Banana Buttons ~Emily Carpenter

When I found out Zoe already had a cavity at 3 and a half years old, I decided to get crackin'.  She is loving the idea of these "Banana Buttons" I came up with on the spot when faced with me taking away a lollipop her teacher gave her:

Banana Buttons:Cut two bananas into about 12 pieces each on a small cutting board
Melt 1/4 cup Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips on high for 30 seconds in microwave  (hey, I can't guarantee they'll taste decent if you don't use these exact chips!)
Stir with spoon and melt 15 more seconds
Spoon a bit of chocolate onto each banana piece
Place in freezer on flat surface
Chill 10 minutes
YUM!

Valentine's Couples Class Feb 12th

Join us Feb 12th 9:00am at the St. John's Town Center for a FREE community Stroller Strides class.  This is a couples class to celebrate Valentine's Day so bring a partner!!

You can find more details and RSVP on our Facebook page under events!!

We hope to see all of you there!!

New Playgroup Captain!!

Stroller Strides of the First Coast would like to welcome Jessica Bishop as our new Playgroup Captain!!  She has lots of experience working with infants and toddlers and we are looking forward to enjoying her playgroup ideas!! 

Please be sure to check Facebook for updated February Playgroups as they become available!!

February Mom of the Month

Congratulations to Mollie Sumner!  She is our February Mom of the Month!  Mollie is mom to Elise and Liam.  She has been a member of our Stroller Strides family since September 2009!! We haven’t seen much of Mollie as of late because she has been a busy bee!  She bought a house, packed and moved all within a few weeks of welcoming little Liam in December!!  Mollie-You Rock Mama!!!  Here is a little more about Mollie…

1. Took piano lessons for 13 years
2. Was a student ambassador to the former Soviet Union when I was 15.
3. Did competition dance in high school
4. Wedding anniversary is Christmas Eve
5. Met my husband in a bar (McDinton's) in Tampa
6. Love a good, classic martini
7. Favorite movie is Batman
8. Favorite book is Atlas Shrugged
9. Am a bit of a neat freak
10. Enjoy doing laundry
11. While working at Raymond James, had a client fly me to dinner in his private plane.
12. Got to pilot the plane on the way home.
13. Music moves my soul
14. Am SCUBA certified
15. My husband proposed while we were snorkeling in Barbados
16. Have an acute sense of smell
17. Contemplate cutting bangs every other day
18. Have never had a cavity
19. Have 5 nephews, 1 niece and 5 step-nieces
20. Have a Master's Degree in Economics
21. Worked at Abercrombie & Fitch for 3 years while in college
22. Think I'm addicted to sugar
23. Played on the tennis team in high school
24. Bought our house without my husband knowing.
25. Am writing this at 4:56 am because it's quiet!

Vendor of the Month

Are you in need of a date night?  Well our February Vendor of the Month can help with that!!  Seeking Sitters is our February Vendor of the Month.  They can help with all of your babysitting needs!!  Be sure to contact them the next time you need a sitter!!  http://www.seekingsittersjacksonvilleeast.com/

Stroller Strides ~by Emily Carpenter

Last weekend I went through the Stroller Strides Instructor Training Program again.  I did it simply to earn CECs (Continuing Education Credits) since I was originally certified in 2008. Sitting in that conference room all weekend re-learning all about prenatal and postpartum fitness made me think about the first day I tried Stroller Strides. The #1 reason I went?  I had a coupon!  #2 I didn't know any mothers, except for one neighbor -- and when we had playdates I always felt I was doing motherhood wrong. I remember getting dressed-- none of my old workout clothes fit, and even if they had I wasn't read to be that scantily clad.  I couldn't believe how long it took me to get out the door with baby Zoe, then 6 months old.  Water for me, snack for her, blankets, clean diaper, toys, stroller... the list was endless!  Gone were the days of getting ready 15 minutes before I had to be somewhere-- I used to be great at that! I arrived, self-conscious and worried.  Worried about:

• Being the fattest mom there
• Zoe crying the whole time
• No one else going through what I was going through
• Keeping up
• Finishing the class
• Having fun 
• Making friends
• Having other moms judge me

Sometimes these thoughts can paralyze new moms.  I know they paralyzed me.  I was happy bonding with Zoe at home, I was worried about cutting into that time to take an hour to work on something as vain as 'getting thin'.  I was worried I'd be roped into a  multitude of activities I didn't want to do.  I was worried people would say it was unnatural that I felt like 24/7 wasn't enough time with my baby. It didn't take many classes before I suddenly felt happier--- and more like "Emily".  I had friends!  Zoe had friends--whoa!  And I looked forward to getting there---- crazy packing of the car and all.  It turned out-- even though ever mom I met was different-- no one was judging.  Sometimes one mom would cry and then everyone started!  Sometimes we'd chat and giggle and get in trouble with the instructor.  What fun to know we were still women who people looked forward to seeing.  It's different making friends as a mom.  The criteria are different.  It's not "Did we vote for the same person?" it's "Our kids didn't sleep through the night till the were TWO!"    For me, in that first year (I've now just begun Year #4 with Stroller Strides) it was the feeling that baby was central to everything, but Mommy's health and happiness was the foundation--- and sharing that journey with other women going through it.  The embracing of that concept still has me coming back every week.

 

A Beautiful Life ~by Vanessa Eskolin

A couple of days ago I watched the trailer for the movie "Water For Elephants" starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. In one of the clips, Robert Pattinson leans over to Reese Witherspoon and whispers "You're a beautiful woman. You should have a beautiful life."  That struck me as really a great line. Well, let me be honest; Robert Pattinson could probably tell me to go fly a kite and I'd still giggle, but I digress.

If I were to "free flow" about motherhood, beautiful might not be the first adjective that comes to mind. This is probably due to the fact that am in the beginning stages of potty training Max, so motherhood is currently associated with pee pee, caca, potty, and my son refusing to sit on his potty unless he is wearing his fireman hat. But at the end of the day (after I have spot-checked for pee pee drips in random areas of the house), I think motherhood is beautiful. Messy, silly, and at times frustrating, but all in all pretty awesome. As a mother, we are given the opportunity to raise and guide our children, and then we watch as that child develops their own personality and becomes an individual. This individuality may also be the cause of the few gray hairs I have begun to notice, but who am I to say that there is anything wrong with wearing a Halloween costume while sitting on the toilet?  Motherhood is by far one of the most difficult jobs out there, but the rewards and experiences are unmatched.

"Water for Elephants" is not in movie theaters, and I have not yet finished the book, but I would bet money that the dialogue following Robert Pattinson's line about "a beautiful life" has nothing to do with making wee wee in the potty. I will go see this movie, and although I will probably swoon when Edward Cullen whispers this across a candlelit table, the image in my head will be of a bright red fireman hat and a little white toosh running through the kitchen. Call me crazy, but I think that is pretty beautiful.