Legislative Day 77.  A little more than two weeks left before the Legislative Session ends.  And what a doozy this week has been.

The bill I’ve been working on, LINC, came out of committee today, which is great.  Just a few more fiery hoops to jump through before it can become law.  Every night, I say the same prayer, “Let this bill become law. Let it help these women.”

Beyond that, I’m just trying to keep my life together.  Every day is one of those days when you look at the clock and say, “How is it already 2:30PM?!” Then, I get home at the end of the day and just lay on the couch while Avery and Sophie demand their daily quota of snuggles.  A quote that seems to grow in direct proportion to how many hours they spend in their crate.

But it will all be over sooner than I think.  So here’s what’s helping me keep up and plan for life after the Legislature.

I plan to wear nothing but printed wrap dresses all summer.  I had a couple last summer, and they made life so easy.  Gain weight, lose weight, they accommodate.  Dress up with earrings and heels, or dress down with flats.

This Madewell floral wrap dress is a lovely, bright option.  This & Other Stories Kimono Wrap looks so relaxed and comfortable.  And this Band of Gypsies dress also caught my eye. For a plus-sizes option, try this City Chic pin-dot dress.

I don’t have time to read much anymore, but my friend Hitha loves the Bad on Paper podcast.  The episodes are light hearted and diverting after stressful days.  They also let you join a bookclub without joining a book club.

For April, they’re reading Daisy Jones & The Six, which was Book of the Month Club pick this month.  Hopefully, I’ll soon find time to read it.

Cooking for one is not a whole bunch of fun.  However, I do get to eat what I want without care for Kyle’s many banned ingredients (mushrooms, squash, beans, tomatoes, etc.).

This Balsamic Skirt Steak from Martha Stewart is one of those meals that looks so fancy, but with a little prep takes no time at all. Plus, skirt steak is often on sale, so it’s an affordable meal.  I like to mix in a little wilted spinach, just to get another vegetable.

My skin has actually been looking great thanks to a few mini-peels at Crafted Aesthetics in Helena.  But with my hormones spiking this week, I’ve had a few deep blemishes forming.  The Acropass Trouble Cure Patch has been a lifesaver.

The patches have tiny “needles” on the patch that really penetrate the skin.  They’re not painful, though there is a little itching for the first few seconds, but it dissipates quickly.  They’re pricey at 6 for $24, but to cure a painful, deep pimple overnight?  I’ll pay it.

Last month, a colleague asked me why I wasn’t more upset about an issue the Legislature was debating.  I told him I was engaging in “selective outrage.”  It’s so easy to get sucked into these giant issues, let them swell inside of you, and get so invested that it can be harmful.  First, it might close you off to important alternate perspectives.  Second, it can stress you out.  And frankly, life is stressful enough.

So this story from Man Repeller about The Art of Not Having an Opinion really resonated with me.  I listen to arguments.  I organize my thoughts on a topic.  But I’m doing a better job about not letting every.single.issue rise to the level of commitment.  Because being overwhelmed by issues that I have zero or very little control over isn’t healthy.  It’s not apathy or being desensitized, it’s just consciously deciding where to put my energies.

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