How the Grinch Stole Breastfeeding

How the Grinch Stole Breastfeeding

This parody is attributed to Chuck Dufano, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator with the Johnson County Health Department, Iowa City, Iowa, with thanks to Dr. Seuss. Special thanks to the Triangle Breastfeeding Alliance for bringing it to my attention today!

Every Who down in Who-ville liked breastfeeding a lot
But the Grinch,
Who lived just north of Who-ville,
Did NOT!

The Grinch hated breastfeeding — no matter what season,
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be, he thought, there wasn’t enough nourishment.
It could be, perhaps, to see it caused him embarrassment.
But I think that the most likely reason above others
Was he thought the Who-kids would love only their mothers.

And the more the Grinch thought all about breastfeeding
The more the Grinch thought, “I must stop this whole thing!
Why for fifty three years I’ve put up with it. Now,
I must stop these Who-kids from breastfeeding…but how?”

Then he got an idea.
An awful idea!
The Grinch
Got a wonderful, awful idea!

“I know just what to do!” the Grinch laughed in his throat.
And made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat.
And he grabbed a big briefcase with great Grinchy pep.
“In this get-up I look like a formula rep!”

All the Whos were dreaming sweet dreams without care
When he came to the first little house on the square.
He climbed down the chimney while the Whos still slept
Then off to the nursery on his belly he crept.

He took all the bra pads and breast shells.
He took all the bags for expressed milk as well
He took the diaper log and breastfeeding diary
He took the La Leche League book from the library.

In their place he put powdered Enfamil cans
And Prosobee concentrate for soy-formula fans.
Next to it all with a great heavy lug
He placed a gallon store-bought filtered water jug.

“And NOW,” grinned the Grinch, “the last thing to dump
Is the electric double breastfeeding pump!”
And the Grinch grabbed the pump, and he started to shove.
When he heard the small sound like the coo of a dove.
He turned around fast and saw a small Who.
Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two.

She stared at the Grinch and said “Santy Claus, why,
Why are you taking our breastpump, why?”

But you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick
He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick!
“Why my sweet little tot,” the fake Santy Claus lied,
“There’s something wrong with the wiring inside.
So I’m taking it home to my workshop, my dear,
I’ll fix it up there. Then I’ll bring it back here.”

But Cindy-Lou Who started to fret.
“Oh, my Daddy’s going to be awfully upset!
He feeds baby mommy’s milk when she is away,
He does this at least two or three times every day!”

“You mean your Daddy can feed baby breastmilk?”
The Grinch asked Cindy-Lou.
“Oh, yes,” she replied,
And he changes diapers, too!
He gives the baby a bath and they play peek-a-boo.
When mommy’s nursing he brings her a cup of water or two!”

Now the Grinch stood puzzling and puzzling ’til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
“Maybe breastfeeding,” he thought, shouldn’t make me moan.
“Maybe breastfeeding…perhaps…isn’t mother’s job alone!”

And now that his heart was no longer bitter
He became the official Who-baby sitter.
And to all those who listened to his heeding

He…he HIMSELF!
The Grinch encouraged breastfeeding!

Stroller Strides gift certificates make great gifts!

Click here to learn more about Stroller Strides gift certificates!

A milestone: Cause for thanks-giving!

A very important milestone in the life of Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh and the Luna Moms Club occurred just last month. And as with so many milestones in our children's lives we are too busy to truly celebrate and the moment passes us by with little fanfare. What was this milestone? Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh and the Luna Moms Club turned 6 months old on October 23rd! Of course, that was a month ago, so now we are 7 months old! So I'd like to take today to reflect on all that has transpired in 7 months and all that I am thankful for as a Stroller Strides franchisee and instructor!

In 7 months we have had:

• 95 Stroller Strides classes at the North Hills Mall
• 30 Playgroups at the North Hills Mall
• 7 Moms Nights Out
• ...and countless parties and outings to local attractions!

But Stroller Strides and the Luna Moms Club is not about the numbers! It is about the people... and they are the ones that I am truly thankful for today!

Our group is fortunate to have:

• 1 Friendly and fun-loving (and very organized) Playgroup Captain, Nora Bray
• 1 Creative and tireless Marketing Mom, Emily McIntyre
• An average attendance of 5 moms to 15 moms per class with new moms joining us daily!
• Each other! I truly count all of you as my friends and I hope you feel the same way. It is my joy to power-walk this motherhood journey with you.
• Sweet, energetic infants & toddlers who keep us on our toes and who are growing up in a healthy community of class & playgroup friends.
• New babies on the way... 6 pregnant moms are staying fit and healthy during their pregnancies with us right now!
  

I'm also thankful for incredible support and encouragement from the Stroller Strides corporate offices and the other 300+ franchisees across the country. Owning a Stroller Strides franchise has challenged me professionally and personally and blessed me more times than I can count. I truly feel that God created this business to serve this community of moms and I'm grateful to be useful to Him in this way. Send me an email if you're interested in learning more about becoming a franchisee yourself! missy.currin@strollerstrides.net

And to top it all off, I'm grateful for the support of my family and friends, the cooperation of my toddler, and the North Hills Mall, the NC Museum of Art, and the many businesses that have hosted or sponsored our activities in one way or another. Thank you all- have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
~Missy

Tips for Making Healthy Choices During Holiday Meals

The holidays are just around the corner... the first feast is just days away. Are you ready to make this year a healthy season? Here are some tips from our Stroller Strides Founding Mother, Lisa Druxman, that can help you get through the party season without putting on weight:

1. Know what types of foods will be there and what you are going to choose to eat. Let’s face it; in general, you know what types of foods are on the holiday dinner table. Plan ahead of time which foods are important to you and which you could do without. Choose your favorites but pass on those that are not special to you.
2. Don’t go to the table telling people you’re “eating healthy this holiday season”. There’s no need to bring attention to your food choices. People will feel that you are not enjoying yourself or that they should feel guilty about what they are eating. Your host (especially your mom) will be disappointed if you’re not sampling all that she labored over in the kitchen. You’re more likely to have success if you keep it low-key.
3. Fill your plate heavily with vegetables, fruits and lower-fat fare. Start your eating with these foods and than eat your favorites. This way you won’t be so hungry for the calorie dense foods. Besides, your relatives and the people around you are only going to draw attention to your food choices if you have an empty plate or are picking at food. This way you are eating, your plate is full, and you are enjoying the foods you’ve chosen. No one should feel sorry for you, including you!
4. Don’t say yes to all that is before you. You don’t need to pick at every gift basket that’s left at your desk at work or eat your way through the holiday party buffets. Choose wisely and carefully.
5. If you’re cooking, try not to nibble throughout the day. All those little bites add up.
6. If you’re cooking, try some new lighter recipes. Use high quality, fresh ingredients and the foods will taste great. You just don’t want to tell your guests that they’re lighter until after they’ve already enjoyed it. We’re predetermined to think that healthy food can’t be good.
7. If you’re not cooking, offer to bring a dish. Bring something that you know you can fill up on without the guilt. This Thanksgiving I'm bringing teriyaki green beans... no cream of mushroom soup here!
8. Moderate your alcohol consumption because it most often leads to the worst choices. Alcohol will slow down your metabolism and your good judgment. Try a wine spritzer instead of champagne or just try to limit yourself so you can enjoy your holiday fully!
9. Have a healthy snack before you go to a holiday meal. Don’t go to a party on an empty stomach. When you get to the party and you’re already satisfied, you’re less likely to eat as a reaction to hunger.
10. Get your exercise. Take a walk before or after the holiday meals to get your metabolism going. When you take care of yourself regularly with exercise your desire for unhealthy foods tends to decrease.
11. If at first you don’t succeed, don’t throw in the towel. Most of us tend to eat out of control after we give in to that initial temptation. Don’t assume that because you ate a piece of pumpkin cheesecake that you now have to try every type of pie on the table. Accept your choice and than move on.
    

Overall, remember the meaning of the holidays and that they can be enjoyed without indulging in mass quantities of food. Make sure to focus on the meals you can control. Get plenty of nourishing foods in throughout the holiday season to make up for some of the not so good choices at parties. The key to overall health is to eat healthy overall. A few meals with less than healthy choices will not lead to your downfall.

This year, make your focus on giving and not what you’re taking in. Happy Thanksgiving from Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh!

Feeding the Family: A Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie

Our Midtown Raleigh Moms have had a busy week! 3 Stroller Strides classes, 1 trip to the Marbles Kids Museum, 1 Mani-Pedi (& impromptu karaoke) Moms Night Out last night, a Piggies & Paws Party tomorrow morning at Nora's house, and a Tree-Lighting with Santa tomorrow evening at North Hills... but there's always time for baking!

Here is a healthier version of the standard chocolate chip cookie- easy to make and guilt-less. Not totally guilt-free, mind you... it's still a cookie after all! Bake and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup light cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar (light)
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/3 cup wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet (or 2) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.
3. Add egg yolks one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then mix in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients and chocolate chips, then add them to the yolk/butter mixture quickly and stir by hand until everything is incorporated- do not over-mix!
5. Scoop dough by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet about halfway through.
6. Makes 6 dozen mini cookies.

Nutritional Info:
Per Cookie: 41 calories, 1.7 g of fat, 6.3 g of carbohydrate, 35 mg of sodium

*This recipe was originally printed in a community newsletter from UNC Health Care and was titled "UNC Health Care's Low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Holiday Get Fit Challenge: Week 1

We have 13 contenders in our Stroller Strides Holiday Get Fit Challenge and now the hard work begins! Our 13 contenders are (in no particular order):

• Jodi O'Brien
• Alicia Stephens
• Jennie Barker
• Sarah Thomason
• Jen Hansen
• Alex Johnson
• Gina Sarant
• Jennifer Anderson
• Shauna Elggren
• Rebecca Perez
• Cathy Gurley
• Sharon Morris
• Krista Welty
  

Please encourage them and cheer them on during this 10-week challenge! Go, ladies, go!

Stroller Strides on Good Morning America!

Stroller Strides founder, Lisa Druxman, was in New York this past weekend running the NYC Marathon. While she was there she filmed this segment for Good Morning America.

Need a few new stroller exercise moves to amp up your neighborhood stroll? Check out this video clip for some stroller exercise moves and a peak at our founding mother!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/mommy-workout-stroller-strides-e...

How to breeze through cough & cold season without a sniffle...

Have you noticed that the most physically active and fit people you know never seem to get sick? They appear to breeze healthily through cough and cold season with nary a sniffle, and what's worse, they tell you it's because they're so darn fit.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/03/how-to-lower-your-risk-of-catching-a-cold-work-out/#ixzz14MSPeB8X

Feeding the Family: Turkey Meatloaf

Let me preface this post by saying that I would be the first to tell you that turkey burgers are just gray tasteless hockey pucks... gag! So when a friend brought me this meatloaf after Monty was born and told me it was made from turkey I was not expecting much. I was SO surprised to find out how delicious and moist it is and because it also has spinach mixed in you can use it to sneak veggies to your unsuspecting toddler (or husband)!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
4 cups fresh spinach with the stems removed, chopped
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (I never have this ingredient so I just add extra spinach)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large egg white
Kosher salt & black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the turkey, onion, spinach, parsley, bread crumbs, mustard, egg white, and 1/2 teaspoon each of Kosher salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and form into a 10-inch loaf. Spread the top with the ketchup.
3. Bake until cooked through, 45-50 minutes.
4. Enjoy!

I believe the original recipe came from Real Simple Magazine so we'll give them the credit for its' tastiness!

Our November Mom of the Month!

Our Mom of the Month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time! November's Mom of the Month is Danielle Quinn, aka Camryn's mom, and one of our talented Stroller Strides instructors! We're fortunate to know Danielle as an instructor, classmate, and friend. Here are a few interesting tidbits to get to know her even better...

Hometown - Bennington, Vermont

Education - Masters in Sociology @ University of Connecticut, Bachelor of Arts @ St Lawrence University

Stroller Strides Member since - April 2009
Stroller Strides Instructor since - January 2010
Members of your Family - 3 and counting (Me, Mike and Camryn, baby Quinn due in February)

Current Career - Realtor with Coldwell Banker HPW (and I am always looking for referrals and new clients!), Stroller Strides Instructor, and of course a MOM!

What was your childhood ambition? My 6th grade yearbook says, "I want to be a realtor when I grow up." I'm not sure I really knew what a realtor was, but I have always loved houses. And I also wanted to ski all the time so being a ski bum was a frequent response to what I wanted to do.

What does motherhood mean to you? Pure happiness. Camryn makes me smile everyday, all day. It means hard work, complete devotion and absolute happiness in return.

What is the furthest you have been from home? Europe. I did a semester in London my junior year of college and traveled to Paris, Rome, Florence, Brussels, several cities in Ireland and Scotland... I'm not sure which is actually the farthest, but it was an amazing semester.

What has Stroller Strides done for you? I first joined to meet other moms after moving to North Carolina and multi-task by getting a workout at the same time. I have found it to be inspirational, motivating and have made wonderful friendships. I love every second of it. Workouts used to be tough to fit into my day and now it is part of my routine and lifestyle to fit in my "me time" and something healthy for myself. And more recently, as Camryn has gotten older, I am so proud to find that I have taught her that being healthy and exercising is an important part of life. She "plays" Stroller Strides and looks forward to going to class.

What is your favorite exercise? Using the band to "double pole" tricep extension with a bend at the waist. It reminds me of skiing.

What is your proudest moment? Besides the obvious of bringing Camryn in the world, probably coming in 5th in the state (VT) for ski racing my second year on skis. I worked hard for it and the determination paid off.

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Giggling with Camryn (our girl time together is priceless), Skiing (although it doesn't happen much anymore living in NC), Art (Painting and Ceramics)

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. - I guess this is more something unique to someone living in North Carolina. - I grew up skiing every day of my childhood up through college. I was on a Division I ski team -St. Lawrence University (along with Thomas Vonn, the now husband and coach of olympian Lindsay Vonn). I skied with amazing athletes over the years and went to the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics to watch 7 of my friends compete in the olympics. It was a former life I miss terribly, but the experiences I had and the lessons I learned have been life lessons that have impacted many aspects of my life today...even if I don't see snow much anymore!

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? - I'm a hard worker. I'm organized and on top of things.