Current Favorites

Happy April! It doesn't feel like April here, since it snowed a little bit earlier. I can't wait until the weather warms up! I usually don't have enough favorites to do a blog post (I guess I just have impossibly high standards haha), but I actually do today! 

1. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser // I have never loved a cleanser so much! I have very sensitive, acne- and clog-prone skin, so it is hard for me to find a cleanser that doesn't dry my skin out or cause breakouts. This one does neither! It is the least drying foaming cleanser that I have found and I have tried many.

Update + My Top 3 Tips for Clinical Year!

Long time, no post! Since my last post, I have graduated from my PA program and passed the PANCE! I am now a PA-C! It still doesn't feel real! I am currently taking a much needed break at home with my family while looking for a position in dermatology.

As I was brainstorming post ideas, I thought that tips for clinical year could be very helpful. I wish that someone had told me these tips before I started my clinical rotations!

5 Tips for Better Sleep!

Getting adequate sleep is one of the best things that you can do for your body. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you can get sick more easily, have trouble losing weight, or break out in acne. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, but it usually falls between 7-9 hours a night. I'm doing my Family Medicine rotation right now and difficulty sleeping is a complaint I see often among my patients. Here are several tips that can help you get a good night's sleep! (Of course, there are many sleep disorders out there. If you try these tips out and still find yourself having trouble sleeping, see your primary care physician.)

Image via Pexels

1.) Stick to a schedule. // Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. This will help to regulate your body's internal clock and help you to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. 

Gluten/Nut Free Banana Granola | Recipe

This granola is literally the best! It tastes great added to yogurt, cereal (I like to add it to my Cheerios in the morning to give it more flavor), or even just by itself. You can easily switch this recipe up - you can use different seeds, honey, maple syrup, etc. (I adapted the recipe from this one, so I can't take the credit!)

Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened banana chips
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup agave nectar syrup
1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

How to Feel Better | Tips for When You Have a Cold

I don't know what it is, but ever since I started PA school, my immune system has been horrible. Okay...I know what it is...it's stress, lack of a good sleep schedule, and a poor diet. Although, I came down with a cold during my winter break a couple days before classes started back up. It's crazy because I am such a germaphobe. I always wash my hands, disinfect my phone everyday, and try to hold my breath if someone around me sneezes or coughs until I am further away from them...and I still somehow end up sick! Anyway...here are some of the tips that help me when I'm sick with a cold!

1. Take Zicam - Take Zicam as soon as you feel a cold coming on and continue to take it throughout the next few days. I can't take it as often as the directions on the packaging says because it upsets my stomach, but I still feel like it helps me to get over my cold faster. I'm currently using the RapidMelts with Echinacea.

Image: Amazon.com

2. Gargle with Warm Salt Water - My mom always told me to do this, and it really helps if you have a sore throat! Try to do it several times a day.

Planners for 2016!

Hi everyone! Every year, one of my New Years' resolutions is to become even more organized than I already am (weird, I know...but I feel like there is always room for improvement!). One of the best and easiest ways to stay organized and manage your time is to use a planner or agenda. I already have a planner that I purchased back in July, but looking at all the cute planners that are out there makes me want to buy another one (I won't though because #PoorPAStudentProbs). If you are looking for an inexpensive option, definitely check out Target! Here are some cute planners for varying budgets:

1. Sugar Paper Planner Weekly/Monthly (Target), $9.99

2. Erin Condren Prism - metallic platinum - LifePlanner, $60

3. Sugar Paper Planner Weekly/Monthly (Target), $9.99

4. Lilly Pulitzer Wild Confetti Agenda, $34

5. Kate Spade 2016 17-month large agenda - gold dots, $36 (on sale for $30 right now!)

6. Emily Ley The Simplified Planner 2016 Daily Planner - Gold Pineapple, $58

Which planner is your favorite?

-C

3 Week Update + Easy Dinner Recipe!

Hi everyone! Sorry it has been awhile since I have posted. I have been trying to adjust to the workload, and I had my mom and sister visit me last weekend. I cannot believe that I have been in classes for only 3 weeks now! It feels like it has been so much longer, especially since so much information is thrown at us in such a short period of time. We have 3 exams next week, so I'm nervous about that. Hopefully I will do well!

In our program, we are fortunate enough to be able to dissect human cadavers for anatomy. It is definitely a little weird at first, especially when seeing their faces, but you get used to it. Last week, we had to peel the skin of the face back in order to reveal the muscles underneath. This week, we went down deeper into the face and neck areas to reveal muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid, and nerves, such as the long buccal and lingual nerves.

Ok...let's move on to the recipe! My dad actually came up with this recipe. We usually add mushrooms in there as well, but I didn't have any on hand.

You will need:

• Virgin or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Pasta (I used gluten free penne)
• Zucchini (I used baby zucchini that I found at Trader Joe's. Aren't they so cute??)
• Pancetta (I used "Citterio" brand. I've tried Boar's Head brand before and it tasted like salty plastic.)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Post-Move Update

Time has really flown by! I can't believe it has already been a little over a week since I moved! I've been spending most of my time organizing, running errands, trying to learn where everything is (thank you "Maps" on iPhone!), and relaxing before school starts. It has been so weird not being at home. I miss having our fuzzy cat, Gabby, to cuddle with. I'm definitely more homesick than I thought I would be. I have also learned that I need to have a routine in order to thrive. One would think that it would be nice not having to work or go to school for a couple weeks, but I don't really like it. Anyway...this past weekend I went on a mini adventure with my friend to a nearby cathedral and the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. It was my first time visiting a beach in New Jersey, and I couldn't believe how crowded it was! I thought it got crowded at the beach we always visit in Maine, but no...that is nothing compared to New Jersey. It was fun, though, to relax and hang out at the beach.

Here are a couple pictures from the weekend (for more photos, make sure to follow me on Instagram: @chelsealynnel).

The struggles of trying to take the perfect Instagram photo...

Photo: @_njap_

Wearing one of my favorite Triangl bikinis.

Photo: @_njap_

Hope you all had a great weekend as well!

-C

My Top 3 Tips for Packing to Move

The past few days have been a whirlwind of packing and I still have more to pack. I didn't realize how much "stuff" I had until I started packing and it is a bit overwhelming. My packing schedule got thrown off today because of an incident involving a subpoena (note to self: never sign anything when people come to your door and ask for signatures). Anyway...moving on...I'm not an expert on packing to move since this is my first time, but I figured I would share with you my top 3 packing tips that helped me out.

Image: www.gratisography.com

1. Pack items according to room.  Pack kitchen items with kitchen items, bathroom items with bathroom items, etc. You may be tempted to just throw items into boxes randomly, but that will make it more difficult when it comes time to unpack.

2. Label boxes.  This tip goes along with the first one. Label each box with the items inside and the room they belong in.

3. Pack a suitcase with necessities.  Pack a suitcase with some clothing, toothpaste, toothbrush, and other items that you use daily. If you get tired when you are unpacking and you haven't unpacked everything yet, you will have everything you need right in the suitcase.

I hope these tips help you out if you are moving for school or any other reason!

Do you have any packing or moving tips that you swear by?

-C