Seen, Heard and Bookmarked: Finding the new norm.

Friday, July 14, 2017


The second half of June was a funky month for this clan. In a matter of three days the following occurred:

Husband left for Tennessee on a week-long work trip; a patient went berserk and I was involved in a very scary situation at work; Kiddo flooded the upstairs of the rental we were departing; and our cat got into some meds and spent two days in an animal ICU (he's okay). Meanwhile, I had unintentionally agreed to work six 10-hour shifts in seven days at a job I desperately needed to move on from. Somewhere around 2am, while shop-vacing standing water from the upstairs carpet, I began to reevaluate the status quo as one often does when the proverbial shit hits the fan. Burn out was at an all-time high, and something had to give.

Within a week of The Great Meltdown of 2017, I was offered an awesome new position at work and received two graduate school interview invitations.

Because life has a way of making your priorities crystal clear, but only when you're really, truly paying attention.

We've since moved into our new rental and we love it. For the all the stress that an unexpected move caused, we are so grateful to be here. It's a fancy grown up house with the entertaining space our last house was lacking. In some ways I wish we'd been here all along. This is my first weekend home alone post-move, and my goal is to tackle the mounds of boxes so I can find things like hair ties and dental floss.

Today I wrapped up the first week of training at my new job. It's at the same hospital, but I've traded critical care for the OR. This is an amazing opportunity to see another side of medicine, have a ton of new experiences, and meet new people. I needed a challenge and a fresh perspective, and this fits the bill. Bonus: after my training period I'll be (mostly) making my own schedule which means better work-life balance.

Husband and Kiddo left for Montana last Sunday. This is the 3rd year they've left for summer break, and it is awesome all around. It frees me up to come and go during my (full time) training period, and instead of sitting around Kiddo will be helping out on my in-laws' ranch and vacationing at the lake shore.

Here's a few things that have recently caught my attention and/or helped make life lovely. These sort of posts are about all I can manage right now, but if they keep me connected to this space and writing even a little for pleasure, I'll take it. Happy Weekend!

During a recent trip to IKEA to brainstorm a prep station/island for our new space, Mario spied this work table. Though not necessarily intended for kitchen use, it's perfect! Later on it can easily transform into a desk or table to meet our other needs. (After some googling, we found someone else who had the same brilliant idea!)

Visiting Crater Lake has been on my Bucket List since childhood. Last weekend we took a mini road trip along the Oregon coast and down south to see it. It was everything I imagined and more...absolutely breathtaking. (The story of its formation is a fascinating read!)

This Strawberry Pistachio Nougat caught my eye + an ombre chocolate cake that is almost too pretty to eat. 

While out and about with a friend a couple months ago, I bought the Bb.Color Stick in Flamingo on a whim. Pink highlights without the commitment! (I feel so hip.)

A dairy-free cold brew recipe for those hot summer days. (Starbucks' Nitro Cold Brew is so good, but I'm cutting back on my pricey coffee habit after daily runs during the move.)

Bridget introduced me to Damn Good Face Wash a couple years ago, and I loved it, but after running out I never got around to ordering more. My nightly baby wipe routine has started wreaking havoc on my eyelashes (breakage!), and this stuff is gold. It was high time I started removing my makeup like a grownup should.

I'm revisiting this Gummy Bear Sangria recipe to bring to a friend's BBQ tomorrow.

Trying Green Chef's meal kit delivery this summer, since I'm cooking for one AND brown-bagging it 5 days/week. (The struggle is real.) Also splurging on Daily Harvest's smoothies since my mornings have gotten earlier and I'm not super keen on preparing breakfast during the 5:00 hour. My first shipments will arrive next week. (Will report back on both fronts.)

Reading all the articles on how to become a morning person. (Hello, new 4:45a wake-up call. Welp.) The Calm app has done wonders with helping me establish a better routine for winding down at an earlier bedtime. (Sleep stories are my new jam! Who knew they were even a thing? Life changing.)

Post a Comment

Comments make my heart go pitter-patter. Make sure you are not a no-reply blogger!

Instagram