Girl, where have YOU been?!

It is definitely safe to say that I have been MIA. It is probably an understatement at this point. LOL But I will explain why in this blog!


I currently have two jobs, one FULL TIME, 1.0 position, which requires me to work 7 (12 hour) shifts in a 2 week period. Now bare with me.... I also have a PER DIEM job, which requires me to work 4 (12 hour) shifts in a month. So in total, I work a total of 9 (12 hour) shifts in a 2 week pay period. I know a lot of people think I am absolutely crazy to work this much, but honestly, it was not my intention to work 2 jobs, it just happened.


I moved to Los Angeles on October 2, 2016. I moved here knowing that I have 1 FULL TIME position. After living in LA for just ONE week, I received an email for an interview for a per diem position that I applied for a day before applying for my current full time position. Yes, everything literally fell into place for me (AFTER debating about wanting to move to la and going back and forth in my head, I finally just said, "F%!* it, I'll just apply and see!) when it came to thinking about moving to LA, applying for jobs, hearing back from the hospital, interviewing, and then finally getting on the road from the Bay Area. My boyfriend was also able to move to LA with his current employer, which also just fell into place. He heard from his employer about getting his current position, literally one week after I was told at my interview that I got the job! Isn't that just crazy? Well crazy, but I like to call it FATE and think that it was all just meant to be. God always has a way of reminding us that HE already has a plan in place and we just have to be patient and enjoy the journey. Of course, I know this is always easier said than done.


My nursing journey was not an easy one to get going. But honestly, looking back at it now, I wouldn't change a thing. Well, other than not passing the NCLEX the first time around, I would probably change that LOL because man oh man, it was a horrible feeling and probably one of the most stressful times in my life. But LOOK AT ME NOW. I work at two major hospitals in LA, both holding magnet status. I don't always give myself credit for this and I think it's because it still is so surreal for me, but my friends and family always remind me of how proud and of how far I have come. My best friend Jamiah who lives in LA, is always reminding me of how far I have come and how hard I am working and that my hard work will always be rewarded, which it has been and will always continue to be rewarding! Recently, my best friend Jasmine came to visit from the Bay Area and we had a heart to heart about how we are both proud of one another and the progress we have made thus far. Because man... let me tell you. LOL We laugh about our times back when we first started working out and really trying to live a healthy lifestyle. We were a hot mess. But that is something that will always make us laugh and just remind us of how we did it once before and we can do it again because being healthy is a lifestyle and we sometimes fall off, but try our best to just get back on! She also reminded me of how I used to pray and wish for the success I have now. I like to just smile and laugh at myself and say a little prayer and thank God for making it all happen. I did have my own doubts when I first started my nursing career, but I can now look back and just appreciate the journey. It is so humbling, to say the least.


So long story short, I have been busy with life and working so much, but I am learning to adjust and balance my free time when I am off, which I think I may share in more detail on another post. I don't get too many days off, so when I do, I literally have a check list and to do's for the day. Checking things off my list are my FAV! It makes me feel like I have accomplished so much, even if I only check off a few things.


Stay tuned for more.. LOL but don't hold your breath. I'm still a work in progress and figuring out MY LIFE... always!

Maevn March Mania! FREE SCRUBS!

I am excited to share another set of Maevn Uniforms that was sent to me for FREE and they're also spreading the love with giving away 1,000 more FREE scrubs starting today, March 1! All you have to do is go to their instagram page www.instagram.com/MaevnUniforms or 

www.facebook.com/MaevnUniforms for more information on how to participate in their #MaevnMarchMania! 

Now with the big news finally announced, let me help you guys pick out your new FREE pair by sharing my thoughts on the one you see above in the picture and below in another picture, as well as  a fun boomerang! I am a big fan of their EON Active line because the material is so soft and comfortable to wear, especially during a 12 hour shift! Oh yea, if you read my last post, no need to iron after throwing it in the wash and dryer! BONUS points for nurses because we are already so exhausted after working those long shifts. This line is similar to the last pair I blogged about, but slightly different because this pair of scrub bottoms has an elastic waistband!

Scrub top: EON 1748 Back Mesh Panel Mock Wrap TopScrub bottom: EON 7348 WAISTBAND 7-POCKET CARGO PANTBoth top and bottom are in the wine color and a size small. I have ordered a small petite from Maevn Uniforms and it was a tad bit short for me and I am 5'2". The regular small works better, especially if you wear clogs or shoes with a little height. 

Having an elastic waistband is a first for me. I was a little hesitant, but did see a lot of people raving about it so I thought might as well give it a try. I also went with this wine color because it looks amazing on every skin tone! You literally cannot go wrong with this set of scrubs. It has many pockets on the scrub top, as well as the scrub pants, which is important for our pens, highlighters, penlight, scissors... and oh yes, possibly your personal cellphone or work phone for that matter! The elastic waistband, I cannot stress it enough, is really so comfortable and different. It gives it a little edge that you may only know about because it isn't visible, but that comfortable feeling will keep you wanting more of them! They have a variety of colors to choose from as well so the options are endless!

Comfortable enough to move around and even share a laugh!

Just a fun boomerang showing you guys that even when moving quickly, the scrubs will definitely allow you to do so, while still looking cute! Hehehehe 

Pretty cool that they are sharing the love with US healthcare professionals and students by giving away 1,000 free pairs! And who doesn't love free stuff? I know I do, so don't waste anytime and head over to their instagram or facebook to participate! You literally have nothing to lose and you may find yourself with a free pair of scrubs for the spring time!

When the Kids Come to Play

This is the first time Alex and I have babysat for his niece and nephew, Kendell and Titan, respectively overnight for a few days. Kendell is 4 and Titan will be 3 on March 8. Well, come to think of it, this is the first time we have ever babysat overnight for anyone. But I think it is safe to say, it is a lot easier when it's family of course. I was a little nervous about taking care of a 3 and 4 year old, especially overnight because I have never done it before. But, it was reassuring that Alex was there to start it off. I had to work the first 2 days while Kendell and Titan stayed with us, so it was all him. I am very proud to say that he does really well with kids. He was amazing with getting breakfast going, making lunch, giving baths and putting them to sleep.. oh and cannot forget about nap time. He told me that I am "too nice." Well, guess it is just my personality. I can be firm but I am told all the time, I am soft spoken and calm, but hey it all worked out well. 

So more to the fun part of their stay. I wanted to make sure they had fun while staying with us, because of course, they are away from home and this is their little getaway with their Uncle Alex and Auntie Steph. They are really so well behaved and this is not being biased at all. Granted they are kids and have their little spurts of when they need to be told, "No running. You have to share. Go to sleep now." But no tantrums and they are pretty well occupied with not much to do. 

Thankfully my bestie Jamiah, Auntie Miah came over to save the day with an idea I had with baking with them. There is a place on Melrose called Cake Mix, which allows kids to decorate a cake or cupcakes, but with timing, two kids, and the price they were charging, I figured, hey I can do this all at home and still make it really fun for them.  Jamiah came through with the quick and easy ingredients for baking and decorating so all in all, cupcake decorating turned out to be a success. 

Blue frosting for Titan and Pink frosting for Kendell. 

Titan had more fun biting into the cupcake before decorating it with frosting. A mess was made, but nothing too crazy that I could not clean up in the end. Kendell didn't eat any of her master pieces because she made them for her Uncle Alex and her friend Kara who lives back in the Bay. She also enjoyed just licking the frosting and eating her pink sprinkles. 

Uncle Alex enjoyed his cupcakes after his long day at work.

This little fun activity was so easy and fun to do with them. It did not cost much at all and it was all done in the comfort of my home. It was a lot of help to have Auntie Miah help us out. Plus, they enjoyed having her here to play with as well. They showed off their dance moves while watching Frozen and also had some snapchat fun with her. Oh and a little sidenote for myself.. BUY MORE STRAWBERRIES for the decorations and for snacking while decorating. LOL We definitely went through them very quickly and Kendell was asking for more. =/ 

Don't they look so good?
Uncle Alex had his share of one blue and one pink cupcake and enjoyed them both!
I did my best and didn't eat any and man it was hard.
Thank goodness for the frosting that got on my fingers and the strawberries that quickly disappeared.

And so now.. on to the next project for these two. More to come about their little adventures with Uncle Alex and Auntie Steph in LA. Oh and Auntie Miah of course! =)

Take Care of Yourself

Being a floor nurse means the stress on my body is pretty much a given! This is why it is so important to take care of your mind and body! I have been experiencing body aches lately, which reminded me that I need to a "reset" and really be mindful of how I move my body and how I treat it, both mentally and physically.

I decided to go get a Thai combination massage, which was my first time and it was truly amazing. I felt better immediately after the massage. Another week went by and I still noticed that same aching feeling in my lower back. I decided to mention it to my trainer and he had the massage therapist see me after our training session. The massage therapist only touched on one spot that immediately relieved some pressure. I was shocked! I'll have to ask him what the name of that muscle is again because it was so tight. I decided that I must make an appointment with him asap! Luckily he had an appointment that same day, so I did studio cycling and relaxed in the sauna before my massage. It was not the easiest massage to just relax in because he really worked on my knots and those tight areas. Needless to say, my back has not been aching since then. That same evening, I was instructed to take a bath with epsom salt for 20 minutes. And ahhhh.. the rest is history. LOL 

This was a sweet gift from Alex.
I have never used a bath bomb before this and
I am excited to try each and every one of these. 

Take care of your mind and soul. How? Well there are many ways, some use adult coloring books as a way to relax. I am new to adult coloring books. Alex ordered two different adult coloring books for us. I loved the idea and love him for getting them for us; however, I was a little unsure about how I would like it because it looks so overwhelming. Not sure if it is just me and how I view these coloring books, but I think the main thing is using it as time to unwind and just relax. I'll honestly try to not to think too hard on choosing the right colors. Do you guys like adult coloring books? I have been seeing them everywhere. 

I have not started coloring anything quite yet,
only because the night Alex gave this to me was also the night
I smashed my right thumb finger in the bathroom door while at work.
Yes, but that was on Saturday night and happy to say my finger is doing much better!

So in addition to massages, working out, adult coloring books, I cannot leave out the most important thing.. eating and eating healthy for that matter. Eating healthy is not easy and it has been difficult for me to try and stay on track. Especially with moving to Los Angeles and pretty much just being lazy to meal prep. But let me tell you what really "put me into check" and I knew I had to do better for myself, which really meant consistency. I put on my favorite leather jacket and it was a tad bit too snug for my liking. I was truly upset and just feeling like yuck. So yes.. Consistency with anything in life is really what causes change to happen. It has been 2 weeks for eating meal preps and no sweets! Yikes.. it gets better when you stick to it and really start to feel the difference. I really just feel more energized and not sluggish. I would make excuses for eating out and not working out and using work as an excuse, but that got old really quick. Mind over matter is really all it is. I know life gets busy and we all have our own individual lives. But if you really want something, just start off with baby steps and really listen to your body, it will thank you later. 

My fitness journey, along with eating healthy and taking care of my mind and soul, maintaining a balance is always a work in progress. I'll share more about my fitness and healthy eating journey in more detail on a post to come soon! So until then just do what feels right and treat yourself the best way you deserve. You have one life and you deserve it all. 

When "life" gets in the way?

Just FYI.. this is a late post that I wrote on Valentine's Day...

Where has the time gone? I know I have taken a little hiatus from blogging. It is crazy to see that my last blog was on December 15.. two months ago! Wow.. It was not intentional, but I just became busy with the holidays, work, and my personal life. But I can't use it as an excuse. I missed blogging. It does take a lot of time to sit and type away or think about what I want to blog about; however, I enjoy it. It helps me de-stress when things seem to be getting overwhelming. It's a nice little escape for me.

So what have I been up to?

Personal life... My beautiful niece Aiko Joy was born on January 28 and I was able to fly back home the weekend after she was born. It was nice and crazy at the same time to see my baby brother pushing a stroller and taking care of a baby. But it was all amazing and sweet to witness. I am so proud of him and his girlfriend Sekela. I do not know what it is like to carry a baby and even how to take care of one. It honestly scares me, but I know when the timing is right, God will bless me with one. I just hope and pray it's not for another few years. lol Yes I am 28 years old and like my Tita Judy texts me, "Steph, you know you're not getting any older." I know I am not lol, but I want to use the rest of my 20's as a time to continue to grow, build a foundation, travel, and just enjoy spending time with Alex, just the two of us.

Aiko Joy in her adorable Valentine's Day outfit

My beautiful mama and niece Aiko Joy

What have Alex and I been up to? We have been taking advantage of living in so-cal and channeling our inner child at theme parks.. more specifically, Disneyland and Universal Studios, which we hold annual passes for both. I guess it was the most natural thing for us to do since we are newbies to the area. I am not sure if we will out grow this theme park binge of ours, but in the mean time, I'll enjoy it as much as possible, well because, that is what life is about. Also, we are in the process of finally furnishing our balcony. And to say the least, we definitely butt heads when it came to shopping for the furniture and deciding on what to get. And to my defense, after being out all day, working 7 days straight, going to Costco, then Ikea with no food in your stomach.. I can get a little cranky.. okay I ate an energy bar before walking into Ikea, lol But let's just say, it was all because I had work the next day. I blame it on having to work the next day. I swear it makes a difference, especially for me. It may be mindset, but I love getting my 8 hours of sleep. Lately, it's been more 6 or 7 hours of sleep, but sleep is so important to me. I have to get my mind mentally prepared.. my body needs to just be relaxing the night before as much as possible, rarely happens lol.. So I truly appreciate Alex for receiving my "attitude" in the best way possible.

I love Disneyland during the holidays because of all the lights!

Work... Work is work! No... It has actually been going really well at my full time RN position. I am learning more and more about the hospital and I can honestly say, I have an amazing group of coworkers, which makes the world's difference. Working on the floor, a medical-surgical floor can be difficult, rewarding of course, but also stressful. But I see it as this being the truth for many other jobs and professions. I love being a nurse. I love taking care of my patients, especially the ones I build a close relationship. It is difficult though when a relationship is built and the patient is not doing so well.. and they may not even live.. that is hard. And I actually experienced this not too long ago and it was sad. I do not know where or how the patient is doing now, but I start to tear up about it now just writing about it. And to keep moving forward with my nursing career, I decided to take on a per diem position at another magnet hospital. I am so excited to start working at my second hospital and some may think I am crazy for adding on the 7 days I already am committed to in a 2 week pay period, but I am all about growing in my nursing career and just seeing what other hospitals have to offer their nurses. Plus, I cannot deny the idea of earning some extra income.

Today is Valentine's Day (remember this is a late post) and I had a pretty low key evening.. Alex and I went to a restaurant in Studio City called Firefly. The food was good. We did not care for their "red velvet cake," which is why I was happy I stopped by this little shop in Valley Village called, "Pacific Cheesecake Company." Alex and I first went to this shop maybe almost two years ago while on a mini vacation out here. They have a variety of mini cheesecakes. Alex loves cheesecake so I thought it could be something quick and easy to get, but also thoughtful as well. I didn't make Alex a homemade Valentine's Day card, which I did plan on making; however, patio furniture at Ikea happened. LOL But all in all, the day went well. I went to a class for nursing computer training, then headed back home. Well, it actually wasn't as low key.. Alex came home early and we headed back to Ikea to return an item we purchased. Mind you... our dinner reservations were set for 6:15pm and we left Studio City to head to Ikea in Burbank around 4:30pm. Hmm.. we made our reservations by 6:30pm, which we made sure was okay. And it was.. and we enjoyed our evening. But it did not end there, we then went to Target, well because I love Target, but I have not been to Target in a long time, which is shocking, guess I have just been too occupied with other things, but also maybe because I do not care for the Target in North Hollywood. LOL But yes, we went to target to get some household items, but really for some lights to decorate our mini balcony patio. I can't wait for it to all come together. I hope to post some pictures once it is all complete.

Here's a pic of my mini routine before getting ready for Valentine's Day! LOL
I'm using the boscia mask from Sephora. Amazing!
Hair freshly washed, yet nothing was done to it because I was rushing to get ready after our Ikea run.
LOL Sometimes you have to just do what you can,
so keeping it straight worked just fine!

This dessert was the restaurant's play on "red velvet."
It was interesting to say the least.. hehe

SO that is my little life update. I hope it helps people understand that life is not perfect and sometimes we just need some time for a little "pause" and get things "back on track." Try your best to not let "life" get in the way. If we allow ourselves to try to find a balance with what we have going on and keep a positive attitude and mindset, then things will fall into place. Everything happens for a reason. Trust in God and believe in yourself.