about me

Welcome! I'm Rebecca, and this is my blog where you can find anything pertaining to excellence, evidence, or the everyday.

My wonderful husband, "Mr. L" and I have been married for almost 3 years, and in August of 2012 we were blessed with an adorable and very smiley son (usually referred to here as "Baby").  I absolutely love my vocation as a wife, and now also, a mother.  As the keeper of our home, most of my time and energy is spent helping my husband, caring for our son, and ensuring a tidy and orderly home, so expect most of my posts to center around one of these activities.

One of my passions is to look at life through an "evidence based" lens -- for me sometimes this means spending hours searching and reading original research or systematic reviews when making a decision for my family (no matter how small or large), or at other times it can mean getting frustrated at news sources for mentioning a study without actually referencing it (turns out that happens quite often and usually results in my finding the original research and then concluding that the reporters over generalized and were too assertive about the tentative conclusion the authors actually made).

I have a background in science and dental healthcare and had the privileged of taking several Epidemiology classes through the Department of Public Health while studying at the University of New Mexico.  These classes have given me the practical tools and the foundation needed to properly analyze and critique scientific literature.

Even more influential than my classes in my love of evidence though, are the years that I spent shadowing (technically working for, but in reality it was so much more) Dr. Matthews.  His passion for Evidence Based Dentistry must be contagious, since more than five years after leaving his office I'm still passionate about finding the best available evidence.  

So, whether you read about my researching and thinking about what I put in my shopping cart, examining what kind of soap is best for my home,  learning the science behind why scones are flaky, but bread is chewy, or in the absence of evidence desperately trying different options while treating a difficult diaper rash, I hope you find something interesting and worth your time.