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My One Year Student Loan Payoff Update

  January 28, 2022 marked my one year anniversary of paying off my student loans . Reflecting back on choosing to pay off my student loans leaves me with several take a ways that I want to share with you! In September 2020 I decided to become debt free by utilizing the debt snowball method to pay off all my debt. Before this I had struggled to save and really understand basic financial principles. As a first-generation college student, I received a scholarship to attend undergrad for free, but the scholarship did not cover summers. During the summers I took out student loans to cover costs without paying interest rates or how much I was taking out. By the end of undergrad I had amassed a little under $17K. Fast forward to graduate school I received another scholarship that covered my education. At the time I was a teacher in a new very expensive city and I had missed the cutoff to have my paycheck last me throughout the summer. So, I decided to take out a loan for two summers to ...

Adult Daily Living Skills: At Home Mani (Grooming)


Grooming is one of my favorite Adult Daily Living Skills to work on. Grooming or taking care of your personal hygiene often includes showering/bathing, oral hygiene, nail care, and hair care. I have always enjoyed maintaining my nails and hair.  I also enjoy hanging out in the beauty section in Target and looking (and smelling) all of the soaps, fragrances, and hair care products.

Figure 1: This is a dog with its head wrapped in a towel and cucumbers on his eyes.


Prior to my debt free journey, I looked forward to getting my monthly manicure and pedicure. But, now I’ve decided to do these things on my own. Since my polishing skills are not the best this led me into stumbling upon Dashing Diva Nail Strips one night as I was researching how I could improve my at home manicures. Dashing Diva Nail Strips are gel like strips that stick to your nails and last up to 14 days. These nail strips are perfect for someone who has a disability and cannot make it to the nail salon due to COVID or someone with a physical disability like Cerebral Palsy who may not be able to find an experienced nail tech. For individuals with physical disabilities like Cerebral Palsy a home health aide or family member would be able to apply these easily. Each pack comes with 30 nail strips, a filer, and an alcohol pad.


Figure 2: This a thumbnail from my YouTube video on At Home Mani.


Here is a quick overview of how they can be applied:

  • 1.       File your nails to your liking
  • 2.       Push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher
  • 3.       Use the alcohol nail pad to wipe each nail to remove any oils
  • 4.       Before removing the adhesive strip fit the nail strip over your nail by placing it over your nail to see if it fits
  • 5.       Now remove the adhesive strip and press it to your nails starting at the bottom of your nail
  • 6.       Do this for each nail until you are finished
Figure 3: This is a photo of my nails after I applied Dashing Diva nail strips. They have gold glitter and nude nail polish with designs. 
    

How do you feel about grooming? Are you like me and complete your own manicures at home? Drop down in the comments and let me know! Be sure to check out my YouTube video below to see how my manicure went!

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