Smitten Scrubs + Giving Back

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Happy Friday ya'll! You may have seen one of my stories on the good 'ol Instagram where I mentioned I was working on a post for today. Without further ado - here it is! Scrub Shopper reached out to me to promote a scrub brand that is relaunching one of their lines. It is the Bliss collection from Smitten Scrubs! As you know, I'm in medical school - so scrubs are a wardrobe staple. So I'm extremely grateful to be able to share this brand with ya'll! 

My first impression of these scrubs was that the material reminded me of a Nike or Adidas track suit! The fabric is a ponte knit which makes it heavier - but not in a bad way! It's great for the colder weather so that you don't necessarily have to wear leggings under scrubs (which I do a lot in the winter). 

As far as the fit goes, I think that the top fit me great (XS), but may have been a little long on me (I'm 5'2") - So I would probably suggest a Petite size (#shortpeopleprobs). The bottoms were the PERFECT length (Small petite), but there is something I noticed. It was that the hip area has a slight - and I mean sliiiiiight - curvier fit. Now, my body type is more straight so personally those are not necessary for me. In fact, the curves are not as flattering for me. BUT, if you're on the curvier side - these bottoms would be perfect! It's not super noticeable, especially if the top is not tucked in. And again, it's very slight and it really depends on your body type. Of course, they've got lots of stretch all around which is great! 

Something  else that I absolutely love are the POCKETS. If scrubs are also a part of your wardrobe staples, then you would love #allthepockets. There are a total of 4 pockets on the top and 3 on the bottom (one of which is a bigger side pocket & there's velcro to secure items). 

Overall, I was extremely pleased by these scrubs & will be my go-to for the colder, winter months! 

Another exciting news I wanted to mention is called the "Give Back" Campaign by Scrub Shopper. What it is, is that during the month of January and February, Scrub Shopper will be Giving Back to some organizations when you make a purchase through their website. The organizations included are: Susan G. Komen, Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude's, The Abandoned Pet Project, and the Greta James Scholarship Foundation. When making a purchase, you will have the option to select ONE of the above-mentioned organizations and Scrub Shopper with donate $1 PER ORDER to the organization that you chose! 

I know that Christmas and the Holidays have passed, but what a great way to continue in the giving spirit throughout 2017! In addition, Scrub Shopper has offered a DISCOUNT CODE to take $15 OFF any order over $80 (and it can be purchase of ANY brand).
DISCOUNT CODE: "dorothyfaye15" (can be used at check out).

Thank ya'll for reading! I hope to continue to be able to help in anyway I can whether it's by giving product reviews, sharing perspective on medical school and life during medical school. SO - let me know what other types of posts you would like to read about! 

And don't forget, no matter what season - let's give back. 

xo, Dorothy 

 

 

Disclaimer: These Smitten Scrubs were sent to me by Scrub Shopper. All opinions are completely my own. Thank you. 

Medical School and Burn Out

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If you're a fellow second year medical student, you know that it is officially Board-Study Season. And I don't know about you, but I definitely feel the stress already. A few medical students who are a year or two ahead of me gave some of the same tips, and it is this: DON'T GET BURNED OUT. Does this phrase give any one else chills? It's a topic that is commonly thrown around within the medical community - whether students, residents or so on. Now that we're officially in this season of life where it seems like the "end of this tunnel" will never come, I truly believe that this is one of the times in my life in which I really need to be more aware of my mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health - so as to prevent this thing called "burn out". 

As if I, and other medical students don't already get "burned out" from constantly studying during the year, we now have one more thing on our plate - a big thing - that we are up against. So what can I do now to hopefully keep this burning out thing at bay? 

1. Community - surrounding myself with friends who are on the same mission, as well as those who can encourage me and keep me grounded is crucial. I've been blessed with friendships here at medical school and back home where I can go to those friends for encouragement, advice, fun - anything really. Another thing that ties in with this is "intentionality" (is that even a word?) because these friendships and relationships are not cultivated without putting in time and effort. 

2. Fitness & Eating Clean - I've talked about this before in a previous post, but I love working out. My body can tell when I haven't been moving and eating well, and it tells me to get movin' and get back on track. I guess I've become more aware or in-tune with my body, which is something important especially with the very busy life I lead. It's important to know when it's time to slow down, take care of yourself, so that you can better focus on your goals. Exercise & meal prep! Exercising not only keeps you physically fit, but also mentally fit! But HEY - don't forget to treat yo'self though. Take rests days and if you're needing that chocolate, ice cream, chips (whatever your weakness is) - GO FOR IT - just remember, everything in moderation! 

3. Faith - whether times are good or tough, my faith is something near and dear to me. I know that no matter what happens, I can fall back on it and know that everything will be ok. Life is not perfect and things don't always happen as I think they would. But I know that if I continue to believe and have faith that things will work out for the best, they usually do! 

4. Take Breaks - so simple, but easily forgotten. I try to talk to my parents every day even if it's just a little bit. And if you didn't already know - I'm engaged (EEP!) - So it's important to still be able to spend time and talk with the fiance! On top of all of this we are wedding planning. Am I crazy? (Maybe later on I'll write about my experience of planning a wedding while in medical school?) I don't know, but all of these things I've mentioned are more important now that ever! So I take breaks, watch my shows and get a good laugh. Hang out with my friends, and blog too ;)

I'm hoping that these things will carry me through the next few months, and even through the rest of my career in medicine.

What are your favorite ways to prevent burn out? Have you experienced it yourself? What did you do to recover? I'm all ears to any advice! 

xo, Dorothy 

PS. Aren't those pillows the cutest? This is one of my current favorites because I need all the motivation I can get for these next few months. Check more out at F R E E L Y by clicking here. (Many thanks to my friend Ashley @ F R E E L Y for this wonderful piece). 

Girlfriend Collective - A Review

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Everyone needs that one tried, and true pair of black leggings amirite? I think I've found mine. Last year around November, I ordered the Girlfriend Collective legging because I kept seeing on Facebook how it was only $19 which was the price of shipping. I mean come on, who can resist that? After browsing through the website, and reading about how one of their designers spent her past time at Lululemon (hello? another favorite of mine!) - then I knew I had to check it out. 

If you ordered these too, you know that the package took a while to come in. I believe I ordered them late summer and they came in early November. This I'm guessing is because they're made and shipped from overseas, and maybe due to demand? Not sure. 

My first impression, honestly, was: "oh no I don't like these". I didn't like them at first because as I was putting them on, the waistband kind of curves in (if you know what I mean) and was a little tight around my waist. I didn't like that feeling because I don't like feeling constricted when I'm supposed to be in my comfy yoga pants. Yet as I wore them more, and maybe after a couple washes, I felt that they started to fit much better, conforming to my body.

Is this the legging that gets better with time?!

So far, I have not noticed any pilling or threads coming loose. Also, the fabric seems to be holding itself up well! I love wearing mine to workout (obviously), and to class and while I'm studying - really, anywhere! I've dressed it up (not TOO dressed up, because you can definitely tell they're workout pants due to the stitching), and I've dressed it down. These leggings also has some compression - not too much, not too little. Especially over time, I feel that the compression is perfect (remember, they take some time to conform to your body). 

Another thing I like about this brand is that they are making these leggings with sustainable means. Read more about their brand and how each pair of leggings are made from 25 recycled water bottles here.

Hopefully the rest of their line (whenever it comes out), will live up to the expectations! I'm excited to see how this brand grows & what kind of products they come out with (maybe I'll have more review for y'all, who knows?) 

Let me know if you've ordered/tried the Girlfriend Collective leggings below! 

Shop my other favorites:

Xo,
Dorothy 

Review: 4 things I look for when buying scrubs, featuring Barco Uniforms

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Happy Friday!

I've teamed up with Barco Uniforms to bring you this review, and today I'm going to tell you the 4 things I look for when buying scrubs. If you're a medical student, you know the amount of time you spend in scrubs and it's a LOT. Sometimes we're not even required to wear scrubs on a certain day and we wear it anyway - amiright? Scrubs become an essential in our wardrobe not just now in medical school, but also later on when we become practicing physicians. And if you are a practicing physician, or any one else in the medical field, just how much time do you spend time in scrubs? 

During my first year in medical school, I have to be honest and say I didn't spend a lot on scrubs and just went for the "okay" ones because I didn't think much of it - "oh it'll just get dirty anyway". Which is TRUE, but I didn't realize that since I'd be wearing them a lot I'm also sacrificing some comfort, and style. And plus, if I'm gonna wear them, might as well look good right? I

So here are my 4 things I look for when I buy scrubs:

  1. Comfort - this is KEY. You want a material that is soft but durable. The scrubs from Barco are just that. The material is stretchy enough, but it still maintains its shape! Material wise, dare I say these feel like workout clothes? Thank you 4-way stretch! These are definitely beyond your typical scrubs because they're made for performance as well, when you're running around to and from work, classes, wherever. 
  2. Style - scrubs can still be stylish - WHAT?! Yes they can. I bought scrub sets that were just plain boxy, and no shape. Barco's scrubs have a great shape and (if you get the right size), they fit well. No more baggy scrubs! 
  3. Pockets - who else stashes everything in their scrub pockets? Just me? Pockets are essential when you've got to stash pens, mini notebooks, phones, stethoscopes, etc. These scrubs have pockets for DAYS. Zip up pockets, side pockets, front pockets, and even a little pocket for your pen on the pants. While on the top you've got double front pockets!
  4. Durable - So, you don't want to keep re-buying scrubs, and neither do it. So these have got to last a while. As I mentioned earlier, the material of these scrubs are like workout clothes where there is stretch and it really is designed for performance. Did I mention the back has vents? So if you start to break a sweat - no biggie. Not only that, but it's moisture wicking and resists wrinkles - I'm sure these can weather any situation.

Lastly, I just want to tell you all something awesome about these scrubs: each piece is made from 5 recycled plastic bottles! Not only are these comfy, stylish, and durable but ALSO eco-friendly. 

What are your favorite scrub brands? And have you tried Barco? Let me know in the comments below! 

xo, Dorothy 

Go-to Breakfast

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With busy days ahead, I make sure that I eat a filling breakfast! One of my favorites right now is Oatbran with Vanilla Protein Powder mixed in, and chocolate chips on top. As far as caffeine goes, I actually have not been drinking coffee this entire school year - I've been sticking to Matcha or Earl Grey (or some type of black tea). Yes, there is still caffeine in these drinks but I haven't experienced any crash and I feel that I have more energy when I don't drink coffee and stick to these instead. (side note: I do have coffee once or twice when I go home on breaks, because I really do love a good cup of coffee). 

Oats
1. Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran
2. Vanilla protein powder of your choice (make sure that it mixes well)
   Try: Syntha-6 Vanilla Ice Cream
3. Almond Butter
   Try: No Stir Almond Butter
4. 60% Dark Chocolate Chips

How to make it: Make the oat bran as directed by the package. Once it's done, mix in 1 full scoop of the vanilla protein powder into the pot, and stir well. Optional: add 1 tbsp of almond butter. 
Transfer to your favorite bowl and add 1 tbsp of the Dark chocolate chips on top and watch them melt :) 

Matcha:
1. Ecomatcha (from amazon) 
2. Half and Half
3. Optional: Honey or sweetener of your choice
4. Optional: Frother (from amazon) 

How to make it: Fill up your favorite mug half way with hot water and mix 1 tsp of matcha in and your sweetener of choice. Then, get another mug and fill it with half & half (2 Tbsps) and heat it in microwave for 30secs. Once it's done, froth the half & half and mix into the matcha. 

Voila! 

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PS. Let me know if you all are interested in more simple, easy, yummy recipes!