What’s Your Number? (of toxic chemicals sitting on your skin…can I have it? Can I have your number?)

The title references a famous SNL skit brought back by peers recently in our last semester of grad school. Moving on without a smooth transition:

The idea of toxicity not even skin deep all by our choosing of products is difficult to imagine out of not wanting to ‘go there’ yet with my skincare routine. I finally found an anti-redness dermatologist’s foam cleanser, a prescribed cream for mild rosacea symptoms, an *organic* daily sun cream, a few acne spot correctors that may be worth half their price tag for once…and yet this article was a somber reminder that at any stage of life, one must read the labels of their conditioner, body soap, shampoo, creams, deodorant, etc. I remain a work in progress here…

However, speaking on things that have been a great highlight in life thus far, let’s talk about the first day of fieldwork II of OT school. I love my CI (instructor), the team around me, the setting, the patients, and the work…though still daunting as I’m not yet completely sure what is going on at all times, but that’s why I am doing essentially all observation in the first week. Today, I do not have homework or planning for the next day. This may not always be the case, but I am happy enough to visit the MASSIVE, fantastic YMCA in town, take a celebratory visit to Hyvee to buy all the «essentials» such as raw almond butter, unsweetened chocolate almond milk (now with no carrageenan), almond chocolate chip Lara bar, and bananas (…do we sense a theme, that almonds are a great snack?).

I said a rosary, intentionally read some Bible verses in the morning, took my supplements due to concerns of a bout of H. Pylori returning/reviving with vengeance recently due to waking up several times now with a wild burning sensation that has nothing to due with heartburn or hunger, trust me that I know all of these (I was documented to have it in my system during a trip to Peru and never had it treated…so odds are, this entire time my mission should have been to watch out for feeding growth of that cancer-causing bacteria in my stomach), took lemon water with baking soda (H. Pylori craziness with the baking soda), had my fresh celery juice, had this Airbnb all to myself (thank goodness as I try to figure out how I will be efficient and quiet each morning as I wake up before 7 AM…oh goodness). Then came fieldwork, which went by quickly, that Hyvee trip, YMCA, dinner made fresh, dishes, a load of laundry (already, right?), setting out clothes and packing lunch for next day, and the classic blog post because otherwise all this didn’t happen, am I right? Haha, I note the irony as well, considering how little I have been posting and how little time I have given to any aesthetic component of this blog (sorry, honestly sorry. You are a champion if you are still reading this entire text block. It looks boring and daunting with its length). I’d like to add in daily Mass at least twice a week into this mix, maybe I’ll try for Thursday evening first, but also Monday and Friday in the mornings.

Plus, you can’t move anywhere without immediately drafting the «what I wish I also would have packed» list, so without further ado: EVOO, sea salt, pepper, stevia, coconut oil, a mug, a few sports bras and athletic socks, swimming gear, more comfy lounge socks (I mean you can never have enough, truly)…and that’s what we got for day 1. Let’s hope the list does not outgrow the «this was stupid to move in for the first week of fieldwork» list so they balance out to less than a car full of items each…I am optimistic due to the fact that I moved in with a car full of items, no more. So far I have not bought enough to throw off such an equilibrium.

I should be writing a blog post on a great HEALTHY, NO REALLY, ACTUALLY HEALTHY carrot cake recipe that I’ve been sharing amongst friends lately. However, these are the thoughts that apparently came first in my mind’s blog to-write list (pray for me, I think this is the indirect message? Lots of things to share, apparently).

Prayers to readers. Have a great week ahead…4 more days of learning here on my end!

Let’s Try a Little DIY // Proviamo Un Po ‘»Fai da Te»

If you are wondering how to make nice wedding invitations with just the minds of you and your fiance, hopefully a decent enough printer, and finding all the right supplies to get you there, you’re not alone (I’m right there with you)! However, this is the right creative corner of a blog to figure this one out little by little. Here are the resources I’ve compiled to help A and I along the way: // Se ti stai chiedendo come fare dei buoni inviti di nozze con solo le menti di te e del tuo fidanzato, speriamo in una stampante abbastanza decente, e trovando tutti i materiali giusti per portarti lì, non sei solo (sono qui con te )! Tuttavia, questo è l’angolo creativo giusto di un blog per capirlo a poco a poco. Ecco le risorse che ho compilato per aiutare A e I lungo la strada:

• I am learning to pick a heavy paper: at least 80 lb. or 12 pt. stock…though we must test via samples to be sure that this is not too thick for our desired home printer! Source here.
• Respect rules of grammar: «Two thousand nineteen», not all caps on that one! Source here.
• You might want to add some ribbon on there like this:

  

  Source

• While your fiance does a lot of this work, you’re really just excited to be able to nicely write out the names of everyone on each envelope.

 

Meanwhile, some big plans are on their way to make a PDF of guided rosary with Bible scripture with my own stab at some illustrations (because why not!). I’d like to put it at a crazy low price point to download as a PDF, like $3, because then why not spread a little love of Christ through our Mother Mary’s prayer with us?