Hooray! It’s December! I have to admit I was pretty wiped out after completing NaBloPoMo, but of course I have to join Coco and Deborah for their monthly coffee date. Let’s take out our favorite holiday mugs, and get started!
If we were having coffee (or tea) together, the first thing I would tell you about is my trip to the gym on Wednesday. I had my free session with a trainer, and… it was so annoying.
He took me on a circuit of the machines- instead of free weights, so that I wouldn’t “hurt” myself- and made sure not to set anything too heavy, because he didn’t want me to be sore the next day. I could tell he assumed that, since I hadn’t been to the gym in 1,070 days, I was out of shape.
I wanted to say, “Listen, buddy! I’ve been doing Peloton! I’ve been doing Caroline Girvan! Ever heard of her?” Then, at one point he exclaimed, “Wow, you’re stronger than you look!”
What is THAT supposed to mean???
When we were done, he tried to give me the hard sell on a package of training sessions. Um… no, thanks. I’ll just continue to forge ahead on my own.
Then I went and did what I really came there for, which was bench press and squats.
Moving along! If we were drinking our Earl Grey out of festive mugs together, I would ask you how your holiday preparations are coming along.
I had a big shopping trip on Wednesday where I bought wrapping paper, bows, candy canes, peppermint-scented hand soap, a present for the Secret Santa Mug Exchange (ooh! How exciting!) And… I couldn’t resist getting some holiday deodorant.
I love Native deodorant, and was excited to find that they have small sizes of different holiday scents. I was considering the peppermint or the mistletoe, but then I thought I would live a little and get “spiked eggnog.”
As I was applying it the next day, I thought that maybe it smelled a little… sickening. And guess what- the smell of it lingered all day. Turns out I don’t LIKE smelling like spiked eggnog. Who knew? I should have gone with the mistletoe.
The last thing I would tell you is that I seem to have missed the Official Weekend for putting up outdoor lights. I think everyone in our neighborhood- everyone who puts up lights, that is- has them up already, except us. This is making me feel very anxious…. I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!
Do you have your decorations up?
Have you bought Christmas or Hanukkah presents yet? – I’ve bought three (if you count my Secret Santa present.) I better get moving!
45 Responses
That really doesn’t surprise me about the trainer at the gym! One of the reasons I left my previous trainer (precovid) was that he resisted giving me heavier weights. Well, you showed him! I bet he will see you crushing it out there and realize his mistake! Egg nog deodorant? hmm
Yes! I feel like everyone (in my real life- not my blogger friends) is trying to talk me out of lifting heavier weights. Well, luckily I have you guys to encourage me.
Egg nog deodorant? Read my post on Monday to see how I feel about egg nog ANYTHING!
That trainer sounds TERRIBLE. “Wow, you’re stronger than you look!” – would have left me FURIOUS!
I’m mostly done with gifts, and all our decorations are up except the tree; we don’t do outside lights at this point. My secret dream is to hire someone to come do outside decor some year. But we don’t own anything at this point (our house has been a reno zone for 5 years), and our place looks quite festive with nice pot lighting and a wreath and when our tree is up in the front window. But I do feel a bit guilty we don’t do more.
I’m sure your house looks really nice. Yes, some time in the future it would be amazing to have someone come put up outdoor decorations! I think you’re an under-buyer though… and it’s an investment to get started with. My kids always want to do more outdoor decorations but I don’t want to spend more money!
I am DEFINITELY an under buyer. The thought of storing more decorations does not sit well with me…
I thought of you when I saw the holiday deodorants! I bought the mistletoe and candy cane ones and they’re just fine. The Egg Nog one did not appeal! Haha! You need to speak up at the gym. I’ve had trainers try the same BS. TELL HIM you want to squat/bench/free weights. That’s ridiculous.
Yes- I should have spoken up. I could tell pretty early on that we weren’t a good match so I just gave up on him. Maybe I should have given him more of a chance.
That trainer sounds pretty clueless! What a waste of your time.
Egg Nog deodorant – I’ve never seen that before but I can’t imagine it was pleasant, but then again I’m not a fan of the drink! Will you give the other holiday scents a go?
I might! I’m thinking of the mistletoe or candy cane. They’re inexpensive, so why not?
That’s funny about the eggnog deodorant. I recently bought new deodorant & the “fresh citrus” scent smelled so enticing, but ooooh boy, does it ever linger. I’m tempted to throw it out & get something less invasive.
Yes… I actually don’t want to smell like my deodorant all day- I just want to not smell at all.
Oh my gosh! I have the native deodorants on my (upcoming) stocking stuffer list. I wasn’t sure how spiked egg nog would smell — I think I am leaning more toward sugar cookie or the candy cane one. But so fun to try, right?
How irritating for that trainer to underestimate you. Ugh. I am so annoyed on your behalf. You LOOK fit and strong and he is an idiot.
We have… zero Christmas decorations up. Maybe this weekend.
I would definitely go toward candy cane… but everyone’s different. I’m sure there are some people who like the sweet-smelling deodorants! It is fun to try them- and I love how they have “naughty” and “nice” scents.
Oh my goodness! That trainer! That’s truly upsetting. Of course you wouldn’t book in more sessikns. From the picture you look great and like you know what you’re doing. You look strong to me and that talks BS. I mentioned some of the things I do, as reply to your comment on my blog.
I’ve don3 almost zero Christmas prep here, except the Advent lights, and gifts for my husband. Perhaps I should get started!
Oh good- I’ll go look at your reply. I need ideas!
I’m sorry about all my odd typos in the above comment! I was using my ipad. Certain parts of iOS are not great 🤪
Boo to that trainer! What a disappointment. I do love eggnog, but I think I’ve found “the line” that I will not cross with deodorant. It makes me happy that it exists though.
Yes, I should have just appreciated it in the store, and left it there.
Ok, that trainer has no idea what he’s doing. I’m no expert but seriously? Us ‘older women’ need to lift heavy shit. Maybe you should have given him a copy of Nest Level!
We do not have our outdoor lights up yet. Nor the indoor decorations, lol. So I have this thing where I don’t want to put them up before Dec 1. Then it was cold and windy. So we are sans decoration. My neighbors are starting to talk. We’ll get it done this weekend, probably on Sunday when it warms up to 40. Our weather is out of control this year.
Yes, it’s tempting to wait till you have good weather… and then suddenly it’s the middle of December and you’re horribly behind. At least that’s what happens to me.
Ughhhh, I hate when trainers do that — it’s so incredibly insulting! What a waste. :[ I’m glad you went for training on your own instead.
No decorations for us this year, but hopefully/maybe next year!
Yes- I would like to work with a trainer at some point, but it’s hard to find a good one who really matches up with what you want.
I once bought coconut scented deodorant – I love the smell of coconut, why not? Turns out it was terrible.
At least that crappy training session was free, and also gave you information that you don’t need it!
I thought of you when I saw this week’s Hit Play Not Pause – it’s an interview with an ultrarunner! I have not listened to it yet, but I thought “JENNY! ULTRAMARATHON! MUST TALK!” Anyway, if you listen let me know!
Yep, I listened to it! And they mentioned an older episode with Magda Boulet (another ultrarunner) that I want to go back and listen to. I love it.
Ummm, shouldn’t the trainer listen to what your goals are and set up your training plan accordingly? I think he gave you a clear reason in that one session not to hire him. Just my two cents worth…
I finished my putting up our Christmas decorations last weekend. I’ve done about 75% of my shopping, but haven’t started the Christmas cards… as in I haven’t even ordered them.
Yes, that’s why I could tell we weren’t a good fit- he really wasn’t listening to me.
I haven’t even thought about cards this year! I probably won’t send out many…
I have to agree with everyone who is puzzled by that trainer. Shouldn’t the whole thing have started with him asking your about your fitness journey and your goals? Because then he’d know you’re not a newbie, despite the number of times you’ve been to the gym in the last couple of years!
Christmas decorations are up, most cards are addressed, but I need to stuff them and send them. I will buy gifts by the end of the weekend and that’s going to be that. Later this month, we’ll go to a light show, I’ll make cookies, and we’ll host a small gathering, and that will be holiday. Woot woot.
Oh, you’re organized! I still feel like I have so much to do… but it’ll get done- it always does.
That trainer sounds like he assumed a lot. Did he even ask you what experience you had?
I am sure you will get to the lights outside in time for Christmas. At least you have the tree up (that is something still missing in our house).
I got the lights up today! I wasn’t even planning on doing all of them, but once I started I decided to finish the job. What a relief!
Not that you would have hired a trainer anyway, but he sure didn’t sell you on his skills by underestimating you!
Ugh on putting on a scent that you don’t like. It usually happens with lotion for me, but there’s a fragrant hand soap I thought would smell good but apparently I can’t stand.
I think most of our neighborhood decorated Thanksgiving weekend.
Yeah, the guy was kind of clueless. I’m suspecting he trains a lot of older women who are new to strength, and he just put me in that same category.
We have a wreath on our door, but that’s it. And that’s because we came across some Boy Scouts selling them. We’ll get to the rest at some point…today? Maybe. Next weekend? More likely.
I have to mail gifts to Oregon and Alaska, and I am antsy to have that done. Which is silly, it’s only the 4th today. I have PLENTY of time. Right now I am waiting for some coffee that I ordered for my SIL to arrive. Two days after I ordered it, I found it in a local grocery store. I feel like the coffee I would get from ordering it online would be fresher than the coffee at the grocery store, so at this point I’m waiting. But starting to wonder if I should cancel my order and buy it, just so I can get it off of my plate. Which is ridiculous, because, again, it’s only the 4th.
I don’t worry as much about local gifts. I only have a few left to get, and I’m not exactly sure WHAT they will be.
That trainer sounds like a bad fit to me, good that you are doing it on your own. I’ve had bouts with plantar fasciitis, and man, that is no joke. I would do whatever I could to not trigger that, it would really hamper your running, right? So smart to back off of anything that feels like it will bring it on.
Yes, I feel the same way- I keep getting really worried about getting everything done, and then have to remind myself it’s still EARLY in December. I have a couple things to mail, and I do have to say I’ve had really good luck with the USPS for the most part- things get there pretty quickly, even this time of year.
We’re Jewish so not decorations (although my mom did decorate for Hannukah, and now she can’t find her menorah . . .)
It’s so annoying when people judge us just by looking at us! You showed HIM.
Every once in a while I’ll see a house with outdoor Hanukkah lights… but you’d really, really have to want to put up lights, and it’s a huge hassle. I say, be glad you’re not expected to do it!
Our decorations are in flux. Mr PugRunner isn’t feeling great so I need to get through some work and earring orders, and then I can deal with it.
I was looking at that Native deodorant and was on the fence. I am funny about fragrance, but do i really want to smell like a candy cane? Eh. I went back to my regular variety.
I think you made the right choice! Especially if you’re picky about fragrance… you probably don’t want to smell like a candy cane.
Ugh, that sucks about the trainer at the gym. I had a session with a guy when I joined the Y many years ago and we became friends. He never pushed me to buy sessions and we only used free weights. He eventually went out on his own and I worked w/ him in the months leading up to my wedding so I’d look extra toned. I loved working with him but it was not cheap. But he was very good at what he does. I hate it when you get something free and then it turns into a pitch for spending money on something you were never interested in!
I put my wreath up this past weekend and my planters were delivered mid-week, too. I did not manage to take the spring flowers out of our 2nd level window boxes. So we are rocking the “spring upstairs/winter doorstairs” look for the 2nd year in a row. I should have taken those flowers out on Sunday when it was so mild out but it’s kind of a pain to open the boys’ windows w/out the screen falling out…
Yes, I would love to work with a GOOD trainer (not that this guy’s not good- he’s just not good for me) but I really don’t want to spend the money right now.
Egg Nog deodorant? No thanks. 😀 😀 I gave up on NaBloPoMo. I just stopped writing and didn’t even write about it. I didn’t mind so much writing the posts but it was the comments that took too long. I lost track of whose blog I read and commented. Someone recommended Feedly and I suggested a linkup. Maybe next year!
Yes- honestly, keeping up with everyone else’s blogs was really the hard part. I didn’t read everyone’s posts every single day like I did last year- there were just too many. It was fun though!
Haha, I was chuckling about the trainer totally underestimating your fitness. You show him, Jenny.
And re: the Native deodorant – it’s my favorite, but I stick with coconut vanilla. Some of the other scents are quite strong, I feel.
I really despise that “free” personal training lesson they always offer when you join a new gym (or… return to your gym!) I just feel like it’s one big sales pitch, which I suppose these personal trainers need to make their money… but it just feels so disingenuine. Sorry yours was rough!
Holiday-scented deodorant! What will they think of next?!
Ha! I like the thought of holiday scented deodorant- but just not this exact scent. And yes- I should have known better with that “free” session. I agree they need to make money, but it did feel manipulative.