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! 

So I’m over a quarter of the way done with round 4 of Body Back. Granted, Round 3 was a mini session over the holidays, but this will put me at three, full 8-week sessions and 1 four week session- 28 weeks, 56 insane HIIT workouts that have made me stronger than I’ve ever been.

The other day I saw my coach share a post of mine on the Fit4Mom Severn board and asked “how do you maintain motivation through four sessions? Any tips?” 

I had to think about it because while there are lessons I’ve learned, I can’t pinpoint exactly what’s kept me MOTIVATED perse. I mean, goals. The community those are really the two biggest things that keep me going back for more, but here are four lessons and facts that have kept me motivated and goal-focused.

1. You are stronger than you know.
   

   Hand-stand pushups? Check. 9-minute mile? Check. One legged pushup. Check. When I started Body Back on that hot day back in June, I did 3 pushups. Maybe 5 situps? We switched the minute of burpees for a 1-mile run (9:14! My fastest mile since before Little man!) this round, but previous rounds – burpees have been my nemesis BUT burpees with a chattarunga pushup? Ain’t no thang.  If you don’t test your body, you’re not going to get stronger. Push your own limits, you’ll be surprised what your body can do. When I feel unmotivated, I find something to focus on – something I want to test, limits I think I can bust past. Keep testing yourself. Every week, every day. Find something new.

2. It takes a damn village
   

   October was a pretty stressful month for me – work was crazy busy and we were beginning to feel the pinch of Adam’s military ETS. But man, these mama’s lifted me up. They pushed me. On those nights when I just wanted to stay at home and not shuffle across town, this village kept me motivated.

   It’s really hard for me when I’m not focused on specific goals – which mind you, I wasn’t super focused round 2 and mini round. But now? I’m focused. I have big goals. My village keeps me accountable and they keep me driven to succeed. I’m pretty competitive by nature, but having that accountability to show up and leave it all out there, is pretty fierce to keep me motivated and accountable.

3. Be specific about your goals

   My coach said to me as I embarked on round 4, that she was going to challenge my goals. But then, my goals were super specific and she was really excited about them. I don’t think I’ve been as specific as I’ve been this round – I want a sub 30 minute 5k, I want a sub 2 hour Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April and I want to be under 150 lbs by my 35th birthday in April, because strong or not, and whether we tell ourselves the number on the scale matters or doesn’t – to some it does. To me it does. I want to be a healthy weight for my height and I’m closer than I was in June, but I’m not as close as I’d like to be (roughly 4 pounds away to be exact from this shorter term goal. Longer term I’m about 20 lbs away from where I’d LIKE to be). But knowing I have specific goals has kept me focused, I upped my running to 2-3 days, and while I have not been 100% to plan, I’ve been closer to 95% which is better than the 80/20 I was doing. So keep those goals SMART – when they’re not, focused and specific, I promise you’re going to have a hard time staying motivated (that was me, round 2 in the fall – it was a tough few months for me though).

4. It’s Your Money

   Homies, Body Back Transformations is NOT the cheapest program in the world, but it is worth every penny. You pay for the meal plan – stick to it. You pay for the coaching, lean on them. The Facebook group? Use it to hold yourself accountable. But seriously – it’s an investment. If you don’t lean on the recipes, the coaching, the group and the workouts – both class and at home – you’re not going to see the results you want. Knowing that I paid for this ish, keeps me motivated and accountable. The fact that I did NOT gain weight over the holidays I fully attribute to that 4-week mini session. #accountabilityyo

Fitness goals are tough friends. Running goals are tough. Setting personal goals for YOURSELF as a working mom is tougher. Taking time for yourself is really hard, but be the example for your LO’s friends. Be. The. Example. That is one of the things I have loved most about Body Back is that it’s for moms, by moms. It forces us to take time for us, with an emphasis on self-care – like they say “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Truer words have never been spoken, friends.

I remind myself that every Tuesday and Thursday when i go to class and E asks if I’m going to “mommy gym” or every saturday when he sees me get up at the crack of dawn to run with my MRTT group that I am being an example to him of healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle. Goals aside, wanting to be that example for kiddos, is motivation enough.

What keeps YOU motivated mamas?

Hi, I’m Heidi and I have a shopping problem.

It’s gotten better in recent years – of course, we’re spending a lot of money on all of Little Man’s various therapies and of course daycare so my shopping budget has gone down. But I still find ways to find a great LOFT or J.Crew Factory sale that I just can’t not buy something from. No Mas!

This year, I’m committed to paying off debt and a large part of that means stopping some of my bad shopping habits (it also means earning more money but that’s a topic for another day). Seriously, I’ve been a habitual shopper for many years (thus my foray into style blogging – after reading so many fantastic, and relatable, style blogs for so many years but with goals to pay off debts, it’s time to crack the whip on bad shopping habits of the past.

Stop buying things just because you see it on a blog

I love reading style blogs and will often buy things that I see that look cute on others buuutttt then I get it, and while I love it, it might hang in my closet or just not look as good on me. I want to stop being so quick to those impulse buys and start holding back on what I purchase but, fun fact: we’re all called influencers for a reason and those homegirls got my number. 

If it doesn’t fit, return it.

See above. Rather than letting unworn clothes sit in my closet for a year before they get resold or donated, returning within the 2-4 week return window that most stores have. There’s really no reason to be holding onto pieces in my closet that I do not absolutely 200% love.

Stop using retail as therapy

When I was in college, retail was ABSOLUTELY therapy for me. Bad day? Go stroll down Newbury Street. Hungover? Brunch at the Pru. No class on Wednesday afternoon? Go shopping at Cambridgeside. Granted, while those time-wasting habits are gone,  I am still the queen of finding good prices (it’s not like I was raking in dough and most/all of my credit card debt came on after college when I got my first credit card) but I would buy cheap pieces that would fall apart after a few wears, or pieces that were good for a Friday night out but not necessarily office friendly. Nowadays, while I’m less likely to use retail as therapy, after a bad day at work there’s still nothing I love more than to pop into Target or Old Navy or Arundel Mills on my way home and peruse the racks. That’s gotta stop. Like…yesterday.

Invest in quality pieces

See above. I want quality pieces that are not only multi-purpose (i.e. great for weekends AND the office) – it’s not like I’m strutting around in crop tops here, so a solid sweater from Nordstrom that can be paired with a skirt or a nice pair of work pants is a win in my book. Stop buying cheap-o handbags that fall apart after a season (especially given how much ish I put my tote and handbags through), but invest in one or two solid bags for weekend and work. Those inexpensive Old Navy jeans are still solid (seriously, my favorite budget pants), but make sure that the blouses you’re pairing with them aren’t from Forever21 – you’re too old for that.

I’m going to hold myself accountable here,  I’ll share what (if anything) I bought/returned each month and i will refrain… from buying the same pieces in multiple colors. Unless I know for SURE that I will wear it. A number of my favorite bloggers do this in various ways and I want to hold myself to this resolution – besides what doesn’t fit one style blogger and looks like a giant sack, might be the best thing someone else has tried on all year! Right?!

What are your shopping tendencies? Any bad habits you’re looking to break in the year ahead?

Last night at my Body Back session, when I was chatting with one of my coaches, she reminded me to practice self-care. I KILLED it with our assessment and am really proud of how well I did – but the one thing I have been struggling with is self-care.

Hubs has been sick. Managing our finances has been…tough. And, yesterday we had a long 5+ hour evaluation at Kennedy Krieger for little man. Needless to say, stress is my middle name lately.

Each week our coaches are suggestion focus areas, which could be anything from “drinking more water” or “don’t forget your snacks.” This week, my coach’s suggestion for me was #selfcare. Which admittedly, hasn’t been my strong suit over the past two months.

I actually had to do a little brainstorming here – and thought about my favorite ways but also looked up some new ways because, well, like most working (and non-working) moms, self-care isn’t always my forte.

Here are ten ways to practice self-care that don’t take a lot of money, or effort, and depending on where you live, are also seasonally appropriate.

1. Get lost in a good book under a cozy blanket.
2. Get a mani-pedi.
3. Unplug/turn off your phone.
4. Take a relaxing bubble bath
5. Do something creative for an hour (I’ve recently started hand lettering and bullet journaling which is super fun for me)
6. Go to a yoga class
7. Meditate
8. Take yourself on an afternoon date
9. Diffuse some essential oils
10. Declutter your workplace/home office.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do for myself over the next week, but whatever it is, it’ll be for just me, not for hubs, or little man. It’ll be an hour for me to be selfish. We as mamas give so much to everyone around us, and so often forget about ourselves. So take that hour mama. I will. We deserve it.

How do you practice self-care? 

Happy Wednesday my friends! I’ve been a little behind on my blogging game lately (life!) But I’m out of the holiday craziness

Lighting | Holiday scented candles. We finally used up my Fall ones so I’m busting out the holiday scents like Christmas Cookie, Snow Day and Merry and Bright. Target has some FANTASTIC scents right now in their signature soy candles but I usually get my favorites from either Yankee Candle OR Bath & Body Works. #Targetdoesitagain

Spending | A lot of time on pinterest looking for Elf ideas. Seriously, I’m on a roll – exception my Saturday night, when I had a little too much fun at my company holiday party and Hubs, took over – but I’ve been perusing ALL of the Elf Ideas.

Choosing | CHRISTMAS cards. I’m pretty good about getting them out in a timely manner, but I’m a little behind this year. This is also the first year of using a 2-3 photo card since we have some awesome ones from Disney and then our family photo shoot last month so narrowing down pictures is going to be tough!

Sending | all of the emails. We’ve been on an email marketing binge (thankfully to segmented groups biggest marketing pet peeve) sending no fewer than 2 emails per week for the past two weeks. Exhausting to say the least and my marketing brain is mush!!!

Singing | All of my favorite holiday tunes. The other day I was finally into the festive mood when I was getting my nails done for my holiday party – my favorites are Wham!’s Last Christmas, U2’s Please Come Home and of course, Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas (is you).

Linking up with Anne in Residence for the monthly Currently roundup! Join us on the first Wednesday of the month to share what you’re currently up to!

Zooma is one of my favorite local races and this year they’re celebrating 10 years of the Annapolis Zooma race.  They also recently updated their website and announced the rest of the 2017 and early 2018 race schedule. I’m lucky enough to be an ambassador for the third year, but I am so excited to be a part of this organization and this running community. Also, Zooma was one of the first races I signed up for when we first moved back to this area so it has a special place in my heart. 

Here are five reasons to sign up for the Zooma Annapolis race this year: 

1. The scenic course

You get some stunning views of the bay and historic Downtown Annapolis – seriously, running in DTA is one of my favorite places – not to mention the first half of the course is relatively “flat”-ish (disregard the Naval Academy bridge…). The course has some gorgeous views of the Severn River as you cross the Naval Academy bridge and of course the state house and the Bay. 

2.  The community

Imagine running with 5,000 of your closest friends. This race has always been one of the friendliest and most supportive in terms of the people running alongside. Though I’m much more of a solo runner, I always see fantastic runner friends on the course. 

3. The After party

Wine for days my friends. The Afterparty is historically sponsored by Barefoot wines. They usually have fun music, massages available, and decent food for a post-race party. Who doesn’t want to hang out in the Navy Marine Corps stadium listening to good music sipping on fun wine?

4. The swag

The swag is ALWAYS solid for this race. Feetures socks (my favorite!!!), in the past they’ve also included yoga mats, cute shirts and recently added medals to everyone’s race (NOT just the Half Marathon).

5. A distance for everyone

Don’t want to run a half marathon? No big deal. They have a 10k and a 5k – which all have the same benefits. The 10k is my favorite distance (full disclosure, most half marathons in Annapolis have the same course and I LOATHE going up the hill after the Naval Academy bridge so I stick to the 10k in this race)

Can’t make it to the Annapolis race? Join us virtually or at one of the other awesome races Zooma is putting on in Florida, Cape Cod and Texas.

Registration is open for all of the races and regardless of whether you do Florida, Cape Cod, Texas or Annapolis, you can use code HEIDI2017 to get 10% off your race registration. Prices go up May 22 for Zooma Annapolis so if you haven’t signed up there’s still time! 

**FTC Disclosure: As a Zooma race ambassador, I do receive a free entry to the Zooma races, however, all opinions here are my own.