It is not enough to be busy...

The question is: what are we busy about?

Henry David Thoreau

Ahhh, Monday. Time to get productive again. Although I aspired to hang at my favorite new coffee shop while being studious yesterday, alas. This girl didn't leave the house. Nor did I get ahead on schoolwork.

After these two events happened in a single day, I thought I was going to have to abandon my new hangout. Fortunately, I discovered a parking area about a block away that lets me plug the meter for 8 whole hours. Do you know how many blog posts essays I can write in that time? Resolution reached.

On Saturday Mario and I reached a level of productivity we have not attained in a some time. We went through the entire contents of Jared's dresser, had him try on everything, and sorted into piles for consignment, thrift store, and Planet Aid. Then we headed out to remedy his clothing situation. Or lack thereof. 

I never imaged needing to step foot in an Abercrombie store. I'm not an, um, Abercrombie girl. I like their clothes, sure, but they don't like hips. So while I desperately wanted to fit into their clothes as a teenager, in adulthood I resigned myself to the fact that they simply weren't made for me. Kiddo, on the other hand, is made exactly for their clothes. He has a long, skinny torso and broad, muscular shoulders. And he's a bit sensory when it comes to clothing, so he is really attracted to the softness of their cotton (how do they do that?!). So we made the pilgrimage to an Abercrombie Kids store to load up on his go-to shirts and jeans. Price-wise they are pretty affordable ($12 tees) and totally worth having Kiddo get dressed without a fuss on school mornings. There is nothing pretentious about his affinity for their clothing... though in high school it seemed that was the only reason my peers wore it. I can't step into one of their stores without flashbacks to my nerdier years.

During our shopping excursion, I scored two graduation dresses and a maxi skirt I can't get enough of. And I wasn't even looking. The skirt and brown polka dot dress (which is SO much cuter in person) are courtesy of Loft Outlet. I am graduating with honors, which means I will be attending two ceremonies. So I need two dresses that can go under my gown but won't clash with it. They also need to be comfortable because I will be wearing them for hours and hours. These two cuties fit the bill. They are spring-y, soft, and the perfect material for whatever the weather decides to do that day.  The polka dot dress is from Gap. I saw it and kept my fingers crossed the whole time I was trying it on... I really wanted it to be as cute on as it was on the rack. It didn't disappoint. And 30% off dresses told me it was meant to be.

This is my dressing room face. I am not the girl that looks good in everything. Trying things on is a chore. And an ego blow. It definitely reminded me how much better I feel when I eat right and exercise regularly.

Sunday was a lazy kind of day. The boys watched movies, I caught up on some DVR'd shows and laundry. I baked cookies for the boys (and let's be honest, me), and enjoyed a leisurely day.

For dinner Mario barbequed homemade pizza.. because our deck is finally snow-free for the first time in 6 months. I like to call it stream-of-consciousness pizza. I literally walk through the store and grab whatever strikes my fancy. No plan. I pick out dough, and as I do my other shopping I pick up ingredients that catch my eye. Last night was natural green olives (they taste like regular black olives, but smoother and more buttery), garlic with jalapenos (ooofta...they were hot. I sliced them very thin), peppadew sweet peppers, sweet Italian sausage, and smoked mozzarella sliced very thin. Mario threw on some fresh Parmesan and carmelized onions. Every time we do this, we both declare it to be the best pizza we've ever had. And no two pizzas are ever alike. Yum.

This week is Kiddo's spring break. Mario took the week off to spend with him. After dual dentist appointments tomorrow morning, they are heading to NYC to explore the city and visit with Mario's brother who lives in Brooklyn. We've been there many times, but we never feel like we've explored enough... there is just so much to see. 

This means I have the week to focus on wrapping up the semester. No running Jared to the YMCA for lessons between classes. No getting up at 6a. I can stay out and study as late as I'd like and give schoolwork my undivided attention... without guilt. My goal is to wrap up as many assignments as I can over the next five days. I may even take an evening yoga class for the first time in ages.

In honor of this week of freedom, I made Kiddo pancakes from scratch for breakfast. Now I am at my caffeine-filled hangout plugging away for a bit.

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