February Favorites 2015

I thought I would bring back these monthly favorite posts since I tend to shop too much and love trying new things. So why not share them on here? (Ironically I noticed the last time I did this was February as well...but two years ago, oops).

• Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. I actually first noticed this book because of its cover. And this was before I even saw it in full color since it was one of the covers on my Kindle box when I first received it. My friend started reading it (and never finished) but she did rave about it so I decided to pick it up when I was feeling in the mood for a real, physical book. It was a pretty easy read for me so that was nice. Not too heavy but entertaining. Most of the book is written via correspondence between all the different characters. The narrator's mom (who is Bernadette) is hilarious. Definitely my favorite character throughout the novel.
• Symphonized Noise Isolating Headphones. Small, portable headphones that also isolate noise are a must for a public transportation commuter like me. I live pretty far from work so I have to get up extra early to arrive on time. Every morning I try to at least get some more sleep on my train ride, though it gets difficult when the moving train makes so much noise. I never cared about noise isolating headphones till I started commuting. Now I can't survive without them. I used to use these white Skull Candy ones that I was obsessed with, but after having to re-purchase them for a second time after they broke I decided to look into a different brand. I saw all the good reviews on Amazon and for the price I couldn't pass them up! They are made out of genuine wood and on top of looking pretty darn cool they work amazing. The only gripe I have with them is that they don't have volume control. This is a bummer since I try to keep my phone tucked away on the train (I've seen way too many people have their phones snatched). 
• Ariella Collection Crystal Ear Jackets. I have been looking for some ear jacket earrings ever since they started becoming popular. I know Bauble Bar usually has a good collection, but never got around to making an order since the ones I had my eye on were always sold out. I decided to browse through Nordstrom's earrings when I was making an online order and saw these. I had never heard of the brand before, but they appealed to me right away. I have pretty much been wearing them every single day since I've gotten them. I have never gotten more compliments on a pair of earrings until I got these (the fact that my hair is shorter probably helps too). They aren't too flashy that I can't wear them to work, but are noticeable enough that I've gotten comments on them from patients, coworkers, and other strangers alike.
• Laneige Multi-Cleanser. I originally was buying a cream from this brand for my mom at Target when they happened to be having a special where if you bought something from Laneige you got a free mini sample set. In it happened to be this cleanser. I'm pretty happy with my Cetaphil cleanser but decided to try this out one evening after I had finished taking most of my makeup off with a wipe. The description claims to "melt away sunscreen and makeup." Most cleansers that state this are usually too harsh and drying for my skin, but this one didn't give me any of those side effects. It almost gives your skin a squeaky-clean feeling without making it feel too stripped of essential oils. The cleanser does contain "exfoliating papaya" but I wouldn't recommend it if you're just interested in an exfoliater since the papaya dissolves pretty rapidly. I don't mind since I have a separate cleanser I use just for that and I don't want my main cleanser to have that property anyways. I now switch off between this and my Cetaphil cleanser.
• NatureBox Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels. I've had a subscription to this company for a while since I love snacking. I try not to get them every month though since I'm the only one who's usually eating them and it takes me a while to get through them. I recently made a new order after not getting a shipment in a while and loved these pretzels. They are just the right amount of sweet and crunchy. I almost finished the whole bag in one day...(You can find promo codes online if you're interested in signing up for NatureBox. I also am able to send three invites to anyone interested in joining where you can get a free deluxe box [the size I get] for the first month).

Favorite Workout Gear

I will admit that I've never stuck to this resolution before, but I've always said at the beginning of every year that I would start to take better care of my health. This is the first year that I've actually made some real progress on that. While the eating better portion still needs more work (I'm the type of girl who gets excited about what I'm gonna eat the next day), I've been pretty impressed with myself about the fitness portion. 

The main motivator is the fact that I am now paying a monthly fee to get access to a gym. Having some of your hard-earned paycheck automatically paid out to a gym definitely inspires you to go. It also helps that the gym I decided to go to is new and everything is in tip-top shape. (Another reason why I didn't join a gym sooner. If I'm going to be paying for something it better be worth my money!) 

I haven't been too experimental with my workouts so I don't have an expanse collection of workout gear, but I did have a decent selection to start off with. So far my current favorites are pictured above. I would have to say my favorite part are my shoes. I can't live without these. I bought these full price when they first came out (which I was debating about) but am so glad I did since I've definitely gotten my money's worth. On top of wearing these Nikes to workout, I also wear them at work on surgery days and just to run errands sometimes. They are so comfortable and they look pretty darn chic considering. They are the Nike Free Runs though I'm not 100% sure about the model since I was unable to find my exact design online with the model number next to it (I had always assumed it was the Free Runs 5.0?). But you can purchase the most recent version of them (Nike Free Runs 5.0+) in a variety of different colors. 

The first sports bra is from the Forever 21 activewear line. It was inexpensive and had gotten good reviews so I decided to give it a chance and order it online. The Low Impact Seamless Sports Bra comes in a whole bunch of colors as well. The second sports bra is from Cotton On, and is definitely my favorite due to its design. Unfortunately the Attack Yoga Crop bra is not available in this particular pattern online, but they usually have better selections in stores. These C9 Champion leggings, while not as fun, are functional. They're a cropped length and are made well considering the price. I also feel like they do a good job of holding everything in while I do cardio. I purchased these at Target, and you can find similar ones here.

Having a good set of workout gear definitely motivates me to get my butt to the gym. So far I've consistently been going twice a week, though I'm trying to go more often after my schedule lightens up. Even though my endurance still needs to be built up, even working out for 20 minutes vastly improves my energy levels. Although it's unrealistic for me to see any obvious changes in my body at that rate (plus my diet hasn't changed much), I already feel so much better. I've been noticing that I don't rely on caffeine as much as I used to. (Though I still enjoy it on days I don't need to. I'm a sucker for coffee and tea). 

One thing I am nervous, yet excited to start is this 21 day no-sugar challenge that got sent around in an e-mail from where I work. Basically you got to choose which challenge to do, but all of them involved reducing your sugar intake. I decided not to be a wimp and choose the one I for sure have an issue with: sugary drinks. It begins this upcoming Monday and involves going COLD TURKEY on all sugar-sweetened beverages. I will update to see how that goes since I can't live without my iced coffee/tea and boba normally.

My current favorite post-workout drink: Apple 'n Greens from Jamba Juice

Doesn't feel like January

 

How crazy to think there's only one more week of January left. I knew it would go by really fast which is why it's a good thing I made my OAT test for later in February since it seemed far away at the time, but now it's almost right around the corner.

Last week's surgery day actually went quite well. Everyone was really nice and overall it was an easier day than the one the week before that. Even without any more formal training I seem to be catching onto a lot of things. I take all different types of phone calls with ease at the front, but even though there are fewer calls at the surgery center I can't help with 90% of them so that's a pain. The couple that I did get last week just wanted more information about LASIK so I was actually able to help with that. After I got off the phone with a girl who had a ton of questions I realized I knew more than I thought. Now if only they'll find time to train me so I can put that to use...(aka start scheduling LASIK consults, surgeries, pre-ops/post-ops, etc). I'm at a point where I've gotten the hang of everything they've taught me and I've find the most efficient way to do the tasks. While my coworker who's been training me was busy with a patient near the end of the day I actually remembered how to close down all the machines and rooms so we were able to leave pretty early! That does help when you have to be at work before 8am. Which reminds me, they only have afternoon surgeries tomorrow so I can actually sleep in! And on top of that the first patient of the day apparently cancelled so I don't have to be in until 12:30.

Here's to hoping that tomorrow will be just as nice as last week (and I won't be sleep deprived).

Merry Christmas!

 It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks. When I would actually have a lot to blog about I just can't find the time to do it. Especially since once I get home I'm so tired I usually pass out right away. Unless I happen to get two days off in a row I won't be able to stay up past 12am which is pretty sad.

A few updates...

• The main thing that has been keeping me busy is work. At first I just asked to work an extra day a week here or there just so I would have a good cushion of shopping money for Christmas. So that in itself tired me out. Then all of a sudden they asked me if I was interested in working at the LASIK department. Honestly my co-worker (who used to work down there before she started optometry school) had been asking me about helping out when she still used to be there. The optometrist who is the chief of the refractive surgery department (and the contact lens department) joked around that they had been trying to get me to work down there for a year. I finally gave in mainly since I need any edge I can get on my applications. So on actual surgery days, which have been pretty consistently once a week, I've been coming in an extra day (earlier than normal depending on which surgeon is in that day). They haven't had much time to really sit down and train me since they only have one staff member doing each job, but it's been good so far. I'm the type of person that has to be productive and constantly doing something so the fact that I haven't been able to do more bugs me. It's very different than being up front where you're always doing something. They told me they really want me to be able to help out with the "hallway" procedures which is basically taking the patients into the exam room and going over the medication and post-op instructions with them. We'll see how it goes, since January is supposed to be a pretty jam-packed month.
• So on top of this and social obligations it's been difficult to get a good amount of studying in. I've been trying to go over things at work when I have some free time, but with the holidays too it's been hectic. Since my OAT test date is on the first of February I really have to be on top of it once the holidays are over. I definitely have to get a study schedule going.
• I'm the type of person that needs to have time alone to recharge after doing things, so I think that's another reason why I've been especially exhausted. On days that I haven't been working I've been running around doing errands or catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while. On top of that I accompanied my friend to her work holiday party the day after mine. And of course the boyfriend's family does their own celebration, and since he has two sets of parents there's a lot of back and forth there as well. Don't get me wrong it's been so fun! But the fact that I've got to just stay home for the past two days and not do anything has been the best Christmas present ever. That on top of the awesome food.

"Now I'm going to make it blurry on purpose..."

 

The week passes by so slowly day to day when you only work a couple days a week. Even though I have more free time during the middle of the week I tend to feel the most productive on the weekends. Last weekend for instance I got quite a few things off my to-do list done (even with the whole Bart strike going on).

I finally scheduled my boyfriend's (second ever) annual eye exam with one of my best friends who happens to be in clinic now. She's only doing primary care exams at the moment so unfortunately I can't schedule myself with her yet. Luckily I'm not due for mine for another couple months anyways, and by then hopefully she'll be in the contact lens clinic as well. It was nicer having the student clinician be someone I know since she allowed me to observe and look through the teaching tube. Even though I've shadowed quite a few optometrists it's not the same without the appropriate equipment available. It's pretty darn cool when you can see exactly what they're seeing in the microscope and the BIO (which was tricky to get used to. Another student clinician friend of mine came in to help me where to look since getting the right angle to see the mirrors are more difficult than it looked...). Overall a great experience! I got to see my boyfriend's optic nerve, observe how scleral indent is done and why, and basically be annoying and ask a ton of questions.

On top of that we caught up on a bunch of tv shows, ran errands, and got some studying in. All in all a very productive weekend. (And I don't know why but recently I've been craving such unhealthy food. I rarely eat burgers but I had that and a whole serving of fries too. You would think that would have satisfied my cravings but today I'm in the mood for chili cheese fries...).

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Belated Valentine's Day Post

 

So our actual Valentine's Day dinner was amazing. It was my first time trying the House of Prime Rib. Service was great and of course the food was delicious. I'm not that into steak but I ate this entire dish! Even with the smallest cut it filled me up (I don't know how people can get seconds), and the sides were just as good (especially the creamed spinach). Overall it was a great experience and I'm glad the boyfriend was feeling generous enough to take to me there. 

 

And for gifts we do this thing now where we just sort of tell each other what we want.  It sounds a bit ridiculous but it works! I mean, if we're going to spend a good amount of money on it might as well be something we know for sure the other person will like right? I posted pictures of the gifts on my instagram (which you should follow me on because I'm still addicted to that app after all this time). 

I gave him the 'Orange Monster' Seiko watch he's been wanting ever since he's been seeing it on his classmates. I honestly prefer the MK watch I gave him last year, but to each his own! And the first bracelet he got me is the Nailhead Heart + Arrow bracelet by Melinda Maria and the second bracelet is the Turnlock Small Katie bracelet by Marc by Marc Jacobs. Overall we were both very satisfied with our gifts!

Healthy eating at it's worst

 

So it was really nice weather this weekend and of course we ended up eating. A lot. I've been trying to ease off my boba addiction and since it was so warm we used our buy one get one free coupon for Jamba Juice before heading out to watch Hansel and Gretel: The Witch Hunters (not that great to be honest). 

I also went to a high school friend's housewarming (or technically apartment-warming) party, where she ended up cooking for all 12 of us! And I would have loved to have brought a housewarming gift but instead she suggested that we could donate to this charity her company is currently supporting. So hey, good food + a good cause = a good night. 

The following day we met up with a different set of friends (which I like to the call the future doctors group since they're all going into the medical field) and had Sunday brunch at one of my favorite places. Although they have great food in general, I mainly like going there because of their Millionaire's Bacon. It's amazing. And this is coming from someone who's generally not a big bacon fan. So Sweet Maple is definitely a must try if you're in the city. And no matter how bad of a food coma we were getting, we had to get something sweet to finish the day off. The crepes in Japantown are always so cute that you almost don't want to eat them.

 

A Real Weekend

 

With my work schedule I never actually get a typical weekend, but I actually worked extra days during the weekday so my supervisor was nice enough to let me get Saturday off. I can't remember the last time I actually got both Saturday and Sunday to relax. Although I guess starting this week I'll get "three day weekends" since I'll be getting Wednesday through Friday off (I still have evening classes Thursday so I don't know if that really counts). For some reason I'm always a little bit excited about starting a fresh set of classes. It's probably just the buying new stationery portion of it. 

Anyways my day off wasn't that exciting but it was exactly what I needed. We ended up grabbing some brunch at Bun Mee, this Vietnamese sandwich place. Pretty Americanized and definitely more expensive than regular bánh mì places, but it's delicious. Plus I love that they stuff their sandwiches with extra carrots and daikon. We also purchased a few macaroons at Sift Cupcakes. Their macaroons are really chewy which I like (we got the earl grey, espresso, and strawberry flavors). And in between we caught up on Modern Family episodes and started Arrested Development (new favorite!). 

Back to the grind tomorrow though...

 

 Accompanying sauce to the sweet potato fries

 Grilled pork sandwich

Grilled five spice chicken sandwich

Current Favorites

First off let me say that I know that it's ridiculous that it's been over a year since I last updated in here. I have a terrible habit of getting really into things for a while, and then because something in my life changes (ie: moving back home) I can't fit all those things in my life anymore.

But I still want to keep up with writing/blogging. My friend that I met through Livejournal does update every now and then on her blog so it got me motivated to start this up again. I decided that I would revamp the layout to help me get started. (So all my efforts to make this place look pretty doesn't go to waste!)

Since it's been a while...I thought I'd start off with a few of my favorite things (all very, very random).

Books

I'm usually such a big reader, but haven't been good about reading anything other than magazines for the past couple months. When I found out that The Perks of Being a Wallflower was being turned into a movie I knew I had to pick it up before watching it. I haven't gotten too far into it, but it's definitely a fun read. 

Inside of a Dog is another book I purchased (sadly all through Target since there are no more bookstores in my area...tear). It's a more science-y book, which I do like, but I have to be in the mood for something more "intellectual" to start this. I am halfway through this one though! If you're a dog lover and/or own dogs then this is an interesting read.

Beauty

Surprisingly not too many beauty favorites since I've been cutting down on my makeup purchases lately. I know the L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadows have been popular for a while, but I only just tried Bronzed Taupe and it's so lovely! I am especially impressed by the texture of them. They are so soft, velvety, and apply easily. I always wear my shadows with a primer, but even without the staying power on these are quite good. 

For lip balm, I have been loving this Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm. Since the Soft Lips chapsticks are my HG I usually don't look for new lip balms, but these are great for applying right before bed. And while I'm not a fan of rose scents, this one smells nice; not too overpowering. 

 

Bags

 Since I've started taking classes again I needed something that could carry everything for work, school, and play. So I had bought a decent-sized tote bag from Urban Outfitters for about $50. Unfortunately after a couple of wears the zippers on the sides broke. Then I decided to just purchase something that would last me for a long time, even if I had to invest a little more. Hence came the Longchamp Le Pliage purchase. I never got the appeal of these bags when they first became popular, and even resisted a little when deciding to get this since so many people own these. But seeing that I commute a long ways to work and school, consisting of both public transit and walking, this bag would fit perfectly for that. It a) carries a ton and is lightweight, b) is water-resistant (I'll be walking a lot through rain) and c) it can be folded up and used for travel. I went with the color "Bordeaux", which is one of the newer colors they have out, so I can at least have that in uniqueness.

And onto my next favorite...this Sonia Kashuk Makeup Bag. She always has the most fun patterns and colors for her makeup bags so I decided it was time to upgrade to something that could fit more of my stuff. I liked that this one was made out of a more stain/water resistant material, opened up all the way, and had two long zippered-pockets inside. It couldn't be more perfect. 

Food

Like I said, these are random. First off, I love carrying around these Chex 100 Calorie Snack Mixes in my bag when I get hunger cravings. They're not the healthiest things per say, but they're super yummy and help keep my blood sugar up. And for something more fancy I adore Godiva's Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Honestly their high quality chocolate really makes a difference. I treat myself to a bag of these every once in a while when I'm in San Francisco (unfortunately...or fortunately...this has the nearest Godiva in my location).

And that finally concludes my current favorites post. Obviously after a year of not updating this is what happens. I already have ideas of things I want to blog about so I'll try to be better about keeping this blog updated. Fingers crossed.

You know it's Monday...

...when you go to class not realizing it was canceled (and somehow that e-mail mysteriously landed in the trash bin without being read), your computer decides to die on you, and your pick-me up of Pocky sticks runs out way too fast.

Sunny days

The past three weeks have been a blur. I'm always excited for the weekend although compared to the rest of the week I feel so unproductive. Luckily (or unluckily) I have a ton of studying to go through for my midterms next week. I'm hoping to manage a day out though since the weather has been amazing lately (and of course I would get sick when the temperature has been up in the seventies).

First post of 2011

I spent New Year's Eve and New Years day in San Francisco with some of my favorite people. Even though it rained and it was freezing, I still had a ton of fun. I definitely enjoyed the clam chowder bowl we ordered at Fisherman's Wharf, which I haven't had in years.

2010 went by extremely fast; it's true when people say time flies by as you get older! Since we're starting off 2011 with a clean slate here are a few of my New Year's Resolutions:

☆ Cook more! (Stop eating out so much).
☆ Keep up with my blog and Project 365.
☆ Don't skip a single one of my classes this quarter!
☆ And definitely don't procrastinate (as much).
☆ Actually use my planner this year.

I've kept them pretty simple since otherwise I know I won't go through with them. Hopefully even these five won't be broken.

Fall and Thanksgiving

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? It seriously felt like the quarter just started, and now I'm already worrying about finals (but getting excited for food, family, and my birthday). On another note, I re-read The Deathly Hallows last week in anticipation for the movie. It was really good, though now I don't know if I'll be able to wait until summer for the next one. So to curb my Harry Potter cravings, I've been re-reading the first book over too (good days).

Anyways, I hope you guys have a good Thanksgiving! I'm surprisingly not too set on doing a lot of damage to my wallet this break. If anything, I'll probably look for some new coats since it's starting to get freezing here, which doesn't help when you have to bike everywhere. But good luck to those who are going to be doing major Black Friday shopping! (I'm way too lazy to even think about getting up early).

Don't study on an empty stomach

It's kind of ridiculous how much I've been craving a good tuna sandwich with steak (not regular!) fries. I have a total weakness for anything "bread-y" (in fact, I had a bunch of pasta yesterday). But I'm excited to eat at a bunch of different places this weekend when I'm in L.A. I've already mentally noted at least five places I want to try to eat at while I'm there. Other than eating and shopping (what else?), I haven't made any set plans. It'll be nice to be out of town during the craziness of Halloween though (after this many years here, I'm so over getting excited about it).

And of course I should probably stop Yelp-ing places and start cramming for a midterm I have in a few hours.

Minimal effort

Mondays call for caffeine, easy food, and studying (especially when you have an exam the next day and you don't know crap).

A day in food

If I'm starting my day early then I have time for breakfast/brunch after class. I can never eat a big amount of food right when I wake up so something simple like a salad with lots of veggies and protein is perfect.

Since brunch keeps me pretty full I end up eating a late lunch around 3 o'clock. I adore Silvergreen's crispy thai chicken salad. I'm getting hungry just looking at the picture.

If I'm not lazy and actually cook, dinner usually consists of something I whip up quickly. Of course pasta is the easiest, yummiest choice. Since we don't have a Soup Plantation/Sweet Tomatoes here I always buy Joan's Broccoli Madness salad from Costco. Definitely not healthy at all, but it's too good not to get!

Peanut butter honey banana sandwich

Such a ridiculously long title I know, but that's what this is! Whenever I'm in the mood for a snack, but I'm too lazy to cook something (which is more often than you think) this sandwich is perfect. It's yummy, filling, and takes about two minutes to make.

(I know in the first photo it shows "creamy" peanut butter, but I later changed my mind since crunchy gives it more...crunch! Especially since everything else is already soft/creamy).

PS! Added more items to the shop.