“Wow, I’ve already found Christmas presents for half of my list.  I’m going to be done crazy early this year!” – Me in October.

Ha, poor “October Darrell.”  So full of blind youthful optimism but look at him now.  One week before Christmas and he’s still not finished!

Man, where did the time go?  This month has flown by!  I completely lost track of time.

I’m actually not THAT far off with my shopping.  I should be able to knock out the rest of my list with one final outing.  I’m not looking forward to wrapping these presents though. 

I’ve always been envious of those people who actually enjoy wrapping gifts.  They turn it into an event with hot cocoa and Christmas carols blasting as they happily work those scissors like demented elves. 

Not me though.  My presents always end up looking like a 4-year-old wrapped them and I’m usually rushed and miserable the entire time…well, except for when the scissors start to glide down the paper.  That part’s dope but you can keep the rest.  Bah Humbug.

Okay, well not the cocoa.  The present wrapping though?  I’m considering wrapping everything in foil this year.  That would be much faster than this tape and scissors purgatory.  I’m the black sheep of the family anyway, strange behavior should be expected by now.

Anyway, welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza!

If you haven’t guessed already, my annual “to tree or not to tree debate” has once again landed in favor of “not to tree.”  This year wasn’t even by choice.  I always loved decorating the tree as a kid but these past few weeks have been crazy busy.  I haven’t even found time to clean my apartment this week, so I’m definitely not adding to the mess with tinsel and ornaments!

I’m heading to my parent’s house soon anyway, so I’ll just stare at their tree instead this year I suppose. 

That reminds me, I still have to pack so ad that to my ever growing “to do” list.  Although I use the term “packing” loosely since I usually just run through my apartment for 20 minutes stuffing whatever I can fit inside of a duffel bag before driving off.  

Hmm, I’m thinking my dirty laundry may have to pay my parents a visit as well.  It’s been a busy month…

My brother and his family are also heading to my parent’s house this year so I’m looking forward to further corrupting my little nephew Domonick. 

I’m usually the one to provide him with the “highlight reel” present so there’s always a lot of pressure each holiday…especially as he gets older!  I think I nailed it again this year though, but I can’t show you yet since it might ruin the surprise. 

Instead, here’s one of the gifts that I bought myself! 

It’s a “weight plate” plate paired with the dumbbell water bottle I showed you last year!

Although I’ve already conceded to gaining 10 pounds over Christmas break since my parents always feed me like I’m dying whenever I visit, this may help me get back on the wagon once I return to The ATL.

Speaking of The ATL, check out my Christmas presents from The Atlanta Hawks!

Although it’s been 6 years since I relocated here from New Jersey, I’ve been slow to fully embrace this city.  This hat is actually the first Georgia item I own outside of my work uniforms for The Hawks and Mercedes Benz Stadium.  It’s pretty slick though so I’ll definitely wear it often.  The long-sleeve tee and these socks are great too!

Here’s where I was going to show you photos from our Atlanta Hawks holiday mixer but a full week later and the photographer still hasn’t sent us the group photo we took.  Instead, here are a few random shots from the event. 

As you can see, I broke out my “ugly” gift wrap looking hoodie again. 

I placed “ugly” in quotations since I honestly love that hoodie and actually got a ton of compliments for it! 

As I said when I debuted it last year, that hoodie crosses the ugly/pretty threshold.  Like, it’s so ugly that it’s actually beautiful.  Hmm, I’d imagine that’s also how my neighbor chose his ex-wife…    

We also had our Christmas games for The Hawks and Falcons which provided me with an excuse to wear more random holiday props. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to do donuts on the field with the golf cart sleigh.  Bummer.

Speaking of sleighs, it’s about time for me to wrap these presents and drive to South Carolina to spend time with my family.  But first, a fitness tip!

You don’t have to wait until January 1 to start your new fitness goal, but even if you plan to wait until after the holidays, begin your prep now!  Jot down your goals, formulate your plan and update your calendar to make time for meal prep and training.  The better prepared you are from the start, the more likely you are to stick to your fitness resolution in 2019!

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share?  Tell us about it in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

All I want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey (how many times have you heard this so far?  My counter is up to 327…)

Welcome to Atlanta (Falcons Remix) – Jermaine Dupri ft. Ludacris

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Remix) – DMX

Sleigh Ride – TLC

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s just so great we should check it out anyway?  Tell us in the comments below!

Before we close this one out, here’s the next batch of “foodie holidays” that happen between this and next post!

National Sangria Day sounds fun but you can definitely keep the egg nog.  I’d rather walk a mile barefoot over Legos than to ever drink that stuff again!  Gross.

If you’re stuck for last minute gift ideas, there’s still time to get some great deals through our #DoubleFML Deals and Discounts page!  Amazon Prime has been a life saver as usual this year!

Of course, before you go, please leave a comment below!  You can also follow me on social media by clicking the logos on the main menu.

I suppose it’s time for me to wrap and pack.  If you’re also traveling for the holidays, have a safe trip! 

Wow, it’s hard to believe but 2019 is less than 2 weeks away.  I’ll be back next week with the last post of the year but in the meantime, thanks again for dropping by!

Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“In a society that profits from your self-doubt, loving yourself is a rebellious act…”