What’s In My Clinical Bag: Barrington Tote

It’s back to school time! While I’m not on campus this semester I am completing my clinical rotations so with that I wanted to share with you what I take with me every day.

My Barrington

The Tote

I have wanted a Barrington bag after seeing Kate from Lonestar Southern post about hers when I was a junior or senior in college. As a college student I know I wasn’t about to drop nearly $200 on a tote bag so I set a goal. I told myself that I would treat myself that I would buy one when I finished the academic portion of my program. This seemed like a perfect compromise, all of their totes look so put together and it would be the perfect bag to take with me as I started becoming a professional.

I bought the St. Anne Zippered Tote. The zipper is a little more but I prefer the having a bag that closes so I know my stuff isn’t going to fall out! I opted for the patch and the pattern I got was stone chambray with brown leather.

What I Carry with Me

• Wallet/keys: these ones are pretty self explanatory, I’m not getting too far without either of them!
• My name tag: I used to keep my name tag in the smallest pocket of my backpack but now it stays in the middle pocket of my tote. I usually take it off as I’m walking out the front door because I’ve gotten used to washing my scrubs every night and I just know if I don’t take it off immediately it’s going through the washer.
• A small notebook: during my first two or three weeks I would put it in the pockets of my pants so I could write down any questions I had. Now I typically keep it in my bag and write down anything I need to at lunch time or again before I leave.
• Agenda: it’s no secret I love my Lilly planner however I haven’t relied on it as much as I did when I was in the classroom. This year I switched to the version that has to-do lists and I definitely think that was the right choice!
• Pencil case: for my pens and highlighters. I have so many colors of each it would look like something exploded in my purse if I didn’t keep them all together.
• Masks: something I never would’ve though I’d be stashing in my bag had you asked me a year ago. I have a cloth mask I keep in the zippered pocket along with some hand sanitizer.

Other

• Laptop: I don’t need to bring my laptop in to my site however it fits perfectly in my Barrington bag and I’ve brought it into work if I have a half hour/hour for lunch if I have things to do.
• Flashcards: I recently got some flashcards to help me study for the NPTE, the PT board exam. These are something I don’t keep in my bag every day however like my laptop I’ll bring it into work if I have a longer lunch break. I haven’t created a study schedule as it’s nearly a year away but I do like reviewing them if I have a little extra time.

Another thing for all my ladies who like saving money: Barrington is having a Labor Day Sale!

That’s it for what I take along with me every day! What do you keep in your work/school bag?

xox,

Marissa

What I’m Reading: The Last Piece

The Last Piece by Imogen Clark

I was lucky enough to receive The Last Piece by Imogen Clark from Once Upon a Book Club this month and I am obsessed! If you haven’t heard of Once Upon a Book Club yet, it’s a monthly book subscription box that immerses you in the story.

This is not your average book subscription box where you get just any book in the mail every week, you’ll also receive little gifts that tie into what you’re reading. While you’re reading this book you’ll find sticky notes hidden in the pages that remind you to open your gift. For example, when I got to the sticky note on page 168 the main character Cecily was hiding behind her sunglasses so the corresponding gift was a package of tissues and a cute pair of sunglasses!

From page 215. All of the gifts have the page number printed on them and I have to admit I read all of them in Alan Rickman’s voice because I got serious “turn to page 394” vibes.

Now onto my review of the book!

I loved it, and not just because it gave me a little Mamma Mia vibes. Between the setting and the family drama I did catch myself singing “Our Last Summer” but this is no jukebox musical. Cecily Nightingale is the matriarch of her family and is described as anything but spontaneous until she disappears to a yoga retreat in Greece overnight. A yoga retreat in Greece, this book has my name written all over it. But it’s less about yoga (she only ends up taking one class!) and more about finding out the missing piece of Cecily’s puzzle.

The aspect of this book that I enjoyed most is that it’s not your typical happy ending story. Each character has their own complicated life and outside of the Hallmark movie-esque setting, this book portrays realistic relationships. Cecily’s three daughters have three separate lives and one of the overarching themes is secrecy. Cecily certainly lived in secret and that trait is passed down to her daughters, Felicity and Julia especially. While not always explicitly stated, each of these women hold secrets so that they can appear more put together. Marnie was the most intriguing character for me. While she was not my favorite character, I really appreciated that she had that tough persona that didn’t just fade away as if the past 50 years had meant nothing. I don’t want to give too much away so if you’re dying to know more I’d definitely recommend picking up this book.

In a time when it looks like I won’t be taking a trip to Greece to do a yoga retreat anytime soon, I really appreciated getting away within the pages of a book. Between her descriptions of England and Kefalonia, you can tell the settings truly meant something to the author. She describes herself selecting the location and why she chose a yoga retreat in the author’s note that came with this box, and it definitely added a nice personal touch.

If you’re looking for a quick and intriguing read, look no further because this is it! And if you’re looking for a book subscription box for yourself or for your favorite bibliophile, Once Upon a Book Club is a fun option!

Keep reading!

xox,

Marissa

Catching Up

It has been a hot minute since I’ve been active on here and Instagram! I really thought life was going to slow down once my classes ended this semester but in some ways it feels like I’m busier than ever!

Before I dive into what I’ve been up to I did want to address what’s been going on in America recently. Part of the reason I’ve been quiet on here is that I’ve been educating myself and wanted to speak on what I’ve learned rather than just continue posting as if nothing was wrong.

In terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, and systemic racism I believe if you aren’t angry you aren’t listening. On #blackouttuesday I saw a lot of the bloggers I follow post a square and in the days following they made a brief statement but then their feeds returned to normal. I’m not going to lie it was really disappointing to see. Posting a black square and muting yourself for one day is nothing more than a fad if you don’t continue the work.

I’ve seen two arguments to this. The first is that people don’t share all the work they are doing online. I 100% believe that for some this is true! What doesn’t quite sit right with me is not diversifying your feed and the brands you buy from/support. The other argument is that they’re simply creating an escape from reality and this one I have a bigger issue with. While I understand the need for an escape from reality and using your space to provide that, however (and this is something I found online so it’s not my thought originally), being able to teach yourself about racism rather than experience it is a classic example of white privilege in action. I am by no means saying that I’m perfect, but staying silent and not making changes is not helping anyone.

Last fall I went with a club I’m a part of at school to present on research we had done surrounding implicit bias and I saw this infographic:

You can click on the picture to be taken to the School Library Journal article that dives deeper.

Growing up, I never had to look far to find characters that looked like me in books, TV shows, or movies. Of the six original Disney princesses, two of them have blonde hair and blue eyes. But if you look at the picture above, animals/other had more appearances in children’s books than African, African American, Asian Pacific Islander, Asian Pacific American, Latinx, American Indian, and First Nation people combined. And all of those combined with the talking animals/cars have the same representation as white people.

While my feed will continue to be filled with fashion and lifestyle, I will share resources that I’ve been using recently to become more aware about the world I live in. When I took AP History in high school I finally got a taste of the other, less published side of history. But I see things every day that I had no idea about and I believe that sharing what you learn opens us up to meaningful conversations.

Anti-Racism Daily

The resource I am sharing today is Anti-Racism Daily. This is a daily email founded by Nicole Cardoza. It outlines one topic everyday and contains many links for additional reading. It also contains reflection questions and ways to take action every day. This is such a great resource because she combines knowledge with action and it has served as a great launch pad for my own learning. I’ll be honest I had no idea what qualified immunity was until I read her email on it. Then I continued to research and I couldn’t believe it, how did I make it nearly 23 years without knowing the people who enforce our laws aren’t held to the same standards we are. I’ve seen celebrities and rich people get away with far less than they should have for their crimes but I never knew that some people have immunity because of their jobs.

After finding out I passed my last practical (don’t worry it was in the form of telehealth!) and was ready to go on clinicals.

Another part of the reason why it’s been so quiet over here is that I’m back to work and preparing for full-time clinicals! My job started out as processing online orders but we are open to customers again and I don’t think I’ve ever had this many hours! My shifts are longer and more frequent than every before and I’m not complaining because I had no idea what to do with myself during the time between school ending and getting back to work.

And when I’m not at work, I’m doing something for school. Due to COVID we are presenting our research projects a few months early so my research group is attempting to add the final touches on our manuscript and create a presentation. On top of all of that it’s officially less than one month before I start my full time clinicals so I’ve been reviewing materials to prepare myself. I can’t tell you how excited I am to start being in the clinic full time and I am so lucky that my first rotation is accepting students.

My newest friend is the Lilly Pulitzer to-do list planner. Yes, I’ve abandoned the classic Lilly agenda I’ve used faithfully since high school for a slightly different style. I’m planning a “How I Stay Organized” post coming soon!

This is going to be a period of transitions and I am excited to share my journey!

xox,

Marissa

Sunflowers & Selenite: Rose Quartz

From left right: black tourmaline in quartz, black tourmaline, and rose quartz.

Selenite will always be one of my favorite crystals because it’s the first one I ever had, but rose quartz is also in my favorites! This has been one of the stones I take with me daily when I feel like I need a little help.

What it’s for…

The pink isn’t just for show, rose quartz is all about love. It is for compassion and embracing love. It’s not just for romantics either, it is for self-love and appreciating friends and family. I have come to think of carrying my rose quartz around as my own form of self-care. Rose quartz is also for vibrating higher. Through its strong tie to love, it is also helpful when it comes to forgiveness and finding understanding.

I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I say this but rose quartz is for the heart chakra. By creating that sense of understanding it can help you move forward when you’re going through hard times. Being able to forgive yourself and others and moving on is one of the best forms of self-care so I am not surprised at all that rose quartz is tied to that!

How I use it…

As I mentioned earlier this is one of those stones that I feel compelled to take with me most days. If I have a quiz or an exam, I’m usually wearing a Patagonia and you can find my tower in my pocket.

I also meditate with it frequently. It’s one of the crystals that I’m just drawn to hold in my hand when I’m looking to meditate on something specific.

The light in me honors the light in each of you!

xox,

Marissa

P.S. All of the crystals pictured came from Seed to Stem in Worcester! The mantra card is from Vibrate Higher!

What I’ve Learned about Mindfulness

Besides giving up my personal social media for Lent, I also chose to practice mindfulness for 15 minutes every day. We’re just beyond the halfway point and I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far.

What I thought it would look like:

Just replace the plants with crystals.

I thought I would spend my days just like this. Legs folded, with both hands resting on my knees, and my hands doing the Gyan mudra.

And at the beginning it mainly did look like that. I would read from Journey to the Heart and meditate on that or any mantras that resonated with me. One of my favorite places to find mantras is @illuminateyourvibe on Instagram!

But as the days went on I found it’s more than that.

What it really looks like:

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I’ve learned that mindfulness is being in the moment and chasing to be present. It’s an opportunity to check in with yourself and everything that is happening around you. One of my favorite ways of being in the moment is taking my dog Maggie for walk. Thanks to our classes going online, I am able to do that more often than I could if we were still in school but it works if you’re walking by yourself too!

I’ve also turned back to journaling! This was such a big part of my life in high school and I will be writing a full post on it soon, but this is a great way to process!

And there is some meditation and yoga thrown in there too! Yoga was such a big part of my freshman year in college and it only has become more important to me as time as gone on. Especially after reading Yoga Mind by Suzan Colón, I’ve really come to appreciate yoga beyond the asana.

One of the biggest meditation tips I have learned is that’s not as if when you start meditating you switch on a vacuum and your mind is empty. In fact it’s almost the opposite, as you’re trying to calm your mind, the things weighing heavily on you might make an appearance so acknowledge that, and then let it pass.

I hope that this helps anyone that wants to start meditating that there is no “right way”, find what works for you!

The light in me honor the light in each of you.

xox,

Marissa

Friday Faves: Shows to Watch

We may be here for awhile so I hope this helps you figure out what to watch next!

Happy binging!

xox,

Marissa

A Wilmington Weekend

This year, Spring Break took me to Wilmington, North Carolina. It was my first time in North Carolina and my first time spending ten hours in a car! We chose to cut our vacation short as while we were down there, COVID-19 just kept getting worse. While we only spent two days down there we certainly filled our days to the max. So here are my recommendations for the things to see in Wilmington.

Bellamy Mansion Gardens

Places to Eat

Flaming Amy’s Bowl is a retro-style all you can eat stir-fry place in Wilmington. Imagine Subway but instead you can create a rice, noodle, or burrito with all the toppings you could ever dream of! Not to mention they have at least fifteen sauces and you can even mix sauces. This was my favorite thing we ate all weekend and although we joked about going back every day to try something new, I have a feeling I would have gotten the same thing every time!

We also made it to Front Street Brewery in the downtown area. At Front Street I got to try something I had only seen on Facebook videos, jackfruit! I’ve seen so many videos of people preparing jackfruit either vegan or vegetarian but the thing is, it looks like meat! This was a BBQ jackfruit and even though I came nowhere close to finishing it, it was so good! My one disclaimer is that it definitely doesn’t have the same texture as meat. I’d like to try a buffalo style next! We didn’t get around to it but the have a free tour everyday at 3:15 and 4:15.

For dinner on our last night in Wilmington, we got ice cream at Kilwins. Nothing says you’re on vacation like spending the day at the beach and then having ice cream for dinner. I got “Wilmington Mud” and “Fudge Brownie” and then we took our ice cream cones to sit on the bench Nathan and Haley sat at on One Tree Hill.

And while I can’t speak to the food, we also stopped by the Ocean Grill & Tiki Bar before heading home from Carolina Beach. It was a pretty cool spot to enjoy the sunshine and the ocean views before heading back home.

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If I could explain this day in a song it would be “Sunrise Sunburn Sunset Repeat”, we spent the whole day on the water and I came back RED!

Things to See

Our first stop was Battleship North Carolina. For someone that has had a huge fear of boats since we read about the Titanic in third grade, I love touring ships. I used to make it a point to tour the USS Cassin Young in Boston every Fourth of July so it only makes sense I had to see this one too. And this makes the Cassin Young look like a row boat! There were at least four floors below the main deck to explore and two or three above! It was unbelievable! My favorite part was the crew memories they had scattered throughout the rooms where you could learn what daily life was like.

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Our next stop was the Bellamy Mansion. I also love touring old homes and this one was so gorgeous! This is considered an urban plantation, where the Bellamys had their main house, the slave quarters, and the carriage house fenced in one area on Market Street. This is a beautiful house with a lot of history to share. We did the audio tour on our phones but you can also take a live tour through the mansion as well.

People to Meet

Well, not quite. We took the ghost tour that ran out of Black Cat Magic. This was my second ghost tour and I actually got something out of it!

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The Burgwin-Wright House

After years of watching Ghost Adventures, and then sleeping with the light on, I have become Zak Bagans. This tour had several spots they could take and our guide was a go with the flow kind of person. If she didn’t have recommendations, she said she had a few favorite places where she knew her “friends” were pretty active. Whenever she said a spot was pretty active you can bet I whipped out my phone and took a picture expecting it to look exactly like my pictures from our Albuquerque ghost tour- empty.

But no!

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See the little blue guy floating around?

When we got back into the car we looked at my photos we noticed the little blue light and I was convinced it was a ghost. With the tour guide already gone, we drove down the street to where the tours left from hoping we hadn’t missed her for good so she could either tell us “probably not” or “yup that’s it”. And we hop out of the car, we probably freaked her out because we came from the other direction out of absolutely nowhere but she was a good sport about us essentially stalking her. When I showed her the pictures she said something along the lines of “oh yeah that’s my friends”. So there you have it, the story of how I became a ghost hunter.

Next member of the Mystery Gang right here

So those are my favorite things from Wilmington, NC! I hope I’ll be able to go back some day and enjoy more of the city but that’s it for now!

Happy traveling (once we’re past social distancing)!

xox,

Marissa

Sunflowers and Selenite: Citrine

What it’s for…

Citrine is a balancing crystal. It is aligned with the solar plexus chakra and as a result, is tied to self-perception. It’s sunny appearance is said to spark optimism while releasing feelings of self-doubt and negative self talk.

It is also tied to success, especially financially. Whether you’re dreaming of a promotion or in need of help financially, it seems like manifesting those ideas with citrine nearby could help!

Some common uses:

• increasing motivation
• raising self-esteem
• bringing joy
• releasing negative emotions

How I use it…

In all honesty, I don’t have too much experience with citrine besides having it on my desk. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to start this series, I love learning about all the crystals I have and finding new ways to use them. While I rearrange the smaller crystals on my desk every so often, I’ve always kept citrine in the corner right next to the bowl I keep my palo santo and sage in.

However after learning more about it, I may start using it to manifest wealth and abundance. In a time when it seems like everything is shut down, we all need to carry a little citrine with us! While I am not a business owner, citrine is considered the “Merchant’s Stone” and is great for business owners.

Keep vibrating higher!

xox,

Marissa

Friday Faves: March 20th

The next few weeks may be challenging as students across the country move out of their residence halls and move back home, eight weeks sooner than expected. And as they transition from learning in the classroom to watching prerecorded lectures and joining Google Hangouts. And especially as they come to terms with all the activities they may miss.

Before my school went online for the rest of the semester, I saw so many posts of other schools cancelling and I feel so bad for all of the undergrads that lose out on the last few weeks of their semester. Once spring break rolls by, the campus starts to come alive again, people are out enjoying the sunshine once again. As sad as I am that my time on Alden Street was cut short, I can’t imagine how the seniors must be feeling now that they don’t get to experience all the “lasts”.

While it’s okay to mourn what was lost we still have work to do. In fact, we still have eight weeks worth of work to do so let’s create a productive space and do this thing.

Happy weekend!

xox,

Marissa

Spring Style Part II

We’re moving on up and looking at pants/skirts for the spring season. Following the social distance order, the malls near me have begun to close as well so why not spend some time online shopping. Even if you’re not in the mood to buy anything, I know I’ll be looking through websites just for something to do.

I’ve been saying this for awhile, but I’m finally starting to incorporate workplace attire into my style posts! Now that I’m preparing for my full time clinicals (!!!) it’s becoming more and more important for me to start transitioning my closet to match the working world.

Paper Bag Pants

J. Crew Factory: Chambray Tie-Waist Pant | Banana Republic Factory: Paperbag Shorts

The tie-waist style is one of my favorites! I think it’s so fun and it adds a little something, without you needing to find the perfect belt. Both of these are also great spring colors and can seamlessly transition into your summer wardrobe.

Gingham

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Forever 21: Gingham Button-Front Skort | J. Crew Factory: Gingham Winnie Pant

Who doesn’t love gingham? I feel like we completely skipped over winter and so it’s easy to break out the skirts (or skorts) a little earlier this year! I find that if it’s on the cooler side I pick either a long sleeve top and short bottoms or full length pants and a short sleeve shirt. To make the Winnie pants a little more springy, I would pair it with a basic lavender tee.

Florals

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Loft: Lily Riviera Pants | Forever 21: Floral Tiered Flounce-Hem Skirt

What says spring more than florals? I can’t even tell you how excited I got when we were driving through Virginia for Spring Break and I saw all the flowers on the trees. To me, it’s a sign that winter is over and warmer weather is here to stay so why not break out all the florals.

That’s all I have for you today! In light of everything that’s going on in the world, make sure to take some time for yourself and wash your hands!

Stay stylish!

xox,

Marissa

All photos are the stock photos from the company’s website!