There’s a lot going on in my life right now that’s stressful, but I’m trying really hard to focus on the good.

I mostly love the holiday season, but as a single lady, it can sometimes get lonely, so I try my best to fill my life and days with things that make me truly happy.

Which means celebrating the shit out of the season.

Which started with buying a tree last weekend. Whole Foods had an amazing special with trees for $30. Hell yes!

So, um, maybe an English major and a journalism major can’t put up a tree. One friend and I tried on Sunday to put this guy up last week, but it took an engineer friend to really get it. Oops.

I’ve usually just grabbed Christmas stuff from my parents’ basement, but I’m going to be 34, so I thought it was time to put my tree together with my own vision. My own vision = half classic/half completely eccentric. My college roomie, Jen, met met at Pier 1 (where, btw, I worked in college!), and I asked her to help me keep focused on my tree vision. These little guys are some of my faves.

Yesterday, I went to NYJL run club/brunch club, and we went to check out the store windows. I headed back to shop our holiday market, and then spent the night at a friend’s holiday party (hello delicious Christmas punch!)

Today, I continued the fun with a fancy manicure at Valley Nails, where I may or may not have worn my fancy llama sweater (not to be confused with my ugly llama Christmas sweater…) I’d been pinning the crap out of Christmas nail art…

Dear Yuri, I love you.

Finally, I headed uptown for the Park Ave tree lighting. It’s so, so magical. There’s Christmas caroling and then all of the trees on Park Ave all light up at the same time. In a city like New York where people move so quickly and keep to themselves, watching everyone in the Christmas spirit singing together is so touching.

Anyone else just as obsessed with the holidays?

Personal trainers are expensive.

I know how to work out and what I should be doing. In fact, I’m studying to become a trainer myself.

There’s a million reasons I gave myself why I shouldn’t hire a trainer…

but a few months ago, my friend Leanne, who owns Uplift, told me she wanted to give me a free session, since I’d just referred a bunch of business her way.

(In terms of full disclosure since I do talk about them so much: I did a partnership with them several years ago, but since then, I’ve always paid for my own classes, save for a free class or something they throw my way every once in a while.) 

I’d worked with her before when I did that photo shoot for Propel, and I knew I liked her style. We sort of share a brain sometimes so she knows exactly what to say to me to motivate me when she knows I’m going to a negative place. So I took the free session from her, and of course I decided to keep going. I’m going to Australia (have I mentioned that? no, right? :)) in JUST A FEW WEEKS, and I want to feel good about myself and how I look in photos on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

So, I’ve been training with Leanne for about two months. They have a “happy hour” special, which means their off-peak training sessions are cheaper, so I go around lunchtime once a week. 

AND IT’S AMAZING. (Obviously.)

I’m as happy with the physical results as I am with the mental results/mindset shifts.

– I’m seeing more definition in my arms (woo!), feeling less fat/bloat around my midsection (my achilles’ heel) and my clothes are beginning to fit a bit better. I can get a little obsessive over numbers sometimes (my Apple watch is my BFF and my enemy…), so I’ve been avoiding the scale as a measure this time around.

– I CAN FEEL MY ABS. Like I said, I typically have a little blubber covering them, so I have a hard time feeling my ab muscles. I can feel them and engage my core, which feels refreshing.

– I’m focusing. I’m writing down my workouts in my bullet journal and really taking a look at the structure of the week. How many cardio sessions? How many strength sessions? I’m trying to stick to just a few workouts so I can see results, rather than doing workouts willy-nilly. I do like ClassPass, but it can be distracting to my goals.

– And I’m being more mindful. I’m trying to cut back on gluten because I feel bloaty when I have it, but I’m trying so hard to not be all-or-nothing. I’ve really been thinking as I reach for a snack or choose a meal: do I really want this? (That’s typically when I’m deciding whether or not to eat something lacking nutritional quality.) This also has included significantly cutting back on wine…most of the time. 

– I’m being more efficient. I downloaded this treadmill/lifting program, and I love the short, intense workouts.

– I’m getting STRONG! Which is so much fun. I’m lifting heavier weights — both with Leanne and on my own. 

Have you ever worked with a trainer? What kind of style motivates you in workouts?