The end of the StrollerFit "Schedule your workout challenge" and the start of the "Healthy Heart Challenge"

Lets recap. In December we started the StrollerFit "Schedule in your workout challenge" We ran two contest one for StrollerFit and One for Restore the Core.

Each week we had a new winner:

StrollerFit Winners:

Week 1: Drea
Week 2: Danielle
Week 3: Alysa
Week 4: Danielle
Week 5: Drea

Week 6: Danielle

Week 7: tie between Danielle and Drea
Week 8: another tie between Drea and Danielle

And the StrollerFit Grand Prize narrowly goes to:

Danielle

Restore the Core had a Monthly winner in December and in January and a Grand Prize Winner:

December: Heather
January: Sarah

And the Restore the Core Grand Prize Winner goes to:

Heather

Congrats to all the winners!!!!!

Prizes will be awarded Friday at StrollerFit and Saturday at Restore the Core (unless I have the baby before then). Now for the next Challenge,

Lady and Baby (Child) in Red!!

Here are the Rules and again we will be holding a contest for StrollerFit and one For Restore the Core:

1. Every time you go to class you get a point
2. If you are wearing red or pink you get a point
3. If your child is wearing red or pink you get a point (if you have more than one child at class you still will only get one point to be fair to those who only have one child)
4. Be the first to class get a point
5. Bring a friend to class, if they sign up earn a point.

The contest begins February 1 and ends February 28. the person with the most points on February 28 will win a StrollerFit Utility Bag filled with Goodies. Good luck ladies!

The Boston Children's Museum

Last night was Scott's Birthday, so we went to $1 night at The Children's Museum. It starts at 5 and ends at 9, we stayed for 1.5 hrs, but for $3 it was perfect. I am not sure who had more fun Joey or Scott. There was lots of Balls, Boats and Trucks, but the highlight was the Bubble room. There is a machine where you can stand and be inside of a bubble.

I forgot the camera so there are no pictures. next time, we will definitely do it again. Yesterday was the day of pictures I missed. I have been taking my camera to StrollerFit, took it out of the bad to charge and never put it back in, so I missed Casey and Joey hugging again, they seem to only do it when there is no Camera, I think they know.

As of now the magic cream cheese has not worked, so the count is 18 days til my due date...

magic cream cheese

So I bought the magic cream cheese yesterday after my StrollerFit class, but the owner said with 2.5 weeks to go he is not guaranteeing anything, he says it has only worked for women within a few days of there due date. We shall see. I ate it on a bagel this am, it tasted good and we shall now just see what happens.

I am now preparing to end my Schedule your Workout Contest at StrollerFit and prepare my moms for heart healthy month and the contest I am holding for that. It should be fun and I hope the ladies will enjoy the recipes we put together in the recipe book.

Off to class I go.

Another Snowy Day

I went to see the OB this am and had an ultrasound. The baby is estimated to be about 5 pounds 5 ounces, same as Joey was at 37 weeks, so the baby will be about a 7 pound baby. Joey called the image on the ultrasound machine a puppy, I hope not!!

I ma 50% effaced, which is great news since I had to have cervadril before the petossin since my cervix was not softened at all. I may go to a shop in Worcester to buy this cream cheese that woman for years have sworn brings on labor or I may make this eggplant parm from a recipe that is used in a restaurant down south that women swear brings on labor, will have to wait and see.

After the Dr's Joey took a 3 hour nap, since we had no mommymuscle sculpt. Then he ate pasta and it was a two handed feat ---

it has been a fun snowy day, which ended with Daddy Jamming on his new guitar for the x-box, an early b-day p resent, one he deserved after dealing with the snow again. I hope we can get out tomorrow.

StrollerFit and The Bump

Tonight you would all be amazed, I am blogging at 12:38, not because I could not sleep but because Cindy (The Waltham SF Owner) and I went to an event and I did not get home til after 10, so I was not asleep at 7:30 and I am wide awake. Hoping to fall asleep soon.....

anyway we went to a networking event for a website and a baby book called "The Bump" created by the same people who have the knot website for weddings. "The bump" deals with pregnancy and the babies first year. I am excited that they will be bringing a book to the Boston Metro Area in May and Hope to see StrollerFit in the book and on the website. Maybe it will bring more business.

I am getting tired, off to bed I go, hoping to not wake up to snow tomorrow, but the forecast tells me otherwise and so far this season they may have been wrong about the amount of snow each storm has brought they have been correct when they have said we are getting snow....

It was a tie

Last Friday, Scott had my car and I took his to the mechanic. It was to be done at 11, but at 11 it had not even been started, so I had Danielle teach for me. This turned out to be a good thing, Joey is teething and went down for a 3.5 hr nap when we would have been at class. I heard from everyone in the class that Danielle taught a great class that was fun and energized. Thank you Danielle.

Then Drea and Jayce came to play, since Joey was asleep, Jayce got to play with lots of fun toys. Toys Joey has not played with for months and now they are out and he is using them again as if he has never seen them before.

As I previously wrote, Scott and I went on a date night. The weekend was uneventful. Baby moved a lot and Joey had fun putting his hands on my belly and feeling the movement. He kept telling me the baby was hot. I ate very spicy chili on made on Sunday hoping to bring on labor, no such luck, so 3 weeks to go.

I tallied the 2nd to last week of the schedule your workout challenge and it was a tie between

Drea and Danielle.

With one week to go it is still any one's game for the grand prize. On Friday I will announce the heart healthy challenge.

Date Night

Scott and I had a date tonight, first one with a sitter instead of grandma or an Auntie watching Joey. He loves Lauren. Before we left Scott tried to read to Joey and all he wanted to do was be with Lauren. That made me comfortable leaving him, he does see Lauren every saturday am during Restore the Core, but I am in the building this was different.

We went to Piccolo's Italian Restaurant and the food was amazing. I will need to exercise a lot this week to work off the food. One of the customers sang happy birthday to a stranger and happy anniversary to another couple. I hear he does this all the time. Scott said look"Dinner and a show"

All and All it was a great night, off to bed I go, 2 hours late, maybe I wil sleep til 7.

Breakfast, StrollerFit and Sleep

With less than 4 weeks to go and I have had the oddest feeling about the changes about to happen.,,

First of all I love breakfast food, always had and can eat eats for dinner anytime. For the last few months my breakfast has been shared, no matter what I have eaten Joey must have a "bite peeas." Earlier this week, I made hot cereal, I ate one bite he finished it, so I made another bowl which I proceeded to feed Joey and the same thing happened to the third bowl. Some days he is a bottomless pit and I wonder where he puts it. Since the baby is sitting so high, most days Joey eating my breakfast is just fine because after 3 bites I am full, I just wonder how this will work after the baby.

Strollerfit - classes are going well and Joey is all about KayKay who was not in class yesterday. Every time the door opened, he would say KayKay. Hew finally got over it when he got to run with the boys and play. Today we are due for a heat wave 40 degrees and KayKay and others are coming to play in the snow, so we shall see what happens...

I am writing this at 4:30 and those that know me are thinking she has been up for a while and about to go back to sleep. And last week they would have been right, for months I have been asleep by 8 up at 2 and back to bed around 4 til Joey gets up with a nap in the afternoon while Joey naps. This week it has changed, still asleep by 8, but now I am sleeping til at least 4, getting up to get a drink, play for a bit on the computer and going back to sleep til Joey gets up. Maybe next week I can sleep til Joey gets up. Wouldn't that be nice, get a straight 10 hours until the baby comes and I get none,

Off to bed I go and then back to the routine - Share breakfast with Joey, StrollerFit and a nap.

StrollerFit Challenge

We had a lot of snow again Sunday and I am going out today no matter what!!!! I meant to blog about last week;s challenge on friday but I got sidetracked by Joey and his crazy truck antics. This was after his friend Ella - 3 years old taught part of our StrollerFit Class, It was so cute having her teach us to lunge, I think I might make this a part of class every so often.

Joey has been parking his trucks in a line in my kitchen, trucks of all sizes, looks like a parking lot. He also hauls other toys in the trucks, including his new favorite things, the train movie (the only thing he watches on tv-the Thomas DVD) and his crayons and coloring books. Oh and I can not forget his fork, that goes in the trucks too. the fork is a new tool he has learned to use. Did you know you can use it to eat clementines? For the last week he has had a clementine with every meal and as a snack, that is his food of the week and each time he must have his big boy fork to eat them. Clementines in cereal, clemintines in stew, you name it he has had a clemintine with it.

Now for the StrollerFit Challenege. This weeks winner was a close call, she pulled a head by only one point....

Congrats Danielle, another great week!!!

With only 2 weeks left, who will win each week and who will be the grand prize winner. Only the time and effort can tell. It is still anyone's game, with both Drea and Danielle working hard to beat each other. I think for heart healthy month we will hold another challenge, all about red and pink. Keep reading and see. Oh and Joey says faster, faster, go faster so I guess we will have to go faster.

MMS and Young Love

Wednesday's are all about the moms. We do Mommymusclesculpt in the afternoon and the kids get to run free with Scott there to make sure no one gets hurt. It is great for all, Scott loves to play with Joey and his friends, especially now that we are at RBI's where there are lots of balls to engage the kids with. The moms are always amazed by by his patience with them. But I think of it this way: 1. the men he works with are at least 100 times worse than the kids, 2. he earns $10 a week towards a new video game and 3. its an hr a week where we moms do it a lot more than that.

We had some cute moments at class, first while we were setting up we all looked over to see Joey and his favorite girl KAYKAY locked in a hug that seemed to last forever. Of course I did not have my camera on me. Kasey had the biggest smile, Joey was looking confused, not sure what he was thinking, but he was not tryin g to get away. Kasey's big sister Ella joined them and then the moment was over, it was so cute.

While we worked the kids had the bowling pins up and were trying to bowl, but Joey and Kacey just kept taking the pins down. There laughter and being able to watch while we worked our mommymuscles was inspiring. My favorite part was when Sean wanted to use a band and stretch with us. It shows that we are truly building strong confident kids while building strong confident moms.

and again I want to say thank you to my moms for helping me deal with my mom. I had a good cry with Heather the other night during RTC. So our class ran a bit long by the time we were done, but I needed the cry and Heather needed the workout, good thing Stuart her husband was not wondering where she was. I am going to miss my Tuesday evening RTC with Heather when the baby comes, but we will be back to them as soon as the Dr allows for it!!!

Better go get ready for StrollerFit, who knows what will happen today.

StrollerFit Open House

Yesterday we had 8 moms and 19 children at the StrollerFit Open House at RBI's. It was a an amazing workout, the more people we have the more energy we have the better the workout. I hope we continue to get large groups and continue to support each other and help each other become fit and fabulous while teaching our children to be healthy.

I think the kids had fun running in the big open space at the end of class, the laughter was infectious and I know they enjoyed the treat I brought.

I am getting to the point with less than 5 weeks to go where running is getting to be too much, but I got a little in, including line runs. I am happy just to be out with Joey and the moms. I also heard from one of my moms, she was not going to be late, she wants to win the challenge. I guess it has been a great motivator. I may have to challenge my moms with something new each month, I will have to think about that...

One last thing, do you know what happens when an 18m old eats lots of berries, his new favorite food, he gets purple hands, purple face and purple hair!! oh what fun for me to clean!!!

Schedule your workout contest

And this weeks winner is, opps I have not tallied it. Let me do that, one moment please:

It was a close call, but Drea pulls ahead by making it to class first most days. Remember first person to class gets and extra point and if you bring a fiend and they join you get an extra point too.

Congrats Drea, by the time the contest is over I think you will have enough StrollerFit Shirts to wear to every workout!!!

There are 3 weeks left to the challenge and it is still any ones game for the grand prize, who will be the big winner, I guess we will have to wait and see. In the mean time baby and I are off to get a snack and go back to bed, its time.

Joey's loves at StrollerFit

So Joey use to have a harem to himself - First it was Ariella and JOOOOEY, then there was Casey and Ella and Autumn. Some days he had to share his girls with Nate and Mason, but he was happy to oblige.

Now things are changing, Autumn's Little Brother Lincoln is moving and not so little anymore we have new moms that bring us Jayce and Wes, so Joey really has to share now.

I think since Joey has not reciprocated Ariella's love she has given up, there goes his older woman, but now he has Casey a younger woman chasing him. It was so cute on Thursday, she chased him down after class and held his hand and tried to drag him around. She is 2 months younger and they are so cute, but he got free and took off with Casey hot on her heals. Where is the camera when I need it for these little precious moments.

I came home and told Scott, he said that is why we have a boy and he is positive the new baby who is 5 weeks away is a boy too. He says he would need lots of bullets if we have a girl. He has informed Casey's parents that he is willing to loan the gun and bullets out for when she and her older sister Ella begin to really date as long as it does not get used against Joey.

Today was busy, a new session of Restore the Core Started and one of my new clients asked how far along I was since I did all these moves as demos, like planks. I said 5 weeks and thank god for Danielle who demoed the rest. It made me feel great the she and my SF moms have commented that I am still active. I have my days where I do not feel great but the working out makes me feel better. And to top it off I had a great laugh watching Joey and Emma another little girl watching us and making faces from the party room upstairs. He makes me smile and brings love into my heart every moment of everyday and I thank god for my miracle and the one to come.

I took April and Mason to Costco with me to get stuff for the StrollerFit open house Monday and 4 different woman told me my twins were adorable. here I am 5 weeks from giving birth and I had Joey and Mason who are a month apart in age in the cart and people thought I had twins. Wow!!!

then part of Joey's harem came for dinner. We had Casey and Ella and there parents over and it was so cute to watch the kids play together. Joey was all excited as son as I told him Casey and Ella were coming over he says kaykay and claps. We had a great night. A healthy dinner and some good adult conversation, while the moms did, I bet the dads had a blast watching the Little Mermaid since the kids did not want to watch football. Too bad for the dads!!

So off to bed I went until 3 am as usually, baby did not want me to sleep. I look outside and it is snowing, so I guess no play dates today, Joey and I "will build a hot" and hopefully he will sleep so I can gets lots of work done and maybe try a new recipe or too!!

As I reflect on the week, I think to myself a few things: I live the friends I have made through SF and I love my old friends, even the ones I do not see or talk to very often, but I wish the sadness would go away and I could take Joey to grandma, the one thing that would light up her days as much as they light up mine as she goes they all the side effects of Chemo again. Here we go again and I wish I could take the pain away. She is a fighter and says she will see him and the new baby grow up and I believe her because she has the best outlook and I hope I will always be as positive as she is, but I know Joey would make her feel better. This is the one regret I have with leaving Las Vegas and moving back to MA. If I could get on a plane and fly the flight without risking my health or the babies I would be there in a heart beat and I know that my SF moms would keep the classes going because they are the strongest bunch of Woman I know. Without them everyday and all the dramas we share with the kids I would fall apart.

I want to thank them for coming to class and helping me through each day weather they know it or not. Lastly, I wan to say Joey loves sharing his harem and he only hopes it grows bigger and bigger and bigger so he has stories to tell Grandma.

Heart Healthy Recipes

Since it is gross out today I am working on a small project, putting together a StrollerFit Recipe Book for February, with Heart Healthy Recipes. February is Heart Healthy Month and I thought that the SF moms love to share recipes I would put some in a small booklet that we can all have.

If anyone has a Heart HEalthy recipe they would like to share, please email it to me at cari.fisher@strolelrFit.com

StrollerFit is building Strong Healthy Kids while Building Strong Healthy Moms

I already wrote in my Blog today but I had to add this note. After Joey's nap today he was standing in the living room doing jumping jacks. a move we have done in SF but not recently. I guess we will have to add it and have the kids join us.

StrollerFit with 6 weeks to go

OK, let me start with, can the baby come already, I am done, let me finish with Thank God For Danielle she taught the beginning of class because I was running late after the Dr called in the wrong medicine for my Nausea and I was feeling sick, but once I got into the grove and participated in her Great Class I felt amazing and the illness was gone. Another reason to go to StrollerFit class even if you feel horrible.

Now a few things I need to remember, the radio, now that it is fixed I need to take it to class, we need the music to motivate us and to entertain the grouchy children. Let me also say I love our new indoor space at RBI's it was such a great workout, like being outdoors, we had so much room, I am looking forward to tomorrow's class.

We had a new mom - Melissa join us and her son Wes is so cute. I got to hold him and oh, was Joey jealous, too bad for him, he will need to get use to this with the new Baby about to arrive, sooner rather than later I hope!!!!

Wanted to also remind myself and the SF moms about the SF Open House - Monday, January 12 at 11:30 AM at RBI's. Come join us for an hour of Fitness and Fun!! Bring a friend and you will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing!! (Only current SF members) If your friend signs up for EFT or purchases a class package, you will receive a free gift.

We had a great turnout today and I loved seeing all the moms, can't wait to see them all tomorrow. Don't forget the challenge is on, and if you bring a friend you get a point, if they join, you get another point, all the points help for the grand prize.

So I think the SF moms here in Northbridge are off to a great start and I truly believe we are building those strong kids by building Strong Confident Moms!!!!

I want to leave you all with one tip - get your shoes on and get out the door, that's the hard part once you get to class and have the support of the Great SF MOMS all life's worries go away. I love the support we share and the understanding, it helps me get thru the day especially when it starts off with me feeling sick!!

New Year - New You with StrollerFit - Blackstone Valley, MA

Health, Fitness and our weight loss goals are the things we think about after the Holidays!!! All the food and the craziness of the holidays is our and now is the time to begin the weight loss journey. If you have a child (infant, toddler or preschooler) StrollerFit® is the class for you that will help you to achieve your fitness goals with other moms who are trying to attain the same goals while interacting with their children.

StrollerFit® is a group of supportive moms and dads just like you trying to either get healthy, lose weight or just maintaining a healthy lifestyle while still spending quality time with our children.

StrollerFit® allows you to get in a good workout without leaving the bay with a sitter and you get the added benefit of teaching your children a healthy lifestyle.

If you're looking for a fun way to exercise with your baby and jump start the new you than check out a StrollerFit® class in your area. Most StrollerFit® classes are offering specials during their January Open House Events, here in Northbridge we are holding a fitness challenge and an open house on we are having ours January 12th at 11:30 at RBI's. We're going to have raffles, giveaways and discounts all week long.

We also offer Mommymuscle Sculpt and Restore the Core to help you meet your goals.

If you live in Blackstone Valley (northbridge, Uxbridge, Mendon, Upton, Douglas Mass or any of the other sourrounding towns) check us at at RBI's in Northbridge. For more details about our open house or classes go to http://www.strollerfit.com/blackstonevalley

For more information on the leading stroller fitness class in the nation go to http://www.strollerfit.com/ and look for classes in your area.

The New Year

Where to begin, the last few days have been a blur...New Year's eve day I canceled my final Mommymuscle Sculpt workout for the year due to snow and bad road conditions, but Joey and I "Builtahot" his way of saying we made a fire and then while he napped peacefully I got in a workout to my MMS video.

New Year's Day we had our annual holiday open house and it was loads of fun. We did pot luck and had lots of great foods. I made Potato Latkas in honor of Hanukkah and because I promise my friends they get them once a year and I can not break that promise. We had lots of great desserts, I think we had more dessert than lunch type foods, isn't that always the way, but I stayed away from the table for the most part. I tried a bit of this and a bit of that but I did not overeat and when I tested by blood sugar I was in the correct range.

We had a few funny moments, Joey the potty especially his friends training potties so I bought him one. One of our friends, Jack found him sitting on it fully dressed, thought he wanted to use it and helped him take his diaper off, after some confusion Joey came out diaper less and mooned the party, the things an 18 m old can get away with. If any of the adults had tried that, I do not know what would have happened. What a day, and a great way to start of the new year.

January 2nd, the First StrolleFit class of the year and the last at what was once Kidzkoop. We had a great workout with the Mommymuscle bar and I was feeling it the next day. An interesting converstation occurred after class while the kids played, the moms seem to all agree no more NY resolutions about food or weight or working out or for that matter anything else. I agreed sort of, I said I made the same pact with myself I made last year, to complete at least one 5 k and train and again complete the Tufts 10k in October, an event I have run in the past and love to participate in. Last year Charlotte one of my SF moms and I completed two different 5k's but never made the Tufts 10K due to both of us being pregnant and I flew home from Ohio for the SF conference the morning of the race. One mom said she always wanted to try at least one 5k, and Charlotte said to talk to her after the baby is born, so no resolutions for us, instead a pact to train and compete in a 5 k as a group of strong moms working to "Build Strong Confident Kids by building Strong Confident Moms!!!"

Speaking of the next day, we did a Restore the Core Open House, sat January 3rd, the last one was snowed out, before we start a new Session next week. I had 4 new participants and all registered, way to start the year off right. I am waiting for the emails Sunday and Monday where they tell me there muscles hurt, I love receiving them, then I know I am doing my job right and helping them begin the fitness Journey. Two have young children and two have older children but all are moms and I look forward to the conversations and the kinship the classes bring us.

Now to announce the winner of last weeks StrollerFit weekly drawing and December's Restore the Core Challenge.

Congrats to Danielle for winning the Weekly SF challenge and Heather for the RTC challenge.

Don't forget the challenge rolls on til the end of January and with mew moms joining us everyday, who knows the grand prize is still in the air and the goody bag is full of great prizes. See you in class at our new loaction RBI's in Northbridge