As most of my few readers know, bonus time is my favorite time of year. Well, there is another favorite time of year that actually surpasses bonus time. ...HOLIDAY SETS & GIFTS!

The tree is decorated, the lights are twinkling, and I am on Sephora shopping the holiday value sets. There are truly the best bang for buck when you are looking to branch off and try new things from multiple lines. Or when you are like me, purchase to add to your vast pile of makeup . When I am looking to try some different things, I always look in the value sets areas at Ulta and Sephora.  Heck....even when it is drugstore makeup, try to find stuff in sets. Many lines do this sort of thing now. I've seen many sets from Wet 'n' Wild, ELF, Maybelline,  and Sonia Kashuk.

I recently attended a customer appreciation party at my beloved Spa Roma near my home. It was fantastic. Gift bags with great samples, the Bare Minerals rep to color match, jewelries,  and the new holiday sets from various brands. Oh.....and a discount! Woo freaking hoo! I am all about the discounts and coupons. I had my eyes on the party set from Bare Minerals. It is a double set of eyeliners, blush, lipgloss, and eyeshadows. One box side is for the daytime and the other is for night. You could break them apart and give as 2 gifts or give 1 as a gift, or as in my case, keep them both! The colors are gorgeous. The eyeliners stay all day. And the lippies are pigmented and make your pouter feel marvelous.

The other holiday set that I have had my eyes on is the Bon Voyage set from Tarte. I caved. I bought it. Big surprise. Well, I can't help myself when Sephora keeps sending me coupons. First one was 20% off and the latest was $20 off $50 or more. Guess what? In my case it was....more.

Thank. You. Sephora. You feed my addiction with beautiful, pigmented, feel good about myself beauty items. Anywho.....I love me some Tarte products. I used the eyeshadow palette tonight for the time. Great pigment, creamy, little to no fallout, and blends like a freakin dream. It was all that I hoped for. I also attempted to compliment the gorgeous shadows with winged eyeliner. Why can't I do this thing? It is not even or going in the same direction, which does not go well with my OCD.  I have practiced and watched numerous tutorials on YouTube.  Still, no dice.

The moral of the above story is.....buy Holiday gift sets. They are heavenly. And, no winged eyeliner. Hehe. In reality, I did not too badly with the eyeliner. No one would probably notice unless I pointed it out or you are a picky girl like me! Below is the finished look!

Happy Holidays!

Fever, chills, body aches, nausea, and vomiting. We have all done it. We all know we are guilty of this. Nurses, doctors, or healthcare workers going to work when we shouldn't. We take care of the sick, the frail, and the elderly, but what happens when we are sick....not a damne thing. We drag our sickly asses into work when we know we should be at home in bed and get everyone around us sick. We are expected to suck it up. Which, the majority of the time, we do go to work for various reasons.... Someone is always sicker than someone else, your peers/supervisors just don't give a shit, or you are just bullheaded and do not miss work. Most of us would just like to call off sick and lounge around the house when work is making us lose our minds just  for that mental health day, but we dont. When we are actually sick-I-want-to-die-sick, we freaking go to work! There are all kinds of reasons; no one else to work your shift, your boss will be upset, you need the money, and on and on and on. In reality, we can actually give whatever this shit is to our coworkers and patients and make our patients feel worse!

Our patients know it, too. They know when we don't feel well, when we are pissed off about something or another, and when we are over the job we are currently working. We are as happy. We aren't as friendly. We take out crap on the coworkers we work with the most. In reality, we would just like to have the balls to tell that supervisor/ boss to go get screwed and walk out the door. We don't. I won't. I have way too much devotion and take too much pride in my particular area of nursing to do that to a boss. Not to mention, the repurcussions from the nursing board when you get reported. You know you will. People just dont give a shit anymore about someone else's well being. Dont get me wrong,I am extremely thankful to have the job that I have and love what I do. But.......

Where do we draw the line? When we are admitted to the hospital....nope. On a side note, I was admitted to the hospital once and almost had to sign out AMA because I couldn't find someone to open my clinic. My patients wouldn't have received their treatment. I was more worried about them and the job than I was about my own issues for being admitted. Very freaking sad. OK, enough of my side note.  When we can't walk from one side of the room to the other without wanting to pass out....nope. When we are throwing up.....nope. When our patients shake their head because they know you came to work like you have the plague....nope. My big point with this very long rant is....we need to draw that line and stay the hell home when we are sick!

As my 4th anniversary to my amazing husband approaches, I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was getting into by marrying a nurse. All the freak outs about certain viruses or diseases (Ebola), all the nonchalant talk about poop and puke, and all the stuff in between that he has no knowledge of what so ever!

My nursing/healthcare friends and family get it. The weird conversations about that patient or family from hell,  the crazy complaint of the way stool smells when a patient has a GI bleed, to the laughter of something your elderly man patient does and asks you to marry him on a daily basis. Yes, that has happened. ALL OF IT!

On the flipside, my non-medical family and friends don't always get it. I get calls, texts, messages about everything asking for advise to asking about diagnosis or if they really need to see their doctor. Or my nursing shorthand. It is strange, the shorthand I mean. In the medical world there is a term or shorthand for almost every little thing, symptom, to every little bone or muscle. Except, the bag of water that surrounds a fetus inutero. It is called " bag of water". Really? That sounds oh so fancy. Just my opinion.

We are taught so many different things in as little as 2 years to as long as 4 years depending on your degree. Also, learning "a specialty" in your nursing area of choice takes dedication and a want to learn. My example. I didn't pay as much attention as I should have to Obstetrics. I had no interest in having children at the time. There is a reason in have kept my OB books. I now want children more than ever. My cousins have a mass amount of children collectively and those books have come in very, very handy. My specialty, Dialysis, is different from another's specialty in Oncology.  We all learn on a daily basis. I do and will continue to do so. If you are in the nursing field,  we all know that nurse that thinks he or she knows everything. Dangerous with a capital D!  Disclaimer.....don't be one of those nurses. I am not. I will be the first one to tell you...I have no idea, let me do some research or ask a friend.

I can talk on the phone, message someone, or freak out over something new or old in the medical world to my husband and he looks at me like a deer in headlights. I'm sure many do the same. At least, I hope they do. When my husband gets sick, he comes to and says something to the effect of.....this and that is wrong....what is wrong with me? Most days, it is something simple like a cold or sore throat. Other days, it may be strep throat to which I proceed to get a spoon and flashlight to look at his throat and stimulate his gag reflex to almost make him throw up. And to which, I laugh. Is that wrong? Or if I ask him to me some Tylenol. He goes to look in my medicine cart (yes, a cart, not a cabinet) and says all I can find is acetaminophen.  Lord. He is not medical, he doesn't know and I have to teach him. After I finish laughing.

My husband is a computer nerd. I heart nerds. When he talks to me about something in the computer world, I return the same look of a deer in headlights to him. Marrying a nurse or medical professional should include a disclaimer.  One that I can not come up with that is quirky and accurate. We work 100s of hours, we work holidays, we normally don't leave when we are supposed to and often love to hear every strange, gross, and crazy story out there regarding the medical field. To all the husbands and wives out there married to nurses, I salute you. We are strange, love what we do, don't have all the patience we should with you,  and love you for being the non- medical you.

Oh, and we watch all kinds of medical dramas and point out everything they have done wrong or that doesn't make sense.

If you have been following my blog, you are aware that I had gastric bypass on May 27th of this year. The sole purpose of this surgery is to lose weight. Fast. It restricts your intake to 4-6 ounces of foods and liquids at any given time. You can try to eat more, but I guarantee your tummy will strongly object.

I have been documenting my progress by taking full body and face pictures. The results are amazing for me and most people. I could tell right away in my face. Most people can. I have posted a side by side face picture on my Facebook and will post it below so you may see. No full body yet. Not that brave. Things are very saggy. Need to tone.

With all the weight loss (54lbs in 9 weeks), I am updating or have updated my profile picture on here. I love the picture. I'm glowing. I will also continue to do this as my weight comes off and I may get brave in a few months and post a full body. I am also going to be blogging about the journey this surgery is taking me on.

PS..... If you are someone that thinks this is an easy way out, then kindly do not follow these threads and keep your uninformed opinion to yourself! Thanks!

Hi. My name is Sarah and I'm addicted to buying purses. All kinds. Totes, handbags, bowlers, crossbody, you name the style; I probably have one. Ya know those big plastic totes that you can put a Christmas tree in???? Ya....mine is completely full, will barely close, and has purses on top of it. Lord.

This little addiction began after high school. It used to be just different styles or colors. Now it is different brands, styles or colors.From Vera Bradley to Louis Vuitton. Purse party purses to good imitations. I have them all.

Most purchased, most loved, and most used are Coach.  I have 3. All under $150. If you know Coach, you know this is a great deal. They are stylish, classic, and durable. Luckily, I live not too far from a Tanger Outlet that has a Coach store, so I get quite the deal on those. To my husband and wallet's dismay, a Michael Kors just opened 3 days ago. Lord help me.  I have had imitations for years, but when we moved to West Virginia it was game on. I was put in a restriction by my husband the first time we walked through the doors. 1 new purse once a year. Pppfftttt. That didn't last long. Oh....they often send out coupons for the outlet. Save more!

I discovered Vera Bradley when I moved to West Virginia. Many people do not like them because of the different patterns. I don't care, I love them! There are a number of different styles and a number of different patterns. They are lightweight, durable, and easily washable. The best....range from $25 to $100. And, go on sale frequently. The VB customer service is outstanding! One of the best I have ever dealt with. When you sign up on their website, you get sale information, a gift card for your birthday for so much off, and can follow their blog. When new patterns come out, they give away different bags on the blog.

My old favorites are my Dooney & Bourke bags. My sisters knew of my obsession with these bags and I received one as a present one year for Christmas from them. I was ecstatic. Almost fainted. I screached like a teenager in the 90s at a N'Sync concert. The house could have blown up around me and I wouldn't have cared. I had a Dooney. Black and grey. Classic over the shoulder style. Extremely durable. Beautiful. Still have this purse and cherish it. My husband then fueled this fire and purchased #2 for me. He is awesome. And yes, he knows he is aweaome. I recently purchased a new one from Hautelook. Great deal, fast shipping. If you don't know what Hautelook is, please check it out. I paid $89 for a $200 or more bag. If you would like the link for Hautelook, please leave your email in the comments and I will send it to you.

The deal with my obsession is that I like nice things and will work my butt off to pay the price. Some people could care less about what they carry. Good for them. That is just not me. Ask my mother. I work hard as a nurse and have earned the right to purchase what I want within reason.  Don't get me wrong, I have purses from Target, Gordmans, Walmart or have knock offs and am not a snob. An eyebrow snob...yes. But purse snob.....no. I like what I like. Does not matter where it comes from. I do tend to use the shit out of my higher end purses and take damne good care of them. 

I never pay full price for a purse. Ever. I shop at TJ Maxx, Coach outlets, online. There are ways to get these at a lot less of a price than the retail price. Ya know, the ones that take your breath away because you can't believe how expensive something they are. I recently had this experience with Miss Me and Rock Revival jeans. I almost died of shock. For real. Holy shit. They. Are. Pricey. Search for online coupon codes. Wait for after the holiday sales. End of season sales. Sale. Sale. Sale. That is my rule. I recently purchased a Michael Kors tote from Macy's. I placed the order with the bag on sale. I watched the sale for a few days and behold....there was a coupon code to knock another $30/off the price. Easy fix. I emailed Macy's customer service about this and viola....they credited me the difference!!!

This sounds very braggy. Sorry. I want you guys to realize that you do not ever have to pay full price for things! There are always sales and coupon codes. Use them to your advantage.

Dialysis nurse

I have been in the wonderful world of dialysis for a little over 5 years. If you dont know what dialysis is.....when your kidneys do not work due to high blood pressure or diabetes (most common), you have to have some way to get rid of all the crap that you would usually urinate. We take care of that. Kind of an oil change for your blood. Google it.

I didn't set out to be in the specialty, it just kind of....happened. I was a RN in a nursing home for a number of years. I started out as a CNA and worked my way up. In the nursing home where I worked, we had a dialysis unit attached.  I had some knowledge of the specialty, but nothing prepared me for the the ringing, the alarms going off, the patients complaints, the sickness, or just the number of phone calls that I deal with on a daily basis.

My day starts out with hurdling out of bed at 4am, getting ready for work (perfected at less than 15 minutes), and putting the pedal to the metal to get my butt to my clinic 40 miles away by 5 am.  During this intense 40 mile drive, I am going over the daily agenda in my head. This agenda consists of daily calls, patient run times, who works what times, what doctor is rounding. And the constant worry about how my day is going to go.

I really love being a nurse and what I do, but it is hard on a person. Hard on me physically and mentally. Oh, can't forget, hard on the heart, too.  Healthcare in general is a hard field. In dialysis, your days can be long to extremely long. My short shifts are 8-9 hours. My long shifts are 14-17 hours.  I am a perfectionist in the majority of things I do (ask my coworkers) and this rolls heavily into dialysis nursing. Especially, if I'm in charge of something; like a vaccination program. Your team has to be a TEAM. It doesn't work if you can't work with someone. There are many days where i could pull my hair out and many where we have good, productive, and fun days.

Yes, I said fun! Imagine sitting in a recliner ( not a comfortable one) for 3.5-4.5 hours 3 days a week and feeling like poop majority of days. We have to be fun and have a sense of humor. Our patients need it. We need it.

By the end of the day, usually 9 pm, I'm completely exhausted, but still have a 40 minute drive home. I usually call my momma to pass the time, but am often worrying about what I didn't get done, if I missed something, if i made the right deciaion about something, did i do everything right, or if one of my patients in the hospital is doing ok. By the time I get home, I can barely scrape myself out of car. I'm mostly melting out of the car the way a slinky goes down the steps. Maybe. Strange analogy? Best one I can think of.  Then trying to go to sleep is a challenge at times. My mind is going, my legs are going, and I often think....well, I'm wide awake....what else can I get done today. Crazy huh?

I have a big heart and genuinely care for my patients. This can also be a downfall. We take things to heart and  wear that heart on our sleeves. The slightest thing can set me off and just plain piss me off for a few hours. At times, people (in general) drive me batshit crazy. I drive myself batshit cray cray.

Our patients pick up on more than you would think. What would you do for 4 hours being hooked up to a machine? They know when we are angry when we are annoyed with another staff member, or if we are having a good or bad day. I think in nursing we all have the days where we question why we decideded to become nurses.  Especially after a particularly shitty day. I do it often. Although, I don't know what I would do without it in my  life. 

Overall, I enjoy what I do. It challenges me. It drains me. It keeps me moving. I makes my heart happy.