the Princess {Sheepy} and the Pea

So I really like pillows.

Sheepy does too.

and then in the sunshine I couldn't stop exploring so I ran on

Today I escaped the lab and went for a late morning run, that turned into an adventure as soon as I decided to go down a trail instead of turning around and then ended up in the middle of nowhere on a farm...

But I made it back to the baby Arboretum at Penn State, which I've been meaning to explore for a while.  The botanical gardens are going to be gorgeous in a few months (right now everything is much more brown than my digitally enhanced photos), but I'd give the arboretum, oh, a couple of decades. Right now it is just an empty field with random little saplings planted in the middle of the grass.

I love this weather. But it is destroying my school focus. C'est la vie.

a goblet of purple

I am so excited that the sun is back for the week! It actually feels like spring, 60 degrees and a fresh-smelling breeze.  Even when I'm stuck inside all day, it gives me more energy and motivation just knowing that the sun is shining out there, somewhere!

I'm also excited about my new bouncy running shoes that I caved in and bought, after realizing that the bulk of my recurring injuries and hip-pain was probably linked to my old shoes that I have been wearing for more than a YEAR, and that never really fit my feet. I am slowly moving up my mileage this time, and have made it to 1.5 miles at a time. So far so good!!

Now that it's getting warmer and I won't turn into an icicle on the inside AND outside if I drink a frozen smoothie, I have re-kindled my love for frozen fruit.  Especially frozen blueberries.  I am not a huge fan of fresh blueberries (unless they are in baked goods), I mean they're good, but there are so many other fruits that are juicier and more delicious! But then I discovered this blueberry smoothie and now I am on my second bag of frozen bluebs. The ingredients may seem weird, but the soy protein makes it more filling than your average fruit/ice concoction! Plus, the color is amazing. It is the perfect springtime easter-eggy purple. I can't get over it. It is even prettier in real life :)

Blueberry Smoothie of Purple Delight

one cup almond milk (or cow's milk)

one frozen banana (peel and break into pieces before you freeze them)

1/2 to 1 cup frozen blueberries

1/5 container silken tofu (can't even taste it i promise)

vanilla

agave, honey, sweetener to taste

Put everything in a blender and watch the purple magically appear!

I like to drink my smoothies out of wine glasses.

It is much classier than my old giant plastic cups.