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.

Maevn Scrubs.. Love at First Touch!

So as many of you know, scrubs are a nurse's best friend, along with many other things we need to survive a work day. However, when it comes to comfort and looking good, scrubs mean everything when you're at work saving lives! 

There are plenty of scrub lines out there, some better than others, but at the end of the day, it is all about how it makes you look and feel. 

Confidence goes a long way!

"When I'm having a rough day at work, but I look at my watch 

& get juiced because it's almost time to clock out!" 

I had the opportunity to try out Maevn Scrubs #maevenscrubs and I am IN LOVE with their EON Line. I am a curvy girl with hips and thighs, which I am growing to love each day, but with that being said, I normally wear bottoms such as jeans, that are have a stretch material to give me that extra room to be able to move around and still feel comfortable in what I am wearing. When I received the EON line top and bottom, (I'll list below with links, specifically what I am wearing) the first thing that caught my attention, other than the color because I chose that lovely CHERRY RED, was how soft the material felt. I put the scrubs on and immediately loved how comfortable it felt and how easy I was able to move around! Check out my video below!

"When it's almost time to clock out, I do a little dance because I know my bed is calling my name!" 

Material: 
The EON line features their COOLMAX fabric, which allows us nurses to work hard and run around AND SWEAT without needing to feel self conscious of any sweat marks, but also keeps us cool and dry while at work. MOISTURE WICKING = Pulls moisture away from your skin. The material is also LIGHTWEIGHT which allows us nurses to move around as needed when we were taking care of our patients at work!

Colors:
The EON line has a wide range of colors to choose from, especially fun and bright colors, which I tend to gravitate towards more often.

Wash and Dry:
The EON line is wash and wear! Yes wash and wear. As for me, I am not a huge fan of ironing clothes. I can throw these scrubs in the wash and dryer without the need to iron! #HappyGirl

What did I love most? 
Aside from being so comfortable, these scrubs had pockets galore! Without pockets, I would be lost as a nurse. The top has TWO pockets in the front, along with a pocket you can put your cell phone! The bottoms have an amazing yoga waistband which is something I normally do not buy because I love a half garter with drawstring in order to keep my pants in place, but I found that with this yoga waistline stays in place and still allows me to be able to move without needing to adjust my drawstring!

Last but not least, PRICING! 
Tops start at $22 & Bottoms start at $26, which is a steal compared to a lot of scrub lines out there! Definitely worth the price! You will not be disappointed.

Check out their website on the link below!
Website: EON Line

Here are the links to the top and bottom that I am wearing!
Top: Active - Back Mesh Panel Shaped V-Neck Top
Bottom: Active - PURE® Yoga 7-Pocket Scrub Pant
Store Locator: Find Maevn Scrubs Near You!

Make sure to check it out by clicking the links above! 

To all my nurses and future nurses out there, think of scrubs as a little treat for yourself, because "when you look good, you feel good!" And as nurses, we must take care of ourselves! 

Tips for Nursing Interviews

Since it's December and I know many nursing students are finishing up their semester with finals and some are even graduating this month, I wanted to share some QUICK TIPS for nursing interviews! Good luck to all the future RNs out there! YOU GOT THIS!

1. Look the part!
Make sure you are well groomed. I have a nose ring, but I make sure to remove this before interviews. Ladies, wear makeup, but do not go overboard with it. Just enough to show you are presentable. I had a charge nurse tell me later that she loved my eyebrows and during my interview, she could not pay attention to anything I said because she was "distracted" by how nice my eyebrows looked. Now obviously having nice eyebrows and distracting her was not the goal, but she remembered who I was and made sure to point out my "nice eyebrows" to another charge nurse on my first day of orientation. lol Make sure your hair does not distract you during your interview or you are tempted to "play with your hair." I try to make sure my nails are cut and clean. I love a good manicure and gel polish, but for interviews, I avoid any type of polish! Also make sure you are wearing something comfortable but professional. Make sure your clothes are ironed or dry cleaned. You want to dress to impress!

2. Bring extra copies of your resume, cover letter, and references.
You want to make sure you are prepared for who will be in your interview. I have interviewed with just the unit manager, the unit manager and assistant manager, and I also had a panel interview with the unit manager and 6 charge nurses. Having extra copies on hand will show the manager and who ever else is in the interview that you are well prepared.

I will be posting soon about tips for resumes and also allowing people to send me their resumes for a free "clean up" and edit. Stay tuned! 

3. Put your paperwork in a nice folder. 
I remember a nurse manager from a PALS certification class told the students that the folders applicants put their papers in can sometimes play a factor. I have been in interviews where they remove the folders and give it right back to me, while some do keep it. I think it just goes along with showing the manager you care about the "whole package." Do not go out there and spend so much on folders but consider the "whole package."

4. Practice interview questions.
I will post another blog of example questions that I was asked during nursing interviews, as well as give some examples of my own questions and answers that I typed out and practiced. You do not want to sound "rehearsed" during your interview; however, you do want to sound like you know what you are talking about and do not get stumped on a question that you should know how to answer. A lot of things can be simple as "describe yourself." I would take the time to write out what you would say and have someone proofread it or hear you say it out loud and listen to their feedback. Every manager is different and they do not look for the same things, but what I did learn is that the answer you give is the time you get to show them a little bit of who you are as a person, outside of being a nurse looking for a job!

5. Get some rest the night before. (Try your best!)
Make sure you have your outfit prepared the night before, along with your paperwork, ready to go the next morning. Make sure you also have your commute to wherever your interview is all mapped out and commute time is factored in. I always say give yourself an extra 30 minutes to an hour before your interview start time to get settled, which includes finding the location of the institute/hospital, finding the location of where the interview is held, having time to use the restroom, and also just giving yourself some time to just "WOO-SAH" before you go into your interview. It is hard to not be nervous before an interview, but if you are rested and prepare, you will be okay.

6. Apply! Apply! Apply! And get as many interviews as you can. 
I was told that with interviews, you get better with time and experience. I think this is true because you become familiar with different interviewing styles and questions to have prepared for the next time Stay persistent and keep trying. The perfect job is out there for you. Stay positive and always pray and hope for the best to come because it will come.

Disclosure: This is all my own personal tips that I have learned from experience. Please use at your own discretion. 

Home Sweet Home

Where has the time gone? It is now December and I cannot believe it has been 2 months since I made my move from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. It has been difficult to balance everything going on in my personal and professional life, but it all takes time and practice. And most importantly, patience. But I am honestly enjoying every second of it! It helps to have the support of my friends, family, and Alex. 

On another note, here is the recap of my SHORT yet SWEET weekend back to the BAY!

The future papa and mama to be! I love these two and I wish them all the best with bringing my niece into the world. She will be loved by many. Baby girl we cannot wait for you!

This past Sunday, I flew back home to the Bay Area for my brother Kris's and his girlfriend, Sekela's baby shower. They are expecting a baby girl, Ai'ko Joy, due January 2017. (Oh and by the way, because I love to mention this to everyone, I am really happy that my niece will be getting my middle name Joy because I LOVE MY MIDDLE NAME lol. And it just flows.. Ai'ko Joy!)

I can honestly say it was so much fun being able to have Sunday off (Thank you to my assistant manager who made sure I was taken off the schedule) and fly home to be able to see my family and friends to help celebrate a new baby coming into the growing Obligacion family. The best part of any party my family has is obviously spending time with them because there are so many of us, but a new "tradition" I love seeing is the decorations that my cousin Michelle comes up with for the party. For this special occasion, she helped Kris and Sekela with a "Kate Spade" themed baby shower for my future. My brother Kris and Sekela have a lot of support from their friends and our family, so it was amazing to witness!

The table was perfection! Very simply and classy. And can we take a moment for the flowers my cousin Michelle made because they were sooooo adorable and paid attention to detail. She is so talented and needs to showcase her work at more parties in the future because it's just natural for her. 

I loved the cake. It definitely went along with the theme. The "cake lady" my family uses was found by my cousin Jonelle. She is bomb and has great pricing for cakes! She is the family's GO TO for cakes. 

Isn't Sekela just gorgeous? She is really ALL belly and man oh man I pray that I can be the same way once I decide to have babies (I know this will not be the case though, thanks Obligacion genes), BUT until then, I will just admire how amazing she looks and carries that belly! hehe These boxes were everything to me! I loved it. My cousins did an amazing job with helping plan and execute on this baby shower for my brother and Sekela. It sucked that I could not help with planning it because I live in LA, but they definitely did not even need me.

In addition to the baby shower, I was also able to visit my cousin Kaycee and meet the new addition to the family, Baby Sebastian Grayson. And oh man he is such a cutie! The family is definitely growing and I am loving it. It does suck that I am far away from my family, but I like to say "I am far, but not too far because I am just an hour flight away or 5 hour drive away." I am looking forward to what the future holds and I cannot wait to meet my niece. My baby brother is really going to be a father! So crazy, but I am so excited for him and Sekela. I cannot wait to spoil her even more!