This Week's R.E.P.O.R.T

    Instead of giving a play-by-play of what I have been up to this past week, I am going to give a R.E.P.O.R.T of the week. You may be wondering - what does R.E.P.O.R.T stand for? It represents what my current interests are in the categories of Reading, Eating, Playing, Obsessions, Recommendations, and Treats (that I have bought myself). Without further ado, here is the R.E.P.O.R.T!

Reading

    I am currently reading a lot of random news articles I find on the home page of The New York Times or the Washington Post. I will read just about anything, from updates on the war in Ukraine to a story of how a family rebuilt a barn into a "she-shed", or to the best way to roast a chicken. I love having random tidbits of knowledge and reading these random articles has been a great way to grow my "collection".

Eating

    This week I have been making and eating a lot of nostalgic food from when I was younger. Grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese have been staples as they are quick and easy to make, but are also filling. I have also been watching movies before I go to bed, meaning that I have had a lot of popcorn. I like to experiment with what I use to add flavor to my popcorn, and my favorite combination has been garlic powder and parmesan cheese for a savory option. For a sweet option, I have been adding either dark chocolate M&Ms or Brownie Bites (the candy).

Playing

    I have been trying to play music from new artists that I have recently discovered, or new music from artists that I am familiar with. This week, Olivia Rodrigo released a new album, and even though I am not as big of a fan as I was in High School, I still listened on the day it was released. I have also been listening to a lot of Indie music and the "Happy Mix" on Spotify. I have also been playing a lot of movies that I haven't seen in a while: this week's picks were Heathers, Kill Bill (volumes one and two), and The Devil Wears Prada. I have also been playing random shows and videos to use as background noise when working on homework assignments. 

Obsessions

    My number one obsession this past week has been Pinterest. When I have free time, I spend it updating my boards, organizing creative ideas and recipes, and finding new people to follow. Pinterest is a great way to gain inspiration for anything from how to redecorate my room to different ways to organize my assignments. Another thing that I have been doing a lot in my free time is making beaded jewelry. It sounds ridiculous, but doing something that does not require a screen is a nice way to take a break. Additionally, it can be satisfying to make something tangible that you can wear.

Recommendation

    A recommendation I have this week is the free games from The New York Times. Wordle of course is a staple, but the daily Mini Crossword and a newer game called Connections are super fun as well. These little puzzles are a great way to take a short study break while still keeping your mind active and engaged. Additionally, having an app with logic puzzles, more crosswords, and random word games has helped me still feel like I am being productive and learning new words, even when I may actually be procrastinating.

Treat

    This week I have treated myself to a lot of things that I definitely didn't need. My first error was that I went to TJ Maxx with two of my friends who encouraged me to buy anything I was barely even interested in. Negative $75 and two hours later, I left the store with hair clips, makeup, skincare, pajamas, and a sweatshirt. Even worse, we went grocery shopping afterward and I stocked up on snacks. Brownie mix, popcorn, crackers, and cheese cubes filled my basket and, before I knew it, I was another $25 down.

This week has been super busy, but I am so happy that I have had time to deliver my R.E.P.O.R.T!