Sunday, June 5, 2016

top three [06.05.2016]

a few instas from the weekend :)

 medicine
  • The chest x-ray of a patient who has pulmonary alveolar proteinosis has infiltrates that resemble a bat shape. I can almost see it. 
  • Trismus: the inability to open the mouth normally. This is often seen in retropharygenal abscesses. 
  • Did you guys see the story about how the man who invented the Heimlich maneuver, Dr. Heimlich (obviously), use it to save the other day to save the life of a lady who was choking while seated by him? Talk about a lucky day!

 on the internet

 spotted
  • I just put in a huge Old Navy order (so many work out clothes currently on sale!) but I'm sad I didn't spot this adorable white dress until after I ordered - how freaking cute is it?!
  • The shape and style of this Emperia purse is so similar to the Givenchy satchel...for about 1/100 of the price!
  • I tried on this striped top from Banana Republic yesterday, and I just fell in love with it. If only it came in black and white, I would have purchased it immediately!

ask me anything
  • I'm going on a beach vacation in a few weeks and was wondering if you had any cover up recommendations?
    • Yay! Where are you going, and do you have room in your suitcase for me? So I have several suggestions, all under $50. From Target, there are two really cute options - there's a crochet paneled one that comes in black and white, and my personal favorite, this striped tasseled kaftan (so cute, right?!). J.Crew Factory has a pretty good sale going on, so their striped v-neck dress would be a perfect dress that doubles as a cover-up (perfect for when you have dinner plans after a day at the beach). The most unique of the bunch is a romper from O'Neill - I just think it would be so fun to wear!
  • I am pregnant with my first baby, due in August, and I didn't really know what to expect from childbirth so when a friend suggested I take a Hypnobirthing class, I signed up. I had no idea what Hypnobirthing was but she said the class would be informative and helpful, regardless of the type of birth experience I wanted. I had always planned on getting an epidural and just going along with the process as the OB saw fit but the class has me rethinking this. From what I've heard, many OBs aren't very supportive of Hypnobirthing. I'm just curious what you have learned about Hypnobirthing from school or the OBs you have worked with?
    • Congrats on your first baby! To be honest, I don't have any experience with Hypobirthing, and actually had to look it up! From what I understand, it's a way of working with your body to get through labor and delivery, which I think most OBs would be supportive of. I've never experienced a doctor push a patients towards an epidural, so I hope you won't have that experience either! I think women need to do whatever they want in their delivery, whether that's an epidural, going without anything, or using hypobirthing. If you feel it will work for you, then I think that's wonderful :)
  • Have you ever fainted? How did it happen?
    • I have actually only fainted once, but I've been close several times. The one time I fainted was when I was shadowing my friend's father, who is a plastic surgeon, a few years before I went to medical school. I was under the impression we were just going to stand in the corner during a breast lift, but he had us scrub in and participate. Between the hot lights, and watching someone cutting into a nipple, I just basically lost it. The nurse noticed that I was breathing funny, and had the circulating nurse bring me a chair right as I passed out. Embarrassing, that's for sure! 

 on franish

 notable sales
  • Boden: save 25% off your purchase with code 3H9P
  • Madewell: 20% off summer picks
    • I love the idea of a short sleeved chambray top for the summer. White jeans, chambray shirt, cognac accessories sounds like a perfect summer uniform to me!
    • And if you need some cognac wedges, I found you the perfect pair (or the coral pair, because they are so pretty!). 
    • I love this pretty rose cardigan - it would just be so versatile during all months of the year. 
  • Nordstrom: last day of the half yearly sale!

 at home

  • Since returning home from the dorms, CR and I have been so good about eating and exercising - it feels so good to wake up in the morning not feeling guilty (or am I the only one this happens to?). We did the first week of BBG (yep, he did it with me!) and I'm excited to keep up with it. It's nice to have one physical thing to do every day as we spend the rest of the time sitting on our butts studying!
  • I came home to Wisconsin for the weekend to see my family and go to my high school reunion. I only get to come home once a year, so it's always such a treat to visit all my favorite places, eat my favorite foods, and see my favorite people. Our high school reunion was pretty fun too! My graduating class only had 69 people in it, so I grew up with all the same people, so that makes for an interesting time together!
  • Less than two more weeks until the hell of 3 board exams in 8 days start. EEK!
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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

review: j.crew keeper chambray shirt versus j.crew always chambray shirt

I purchased the J.Crew Keeper chambray shirt almost two years ago, and it is without a doubt the most worn shirt in my closet - I wore it all. the. time. It was comfortable, it went with everything, and it was just all around the perfect shirt...until it ripped (even then, I still wore it around the house. shhh, don't tell anyone). While the Keeper chambray shirt was a long time J.Crew staple, it turns out they have replaced it with the Always chambray shirt. Since I was such a fan of the original, I purchased its replacement during a recent 30% off sale. Here are the similarities and differences between the two. 
difference between keeper chambray shirt and always chambray shirt
Keeper chambray || Always chambray
Similarities: Both are 100% cotton, which is very important when it comes to picking the comfiest shirt in your closet! I assume that sizing is very similar between the two - I can't say this with certainty as my Keeper chambray is a size 12 and my Always chambray is a 10Tall (more discussions of that below), but according to the measurements online, both regular sizes come in at the same body length of 27 1/4. If you have the Keeper in a size that you like, I'd advise going with the same size for the Always chambray.

Differences: The most immediate difference is in the color of the shirts. Both are portrayed brighter online than they are in real life, but I assumed they would be similar. Granted, my Keeper chambray has gone through the wash many many times, so some of the color differences is due to fading, but even the online version of the Always chambray is much lighter than the real life version. I personally prefer the slightly lighter coloring, so I'm hoping that the Always chambray will fade a bit with time as well. Another big obvious difference is that the Keeper chambray had two pockets with buttons on the chest, while the Always chambray only has one button-less pocket. While I like the look of the buttons for the most part, the fabric tends to get a bit wrinkly and distorted (as you can see above), and it also puts a limit on layering it under sweaters (the button placement just makes you look...chilly, if you know what I mean). So points for the Always, as it requires less maintenance and is more versatile. The Keeper also had buttons on the sleeve (which I never used), which the Always does not. 

Always chambray shirt tall review
I wanted to also just show you how the tall sizing looks on me here - I'm 5'9'', so I don't always need tall sizing, but appreciate the option if it's available. Since I always felt that my Keeper chambray was just a tiny bit too short on me, I opted to go with the tall sizing, one size down for the Always chambray - I typically order one size down when I buy something in talls, as I find that talls generally run larger overall. I do prefer the tall sizing here - it's two inches longer in the waist (29 inches instead of 27), which I really like (I think it looks more proportional, don't you?). If you have longer arms, you'll appreciate the longer length of the sleeves as well - I always roll my sleeves up though, so this wasn't a big deal for me. I also think the waist comes in at my natural waist as opposed to a little too high. 

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Always chambray, so if you've had your eye on it, get it so we can be twins :)

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Sunday, May 29, 2016

top three [05.29.2016]


medicine
  • Dextrocardia is when the heart is on the right, instead of the left, side of the body. It happens in about 1 in 12,000 people. 
  • Your hair being straight or curly depends on the shape of the hair follicle - if you have curly hair, your follicle is asymmetric and oval, and if you hair is straight, your hair follicles are symmetrical. 
  • A porcelain gallbladder is a calcified gallbladder that looks cool, but actually is something that needs to be removed because it carries a higher risk of cancer. 

 on the internet

 spotted

ask my anything
  • Shapewear suggestions? I hate the little belly pudge some dresses so nicely showcase.
  • What are the reasons why you want to do OBGYN?
    • Ohhhh, good question, and something I've been working on being able to verbalize lately. When I was applying to medical school, I really thought I was going to go into family medicine like my father before me - I love the continuity of care, being a person's doctor (not just someone they see once), basically growing up with your patients. Then I did my family med rotation, and it just didn't click for me. Then I did my surgery rotations, and while there are many reasons why I knew that wasn't for me either, I really liked the hands-on aspect of it. I've always been a very handsy crafty person, so I loved that you can fix people with just your hands. Then I did my OB rotation, and it all clicked - the continuity of care, the surgery aspect I didn't really know I had wanted, relatively healthy patients and of course, you get to be there for the happiest day of people's lives. A doctor told me recently the reason she loves OB is because it's the only route where multiple times a day, you walk into a patient's room and say "Congratulations!", and that also very much is true - how many other times in medicine do you get to witness such happiness? All in all, it really is the perfect place for me!
  • Studying for the MCAT...any tips? What was your personal experience? How did you score? Was your score competitive for both MD and DO schools?
    • Do as many practice questions as possible! I don't know what the format is right now, but I would do sections of practice questions that are as long as the MCAT, so you can mentally train to answer questions for that period of time (that's what I do for board studying!). Doing a ton of practice questions was how I improved my score 4 points when I took it the second time. As for my own score, it was average for MD schools at the time. Now I think that DO and MD schools actually have pretty similar average MCAT scores just because it's constantly getting more competitive. You will do great!!

on franish

 notable sales

at home
  • I'm finally home! It was such a quick, great four weeks away, but there are certain things I'm really happy about - the fact I don't have to wear flip flops to shower, don't need noise canceling headphones to sleep, and you know, my boys are here too :)
  • After four weeks of only hospital food though, it's also time to get back on track! I started BBG yesterday (omg, my legs!), stocked up on vegetables, and am ready to feel healthier again. 
  • Now starts our month of board studying. I'm feeling pretty motivated about studying, and am excited to just have four weeks at home. Because I obviously want to do well on these exams, my presence around here will be on the lighter side. I was debating going on a little blogging vacation, but I think I'd miss doing this too much. So you'll only hear from me once or twice a week for the next month or so, and it'll be a bit light in July as well as I'll be on an away audition. These next six months are going to be pretty hectic around here! But, in 52 weeks from today (!!!) we graduate so that's the end of the tunnel ;)
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Thursday, May 26, 2016

may budget

Loft shorts: on sale for $25
Lou & Grey shirt: on sale for $20
(not pictured: TJ Maxx dress for $35)

May budget: $180

Quarterly budget: $500 + $185 left over - $180 in May = $505 for June and July


Wow, is this the most boring budget post I have ever written?! Probably. Black shorts, a white button up, and black work shoes. Though I do have to tell you guys about the Clark shoes I bought at the beginning of the month. I've been looking for normal black shoes to wear to work for months (if not years at this point) because no matter what shoes you wear, your feet are going to hurt if you are on your feet all day. My Revas have just not cut it, even with insoles. So I wandered into Clark when I stopped by the mall four weeks ago because I have heard so many people rave about how great Clark shoes are for work. I tried on several pairs, including some fairly cute ballerina flats, but it wasn't until I tried on this wedge pair that a sales associate recommended that I understood what people meant about instant comfort. The shoes just work with your feet, there is no rubbing or breaking it needed - they are just all around really comfortable shoes that I have now worn many long days on this rotation. To be honest, I think they are just a tiny bit ugly if you look at them too closely, but I know that now one is going to look that closely at my feet, so it's just one of those things where comfort definitely trumps how cute your shoes look. 

This post marks my fourth year of sharing my clothing budget on here. Sometimes I debate no longer writing these budget posts, because I don't really feel I need them anymore...I especially think that when I see how boring this post is! Since starting my budget, my shopping tendencies have drastically changed. I very rarely buy and keep more than 5 items in a month, and most of those are from places like Loft anyway. I never go over my budget, and I usually just keep rolling over the extra, so I really feel that on the one hand, I think four years of documenting my budget is enough.  That being said, I do think sharing what I spend my money on does keep me in line with the financial goals I have set for myself, so even though right now I am not spending a lot on clothes, who knows what the future holds. I also still maintain that I feel like I owe it to blogging as a whole to kind of be a more realistic portrayal of what shopping is like. I don't want to buy ten new dresses a month just to take pictures of them for my blog, so by sharing my budget, it really makes me assess what I purchase, and how it works with my closet, rather than how it would look in a blog post. 

ANYWAY! Enough about me, tell me about you! Have you been sticking to your budgeting goals this year? Do you feel like linking up has changed your shopping habits at all? Do you also sometimes think about no longer sharing your budget?! 

And as always...please link up below :)



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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

beauty tuesday: becca x jaclyn hill champagne collection face palette review

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette
I'm a pretty equal opportunity make-up brand lover - it seems that all my holy grail beauty items come from different brands. That being said, there are certain brands who just seem to do no wrong, and for me lately, that has been Becca. I initially fell in love with their liquid highlighter, then moved on to their primer, and now recently their powder highlighter (mentioned in April's faves and fails video). So needless to say, when I saw that they were coming out with another collaboration with Jaclyn Hill, a youtuber I freely admit to loving, I knew I would have to try out whatever they were coming out with. 

When Jaclyn first previewed her new palette on snapchat, I was certain it was going to cost $80+ only because one highlighter by itself costs $38. When the pre-sale went live, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that the new palette is $52, and while that seems like a ton of money (because it is!), I think this is actually a really really great deal for the following reasons:

The packaging: The first thing you will notice is how beautiful the packaging is - I would actually say that this is the most beautiful piece of make-up I own. There is nothing flimsy about it! The palette is about the size of my entire hand, and as thick as a finger (for a general reference). It is a beautiful gold color, with a white cover with metallic writing. The inside has a full mirror (!), and again has the gold from the outside. All around, it really is beautiful, and feels sturdy. 


The amount of product you receive. Like I said, an individual highlighter from Becca costs $38 for 0.28 oz. For $52, you get a total of 0.72oz worth of product - that's almost three times the amount of product for $14 more than the original. Even if you don't use one or two of the colors, it's still more product per dollar than if you were to buy the items individually. So while you get less of each individual product (the highlighter in the palette is 0.19oz versus 0.28oz for the individual), you get a ton more overall makeup. And let's be honest, when is the last time you ran out of highlighter? You use so little of it that this stuff will last forever. 

The colors are beautiful. The original champagne pop is a softer white highlighter with a bit of a gold tint to it - supposedly it's universally flattering. The newest true highlight is Prosecco pop, which is a more gold highlight. For me, Champagne pop is perfect for most of the year when I'm paler, but Prosecco pop will be great for when I have a bit of a tan. Both can be applied lightly for just a bit of highlight (my preferred way to wear highlighter) but you can really go heavy with it too if that's what you're in to! The next color is the Rose Spritz, which honestly is pretty close to being a dupe for Nars' Orgasm - it's a pretty pink blush with flecks of gold. Then there are two mineral blushes - Ameretto is described as a toasted almond and Pamplemousse is a bright coral. Honestly, I will probably use the mineral blushes the least just because they aren't colors I typically go for. That being said, I have a ton of traveling coming up, so it will be nice to have several great products in one easy to pack palette. 

becca jaclyn hill champagne collection palette

BECCA Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette review

BECCA Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Overall, I am very pleased with this palette. I'm not usually one to buy a ton of palettes (I feel you get attached to one or two colors and then don't use the rest), but because of the above reasons, I'm very happy with this beauty purchase (my only one of the month!). I ordered mine last week during a pre-sale on the Sephora app, but it will be on sale on the Sephora website on May 26th, and then available in stores June 16th!
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Sunday, May 22, 2016

top three [05.22.2016]

it's true, leopard shoes go with everything ;)

 medicine
  • Anton-Babinski syndrome is a very rare symptom, most often as a result of a stroke or head injury, where the patient is cortically blind (their eyes are healthy but they are blind in their brain), but they claim that they are capable of seeing. We had a neurologist come speak at grand rounds this week (not about this, obviously), and she said she has seen it once and it was the strangest thing she's experienced in her career.
  • If a pregnant woman were to develop a DVT in her legs, it is more likely to be on the left side. 
  • I'm currently reading The Doctor's Plague, which is based on how one doctor insisted that all doctors wash their hands in between patients to prevent childbed fever, but a large part of the book is actually about medical concepts at the time. One of them was that sickness hangs around the earth, and makes anyone in the vicinity sick. That's how malaria was named - it literally means "bad air" because they noticed that anyone in the vicinity of stagnant water was getting sick. 

 on the internet

 spotted
  • It's time to finally replace my gym shoes, and I'm loving this pair from Nike - black or white? 
  • I am loving the pompom trend right now - I think everything is so cute! Old Navy jumped on board with this adorable top (it really looks more expensive than it is, doesn't it?!)
  • How freaking precious is this embroidered top from J.Crew Factory? I want to wear it all summer long (with white jeans...and black shorts...and distressed denim...and skirts!). 

ask me anything
  • A while back you mentioned you only shop online. Is there a reason behind that?
    • I have several reasons why I usually shop online rather than in stores. The biggest reason is geographical - I just don't live near any malls! The next big mall is about 90 minutes away from me, and so I just really can't go shopping often. I also really like shopping online because most extended sizes aren't available in stores, and I like having the option of trying something out in a talls if available. And lastly, I'm kind of lazy - I just prefer scrolling through webpages and having it show up at my house eventually ;)
  • I am also a 3rd year med student and just started my ob/gyn rotation - yay last of the year! I am also about to start studying for step 2. I was wondering what resources you are using to study for step 2 and also which resources you recommend for ob/gyn? Thanks so much! 
    • For Step 2, I am using mostly Step Up To Medicine as my main book guide, and then really focusing on UWorld questions. I have already done all 2200+ questions throughout the year to study for shelf exams, and at the time taken notes from the explanations (...175 pages worth). Once our dedicated study time starts (we get four weeks, but I really only have 2.5 weeks to study as I have to fit in all of the tests), I plan on reading about 20 pages a day from SUTM, and do 2 blocks of questions a day. For the OB shelf though, I highly recommend doing the UWise questions from APGO (this explains how to log on if your school doesn't give you access). I had several questions on my shelf that were almost word for word from the UWise questions, and something I wouldn't have known if I hadn't done those questions! I also advice brushing up on urinary incontinence! 
  • I'm starting medical school in the fall and am trying to figure out what kind of bag to use. I really hate using a backpack and was wondering if you were able to get away with not using one? I know you have the most adorable handbags for rotations and such, but what did you use for the first two years for transporting books, etc.? Thanks!
    • Yay, congrats! This is such an exciting time! So for school, I actually had two bags. For going to class, I used a tote bag because I didn't have to bring much other than my computer, wallet, and pens. My bag is no longer available, but this faux leather version from Sole Society would be a great alternative. When I went to the library though, and generally had to schlep a ton more with me (like my pathology book, book stand, and snacks), I used my Everlane backpack. Since I used pouches in both bags (one for pens, one for personal items), I didn't find it to be too much of a hassle to move stuff around two bags. 

 on franish
  • on the blog: Joyce explains the importance of using sunscreen
  • on the instagram: throw back sundays (it was a slow week of instagram....)
  • on the twitter: dreaming of my future clothing collections ;) any wishes?!

notable sales

 in my personal life
  • I'm back home for the weekend and it is so good to be home! This has been the longest I've ever been away from my boys, so I'm just so happy to see them. You should have heard the dogs whine when they realized who was at the door :)
  • We saw Dave Matthews yesterday and the show was sooooo good. We are going to two more shows this summer, and I can't wait - especially because they didn't play my two favorite songs last night, so I'm hoping to get both when we are in the pit in July!
  • It's the last week of third year!!! Where did the time go?! Debating writing a bit more about my experiences over the year - let me know if that is something you'd be interested in!
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Thursday, May 19, 2016

almost as comfy as jeans. almost.

DSC03427
This was one of the most comfortable outfits I've worn lately (and by lately, I mean a month ago, as I've been in scrubs all this rotation). I don't know if it's the smooth fabric of this Lush blouse, how forgiving the top is, or how worn in my pants are at this point (...I really need to find a replacement, they are starting to fade now!), but I just was so comfortable wearing this outfit. Not as comfortable as jeans obviously (why don't dress pants have more stretch?!) but it's as close as I'm going to get ;)

Tonight is my last night on night float, and after getting a bit of sleep tomorrow, I'm going home for the weekend! We are seeing Dave Matthews on Saturday, then CR's sister graduates from college on Sunday, and on Tuesday I take my last shelf exam of the year. It's been a really busy month, so while next month will also be busy as we are studying for our board exams, it'll be a different kind of busy as at least I'll be sitting in my house all day. I can't believe there's only a week left in my third year!

Lush 'Perfect' Roll Tab Sleeve Tunic

'Perfect' Roll Tab Sleeve Tunic
Blouse: Lush [exact] 
Pants: The Limited [exact] 
Shoes: Madewell [similar] 
Bag: Mulberry [similar | exact] 
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [save | exact]

DSC03448
casual work outfit

This is my first Lush item, and so far, I'm a fan. Turns out, they have a whole bunch of cute clothes at reasonable prices. Below are eight of my favorites - I'd really like to try the tee shirt version next!


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