Cookbook for a Cause

Announcing the Stroller Strides and Luna Mom's Club Chicago Cookbook! The Cookbook is on sale now! We collected recipes from mom's in class and compiled them in to one book and it's ready for you to enjoy.

Healthy Everyday Recipes

by Luna Mom's Club and

Stroller Strides Chicago

$40

100% of the proceeds from the sale of the Cookbook will benefit Bundle of Joy Diaper Bank- just over $10 per book will go directly to Bundle of Joy!  Bundle of Joy is a not-for-profit Diaper Bank serving families in Chicago’s most economically depressed neighborhoods. Their mission is to ensure that every parent in Chicago has access to a supply of clean diapers for his or her child. For more information, visit: http://www.bundleofjoydiaperbank.org/. 

Recipes Include:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos, from the kitchen of Victoria Slone

Chicken Tortilla Soup, from the kitchen of Jackie Dorris

Zucchini Pizza Bites, from the kitchen of Cheryl Hover

And many many more!  There are 100 recipes in the book.

We will have samples of the Cookbook available to view in class within the next few days. We will be taking orders via email or in class- if you are interested, please order by Wednesday, December 8th so that we can be sure to have everything here in time for the holidays!


Get one for your mom, your brother, your best friend and yourself of course! It's really a beautiful book and for a wonderful cause.

To Order:
Contact Jackie Dorris
Email: jackied@strollerstrides.net
Phone: 773.593.3915

What Is Your Indulgence?

Guest Blogger:  Courtney Sigmund, Stroller Strides Instructor

I asked a question last week in class that has kept me thinking- "What is your biggest indulgence as a Mom?" Of course, my favorite answer was "coming to Stroller Strides", but a lot of you had great ideas. For sure, hands down, my biggest indulgence is getting my house cleaned. Can I do it on my own? Yes. Can I make time? Yes. Would I rather spend that extra time playing with my 2 year old daughter and my 4 month old son? Absolutely.


It has taken a while to accept the help and not feel guilty. A lot of you seemed to feel that way too. As Moms, we are always thinking about eveyone else first and it is so easy to put our own needs on the back burner. It is so important that we step back and think of ourselves too. So, although your indulgence isn't going to soften the blow of those sleepless nights or make a toddler tantrum any less stressful, it is still important to check in with yourself once in a while and go off duty for a time "indulging" yourself in something that makes you happy.

Whether it be your twice monthly mani-pedi, a long phone-call with your best friend, your nap on the weekends, your spa day, your hour of exercise, your babysitter, your gossip magazine, a hot latte, your long bath, your date night with your husband, a nice glass of wine, or that regular girls night out, give yourself an indulgence and enjoy doing so! We deserve it! No guilt, no strings attached. Just you taking care of yourself, so that you can take better care of those most special little ones

Exercise of the Week: Resisted V Sit

Look for this one in Body Back tonight ladies!

Vendor of the Month- What is it?

We have recently brought back our Vendor of the Month (VOM) program, and I am so excited to have our November VOM join us for our mom's group tomorrow.  So what exactly is a Vendor of the Month?  As a mom-business owner myself, I like to help spread the word about other mom's who are out there working at making their own business a successs.  The VOM highlights other mom-owned businesses, with special offers for Striders.  Each VOM kindly donates a raffle prize for their month, and each time you attend Stroller Strides class during the given month, you are automatically entered in to a drawing for the prize.  All you have to do is come to class and you could win!  How great is that?  And each VOM also has a special offer, exclusively for Stroller Striders, during their featured month.

This month, Stella and Dot is our VOM.    Kick off the holiday-shopping season with fabulous jewelry from Stella & Dot!  Stella & Dot is a fun, fresh and modern jewelry line that is not available in stores. The celebrity-coveted styles have been featured in Lucky, In Style, and Cosmopolitan magazines. There are trend-setting pieces for every personality and price point…over half of the items are under $50!  Treat your friends and family…and yourself, of course to stylish gifts they will truly love this holiday! Throughout November, Stroller Strides moms will receive free shipping on orders over $60. Book an in-home trunk show and receive a $25 gift certificate in addition to the generous hostess rewards (FREE jewelry)!  To place an order or schedule a trunk show, please contact Amanda at 773.697.8814 or amandamanczak@yahoo.com. Check out her website at http://www.stelladot.com/sites/amandamanczak

Amanda will be joining our Luna Mom's Club tomorrow, November 22nd, at 12:00 pm in the Skybox room of the Fieldhouse.  Come meet Amanda and check out the fun Stella and Dot styles, they are perfect for the holidays!

And, as a special incentive for getting your workout in this week- each time you attend Stroller Strides this week, you will get TWO entries in to the VOM drawing. 

Do you know someone who would be a good fit for the Vendor of the Month?  Contact me for more details! 

Exercise of the Week! Lat Pull Down with Reverse Lunge

Luna Mom's Club Tip of the Week

Everyone loves the smell of a fire during the holiday season. But wood burning fireplaces introduce unique hazards, including the possible emission of toxic chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies some of these toxic chemicals as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dioxin and inhalable particulate matter. These air pollutants can cause a wide range of health problems such as burning eyes, coughing, headaches and bronchitis.
To minimize the emission of toxic chemicals with a wood-burning fire:
• Only burn dry seasoned hardwoods like oak, hickory and ash
• Avoid burning soft woods like pine and cedar
• Avoid burning wet wood and wood treated in any way (like painted wood, plywood, etc.)
• Never burn plastics, cardboard, garbage, gift wrapping, magazines, etc.

If you want the beauty of a fire without the big environmental impact, light soy or beeswax candles. Get several large pillar candles or varying heights and place them on a flat surface in your fireplace. They are cleaner and gentler on the environment, but are every bit as beautiful and fragrant. Plus they last longer!

Mom's Night Out- Shop for a Cause!

Join us for a Discovery Toy party! Do some holiday shopping from the comfort of my sofa with a glass of wine (or mocktail..) in hand! Discovery Toys has been helping parents to "Teach. Play. Inspire." with high-quality educational toys, books, games and music for over three decades. Check out their website at http://www.discoverytoys.com/

We earn free toys for hosting the party, which will be donated to Children's Memorial Hospital as part of our Toy Drive for the holidays.

Come shop for yourself, your family or for toys to donate. Or just join us for a night out and some adult conversation- no pressure to buy :)

Contact me for details!  It's at 7:30 at my place.  I hope you can join us!

..

Canned Food Drive This Week!

Canned Food Drive- All This Week at Stroller Strides!

We will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Lakeview Pantry all this week at class.   We have so much to be thankful for, let's kick off the holiday season with a fun specialty class!  Join us for a Canned Food Specialty class on Monday the 16th at 11:00 and Thursday the 18th at 9:30,   at the Windy City Fieldhouse!

IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE BRING TWO CANNED FOOD ITEMS to the Canned Food Classes! WE WILL BE USING THE CANS DURING OUR WORKOUT!! Afterwards, we will be collecting all items to be donated to the Lakeview Pantry.

Can't make it to class on Monday or Thursday?  No problem!  Instructor's will be collecting food all week long at Stroller Strides class.

On Monday, stick around for the Mom's Group afterwards where we will make Turkey Hand decorations!  A perfect keepsake for the scrapbook or baby book.

10,000 Stride Challenge- Are You In?

Are you wondering how you will stay motivated to exercise during the busy holiday season?

Do you feel like a little friendly competition?

Introducing the 10,000 Strides Challenge!

GOAL: To walk 10,000 steps per day for 6 weeks over the Thanksgiving through New Year’s holiday.

As moms, we know how busy the holiday season can get. It is so easy to veer off track of your fitness program and begin making excuses. At Stroller Strides, we have created a fun team challenge to help you stay active through the crazy holiday season.
Wearing a pedometer, you will track how many steps you take each day. This will be a team competition- teams of 3 will be organized. Think 10,000 steps sounds like a lot? I bet you would be surprised how many steps you walk a day just being a mom. You will wear the pedometer from the time you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night- including Stroller Strides class! Traveling a lot during the holidays? Don't worry! All you have to do is email/text your total strides to your team captain once a week. The great thing about this Challenge is that you can walk anywhere, not just at Stroller Strides class.

The Challenge will begin on Monday, November 22nd and end on Sunday, January 2nd.

Registration is due by Monday, November 15th!

Print your 10,000 Stride Challenge Registration Form and sign up now to start the holiday's off on the right foot!
COST: $10 (which covers the cost of your pedometer)
PRIZE: Knowing that you got through the holiday season being healthier and more active!
The winning team will also win Team Stroller Strides jerseys.

Weekly Recipe- Sweet Potato and Split Pea Soup

This soup is perfect for a cool fall day!
From the Whole Foods website

Serves 8


Ingredients
8 1/2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cups dried yellow split peas
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Bring 1/2 cup water to simmer in a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in ginger and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add remaining 8 cups water, peas and sweet potato cubes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Uncover and continue to simmer 15 minutes. Carefully purée soup with a hand held immersion blender or in batches in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition
Per serving (about 14oz/387g-wt.): 290 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 30mg sodium, 44g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 18g protein

Stroller Strides on Good Morning America

Check out Stroller Strides founder Lisa Druxman on GMA this morning! 

Mommy and Me Workout

Luna Mom's Club tip of the week

This quarter, the focus of our Luna Mom's Club is taking the time to give during the holiday season.  Our weekly tips will hopefully inspire you to give back during these few months. Whether you’re giving to a non profit organization, your friends and neighbors, or to the environment, even the smallest actions make a big difference.

Week #6:  Do another round of cleaning out all the closets in your house and donate them to a local charity. With the holidays coming up, there are plenty of organizations who need gently used items like clothing, books and toys.

Aaaaand We're Back!

Halloween Bash 2010
Originally uploaded by dorris.jackie

I am so excited to relaunch our Stroller Strides Chicago Blog. It's been awhile since my last entry, but I can't wait to start connecting with everyone again.

I thought the best way to get things started was to share the photos from our 3rd Annual Halloween Bash on Friday, October 29th. Here is the link to the photos on flickr. A great big "thank you!" to Michelle Freeman Photography who captured all of the fun and excitement on film. The flickr photos are just a selection, you can view all of the photos on Michelle's website www.michellefreemanphotography.com, under client proofing, password Stroller Strides.

This is my favorite shot of all of the instructor's with their kiddo's. Doing a wall sit of course. LOVE IT!  And at this point, Mr. Bones is definitely part of the Stroller Strides family :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55689505@N02/sets/72157625218813589/