Lets enjoy this amazingly warm weather & get outside!! Meet at Louie the Lumberjack at 9:15!!

In addition to the other moms I mentioned in Jan that are offering childcare- there are some new ones thrown into the mix!

Smart Start in Ponderosa Trails!
I am starting an in-home childcare/preschool out of my home, in Ponderosa Trails, beginning mid-March with the help of a very qualified, experienced assistant. We have over 7 years childcare experience out of our home and 9 years experience working with children. We also have children of our own ranging in age from 1 year to 8 years of age. We have our CPR and First Aid certificate and have been fingerprinted and background checked by the FBI.

My home offers a clean, bright, wide open space within walking distance to Ponderosa Trails Park on a quiet street. We will be taking children up to age 5 with an emphasis on a preschool-based curriculum. The focus is to provide a loving, fun, educational environment that is based on Nature, Practical Life, Sensory Development, Mathematics, Language, Sciences, Geography, and Art. The curriculum will always be developing and growing with the children. Our goals are to:

To stimulate the growth of the total child.
To provide a warm and accepting environment in which each child feels secure, respected and loved.
To provide an enriched, stimulating environment with safe limits, allowing the child to be an active explorer and learner.
To encourage the child to become self-directed.
To provide a framework of discipline through which a child can develop self-discipline and personal strength.
To develop creativity and a positive self-image.

We provide wooden toys, healthy meals, an abundance of hugs and loads of patience! At Smart Start, you will have the peace of mind that your child is in good hands. We offer engaging activities throughout the day including: arts and crafts, music, nature walks, and educational activities using a Montessori-based method. We will also offer dance, indoor free play, a multitude of outdoor games, and much more. Children will be fed nutritious meals and snacks, all homemade using organic/natural foods (Breakfast, Lunch, and Afternoon snack). Our hours of operation will be 7:30am to 5:30pm. References are available.

Join us at Starlite Lanes- tonight for a night out with your honey!! If you can't find/afford a sitter- feel free to bring your kiddos with you... we'll find someone to hold 'em..

:)

Check out this video I just found on
www.newbaby.com



Trust me- once you try them you will be HOOKED! Nothing gets boogers off the face like these- I say it can do in 1-2 wipes what a 'normal' wipe does in about 5-10! Only place to buy them in town is Walmart & Frys. Whats up with Frys having all the great baby products?? :)

Fit Pregnancy is having a contest- I just copied this from their site!

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Capture the Moment Photo Contest!

Enter to Win!

The first sonogram...the first touch...bringing your baby home... Each woman and child's special moment is different—share yours and you could win a fabulous prize package and be featured on fitpregnancy.com and on DiscoveryHealth.com!

Prize package to include:
$250 Shutterfly gift certificate
BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance with Toy Bar
Chicco's Liteway Stroller
Bellybar Products gift basket
Medela Freestyle
Medela BPA-free Breastmilk bottles
Medela Disposable Bra pads
Medela Nursing cami
Palmer's Prize Pack
The First Years Feeding Essentials Gift Pack
Barefoot & Pregnant Babymoon trip
cExpecting the Best - $1,500 - This 3 day, 2 night retreat to Hotel Los Gatos and Spa Elia in San Jose, CA includes:

Farmers Insurance will donate $50,000 to the March of Dimes on behalf of families who upload photos. Additional sponsors will make a donation to the March of Dimes.

EARLY PUBERTY

Girls get their first periods today, on average, a few months earlier than girls did 40 years ago, but they get their breasts one to two years earlier. Over the course of a few decades, the childhoods of U.S. girls have been significantly shortened. Early Puberty is a known risk factor for breast cancer and other mental and physical health problems.

Like breast cancer, early puberty is caused by a combination of factors. The interactions among these factors can be quite complex. We know that endocrine disrupting chemicals (chemicals that disrupt hormones) like phthalates and Bisphenol A are a possible cause of early puberty, but we also know that exposure to these chemicals in utero or early in life can also lead to low birth weight and obesity, which are themselves possible causes of early puberty. While there are some areas of research that need more attention there is enough evidence for us to take action now to prevent early puberty. Find out what you can do personally and politically at www.breastcancerfund.org/pubertyreport.

I got my 1st email today from Kaylen's Write to Heal and I have to say it had both me & my husband in tears. Once you have a child it is impossible to imagine losing them- my favorite way of explaining how much you love your kid is that as soon as he or she is born your heart comes out of your body & starts walking around (ok, ok- its not walking until the child is, but you get the drift).

The email I got today was concerning a family that lost their 12 year old son to MRSA-related staph sepsis pneumonia, ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), and Influenza. This is a family I have never met, and probably never will- but if me taking the time to send them a card in the mail can give them one teeny, tiny speck of support then I'll do it. I think all of us would.

From Feb 21st-23rd Kaylen's Write to Heal is trying to grow their email database of volunteers from 100 to 500 and raise $5000. If you are interested in supporting this amazing endeavor either with your time or money- click on the button to the right of this post.

Still confused about this whole LUNAFEST thing?
Check out the blog:

www.lunafestflagstaff.blogspot.com



and find us on facebook!
Become a fan and RSVP YES!! to the event on 3/28/09!

Yesterday in LEAN we talked about physical activity- how to start it, how to keep doing it and how to learn to love it! And then we ran stairs in the Skydome.... lots of 'em.

So, you might be asking, how do I start, continue and love physical activity? Well, there are a few different answers to that question, but the most important one is SCHEDULING.

Many of us moms think of 'working out' as something we fit into our days when we can and we easily make excuses as to why we can't get moving. Some of my favorites include:

If we thinking of working out/getting moving as a set part of our day that has to be accomplished and it become a regular part of our routine- we will do it!

Life with Lily got so much easier once we got her onto a schedule and established a family routine- I realized last night that 1 thing that was left out of this routine- is MY time. So, I decided last night that starting today I was going to get up 45 min earlier & get my butt out for a run. Today was Day 1- I did it, had an amazingly nice, cold run with our dog & was back ready to get the rest of the family up- and you know what, I was in a great mood! Still am.. It's amazing how good you feel when you've accomplished something before your 1st cup of coffee.

Many of you have already made Stroller Strides part of your routine- you and your baby know that MWF you will be at the Dome, in class- that is just part of your weekly routine and nothing will get in your way... That is the 1st step to success- make it part of your daily routine and quickly fitness becomes part of your life- just like naps and bath-time.

I was somewhere in blog-world today and stumbled upon a blog post talking about this group, Kaylen's Write to Heal. It is a group of moms that volunteer to write brief cards, letters and words of encouragement to parents who have lost their children. In the past year and a half we have known two different families that have lost their children, one to SIDS and one whose baby was stillborn. Like almost everyone, we had no idea what to do for our friends and did our best to just be there to listen to them, support them and give them as many hugs as we could.

This organization was born out of a friend not knowing what to do when their friend lost their 4 month old baby, Kaylen. Basically, the way this works is that when a mom needs your kind words, you get an email telling you their name, what happened and the address to send your card. All you have to do is write from the heart and put something in the mail. What an amazing way to support each other as moms and women. Check it out and register here if you're interested.

And I'm not talking about "Ok honey, if we want to get pregnant this month we'd better get going" kinda sexy- its not always about sex...its about how YOU feel.

For me, its been awhile- it is waaaaay to0 easy to stay in my workout clothes all day, hair in a ponytail, granny panties firmly in place. But this recent blog post from Stroller Strides founder Lisa Druxman has gotten me thinking....

Maybe mama should bring sexy back- I know her hubby would appreciate it, but more importantly I think SHE would appreciate it to. We do so much each & every day for other people, that's just the nature of being a mom, is it too much to make sure we get a shower every day, put on some nice undies & maybe a smidge of makeup? Something to think about.....

and yes, the picture if from my honeymoon... I had to go back a looong way to find a photo from a time when I felt 'sexy'... I need to fix that!

Here it is- the easiest giveaway EVER. All you need to do is
* go to the official Stroller Strides blog www.strollerstrides.com/blog
* sign up to subscribe to it
* enter the Boogie Wipes and/or Six O'clock Scramble giveaway and leave a comment here saying you did!

What do you win?

- 2 tickets to Theatrikos' showing of Brighton Beach Memoir, by Neil Simon on this Sunday at 2pm. What a great Valentines Day gift!

- Maybe the Boogie Wipes or Six O'clock Scramble prize from Stroller Strides too!! Its a 2 fer!

Drawing to be held TODAY at 6pm. So enter NOW!!!

What does that mean?

Don't forget mamas- ditch those babies tonight & hit the town! Join us at the Wine Loft for LUNAFEST planning & some mommy chatting!! We will be there at 5:30pm- if thats too early for you, join us when you can!

Also- this FRIDAY we will have a Valentines Day themed class- wear red & bring valentines (if you have the time to get those together- if not, no worries!)- and get ready for lots of heart healthy moves.. :)

Since NAU is open, the Skydome is open & we will be meeting for class at 9:15AM. The radio tells me the roads are bad, my husband said they were OK. You make the call on if you feel safe driving- whatever you choose be careful & take your time getting to the Skydome. We don't care if you're late.

Stolen from http://www.bookieboo.com/profiles/blogs/stay-at-home-moms-what-do-we

If you're still not on bookieboo, make sure you check it out.
Those of you that are stay at home moms- I want to hear what YOU do in a 'typical day'.

They really did it! I have photographic proof! Once again, these ladies are so awesome- way to challenge yourselves guys!!!

I get a lot of comments (not all directly) that Stroller Strides is "just walking". I try as hard as I can to convince people otherwise, but without trying a class it is difficult. Check out this video on the "Get Fit Challenge" which we will be holding this summer... And stay tuned for our Stroller Strides Flagstaff video- Coming Soon!!

Arcelia, Colleen, Heather & Sarah you guys were AMAZING today! Thank you for trying your hardest and being such great running companions today.. Way to conquer the Sedona 5K- don't worry I'll post pictures of "Team Stroller Strides" soon!!!!

Tomorrow is the Sedona Marathon & 5k- wish Team Stroller Strides well! If you're feelin' bored- head down to Sedona & cheer us on! Race starts at 8am.
You ladies are amazing- all of you..

And I was just thinking about this while brushing my teeth (strange I know) you moms that have been with me for awhile are making AMAZING progress/changes etc. I see you so often that I notice the little things- the butts tightening, pants getting droopy, arms gaining even more definition- those of you that never used to run, but are now leading the pack.. Everyone should give themselves a gigantic pat on the back!!!
Seriously... do it right NOW!

You Moms ROCK!

Knock on wood, Lily has yet to have an ear infection, I know they can be a real pain for some parents & kids- just stumbled across this review of a pretty cool product called the Earcheck that checks for fluid in your child's ears. It would be even cooler if they could incorporate a thermometer so you wouldn't need a tool belt to carry around all your 'sick kid tools', maybe some day..

Check out the review here http://bookiebooraves.blogspot.com/2009/02/earcheck-saves-you-trips-to-doctor.html

Stroller Strides is trying to reach 1,000 Facebook fans by tomorrow!!! Becoming a fan of Stroller Strides opens up a whole new world of opportunity- see pictures of other Stroller Strides classes across the country, post on the wall & get your questions answered by the ladies that created & run Stroller Strides and best of all, be the 1st to know about all the amazing giveaways/contests that are being held by the corporate office.

Click HERE to become a fan!! When you do it, post a note on the Stroller Strides FLAGSTAFF facebook page & win a prize- its that easy... everyone wins!

Not on facebook? What?! Sign up- its ridiculously fun.. :)

While you're at it start following this blog- don't you want to be the 1st to know about all of our exciting news!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stroller-Strides-Fitness-for-Mom-fun-for-Baby/27084037465

Have you ever tried Boogie Wipes? If not, you MUST. They are awesomely soft & smell great- Lily loves that they don't leave her runny nose all chafed & sore.
Stroller Strides is giving you a few great opportunities to score some free Boogie Wipes as well as a coupon! Click here http://strollerstrides.com/blog/?p=311 to see the rules for the giveaway & check your February Stroller Strides newsletter for an amazing coupon code. Go wipe those noses!!! You can buy them here in Flag at Fry's and Walmart.

Meet us at Buffalo Park tomorrow for an informal run! We should be there around 1pm- bring your babies if you want to but they are not 'required'... :)

Next Saturday is the Sedona 5K. Come join "Team Stroller Strides" for a 3.1 mile run/walk through the beautiful red rocks of Sedona.

The race starts at 8am- no strollers allowed so leave your kids at home & join us or have them & your hubby cheering you on!!!

In March we will start our Stroller Strides 5K Training program in order to run our best possible 5k at the Girls on the Run 5k at Buffalo Park (5/2/09). The Sedona 5K is an excellent way to record your baseline time- and give yourselves a realistic goal to meet or beat in May.

Race Fee: $30

If you would like a "Team Stroller Strides" shirt they are an additional $15 (normally a $20 shirt!). LEAN participants- your t-shirt costs $10. Please let me know your t-shirt size ASAP, as I need to order the shirts on MONDAY 2/2.

Register for the race online here and email me: bethsabol@strollerstrides.net if you would like a t-shirt.