I hope everyone had a good Monday and that it was relatively painless to get back in the swing of things. My Mondays are always a rather harsh re-entry into the week with a 5 a.m. wake up call and teaching BodyPump before I even make it into work. This morning was especially tough given the extra-long weekend but I always end up happy that I started the day with my class because I am so motivated by my members who are there so early and ready to work out with me!

I ate a big bowl of banana oatmeal at my desk before a morning full of meetings. Brandon and I headed home for lunch and I made us amazing grilled cheese sandwiches.

Cranberry sauce, sharp white cheddar and spinach on Great Harvest Stuffing Bread. So delicious! And you can’t have grilled cheese without tomato soup. It was a gray, cold day in Charlotte so the soup hit the spot.

Brandon and I hoped to get our Christmas tree after work today but when we arrived at Home Depot we discovered that they were pretty picked over and expecting a new shipment tomorrow. We went home treeless and I had no excuse to skip yoga with Sarah. We attended a great class at Charlotte Yoga. I like to call this class “yoga church” because there is always some sort of inspirational message that really makes you think and turn inward during your practice.

Dinner tonight was leftover vegetarian chili from Saturday night’s get together.

I was really pleased with how this veggie chili turned out. I definitely did not miss the meat at all and Brandon didn’t complain once tonight about it.

We had a salad on the side and I had one more slice of pumpkin pie for dessert. I am officially done with Thanksgiving desserts! No mas!

And backing up with a quick recap of Sunday highlights since I posted early in the day and missed a lot. I was hoping to get 10ish miles in but ran short on time before hot yoga (priorities!). I ended up getting seven easy miles in.

First three miles with Sullie at a 9:00 pace and last four on my own at around an 8:40 pace. The weather was perfect – sunny and high 40s. I wore shorts, a long-sleeved shirt and gloves.

When I arrived home from my run I immediately showered and rushed off to the yoga studio for a 90 minute hot class. The Sunday hot class is a lot more relaxed than the normal ashtanga and vinyasa classes I attend and I look forward to the low-key practice to wrap up the weekend. My only complaint is that the class is always super packed. I don’t even want to think about how bad it’s going to be after the New Year.

I was so ready for a snack when I got home from class.

I turned to an old favorite – an organic apple with Trader Joe’s crunchy peanut butter. I also gave the apple a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon after I took this shot.

We kept dinner simple Sunday night with pasta and a salad.

Penne with Vodka Sauce (made with whole wheat penne and whole milk instead of cream) with sauteed shrimp and topped with basil and fresh parmesan. French bread with olive oil and herbs for dipping on the side.

Bed time! Another 5 a.m. wake up call tomorrow for ashtanga. I haven’t practiced it in a week and I miss it so much!

***The piglet and frog cupcakes are up on Bakin’ and Eggs!***