), or artform (weaving or oil painting?) and then you can go deeper within that frame.
  3. What medium do they enjoy? Photography? Illustration or painting? Maybe they’re a big reader and would like something with a robust written narritive?
  4. To narrow down your choices even further, think about your answers to question 3 & 4 and travel a little further down those lanes. When thinking about someone who likes travel, do they love a particular destination? For instance, if I know someone is a Paris fanatic, I would ask myself if they also have a love for architecture, food, fashion, or maybe modern art? I would also think about their current artwork, interests and where they find inspiration to try to nail down if I’m seeking out a photography based book or something else. If I know they like street photography, Paris, and using pops of color in thier home, this book, Paris in Color, may be the perfect gift for them!

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