Moms With a Mission

The LUNA Moms topic for this week's Moms With a Mission is the early onset of puberty resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals.

Phthalates have been linked to breast cancer, early puberty in girls, reduced testosterone levels, lower sperm counts, genital defects in baby boys, and testicular cancer. These chemicals are also found in products marketed to children. Support legislation that would ban phthalates in children's toys like BCF-sponsored Toxic Toys Bill in California.

Also check out Environment California's Report on Toxic Bottles that identifies which baby bottles contain Bisphenol A.

For more information on environmental causes of these diseases and other health issues check

The Breast Cancer Fund and

The Healthy Child Healthy World Organization

A Few Great Deals

I've mentioned restaurant.com a few times and I got an email with a promotion for 80% your purchase. Normally you can buy $25 gift certificates to some great restaurants for $10 and now you get them for $2. I purchases some a few weeks ago and they are awesome!

Type in DINE in the coupon code for your 80% discount. I believe this offers ends on the 28th.
Now Save 80% Off with every order of $25 Gift Certificates. Use code DINE and pay $2 thru 2/28/09.

Also a dear friend of mine did a fundraiser a while back selling discounted gift cards for PF Changs (YUM!) She still has a lot left and is selling these for 3.99 each. They come in a card holder so you can keep them or give them away as a gift. She had 100 left and I bought 20 of them! Can we say Mom's Night Out on Val? If you are interested in one of these, email Holly Munsinger at

holly at houstonwahms.org

Happy Eating!

Stroller Exercises

Here are a few easy and basic stroller exercises to help you get started in your exercise routine!

The Secret to Getting Things Done

At the end of December I started a series if you will of getting those New Year's resolutions past a mere thought and into a rewarding reality.

*See A Fresh Page and Goal Setting 101

I follow along with several of the other Stroller Strides blogs and read one (from Stroller Strides Flagstaff) about "fitting in" your workouts to make them a part of your life.

As I read it, I thought this was a great topic to continue the series!

So, what is the secret to getting things done? We all have days that are jam packed with things to do and it seems that the only real solution out there is to add more hours to the day if we want to add any more tasks! Obviously that is not going to happen! So instead we say "I will do (name your task) when I have more time."

Before I reveal the secret (and in all truth, its not a secret) to getting that long list of things done...and stay sane, I want to first go over the myth that seems to take precedence in a person's mind and ultimately is the source of their ineffectiveness in getting things done.

The Myth: There will be more time when...

- things settle down
- I have more time
- this project is done
- the weekend is here
- the weather is better
- the holidays are over

I could on forever...and I'm sure you could too...with the list of excuses that seem valid. And don't be mistaken, I still use these too!

The truth is: There will ALWAYS be something to distract and/or replace whatever it is that is currently keeping you from crossing things off that list. If you think you will have more time at any point in the future, you are mistaken!

I had a long list of to do's that I had put off when I was working full time and I clung to the "when I have more time" mentality. Then I was laid off! Suddenly I had more time, right? Wrong!

True to form a whole manner of things started to move into the precious hours of my day, some things I took on myself, some things just showed up! I found myself stressed out because I had less time!

Then I started reading tons of books on the subject and every single one them pretty much say the same thing:

1. Write down your goals (and make sure they are reasonable and attainable)
2. Make a plan
3. Start the plan
4. Follow through

The secret to getting things done (like a daily workout) is to first make your list of your goals and/or the tasks that need to be done, second plan your day according to your goals, and lastly do them!

So many people think that it takes too much time to sit down and write out their daily, weekly, and monthly goals and schedules. The truth is by not doing this you end up wasting time ten times more than the few minutes it would take to plan their schedule in the first place. You end up ineffective in accomplishing your goals and getting things done.

Of course, things come up! It happens all of the time. But by having your goals and schedules in a tangible and accessible format, your detour of time is only temporary. You will still have a plan to follow through!

Quite simply wanting to get your goals done is not enough. You have to schedule them into your day every day in order to accomplish them. Do that and instead of stress and a loss of time, your will find a feeling of accomplishment and dare I say a few moments that elusive extra time!

More Stroller Strides Fun!

It was another beautiful day today and did an extended ground workout! I thought it would be fun to get down to the kiddos' level!

Capture the Moment Photo Contest

I received word of this via Stroller Strides corporate. I don't have an infant anymore but the prizes are too good not to enter!

The first sonogram...the first touch...bringing your baby home... Each woman and child's special moment is different—share yours and you could win a fabulous prize package and be featured on fitpregnancy.com and on DiscoveryHealth.com!

Prize package to include:
$250 Shutterfly gift certificate
BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance with Toy Bar
Chicco's Liteway Stroller
Bellybar Products gift basket
Medela Freestyle
Medela BPA-free Breastmilk bottles
Medela Disposable Bra pads
Medela Nursing cami
Palmer's Prize Pack
The First Years Feeding Essentials Gift Pack
Barefoot & Pregnant Babymoon trip
Expecting the Best - $1,500 - This 3 day, 2 night retreat to Hotel Los Gatos and Spa Elia in San Jose, CA includes:
* Deluxe accommodations for two
* Complimentary hotel parking
* Two continental breakfasts for two
* One romantic dinner for two
* Late night gourmet cupcakes and milk
* Spa Services:
Total Relaxation prenatal massage
B&P Signature Facial
Daddy's Turn massage
* Complimentary Gift basket

Farmers Insurance will donate $50,000 to the March of Dimes on behalf of families who upload photos. Additional sponsors will make a donation to the March of Dimes.

Click here to enter (and to read all of this information again)!

**The photo above is one I took of Ami Almquist (Stroller Strides NW Houston owner) and her then 4 week old son Nathan.

I AM MOM - BOB strollers

That you Sylwia for this link! Awesome! Makes me want to go run!

A Beautiful Morning!

Today was the perfect day for Stroller Strides! It was sunny, breezy, and just the right temp! Those days in Houston are few and far between so we savor them when we've got em'!

I finally got some more pics from class! Thanks Sylwia for figuring out the timer on my camera!

The best part about Stroller Strides...

...for the kids anyway is the playtime!

Even though it was a rainy day today we still had a great workout at the mall! The nice thing about the mall (other than the new Cold Stone I just found) is the indoor playground!

Here are a few pics of our cuties having fun!

Finding the Right Stroller

If you are like me you have probably gone through what can only be described a stroller fleet! I had the travel system stroller (a big heavy one at that), the lightweight Combi stroller, the umbrella stroller, the single jogger, and then finally the double jogger! Sound familiar! After having three kids and seemingly endless strollers I have come to the conclusion that I wasted hundreds of dollars on most of these strollers!

What I should have done was spent the money on a good jogger (I love my BOB) and purchased the car seat adapter (which you can snap and snack tray on when they get older). My BOB stroller is an all purpose, all terrain stroller that is surprisingly easy to fold and carry. It has a great suspension and all of those little features that moms love...such as great storage, big canopy, etc.

So when choosing your stroller(s) what should you look at when trying to decide which one to purchase?

Here is a checklist that will help you narrow your options:

1. A swivel wheel

This is really an option for joggers only. Travel systems and smaller strollers obviously all have 4 wheels that swivel. Joggers however have the front wheel that is either a swivel or stationary wheel. I have had both and I thought it was kind of a pain to steer the stationary wheel jogger. In smaller spaces I had to the "wheel barrel approach" and recline back the stroller to make turns. I now have a stroller that has a swivel wheel and it has the option to lock for those long distance runs. I love it!

2. A good suspension

The last thing a small child or infant wants to do is be shaken and thrown around while in the stroller! It is uncomfortable for them and arguably dangerous for small infants. A stroller that has a build in suspension allows a smooth ride for both the kids and the parents. The first time I took my BOB out I was amazed at how easy it was to maneuver and push the stroller. It glides over bumps and my kids don't at all mind the gravel trail that we run on!

3. Lots of storage

Let's face it, we're moms and we need storage...actually we demand it! Umbrella strollers and the smaller lightweight strollers are great but they have no storage and they make you feel like a camel laden with stuff! Look for strollers that have ample storage space (yes you will use it) and preferably one with a handlebar compartment for keys, cups, etc.

4. Easy to fold/lift/carry

This option gets tricky with the bigger strollers! You get the storage, suspension, and usually all of the other bells and whistles, but when it comes to folding and putting them away it takes some work! Most strollers now are pretty easy to break down and can even fit into small cars. Joggers have the option of taking off the front wheel to fold them flatter. It takes a second to do and if you are limited in space, it is something you definitely want to do! When selecting your stroller, take the time to fold and lift them while at the store. You will be doing this A LOT so you want to make sure it is easy!

5. A full canopy

This might seem like a superfluous option, but on those super sunny days you want it! Here in Houston our summers are long and they are hot! I know it similar in several parts of the country so you want to be able to provide as much shade for your kiddos as possible! Sunshine is great and helps with vitamin D production, but you can have too much of it so make sure your kids are protected with shade and sunscreen!

My personal recommendation is the BOB stroller with the fitness kit handle bar. It can be a little pricey, but it is worth every penny and will accommodate absolutely every stage for your child from infant to early grade school. It also handles any terrain and any reason for an outing! If you are shopping at the mall or on the running trail, it works!

Strollers are a necessary part of motherhood so take your time and pick the right one the first time! It will save you money and lot of frustration in the end!

I recommend looking at joggermom.com when shopping for strollers. Joggermom.com is run by a fellow mom and offers competitive pricing and customer service!

Happy strolling!

Boogie Wipes

For a limited time Boogies Wipes is offering a special for Stroller Strides! Take advantage of this great offer before the end of February!

February Newsletter

I'm a little late on getting this out, but here is the February Newsletter. Take a look for some great information, articles, and recipes! Enjoy!

February Newsletter

Congratulations Rosa!!!

Welcome to our newest Stroller Strides member, Stella born February 4th!

Hurray for a new week!

You know when you just need the day to be over and start anew? My days for the past two weeks have been something like that! I am almost fully recovered from a bout of pnemonia and let me just say it sucked! Thankfully I rarely get sick so hopefully I am done for the year as far as sickness!

Next week we begin our Stroller Strides workouts...daily!!! Monday through Saturday we will have class and I am so excited! I can't wait to see all of my moms and their kiddos! I have been stuck here in the house and am ready for a change of scenery!

I'll be back to the blog with more fun fitness tips, exercises, etc!

Glad to be back! Wohoo!!!

Moms with a Mission - Pure Prevention Tip

My apologies for the drop in blog posts! It has been a week of the flu here :( Yuck!

Here is this week's Moms with a Mission tip...

Get Outside www.pureprevention.org/act_getoutside.php

We know that exercise can help protect against breast cancer and many other negative health outcomes. Physical activity reduces your exposures to certain ovarian hormones. Exercise with weights helps build muscle and reduce body fat, lowering your level of circulating estrogen. Lower levels of ovarian hormones and circulating estrogen both decrease your breast cancer risk. Through annual outdoor physical challenges, the Breast Cancer Fund enables breast cancer survivors and supporters to find strength through adversity and make strides to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer. Each year, a courageous group of women take part in an amazing experience called Climb Against the Odds with fundraising proceeds going to Breast Cancer Fund programs. For more information on this once in a lifetime experience go to Climb Against the Odds at www.breastcancerfund.org/climb.