What a Week with StrollerFit

What a week... We had class all week. I was waiting on the impending rain and being stuck inside, but it did not come. I want to be a weather woman, so I can to be paid at getting it wrong, but let me just say I am glad they were wrong because we had a week of great weather and great events.

We hung out at the zoo with our StrollerFriends on Monday. Only 2 more classes at the zoo before the season ends, boo hoo, we love the animals.
We have a special day planned for the last day at the zoo, we are going to have a hands on exhibit after class that will let the kids touch some of the animals and then we will have a picnic and play at the playground with our StrollerFriends and I will let Joey ride the choo choo one last time til next summer.

We went Blueberry and rasperry picking, all the early summer rain has made for lots of late season berries. this is the third time in 3 weeks. I made lots of raspberry jam and have lots of frozen blueberries for cereal and for the kids to eat, Julianna loves them, the frozen ones feel great on her gums, she is teething! (which is why I am awake at 2 am and blogging).

It was due to rain thursday, but it did not, which was great for the moms and I. A small group of us went to Nashoba Winery for a great meal and lots of wine. We had a 3 course meal with a wine pairing with each course and we started the evening spliting a bottle of Blueberry wine. It was an expensive evening, but not something any of us do often and well worth it. I was feeling a bit lite headed the next am and drank all out water to get over the thirst throughout the night and next day, but oh what a night. I love moms night out, especially when the hubby's start calling and test looking for us. It has been a long time since I had a late night like that. But it was relaxing, the conversation was great and the moms are was with are an amazing bunch of women and need to be able to let loose once in a while.

Friday, we went apple picking and our honorary mom "Stan" who brings his boys to Mom n' Tot Yoga and then stays and does mommymusclesculpt with us was once again with us. I love his humor and he keeps the moms entertained. Julianna loves him and his boys. We ate of apples and I brought home a lot to eat and bake with. We went on a tractor ride and the day ended with us picking up some apple cider and apple cider donuts (I need a long run to run off those calories plus the calories of Thursday's wine, but worth every bit!) Hey look, I am in a picture, my camera dies and Jennifer took this one, so I am holding her son, it is rare that I am in any pictures because I usually have the camera. It was a great week that ended with a night out with some very interesting people, but I can not blog about that...You will have to call or see me for that story.....

This morning was a nice Restore the Core workout, helped me relax since Julianna is teething and I have not gotten a lot of sleep this week, but that is OK. Tonight I tried a new chicken recipe which I will post on the food blog and my girlfriend Cheri rocked Julianna to sleep, thank you Aunt Cheri, she slept for 4 straight hours, a first this week. Joey was so exhausted from his day with Emily, Carlos and Jose(known around here as Cozee) that he feel asleep on the guest bed in the playroom before I ever finished making dinner. He slept til 9, then woke up crying and we went upstairs to watch Nemo, he watched about 2 minutes, cried to grandma and papa on the phone and was out cold and has been ever since. So tired that when Daddy put him in his bed he did not even notice, which is unusual (usually if he falls a sleep in our bed, when we move him he stirs and says Mommy's bed before crashing on his bed).

Hopefully, the house is asleep for the night, tomorrow we are going swimming and then to the aquarium, another big day!!

StrollerFit Bring a Friend Promo, "Hot Mamas Challenge" and new class Open House

OK, so there is a lot going in at StrollerFit in Blackstone Valley this month.

September 28 to October 31st A Great Time to Try a StrollerFit class for Free!!!!

Bring a Friend Promo: If a friend joins between now and October 31, you both win! You and your friend will receive a free month on EFT!

Bring a Friend Raffle: This is a great month to introduce your friends to StrollerFit. For each friend you bring, your name will be entered in a raffle for a massage gift certificate!

Don 't forget about the "Hot Mamas Challenege" during the 8 week challenge there will be an attendance Raffle: For each class you attend during the "Hot Mamas Challenge,", your name will be entered in a raffle to prizes from local vendors..details to follow on Tuesday at the beginning of the challenge!

Don't forget to bring friends to the Open House at Midtown Fitness Friday, October 2nd from 11-12, giveaways and much, much, more! Midtown will be offering Restore the Core, Mommymusclesculpt with Baby Weight and Mom n' Tot Yoga!

Daddy's Name

A few days ago Joey learned that daddy's name was Scott and thinks he is so funny calling him Scott. I asked him if I had another name and he told me no I am Mommy and that is my only name.

Today he woke up and told me he loved his mommy because I am the best and I make blueberry stuff and he loves Scott because Scott is the best daddy. It is funny what kids say.

Reasons you should exercise

Reasons for WHY you should exercise

I came across this article on "Why you should exercise." In addition to just being healthy & fit, there are some other great reasons which include, elevating your mood, building your self-esteem & confidence which all in turn help you to feel better & look great!

With the uncertainty of a government health care reform plan in the works, along with the insurance companies really making health care coverage expensive if you are paying for it individually & not through your employer, it really makes more sense to be healthy & fit - think of it as a way of getting paid rather than as a chore or an expense you can live without. Because, in the end, it is going to cost you more to be unhealthy than if you invest in your body now.

Remember, we were born with what we have - it is our choice to take care of it & make the most of it!If you are finding it hard to get into a regular exercise routine, find out what benefits mean the most to you personally - is it health? stress management? a lean, toned body? more energy? prevention of disease? lower cholesterol? Whatever the case may be, if you think of it in terms of what matters most to you, it will certainly help in motivating you to get off the couch & get moving!

Do you have kids? Did you realize that the rate of juvenile diabetes & obesity has increased substantially within the last 10 years? Why should we put our kids at risk early on for heart disease, high cholesterol & other illnesses that can be prevented? Our society is filled with advertising for fast food, junk food & we are spending more & more time in front of the television or computer.

Life is short - we should be outside enjoying the outdoors when we can or spending time together as a family having fun to laugh, bond, be active & do something good for our health! Maybe being a role model is something that appeals to you in terms of getting into that much needed routine.

Now, realize that exercise can be fun - find something you enjoy. If you are social, join a group fitness class - there are so many options today from Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, Step Aerobics, Zumba, Yoga, PiYo, etc - it's not just the same old aerobics classes from the 80's! If you have little ones, get to a StrollerFit or mommymuscle class where you can exercise with your little ones. This is perfect for being that role model & can save you money as well.

Can't get to the gym? Get an at home program - Team Beachbody has great products to fit your needs with top-notch trainers including Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Debbie Siebers, Shaun T, Kathy Smith & more. There is also a line of Mommymuscle workout DVD's.

Again, this isn't just your typical workout routine with the same routine - most programs have at least 10 - 15 different workouts, so you won't get bored. It's also a great way to have a combination of workout routines to mix in with your other classes, gym routines or StrollerFit programs. You can also get a personal coach through Beachbody - someone to help you meet your goals - along with meal plans that even print out a shopping list for you if you have difficulty in knowing what to purchase! All of this comes at a very affordable price - savings of having the cost of meeting with a trainer one-on-one which is a great experience, but not the most economical option.

Now is the time to get into the action & prevent those costly health care expenses & insurance premiums. Let's all do something good for ourselves as well as for our families.

Bluebery Picking

The last few days have been beautiful. Since we had a lot of rain during the early summer, there are a lot of late season blueberries and raspberries at the local orchard. My friend Heather and her children Rachel and Sean met Joey, Julianna and I yesterday and we picked til our hearts were content and our baskets full. It was a bit nutty with the kids, but they were well behaved and it was very relaxing for Heather and I.

I think the kids ate double what I paid for. Julianna even has some blueberries and she loved it. At home we made Raspberry Jam. Joey helped, it was a little crazy but since all the work is done by the bread machine, it made it not so messy. Check the book for your bread machine if you want a fast and easy way to make jam.

Today, I am getting ready to have the StrollerFit moms for Pot Luck. It should be fun, we had a great workout and now it is time to enjoy some lunch. Then I have to price and organize the stuff for the group Yard sale tomorrow. Hope it does not rain.

Mom of the Month-August 09 Jennifer Lundquist

Check out August's StrollerFit Mom of the Month. Read all about it at:

http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=franchise.motm&franchiseid=8250DDE4-08D9-85FB-7738E1467D3B89A8#motm1

Jennifer is one amazing mom and is has made class fun to teach and she is a bright and welcoming face to spend the mornings with. Her son is adorable and we love to see how he changes everyday!

Get ready for the Red Hot Mama's Challenge starting September 29!!!

Blackstone Valley StrollerFit Happenings

In the coming months we have some great things happening at Blackstone Valley StrollerFit!!

We are starting a new session of Restore the Core on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 8 AM at RBI's - all are welcome to try a free class on Saturday, September 5, 2009

The new session of Mom n' Tot Yoga will begin on September 30, 2009 for 8 weeks.

And We are starting the Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. It will be an 8 week fitness challenge to help bring out our inner Hot Mamas!


Many of the moms are training for the Tufts 10k on Monday, October 12, 2009 and I am working on the details for a kids Halloween extravaganza as well as other fun fall events.

I am also offering Restore the Core Parties, 6 weeks with 6 friends at someones house, where everyone one can begin to get in shape. No equipment purchase necessary, just grab 6 friends and lets get started. The Host will receive a free Restore the core DVD.

Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge

Hot Mama's Fitness Challenge

An 8 week challenge starting Tuesday September 27, 2009 and ending Monday, November 23, 2009.

The first day of the challenge will include an assessment, that will be repeated on the last day of the challenge. These items will include the following, and more:

timed mile run/walk,
# of squats,
# of sit ups,
# of jump rope jumps,
# of push ups,
# of "Drea" plank push ups
and measurements

Each week at class I will email out a homework assignment (little things to improve fitness like doing 20 extra push ups each day that week or cutting out soda and fast food for a week or something like that) and each class I will add extra "challenges" that relate to the original assessment to help you get Fit and beat your original assessment scores.

All you have to do is commit to a combination of 20 StrollerFit, MommyMuscle Sculpt and Restore the Core Classes during the 8 weeks, fill out the attached form, keep one for yourself and turn one into me and pay $5.

The $5 fee will go into a pool and the person who attends the most classes will receive 50% of the money collected, the remaining will be donated to a charity of the winners choice in there name.

So ladies lets get Fit and become the "Hot Mama's" we know we are!

I must thank some of the other StrollerFit owners for the ideas for this challenge.

Tips for saving money in these hard economic ties

I was at the Shaw's. a local supermarket this am, and saw a woman using coupons, double coupons I might add from another retailer. I questioned the cashier and learned Shaw's takes competitors coupons. This is something I did not know.

I am great with coupons and love saving money, this will only help the family budget, so I am off to organize my coupons while the kids sleep. I hope this helps my StrollerFit moms save money.