Getting back into the swing of things...

How quickly the holidays seem to go by these days. I remember Christmas break seeming to last forever when I was a kid, and now I'm constantly wondering how it is already time to get back to work? :(

I made my triumphant return to the lab yesterday, although since I have a paper due for my supervisor this Friday I only stayed long enough to drop off my things, say hi to everyone, and then I headed to the local coffee shop, Just US!, to get some work done.

I absolutely love going there! The staff are super friendly, and they have a great selection of organic and fair trade coffees and teas. And as an added bonus, they have a ton of vegan options! It is also a really great place to get work done, since it is so close to the lab. Plus, it is a lot nicer working on a paper in a cozy and colorful environment rather than sitting at my desk cramped in the corner of the student office!

I am proud to say that despite all of the vegan goodies offered, I stuck to my goal and brought my own food yesterday (some leftover quinoa and black bean pepper "stuffing"). I did, however, treat myself to a yummy pot of Andean Infusion tea (extra yummy if you add a bit of honey to it).

What an adorable little tea pot!

I took a paper break mid-day to hit up the gym with my lovely gym buddy. Even though I was still pretty sore from Sunday it felt really good to get back to it!

As a special treat I made some DELICIOUS sweet potato Dahl for supper (and lunch today). I will post the recipe a little later. So good.

After a bit more work on my pesky paper I headed to the boys to relax a bit, and ended up catching the premier of The Biggest Loser. I might be hooked now.

I really liked Courtney, she seemed pretty determined, and willing to do what it takes to get healthy- I really hope she makes it far.

In other fun news, I got a great new toy today...

A brand new iPod Shuffle!

I won it at our lab Christmas party back in December- and it came in today, just in time for my triumphant return to the gym tomorrow. (I feel like kind of a tool walking around the gym listening to music on my iPhone).

Next step is to come up with some great pump up music to put on it to keep me moving during my workouts. Any suggestions?

April xo