Climbing Jams: Post 3 - Filing Keeps Me Climbing!

This is the third installment of a series of posts on Climbing Jams! The first post provided anecdotal proof of my success with Jamberry Nail Wraps. In the last Climbing Jams post, I've found that in addition to the nice Jamicure, I find that the Jams actually provide a number of additional benefits. Last time I discussed how the Jamberry nail wraps actually provide a bit of protection. Today I'll explain my little Jamicure and climbing secret! 

Super McShort Short!

We've all heard or seen someone with nails a bit too long and  there is that scraping sound on the plastic or rock holds. Ehhhh! So close to the sound of nails on the chalkboard. With my Jams I find that if I take 5 minutes or so after a climb (that night or the next day) to run a quick glass (smooth) file along the edge, this gets rid of any rough spots on my nails/Jams and keeps my nails short for my climbs. 

Jamberry Glass Nail Files - Keeps it Smooth :) 

This regular maintenance not only keeps my hands and nails in check from climbing, but also keeps my Jams looking GREAT for up to two weeks (even with multiple climbs)! People always ask how I can Rock my Jams for so long and this is my secret - I use a smooth file on my nails every couple of days -- usually after a climb or lifting session. 

You don't want your nails scraping and prohibiting you from grabbing that hand hold!

A neat little bonus I've found since I've started wearing Jams is that they actually help to prohibit over wearing down of my nails. When you do multi-day climbs, sometimes you get to the point where your nails wear down to the fleshy underneath; this will affect the ability to pull on fingerholds, pockets, slots, etc. as the fingers are just too tender. Then you have to cut back on what you are doing, and boo who wants to do that!? I find that since I've started wearing Jamberry nail wraps, I do keep 'em short, but the filing and checking, and the wraps themselves, help protect my nails from getting too worn out from climbing. Which is great because it just means I can get even more climbing in!

Next time I'll tell you a little more about my overall nail and hand care. But the regular smooth filing is def a huge benefit to my climbing and to my ability to Rock my Jams for so long. 

Until next time... Climb and Jam On!

DrChopSuey Jams Weekly Wrap Up

You know how I do it... here's a wrap up of the week in DrChopSuey Jams-land! 

DrChopSuey Jams VIP Mystery Party
The big news of this past week was the completion of my VIP Mystery Party. We spent the past 3 weeks having fun on FB - scavenger hunts, I Spy, Jamicure nailfies, internet memes and so much more! The VIPs earned points by participating in games, asking questions, any Jam purchases.... and these points turned into entries for prizes! The grand prize was the Hostess Rewards from the party. What's that? Well that is when someone was randomly chosen to WIN ALL of the Hostess Rewards generated from the party! Our party hit $545!

The chart below shows the Hostess Rewards at the different levels... Check out what our lucky VIP won at the 500 level! 100 product credits, 5 half-off items, September-October-AND-November Hostess Exclusive wraps, 4 months of free shipping AND 30% off the rest of her order!

8 other VIPs also received prizes because I love giving things away to my VIPs. :)  Want to join the DrChopSuey Jams VIP group to have chances to win freebies and goodies in the future? Make sure you ping me to find out how to become a VIP (it's actually pretty easy... I just add you to the FB group!). Want a chance to party with your own friends and earn these rewards for yourself? Ping me and we can get a party going for you at anytime! 

Stylebox Delivery!
Stylebox by Jamberry is our monthly subscription box. You can take the style quiz to find out your preferred style - Trendy, Feminine or Classic. But don't worry, you can change your style each month! It's really fun because you can get these exclusive wraps each month (yep, these are ONLY available via StyleBox) and of course Jamberry occasionally adds additional goodies to boxes! Well I finally signed up and I couldn't wait to get my first Stylebox. Earlier in the week I saw a TON of people posting September StyleBox pics on Instagram... I was starting to feel left out! September was tough to decide because I really loved all three choices: 

September 2016 Stylebox options

 Which did I get? I actually went LIVE on the DrChopSuey Jams VIP Facebook group to open and share my Stylebox! 

FB Go LIVE reveal of my September Stylebox!

So which did I get... It was a tough decision but I got: 

FEMININE!!!

I love the motivational card!

What can be better that these three beauties.... OCTOBER Stylebox! Sweaters, boots, football, and pumpkin spiced everything! As the air becomes crisp and the leaves start to fall, we can’t help but appreciate the little pleasures that come with a new season. This month’s “Fall Essentials” StyleBox is all about bringing you new go-with-everything basics so your nails can be as ready for the new season.  Take a look at these fall-themed wraps: 

October 2016 Stylebox options - Sign-up by October 15th!

If you are interested in subscribing to Stylebox and want October be sure to signup BEFORE October 15th! If you have any questions just ping me! 

Jams I'm Rockin' 
This week I'm rockin' my first Jamicure of the new catalog wraps - Here I have Vertical Garden paired with Tungsten Sparkle, and of course topped with TruShine gel. Isn't it sooo sweet?!?! 

Vertical Garden, Tungsten Sparkle, TruShine Top Coat

About mid-way through the week I ended up picking off the thumb wraps (I KNOW, I tell you not to because you will ruin your nails by ripping the top layer off... not good). But it was a nervous tick I did this week. Anyways... my Jamicure was still going strong through the weekend so I ended up just slicking on some TruShine Pink Fizz (the August Color Pop exclusive gel) and I'm loving the two accent nails!

Pink Fizz - The August Color Pop Gel!

CONGRATULATIONS KRISTI!!

And last but not least I have to send a HUGE welcome hug out to Kristi who joined my team! She has been a long-time friend (we go back to cheerleading days in Middle School!). Kristi is a wonderful mom, sister and friend to many - she has a huge heart and I am beyond thrilled to work along-side her in her new Jam adventure. Congrats and so looking forward to jammin' with you Kristi!!

Welcome Kristi!!

2 Week Wrap Up!

It has been a busy time in DrChopSuey Jam-land. Here's a rundown of the past 2 weeks! 

New STUFF! 
The previous week I wrote a blog post on the September Exclusives. These are the exclusive wraps that are only available for this month. Make sure you check out these specials because when the calendar turns into October, these babies are GONE! More info for the September Exclusives are on the blog post! 

Sister Style for September!

September Hostess Exclusive Wrap!

Now... we have a LOT of new stuff! A LOT! I'm just going to list everything here: 

How To Cook That x Jamberry
It's exciting to see that Jamberry and YouTube sensation An Reardon (How to Cook That) have come out with new wraps! These are available for a limited time and really you need to check these out. They are SUPER sweet. Apparently Ann will be wearing some of the designs on her upcoming shows so be sure to check it out! 

NFL Collection by Jamberry
OMFG! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No comments... just adding the Patriots wraps in bulk to my cart. 

All teams are represented so if you happen to like another team... those wraps are there as well. 

Oh and just to throw (pun sorta intended there), these NLF Collection by Jamberry wraps would look great paired with one of my favorite wraps, Footballs on Clear! 

2016 Seasonal Collection
They are FINALLY here! And for ease in searching and browsing, these are the different categories of Seasonal Wraps. 

Autumn
Calming, warm hues, pretty leaves, cute foxes, pie.... Yeah. You might find that you like the Autumn Collection as much as I do!

Halloween
Who doesn't love a little cuteness to go with the scary holiday?! AND... be sure to check out those wraps that GLOW IN THE FREAKIN DARK!?!?!?! 

Winter
You all know how much I love winter. I might have to wear some of these all winter long. I'm in LOVE with Silver Frost, Snow Days, Snow Bound (you seeing a theme here?). Yeah. I love snow and I have a cart full of snow wraps. :) 

Holiday
The holiday wraps are def cute and fun. But if you are a knitter... CHECK OUT THE Christmas Socks wraps! Yep... they are in my cart! 

#TellYourStory

Breast cancer knows no bounds - We all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each of the five wraps from the #TellYourStory collection will be donated to the American Cancer Society (and a similar organization in Canada and Australia). These organizations to help fight breast cancer through research and prevention.

Sharing stories about the treatment and survivor path can offer hope and support to others - #TellYourStory!

Two Tip Tuesdays
That's right - I don't do a Weekly  Wrap up and I happen to have 2 Tip Tuesdays! The first post discussed how I am lazy and skip parts of the nail prep process. Want to know more about those steps that I skip? Check out the Quick and DirTay Version here! 

Nail Prep is key --- learn how to do it a little more quickly!

The other Tip Tuesday post was also a good reminder for myself. The different types of wraps (matte, sparkle, satin, etc) have different suggested heating times. This would have been good for me to keep in mind several weeks ago when I used Trippin' and basically heated them up too long! The graphic below shows the recommended heating times for the different types of wraps and you can read more about it here. If you have a question about heating times or application process, please feel free to ping me! 

Wrap Heating Times are Important to Know!

Jams I'm Rockin' 
Did you know you can rock your college spirit with Jams? We have many university and sorority premium wraps so you can show your pride for your team and sisterhood! While these are NOT part of the B3G1 deal, they are really nice for showing my love for my Ducks. And as you can see, for the first University of Oregon football game of the season, you KNOW I had to rock my Ducks and Footballs on clear wraps! 

University of Oregon and Oregon Ducks! Yaaaaassss!

Jammin' Climbin' Ducks!

Then this past week I decided to rock some new wraps from the new catalog. These Vertical Garden wraps are very sweet. Maybe a little floral for me so I toned down the girly-girl with the Tungsten Sparkle wraps. I do love that you can totally change the look and feel of a Jamicure by mixing and matching different wraps, gel and lacquers! Initially was scared of doing that but (clearly) I've jumped full on into mixed Jamicures! :) 

First new catalog wraps Jamicure! Here I'm wearing Vertical Garden and Tungsten Sparkle

My Why
Last but not least - I am so incredibly happy to say that because of your support I was able to send a donation of $450 to the NIH Children's Inn! That's so far a total of $550 to help the children and families going through pediatric clinical trials at the NIH. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate YOU so much for letting me donate to this incredible charity organization. 

Tip Tuesday: Know Your Wrap Finishes

Tip Tuesday is a regular feature on DrChopSuey Jams where the occasional tutorial, tip n' tricks, and hand/nail care are presented. This week's Tip Tuesday is on Wrap Finishes.

One of the biggest thing that I try to stress to people is that the different types of wraps need different amounts of heat times. I find that some people won't have luck with the wraps, after about an hour or two of wear they find that the wraps literally curl right off their nails. So we'll go over the whole nail prep process, including the cuticles, removal of oils, and even that drat invisible cuticle that plagues some people. But everything checks out. Then I ask about heat and pressure and sometimes we find out that they might be heating the wraps for TOO long. This is going to "melt" the adhesive right off the wrap! So be sure to check the guide below to ensure you are heating the wrap to the optimal amount of time. 

Let me know if something is plaguing you and we can try to figure out a way to optimize your prep, application or wear. You KNOW how I love to experiment! 

September Newbies & Exclusives

Every month the company has a number of new products that are available only for the month, or for a short time. Here are the exclusives for this month! 

Sister Style
Each month a new Sister's Style wrap is released - this month's wrap is adorable. It's available until the end of the month! This month's Sister Style is Sweet September, and it really is simple and sweet. And you guys know how much I love sparkles... wheee!!! 

How to Cook That x Jamberry
It's exciting to see that Jamberry and YouTube sensation An Reardon (How to Cook That) have come out with new wraps! These are available for a limited time and really you need to check these out. They are SUPER sweet. Apparently Ann will be wearing some of the designs on her upcoming shows so be sure to check it out! 

This one is my FAVORITE out of the group. 

And I love that they didn't forget wraps for the half-pints!

September Hostess Exclusive
The September Hostess Exclusive is only received when you host a qualifying party in the month of September. This month the Hostess Exclusive wrap is a funky modern wrap. It has TOTALLY grown on me! If you would like to own this wrap hit me up and we can get you set up for a party THIS month! 

Stunning!

September Color Pop
Each month Jamberry highlights a trending nail color in lacquer or gel for the Color Pop Collection. The Color Pop products are exclusives and are available only while supplies last. And that's just the thing... only while supplies last. Fortunately but unfortunately this month has ALREADY sold out! The September Color Pop, Showtime, a beautiful sparkly lacquer sold out on September 1. Looking forward to next month... hopefully we can jump on it before it sells out! 

Tip Tuesday - Nail Prep (The Quick and Dirtay Version)

Tip Tuesday is a regular feature on DrChopSuey Jams where the occasional tutorial, tip n' tricks, and hand/nail care are presented. This week's Tip Tuesday is on nail prep. 

A proper nail application starts with proper nail prep! I have two methods of nail prep - depending on the amount of time I can devote to my nails. Of course the best nail prep is the longer of my two methods but if I am short on time (and who isn't,) I have a quick and easy prep method - I ensure I have clean dry hands/nails. 

Quick push of the cuticles and nail cleanser/isopropyl those babies for a quick prep!

Yep, that's it. Clean, dry, oil free nails beds are the first step to a successful Jamberry wrap application. Again, there is a longer nail prep method which actually works BEST for me (not going to lie, so I'll describe that method in a future post). And while I'm being honest, if I keep on my hand/nail maintenance routine (which I will also describe in future post) this quick prep method is actually VERY doable and works great for my Jamicures! 

Okay back to the task at hand... when I'm tight for time (as I usually am) I give just a quick push of my cuticles and make sure to remove all oils from my nails by washing my hands and nails with dish soap and then I use isopropyl alcohol to clean, disinfect and dry out my nails. 

Jamberry also has Nail Prep Cleanser which can be used after removing wraps or lacquer and will do the job of cleaning and prepping the nail for your next Jamicure! I have little packets of this stuff and it is super! 

Jamberry Nail Prep Cleanser

Do you have a question or a technique that you want answered/demonstrated? Let me know and I'll do my best to answer your questions!