Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Mom’s Day Out

June 23, 2014

It was a long week last week after a depressing winter and a spring of wondering what the hell I’m doing these days. Well, it was time to have a break! I did not know just how much I had needed one until I was on my way home feeling incredibly energized. Even this morning I’m jumping around practically high fiving myself. :-) I know you’re all dying to know what I did and so here’s the breakdown. First the short version:

1. Made my list of what I wanted to look at/buy/get.
2. Starbucks for coffee and pastry
3. Music – Summer Mix 2014, Madonna, Rio album
4. Go to Target and lots of bookstores
5. Eat at Panera – ALONE
6. More bookstores
7. Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frapp to drink and Handmaiden of the Lord 2 for driving home music

Okay, those of you who don’t want to hear the long version may leave. Everyone else, grab a cuppa and come in close.

I had been planning this day for a couple of weeks knowing that Steve didn’t have to go to work until 4:30pm so it meant that I’d have the WHOLE day to myself. Guilty feelings? Yes, because I know the kids would have enjoyed a day out. However, I wanted to look at very specific things and have the time to do it without the kids being bored to death. That’s why I went alone. I made my list of homeschool materials I wanted to look at as well as other things I was in the market for. Little did I know it was going to be a day full of bookstores. :-)

I was out of the house by 7:30am on Saturday, popped in my Summer Mix 2014 cd and, of course, my first stop was Starbucks to pick up a coffee and pastry for breakfast. That getting healthy thing? That doesn’t apply on my special days out. No guilt here.

My first stop was Target (as always) and I picked up a gift for Matt and looked at makeup and books. Completely forgot about the Tasters Choice instant decaf singles we can only get out of town now, but I did pick up “The Body Book” by Cameron Diaz. That’s part of my get healthy summer. I had to decide early on not to spend an eternity in here like I usually do because I had other places I wanted to go. Like…

Michaels craft store! We don’t have one here so it was a great time to see what was new. That was fun! I picked up a couple of 6X8″ pocket pages (for photos), a couple of little tote bags the kids can take to the library for books, and a pretty photo box that I’ll use to put special things I want to keep. After that I was off to…

Ulta – YES – another store that I could spend a lot of time in! I wish I’d had time for a hair cut and a brow shaping, but I decided to do that around August or September when I’ve really decided on a hairstyle I want. The thing I like about Ulta is it has department store brands and drugstore brands so there’s a lot to choose from. Oh, and the amount of travel sized goodies – squee!! Did I ever tell you I’m a makeup junkie too? Anywho, since I’m simplifying I just picked up a clear pink nail polish (not the one I wanted but close enough), a day moisturizer, and a night cream. Simple is what I’m going for these days. Next up…

Mardel’s – a Christian bookstore that has a lot of homeschooling materials. Mostly I looked at stuff here and made some final decisions on curriculum for next year. I forgot one thing – the Simple Plan homeschool planner. Well, guess I’ll have to go again. :-) After that it was on to…

Gardner’s – only the best used book store in the state. No, really, it is! Another homeschool mom tipped me off about it years ago and we’ve been going ever since. I found five books that I’ve been wanting to own – I couldn’t believe my luck! I bought, Seasons of A Woman’s Life (okay, that was not on my list but I need it), Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Committed”, “The Girlfriend’s Guide To Getting Your Groove Back” by Vicki Iovine, and “Staging Your Comeback” (yeah, I’m aging). All for $20! Love used bookstores! And then it was time for…

Bibliomania – a great used homeschool curriculum bookstore. I almost always find what I’m needing in here and it’s nice just to look at stuff when you really don’t know what to choose. Sue, who I’ve known for years, is always ready and willing to help out. I ended up buying the math curriculum we’ll need, but I also did a lot of browsing. That’s a key thing with me – I like to look and ponder before buying.

By the time I finished there, my stomach was rumbling so I knew I needed to eat. The dilemma? Run by a drive thru or actually sit down and eat. I opted to sit down and it and went to Panera. The parking lot was full so I thought they were really busy, but I lucked out – not crowded at all! To those who don’t know me, I rarely (I mean like once every few years) go to eat alone anywhere. I had decided to put on my “It doesn’t matter” attitude and everything went fine. I sat and ate and enjoyed the quiet. Making progress folks – making progress. Would you believe another bookstore was next on my list?

Barnes and Noble – This is where I knew I was finishing up my trip – getting tired and wanting a frapp for the drive home. I looked to my heart’s content and ended up buying D’Aulaire’s Norse Myths books. We may have to have another nightly family read-aloud with this one. All of the D’Aulaire’s books are wonderful so check them out! The last stop on my list…

The Catholic Bookstore – I don’t often have time to venture in here, but I’m glad I had time yesterday. I found some good books for the kids and a book and cd for myself. I was the only one in the store so I (again) browsed to my heart’s content. Haven’t done that in quite awhile!

So, that wrapped up my trip and I knew I needed to get back in time to take Steve to work (and figure out what to do for supper – I really need to do crock pot recipes on Saturdays.) I popped in my newly bought Handmaiden of the Lord 2 cd for the drive home, stopped off only to put gas in the car, and headed out. The music was like a retreat for the drive home and I found myself so energized that I realized that I hadn’t realized just how much I needed this day out! I also realized I might be going through a mid-life crisis, but I’ll save those thoughts for another day.

So, it was a great day and a much needed break. And of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a couple pictures to remember it by.

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» Mom’s Day Out » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Mom’s Day Out

June 23, 2014

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