Only One Heidi - A working mom shares her journey to happiness, health and style

September 20, 2018

Five Things to Clean Out of Your Closet this Fall

September 20, 2018

So I’m a big fan of purging. I’m also a big fan of shopping but that’s neither here nor there since my budget is NOT so much a fan of this habit. I try to keep a 1 in, 1 out rule – not so effectively most of the time. This past weekend, I purged my closet. I’m getting ready to move some fall stuff in (slowly since it’s still solidly in the 80’s here in Maryland) so I had to make some room.

There’s still some stuff that needs to get thrown out, donated, or recycled but I’m trying to do more micro-organizing that I read about in Girls Night In a few weeks ago to get on top of the clutter that sometimes takes over our house.

As I was cleaning things out, I thought about the things I’m trying desperately to get out of my closet. I recently listed a bunch of stuff on Poshmark (and subsequently shared said Poshmark page in a marketplace group for moms and sold half of what I listed), consigned some stuff (they didn’t take HALF as much as I thought they would), and now I’m throwing together a bag for Goodwill. I’m in full on purge mode.

But I went through my dressers and stuff hanging in the closet – but not my scarves or undergarments – both of which desperately need some attention.

Here are FIVE things that I’m desperately trying to keep in mind when purging my closet:

Anything that wasn’t worn last year

Have those pieces that you thought were either a. a great deal or b. looked super cute and you had to try it but ended up collecting dust in your closet? Now is a great time, as you pull out your fall and winter gear, to reevaluate what you loved last year and what didn’t get so much time out of the closet. Either resell or donate that ish. Chances are, you won’t wear it this season so either donate or resell.

Worn out shoes

I have a pair of Tory Burch flats that I replaced a couple of years ago. The original pair, my first pair that I bought for my 28th birthday, still sits in my shoe wheel that my two college best friends bought me for my wedding. I can’t stomach getting rid of them but alas, this may be the year. Have a pair of heels that got so much wear that even your cobbler can’t fix them? It’s time to go. I have sandals that are stretched out in the back strap, and other flip flops that are so worn my toe practically scrapes the ground (God bless those $1 flip flops from Old Navy). But seriously, why still hang onto them?

Anything beyond repair or stained

Two of my favorite sweaters – Charley sweaters from JCrew Factory that I bought YEARS ago – now have holes. One of them, I could probably sew up but the other is a worn out hole in the elbow. This year? The sweater has GOT to go. As much as I love the burgundy color and 3/4 sleeve length, it’s beyond repair and would look terrible if I chose to wear it out. Anything stained where the spots can’t be treated or if you’ve treated and it still looks bad, toss it. Who wants to wear stained clothes out? It looks sloppy and unkempt.

Worn out lingerie

Overstretched underwear, worn out bras, and mismatched socks are NOT worth hanging onto. Hubs and I do a seasonal sock rodeo wherein we toss socks that are missing their match, and whenever we find undergarments with holes, they promptly get tossed. However, I STILL have a whole drawer that includes granny panties from my post-partum days, mismatched socks and lingerie that I bought in our early dating days (12 years ago!) that probably doesn’t fit my body anymore since….well, pregnancy. Why hang onto anything that either a. doesn’t make you feel sexy or b. is holey and overworn.

Duplicates

I have two of the same grey sweater. This year? I’m reselling one of them on poshmark (it was sold to me too small). Any other duplicates? Maybe too many cardigans (like my SIX JCrew Factory Cary cardigans?) Donate the dupes that don’t get wear time since they’re probably just collecting dust anyhow.

I typically do seasonal closet cleanouts – I typically take stuff to Uptown Cheapskate first, then I USED to send a cleanout bag to ThreadUp but they’re not taking anymore cleanout bags for now (!!!!) so I’ll either sell on the marketplace on Facebook or donate whatever isn’t taken at consignment.

September 5, 2018

Currently | September

September 5, 2018

Happy Wednesday and happy September my friends! Given the first Wednesday of the month, I thought I would join back in for the Currently Linkup with Anne!

Starting: School! Ethan starts Kindergarten on MONDAY! I’m both excited for him and subsequently terrified of little man growing up too fast. How is he five already? How is it already so close to my first ever PTA meeting? I have many feelings on this.

Buying: Ahhhh back-to-school shopping. I’ve done some shopping for some clothes for Little man, and a couple of things for myself in the way of new jeans (my first ever distressed pair! In a size down from what I’ve been buying!) , a top that I kept seeing on Instagram and was finally back in my size, a new workout top that is a new favorite, and some replacement sneakers because mine were half a size too big and I got tired of my feet slipping out during mountain climbers haha (and I found them at a FANTASTIC price – $35 sneakers? yes, please!)

Sharing: All of the experiences with Little Man’s encopresis on my Instagram stories and my own battle with anxiety (mostly work induced but has certainly seeped into other areas of my life). I’ve gotten so much support from friends and family and I can’t even begin to thank everyone for their comments and words of encouragement.

Reading: Lately? The High Season, which is moving so slow. But it’s a library book, I’ve gone well over my two weeks (thanks Airplane mode on my kindle!), so it might be time for something new. I think. Maybe.

Recording: My training plans for Ragnar DC, the Army Ten-Miler and for the upcoming Run Club in my bullet journal. One of these days, I’ll share more about my journaling. I’m a huge fan and while I’m not super artistic, it keeps me so organized and on track with so many things.

What’s up with you currently???

August 16, 2018

My Comeback Post

August 16, 2018

So I accidentally took some time off blogging. Not on purpose, really, I just stopped having time for it. The time off was needed though, I needed a break.

Back in March, I started a new job that has been really challenging and while I’ve enjoyed it, it’s brought on some new challenges along the way at home, in life, and with life balance.

Since becoming a working mama, I had this rule of four. You can manage four things really well. Anything else is likely going to suffer. For me, those things have been family, work, self-care, and [insert fourth thing here]. Whether that’s running, biking, friends, junior league, blogging – they all have waves.

But I’m ready to come back. On my own terms, though. I need to stop comparing myself to the bloggers who blog for a living, and the bloggers that maybe don’t have children and have beautiful homes, have perfect photos that they spend hours shooting, and just…have more time. We all have different stories and for me, it was a season where my story needed a break from blogging.

I know that I’m not going to be a blogger that rakes in big money, nor am I going to be a blogger who spends thousands of dollars at the N-Sale and then returns half of it after doing photo shoots. I’m okay with this. Bloggers, I think are becoming the demise of the industry they created.

A while ago, I spoke with Renee about this on her podcast – when her and I started blogging over 10 years ago, blogging was about community. Connections. Somewhere in the past decade, that got lost. I miss that. I miss the connections I made through the DC blogger community. Blogging often seems about monetization. Everyone doing it as a hustle. I’m not going to lie, I have enjoyed some monetization from blogging BUT nominal in recent years.

So, Where do I Go from Here?

I have a backlog of pretty outfits that I’ve been sporting and some #MomLife challenges that I’m ready to share. Here’s what my blog is going to focus on going forward:

Outfit posts – because I love these. My photos are self-taken most of the time, with the occasional husband photographer photo.),
Mental health – this is a battle I’ve been fighting recently, as some of you may have seen from my Instagram stories. I’ve found that as a working mom, fighting this battle can be lonely and overwhelming. As a mom in general, this battle can be lonely and overwhelming but I want to share my struggles and triumphs because it’s so important to let people know that you are NOT alone.
Fitness. I’m a run coach, I’m a fitness enthusiast. The friends I look forward to the most are the ones I run with and/or workout with. I love trying new workouts, new challenges, and I love sharing them on my blog.
#MomLife. As a parent of a child with some special needs, life can be a bit harried. There’s self-doubt, worries, anxiety, and triumphs. I’m not as eloquent as some of the other mom bloggers out there BUT we do have a story to share as we embark on the kindergarten journey in the next month.
Marketing. Listen, I’m not a GREAT blogger, but I am a content marketer by trade so I know some stuff. I’ve been around the blogging block – I understand best practices, I’ve taught others, and if there’s one thing I could talk for DAYS on its marketing and blogging and social media.

So hey, community, I want to know – what do YOU want to see here. Leave a comment! Tell me what’s been new with you!

April 24, 2018

Life Lately: April

April 24, 2018

Another month has gone. Another month where my blogging goals kind of fell flat. WHOOPS. We’ve had a lot of life going on though, and that is not a bad thing. I’m trying to get back into this especially since I have much to write…just not enough time. That’s always the problem though right??

Lately….

[With my MRTT pals before Cherry Blossom]

Running: I started a run streak – 35 days before my 35th birthday and I made it 30 days before I got sidelined with some terrible cramping and an evening in the ER. BUT I learned a lot during those 30 days. I shaved 5 minutes off my ten-mile time at Cherry Blossom and have been running pretty consistently in low 10’s/high 9’s (but still doing 4/1 intervals).

Fitness: If you don’t follow my Facebook page, you can’t see the awesomeness that I get to do two-three times per week with my Fit4Mom family. Seriously, I’m coming up on a year now with Body Back and I can’t even begin to tell everyone how much it’s changed my life. From the amazing community and support network to the tough workouts that have me stronger and faster.

Work life: I started a new job midmonth. That coupled with all the #runstreak-ing, and Little Man’s birthday…blogging kind of fell by the wayside. I’m super excited about the new role, plus I was proud to have negotiated my salary to where I wanted to be. It was a bummer to leave FLAVORx but a necessary one when it came to the financial benefits. You gotta do you, right?

Family life: We’ve been busy!! From all the therapies for the little man (now adding Behavioral Therapy to help with our lack of pooping) to my new job to two birthdays over the past month (little man and me). We’ve just been enjoying life. And you know, I’m okay with that.

Weight Loss: Because I hit 2 of the 3 goals I set in January at my 4th Body Back transformation (sub-2 hour ten miler, sub 30 minute 5k), I’m working on my weight loss goal because I seem to be yo-yo-ing between 156 and 154 and can’t seem to jump past that, I’m putting myself BACK on my body back planning/tracking plan that I KNOW works. I have goals to be closer to 145 than 155 by summer, and then hopefully down to 135 by the end of the year. Fingers crossed!

Fundraising: I’m chasing big scary goals this summer – I signed up for the Bike to Beach for Autism in August – a 60-mile ride from the Eastern Shore to Rehoboth Beach. I’ve been itching to do a long ride like this for a while and it’s for an amazing cause (you can read about our story here) that touches us every day, it seemed like there was no better time. While E does NOT have an official diagnosis of ASD, we’ve had him evaluated and it has not yet been ruled out. His deficiencies are largely social-language and sensory-based but still, we come across so many kiddos that do have ASD through our various therapies so I’m doing this for them. I’d love any support from any of my readers <3 (no amount is too small!)

I think that about covers all the ish that’s been going on. What’s been going on with you all friends???

March 13, 2018

Only One Mom: Body Back Transformation: A Review

March 13, 2018

If you follow me at all on social media, you know that about 9 months ago, I joined the Body Back Transformation program with Fit4Mom Severn. I had heard about it and needed something to change my attitude and change the plateau I had hit on my level of fitness.

This program has changed my life. Simple as that.

Four Transformation sessions later, I’m stronger, faster and am more happy with my level of fitness than I’ve been since before I became a mom.

This week, in my Only One Mom video, I share more about my experience with the Transformation program, why I love it so much, the moms who have inspired me along the way and what I’ve gained.

Check it out:

Have you found your tribe mamas? Share in the comments how you find balance, time for fitness and where you found your tribe?

Resources:

Body Back Review
Body Back Lessons
Fit4Mom Body Back Overview
Fit4Mom Severn
3 Legged Pushups!

Want to be a guest host on Only One Mom? I’d love to chat anything parenting, self-care, fitness or work-life balance with you! Email me at onlyoneheidiblog (at) gmail (dot) com!

FTC disclosure: I’m blessed to be an ambassador for the amazing Fit4Mom Severn community. I’m not paid but I do receive a small discount on my membership fee, however, all Transformation fees were paid by me and all opinions here are my own. I’d still be singing the Fit4Mom praises even if I wasn’t an ambassador. #justsayin’

March 9, 2018

Mom Style Inspiration: Wearing Lately

March 9, 2018

As a pseudo-style blogger, i find my wardrobe is kind of boring. I don’t really consider myself super stylish, more classic and comfortable. I keep thinking about a capsule wardrobe and maybe for spring I’ll do one – I know the same colors dominate my wardrobe (olives, navy, blush, black and white), I really rotate through 3 or 4 pairs of pants regularly, and the same few tops, I just need to spruce up the combinations instead of the same thing..over and over and over again.

Lo, here are a few of the outfits that I’ve been rotating through over and over and over again. Over the past few weeks!

This is an oldie but such a goodie. The sweatshirt (out of stock now) is so comfortable and the perfect business casual piece to dress up or down on days when you just don’t want to think or worry about what you’re wearing.

{Sweater: Loft (old – similar) | Shoes: J.Crew Factory | Pants: Stitch Fix (similar) | Necklace: J.Crew Factory}

This one with my favorite Lululemon leggings is a weekend staple. Saturdays have become really hectic for us with E having OT, my MRTT group runs so I really just want something that’s easy to throw on and comfortable in most cases. Obviously, this one doesn’t work in super cold weather but it’s done the trick the past few Saturdays 🙂

{Pants: lululemon | top: Athleta | vest: Amazon}

We’ve seen this outfit before – it was what I wore to our family Photos back in November but it’s such a comfortable and classic casual Friday outfit that I had to include it. Especially as it gets warmer and we don’t need jackets, still appropriate for those 40 degree days where you’re not quite ready to go short sleeve.

{Vest: Amazon | Pants: Old Navy | Boots: Lucky via Amazon | Sweater: J.Crew (old, similar) | necklace: J.Crew Factory | white shirt: J.Crew Factory (similar) }

{Leggings: LOFT | Boots: Amazon | Sweatshirt: Nordstrom | Vest: Amazon}

Because it wouldn’t be an outfit post without my favorite Tippi sweater from J.Crew – a staple in my winter wardrobe for both work and play (as seen above).

{Sweater: J.Crew | Pants: Stitch Fix (similar) | Shoes: Target | Necklace: J.Crew Factory}

Happy Friday friends!

What are YOU loving in your wardrobe lately?

March 7, 2018

Currently | March

March 7, 2018

If there’s one link-up I’m unlikely to miss, it’s the Currently Linkup with Anne where the first Wednesday of each month, we share what’s currently going on in our lives.

This month we’re sharing…

planning | Little man’s fifth birthday!!! We’re keeping it low key since last year we did Disney, but we’re going to have a fun birthday weekend with my in-laws, and we’ll send in cupcakes and pizza for his class on his birthday and a playdate the weekend before I think.

seeing | all of the specialists for little man. I haven’t talked much about our journey through IEP’s, etc.. for his sensory issues, but over the past two months we’ve had an ASD evaluation (not diagnosed), a feeding therapy evaluation which led to a possible tongue tie diagnosis (following up with the ENT), a behavioral therapist evaluation later this month, our annual IEP meeting, and of course our regularly scheduled speech and occupational therapy visits each week. I’ll dive into this in a video blog one of these days but I’ve tried to keep him off my blog for the most part but these appointments, while helpful, have all been taxing on all of us I think.

making | appointments to pretty myself up before I start a new job next week! I have ONE day between gigs – my new job starts Friday the 16th, I’ll be getting a mani/pedi and an eyebrow wax at the very least.

pretending | I have plenty of $$ to shop for new spring clothes. I don’t. So a lot of stuff has been living in my Target, Nordstrom and Old Navy cart lately. SOON MY LOVES. SOON. Want ALL the spring garb in my closet right MEOW!

wearing | winter-y favorites. My favorite Tippi sweater, my favorite vest, this ruffle-y Loft Sweatshirt/sweater that’s a favorite and my new favorite bell sleeve top have all been on repeat lately.

What are you CURRENTLY up to?

March 2, 2018

Only One Mom: Episode 2 | Can’t Let it Go

March 2, 2018

Hubs and I are huge podcast fans. We each have a few we follow regularly, one of which is the NPR Politics podcast. Each week, they do a segment called can’t let it go. Where they share news stories that they can’t stop talking or thinking about. Often, they are hilarious and incredibly noteworthy.

So once a month, I’m going to do a Can’t Let It Go segment. Just recapping what happened in the month prior – whether in life or in the news. As a kick off to Only One Mom, I roped hubs into being my guest as I experiment with editing, filming and you know, all the things. Adam talks about his new favorite show and I talk about my love of the Olympics and one skier who KILLED it over in South Korea.

Resources:
Altered Carbon: (Trailer) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8…
First Mom on Team USA Kikkan Randall: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/e…
NPR Politics Podcast: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/n…

Follow me:
http://twitter.com/missheidi
http://instagram.com/legallyheidi

Follow Adam:
http://twitter.com/adamjschmidt

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here | Want to be a guest? Sign up here.

What are YOU not letting go of?

February 27, 2018

Introducing… Only One Mom

February 27, 2018

Somewhere in the past few months, I started listening to and watching more podcasts. Somewhere along the line, maybe after being a guest on one of my favorites, I started to get this idea that maybe, just maybe, I could do my own podcast or video blog. Whatever you want to call it. I’ve enjoyed the few times I’ve gone live on my Facebook page, and I really feel like I have a lot to say.

Then I started brainstorming. Thinking about what I’d talk about, who I’d interview and threw the idea out on my Facebook page. Lo, people were intrigued! My desire to talk more about self-care, #momlife, fitness goals, and all that other fun mom stuff that I’m passionate about kept growing and growing so plan I did. I capture

So here we go! Episode one of Only One Mom – the video blog/podcast featuring all the things that moms want to talk about.

I have TWO episodes going up this week but they’ll typically be going live on Tuesday. If you’re interested in being a guest, fill out this form and I’ll get back to you to schedule!

I’d love for you to subscribe on YouTube, or sign up for emails on the side!

February 26, 2018

Loving Lately: Target Finds

February 26, 2018

Guys, Target seriously has my number right now.

Ever since the A New Day line hit last fall, they’ve kind of been killing it on all fronts. Recently, they launched the Universal Threads line – which is super swoon-worthy and has me all kinds of lusting for spring weather.

The shoes! The tanks! The bags. I want them all. Seriously. But instead of spending money that I quite frankly, don’t really have right now, I’ll just blog about all the things.

Here are 9 Target finds that you need to RUN for…right now. Like seriously, I’m super jazzed to add some of these pieces to my spring wardrobe because they are versatile, budget friendly and a little trendy (I’m loving the tie front trend lately!).

What are you loving lately? Anything from Target you’re running for right now??