Showing posts with label studying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label studying. Show all posts
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.

Linking up:
stillbeingmolly

It is not enough to be busy...

Monday, April 22, 2013


I was all set to write my usual weekend in review post this fine morning, but quickly discovered that my Eye-Fi hasn't had a chance to upload my photos from the past few days.  I have nothing to show for my weekend . . . photographically, at least. The weekend itself was quite productive. I suppose I will have to save all that for tomorrow.

It's early to say definitively, but this week seems to be following the weekend's example productivity-wise. After dropping Kiddo off at school this morning, I hit the gym for a good workout. Despite not being able to make it over the weekend, I'm proud to have upheld last week's resolution to work out my mental and physical roadblocks on a (more) regular basis.

I have two exams this week, so motivation and focus are going to be integral to my success over the next few days.  My usual study haunt is Starbucks. Large tables, familiar staff, and the ability to camp out for hours and hours without feeling like I have overstayed my welcome are why I come back time and time again.


I went through a little disconnect with them earlier this semester and feared that I wouldn't have a reliable place to work anymore. Luckily, I got over it and once again found it to be a productive place to focus on academic matters.

Mario spent a day working from a local coffee shop on our quaint historic Main Street last week and raved about how great it was. Open to a fresh new environment, I decided to head there today. Mario was totally right. Soak up that last sentence, Honey. 

I have always liked their coffee, but never really thought about making it my go-to place. I'm rethinking that notion as I write this. A chill authentic coffeehouse feel, supporting a local business, and amazing sandwiches to boot. I'm a convert.

Some of you might be thinking Boy, this girl is waxing poetic about a place to get coffee and respond to emails. Her life must be sooo dull. You wouldn't be entirely wrong. But those of you who work from home some or all of the time (but find it hard to stay productive there), go to college (and have a hard time getting homework done at home), or simply need a cohesive environment to get things done . . . you get it. I'm sure you do. Half of getting a paper written, for me, is finding a place that inspires me to write.

I'm not sure I would be graduating in a month, nor would my GPA be what it is, if I didn't have somewhere to go. To let it all out away from the distractions of home. Because when I am with my family, I want to be with them. Not answering homework questions. Physical separation is a must.

Here's to you, my new home away from home. If you are ever in southwestern New Hampshire, give Brewbakers a shout.


Mario,

I miss you, Boyfriend. You are forever in my acknowledgements section. I'll eat you up I love you so.

Scooter

P.S. Boyfriend is my occasional nickname for Husband. Don't ask. I lack a good explanation. Nothing tawdry going on here.


liquid joy and a place for pondering

Monday, April 8, 2013

Hidey ho good neighbors! Too early for a Home Improvement reference? Never! The peppiness is for good reason: My groove is officially on its way back. Bags packed, flights booked...it's returning!

This boost in morale oddly correlates with a big journal article presentation (we nailed it), a monster homework assignment (done a day early), and two upcoming exams (one is take-home!). In the process of meeting with my classmates to prep for our PowerPoint, researching, and streamlining my notes, things started to fall into place. Next week's exam is going to be tough, but it feels good to be flexing my brain and getting back into my element. The last few weeks have been painful...trying to find motivation from nothing was really hard, and I was starting to worry about my mindset. Why am I feeling so indifferent? Am I depressed? What's happening?! 

From now until next Thursday, my life is going to look a lot like this:


Kiddo also seemed to find his groove this week. I should do an entire post dedicated to the wonder that is Hue. Admittedly, the app required to run it is a bit glitchy, but the system is awesome. We have two light bulbs in Jared's room and I used the third in my bedside lamp. At 6:05a, on the nose, the sun rises in our rooms. No more struggling to wake up in pitch black darkness. A good start has made all the difference for him (and me).


I've had a strange relationship with my blog the last two weeks. In an attempt to find balance, I started writing the bulk of my posts on the weekend, then scheduling them in advance. Although it helped me manage my time, I felt very disconnected from my content...like someone else had written it. So I am going to try and tweak my process a bit over the next week. I'm thinking I will plan posts in advance, create the collages and such, but save some of the core content for the days leading up to the post. I'm sure a lot of you have experienced this (advice?!), but I was spending two hours in the morning writing that day's post, answering emails, commenting on other blogs, and linking up instead of using that precious alone time to study or get ahead on assignments; leading to unnecessary stress and guilt over wasted time. I can't say it enough: Balance. I need to find it.

I also started taking better care of myself. It is no mystery that tired, processed-food-eating Sarah feels icky. I maintained a reasonable, regular bedtime every night this week and realized that I hadn't taken my B vitamins in several days. Things quickly fall apart without them. For the first time this year, I downed the health shake my doctor recommended years ago...the total nutrition makes it seem like I'm running on more cylinders, at least. I'll have to devote a post solely to this issue as well.

Anywho, I hope everyone enjoyed the Week of Love. Although I don't usually invest much in this rather commercialized holiday, this year felt different.

1. While I was in talking to his teacher, Kiddo built this smiley snowman. In a half hour. Did I mention it is nearly as tall as he is? Seeing it the last couple days at drop-off/pick-up has made me happy. I think we found his calling... 2. I got a wild streak. Literally and figuratively. I was feeling spunky and up for a change (my months old pink streaks were almost gone), so I put some blue streaks in my hair. By myself. I said I was feeling frisky and acknowledge that things could have gone horribly wrong. I don't bleach my hair before putting it on, which allows me to change it up when the color starts to fade. And yes, my fine, curly/wavy hair is that wild when left to its own devices.  3. Mario left on Sunday for some meetings at his company's San Diego-based headquarters. His last meeting was cancelled, so he changed his ticket and caught a red-eye home Thursday morning. A whole day early. I took a break from lab work and we went out for a Valentine's Day sushi lunch. The only thing better than a sushi lunch date? A half price sushi lunch date. Thankfully, we felt quite well, so 1/2 price wasn't synonymous with get-rid-of-the-old-fish. After finding out how much my present cost, I'm glad we dined on the cheap. We are serious romantics.  4. My Valentine's Day present! I don't expect such things, but Mario pulled up outside the science building with a gift in hand. A micro lens for my camera! I am now officially a serious photographer, because I have lenses. Plural. I photographed everything on the table at lunch...it takes amazing photos! Husband is getting a massage on Monday (better to let a professional handle that).  5. Because Mario came home early, and is oh so nice, he took over chaperone/carpool duties for ski day at Jared's school today. It's a small charter school, so they rely on parents to get the kids to various events. I happen to be one of the few parents that consistently volunteers, so I often spend my days off shuttling kiddos around. Instead, I am sitting in a quiet house, hot beverage nearby, typing up a fresh post. And before I head out to turn in an assignment and run errands, I'm going to tackle the monstrosity that is my desk. Holy catalogs, junk mail, bills, and magazines Batman!

Happy Friday! Plans?

High Five for Friday: A Week of Love

Friday, February 15, 2013

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