On May 1st our Stroller Strides group took on the 10,000 Strides Challenge. In self-selected teams of 3 they donned pedometers and began tracking their steps on a daily basis. Their goal is to exceed 10,000 steps per day per person and keep it up all month long. The winning team will be the team with the most steps at the end of the month. The prize= very cute bamboo "Fit Moms Rock" racer-back tank tops.
Can I have a drumroll for this week's totals, please?! The cumulative team totals (week 1 + week 2 + week 3) so far are:
Team Totals as of Week 2:
The Yummy Mummys: 784,033
The Happy Feet: 662,430
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 590,594
The 3 Mom Blondes: 582,009
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 402,486
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552
Italicized Teams have not yet reported Week 3's step totals and therefore only show Week 1/2 totals above. Check back over the next day or so for updated totals.
Week 3 is now complete and we have just 1 week and a few days left in our challenge. Can you finish strong? You certainly can! To give you the extra bit of motivation you need I'm going to remind you of your goals... (names omitted- but you know who you are!).
"To move more, get healthier... and to win!"
"10,000 steps a day and down 2 lbs."
"To lose some of my belly and get into my pre-baby clothes."
"To rock a bikini- and look good!"
"Run 1-2 miles without stopping to walk."
"Start planning meals, walk 10,000 steps a day and lose 5 lbs."
"Lose my last few pounds and finally get down to my pre-baby weight!"
"Work on toning the jiggly parts and run at least 4 miles twice a week."
"Tone my arms for summer."
You're making great strides towards your goals, ladies- keep it up!
Click below for more info on classes & playgroups!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I Challenge You To... An Advanced Plank Combination!
Our ongoing 10,000 Strides Challenge started as a result of many of you looking for some healthy competition. In April I had 2 or 3 moms in one day say to me, "I need a challenge to kick my booty into gear" (or something along those lines). So now that we're halfway through... are you ready for another challenge? One that works your core?
We did this advanced plank today in Stroller Strides class and it sure is challenging! Practice it at home (as long as you've been okay'd to exercise by your physician or midwife) and we'll do it again in class soon!
We did this advanced plank today in Stroller Strides class and it sure is challenging! Practice it at home (as long as you've been okay'd to exercise by your physician or midwife) and we'll do it again in class soon!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The 10,000 Strides Challenge: Week 2
On May 1st our Stroller Strides group took on the 10,000 Strides Challenge. In self-selected teams of 3 they donned pedometers and began tracking their steps on a daily basis. Their goal is to exceed 10,000 steps per day per person and keep it up all month long. The winning team will be the team with the most steps at the end of the month. The prize= very cute bamboo "Fit Moms Rock" racer-back tank tops.
Week 2 is now complete and the results are impressive! I'm so proud of all of you who have taken on the challenge and are finding ways to squeeze more steps into your already full day. On Thursday, I witnessed two moms take an extra lap around the NC Art Museum Park- one before class and one after. I've noticed that many of you have taken to parking clear across the North Hills Mall from where we begin and end class just to get more steps in. You've been taking more Stroller Strides classes and meeting each other to walk or run outside of class. It is awesome! We're halfway through the month... keep up the great work, Ladies! The cumulative team totals (week 1 + week 2) so far are:
Team Totals as of Week 2:
The Yummy Mummys: 486,391
The Happy Feet: 411,681
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 402,486
The 3 Mom Blondes: 355,921
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 352,261
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552
Italicized Teams have not yet reported Week 2's step totals and therefore only show Week 1's totals above.
Keep up the good work, Teams!
Week 2 is now complete and the results are impressive! I'm so proud of all of you who have taken on the challenge and are finding ways to squeeze more steps into your already full day. On Thursday, I witnessed two moms take an extra lap around the NC Art Museum Park- one before class and one after. I've noticed that many of you have taken to parking clear across the North Hills Mall from where we begin and end class just to get more steps in. You've been taking more Stroller Strides classes and meeting each other to walk or run outside of class. It is awesome! We're halfway through the month... keep up the great work, Ladies! The cumulative team totals (week 1 + week 2) so far are:
Team Totals as of Week 2:
The Yummy Mummys: 486,391
The Happy Feet: 411,681
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 402,486
The 3 Mom Blondes: 355,921
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 352,261
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552
Italicized Teams have not yet reported Week 2's step totals and therefore only show Week 1's totals above.
Keep up the good work, Teams!
Monday, May 9, 2011
The 10,000 Strides Challenge: Week 1
On May 1st our Stroller Strides group took on the 10,000 Strides Challenge. In self-selected teams of 3 they donned pedometers and began tracking their steps on a daily basis. Their goal is to exceed 10,000 steps per day per person and keep it up all month long. The winning team will be the team with the most steps at the end of the month. The prize= very cute bamboo "Fit Moms Rock" racer-back tank tops.
Week 1 was a bit of a rough start... It took a few days to get all of the pedometers calibrated for accuracy. One split apart. Another fell in the toilet. After taking all of this into consideration we began actually counting our steps on Wednesday, May 4th. So this weeks' totals include Wed- Sat. Future weekly totals should be much higher as they will include Sun-Sat. The team totals so far are:
It has been so much fun to hear about how our 10,000 Strides Challengers are increasing their step totals. One walked to the grocery store for an extra 8,000 steps. Another realized that it was much easier to get her steps in when she came to Stroller Strides class! Moms met for extra walks outside of class. They marched in place in their living rooms and did late-night laps around Target. All in all... everyone moved more and worked hard to fit more steps into their busy days. Great job 10,000 Strides Challengers! I can't wait to see what next weeks' totals will be!
Week 1 was a bit of a rough start... It took a few days to get all of the pedometers calibrated for accuracy. One split apart. Another fell in the toilet. After taking all of this into consideration we began actually counting our steps on Wednesday, May 4th. So this weeks' totals include Wed- Sat. Future weekly totals should be much higher as they will include Sun-Sat. The team totals so far are:
Team Totals for Week 1:
The Yummy Mummys: 184,179
The Happy Feet: 157,167
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 148,330
The 3 Mom Blondes: 129,933
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 126,256
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552
The Yummy Mummys: 184,179
The Happy Feet: 157,167
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 148,330
The 3 Mom Blondes: 129,933
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 126,256
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552
It has been so much fun to hear about how our 10,000 Strides Challengers are increasing their step totals. One walked to the grocery store for an extra 8,000 steps. Another realized that it was much easier to get her steps in when she came to Stroller Strides class! Moms met for extra walks outside of class. They marched in place in their living rooms and did late-night laps around Target. All in all... everyone moved more and worked hard to fit more steps into their busy days. Great job 10,000 Strides Challengers! I can't wait to see what next weeks' totals will be!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Our May Mom of the Month
In less than a week we will celebrate ALL moms... but for the month of May we want to highlight one special Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh mom for the strides she is making in fitness, motherhood and life! Our May Mom of the Month is Ashley Collins (aka Beatrice Kate's mom)- pictured below with her husband and daughter at the March for Babies!
Congratulations, Ashley! You're a super-mom and a wonderful example to our group in faith, fundraising, friendship, fitness, and of course- motherhood and we want to celebrate you! Ashley's most recent hobby has been raising money for the March of Dimes via the March for Babies walk that took place on Saturday in the Triangle. Under her leadership our team raised nearly $3500 in honor of her daughter, Beatrice Kate, who was born 11 weeks premature and is now a healthy and happy 1 year old!
We had Ashley answer a few questions so that we could get to know her a little bit better and this is what she said...
Hometown : Lincolnton, NC but I went to high school in Durham at the NC School of Science and Mathematics
Education : B.A. in Chemistry from NCSU
Stroller Strides Member/Participant since: September 2010
Members of your Family: Myself, my husband, Casey and our daughter Beatrice Kate (13 months)
Current Career : Mommy (and I LOVE IT)
What was your childhood ambition? To be a paleontologist (I even went on a fossil dig in high school!)
What does motherhood mean to you? Motherhood to me, means knowing a love like no other. From the moment I first saw Beatrice Kate's tiny, postage stamp-sized hand in the delivery room, I knew that my life was now bigger than just me. Being a mother means living everyday for someone else.
What is the furthest you have been from home? Cusco, Peru. We hiked for 4 days to get to Machu Piccu and it was well worth it!
What has Stroller Strides done for you? First- Stroller Strides provides a fun way to get in daily exercise. It's the only exercise class I've ever taken that I don't constantly check the clock! Secondly, Stroller Strides has given me a sense of community and a place to connect with other new moms. It's something that I look forward to every day and I love that Beatrice Kate also gets to meet new friends!
What is your favorite exercise? Hiking or Kayaking
What is your proudest moment? My most proud moment was the day that we took Beatrice Kate home from the NICU. We waited six long weeks to feel like a "real family" and I was so proud to finally have our daughter at home with us (even if none of us got any sleep for the next 3 months!). I remember drinking a cup of coffee the morning after she came home and thinking, "Wow. We did it!"
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Our dogs, Cooper (9) and Arnold (15); baking for friends and family; going to the movie theater (especially movies in IMAX)
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. I can read books really quickly. It's really nerdy, but I read the entire Twilight franchise in two days and the Sookie Stackhouse novels in two weeks (all ten of them!).
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? I asked him and he said, "You always put other people's needs ahead of your own." I would say that I try to, certainly- unless one of those needs is the last chocolate chip cookie- and then all bets are off.
Congratulations, Ashley! You're a super-mom and a wonderful example to our group in faith, fundraising, friendship, fitness, and of course- motherhood and we want to celebrate you! Ashley's most recent hobby has been raising money for the March of Dimes via the March for Babies walk that took place on Saturday in the Triangle. Under her leadership our team raised nearly $3500 in honor of her daughter, Beatrice Kate, who was born 11 weeks premature and is now a healthy and happy 1 year old!
We had Ashley answer a few questions so that we could get to know her a little bit better and this is what she said...
Hometown : Lincolnton, NC but I went to high school in Durham at the NC School of Science and Mathematics
Education : B.A. in Chemistry from NCSU
Stroller Strides Member/Participant since: September 2010
Members of your Family: Myself, my husband, Casey and our daughter Beatrice Kate (13 months)
Current Career : Mommy (and I LOVE IT)
What was your childhood ambition? To be a paleontologist (I even went on a fossil dig in high school!)
What does motherhood mean to you? Motherhood to me, means knowing a love like no other. From the moment I first saw Beatrice Kate's tiny, postage stamp-sized hand in the delivery room, I knew that my life was now bigger than just me. Being a mother means living everyday for someone else.
What is the furthest you have been from home? Cusco, Peru. We hiked for 4 days to get to Machu Piccu and it was well worth it!
What has Stroller Strides done for you? First- Stroller Strides provides a fun way to get in daily exercise. It's the only exercise class I've ever taken that I don't constantly check the clock! Secondly, Stroller Strides has given me a sense of community and a place to connect with other new moms. It's something that I look forward to every day and I love that Beatrice Kate also gets to meet new friends!
What is your favorite exercise? Hiking or Kayaking
What is your proudest moment? My most proud moment was the day that we took Beatrice Kate home from the NICU. We waited six long weeks to feel like a "real family" and I was so proud to finally have our daughter at home with us (even if none of us got any sleep for the next 3 months!). I remember drinking a cup of coffee the morning after she came home and thinking, "Wow. We did it!"
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Our dogs, Cooper (9) and Arnold (15); baking for friends and family; going to the movie theater (especially movies in IMAX)
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. I can read books really quickly. It's really nerdy, but I read the entire Twilight franchise in two days and the Sookie Stackhouse novels in two weeks (all ten of them!).
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? I asked him and he said, "You always put other people's needs ahead of your own." I would say that I try to, certainly- unless one of those needs is the last chocolate chip cookie- and then all bets are off.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Fundraising Yard Sale this Weekend!
On April 30th our moms group will walk in the March for Babies- a local event that raises money for and awareness of the work of the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes' mission is to "help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies". To help raise money for this worthy cause we are hosting a fundraising yard sale THIS SATURDAY in North Raleigh. All proceeds will go towards the March of Dimes.
How can you help? Please consider helping out in one of the following ways:
- Donate your sale-able items (email Missy for info)
- Volunteer your time to working the yard sale (Fri pm/ Sat am)
- Shop the yard sale- starts @ 6am at 4004 Sherlock Ct, Raleigh
- Going to be out of town this weekend but still want to help? Donate online using this link: I HEART BABIES.
Thank you for your support!
~The Bea Team & Team Stroller Strides~
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Feeding the Family: Chicken, Red Grape & Pesto Pizza
Chicken, red grapes and pesto? Weird, right? No... amazing! Gina suggested this recipe to me weeks (or maybe even months) ago and I've been meaning to try it out ever since. My parents are in town this weekend and always up for trying something new so we made it for dinner tonight and it was SO good! (Thank you, Gina!) The recipe dates back to a 2009 issue of Cooking Light magazine... enjoy!
Ingredients
1 can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
Cooking spray
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (or the pre-cooked "short-cuts")
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (we left this out since our pesto was extra garlicky to begin with)
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (we used shredded mozzarella)
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 12-inch circle; gently place dough on a pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Arrange grapes evenly over dough; top evenly with chicken. Top with garlic and mozzarella; sprinkle with Romano and pepper. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with onions. Cut into 12 wedges.*
*We followed the directions on the pizza dough and set the oven at 400 degrees, pre-baked it for 5 minutes before added toppings and ended up cutting the cooking time to 10 minutes... do what works for you!
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
CALORIES 364 ; FAT 14.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 6.3g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 191mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g; SODIUM 562mg; PROTEIN 22.6g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 2.5mg
Ingredients
1 can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
Cooking spray
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (or the pre-cooked "short-cuts")
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (we left this out since our pesto was extra garlicky to begin with)
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (we used shredded mozzarella)
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 12-inch circle; gently place dough on a pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Arrange grapes evenly over dough; top evenly with chicken. Top with garlic and mozzarella; sprinkle with Romano and pepper. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with onions. Cut into 12 wedges.*
*We followed the directions on the pizza dough and set the oven at 400 degrees, pre-baked it for 5 minutes before added toppings and ended up cutting the cooking time to 10 minutes... do what works for you!
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
CALORIES 364 ; FAT 14.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 6.3g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 191mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g; SODIUM 562mg; PROTEIN 22.6g; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 2.5mg
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