Life-Hacks from Med Mommas

OK, I recently joined an online discussion forum for physician mothers and it's like being in a virtual sorority! I LOVE it. We chat about everything from complex medical cases at work to the best dry shampoos on the market. I really can't get enough.

There have been some fantastic threads formed and I'm looking to compile the best contributions so as to have an easy-access reference moving forward. I will start out with the "life-hacks" that have proven to be invaluable. -- And that should say a lot seeing as how most of these women are working way over 40hrs a week and have a family.

Source

Without further ado, I present the can't-live-without life-hacks for medical mommas:

Tech

1. Wemo. A gadget that allows you to control your electronics from anywhere. 
2. Shutterfly iPhone app 
3. Wunderlist "to do" app
4. Audible.com for listening to books while doing other tasks
5. Roku (consolidates TV viewing)
6. Xfinity
7. Amazon Prime (BIG winner)
8. Out of Milk app (for groceries)
9. Baby Monitor app
10. Personal Cap app for budgeting
11. Teamup.com calendar
12. Mint.com for personal finances
13. Google calendars
14. Apple TV

Cooking/Dieting

1. Hamilton Beach 6qt. slow cooker
2. Stash of nuts at the work desk to avoid binging
3. Jura coffee maker
4. Blendtek
5. Vitamix
6. Immersion blender
7. Le Creuset (another big winner)
8. Ina Garten cookbook 
9. Sancerre wine
10. Hello Fresh
11. Cuisinart food processor
12. Henckels professional knives
13. Tiger rice cooker
14. Caphalon grill pan
15. Hamilton mini-personal blender
16. Breville espresso maker
17. Parchment paper
18. Cooks Illustrated
19. The Science of Good Cooking
20. Farmfreshtoyou.com

Cleaning

1. Dyson cordless vacuum
2. Roomba (including industrial strength for pet hair)
3. Laundry sorter
4. Braava hardwood floor robot
5. Clorox bleach tablets for toilet bowl

Clothes

1. Stitch Fix

Beauty, Fitness, & Hygiene

1. Microplane foot file
2. 30min or less Beach Body workouts
3. Living Proof shampoo and conditioner
4. Bikram yoga
5. Argan oil 
6. Shiseido eyelash curler
7. Yogaglo.com quick workouts
8. Dry shampoo
9. Clarisonic face brush
10. L'Occitane almond shower oil
11. Armani face cream
12. Gel manicure
13. T25/P90X3/Piyo
14. Deva Curl products
15. Skinceuticals
16. ReTress
17. Bath and Body Works Stress Relief 
18. Lasik eye surgery
19. Laser hair removal
20. Neutrogena healthy lengths mascara
21. Eyelash extensions
22. Microfiber hair towel
23. Origins On the Spot Relief
24. Pure Barre Workouts
25. TNS essential serum

Kids

1. Baby Bjorn plastic bib to contain mess
2. Clip-on highchair
3. Pump adapters for milk to go directly into bottle
4. Lotus travel crib
5. Go-go-babyz for travel
6. Snap N Go Stroller
7. InchBug juice box holder
8. Puddle jumper floaties for the pool
9. Mommy hook attachment for stroller

Organization and Other

1. Label maker
2. Container Store Elfa system
3. 3 basket hamper, each piece removable
4. Retailmenot.com for coupons
5. Merchandise tags for organization & simple gift cards

Selfies, for Documentation Purposes Only

I assure you, I've not become one of those people. ;)

wavy hair (natural)

straightened hair

straight hair without makeup

I did take pictures of myself with my iphone so that if I had to go back on steroids I'd have a memory of what I look like without a puffy face. This also serves as an incentive not to push the limits of my colon with diet because I'm pretty cute when my adrenal glands are not crying out for mercy.

Does Strivectin Really Work?

Earlier I commented on using Strivectin to address some late-in-the-game stretch marks that popped up after my darling daughter decided to extend her leg through my abdomen. I'm writing now to report on how that turned out.

Well, let me tell you, those red marks are now practically invisible! The skin texture is also looking pretty good, too. (If you're looking for pictures, I'm sorry. You'll have to take my word for it.) I'm going to explain what I did to get this outcome. Keep in mind, everyone's skin is different and I think it was a combination of things that helped.

As soon as I saw those red lines, I went to Costco and picked me up a tube of that Strivectin. I read that it had 'proven results at eight weeks,' but to be honest I didn't do the research. I would have liked to compare it to Mederma, which is tons cheaper, but this was the only brand I had heard personal testimonies about so I went for it. (I told myself that a tube of lotion is way less expensive than a corrective procedure down the line. --Am I that vain? Possibly.) I proceeded to do exactly as the directions instruct and apply this stuff twice a day EVERY day, week after week, making sure to really rub it in.

Around this time, I was reviewing rehabilitation techniques for skin burns. It struck me that a component of the early skin recovery process includes breaking up adhesions and getting rid of slough. While I can't recommend this, I personally decided to go over my stretch marks with a loofah sponge in the shower each day before applying any lotions. (Note: This is not a pleasant sensation.)

During the day, between the Strivectin applications, I wanted to keep the skin moisturized and flexible (to avoid even more stretch marks) so I continued to use my favorite thing ever: Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source hand lotion. It smells so good and really leaves the skin feeling smooth and supple.

I did all these things diligently for eight weeks. I also remembered to lotion-up while I was in labor, because that is when a lot of skin damage tends to occur, especially during pushing.

Like I said above, I am really pleased with how things turned out and I feel that my neurotic efforts paid off. I'm sharing this in case it can help anyone else who doesn't care for this potential memento from pregnancy.

Product Reviews: Beauty and Kid Wash

Betting on this 'miracle cream.'

I'm practically bathing in this stuff nowadays. I wish I had done the research to determine if StriVectin-SD is really so much better than Mederma for the treatment of early stretch marks. The latter is way cheaper. Right now I've got three red lines near the dark disc that used to be my belly-button. I'm praying they will later invert, but for now I'm treating them. It's day two and I don't see any changes, but StriVectin doesn't promise anything noticeable for 4 weeks.

My Clinique dream team.

Every two years I restock my skin supplies. I've used Clinique for the longest time, but am thinking about Origins for my daily foundation. I will stand by my SuperDefense cream, though. It's amazing. It provides SPF protection without feeling greasy. I pounced on the mini-kit special and got all this other free stuff, too. -Laser repair, under-eye treatment, mascara, eye shadows, moisture surge and tinted lip moisturizer (not shown). I also purchased that little tub of black eye liner shown on the left. It too is a cream and comes with a tiny brush. I think if you have very fine features, you're better off with one of those micro-eyeliners, but for me this is perfect. It goes on easily and stay on all day.

Forget what you knew!

We were given a bunch of Johnson & Johnson supplies when our son was born and we finally spent the last drop. Knowing that the next head-to-toe wash I'd purchase would be used on my 3 year-old and newborn, I decided to give this one more thought. I didn't want to buy something very expensive or difficult to find, so I found myself at Target. This product, Shea Moisture, was definitely more costly by the ounce than the standard stuff, but it had the lowest toxin profile (note: California Baby recently changed their formula!). It's all natural, and has fancy ingredients like shea, frankincense, and myrrh.

The price difference still gave me pause (seriously, I think people thought the preggo lady had decided to build her nest in Aisle 3), but the label says it only takes a dime-sized amount to fully bathe a baby, so I eventually told myself it would all work out. The funny thing is, the scent also made me wonder if this was the right choice. You see, it smells good. Really good. Like something you'd get from L'Occitane. The problem was that we've been so conditioned to associate "that new baby smell" with Johnson and Johnson's yellow stuff that it's hard to wrap your brain (or nose) around anything else.

Well, I'm glad I took a chance on this one. It feels luxurious and cleans well. Plus, the no toxin thing is definitely a plus.