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/

Stroller Strides Get Fit Challenge!

Do you have some personal fitness goals for 2009? ~ Do you need a little 'extra' motivation/incentive? ~ Would you like a little (healthy) competition?

Join Stroller Strides®’ National "Get Fit Challenge"!

This will be a 3 month long FREE challenge February 15th - May 16th to see what changes you can make in your life to create a healthier, stronger, leaner you! Just think, you've already got the exercise part down (you may just need to step it up a notch or two at class) so now you just need to add in the proper eating habits. The best part is that you will have your fellow Stroller Striders encouraging you along the way so you are sure to succeed! The person who loses the most % of body fat points will be our "Get Fit Challenge Winner".

Are you up for it?

DETAILS
Email Jackie Dorris NO LATER than Friday, February 6th at jackied@strollerstrides.net to sign up. Once we have a final count of participants, we will send out a sign-up for the Hydrostatic testing. Testing will be done on Thursday, February 12th beginning at 10:30 am at the Windy City Fieldhouse.

What is Hydrostatic body fat testing? (“Dunking”)
Hydrostatic body fat testing is the most accurate and reliable method of determining your body composition. By weighing you on the scale and underwater while taking your height, age, bone structure, gender and the water temperature into account we can accurately determine your percentage of body fat and lean mass. This degree of accuracy will give you the best and most complete information regarding your body and what it requires to lose fat and/or build muscle.

SUPPORT IS PARAMOUNT! Start telling your family and friends that this is something you are doing and that you need their support. Maybe your husband even wants to jump aboard the healthy lifestyle train with you? Make your health a priority…your family is counting on you!

SET UP AND VERBALIZE REALISTIC GOALS: Where would you like to see yourself in 3 months? This goal is different for everyone. We all have very different body types and everyone has a comfortable zone that they should be at. Know what that is for you and make it a healthy, reachable goal.

THE WINNERS will be the persons who lose the most % of body fat points. This makes it fair for ALL body types, sizes and shapes to compete against each other in this challenge. PLEASE make sure you understand this.


EXAMPLE -
Person 1 starts out at 40% fat, and drops down to 30%, they've lost 10% fat,
but only 25% of their total body fat percentage.
This is how it is figured..... (.10 divided by .40 = .25)

Person 2 starts out at 20% fat, and drops down to 10%, they've lost 10% fat,
BUT 50% of their total body fat percentage
This is how it is figured..... (.10 divided by .20 = .50)
Person 2 would be the winner.

THE COST for the challenge is $60.00 total per person (paid to Body Fat Test) for 2 body composition tests (one before the challenge & one after). Everything else is completely FREE!

SELF MOTIVATION: We will take care of giving you fantastic workouts at your Stroller Strides classes but the self motivating part comes with your eating. You are on your own here because we are all so different and our likes and dislikes vary, you need to know what works best for you. We will give you healthy recipe ideas and suggestions every week for the duration of the challenge. Remember, this is NOT A DIET but a lifestyle change that you commit to making to see results.

YOU AND STROLLER STRIDES AS A TEAM: You may NOT hire a trainer to help you during this challenge. You can attend Stroller Strides classes as much as you want and work out on your own as much as you want aside from classes at home or at a gym if you wish. You must be a current Stroller Strides member, instructor or playgroup captain to enter the challenge.

*NOTE: Before embarking on any fitness program, it is strongly recommended that you consult with your physician. Stroller Strides does not guarantee any specific results with this challenge. You must be at least 6 weeks postpartum to participate in the Challenge. Pregnant moms are not able to participate.

If you are interested, please email Jackie Dorris at jackied@strollerstrides.net for a registration form. Registration is due on Friday, February 6th.