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Mani Monday with Essence: The sponge effect
If you’re a big Essence fan (and I’m sure you are… I mean, who isn’t?!) you’ve probably eyed their totally swell ‘I love trends‘ color trend nail polishes. Every time I pass an Essence stand, I swear it’s like I can hear the bottles calling my name! Yes, I agree, I need to get my head checked. But hey, from pretty pastels to sophisticated nudes to alluring darks, the color trend palettes are enough to make any nail polish lover swoon!
This week, I want to show you guys one of my favorite polishes from the color trend ‘The Pastels’ range. It’s the #13 called ‘Ice to meet you‘ – a fitting title indeed! This striking ice white paint is really eye catching and not something I would expect in a pastels range. It goes on easily and has a dope opaque consistency. I likey!
When I did a bit of a smudge on the pinky there I considered covering it up with a glossy top coat but then nahhhhh. Look at how pretty this paint is without any top coat… smudge or no smudge! The finish is rather matte-y with a soft glitter hue. I can’t describe any other way than “It looks icey, yo”.
I felt like pairing it up with last weeks review, a fave from the The Darks collection called ‘Happy New Green‘. Using a nail art sponge (but you could use literally any sponge) I sponged the dark color on top of the pretty white, to give it a grundgey effect. The result:
You could finish it off with free hand nail art, stamping or even some stickers.
I liiiiked it juuuust the wayyyy iiit arrrre. *cough*What do you think? Would you try something like this at home?
Essence will be giving away a fabulous gift at the end of the month, so you need to keep your eyes peeled every Mani Monday for chances to enter!
Gain more entries on every Mani Monday post this month! Simply comment on each post sharing what your favorite thing about that specific mani is. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled to my Facebook page on Monday, 5th September to see if you’re the lucky winner!
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I am woman, hear me rant
Ever feel like your tired is tired?
Oh, hello there. Please don’t mind me. I’m just sitting here, feeling pretty putrid, after spending literally the whole night shriveled up in a ball of stomach cramps and restlessness, dreaming of a better day. Apparently, there’s a bug going around (I say apparently because that’s the general response I get when people hear that I’m not well “Ag shame man, there’s a bug going around”…) so it seems that the bug has latched itself on to me and my fragile tummy, resulting in me being on a water and anti-diarrhea meds diet for the past 2 days. -
Mani Monday with Essence {Enter our giveaway!}
So as you may know, August has officially been dubbed “Womans Month”. And while this holds no specific perks for me, in my household, (gifts. I want gifts), it’s still a pretty darn good reason to celebrate! I am woman! Hoohaa!*cough*
Okay, now that I’ve settled down, allow me to explain the rest of this month’s festivities: For the month of August, I will be featuring special manis inspired by my friends over at Essence. They have a bunch of “I’m not really a nail art expert but I wana try” stuff in their ranges and I can’t wait to show you my favorite picks and also a couple of really easy ways to make your nails look amazing! Acrylic for what?!
Oh and, drum roll: Essence will be giving away a fabulous gift at the end of the month, so you need to keep your eyes peeled every Mani Monday for chances to enter!
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Spreadsheet brain for what?
Oh hello there, it’s me, Luchae. Yep, the actual Luchae of this actual spreadsheet blog. I know I haven’t been around in a while, but I’m back now. Life’s been borderline cray cray. So many changes, big milestones to celebrate, events to plan and farewells to savour. Today, I lay under blankets, watching the rain fall, pondering on all of the above and then some.I’m in that “I should be planning something but I don’t want to and I don’t know how to work my way around that” mood. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can probably spreadsheet if I want to. But I’d prefer just chilling here, considering the complexities of life and wondering how Kim Kardashian gets her boxer braids to be so perfect.
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#ECMeetUp: Hey EC Bloggers, check this out!
EC Bloggers, Ella and I are so excited! We’ve finally secured our guest speakers and venue and can now officially invite you to get your tickets for our next #ECMeetUp! Woohoo!Although this is a “mini meet” (think meet up, but like, Smurf version), it sometimes feels like we are basically planning another full on meet up. Bells and whistles included. We are trying to control ourselves, but alas. All the evidence shows that we are failing misrebly!
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Help! My child is too nice!
The other day I had an interesting chat with a very concerned parent about the “niceness” of their kid. For privacy sake let’s call the child Susan. Susan is a well spoken pre-teen and according to her parent, she was being “too nice”… which seems like a pretty crazy problem to have with your child. I mean, a polite, helpful child, who seems to be overly aware of other peoples feelings and always eager to do the right thing, should be something to be celebrated, right? And it has been… Susan’s parents have always been overly proud (and other adults very impressed) with her. But alarm bell’s started going off when Susan was overheard telling a bunch of other kids “No! You’re not allowed to be helpful. That’s MY thing!” Susan was also overheard explaining, in detail, that she knows how to “control” adults by saying the right thing, or crying at the right times. “Don’t worry, leave her to me!” She would say, in reference to how she was going to trick her grandmother to do what she wants her to do.
With all of this in mind, the next time I saw Susan (as always, being super kind and helpful and eager to please) I suddenly saw something else there. “Oh, she’s such a wonderful child!” an aunty exclaimed, after Susan (very loudly) said that she was going to comfort a friend who had gotten hurt. I mean, wanting to comfort the hurt friend wasn’t the concern. Making a big show of it was. I also began noticing how Susan only did nice things when other people were looking and then made sure to mention exactly what she did, so that she could get praise. Her language also changed around certain people. For example, around her grandparents it was all sugar sweet, but around others it was the total opposite. Susan also enjoyed getting friends and playmates into trouble, and then acted as if she had nothing to do with it afterwards. There’s a name for this, I thought to myself…. what is it now again?
Uhmmm… oh ya…
Manipulation.I totally got it. I understood her parent’s concern. It became really difficult to reprimand the child who pretty much had everyone wrapped around her finger. If Susan was caught doing something wrong, her “I’m sorry’s” were totally on point and the response of everyone else around them would discourage actual punishment because surely Susan did not mean to do it… there must’ve been a mistake! She’s such a WONDERFUL child, after all! It’s hard when there’s a problem but noone else sees it as a problem. Calling your kid out on being “too nice” could make you come across as just being mean. Who wants that? You know?
What do you say to a parent who is concerned that their child is trying to manipulate them? I mean, Susan is no “Chucky” and hasn’t tried to burn the house down or push a sibling from a wall, or anything wack like that. But because of Susan’s (very clever) behavior, she had managed to secure favor in the eyes of adults. It was all part of the tactic.
It’s obvious that the manipulation stems from another root… a root that needs to be nipped in the bud before this broken child becomes an angry adult. But it also made me think about motive. Our kids need to learn about motive and intention… the WHY behind doing things, especially in this era of “entitlement” when feeding the poor on Nelson Mandela Day could be all about the photo op and not about being a light in dark places. And let’s be honest, kids are not the only guilty ones. Adults are especially good at putting on a front to get what they want. Ever spend quality time with your family so that you could Instagram it? Ever register for Santa Shoebox because everyone else is doing it and it’s so fun to put stuff in a shoebox? Ever visit your aunty in hospital to show face and to fake concern? Social media has caused us to live a life of manipulation (photo edit much?) and we act like it’s okay (subliminal status update much?) when it’s not really okay (viral share much?). How is our behavior any different to Susans? Makes you think…
Have you had to deal with a manipulative child? Any advice?
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Adult coloring books… for real? {And hey, you could win one!}
Sometimes I don’t want to adult.
Do you often feel that way? Adulting is HARDWORK, yo! I guess that’s why the adult coloring book craze has become such a “thing”. I didn’t get it at first. I mean, coloring books for grown ups? Why evens? Well, that was until I tried it out… and boy is it therapeutic! It’s a total stress reliever and helps to get your focus on something other than your to do list. I’ve seen people get REALLY into it, buying special pens and artsy pencils, to make their works of art pop. You could do that too. Or you could get 9.99 pencil crayons. Whatever floats your boat! -
Ever had to deal with that baby mama drama?
So Kyle’s on holiday with his dad and while I miss him a lot (and the tea he makes), I’m always so happy when he gets to spend time with his dad, stepmum and the rest of his ‘other’ family. I’ve never really been an advocate for “baby mama drama”.
Not that I was immune to it. I’ll admit, Kyle’s dad and I have had our fair share of being mean to each other. There were many nights, preceding our break up, that thoughts of spitefulness crossed my mind. I mean, if I’m not happy, why should he be? Why should I allow him full access to MY child? I am the mother, after all, so I have more say in his life than the dad does, right?
And come on, ladies, let’s be real, when another woman enters the picture, you might as well put on your Shaneequa weave and hoop earrings because “oh helllllls no! No other woman’s going to be mother to MY child!”
Suddenly, the “best interest” of your child becomes the motive behind every crazy demand and every bitter argument… and in your mind, it all makes sense. But in actual fact, it doesn’t make sense. Well, not if you really have the best interest of your kid in mind.
I’ve learnt that my son’s father’s wife is important… just as important as I am, actually. Who cares that I “was here first”. Come on ladies! Yes, I’m the kid’s mother, but hey guess what, I don’t need a pedestal. I just need you to love my child and work with me to make sure he is happy and healthy. I am blessed to say that my boy’s stepmama is very sweet and always regards me with respect, which I did not even ask for, but really appreciate. She loves my boy and has been able to chat to him about stuff that he would never open up to me about. And if you consider the fact that he spends alot of time with them, it makes me feel good knowing that there’s another me (so to say) over there, keeping an eye on him and making sure he brushes his teeth.
I’ve learnt that putting my kid first means that I an willing to work harmoniously with his dad, in order to make sure that the most important stuff is taken care of. WE are his parents. I’m not a majority share holder. One of the most devastating facts of our country is that so many children are growing up without proper father figures. The fatherless youth of today struggle with identity. They don’t know where they come from and they are not sure where they are going to. I cannot begin to explain how valuable the input of a loving father is… how much it adds to the growth and stability of a child! So if my kid’s dad WANTS to be in his life, who am I to deny that?
I’ve learnt that my boy’s father actually really does love him and if he can’t pay for something or buy something, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care. It just means that he isn’t able to give the cash. Money does not equate to love, yo. We agree on who pays for what, and guess what… in the rare occasion where one of us is unable to do what we are meant to do, the other one steps in, if they can. I guess, this only works in a situation where both parties are not out to get the better “deal”.
I’ve learnt that bad mouthing my kid’s dad does not make me the better parent. It makes me the bitter parent. And it breaks down my son’s hero, which will make ME a zero in his eyes. (You know your child will not stay a child forever, right? Kids remember toxic behavior.)
It helps that his father and I are able to openly tell each other when we are not happy with something. (In a respectable way). I guess the secret is to keep your eyes on the prize: What would be better for our child? NOT “What would make me the superior one?”
I’ve learnt that my Hubstopher is the best father to my son, while his own dad is in another city. But Hubstopher is NOT my son’s biological father. My boy’s father and I make decisions about his life. Hubstopher and I make decisions about what happens in our house. And somehow, we have to work on merging the 2, in a way that is respectful to all parties involved and in the best interest of the CHILD and not anyone’s pride. I couldn’t have married a better man!
And lastly, I’ve learnt that, at the end of the day, God gave us a precious gift and it is our responsibility to make sure that Kyle grows up to be the best Kyle he could ever be! His dad and I have lived our lives and made our own decisions, and the child played no part in it. Why should he suffer? I’m sure this blog post has made us sound like superhumans, so please, allow me to clarify: It has NOT been an easy road! But it’s all worth it in the end. Kyle deserves to have his best chance, and that is exactly what we are going to give him.
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Nubar’s Lekker Nail Lacquer
This week I attempted a mani with a polish brand that I had never tried before: Nubar Nail Lacquer. Nubar is by no means a newbie polish. But my spreadsheet brain and I often opt for the brands that we know and are comfortable with. Not today. Check it out: -
Con.ect geek fest: How to be the coolest parent in the world {Giveaway}
Sometimes I wonder if our kids would trade me in for a cooler version, if they could. I mean, I’m not exactly the coolest parent. Granted, the older ones are boys and they would much rather talk Fifa and Naruto with Hubstopher, than with me. But, to avoid being the boring one (who wants to be THAT parent?), I often look for ways to show them that hey, I can be hip too!
