This post is sponsored by BROOKSIDE Chocolate, but all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!

Blush Loafers (Back in stock hereAlso available here.) / Floral Tote (Here’s the crossbody version.) / Trench Coat (Double-breasted version here.) / Striped Button-Neck Sweatshirt / Jeans

Playing hooky: the concept has always been appealing, but doing it? Definitely not a Kelly Larkin move. I still kind of shudder thinking about that one time in high school when I ditched first period to get bagels with a friend, blaming my lateness on traffic. 😂

But last week, it was 70 degrees, and I decided on a whim to skip out on work. I had a lot on my plate and had totally planned on spending the day cooped up inside to take care of it all. Instead, though, I closed my laptop, grabbed my camera, and spent the WHOLE day at the park with Mitch and Emma. And then went out with my girlfriends at night.

WHO WAS I?

I’d obviously taken days off before, but they’d always been planned out well in advance, and I’d always had all my ducks in a row ahead of time to prepare for it. Last week, however, my ducks had a full-on dance party, and you know what? It was really, really great. :) Sure, I had a few messes to take care of on Friday as a result. 🙈 But I actually felt pretty proud of myself for recognizing that I needed some “me time.” And there’s just something so gratifying in not being at work when you know you should be. ;) Back when I was a teacher in New York, something as silly as being at the doctor’s with pink eye made me want to jump for joy. (Though perhaps that should have been indication that I was ready to take a break from the profession, haha.)

Either way, I think these photos speak to how much fun we had on Thursday. We brought along some BROOKSIDE Chocolate, which is delicious dark chocolate fused with fruit flavor combinations like Acai and Blueberry, Pomegranate and Goji and Raspberry–for a special treat, and it was amazing. The chocolate is off the charts, and the blends of flavors are so unique. I love that it’s both sweet and tangy, too! (BROOKSIDE Chocolate is available at most major retailers, so you have to pick some up the next time you see it!)

Something else I love about BROOKSIDE is that the brand is still improving its chocolate after 50 years, and that this spring, the they’re championing women who are committed to bettering themselves and to being “daringly different.” Several women are being highlighted, like the Go Go’s guitarist Kathy Valentine, who’s pursuing her college degree… and Patricia Kelly who’s riding horses and teaching at-risk youth in her 70s. And the idea is that they’ll inspire ladies like you and me to embrace our gutsiness and do something ballsy.

They don’t have to be big things; just things that require some boldness. Playing hooky, for example, isn’t going to get me on the news, but it certainly has me thinking about what my next move will be. One idea is going hot air ballooning out west in the fall. (More details on that to come. While it definitely scares me, I really don’t want to turn the opportunity down!) Another is possibly making a move. (Love our teeny house so much, and never thought we’d leave it. But surprise, surprise. Our family is starting to need more space.) One more is using my platform for good. (I’ve started to work on a few ideas, and hope to bring them to fruition this season.)

I’d love to hear about something you’ve done recently–or want to do–along these lines! Hope you had a great weekend, guys!

Shop the post:

Blush Loafers (Back in stock hereAlso available here.) / Floral Tote (Here’s the crossbody version.) / Trench Coat (Double-breasted version here.) / Striped Button-Neck Sweatshirt / Jeans

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