Views From the City: Blogmas Day 15!

It's Christmas Eve Eve! Hope everyone's having a wonderful Monday. I've been fortunate enough to have the weekend off, which meant traveling to New York City for some holiday fun with my family. It's back to work in the morning, but I'm ready for some time with family at Christmas. Enjoy!

Gift Guide for Nurses: Blogmas Day 14!

1. CharMED stethoscope bling ($15.99): This particular bling is the "purple ribbon combo", which is recognizing pancreatic cancer awareness this month. A portion of the proceeds will go toward pancreatic cancer research.

2. Soap & Glory "Good, Butter, Best" ($15.00): With all of the hand-washing a nurse does, we need some good hand cream to get us through these winter months.

3. Bath&BodyWorks 3-Wick Candle (2/$22): After a long shift, a relaxing night with a good-smelling candle is just what I'm looking for.

4. Lush "All the Best" Gift ($34.95): To pair with that candle, a nice set of Lush bath goodies will be the perfect way to relax. This set contains some of the best wintry bath bombs that Lush has to offer.

5. Nabee Compression Socks ($29.99): All nurses should be protecting their circulation, and these compression socks are actually cute! 

6. Sephora Favorites Fragrance Sampler (($65): This set contains all of Sephora's favorite perfumes, in sample size. Once you've sampled them all, you can return the gift certificate that comes with the gift, and choose your favorite fragrance from the set in full size!

Let the nurses in your life know that they are appreciated this holiday season. I think any of these gift ideas will be much-appreciated from any nurse, and it's definitely the thought that counts! 

Perfect Performances: Blogmas Day 13!

I decided to do one more "Perfect Performance" post, before it's finally time for Christmas. This performance is from the 2003 American Idol Christmas Special (throwback!), and is one that really gives me joy and peace in the holiday season. This particular Christmas special took place the first Christmas after my aunt passed away from pancreatic cancer, and as a thirteen-year-old, it was the perfect thing to look forward too and distract me from all of my sadness. It's a medley of songs, but they're all slower, calmer Christmas selections. Keep an eye out for "Pretty Little Liars" star, Lucy Hale!                                                              

Sick Day and Mini Haul: Blogmas Day 12!

My new, number-one #advicetobabynursingstudents and new nurses... make sure to take care of your health when you start your new job. Keep your immune systems healthy, take vitamins, exercise, whatever it takes. You will be exposed to many different illnesses in the hospital, and you are likely to catch something when you're first exposed. I'm speaking from experience... I spent all day in bed yesterday with something I may or may not have caught at work. So stay healthy, because being sick is definitely not fun!

So, for most of yesterday I was in bed with this puppy:

I had already made plans with my college friends to meet up for dinner that night. I was devastated to be sick, but made it my mission to feel mostly better by nighttime so that I could join them. I hadn't seen my roommate since August, and after living with someone for four years, that many months is a lot. I fortunately felt decent enough to make the drive to see them, and we had the best time together. We ate pizza and did a little shopping. I purchased two things at Ulta; both were things I didn't need, but definitely were things I wanted. I haven't purchased many things makeup-related since October, so I just went for it. 

The first thing I bought was a Coach "Poppy" rollerball. My roommate from college had so many different perfumes, and so most scents remind me of her. This scent was one she wore a lot during our earlier years of college, so it is definitely nostalgic. I'm so glad that I purchased it.. it smells absolutely wonderful. 

The second item purchased was a repurchase.. I loved Benefit's "Boi-ing" concealer, and was so sad that I had finished it. Apparently not sad enough to repurchase it, though. So when we decided to go to Ulta last night, I decided to buy it again. It has amazing coverage, and the drugstore concealers I've been wearing definitely do not compare.

Stay healthy, everyone! It's almost Christmas!

Holiday Nails: Blogmas Day 11!

Because I'm heading to see college friends for dinner tomorrow, I wanted my nails to look better than they were looking (chipped, and then unpolished). I decided to make this polishing into a holiday-themed nail look, and I liked it so much that I wanted to share. It was a simple process: just a few coats of Essie "Marshmallow", which is a creamy white color. After that color was completely dry, I took Essie "Set In Stones", a simple silver glitter. I tapped my nail polish brush at the base of each nail, to distribute a small amount of glitter at the bottom of the already white nail. I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season!

Gingerbread House: Blogmas Day 10!

Sometimes I just like looking at other people's festive pictures during the holiday season, so... that's what this post is all about! I made a gingerbread house this weekend, and had an awesome time decorating it. It's definitely a fun activity to do with friends or by yourself, and it truly gets you in the Christmas mood. Turn on some holiday tunes, get yourself a boxed gingerbread house kit (props to those who bake these themselves), and have yourself a festive little activity day. I hope you enjoy my pictures; make sure to leave a comment and tell me if you've decorated an edible house this December, I'd love to hear from you! 

"Jammie Ride": Blogmas Day 9!

c/o Pinterest

As a little girl, one of my favorite holiday traditions was going to see Christmas lights. My parents would tell us at night, after we got dressed in our pajamas, and we'd take a car ride around town. My dad would announce when he saw some, and I remember it being one of the most magical traditions we had. There's just something about a string of glowing lights on a dark night that makes you feel warm and festive.

As an adult, I think it's still possible to take my own "jammie ride". I could throw on a pair of festive pajamas, get a warm mug of coffee or hot chocolate, and listen to Christmas music as I look at the lights around town. This holiday season, try out your own pajama ride and enjoy the beautiful lights! Some houses even sync their lights to a radio station, so make sure to Google your area's Christmas displays to see if there are any Clark Griswold's hanging around!