Rebecca Taylor Off the Shoulder Blouse

 

Rebecca Taylor Off the Shoulder Blouse (similar here, here, here, here, and here)
Paige Denim Skyline Jeans 
Cole Haan Peep-toe Flats (also here, other colors here, similar here, here, here, and major splurge here)
Kate Spade Bow Cross Body (similar options here, here, here, here, here, and here)
Bracelet 1, 2, 3, 4
Bow Earrings
H&M Sunglasses

Thanks for reading!

Summer Skin Protection Article

I recently read a super helpful article about the do's and don'ts of sun protection. Of all my friends, I'm definitely "the mom" who always has her floppy hat and UPF50 shirt but some of the facts in the article even surprised me! After how popular my previous sun protection post was, I wanted to share the article and the main take away points (below!)!

Take Away Points:

Up to 90% of skin aging is caused by the sun - Say WHAT now?! Let me get pen and paper and write these tips down because I do NOT want to be wrinkly (Canadian Dermatology Association).

Use "broad spectrum" sunscreen - It protects against UVA and UVB rays, you need protection against both!

1 coat of lotion sunscreen = 2 coats of spray sunscreen - 1 shot glass is enough to cover your entire body if you're using lotion sunscreens. If you're using sprays or sticks, you need 2 coats to be completely covered and protected!

My neck, my back (of the legs), my lips, and my ears - The most commonly missed spots are the most common places for cancer to pop up, so don't forget to apply to yours ears, lips, back of the neck, and the back of the legs!

Apply 30 minutes BEFORE going outside - Most sunscreen needs to be applied 30 minutes before you go into the sun because it takes that long for the ingredients to start protecting your skin! I was definitely not aware of this rule!

Hope these help! If you have more tips, I'd love to read them in a comment below!

Thanks for reading!

Love Yourself

The past few weeks I've had a lot of discussions with friends, family, and in my bible study about the importance of your relationship with yourself. One of the biggest life lessons I've learned is that YOU are the only person in life that you can always 110% rely on. Not only that but you spend more time with yourself than any body else, so accordingly, you hear your own voice more than any other voice in the world. Isn't that crazy?! I never thought about it that way.

With that said, most people's internal voice is very critical and negative. How many times a day do you think to yourself "why did I do that?" or "I should have done better on x, y, z"? If you can't give yourself a pep talk and believe in yourself, then no one else will! It's really hard to combat those critical internal voices but if you can wake up and look in the mirror and say "Hey! YOU are awesome! I believe in you! You can, and WILL succeed! You are doing your best and that IS enough!", how can you have a bad day? It sounds silly, but it really does work because eventually you will outnumber and overpower all those negative thoughts!

This may seem like a silly connection, but this Meghan Trainor song really strikes a cord with me, especially when she says "I can't help loving myself". You deserve it, so love yourself! Wherever you are in life, make a conscious effort to love YOU because you are amazing, perfect, and worthy of love! If you aren't going to love and believe in yourself, who will?

If you want more resources on the topic, I'd highly recommend the Relatable study by Louie Giglio! 

Thanks for reading!

GoodRx

I was in clinic the other day and ended up using this website for a lot of our patients because they wanted to know how much their prescriptions would cost. We were able to tell them the exact cost at different pharmacies, plus we were able to find them coupons! I definitely thought this was common knowledge but I was surprised when so few people knew about it, so I wanted to spread the word for anyone who buys medicine (aka almost everyone at some point!), as well as all the practicing clinicians out there.

GoodRx is an amazing company that was made just to help patients find the best prices for the drugs you need, by giving you the prices at all the pharmacies in your city. It also gives you COUPONS (hello!) for most drugs! Even better, you can sign up for a prescription discount card that you can use for up to 80% off! They even have mobile apps (alternatively you can find the same information by going to Goodrx.com on your phone)! Read more about GoodRx here!

It's super helpful for when you're in clinic and your patient asks how much their drugs will cost AND helps them find where they can get the best price, whether they are insured or not! I would highly recommend it! Thanks to my sweet dad for keeping me up to date with technology and telling me about GoodRx a while back!

Do you have any helpful medical resources or apps you like to use?

Thanks for reading!

Back to (Medical) School Essentials

School is starting soon, especially medical schools that start back in July! I wanted to do a post about some of things I found helpful for the classroom years of med school, most of which are also totally applicable for undergrad, grad school, really any type of school!

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones | Colorful pens | Book Stand | Cheap Scrubs | White Board | Silent Mouse | Littman Cardiology Stethoscope III | Keyboard Arm Rest

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones - If you buy one thing to improve your studying, it should be this! They're pretty pricey but almost everyone in my class had a pair of these! When it's the night before your exam and people are chatting nearby and your stress level is higher than normal, you can just click the "noise canceling" switch and boom you're in your happy place. Trust me, you'll thank me later :)

Colorful pens (& highlighters) - Colorful pens and highlighters make studying so much more fun and  happy! When you're studying 12 hours a day, you will really appreciate the little things like that! I absolutely love the Paper Mate Flair pens linked above because they don't bleed through the page. I also love these Pilot Ink Gel pens because they are so smooth and ink-y to write with! For highlighters I love these (remember this post when I first got them?!) and these!

Book Stand - I have the 16.5x10.4 and it's perfect for holding up big text books when you're tired of craning your neck! A lot of my classmates ended up getting the same one and really liked it too!

Cheap Scrubs - You'll spend A LOT of time up in anatomy lab and you'll need scrubs for lab. Get a pair or 2 that are cheap so you can throw them away after the semester is over! Trust me, you (and your future patients and colleagues) won't want to keep them! Matching scrubs bottoms here. You can also check Goodwill for even cheaper prices!

White Board - White boards are super helpful if you're writing out a pathway or trying to map out a complex idea. I used mine all the time and almost all my classmates had one at their desk! Be sure to get some colorful white board markers too!

Silent Mouse - When you spend the majority of your time either taking notes on your computer in class or studying from your computer, it gets frustrating to always use the laptop track pad. Getting a mouse definitely made my wrists hurt less! I highly recommend a wireless mouse that's silent so that you won't hear all the clicking sounds! 

Littman Cardiology Stethoscope III - Most schools recommend this stethoscope. Check with your school to see what they recommend and if they have discounts! If not, the Student Medical Shop usually has good deals!

Keyboard Arm Rest - Again, spending most of the day on the computer is not the most ergonomic thing for your wrists! One of my friends had this arm rest and after using it a few times, I was hooked and got one for myself. It really does reduce nerve pain from resting your arm on one side for too long! I found it on sale here! I'm obsessed with my arm rest but if you don't get wrist pain from typing for 12 hours (#jealous) then you definitely should not spend money on this!!


Do you have any other back to school essentials to add?! Comment below!

Thanks for reading!

July Favorites

I haven't done a monthly favorites in a hot minute and wanted to do one because this month I discovered a few awesome things!

1. Hobby Lobby - If you saw my post on Instagram, you know I recently discovered Hobby Lobby. It has everything related to home decor -- think Michael, Home Goods, and Pier 1 had a beautiful baby. It took a lot of self restraint to not buy everything in the store! Plus they have amazing coupons and sales!

2. Hamilton - I LOVE musicals. They are totally my jam: Kinky Boots, Hairspray, Lion King, Rent, Newsies, Legally Blonde the Musical, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Wicked, Avenue Q, Evita, Bye Bye Birdie (anybody else love musicals?! If so, you'll appreciate this). Fittingly, I've been enjoying the Hamilton soundtrack for a few months now. Every song is so fun and catchy! Last weekend I had a loooong day of driving and listened to the Hamilton soundtrack (you don't want to know how many times) and now I'm even more hooked. I've become one of these people.

3. The Pool - It's been such nice weather for going to the pool. Even if it's just for a few minutes in the evening, it's so nice to just relax outside by the water! Don't forget to stay protected in the sun!

4. Anthropologie Wild Honeysuckle Candle - I kept going into Anthro and smelling this candle but in my head saying "no, you don't NEED another candle". After a crazy day, I treated myself to buying this delicious-smelling candle and my nose was very thankful because it seriously smells amazing!! Not to mention, it's a very cute coffee table addition!

What are your July Favorites? Would love to read them in a comment!

Thanks for reading!

Summer Skin Protection

With summer in full gear I wanted to share some stylish sun protection. Summer days are made for trips to the beach, afternoons at the lake, and cook outs by the pool. With spending so much time outside (#praise), it's important to keep your skin protected from the sun's UVA and UVB rays to prevent skin cancer! Here are a few of my favorites!

Lands End UPF tops - After doing a bunch of research on the best UPF shirts, Lands End had the best reviews for high quality and cutest styles. I love my new top! It's very cute and breathable so I don't feel like I'm overheating even when it's crazy hot outside. I wore it to the beach and I didn't get burned at all because of the special UPF 50 material! That one is on super sale and there are tons of other cute options here! Also definitely check their size guide and go with your number size (2, 4, 6) rather than your usual shirt size (small, medium, large).

Athleta UPF Cover Up - I've been eyeing this UPF 50 dress all summer and I think it would be the perfect option for throwing on top of your swimsuit at the pool or just wearing around to run errands. This dress is also extra cute and also UPF 50!

Floppy Hat - Large-brimmed hats are perfect for protecting your scalp and your face from the sun! I've also been eyeing this beauty!

Sunscreen - I wear this moisturizer with SPF 30 on my face daily and will reapply if I'm out in the sun. For the rest of my body I love Blue Lizard and the Coppertone Sport spray!

Sunglasses - Check that your sunglasses are UVA/UVB protective because you also want to protect your eyes (and yes, unfortunately eyes can get cancer too)! I was so excited when I bought these! I also love this pair if you're looking for a splurge!

Umbrellas - Umbrellas are the perfect way to be outside while keeping your skin protected! This umbrella is great because you can set it up as a traditional umbrella or have it slanted on the ground so your back is completely protected! This canopy is also perfect for the beach or the pool!

Do you have any other tips for protecting your skin?! I'd love to hear them in a comment!

The Perfect Tote Bags for Work & the Weekend

Tote bags are the best invention ever. A cute alternative to the backpack that's professional and stylish. What more could a working girl want?! In the last few years I've become obessesed with tote bags because they are SO convenient, especially for work. Being able to fit my computer, notes, wallet, daily essentials, water bottle, coffee mug, and lunch into one bag is such a game-changer. I wanted to round up my 3 favorite totes and then some similar options for all the working ladies out there!

1. Black Tumi Q-Tote - This bag is super spacious and has tons of pockets. I love that it's sleek and black so it's super professional for work! It also has a pocket in the back so you can put it on your suitcase handle, which is super handy for traveling! I also love that it zips up so if I'm running out in the rain, I can just zip up my purse and everything is protected! Tumi has super high-quality bags -- this bag has been through T O N S of use is still as good as new. It's currently on sale here, here, here and here!

2. Pink Coach Tote - One fun thing I've discovered from Laura is that diaper bags are major winners. I was looking for a fun and colorful every day tote that would fit all my daily essentials including my laptop and lunch. Most of the regular totes were a tad small for all of this and the diaper bag ended up being perfect! It has SO MANY POCKETS and then 4 extra pockets for bottles which is great for my coffee travel mug and water bottle. This is definitely my favorite because it is so fun and spacious. I seriously get compliments on it most days I wear it!

3. Brown Michael Kors Tote - In my mind this is the quintessential "tote". It's structured, leather, and super stylish. It has a dedicated laptop pocket in the middle which is perfect for storing your tablet or important folders! Also found here and on sale here!

My biggest advice is to get a high-quality brand with durable leather or nylon. If you're using a tote bag daily and stuffing it with things (#guilty), you don't want a bag whose straps are going to break after a few months! I know the initial cost is high, but if you can buy it on sale it's definitely worth splurging a little for a bag that will last for years and years!

Other favorites + sales!!
Kate Spade Tote - Kate Spade has tons of great quality bags in every shape and color. All of these are already on sale AND an extra 30% off with code "SUNSHINE"! One, two, three, four, five.

Tory Burch Tote - Another quintessential tote that has a middle laptop pocket and is very structured. Also love this style for a more laid/unstructured tote! You can get 30% off with code "EXTRA30" on the sale styles like this fun tote!

Madewell Transport Tote - Really great quality leather and also super cute! This one is also super cute and is 20% off with code "META20"!

Dooney and Burke Tote - Dooney and Burke also has tons of styles and so many color choices for each style! These are good classic totes if you don't want something too distracting! One, two, three.

Louis Vuitton Tote - This is definitely a major splurge but talk about a dream bag!!

Thanks for reading!

PS Isn't this outtake hilarious! *insert laugh-crying emoji*

Morning Glory Healthy Muffins

I love baking! Two of my roommates in college were HUGE bakers and got me into baking. It's so fun to follow a recipe and then have a delicious treat at the end. This recipe is perfect for when you are in the mood for something sweet and tasty but want to be healthy. It has 4 different fruits and veggies in them! If you're feeling extra fancy you can add some chopped almonds on top! They're perfect for breakfast, snack, dessert, you name it! After letting them cool, I kept them in a Tupperware container in the fridge so that they would last all week!

Thanks for reading!!