Today Is A Very Special Day

people will really be bothered from you for being soft, and living life at ease. i’m sorry, i don’t run on chaos, cortisol, and victim mentality. i show up for myself. i put in the work. i’m kind because it keeps my spirit light, not for applause. you should try it, and you’ll feel less triggered from others living with calmness and appreciation.

Primal Chic Beauty Part Two: Beauty From Food... No, Really!

I was planning on doing this post a little later, after my introduction to my Paleo-based, but not strictly paleo diet and what I regularly have stocked in my fridge and pantry. However, I've gotten a few more asks recently about skincare, and this post got moved up in the content planner to now!

In this post, you'll learn about some pantry staples that can be utilized for skin care, a few basic recipes for skin care products, long-lasting tools that compliment homemade & natural skincare, and why making the switch can benefit you and the environment. I'll cover some at-home-created makeup at a later date, but you should know, it doesn't last very well and it's often easier to simply buy clean, natural makeup from a company specializing in it.

Something you need to know for this to make sense is that I consider my own diet Paleo-based, but it's not strictly paleo. This means I largely am eating unprocessed foods, I'm not playing with artificial sweeteners and using natural sweeteners sparingly (usually Honey or whole sugar cane), and have cut out unfermented dairy, and most grains & grain foods, with occasional rice & oat consumption & my weekly communion at Church. I personally advise anyone who's dealing with food and gut issues to start with an elimination diet such as FODMAP or a strict Paleo, and then gradually reintroduce foods & food groups to figure out what works for YOU! Whole30 is a great introduction to this concept.

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about making your own skincare and some things to keep in stock for skin care.

Stocking Up

Pantry Staples for DIY At-Home Skincare & Haircare:

𓃠 Avocados & Avocado Oil

𓃠 Coconut Oil

𓃠 Almond Oil

𓃠 Honey

𓃠 Unsweetened Greek Yogurt

𓃠 Cocoa Butter

𓃠 Eggs

𓃠 Lemons and/or Lemon Juice

𓃠 Jojoba Oil

𓃠 Shea Butter

𓃠 Oats

𓃠 Rice

𓃠 Milk (Goat or Whole Cow Milk)

𓃠 Beef Tallow

𓃠 Ghee

𓃠 Baking Soda

𓃠 Apple Cider Vinegar

𓃠 Dried Rose/Rose Hips

𓃠 Cacao Nibs

𓃠 Mugwort

𓃠 Green & Black Tea

𓃠 Orange Peels

𓃠 Calendula Flowers

𓃠 Catnip

𓃠 Dried Witch Hazel

𓃠 An Aloe Vera Plant

𓃠 Table Salt or Himalayan Salt

𓃠 Unrefined Sugar

Non-Food Ingredients:

𓃠 Aztec Clay

𓃠 Castile Soap (in liquid or bar form)

𓃠 Epsom Salts/ Magnesium Salts

𓃠 Essential Oils in your favorite scents, I recommend Lavender, Lemongrass, & Mint, if you don't have pets you can also do Tea Tree & Eucalyptus but they are Nephrotoxic (toxic to the kidneys) for Cats, Dogs, and some small animals such as ferrets.

There are some things I still recommend you purchase commercially such as:

𓃠 Toothpaste (I'm not here to talk the fluoride vs MI paste vs Ozone vs hydroxyapatite vs charcoal vs no anti-cavity measure debate, if it's requested I can do a breakdown on the pros and cons of all of them, but it's really not my area of expertise and I'd recommend talking to your doctor, dentist, and local complimentary or holistic dentist or doctor about your individual needs)

𓃠 Floss (if you can, opt for silk rather than plasticized floss, and rolls of floss over single-use floss picks, if you're dedicated to floss picks, aim for a bamboo or wooden handle instead of plastic)

𓃠 Mouthwash (I've found the homemade varieties of this do not sufficiently treat dry mouth or gum issues)

𓃠 Deodorant or Antiperspirant (Thai Crystal deodorant works very well as a non-antiperspirant option, and I recommend solid stick antiperspirants over aerosolized ones for your indoor air quality and lung health)

𓃠 Sunscreen (I have never found an effective DIY Sunscreen)

Tools:

𓃠 A Mortar and Pestle

𓃠 Boar or horse hair fan brush with wooden handle

𓃠 Glass bowls in multiple sizes (from a small spice bowl to a large bowl for doing facial steams)

𓃠 Measuring Cups (You can use your food ones, just make sure to wash them well)

𓃠 A stone roller and Gua Sha

𓃠 A small skincare spatula in stainless steel

𓃠 2 Small Spoons (spare stainless steal teaspoons work well)

𓃠 Wood & Boar Hair dry brush

𓃠 Undyed, untreated Cotton Washcloths & Hand Towels

𓃠 Mesh Tea Infuser Ball

𓃠 A small spice wisk

Recipes:

A Sample Routine:

𓃠 Start with a Coconut & Almond Oil Cleanse (about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil & Almond Oil to desired texture) apply to dampened skin with hands, rinse with lukewarm to hot water

Tip: Utilize a reusable cotton round moistened with a bit more of the above oil cleanser to wipe away stubborn eye makeup

𓃠 Soak a cotton hand towel with water that is as hot as you can tolerate, wring it out, and wrap around the face, leaving the nostrils exposed, leave on until towel has cooled.

𓃠 Combine 3 drops of Liquid castile soap with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water into a small glass dish, work into a foam with a fan brush or whisk, then apply to face with either hands or a reusable face scrub sponge or applicator. Rinse with Warm water

𓃠 If dealing with redness, puffiness, or inflamed skin, prepare a large glass bowl with ice and cold water, dip face for as long as tolerable 2-5 times.

𓃠 Dry the face, and utilize a small boar bristle dry brush to gently exfoliate the skin with light pressure, working away from the nose towards the outside of the face.

𓃠 Utilize a Rose & Witch Hazel Green Tea toner for the face (Steep Green Tea, dried rose petals, & witch hazel in distilled water for 3-5 minutes, allow to cool, and store in an amber colored glass spray bottle or dropper top bottle, store in the refrigerator for longer shelf life & a more cooling effect)

𓃠 Apply 2-4 drops of a preferred liquid oil such as almond or jojoba to the face, the amount should be enough to provide glide for a Gua Sha to run across the face

𓃠 Do a gua sha massage, paying attention to the forehead, the hollows of the cheeks/cheekbones, and the jawline, and any areas of tension, you can also utilize a mushroom shaped stone to work tension out of the temples or TMJ.

𓃠 Moisturize with a preferred semisolid fat such as Ghee, Tallow, Coconut Oil, and utilize a facial roller until absorbed, for the eyes, gently heat your preferred semisolid fat until it is liquid or near liquid between your finger tips, and apply gently with the ring fingers.

𓃠 Utilize a face roller to assist in absorption of your semisolid fat moisturizer

Avocado, & Oat Hydration Mask

𓃠 Materials: 1/2 Avocado, 1/4 cup of rolled oats, 1/8 cup goats milk or yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, a mortar and pestle

𓃠 Remove the skin of the 1/2 avocado and Mash thoroughly with food processor or mortar and pestle, once thoroughly mashed, add honey, & milk or yogurt, whisk together until thoroughly combined, and add oats, folding gently to combine, apply to face excluding the eye area and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Avocado and honey can also be utilized as an under eye pack for a similar duration to help with dry, tired under eyes.

Inflamed Skin Honey Helper (I use this for acne and post-sun burn relief)

𓃠 Combine equal parts honey, goat's milk, and aloe vera and mix until thoroughly incorporated, apply to dry, itchy areas of the skin, and leave on for up to an hour

Body Scrub

Combine 1/2 cup of Epsom salts with 1/4 cup unrefined sugar & 1/4 cup of Himalayan salt and mix well, add 1/4 cup of preferred carrier oil such as jojoba, almond, or avocado oil, 1 tablespoon of Mugwort, and 10-20 drops of Lemongrass or Lavender Essential Oil, store in a sealable glass jar (such as a mason jar or a bale wire jar) in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

Apply with light pressure using the hands to exfoliate the body or as a pre-shave scrub

This also works very well on sore joints as a sort of pre-bath pack or wet-bandage by slathering it on thick to a dampened joint and surrounding the affected joint with a hot towel for 20-30 minutes to draw out heat and inflammation from arthritic joints.

There will be videos for these coming out as I hit the point of needing to remake them and I'll keep you all updated on how to watch those once I figure out some new platforms post tiktok ban and my leaving meta.

There are very very few instances where the sex of an animal matters and in cats it doesn't matter unless you're breeding and occasionally if you're managing samesex or intersex aggression between cats, and if you invest in the relationship with your pets you're going to find that they're going to express affection and love in fairly obvious ways. Too many people aren't approaching their pets as individuals and don't pay attention to the cues of their animals. The breeding/temperament genetics and the individual relationship work you've done with an animal are what determine how, how much, and how often they're affectionate.

My adolescent male cat is very clingy but playful. He prefers offering and asking for play, sucking on fingers while not being pet, and following you around and playing hide and seek over settling in for a cuddle. My older adult female used to be the same way, now she prefers lounging on the porch bird watching while I read or a dry groom or curling up under the covers on cold nights. My male prefers to be at the other end of the bed on one of my sheepskins or his shark plushie. My male is a nibbler and barber my female gives kisses.

The reason I went for a male malinois as a working dog was because of him and his 2 sisters, he was the most handler sensitive and he was the best fit personality wise. His one sister was too laid back for what I wanted, shes thriving now as a diabetic alert dog, his other sister had more aggression than he did, and if I had been looking for a straight PPD or bite Sports dog, I honestly would have chosen her, but since I was looking for a dual purpose dog, I took him, and the more aggressive sister is now a suspect apprehension K9 in florida because of the 3 in his litter that just weren't quite right for bomb work (2 of the 5 that they imported were) one was better suited for strict service work with her soft mouth, one could have gone either way and been okay, or both and be truly fulfilled as long as he had his person, and the other was destined to either be destroyed or have a job where her desire to sink her teeth into something was an asset rather than a liability. His 2 sisters were also significantly more dominant with other dogs than he was, and since I was living with my ex at the time, I needed to think about how he would integrate into our existing 1 cat, 2 dog household.

This recent obsession with boys vs girls in dogs is such fucking BS, like... the only things that determine sex choice for me is how my current pet pack exists.

My female cat doesn't tolerate other female cats in her space, my male mal likes male dogs that are 10-15 lbs but feels pressured by males that are his size or larger, and gets along with females all around. So, realistically, I'll probably be adding a female dog next to the pack since, again, realistically, my older terrier male is in the worst health of my pets. I also may not be adding another dog to my pack for a while too, so that I have more travel flexibility.

The whole "boy cat" thing is so annoyingggggg your cats gender has nothing to do with how they feel about you i literally cannot imagine being so brain rotted by patriarchy that you somehow think your neutered male cat has special male love for you that female cats don't have the capacity for. Is there something wrong with you

reblog to give warm bread to your mutuals

Happiness Will Come To You.

It's Tech Week! Feed your veterinary support staff, send them a nice little note, and as always, be kind to your vet staff.

Bag Tour 2024: Daily Bag Edition Feat. Hannibal Lector

All images have alt text descriptions with items listed, bag tour, and the reasons for each item below the cut

The Bag Itself:

This bag is a Coach Turnlock Tote bag in the pebbled leather color Blossom. This bag, the belt bag I now use as a bag organizer, and the wallet were all gifted to me in 2019 by a family member. The belt is too large for me at this point in life, so the pouch has been repurposed as a Toolkit of sorts. While it is a hair small fully packed, I enjoy the color of it and the balance of it as well as the functionality of the pockets it has.

The Straps:

My straps on this bag usually aren't this cluttered. However, Hannibal has been coming with me to work on a daily basis to get him used to the idea of traveling, and I needed a place to put his harness.

On my straps there is a malachite pendant necklace attached to the charm loop at the bottom of the right side of the outer strap, and my keys are also usually attached here with a carabiner unless I'm going somewhere that I'd want my keys a little bit more secured. I just like malachite. It looks cool. It's the right shades of green, and it's fairly easy to get ahold of.

I also have my stethoscope looped here if it's not around my neck or on my desk at home. I have a neonate size littman stethoscope since I primarily work in companion animal medicine, and I find that it focuses a bit better on my patients who are less than 15 pounds. I do have a regular litmann as well, but that one stays at the office. Most of my after-hours calls are on cats and small geriatric dogs who have standing orders for as needed injections of certain medications whose owners are either unwilling or unable to administer those medications.

Then, the big thing on the straps today is Hannibal's harness. Little dude is 17 weeks, and a whopping 7 lbs already. I could gush about him literally all day, though. His harness was only on the bag while he was allowed to have free roam over the back of the reception area and wrestle with Chewbacca (my terrier).

Turnlock Pocket:

This is where I keep my human med kit for myself, plus treats for my pets, or snacks for myself. Image 8 is the corresponding image.

Human Med Kit:

Glucometer: I have struggled with Non-diabetic hypoglycemia, POTS, and hemiplegic migraines for about 7 years now due to a moderate traumatic brain injury in my teens. So I tend to take 2-5 glucose readings per day. The rubber gloves in my glucometer bag aren't for me to use on me so much as they are to be ready if I need to assist someone in a first aid setting or administer narcan to someone.

Excedrine Migraine: A tried and true beloved OTC medication, both my terrier, Chewbacca, and my malinois, Phobos, are trained for migraine alert and POTS electrolyte imbalance alert work, although Chewbacca is retired at this point. At the first migraine alert from my dogs, I take one tablet of Excedrine and then wait an hour. If the migraine continues to worsen, I then take the second half of the regular dose. This is what works for me, and you should talk to your doctor about treatment options if you have migraines. Currently, I'm down to only 2-4 migraines a month and only experiencing breakthrough hemiplegic migraine symptoms about once every 3 months with this routine.

Narcan: I carry it everywhere. I was never an opioid addict. However, after my TBI, I did struggle with perscription amphetamine addiction, and as a result of having been through that, and having gotten clean, I've become a really big proponent of harm reduction and narcan access programs. There's a few charities I'm involved with that give away narcan locally, and I'd be happy to put anyone interested in carrying narcan some national resources. I also live fairly close to Philadelphia and have unfortunately had to utilize narcan to assist strangers in bars in the past from tainted supplies.

Menstrual cup: I have PCOS, so my cycle isn't super regular and I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

Not Pictured: My supply of both instant iced coffee, instant electrolytes, and protein bars that I keep in my glove box, office desk, and at home. Both the caffiene (increases blood pressure) and the electrolytes (increases sodium and potassium) are important in managing my POTS symptoms. The protein bars are for when my glucose drops a bit too far.

Chicken Churu: This was Hannibal's treat for today, we worked on saying hello to strangers and walking nicely on a leash.

Tech:

Corresponding Photos: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9

Samsung Galaxybook Go: This is my laptop for work and personal use, it has an LTE data chip so I can use it on the go without sucking up my Hotspot data, and it's got fantastic battery life. I bought this refurbished off of Amazon at the beginning of the year. It also charges with a USB-C cable which is super convenient since the rest of my tech with the exception of my smart watch also utilizes USB-C charging so I can just pack a fast charge block and 2 USB-C cables rather than lug around 5 different chargers.

Samsung Galaxytab S6 Lite: It was on special at costco and has an S-Pen which is great as someone who's memory for reading/typing isn't nearly as effective as my memory for things I've written down. I mostly use this for notes on patients and my studies.

Samsung Galaxy23 Ultra: It has a stylus and is of a similar design, feel, and functionality to my Note9 I just replaced last fall.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro: The active noise cancelling is fantastic for working in busy coffee shops on Mondays, and the Ambient sound is great for getting a Podcast in during charting or longer monitoring stints.

Samsung Galaxy Watch5: LTE enabled watch helps when I'm away from my phone during the day, it allows me to still get calls, texts, notifications, and keep track of active time and calories burned.

Charging Bundle: One 8" USB-C -> USB-C cord for charging my tablet, phone, or earbuds off of my laptop, one 4' USB-C -> USB-C cord to charge my laptop or other devices if my laptop is sufficently charged, a USB-A -> hard drive cord for my 1TB portable drive, and a USB-A Smart watch charging cord.

Data storage: 8GB flash drive that is mostly used for ultrasound capture transfers and X-Ray Diacom transfers, although occasionally it also gets used for in-house lab data transfers when the WiFi link is acting up. 1 TB portable hard drive, this contains textbook PDFs, a large music library, archived notes, and lesser used reference tables and software. It also has copies of my more important documents.

Vlogging/Content Creation Supplies: Light bar, microphone, mini tripod, comfort grip, and microphone stand. Basically just stuff to enhance recording quality for tiktoks, reels, and YouTube videos (coming soon).

Books & Stationery:

Pocket Edition Book of Common Prayer: No, I am not carrying a Bible around, I have an app for that. This is a Book of Common Prayer (1979 edition) for The Episcopal Church. While I'm laity, I do still try and take time for Morning Prayer/Matin, Noonday Prayer/Diurnum, Evening Prayer/Evensong, and End of Day Prayer/Compline. These are quiet moments for me to break away from the stressors of the day. I also utilize 2 additional devotionals for quiet time upon rising and before bed that supplement my regular journaling, however these stay on my bedside table with my primary journal.

Martha Stewart For Staples Discbound Junior Notebook, this is my planner, quick notebook, and lazy journal, I basically dump my brain out right here throughout the day.

Paper clips: From marking off the current month and week in my planner to organizing papers from drug reps, to getting a client printed copies of their records, there's lots of paperclip usage.

Correction tape: I don't often use pencils and sometimes my brain goes faster than my hand and mistakes happen.

Erasers and pencil leads: If I'm out and about I don't want to lose my ability to sketch and use pencils if they're needed

Pens: Pink, Red, and Black ink, my standard for personal notes is Pink ink, while business notes are done in black, the red is for corrections on both

Pencil: it's the same grip as my favorite pens that I can write for hours with, super beneficial for long study sessions.

S Note App: My longer rough notes and revised notes are done in SNote with a SPen/stylus and handwritten out. I also tend to keep spare nibs on hand, however I am currently out of spare nibs.

Sticky notes/flags: great for passing off notes to coworkers, flagging charts, or marking messages.

Snack Attack:

Travel Cutlery set with a fork, spoon, and knife so that I don't have to get utensils when I grab breakfast or lunch at Wawa or the local BBQ joint

Travel straw: Save the turtles while still enjoying my Starbucks

Bandana/neckerchief: No single use napkins here

Coozie: Perfect for NA Seltzers, Sodas, or a beer at the bar after work. Plus it holds all my other eating supplies.

Beauty/Hygiene:

Hand lotion: washing hands between every patient can leave my hands feeling pretty gnarly, so I always pack lotion

Perfume: Anal Glands happen, and sometimes you just... need to freshen up a bit.

Dry Shampoo: my hair always looks super greasy after taking my scrub cap off after surgeries, this buys me enough time to get through my shift

Hand sanitizer: ideal for housecall visits or visits to elder care facilities where you may not be able to properly wash your hands between patients.

Lip gloss: I'm not a huge fan of lip balms and the waxy feeling they leave on my lips vs the glide of a lipgloss or oil.

Sewing kit: Because if your shirt rips in vet med, it's probably going to be in a place you really don't want it to rip

Manicure kit: wrestling with animals can cause nail breakage and hang nails, and I'd rather not have to chew one off. It also has tweezers that come in handy for splinters or thorns picked up from animal coats.

Blotting sponge: again, I tend to start looking greasy after surgery because I sweat. And I'd rather be able to take care of it quickly and discreetly

Condoms: These don't need to be in my work bag, but they're in the tool kit along with my most basic essentials because the Toolkit is in every bag I use, including bags I use when I go out for girls night or linedancing. Also another have and not need vs need and not have item.

Hair tie, bobby pins, barette: just little extra bits and bobs as needed for hair issues, sometimes the dry shampoo isn't enough and the only solution is to throw my hair up into a slicked back ponytail instead of having it down.

Cooling wet wipe: again, surgical sweating

Other Essentials:

Wallet: Obvious Reasons

Nicotine Pouches: I've quit vaping but I haven't quite kicked the habit entirely yet

Unpictured: Glock 43. I uber and doordash after work, I also deliver controlled substances for patients in some not-so-great areas being ravaged by the opioid epidemic. I'm also a 5'5" disabled female who lives alone and has had a stalker. Sorry not sorry, it's insured, I'm licensed, and I take courses for it routinely.

If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, feel free to DM me, comment here, comment in the tags, or reblog. Also, I'm aware this is Tumblr and that the Jesus stuff can be frightening to see, just want to make note that I do fall somewhere between a pluralist and a universalist. As long as you aren't using your religious views to oppress, marginalize, or harm people, we're good as far as I'm concerned.

Introduction!

TLDR Summary: CVT2DVM is run by me, Elizabeth, a 23-year-old pre-vet student who shares my small on-call apartment with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I work full-time in veterinary medicine while also taking night classes. My Tag: #CVT2DVM

Hi Everyone! My name is Elizabeth, I'm a 2nd generation veterinary professional currently in phase 2 of 3 in my journey to a DVM pursuing my associate's of veterinary technology. I have 4 critters of my own, 2 cats (Olive 10, and Hannibal 6 months) and 2 dogs (Chewbacca 7, and Phobos 2). My Blog is best viewed on a desktop via cvt2dvm.tumblr.com

About Me:

Name: Elizabeth

Age: 23

Meyers-Briggs: ENTJ

Enneagram: 8

Astrology Big Three: Scorpio Sun, Cancer Moon, Libra Rising

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Religion: Episcopalian

Nationality: American

Ethnic Background: Polish & Irish

Languages: English, Polish, Gaeilge, Greek, Latin

Job: Live In, On-Call Veterinary Assistant

Interests:

Bite Sports (PSA, KNPV Trials, French Ring)

Epidemiology

Theriogenetics

Sports Medicine, Canine & Equine Fitness, and Rehabilitation

Hikes

Women's Fitness and Nutrition

Comparative Theology both within the Christian faith and with world religions

Volunteering as an escort for both my local Women's DV Shelter and Planned Parenthood

Feminist Theory

Being on a breakfast team at Church

Line Dancing

Ice Breaker:

Guilty Pleasure: Contemporary Cowboy Romance Novels

Drink of Choice: Coffee with cinnamon and honey during the day,

Cardio or Weights?: Weights, but I love going line dancing as a form of Cardio

Favorite Indulgence: A glass of merlot, a baguette, and warmed brie by a fire

Favorite Show to Binge: ER or American Horror Story

Ocean, Lake, or River?: River

Usually Craving: Soy-Free Teriyaki Flank Steak

Celeb I'd Love to Meet: Anna Wintour or Reese Witherspoon

Alternate Job: Singer-Songwriter or Cabinetmaker

Current Goals

Gain more muscle mass

Maintain a minimum 3.8 GPA

Achieve PSA 1 by Fall 2025 with Phobos, and continue pursuing PSA 2 and PSA 3

Be an advocate for my patients with both their medical team and their owners.

Graduate on Schedule as Class of 2027, and earn my CVT License while continuing to pursue my pre-requisites for Vet School while being realistic about my financial situation and responsibilities

Further deepen my relationship with Christ

Get back into the saddle in a lesson program

Expect

Case Studies

Revised Notes

Studyspreads

Accountability posts

Dog Training & Sports Content

Cats Adventuring

Lakeside views

This reminds me of recent discourse on booktok where a smut author/influencer/reader was saying the classics are inaccessible and then, as a white woman, used POC and poor people as human shields to defend why she shouldn't have to read ANYTHING but fairy smut and Colleen Hoover. She was very quickly clapped back with "I was in an underserved underfunded district all we had was the classics" "theres libraries" and "do you think Black kids aren't capable of reading or understanding classics?" And then she doubled down about how the average literacy in the USA is at a 6th grade level. And then she got FURTHER clapped back at for the fact that a lot of the classics are at 6th and 7th grade levels AND we have tools like sparknotes, internet dictionaries, and how kindles even have a built in dictionary and how most classics are available for free in both MOBI and PDF format AND in print at most libraries (school, public, etc)

what is HAPPENING