Shopping

If you know me, you know that shopping is not one of my favorite things to do.  Every once in awhile, I'll get a bug and feel like hitting up Target or Home Goods.  But in general, clothes shopping is fairly low on my list of preferred activities (I have a list for everything). 
BUT sometimes it just needs to be done.  Like when you're wearing the same camis you wore back in college.  Or the soles of your shoes have holes in them.  Or you've spent the last few years a) pregnant, b) recovering from being pregnant, c) working part-time (thus only a part-wardrobe is required), or d) all of the above.

Now that I'm staring down a new school year, during which I will be working full-time for the first time since Carson was born, I took a good look at my closet and realized that, while it is full, it is full of things that do not fit.  Somehow, although my weight is the same as it was before I had C, the shape of things has shifted.  So first, I tried on a bunch of stuff to see what should stay & what needed to go.  Then I made a list of key pieces I was missing (nice khakis, short sleeve cardigans to make some of my sleeveless shirts work-appropriate, etc).  Then I informed Brandon that I would like to have one full day to shop.  Not to shop together (even though he & C would have the best of intentions if they came) but one day, just me, no time limits, no interruptions.

And my amazing husband delivered.

On Wednesday of this week, Carson spent the day with Daddy.  And I got a whole. entire. day. to myself!  I went to the North Georgia Outlets and shopped my brains out.  Seriously, I was brainless by the time I came home. Shopping exhausts me physically, and especially mentally.  Too many decisions. 
Anyway, I noticed several differences between this day and usual errand-running:

1. I could drink/eat/pee whenever I wanted.

2. I didn't have to carry ANYTHING.  I put my phone & money in my pockets and took off!  I felt so free.  I imagine it might have been more liberating than going bra-less was for women in the 60's.  But I have no intention of finding out.

3. "Trying on clothes" involved more than holding a shirt on a hanger up in front of myself and deciding, "Mmm, that looks about right," before tossing it into a cart.

4. I was able to visit and revisit certain areas of the store, try things on more than once, and even create entire 'ensembles' through trial & error.

5. It was maybe possibly a tiny little bit lonely.

I just wanted to say thank you to my amazing husband for providing me with a much-appreciated day to myself.  I know that I'm so blessed to get to spend so much time with Carson, and I also know that I am a better mom today because I got that 'me-time' yesterday.  It wasn't needed, but it was definitely an amazing bonus.  Thanks babe!

And because I'm not a total dummy and I know that most of you read this blog to see C, here's a pic of her finger painting earlier this week.  She did great getting dirty (she's kind of prissy about getting messy) until some paint got on her leg.  Then she seriously stared at me for a full 5 seconds (which, like dog years, is about 7 times that for a toddler) and declared, "All done painting!  Wash!"