My DH and kids gave me a gift certificate for Mother's Day from a nail salon. I have never had anything done to my nails and I don't know what to choose. I could have the basic manicure and pedicure or I could have tips. I know very little about all of this, what would you have done if you were me?

I've been waiting until after we get further along with our gardening and yard work, but I think it's about time to go give it a try.

What a nice gift! If it were your first time having this type of services, I would go with the regular manicure and pedicure. They will push back and/or remove any hanging cuticles, buff your excess dry skin with a pumice stone (feet), shape your nails, give you a hand and foot massage, then give your nails a nice coat of polish with the color of your choice.

If you went with "tips" or other types of artificial nails i.e. acrylics, silk or gel, then upkeep is required every 2 or 3 weeks which costs even more money, and the damage is already done to your nails and nailbed after they are applied. This is coming from me who has acrylics at this very moment and while they do look pretty and I get compliments a lot, I don't look forward to the day when I have to have them removed and let my natural nails go bare and grow out. Not fun! I have a love/hate relationship with my acrylics

I'd definitely go with the mani/pedi. Melekali's right about having to maintain acrylics. Every 2 weeks, you'd have to go pay for a fill. aAnd every few months, you'd have to have them removed and redone. It's a mess of maintainance. When you do decide to take them off, you have these funny little ring shaped crevices in your real nails from the fills and they're there until they grow out. I still have funny rounded shapes on the tips of my nails from the last time I did acrylics.

Mani/pedi's are nice because they're sooo relaxing. You get to sit in the big chair and read a book or magazine while they make your toes all perty and then watch while they do the same to your hands. And you leave the salon feeling gorgeous! Just like after having your hair done.

I agree, the mani and pedi are the way to go. You're going to love it, it is sooo relaxing.

I'll chime in on the mani/pedi too. The pedi is worth every penny alone. Talk about being pampered. As for tips, that's going to depend on the salon. If we're talking Korean or Chinese run, I'd steer clear of letting them apply tips. Some of the stuff some of them use actually damage your natural nails. I got tips once and when I removed them, my nails were even thinner than they had been. They would just RIP, there wasn't enough nail there anymore.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to take everyone's advice and go for the manicure and pedicure. The tips or acrylics sound like too much maintenance right now, although they do look so nice.

It will be fun to be so pampered!

I had my first mani/pedi in March and loved it -- I just had my second yesterday!! Enjoy!