Medicine & Manicures

Weekending!

Hellooooo Monday!  I’m linking up today with Biana and Meghan to talk about our fun weekend happenings.


My weekend started with some dental education.  We are in our pediatrics block so after learning about tooth decay, we got to give each other fluoride treatments.  When I was a kid, I hated getting that fluoride tray but apparently nowadays they do a brush on treatment… much easier!

Our house hunting was semi-successful. When we visited the first apartment, we figured it would be hard to top… We were so right.  Of course the one that we like can only be held for 2 weeks AND is the only renovated apartment in the place AND is the last 3 bedroom.  Talk about pressure.  Hopefully we will find out what happens in a day or so.

Looking at places can be exhausting, so after going to our 5th place, we treated ourselves to a nice Japanese lunch at Mura in North Hills.  Such a cute outdoor shopping center- lots of great food & cute boutiques! 



PS. My roomie Sarah has officially become a true southerner… she got her first pair of Jack Rogers!  I have to say I’m loving the platinum & gold color combo, how cute is the two-tone??

Are y’all sick of my beach pictures yet??  Yesterday, five of us girls spend a B-E-A-utiful day on the beach in Wilmington.  I was also very happy that my friend Hannah came & spent the day with us and I finally got to meet baby Hadley, she is too adorable!


 On top of that excitement, Sarah & I binge-watched Grey’s Anatomy and are halfway done with season two… this may take a while!  Grey’s > studying, right??  Today is also the last day to enter our statement necklace giveaway, so enter away & have a wonderful Monday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Father's Day Finds

Whether you’re shopping for your dad or hubby, Father’s Day is just around the corner (June 15th in case y’all didn’t know) so it’s time to get those last minute gifts for those special men in your life.  Let’s be honest, most men don’t like to shop and count on us women to pick out their essentials.  Here are some Father’s Day gifts ideas for you!

Leading Man Fragrance Sampler // Men like to smell good too.  The cool thing about this gift set is it includes 5 deluxe samples (plus a fancy shaving cream).  When they decide which sent they like best, they bring in a voucher to the store and get a full size bottle of that scent… pretty cool! 
Dri-fit golf polos // Perfect for playing golf in the hot summer sun.
For work // This J.Crew dress shirt (on sale!) or a fun pair of cuff links can add some personality to his workwear.
Tech // A portable bluetooth speaker is a must-have for beach/pool days and cookouts with the family.  Apple TV is also a great way to watch Netflix or anything on your iPad/iPhone on the big screen.
Shoes // I think you’d agree that shopping isn’t the dad’s favorite past-time, so this is your chance to stock them up on shoes.  Sperry’s are always a favorite here in the south.
Travel bag // Most men don’t love bags as much as we do, but this one is perfect for weekend trips and is oh-so-manly!
Timex watch // The man’s form of jewelry, functional and fashionable.
Tie // When you just can’t think of anything else!
More gift ideas…
Racing experience //  Ryan did one of these last year and got to drive his dream car, an Audi R8! Whether they like Nascar or foreign sport cars, most guys would love the chance to drive an exotic car around a race track.
>> For anyone in the Charlotte/Concord area, here is a current Groupon deal for Lowes Motor Speedway!
Massage //  Because men deserve to get pampered too!
DIY dad //  What man wouldn’t just love a gift card to Lowe’s or Home Depot?  That’s like Sephora to us girls, you just can’t go wrong!

Sporting events //  Baseball season is upon us and what man wouldn’t want to spend the day outside watching a fun game.  Some more ideas are zip-lining or skydiving if they’re a real daredevil. 

Thanks for reading along & have a fab day!
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Boston: Part 2

I haven’t been so exhausted in a long time.  I was in Boston for 5 days and it absolutely wore me out, but I’m so glad that we got to see so much of the city and do lots of fun, touristy stuff!  When we first arrived, we had a yummy lunch at Forum where I had the best burger ever!! Then we headed up to Top of the Hub to take in some views of Boston. Next time I’d like to see it at night!

For dinner the first night, a few of us headed to Pier 6 in Charlestown, a waterfront restaurant with a great view of the Boston skyline. The meal was complete with oysters and scallops, a seafood-lover’s dream!

Our class had a big meal together at The Barking Crab where I had my first “lobstah roll.”  And don’t you just love our super bright t-shirts?
The PA challenge bowl was crazy!! The teams went in first to find our seats and anxiously await our schools. They blasted the music and it was one big dance party. Then all of the schools rushed in to find seats near their teams. Out of 70 teams, only 36 made it on stage and unfortunately Campbell didn’t get to go up there, but we still had a blast. 
Boston Commons was absolutely gorgeous and luckily we explored this on a warm day.  I love the combination of nature with the big city, sure makes for a great backdrop!

Ryan and I headed over to Cambridge to visit Harvard on his last day. Such a beautiful and historic school, but not much else to do other than that.  We did have a delicious burger at Mr. Bartley’s Burgers, where they filmed one of the scenes in The Social Network. 
Ryan & I explored Newbury Street which is full of shops and eateries!
I even got to meet up with Biana from B Loved Boston (please excuse how tired I look… it was a long week). It was so great to meet & hang out with a fellow blogger from another city!
This is me trying to look professional before the conference at 8 am… that was rough!  We sat in on some student sessions on surviving clinical rotations & preparing for the PANCE.
Phew!  I know that was a lot of pictures y’all, but it was so much fun I couldn’t help myself!  If you haven’t ever thought about visiting Boston, think again.  This city is full of history and charm and is worth visiting- you won’t be disappointed!
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Five on Friday: Boston Edition

Hello blog world, it’s me again!!  Yes, I’ve been gone for about a week but am glad to be back & share my traveling adventures with you.  I had an amazing time in this city- it’s so beautiful & historic.  We packed so many fun activities in our five day stay so for today’s 5, I’ll be talking about some of my highlights from Boston.  If you’re planning a trip to Beantown, these places are a must in my book!

It’s a bus.  It’s a boat.  It’s a duck boat!  Yes they’re touristy but seriously a must-do if you’re checking out the city for the first time.  I’ve never really done a “tour” when I’ve visited big cities, but this one was so fun & our tour guide was hilarious.  Tix are around $30 and it’s worth it.  You start out riding around the city, then make your way into the Charles River.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and we all loved getting to know a little more about the city.

 

two // North End

If you like good food, this place is a must!  North End is the “Little Italy” of Boston and the charming streets are lined with some of the best restaurants in the city.  We had dinner at Carmelina’s, a recommendation by our friends Nate & Beth.  This was our open air view… can’t beat it!  I had the Ahi Tuna with pasta for dinner.  I feel like this is a unique combination, but it was delicious!  We also had some limoncello and a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry, hand delivered by my roommate Jeff from across the street.

 

three // Alibi at the Liberty Hotel

If you’re looking for a fun & unique place to go out, check out this spot. The Liberty Hotel used to be a jail and has been converted to a hotel with two restaurants, Clink and Scampo, and the Alibi bar. We went out here the first night and had a little too much fun!

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four // Max Brenner

This one’s for the chocolate lover.  This was a last-minute decision for us and a recommendation by Biana at B Loved Boston.  When we walked in, the whole place smelled like chocolate.  Sold.  We had brunch fare, but they also have lots of yummy sweet treats like crepes & milkshakes.  I did order a salted caramel hot chocolate & it was seriously the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had!!   The visit isn’t complete until you stop by the chocolate shop to pick up some goodies to take home.

 

five // Fenway Park

This one is a given.  The oldest baseball stadium in America is an attraction that you don’t want to miss.  For the AAPA conference, we had a “PAs in the park” event where we got a private tour of the stadium.  Let me first say that I wasn’t super excited about this, but decided to go because most of our class was going (I’m not that into baseball).  Despite the cold & misty weather, I actually had so much fun.  It was cool to experience different views of the stadium, sit on the Green Monster & in the press box, and hear some history of how the stadium came about.  The Red Sox played at Fenway on the night we flew out, but hopefully I can make it to a game next time I visit!

Stay tuned next week for a Boston recap part two because this girl got a little picture happy, per usual.  I was seriously exhausted after the trip because we did so much.  I will be enjoying the rest of my week-long break in Charlotte and it’s back to school on Monday.

Five on Friday

1 // Travel Bag

So excited to bust out my Tory Burch tote this weekend as I head up to Boston!  I hate packing… seriously hate it.  I never know what to wear and I check the weather like a crazy person.  There are a few things, however, that I always know to bring no matter what.
1. Ray-Bans… I would be so lost without my sunglasses.  
2. Dry shampoo… because I’m one of those lucky people who has to wash their hair every day.  This helps me to freshen it up on the go.
3. Roll-on perfume… my current scent is Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh.  It smells delicious & is carry-on friendly!
4. Watch… because you need to know what time it is!  I have learned over time that glancing at the time on your pretty little arm candy is much easier than pulling out your phone every 5 minutes.
5. Jack Rogers… they seriously go with everything.  A summer vacay wouldn’t be complete without these babies!
6.  Hand cream… Shea butter can do wonders & I always keep this L’Occitane cream on hand.
7.  Lip balm… once again, I would be lost without this.  Love my Fresh Sugar products!

2 // No School for a Week!

3 tests weeks are no fun, but luckily this was our last one of the year.  Phew.  We also got to help deliver a baby on one of our simulators, “Noelle.”  It was very cool but for some reason I get a feeling that it may be a little more difficult in real life!  And let me tell you even though we had lots of tests, me over here is more stressed about packing!  I know I’m crazy… but I just have to remember packing means traveling.  And I love traveling 🙂  After Boston, I’ll get to spend the rest of the week in Charlotte- this break is much needed!

3 // Clinical Experience #4: Urgent Care

Most of us have been here a time or two and this is an area I’m considering going into after graduation. I like the fact that you always see something different and the patient typically has a specific complaint.  I got to see patients with conjunctivitis (aka pinkeye), knee pain, a UTI, and bronchitis.  My very first rotation will be urgent care in Charlotte and did I mention that it’s just under 3 months away?!? Eeeek so exciting (and a little scary)! 
Ok I know I’m a little behind the times, but after reading B Loved Boston’s post about this, I decided to order it.  I had heard of this famous top coat a while ago but for some odd reason never tried it… but oh so glad that I finally did!  It seriously dried my nails so fast and they were super shiny & hard and I could go about my day.  Still doesn’t beat my gels of course, but I gotta say this is must-have, ladies!

5 // Bon Voyage

I leave for Boston tomorrow (hip hip hooray!) so I may be away from the blog for a few days.  Wish me luck at the Challenge Bowl and hopefully we can make it to the final rounds on stage!  Keep up with my happenings on Instagram and have a fab Memorial Day weekend!

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10 Perks of Living with Roommates

Okay… This post is overdue. I mean wayyyy overdue. Why didn’t i do a “meet the roommates” post when we first moved in? I have no idea, but better late than never!  I thought I would officially introduce the two people that I always talk about who help me keep my sanity while going through school.  We like each other so much that we’ll be moving the roommate fun to Raleigh in just a few months! 


Meet Sarah!  She’s a fun-loving 24-year-old from Kenosha, Wisconsin who loves refrigerated red wine, her steak well-done, and telling random strangers on the street that she’s gonna be a PA someday.  You can usually find her wherever I may be, chugging copious amounts of coffee, or sweating bullets at the gym.

Meet Jeff!  He’s a 28 year-old retired wrestler from Montana who enjoys taking out the trash, hanging up pictures, and the aroma of nail polish remover.  He can usually be found at the gym, channeling his inner Guy Fieri in the kitchen, or “studying at the library on campus.”

I’ve never lived alone and don’t really ever want to. It may be good to have more independence or whatever, but I’m honestly happiest when I’m around people.  I have been fortunate enough to have some great roommates throughout the years and here are some of my favorite reasons why:

**Disclaimer: I have to admit, these facts relate to good roommates, not just roommates in general.

1. Being lonely really isn’t an issue- you have someone to workout with, study with, & cook with

2. There’s always food in the fridge & if you’re lucky (like me) your roomies will cook for you/let you eat their food sometimes

3. Splitting the bills… who wants to pay all of the rent plus $100+ for cable on their own?

4. Carpooling- you can save money on gas, take turns driving places, and always have a car buddy

5. You don’t have to buy a lot of furniture because someone will probably have the piece you’re missing (all we had to buy this year was a coffee table)

6. Sharing clothes.. double the closet/accessory/make-up stash!

7. Having your roomie kill bugs for you (if they’re braver than you are… I just scream really loud)

8. Watching tv & discovering new shows together- it’s more fun to laugh together than by yourself

9. Splitting cleaning duty- the house may get dirtier faster, but at least you don’t have to clean it yourself!

10. They can pick things up for you at the store & let you in the house if you locked yourself out
Funny Friendship Ecard: How I feel when my roommates are gone for the weekend.
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If y’all have any fun roommate stories (or scary ones) please share, and thanks for reading!
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