Work, Baby, Work

I didn’t start to hate DrH’s career until our daughter was born. We’d been together for six years—through all four years of medical school and one year of anesthesia residency all in the west. Now we were on the east coast for his final three years of residency. While we had always felt the inconvenient parts of him being a doctor in training, I never truly hated his job. Having a baby changed everything.

I grew up with two doctors for parents—one family practice and the other internal medicine. They practiced in my tiny hometown in Montana and took on celebrity status amongst its citizens. My dad delivered many of my friends and classmates. My mom kept their mothers and fathers sane and healthy. Everywhere I went I was told, "Oh I just love your parents. You’re so lucky." And I was. They were smart and could provide everything we needed. But I also saw how stressed they were at home and the energy they didn’t have for marital discussions, helping with homework, and decorating the Christmas tree. I knew how many hours a week I spent at daycare. In many of our home videos, my dad looks like he’s half asleep—because after delivering a baby at 4 o’clock the previous morning he probably was. I decided at a young age (as did my two sisters) to never be a doctor. I didn’t want anything to do with that life—the life of sacrifice at home to serve others. And then I met my wonderful husband.

When we started dating, he had already gotten into medical school. Right away, I shared my trepidation with him about the medical lifestyle. But he was a starry-eyed, first-in-the-family-to-become-a-doctor type and said he valued family time above all else and would never go into a specialty that didn’t respect that. And in addition to falling in love with him and knowing I would do anything to be near him, I believed him, thinking that my childhood experience was myopic—that the overworked, rural primary care physician wasn’t the only model out there.

And actually, medical school started to convince me that doctor training wasn’t that bad. Everyone told us to brace ourselves for how hard it would be. Throughout it all I just laughed to think of that, still do. Med school seemed totally doable! Being an independent woman with a lucrative job, I was happy to have my own thing going on and the space and time to meet with friends and do creative projects while he studied. We did date nights every week, went to concerts, and took little road trips on the weekends. He would study in the car. During fourth year we got engaged and traveled together for all of his away rotations, taking our adventurous wheaten terrier with us. It was a blast—a month each in six major cities, playing the tourists with our free time, planning our wedding, and visiting friends and family. I picked him up and dropped him off every day at work, exploring the city with our pup and doing at-home transcription during the days. On his days off, we sunbathed in San Diego, saw museums in Chicago, and strolled in New York’s Central Park. For the most part, we felt free and happy.

Then everybody warned us again: "The first year of residency is the worst." The dreaded intern year loomed after our wedding and honeymoon were over. Luckily, we matched for that year in the same city as medical school had been, so we were able to stay near all of the friends we had met the previous four years. I soon got pregnant and stayed busy working, planning for baby, doing home projects, and figuring out the move out east for the following year. Intern year flew by, and we were mostly still able to keep our date nights and sanity. Days off we spent at the pool or hiking and always felt rejuvenated afterwards. The best part was that DrH was truly free when he came home—no studying or applications or thank-you letters. We thought we had made it and felt like the next three years while financially hard—I was going to stay at home with our daughter in one of the most expensive cities in the US—would be emotionally and physically easier.

Wow, were we wrong! In October of this year, we welcomed our daughter into the world. Even planning for her birth was stressful beyond anything we had imagined. They wouldn’t give DrH any days off surrounding the birth, so we had to plan an induction for his vacation week (that he requested around the due date and thankfully got). Luckily I went into labor naturally one day before the scheduled induction, so he still had five days to spend with us in the hospital and settle us at home. We were lucky he had even that, and he was able to be with me through the entire process, which ended up being as wonderful an experience as labor can be. We had time to go to the first pediatrician appointment together and make sure our house was set up for our new leading lady. However, those days were over in a flash. The night before he had to go back to work, I thought he might cry (and I certainly did!). He knew once he was back in the hospital work zone, the sweet bubble of love we were creating at home around our new tiny family member would burst.

And it did in a way. As the early months of her life went by I started to get very, very bitter. It didn’t help that all of our friends and family were now thousands of miles away. But even had they been close, I wanted DrH home. He was missing so many things. I knew he had to work to support us, but did he have to work so much? Did his job have to demand everything from him? Our daughter was changing before my eyes every day, and he was only seeing it through my pictures and videos of her first smiles, motions, and baths. By the time he got home, she was often cranky and ready for bed if not already asleep. Besides, even when he was home now, I felt a huge divide of what I was experiencing and what he was. He was so tired and overworked on top of the debilitating fatigue of having a newborn that he was hardly able to participate in our family. Many times he would fall asleep while holding her. It broke my heart. I wanted my daughter to have a present and awake father, the kind I didn’t have growing up. Like my father, DrH was an amazing dad, sacrificing everything he could to make our daughter and me happy. But time and energy were two things he just couldn’t give because his job was sucking them from him.

DrH started to get bitter, too, so it made it hard for me to be supportive. When he complained about work, I was quick to agree and criticize it whereas in previous years I had reserves of energy and positivity. Before, I knew his dream of being a doctor was becoming more and more tenable, and I wanted him to succeed and to support him in it. Now I couldn’t see the positive side of it, and he really needed me to. He still loved the mechanics of what he did, but the workload was harder than anything either of us had envisioned for PGY2 mostly because his hospital had massively increased its caseload that year. He was doing his best, but he just felt he was falling behind in fatherhood. And he wasn’t even giving all he needed to at work. In every spare moment, he was supposed to be studying for his big end-of-year test, but he just wanted to play with his baby girl. He felt the constant pull of these two demands, and all his desire pulled him toward family. His priorities had changed after her birth, but he still had to provide for us. We both knew that this was what we had signed up for—that residency wasn’t easy and that he would still have limited family time. Even if we wanted to reconsider, we were in far too much debt now to do so! We often wonder how many doctors in training are in a similar boat.

Our daughter turns eight months old soon. We are thankfully sleeping more and feeling better about being new parents. We also know we are so fortunate that he has a stable job, our daughter is healthy, and we are making do. I remind myself every day that many people in the world don’t have that and that life is not easy for anyone! But I am still trying to find a new peace with his work post-baby and trying to get rid of the bitterness—mostly because it harms our situation more than helps. PGY2 is nearly over, and the months are flying by. I know that we will blink, and his last two years of residency will be over. Hopefully this will free up some family time. It is hard not to just dream of that day. But I also know that by that time our daughter will be two and a half—walking, talking, forming opinions and saying crazy things, most of which he will have missed because he was working. We say regularly that we wished the payoff were even marginally worth the sacrifice right now. He recently told me very matter-of-factly that if he had to do it all again he would have chosen engineering or even just a nine-to-five job. Maybe the payoff is coming. Maybe it will all be worth it in the end. Until then we will keep plugging away and trying every day to focus on the joy our daughter has immeasurably brought to our lives—to focus on the moments and love we’re gaining not missing. After all, life is only now.

Catherine

Tasty Tuesday: Quick and Cheap

I think my dad invented the 30 Minute Meal, NOT Rachel Ray (if only he knew how much he could have made pitching that gig).  See I am an only child.  An only child that had a deep competitive side and started competing in gymnastics at age 6, which led to 5 hour practices every day of the week, which means I didn’t get home until well after 8pm every night.  My parents wanted to eat without me and according to them, I wanted nothing to do with that idea. In fact I’m still kind of like this; I HATE eating alone (yes I might have married into the wrong profession).  Therefore, my dad was tasked to making dinner while my mom picked me up from gymnastics and I was tasked with eating it as quickly as I could so that I would have time for homework and a shower before bed because, yes, gymnastics practice started at 4:30am the next morning.  Turns out, quick and cheap was a skill set I indeed needed to learn.  When my husband started medical school, I was tasked with finding a meal that was not only quick to make, quick to eat, but also cheap to make.  When residency came, I needed it even more than ever (especially since I now had an additional two mouths feed).  Down memory lane I went (and to the phone to call Dad).  Here are a few of our favorites (all meals based on 4 people)….

Sausage and Mac N Cheese

Ingredients:

Linked Sausage

1/2 bag LARGE elbow noodles 

1/4 block Velveeta cheese 

Whole milk

Country crock butter 

Salt

Vegetable oil 

Directions: 

In large pot salt H2O and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Bring water to boil. Add 1/2 bag of large elbow noodles. Cook until soft but still have a small bite. Drain immediately. Put noodles back into pot. Add one large spoon sized scoop of country crock butter. Add milk until so slightly see it through the noodles. Cut 1/4 of Velveeta cheese block into cubes and add them. Turn stove on low-low/medium. Stir constantly. Pull off immediately. Either boil or grill sausage links. 

*Note: should be runnier than "normal" Mac n cheese. May need to add more cheese or milk but don't add more butter to get the right consistency.

Sloppy Joes and Green Beans

Ingredients:

1-Pound Ground Beef

1 Package McCormick Sloppy Joe Mix

1/3 Cup Ketchup

Garlic Salt

1 Cup Frozen Green Beans

2 Tbs Butter

Hamburger Buns

Directions: 

Brown the ground beef.  Drain Fat.  Season with garlic salt.  Add Sloppy Joe Mix and Ketchup.  Mix well.  Meanwhile sauté green beans with butter and seasoned with garlic salt.  Toast hamburger buns.  Place meat mixture inside buns and serve!

Tacos/Taco Salad

Ingredients:

Tortillas

Lettuce

Grated Cheese

1-Pound Ground Beef

1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (original flavor)

Garlic Salt 

1 package McCormick Taco Mix

Directions: 

Brown the ground beef.  Drain Fat.  Season with garlic salt.  Add Rotel tomatoes and taco mix.  Mix well.  Warm tortillas.  Add toppings Enjoy!

So what are your favorite meals that are inexpensive and that get hot food on the table FAST???

Premed Perspective: Living Your Life While Waiting

One more year of waiting.

I can’t tell, yet, if it’s a blessing or an annoyance.

Hubs learned a valuable lesson from submitting applications on the tail end of the cycle.

We get an extra year of saving and family time.

We have to face another application cycle, with more schools and more wait time.

Hubs can take a class or two to help boost his GPA.

I’ve come to the realization that I am just along for the ride.

If I try to force anything or over plan our lives, I always end up disappointed.

The military taught me that within the first year of Hub’s contract.

There is nothing more frustrating than putting all of your eggs in one basket and staring at them as they all break apart and start dripping on your lap.

While we were waiting to hear for any status change on our wait listed application, I took to looking into every aspect of the possible changes in our lives.

I was overwhelmed, stressed and on the verge of a breakdown.

My problem was not that I was preparing, but that I was hording all my eggs.

Damn that basket.

Things were piling up and piling up.

Life.

I wasn’t living it while we were waiting.

I was storing it for a time when everything would be settled and decided.

It was a terrible way to handle being wait listed.

It took our entire family getting sick to snap me out of it.

I was miserable, Baby was miserable… (Hubs wasn’t as bad off because he worked 2^nd shift and rarely tends to not really be around the family as a whole. I can’t tell if he is lucky or not. )

I was ignoring the life I was living by obsessing this life that could be.

The life that wasn't confirmed yet.

Nothing was set in stone and I was planning like it was going to happen tomorrow.

I took a break from my obsessive compulsive need to look at absolutely everything to help Baby get better.

I took time to invest in some time for myself.

I took the time to look at the stress and mental deadlock that Hubs was in due to the exact same waiting game.

It was taking a toll on all of us.

I decided then and there that our family was going to treat being wait listed like a ‘No’.

We were going to live our lives like we were staying put for another year.

We were going to slow down and enjoy ourselves and each other.

I was going to allow THIS life to overshadow THAT possibility.

I couldn’t be happier with the result.

I haven’t stopped thinking of the future, I think I have most of that sorted and stored for an emergency move, if needed.

But I’m excited to plan little family vacations for when we get interviews we have to travel for.

One step at a time.

Positive, realistic thinking.

A Year of Firsts

Two years ago my now mother-in-law handed me a book titled "Surviving Residency: A medical spouse guide to embracing the training years" by Kristen M. Math. It’s an amazing read. I was 23 years old, seriously dating a medical student who was approaching graduation, talking about engagement, marriage, and a life that seemed like a dream. I had no idea what God had in store for me.

When my mother-in-law handed me that book, I tore into it anxious to know about what this whole "residency" thing was about. I made it to the preface and read this:

"The medical training years present unique challenges that test even the strongest relationships. Medical school and residency training require a commitment of time and emotional resources that can leave little room for family… Even with the 80 hour workweek rules firmly in place, many students and residents find that they are exhausted by the relentless cycle of stress."

Wait. What?

I stopped dead in my reading tracks. 80-hour work week? What do you mean 80-hour workweek? Relentless cycle of stress? Exhaustion?

I’m not sure if anyone else felt this way, but I can honestly say I had no idea what being married to a physician would be like. Sure, we’d dated throughout medical school and it sucked. We didn’t get to see each other very much, and I knew he was stressed out a lot, but I was never face to face with it because we lived 30 minutes apart. But I figured, shoot, once we are married, we will be living together and even if he works long hours, I still get to see him. Little did I know…

Then before I knew it…he proposed.

After about a year of wedding planning, our lives began to speed up. Within a span of a few months, there was Match Day, graduation, our wedding and his first day as an intern.

BOOM.

And here I sit a year later after celebrating our first anniversary and the first year of residency, proud, extremely proud, that we made it through.

Residency is hard. In the beginning I remember looking at the calendar each month, as my DrH would post his schedule and crying. Yes. Crying. There were rotations that I absolutely dreaded; two weeks of overnight shifts, call nights, weekend calls, all of it in new rotations he’d never experienced before as a Doctor. He was exhausted all the time, stressed beyond belief, and was scared to death that he might make a bad decision.

The first year of marriage is hard. I wasn’t used to being alone that much. I got to sleep in the same bed as my husband for about 1 month before his first night shift began. I had a lot of lonely nights and embarrassing breakdowns to friends and family. There were fights, abrupt changes of plans, and prepared dinner plates that never got eaten.

But there is a season for everything. And even though this past year was hard, SO hard, I can look back now and say, "We made it." Not only did we make it, we grew so close to one another.

One year of marriage is complete. One year of residency is complete. And there are so many more years ahead of us that the years we spent in residency will look so small compared to what we will have someday. So as we say in our group, #itgetsbetter 

We established rules to fight by. We agreed to always be 100% honest with each other about our feelings, regardless. We communicate, we listen, and we pick our battles. We forgive each other like God forgave us, and we embrace the fact we are a team. We are going through this together, and we will make it together.

My DrH went from escaping to hospital bathrooms and breaking down over the uncertainty of his decisions to a newfound confidence in himself I’d never seen before. I watched him work so hard to be a great physician and an amazing husband. He kicked some serious butt, and I am so proud of him. 

Granted, we are still growing. We are still experiencing our "firsts" as a married couple. But as most of you know, being married to a physician is hard work. It is emotionally draining, exhausting and stressful. And yet once you get your first "wins" together, you can start to look back and say, "We did it."

So keep doing it. It gets better sisters.

Love you all,

Lauren

SHOW-OFF SUNDAYS

LDW OFFICIAL FEATURE: SHOW-OFF SUNDAYS!

It's that time again! Show-Off Sunday! Link up your blog posts, website, Etsy shop items, etc. This is your chance to SHOW OFF! We can't wait to see what you have been working on!

five things I've learned as a resident's wife

I bet that somewhere in your home you have a shelf (or four) full of thick maroon books with embossed gold letters, with impressive titles signed by even more impressive names that represent everything your spouse has learned over the past year, decade, or lifetime, depending on where you are along the journey.

(In our house, there's also a small basement mountain of wrinkled handouts and brochures and journals, but it's not pretty and we do not speak of it.)

Well, I'm not sure that anything I've learned can be found in those fancy books, but I've tried not to allow my education to stagnate while my dear doctor's expands. Here's what I've learned, over the past three years (and eight days) I've spent as a resident's wife:

1. I can do hard things. Water breaks, contractions are a minute apart, and DrH forgot his cell phone? No problem; have him overhead paged and keep legs crossed until he gets home. Two-year-old splits his forehead open and for sure needs stitches, and DrH (again!) forgot his phone? Stop the bleeding, load Daniel Tiger on the iPad and the kids in the car, and head to the hospital. Good thing he's already there.

(Bonus lesson: when DrH forgets his cell phone, move heaven and earth to get it back to him before catastrophe strikes.)

2. I am my husband's keeper. Caregiver burnout is a real thing, and doctors spend a lot of time thinking about others and not much thinking about themselves. My husband forgets to eat, stays up too late studying, and doesn't always recognize his body's need to exercise. If I make sure he has protein bars and almonds stashed in his bag, that his light is turned off at ten, and I kick him outside to go for a nice long run every few days, he is much happier and his body functions better, which makes for a better husband, father, and physician.

3. I may not be a physician, but I am capable. We were at Costco during medical school and a gentleman there came up to us and said, "sir, have you considered upgrading your membership?" I told him that we'd considered it and decided against, thank you very much. The rep gave me a look, and again speaking to my husband, said, "and what are YOUR thoughts on upgrading?" My husband, bless his heart, said, "My wife already told you we're not interested. She deals with our finances so it's her call." I've tried to remember that as I've been talked down to and disregarded over the past few years (I'm looking at you, window company who wouldn't talk to me without "the man of the house" present!). I can manage our finances. I can hire contractors. I can differentiate between necessary repairs and upsell at the mechanic. I deserve to be treated with respect, even though I "only" have one degree.

4. I need date nights. Ideally, with my husband. We finally started feeling like we could afford to hire a sitter during his third year, and getting a night to ourselves every now and then. But if he's not available, I have two handsome sons who are more than happy to take me out to dinner, and if for some reason that's not an option, I can snarf some ice cream at night and watch Netflix. I just need little luxuries every now and then.

5. It gets better; it gets worse. Some parts of life are so much better than they were in medical school (a paycheck! A house! Kids!). Some are so much more stressful (a mortgage! Aging family members! Kids with a thousand doctor appointments!). But no matter where we are on the rollercoaster, we can still expect good things to come. I often think of my mom's favorite quotation: "this too shall pass."

There's more. I've learned how to change the flapper thingy in the toilet, how to clean surgical marker of most clothing, how to emerge from Target with most of my dignity intact while wrangling a tantrumming toddler. I've learned it's ok to serve scrambled eggs for dinner as often as necessary, and that there's no shame if your kid wears the same thing twice in a row because you didn't quite get the laundry switched over last night. I've learned to quilt, to refinish furniture, and to research my family history. And I've learned that as a doctor's wife, the only expectations you have to fulfill are the ones set by you and your husband, not by the "real doctors' wives of wherever" or your in-laws or your husband's co-workers.

And now I'm curious: what have you learned lately?

LDW OFFICIAL FEATURE: SHOW-OFF SUNDAYS! It's that time again! Show-Off Sunday! Link up your blog posts, website, Etsy shop items, etc. This is your chance to SHOW OFF! We can't wait to see what you have been working on!

Next Time your Doctor is Running Behind Schedule

I had an epiphany.

 

Tonight Jake is working a 30-hour shift at the children’s hospital, so I spent an hour making dinner and 25 minutes of driving so we could enjoy a homemade meal together. Our meals are usually anywhere from 30 seconds to 25 minutes. Tops. 

 

I waited on the bottom floor of the hospital for him to come jogging down the stairs like he usually does, anticipating our meager dinner and few quiet moments in the resident’s lounge, updates on my day and details about his.  

Five minutes pass. Then 10. Sure enough, 45 minutes pass and my hot salmon dinner is no longer warm — and neither is my mood. Eventually Jake comes rushing down the stairs only to tell me he’s so sorry, but we can’t eat dinner together tonight. I had to hand over the meal and jet. 

 

His young patient was out of surgery and not quite stable yet. He couldn’t waste any time and needed to get back to his room.

 

Duh. He was late for our classy hospital dinner because he was dealing with a sick child who needed him. Lots of children, actually. And worried parents.

For a moment, I had forgotten. I was only concerned about my time, my comfort, my needs and my meal.

I was grumpy that I had to wait, only to be turned away. And I bet you, too, get impatient when you wait in a doctor’s office. How dare the doctor make us wait, right? He’s just “in it for my money,” anyway. He’s out to get me.  

 

Fallacy. (No one seems to consider how much medical school costs. And how many years it takes to get out of debt. Personal message me if you’d like details. And our W2.)

 

Doctors put other’s kids before their own. They miss dinners with their pregnant wives, anniversaries, birthdays, sports events and baptisms. They commit to putting their needs second, working thousands of hours, studying for a million more — not to mention the lack of sleep and emotional toll of deaths and child abuse.

You may be waiting an extra 30 minutes for your appointment, and that’s got to be frustrating. I can’t speak for all doctors, but from what I’ve witnessed firsthand on the inside, the majority are doing their very best to give every patient the attention and care they need.

 

We may never know what struggles the child and parents are having in the appointment before our own, or what cold dinner waits on the doctor's table at home. 

 

So let's lighten up a bit. 

 

By: Brooke Willardson Porter

 

Check out Brooke's blog - http://atleastitsnotasingle.blogspot.com/

And the Winner is. . .

1. Youique  
3D Fiber Lash Mascara, Lip Gloss and Make Up Brush

Donated by Jule Turner 

www.juliehasthelashes.com

Won by Missy Evans Martineau, Tara Martin, & Kindi Wahlstrom

2.  Keeping Warm Crochet Package

Baby Blanket OR a Grey Alpaca Wool Scarf
Winners choice of two colors 

Donated by Holly Hsu

Won by Jennie Krueger

3.  Good For Your Heart 

Welch Allen triple- head stethoscope / dynamic blood pressure monitor

Donated by: Amy Luskin

Won by Julia Williams

4. Keurig K45 Elite Single-Serve Brewing System

Donated by: Li Khan

Won by Alison Evans

5. KitchenAid 7-Cup Food Processor with Exact Slice System

Donated by: Li Khan

Won by Samantha Gatzman Roussel

6.  Ninja Food Blender

Donated by: Li Khan

Won by Mary Corchran

7. Keurig K45 Elite Single-Serve Brewing System

Donated by: Li Khan

Won by Ashley Harris

8. State Wood Art

Custom State Piece 

Donated by: Bethany Kelly

www.facebook.com/workerbeewood

Won by Brittani Wodowski

9. Scentsy Warmer

Donated by: Beka Dougherty

Won by Liz Grillot

10.  Scentsy Warmer

Donated by: Beka Dougherty

Won by Chrissy Nettekoven Spears

11.  Jamberry Mani-Pedi Pack

Matching Nail Wraps and Application Tools

Donated by: Maria Fischer

www.facebook.com/mariafischerjamberry

Won by Amy Letter

12.  21 Day Fix Program

21 Day Fix, Shakeology Sample, and Program Support

Donated by: Diane Vander Brink

www.facebook.com/theuprootedmom

Won by Victoria Oumeddour

13. The Lavender Apple Product

Product of your choice from thelavenderapple.com

Donated by: Christie Nelson

Won by Claire Fisher

14. Leather Studded Wrap Bracelet

Bracelet in the color of your choice

Donated by: Amy Redfield

Designs by Spring Lily
 www.etsy.com/shop/designsbyspringlily

Won by Veena Jetti

15. Crochet Shawl 

Donated by: Veronica Chavez

www.facebook.com/withloveveronica

Won by Kristin Hood

16. Medical Spanish Textbook Package

Medical Spanish Textbook, 7 disc CD set and a baseball cap

Donated by: Cindy Nelson

Won by Leslie Bader Rollins

17. Menstrual Cup *Brand New*

Donated by: Alli RN Chan

Won by Ambrey Lynn Hansen

18.  Le Creuset Cast Iron 2 Qt. Heart Shaped Dutch Oven (Red)

Donated by: Brittany Mitchell

Won by Briana Reed Richardsonn

19. Printable Party

Winner’s Choice or $50 toward custom designed party

Donated by: Carrie Reed

Frolic Parties: http://FrolicParties.com

Won by Sarah Glasscock Crawford

20. Baby Foot

Donated by: Melissa Crum

Won by Kandice Freno

21. Online Interior Design Service

This will include a mini design 

Donated by: Danielle Oakey

www.danielleoakeyinteriors.com/portfolio or follow on instagram @danielleoakeyinteriors

Won by Stacie Johnson

22. Paparazzi Accessories Fashion Fix Set #1

Donated by: Kristin Trejo

www.facebook.com/paparazzibykristin3378

Won by Lindsey Healy

23.  Paparazzi Accessories Fashion Fix Set #2

Donated by: Kristin Trejo

www.facebook.com/paparazzibykristin3378

Won by Kristi Galloway

24. Paparazzi Accessories Fashion Fix Set #3

Donated by: Kristin Trejo

www.facebook.com/paparazzibykristin3378

Won by Toshia Wagner

25. Younique 3D Fiber Lash Mascara

Donated by: Erin Fielden

Younique by Erin

www.youniqueproducts.com/ErinNFielden

Won by Ali Kelly

26. KEEP Collective Leather Reversible Bracelet

Donated by: Shelley Buch

www.keep-collective.com/with/shelleybuch

Won by Komal Wadyal Gujarathi

27. Custom Graphic Design Item

Donated by: Alden Gilligan

www.etsy.com/shop/TheHeartOfUs?ref=search_shop_redirect

Won by Crystal Burdick

28. Personalized Photo Book

Donated by: Stacie Johnson

Once Upon a Memory Books

www.facebook.com/onceuponamemorybooks

Won by Alina Manter Lancaster

29. Kate Spade Necklace and Earrings

Donated by: M. Elaine Pahilan

Won by Megan Pipito

30. Writing Home Designs Print

Donated by: Bridget Maley

Writing Home Designs

www.etsy.com/shop/writinghomedesigns

Won by Trina Elwell

31. Lilly Pulitzer Wristlet Clutch

Donated by: Annesia Lin

Won by Monica Cotton Lifferth

32. Adult Coloring Book and Colored Pencils

Donated by: Michelle Chaiffetz

Won by Michaela Colvin

33.  Philosophy Bath Set

Donated by: Leah Guinn

Won by Sarah Grace Allred

34.  Stack of Books

Donated by: Tif Sweeney

Tif Talks Books

www.tiftalksbooks.com

Won by Ingebritt Zeigler

35. Scentsy Bricks (3)

Donated by: Lesli Swearingen

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scentsy-Wickless-Candles-by-Lesli-Swearingen/128875780521033

Won by Ashley Fukumitsh Rudd

36. Princess Inspired Apron Dress-Up

Donated by: Shannon Langager

Won by Barbara G. Sand

37. Baby Foot

Donated by: Priya Raje

Won by Laura Ericksen Tabayoyong

38.  Ultimate Body Applicator (“wrap”) and a sample of Greens

Donated by: Aleecia Hibbets

It Works

www.hibwraps.myitworks.com

Won by Megan Hershey

39. Jamberry Nail Wraps (sheet)

Donated by: Ashley Rodenkirch

Jamberry

www.ashleyrodenkirch.jamberrynails.net

Won by Sarah Vaca

40. Younique Stiff Upper Lip lip stain (choice of any tint)

Donated by: Megan Buell

www.youniqueproducts.com/MeganBuell

Won by Madison Spruell Maves

41. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish and Top Coat

Donated by: Lauren Richardson in honor of  www.facebook.com/ICSFoundation?fref=ts

Won by Tawny Moore

42. Wen Cucumber Aloe Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment (2oz)

Donated by: Clara Tsai

Won by Laura Baggaley Haber

43. Wen Fall Ginger Pumpkin Cleansing Conditioner (16oz) 

Donated by: Clara Tsai

Won by Kathleen Tripodi

44. Wen Fig Cleansing Conditioner (16oz)

Donated by: Clara Tsai

Won by Lynette Keto

45. Black Coach Wallet

Donated by: Clara Tsai

Won by Melissa McGuire

46. Black Coach Purse

Donated by: Clara Tsai

Won by Kristin Cervantes Brooks

47. Pearl Set

Donated by: Janie Branscomb

Sierra West Jewelers

www.facebook.com/SierraWestJewelers

Won by Sarah L. Ong Snyder

48. 31 Picnic Thermal

Donated by: Stephanie Girling

Thirty-One Bags

www.mythirtyone.com/girling

Won by Cami Panther

49. 32 oz Choffy french press and a 2 lb bag of La Espanola

Donated by: Melisa Mons in honor of Assistance in Health Care

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Assistance-in-Health-Care-Tulsa/504320959594456?fref=ts

Won by Farrel Bean

50. 5 Copies of For Doctors’ Eyes Only

Donated by: Larson Financial

www.facebook.com/larsonfinancial?fref=ts

Won by Jessica Grant, Kathryn Goel, Erika Pasquel Johnson, Ashley Quibodeaux Thurston, & Nicole Woody

51.  Avita Wellness Gift Certificate

1 month of free health coaching

Donated by: Heidi Willis

Avita Wellness

Won by Jill Adams

52. $50 Target Gift Card

Donated by: Rebecca Peterson

Won by Hope Guerena

53. $50 Target Gift Card

Donated by: Rebecca Peterson

Won by Megan Van Leeuwen

54:  $25 Target Gift Card

Donated by: Michelle Chaiffetz

Won by Patricia Ukabam

55. $25 Gift Certificate for Littlest Things Boutique

Donated by: Sarah Hughes

www.etsy.com/shop/littlethingsboutique

Won by Jenna Hardison Killpack

56. $25 Target Gift Card

Donated by: Amanda Silveira

Won by Theresa Lucin

57. $25 Target Gift Card

Donated by: Amanda Silveira

Won by Iliana Smith

58. AMAZING SCRUB Certificate (JoElla)

Donated by: Veena Jetti

Won by Julie Connolly

59. The High Wire Shop Certificate - $30

Donated by: Elizabeth Leavitt

The High Wire Shop

www.thehighwireshop.etsy.com

Won by Lacey Guy

60. $100 Amazon Gift Card

Donated by: Lien Nguyen

Won by Nicole Tehani Hudson

61. Mama’s Nests Jewelry Certificate - $50 or less

Donated by: Sarah Vaca

Mama’s Nests

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.vaca/media_set?set=a.10100192893427146.1073741833.32503862&type=1&l=6349e68894

Won by Alyssa Jurgensmeier

62. Mama’s Nests Jewelry Certificate - $50 or less

Donated by: Sarah Vaca

Mama’s Nests

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.vaca/media_set?set=a.10100192893427146.1073741833.32503862&type=1&l=6349e68894

Won by Justine Duppong

63. Powell’s Book Gift Certificate - $25

Donated by: Tif Sweeney

Tif Talks Books

www.tiftalksbooks.com

Won by Tiffany Gunnerson

64. Photographers Element - $150 Gift Certificate

Donated by: Sarah Allred

Photographer’s Element

www.thephotographerselement.com

65. A seat at The Photographer's Element Mastering Manual Course (x5)

Donated by: Sarah Allred

Photographer's Element

www.thephotographerselement.com

Mastering Manual is a 3-week course taught 100% online.

No more auto or priority modes! We're going full manual from day one and you will love it! This is the essential technical foundation that will set the stage for success on your photography journey and all other courses at the Photographer's Element.

Won by Lindsay Tjarks

66. Foreo Luna Mini

Donated by: Li Kahn

Won by Tiani Fuller