Cutting out coffee, making a much-needed career change, and getting married — the past several months of Kirsten Steele’s life have looked much different, but in the best way.

Kirsten, an ophthalmic technician at The LASIK Vision Institute, traded in her morning cup of coffee for a Fiber One bar, a Boost protein shake, and a quick swim before work. “But let’s be honest,” she says, “weekends are for cinnamon rolls, blueberry bread, and relaxing with my husband.”

As an ophthalmic technician, Kirsten assesses patients to determine whether or not they are good candidates for LASIK surgery to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. She also performs normal dilated eye exams and assists the surgeons on surgery days. “On surgery days, I either calibrate and run the laser, or I sterilize all of the instruments and hand them off during the procedure. I absolutely love my job,” she says. “I feel like I am relatable to the patients because I have had the surgery and love my results!”

Beauty product she’s loving: 
Kirsten can’t go without her Aveda “Shampure” dry shampoo. “I’ve always had super oily skin and hair, and this stuff is amazing for that,” she says. “I love that it’s not an aerosol and it’s not wet. It’s just a powder that you ‘puff’ into your scalp, and it actually gives my hair more volume and texture, too.”

Fashion piece she loves: 
Her job requires her to wear scrubs, and she definitely has a favorite brand. “I swear by the Jockey and Purple Label brands,” she says. Outside of work, Kirsten wears all things LOFT, particularly its cardigans and skinny jeans. “But obviously my new favorite fashion piece is my wedding ring,” she says with a beaming smile. “I’m obsessed with it.”

Recent purchase she’s praising: 
Kirsten was gifted a book called 31 Prayers for My Future Husband by Jennifer and Aaron Smith, which she began reading in the months leading up to her wedding. “I used to try and pray for my future husband, but I never really knew how,” she says. “I think this book is perfect for women of any age, in any stage of life. Whether you’re already married, dating, or single, it helps you pray for his heart and his mind. It teaches you how to pray for a heart of compassion, purity, humility, dying to self, and your future oneness. It even has writing challenges and sample vows. I absolutely loved this book, and it really helped prepare my heart and mind for marriage.”