TT 03: My Top 3 Frozen Meals (without compromising taste, time and money)

food

Welcome to Topic Tuesday 03!

Let’s be real here, the majority of us are millennials. And lord knows we are always on a crunch for time AND we’re tight on money. Like, always.

But who says frozen foods have to be gross and unhealthy all the time? I decided to write about this as I was scrambling this morning to prepare for today. On Tuesdays I start class at 1:00 PM, which gives me an open morning. I’ll be at school until 6:00 PM which means I’m having dinner in the classroom… Then I’ll be stuck in traffic on the drive home and won’t have time to cook anything else. So these are my favorite things to turn to when there’s not enough time in the day!

All of these items are under $15 and you’ll get multiple meals out of it + it cooks in under 20 minutes.

Saving money AND time? Sheeeesh, go on sis.

1. Trader Joe’s Frozen Line of Chinese Take-out: Almost tastes just as good as Panda Express dude. You can’t go wrong for $4.99 a bag! They come in 23 oz. bags that are good for serving 2 people, or good for 1 person with leftovers for tomorrow! My top favorites: the kung pao chicken, orange chicken, chicken fried rice, shrimp stir fry, broccoli beef and chow mein. The walnut shrimp is a no for me…. lol.

I feel like some people are under the impression that TJ’s is organic and expensive like Whole Foods, but it totally isn’t. I learned this when I lived in San Francisco because it turned out to be the CHEAPEST grocery store nearby so we spent our time there on a weekly basis. Be sure to check it out at your local TJ’s!

What I love about it:

  • I normally hate frozen foods, but the Trader Joe’s line isn’t bad at all. They’re pretty good at keeping that authentic Asian taste.
  • Price!! Super cheap so we always stock up during our trip to TJ’s.
  • Everything cooks in under 10 minutes on your skillet and some are even microwaveable.

2. Trident Beer Battered Cod (from Costco). $14.99 for 2.5 lb. box. I throw it in the air fryer for about 10 minutes.

I eat this 1 of 2 ways (air fried or oven baked):

  • wrapped around a plant based tortilla (higher protein content), throw in some shredded cabbage and tartar sauce, and squeeze a lime = easiest fish tacos you’ve ever made
  • served over white rice with a side of spicy soy dipping sauce = reminiscent of chinese restaurant style.

3. Tyson’s Panko Crusted Chicken (from Costco), $13.49 for a large 5 lb. bag. You can’t beat that price… Air fry it and serve over rice with sriracha on the side! However, it comes not fully cooked (unlike like other frozen foods), so they don’t recommend microwaving it.

Why I love this:

  • Great substitute for chicken katsu because it’s all white meat and instead of deep frying, you can air fry this or pop it in your oven.
  • The 5 lb. bag comes with these giant filets of chicken (about 20+) and costs about $14!
  • If you’re cutting carbs, you can eat it as a chicken tender and dip it into some spicy mayo sauce or whatever sauce you prefer.
*this is what the bag looks like, in case you’re hunting for it at Costco

I hope someone out there finds this helpful! Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook but I don’t always have time to make full blown family-style meals. Thanks for reading!

Love & blessings ♥️

FF 03: 5 Things You Need in Your Home to Manage a Busy LifeStyle

life

Happy 3rd Friday Five! Jeez… I’m a whole day behind on posting this LOL. I have to admit I’ve been behind on blogging lately and it’s partly because I was recovering from an illness that lead to me losing my mojo! I felt like I lost that spark but I’m back y’all!

Okay so these are my personal recommendations, of course it will vary per the individual. Here’s a quick breakdown of what my week looks like (which I think is pretty busy): M-T class until 4:00/6:00 PM. W 8-hour clinical, TH-F wake up at 5:00 for clinical/work. Weekends – free (yay… for now).

I decided to write this post because I’m always on the go; there’s one thing after the next, so my bf stopped me for a sec to ask, “How are you handling everything?” Well shhhhhiii, HE’S RIGHT. How am I? Well, I can’t say I’m an expert, but I’m trying! Let’s get to it:

1. A damn good coffee machine. Ok so this depends on what kind of coffee you like, so if you don’t resonate with me on this one, you can skip past it and move to the next. I prefer strong coffee > sweet coffee. Preferably for the bitter taste + frothy milk…. mmmm there’s nothing like it and I guess you can say I’m a coffee addict because I definitely cannot live without it.

So here’s the best new thing: Nespresso!!!!!! YES GIRL, throw out your Keurig because let’s be real here… it does nothing for you. The thing about Nespresso is they have their own coffee line and it’s so pure and rich and it’s literally just as good as going to Starbucks. I haven’t gone back ever since I got this machine because it fulfills my craving for strong coffee and leaves me satisfied. I can go on and on, but I don’t want to fall off topic here… Will do a separate review post on the Nespresso coffee machine later this week!

2. Some type of visible bulletin board. I didn’t realize how much I use this daily and it’s mainly because there’s a million things running through my mind that I know I’ll forget. So I grab a marker and jot it down the moment it pops in my head. It doesn’t have to be neat or pretty, it just needs to be visible. Errands, assignments, bills, shopping list, reminders. You need the essence of what makes up your life in one place. Trust me on this one.

*sample photo of mine, hehe.

3. An air fryer OR toaster oven. It’s compact, heats up quick, and usually gets what ever job done in under 10 minutes. I kid you not, I don’t even use my giant conventional oven anymore. I HATE having to preheat it, plus it makes my whole kitchen hot and then my whole apartment smells after cooking one meal. If you follow my IG closely, you’ll notice I cook almost everything in my air fryer. And I’m even starting to sub deep frying for it!!! This thing is amazing, ya’ll know I STAN for this. My air fryer is a smaller model– I barely have any kitchen space anyway, it fits about 1 lb. of food and I got it at Macy’s on sale for $38!! It works for feeding 2 people 🙂

*crab rangoons made with my air fryer —
crunchy goodness without being drenched in oil 🙂

4. Motivation wall/space. I recently started putting effort into an area/space that’s filled with things I find flattering, things that inspire me, basically the things that speak to me. It doesn’t have to be huge, but it should be an area where you can stop, sit down, and collect your thoughts. This is my creativity corner. I decorated it to my liking and included some motivational quotes to keep me going through the week. Sometimes when days get overwhelming, I sit there and meditate for a little bit and it brings me back to peace. This is usually where I fill out my planner.

*what mine currently looks like… sorry for the mess

5. A hobby, aka the de-stressor. Everyone needs one. Idc what you say. Everybody likes to do something. It can be cooking, reading magazines, shopping, cleaning, watching tv (yes I said it), running, writing, etc!! There’s no point in life if you aren’t living for you. I try really hard to live and achieve my goals, but I never want to allow the my to-do list to take over me! Remember that you are in control of your own life and you don’t need to revolve it around a certain thing.

For example, I’m very adamant about living a life that is not revolved strictly around nursing school. Yes, grades are important to me and I want to be successful in my career, but I value happiness and self-worth to know when to say “no” to things. I hope this makes sense! Know your limits and find time to do the things that spark joy 💕

*my little pickle 💞

Thanks for reading! Happy Saturday guys!

Thai- Pad Woon Sen

food

easy peazy stir-fry glass noodles (originally posted 11/24/2019)

So I made this last week because my bf has this habit of stocking up on Rotisserie chicken from Costco and we literally had 2 fatty chickens in our fridge. His idea: “can you make those glass noodles with the chicken?” *insert light bulb here*

Ingredients

  • pack of glass noodles (known as bean thread noodles @ the store) Note: Once you open the bag, you’ll see the noodles are packaged as bundles, 4 bundles will suffice!
  • vegetables of your choice — I used a mixed bag of frozen veggies from Costco
  • 1/4 onion — cut into squares
  • 1 garlic clove — cut into small pieces
  • green onions and cilantro cut for garnish
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
  • black pepper

Preparation

  1. BEFORE starting, soak your glass noodles in a bowl with warm water for about 5 minutes.
  2. Shred the Rotisserie chicken ahead of time and set it in a bowl, I mixed both white and dark meat — You can sub it with any protein of your choice 🙂
  3. Get a medium-sized pot and scramble the 3 eggs then set aside. Wipe your pan clean with a napkin.
  4. Pour 1 tbsp of oil and add the minced garlic and chopped onions. Wait for the oil to heat up. Once they start to sizzle, stir it around the pan.
  5. Add in the noodles. You’ll have some water still dripping from the noodles and that’s OK because you will need that to cook the noodles thoroughly.
  6. Put heat to MEDIUM and cover with lid to allow for noodles to cook for 3-5 minutes. If it seems the noodles aren’t cooking, add in some more water (about a few spoonfuls).
  7. Open lid, pour in ingredients — the oyster sauce, fish sauce, veggies, scrambled eggs, and shredded chicken.
  8. Bring heat back to HIGH and use tongs to help you mix everything in the pot. I mix everything for another 5 minutes because I want everything to be saturated with the sauce.
  9. Sprinkle some black pepper and garnish with green onions and cilantro! ☺️

Tip: I like to leave a little saucer of garlic sriracha or chili oil so people can decide if they want to add a little spice to their life.

Friday Five 02

life

health and wellness

Truth be told…

Ok, I’m just going to say it- I am overweight. Every time I go in for a physical, my doctor is like “Christina, you need to lose weight.” Of course this is based on the BMI scale of height x weight and before any body-positive boss babes start bashing on BMI, I have to admit there is some truth to it. I don’t recall the last time I was at the gym and I’m guilty of sneaking in french fries every time it’s TOM 😭 My LDLs (the bad cholesterol) are slightly elevated… but honestly, maybe this is that little push I need to take control of my health.

I’m always advocating for mental health and discussing self-care tactics to feel good, but I end up neglecting my physical health along the way. It’s time for change!!!! Since the month of January is coming to an end, I woke up this morning thinking about what should be February’s goals. At that moment, I realized time is passing by quicker than we think, and before I know it, it’s going to be March… AKA the month of spring break and my birthday! That was my slap in the face so this week’s FF is dedicated to health and wellness… here are my 5 personal goals.

1) Good-bye rice. I can’t ever go full keto because I end up eating some form of carbs, like in the form of a vegetable… and then I ruin the entire diet. BUT I’m going to try super hard to cut back on rice, at least for this month, to see if there’s any difference in my weight. Going to stick with low-carb meals or sub the carb for a salad and stay away from the french fries!!

I’m jumping straight into this diet TODAY, so for tonight’s dinner we had chicken wings with a Laotian salad as our side dish. It was always a special day when my dad makes this salad for us, so I had to give it a try tonight. The dressing is homemade- egg yolk as the base, and it’s pretty darn good for a salad… I was impressed 😅 If you’re interested in the recipe, please reach out to me!

2) More protein! I’m not going to lie…. I hate protein shakes. I can’t stand the “milky” taste and then it leaves this nasty after-taste in my mouth. Lucky for me, I found a new protein supplement, Isopure! I bought the tropical flavor from Target today for $24.99.

First impression: amazing, exactly what I needed!! Use a blender bottle to shake it up and let the foam sit for a minute before consuming. It’s kind of like flavored water so I guess if you prefer the milkshake taste, then this isn’t for you. But I really like the fruity taste so it’s a win for me. Since it doesn’t have that milkshake consistency, I felt like it didn’t make me feel over-stuffed/bloated and I really like how refreshing it is. I think this is the first time I’m going to finish a protein bottle 😅

3) Gym at least 2x/week. This one is straight forward. I know there’s people out there who go way more than 2x, but I’m creating SMART goals and this is realistic for me. I want to lift weight on some days, but I’m ok with going in and doing the classes because they’re very HIIT and as long as I’m moving my body, I’m satisfied with myself.

4) Home workouts (especially on days I have to stay home to study).

On days where I can’t make it to the gym, I want to incorporate home workouts at least 2x/week as well.

Today I bought Tone It Up booty bands and jump rope from Target.

I tried them out today and I think it’s going to be super efficient. On the back of the jump rope’s box, there’s a sample workout and that’s what I followed and will continue to follow. Scroll down to see a pic of it.

The resistance band was $7.99 and the jump rope was $10.99. Honestly, I think these were reasonably priced and I’m looking forward to using them more!

5) Positive self-talk. Last but definitely not least, I know eating healthy and working out is NOT easy. Like… I can barely get myself out of bed on some days and now I’m forcing myself to go to the gym?? But I have to remember to be kind to myself during this journey because there’s definitely going to be a lot of sweat and pain. Although losing weight would be awesome, I mainly just want to be more healthy so I can live a better life style and live longer. Too many times I’ve seen people come into the ER for sudden heart attacks or stroke and I don’t want to end up like that 😦 I have to practice what I preach: discomfort = growth.

I’m looking forward to starting this journey and I will make sure to keep everyone updated on my progress, tips, insights, or any new products I find along the way. Thanks for reading, I recommend everyone to start a healthier life style… it doesn’t have to be anything intense, you can even go outside for a walk 🤗

PSA ‼️ Let me spit some patient education at ya: high blood pressure is called the silent killer because there are no symptoms! And what causes high blood pressure is salty foods!!! High blood pressure leads to stroke and 140,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to stroke. Pass this around, tell your loved ones and take care of yourselves, pls ❤️

TT 02: How I won Tickets to Ellen, Concerts and Awards Shows

life

Okay, I didn’t necessarily “win” the tickets, but I like to use that term because basically all I do is sign up for the tickets and then people are chosen at random. 99% of the time I’m placed on the waitlist and don’t hear back from the site until the WEEK OF the show. Here’s a list of how I got those tickets, but honestly it’s really luck of the draw!

1. The Ellen Show. Jan 2019.

If you were following my personal account last year, you’d know that I attended The Ellen Show last January and it so happened to be the taping of her birthday show!

  • What to do: Here’s the link to her website: https://send.ellentv.com/tickets/
  • Sign up for the dates that are available and you wait! If you get chosen, you will receive an email from an Ellen representative asking if you’d like to bring any guests with you and you confirm if you can attend or not.
  • I think I signed up in late November and didn’t hear back until January, about a week and a half before the taping date.
  • Things to keep in mind: her studio is located in Burbank, CA so if you do get chosen, you want to make sure you can make it out here to LA! Luckily for me, this was a few weeks after we moved in and it so happened to be only 20 minutes away from my apartment; (thank you sweet Jesus).
  • You also don’t know who will be a special guest, who’s performing, what theme her show is, or if there’s anything special going on UNTIL you arrive on set and she comes out on stage— so we didn’t find out it was her birthday show until we got there!!
  • Because we were celebrating her birthday, that’s how we received all the gifts. Not every show she does giveaways. And lucky for us, we got to take home 2 of everything 😜
  • ALSO: they DO NOT allow any type of photography or recording during the taping. You are surrounded by her crew during the entire show and they watch you like a hawk. If you pull your phone out, you will be escorted out immediately. Ellen claims there’s hidden mics in the seats, Idk if that’s true or not though LOL.
Here are some photos of the time we went and the gifts we won :3

2. iHeart Radio Music Festival, The Voice, People’s Choice Awards, Early Movie Screening

Seems like 2019 was the year for us! So for these particular special events, I’ve been using the same website over and OVER again. It works the same way as Ellen in the sense you sign up with your account profile, you’ll likely get waitlisted. So then you wait for an email to see if tickets become available.

  • What to do: Click here and create an account https://1iota.com
  • On the home page, you will see the events that are available for sign up— talk shows, concerts, and movie screenings are what they’re best known for.
  • Things to keep in mind: 1iota is based mainly in NY and LA, but sometimes they go outside those two cities, like how I went to the iHeart Radio Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • If you get chosen, there is designated check-in time and if you miss that time frame, the event will get full and they will turn you away.
  • ALSO, make sure to keep the entire day or evening free because you will do LOTS of waiting. If check-in time is 10:30 AM, the taping won’t start until 12:00 PM, and won’t finish until probably 3:30-4:00 PM. YOU WILL INDEED BECOME HANGRY.
  • What I love about 1iota is they’re very organized and highly recognized. Their staff keeps everyone in line and just because we’re considered “fans,” the events are very formal. + follow their dress code or you will look dumb haha.
  • And as always, they do not allow phones for taping or early movie screenings. We have to keep them in the car or they will not allow us in.

Here are some other pics/descriptions of the events I attended in 2019, in order of most recent event:

Horror Movie – Early Screening. November 2019.

(p.s. I LOVE LOVE LOVE horror movies)

  • Burbank, CA
  • I’m not allowed to talk about this because they took a photo of me after I signed a contract. BUT I will say the movie was freaking amazing. They don’t tell you what movie it is until you are seated in the theater. Once we found out, I lost it! I was so happy! Everyone who came to the screening were the first group of people in the entire country to see this movie.
  • It plans to release in September 2020 and we got to see it while it was still under construction and in the editing process.
  • Security held onto our phones so I have zero evidence I was even there.

E! People’s Choice Awards. September 11, 2019.

  • Santa Monica, CA
  • Special performances by Alessia Cara, Kelsea Ballerini
  • Highlights: People’s Icon of 2019- Jennifer Aniston, Fashion Icon of 2019- Gwen Stefani, People’s Champion of 2019- Pink
  • Movie of 2019: Avenger’s Endgame
  • The cool thing about this event was they were serving unlimited alcohol (canned wine or beer) and provided us with popcorn as we watched.

iHeart Radio Festival Day 2. September 21, 2019.

  • T-Mobile Center @ Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Special performances by Def Leppard, Miley Cyrus, H.E.R., Alicia Keys, Chance the Rapper, Mumford & Sons, Zac Brown Band, Marshmello
  • The best thing about this event: it was 100% free, but we did have to pay for our own hotel. We got super good seats. The production was INCREDIBLE. iHeart Radio really takes the time to make sure their production is on point. I cried a lot (happy tears), especially during Alicia Keys!!
iHeart Radio Festival, Day 2

The Voice – Battle Rounds Taping. August 5, 2019.

  • Universal City @ Universal Studios. Los Angeles, CA
  • I wasn’t allowed to bring my phone, but this was a very cool experience because it took place inside one of the actual studios that are located inside Universal Studios. If you’ve ever been on the “studio tour,” you’ll know what I’m talking about!
  • We parked in the Universal Studios parking garage, took an elevator down and somehow ended up on the studio grounds. Then we had to ride a shuttle to the actual studio.
  • I got to see John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton :) They were only a few feet away from me!

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or message me on IG!

Beef Chow Fun

food

I’m a sucker for carbs. And a sucker for cooked beansprouts. Ready in 10 minutes, I’m not kidding!

Ingredients

  • 1 package of thinly sliced rib eye beef (from Asian mart, but you can choose which protein you’d like to use for this recipe!)
  • 1 package of fresh, flat rice noodles (click here to see what that looks like)
  • 1 minced garlic clove + 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp DARK soy sauce (this is different than reg soy sauce) click here
  • 1/2 tbsp regular soy sauce (I used low sodium)
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1teaspoon rice vinegar
  • chopped red onion
  • chopped green onion
  • 1 1/2 cup bean sprouts (the more the merrier for me, haha)

Preparation

  1. Slice the rice noodles. They come packaged as super long so I cut them about 1-1/2 inch. See my photo 🙂
  2. Let the rice noodles sit on the counter for about 30 minutes because if they’re too cold, they’ll just break in half when you try to stir them in the wok.
  3. As always, I start with garlic. Get your minced garlic and add it to the pan/wok with your cooking oil. Put heat on HIGH and let it sizzzzzle.
  4. Add in red onions only and your choice of meat. Stir around until it’s almost done cooking fully.
  5. Add in the noodles and turn your heat to LOW/MEDIUM. Add in the 3 tbsp water — this helps soften up the noodles so they can unravel. Continue to stir, then cover with a lid for 2 minutes.
  6. Once the noodles look like they’re mostly unraveled and soft, add your ingredients: dark soy sauce + regular soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce. Bring heat back to HIGH.
  7. Cook for about 7 minutes, continuously stirring and mixing. Add bean sprouts and green onions and cover with a lid for another minute or so.
  8. Ta-da!! Enjoy loves.

TT 01: Why I graduated with a B.A. and then went back for another.

life

Was it because I was bored? Or maybe I just love school THAT much??

First Topic Tuesday! I’m still working on content ideas, but I thought why not post topics every Tuesday?? When I follow a weekly plan, I find it pretty helpful so that I don’t fall off track with my posting + everything else I have going on with life haha. So anyways, let’s get to it!

I often get asked how I got accepted into nursing school “so fast” and how I’m finishing so fast. Well first and foremost, let me just say it definitely was not fast. Here’s a quick timeline of how these past few years played out and the things I did. At the end of this post, I will reflect on the things that I learned from and hopefully shed some insight.

2012

When I was 19 y/o, I saw a counselor at the community college and my grades were frowned upon. I had nothing but A’s and B’s (mostly B ‘s), and he laughed in my face and said, “there’s no way you’re going to get accepted into nursing school. You need straight A’s.” Being the naive young adult, I believed him. And I dropped all hope of becoming a nurse and gave up. How foolish of me…

2016

During the spring semester of 2016, I was finishing up my Bachelor’s degree in Child Development at Sacramento State University (CA). I initially transferred to this university from a local community college. The reason I majored in child development was because I either wanted to become a kindergarten teacher OR a special education teacher. I was leaning more towards the second option because I LOVE working with children with special needs. THAT is one of my strongest passions.

After I graduated, I was working in a school district where I was a para-educator to a child in inclusion. In simpler terms, I was a 1:1 aide for a child who was included in a general 2nd grade classroom, but my job was to cater to her academic needs and help create structure so that she can be fully included in the general curriculum. I can’t put in words how amazing, rewarding, and unforgettable this experience was. It truly humbled me.

During my time at this job, this is also when I started thinking about nursing again. I realized that I was extremely close to becoming a special education teacher if that’s what I truly wanted to do. I was building a network at this elementary school and the staff grew extremely fond of me and the work I’ve done with this particular student, so I felt pressured to make a decision. ASAP.

2017

I started looking into nursing schools. Since I had a previous bachelor’s degree, the only options I had were to apply to an Accelerated-Bachelor’s, Entry Level Master’s, or apply to an Associate’s in Nursing program. I could not apply to any traditional nursing programs 😦 That was roadblock #1.

Roadblock #2 and the one I was most concerned about: my cumulative GPA was below a 3.0 (because I was going through depression and was really in a rut during undergrad)– what school is going to accept me with such shitty grades? I really beat myself up about this… I repeatedly kept telling myself I was a failure, how stupid I was, “why did I let myself get so bad,” and I actually thought that nursing school was not even an option for me.

Roadblock #3: Since I have a non-science degree, I had ZERO pre-requisite coursework completed. So how could I even apply?? This means I need to do the pre-reqs. *Me thinking to myself* “Okay I can do that, but wait…”

Roadblock #4: I’m going to have to take these pre-reqs at a community college, which is already EXTREMELY saturated.. so I won’t even get into the classes I need on the first try –> which means the chances of me getting accepted into an actual nursing program will be pushed to 2-3+ years. BUT I WANTED TO GET INTO NURSING SCHOOL ASAP.

That’s when I discovered Post-Baccalaureate (post-bac, for short) programs. They are programs dedicated for people who already have a bachelor’s degree– those who want to either fix their GPA for graduate school or for career changers (that’s me!).

PROS:

  • If you get into this program, this is your second chance at school and you’re basically redeeming yourself. You’re proving to graduate schools that you’ve accepted your past mistakes and are now working towards change.
  • You are guaranteed your classes that you need, so you can be in and out in no time (depending on your academic goals).
  • Small class sizes so the instructor can focus on your needs and you don’t feel intimidated.
  • Positive classroom culture because you’re grouped with people who are on the same boat as you are.
  • *If you choose to go to the one at SFSU (I can’t speak for other schools): During your last semester, they help you with the application process to which ever school you’re applying to + mock interviews, personal statement-help, AND the program provides a certificate and letter of recommendation.

CONS:

  • A little pricey. Tuition is much higher and if you are pulling out federal loans, this does not count for free financial aid because you have already graduated with a Bachelor’s degree.
  • They are not everywhere, so you might have to relocate. The three schools I’m familiar within Northern CA are in Davis, San Francisco, and Berkeley.

To wrap this part up, I applied to San Francisco State University’s Pre-Health Post-Bac Program for the pre-nursing track. The first part of the application process included transcripts, any prior work/volunteer experience in a health-related field, three letter of recommendations, and a written personal statement. The second part is an in-person interview with the director of the program. FYI: they also other tracks such as pre-med, pre-PA, pre-OT, pre-PT, pre-dental; so please don’t feel discouraged if you are not on the nursing route like I was! Here is the link to their site.

2018 – San Francisco, CA

Yes, I got in! I finished the elementary school year with my student in May 2017 and started this program in San Francisco in June 2017. And yes, I had to relocate to the city. I don’t want to get into the lifestyle or living expenses of San Francisco because that’s saved for a later post– hehe.

From June 2017-August 2018, I was in this program and was able to finish ALL of my pre-reqs in the span of about 1 year. I took Anatomy/Physiology, Microbiology, Chemistry I, and the application seminar course during my last semester. Statistics and Nutrition was also offered, but I already had those classes done. Anyways, I worked my a** off and my final science GPA was a 3.4 — it is a MYTH that you need a 4.0 to get into nursing school! Don’t let other people discourage you!

I did not want to waste any time (because my mind was set on finishing ASAP); I started applying to nursing schools for deadlines that were as early as May 2018 to September 2018 — this was to start during the session of January 2019.

Long story short, I applied to both accelerated Bachelor’s and Master’s in the bay area and got denied to all of them 😥 I LOST ALL HOPE AND WAS DEPRESSED. BUT… a CSU in Southern CA notified me at the end of October that I got accepted into their 15-month Accelerated BSN program… and even though it was on the other side of the state, I couldn’t turn this down!!!

2019-2020

In December 2018, I moved to Los Angeles, CA. And I started this super intense program in January 2019. I still question my sanity, but I’m mf doing it!!!!! I have ~4 months until I graduate 😀 I’m going to post about my experience in this program and how I survived nursing school in a future post, especially since this post has become super long (I’m sorry!).

I just started a new job with a large county hospital as a student nurse worker (that’s my job title), and I’m hoping that can open doors for me once I graduate and pass the NCLEX. Guess we’re just going to have to see what comes next!

So why did I do all this?

Because I’m a crazy ass b**ch! I’m kidding. All jokes aside, I dropped everything I had and went for it. And the reason I did this was because I no longer wanted to continue life wondering, “what if.” Even with the job security I had and successes at the elementary school, + the positive impact I was making, I still went through my day-to-day life being unhappy and dissatisfied. Deep down, I knew there was more I could do for others, and I’d only fulfill that by becoming a RN.

In a sense I felt like the clock was ticking because if I wanted to return to school, I knew I had to go back immediately before I fall too deep with another career, start a family, etc.

I can’t take all the credit; I had the emotional support from my family, friends and my boyfriend who helped me make this final decision to go for nursing. Their initial reaction to this wasn’t so positive… they were kind of shocked and thought I was insane for starting over, but they warmed up to it eventually- lol.

moral of the story

  • If there’s something you want to do, something you’re passionate about, the time to chase after it is NOW. Life is too short to be unhappy- that’s my life motto.
  • Trust the process. Keep in mind that whatever you want is not going to come tomorrow. And that’s the hardest pill to swallow. This whole process took me a total of 3 years and there were so many days where I questioned why I chose to go back to school… because it was so freaking hard.
  • The key to success is sacrifice. The reality is we can’t have it all. We usually have to give up something to obtain another. For example, if you wan’t to lose 5 lbs. you have to sacrifice comfort by pushing yourself at the gym.
  • *You DO NOT need straight A’s and a 4.0 GPA to achieve your goals. Schools look at your application from a holistic perspective, meaning they base their decision on your personal statement and your letter of recs as well. Grades are not everything, repeat after me!!
  • If your financial situation permits, sometimes you have to move out of your hometown for better opportunities. I can say that moving away from my hometown has taught me how to be more disciplined and I was able to focus strictly on myself because I was away from distractions.

If you have any questions about nursing school or even goal setting in general, please comment below or send me a message!! I want everyone to achieve their goals this year.

Sending love and blessings 🌿

Discomfort = Growth

life
originally posted on my Wix site on 01/07

My mind tends to wander off when I’m stuck in slow moving traffic, but I realized it’s actually the best time for me to reflect about my day, etc., hence, coming up with blog topics. Last week, I started orientation for my new job, mind you- it’s across Los Angeles… on the other side of where I live.

Fun fact about me: my phobias include driving in traffic to unfamiliar places, riding on an airplane and you’ll never catch me on a cruise because I’m deathly afraid of that too. It has to do with being trapped in some sort of enclosed, moving vehicle (I also get anxious on roller coasters.) BUT my point is, I was extremely anxious about driving to East LA and almost turned down this job because of that.

How crazy would I have to be to turn down a job because I was afraid to drive? And it’s literally only 30 minutes away (if I leave at 5:45 AM, and get off shift by 4:00 PM — lol). Anyways, I had to overcome this fear of mine by doing the following:

  1. taking my meds
  2. leaving super early to give myself enough time
  3. deep breathing
  4. positive self-talk

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. This sounds incredibly ridiculous. How can someone be afraid to drive? I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety, depression not so much anymore, but anxiety– yes. Still present and bothering my everyday life, but #3 and #4 are things that always help me through it. (Will post about that later, hehe.)

The reason I decided to talk about this phobia of mine is because I am self-aware that my phobia is irrational and it’s truly the discomfort that I’m trying to avoid. But if I allow that to stop me from accepting this job offer, then I could possibly be missing out on something that is a potential gateway to my future career, right?

This applies to all things in life; we tend to avoid the things/events/places/people that or whom make us uncomfortable. I totally understand we’re humans, we’re not invincible to everything out there, and we can’t help it sometimes.

But here’s the thing: if we continue to avoid the things that make us uncomfortable, we’re limiting ourselves from potential growth.

We don’t realize that we’re trapping ourselves in this little bubble that we consider “safe,” but sometimes safe isn’t always the best route. We NEED mistakes, criticism, and bad days to learn from. It’s like a baby learning how to walk, he has to fall a few times before he figures out how to do it, right?

Look, I’ll be completely honest with you, you are probably going to mess up on the first try. But honestly, who gives a F* because you’re still one step ahead than you were yesterday and you’re only getting better baby. So what are you avoiding? Can it be overcome? -is it public speaking or leaving your toxic ex? Doesn’t matter what it is, just do it.

Air-Fried Lemongrass Chicken

food

Servings: 2 people + leftovers. About 30-40 minutes total.

  • 2 chicken legs, intact but sliced up
  • 1-inch stalk of lemongrass (the root part)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon mushroom powder
  • 1.5 teaspoon chicken bullion powder
  • 2 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • black pepper

FYI: I went to the local Asian Mart (99 Ranch) and purchased a pack of chicken legs that came already sliced. Other stores should have it too, but if not, I highly suggest slicing it because the legs are super thiccc and it may be difficult to cook thoroughly.

1. Chop the lemongrass stalk very thinly, as you would for green onions. This will make smashing them much easier.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic and lemongrass until everything looks mashed up.

3. In a large bowl, mix chicken and the ingredients listed above and marinate for at least 15 minutes. Wear plastic gloves to really mix the lemongrass in there!

4. I used an air fryer, but you can definitely use an oven. Put the chicken in the air fryer, set it to 350º F and start it at 15 minutes.

5. Once the 15 minutes is up, flip it and cook for another 15 minutes.

6. The thing about chicken legs/thighs is they’re so freaking thiccc where you want to frequently check on it with a meat thermometer (165º for chicken). Chances are it looks cooked on the outside but it’s still raw on the inside!

7. Serve with white rice and veggies of your choice + nuoc mam sauce (Vietnamese Fish Sauce).