Name: Heidi Simmons
Kids’ names and ages: Luke 9, Alyssa 5
Where are you from and what brought you to NWA? My husband and I are both from Northeast Ohio, but we haven’t lived there in 20 years. We met when he was active duty military and married in Tennessee. When he decided to leave the Army, he came on board with Wal-mart and they moved us around the South until we ended up here at Home Office. We’ve lived in NWA for nine years now and love it! This is home.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? A quaint cottage-style home on the coast, in a warm climate. Heaven.
If you went back to college what would you study? This is a great question because after staying home for nine years I’m now thinking about my “second career.” The three things I may go back to school for are photography, teaching or physical therapy. Three unrelated things but I’m interested in all of them for different reasons. We’ll see. But it’s exciting to think about.
What’s your work background? I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism/Public Relations. But I ended up working in sales for most of my adult life, as a Sales Manager for Airborne Express (Now DHL). I also spent three years as a Program Manager for Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, which was a fantastic job! When we left Alabama for the move to Wal-mart (Home Office), my son was one year old and we planned on adding to our family, so it made sense to stay at home and that’s been my job for the last nine years.
If you had a whole day to yourself what would you do? Ahhh….my day would include sleeping in, a great cup of coffee, a trip to the gym, browsing Barnes & Noble to my heart’s content, dinner with NWA friends, and catching a local 80’s cover band for some great music and dancing.
What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but can’t seem to get around to it? Organizing and framing my photos. I LOVE taking them but I am terrible at organizing them.
What are some of your favorite things to do with your kids in Northwest Arkansas? Going to parks, the library, church activities. The simple things.
What traditions do you hope to pass on to your children? Going to church every Sunday and trying to spend that day together as a family. As for the holidays, on Christmas Eve we attend a candlelight service, go somewhere nice for dinner, open one gift, read The Night Before Christmas, and feed the reindeer (a small bag of oats on the lawn) before bed.
What’s a make-up essential you couldn’t live without? What I’m really loving right now is Burt’s Bees 100% natural lip shimmer. It’s a lip balm and lipstick all in one, I’m addicted to it.
What would you do with an unexpected gift of cash? The first 10% would go to my church. After that, I would donate to my favorite charities, and hopefully have enough left over for a family vacation to Hawaii.
What was the best parenting advice you received? Don’t miss out on who your kids are by focusing on what they are not. And secondly, to the best of your ability, make your home a place of joy, laughter and encouragement. A home should be a retreat where a child can return in triumph or defeat, and know they will be loved.
The worst? I really can’t think of any. I must have blocked it out.
If someone wrote a book about your life right now, what would a good title be? Diet, Pray, Love
One word to sum me up … Positive
