Stroller Strides Richmond

2009 Year in Review...

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Enjoy this photo montage of Stroller Strides Richmond - Year in Review (and a few older pics too). It features our 12 Days of Fitness...Enjoy!

Plus there is a special coupon at the end for those who watch the entire thing!

A little TLC goes a long way! Announcing...

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Stroller Strides® Top Level Coaching Membership entitles you to:
• Initial fitness and body analysis with monthly assessments
• Weekly one-on-one meetings
• Short and long-term goal setting
• Weekly exercise and nutrition planning designed for you
• Reminders, motivation, and answers to your questions
• Personal food journal and copy of LEAN Mommy signed by Lisa Druxman

Sign up quickly…we are only accepting a limited number of TLC members! To enroll, you must have a current membership or class pass. The price is an additional $50 per month for a minimum of 3 months. Email RachelP@strollerstrides.net or call 888-232-2450 for details.

Sign up by December 31, 2009 & receive a FREE Stroller Strides t-shirt!

Meet Rachel!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Here is my list of 100 things. Enjoy learning lots about me!

1. My name is Rachel Megan Pustilnik.
2. I am 34 years old, and my birthday is March 24, 1975.
3. I do not like birthdays very much. I just like to pretend they are just another day.
4. I am married to my best friend. I have known Jack since I was 5-years-old. He is my older brother’s best friend.
5. The first time we dated, we broke up after 2 months because it felt like I was dating my brother – EEWW.
6. Four years later, we tried again. This time it worked.
7. Our first date was a 7-mile run together. We were training for the Atlanta half-marathon. It was on July 15, 2000. I will never forget.
8. We went shopping for wedding rings after we had been dating for 6 weeks. We just knew.
9. Nine months later we were engaged. Thirteen months after that, we were married.
10. Thirteen months is too long to be engaged. I wish it was much shorter.
11. I went to Virginia Tech and graduated with a BS in Biological Systems Engineering. Yes, I am an engineer.
12. I worked very hard in college to get good grades, but I partied even harder.
13. I have two beautiful daughters, Morgan and Olivia.
14. I have a very different, yet special, relationship with each of them.
15. Morgan is my inspiration. She is the reason I started Stroller Strides Richmond.
16. I wanted to prove to her that mothers can have a career, be successful, and be present. Her spirit pushes me to accomplish everything. I want her to take over the world.
17. Olivia is my calming force. She taught me how to slow down.
18. She reminds me to breathe, enjoy the beauty, and appreciate everything.
19. I wasn’t sure I was ready for a second child, but now I realize I needed her. She completed the circle.
20. Because my children have grown up at Stroller Strides, they think exercise is cool. I am very proud of that.
21. They will randomly drop to the ground and start doing push-ups.
22. I am also proud that my 5-year-old LOVES to sit in the stroller. She thinks it is a privilege to come to class.
23. Morgan is beyond smart. She started reading when she was under 3.5. She is in Kindergarten and reading on a 2nd grade level. She constantly needs to be challenged.
24. My in-laws say they think Olivia is just as smart if not smarter.
25. My life goal is to make sure my daughters remain the best of friends. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.
26. I have 3 tattoos – a gecko, an infinity sign, and my girls initials woven into a cool design.
27. The infinity sign was in honor of one my best friends, Brandon Wilburn, who lost his life way too early.
28. His death changed the course of my life. I left a high-paying, secure, yet unfulfilling job to pursue my dream to become a marine biologist. I moved from Atlanta to Charleston, SC.
29. I realized half-way through grad school that marine biology wasn’t my thing. By that time I was married and ready to settle down. So we moved back to Richmond.
30. I believe in fate. I also believe Brandon’s passing brought me to Jack. Jack was the only other person I knew who had experienced a close death like that. I went to him to talk and weeks later, we were dating.
31. I now live 2 miles from where I grew up. I love that I am back home.
32. Both my mom and my in-laws still live in Richmond. We have rarely paid for a babysitter in five years.
33. None of my grandparents lived in Richmond so I am very proud of the close relationship my girls have with their grandparents.
34. I love to watch my children dance. In fact, I had to stop writing this list just now so I could turn on music and dance with Olivia.
35. When I was pregnant with Morgan, I had planned to go back to work full-time.
36. The second she was born, my mind was changed. The problem was…how would I be able to stay home?
37. My mom had given me an article from the paper about a stroller fitness company. It mentioned Stroller Strides.
38. I went to their website and read more. I was hooked. I emailed Lisa Druxman immediately.
39. I bought my Stroller Strides franchise before Morgan was 3 months old. I just celebrated my 5-year anniversary.
40. I didn’t know it at the time, but I have been destined to own my own business.
41. Although I haven’t taken more than 2 days off in 5 years, I love it.
42. Owning a business is a lot like motherhood. It’s the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done.
43. I work constantly and can’t stay away from my phone for fear I will miss a phone call or email.
44. I love meeting new moms and seeing them get in shape, have more energy, and make new friends. That is worth more to me than money.
45. I am proud of the reputation I have built.
46. I wake up every day and hope that Stroller Strides will change one more mom’s life.
47. I started running in 1998. My first race was the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. It’s a 10k on July 4th. It’s hot.
48. Since then I have run more races than I can even remember. Lots of 5ks, plenty of 10ks, 4-5 half-marathons and one marathon.
49. I think I am done at one marathon.
50. I love triathlons. I have done a million sprint tris, a couple of Olympic distances, and a half-ironman. My life goal is to complete an Ironman. I plan to start train when Olivia starts kindergarten.
51. My husband has run 4 marathons and has no intention of stopping. I don’t blame him.
52. In October 2008, he had a heart attack. He was 37 and was training for a marathon.
53. He worked very hard to fully recover. Thirteen months later he ran a marathon. He is truly amazing. No wonder he doesn’t want to stop.
54. I struggle with my relationship with food. I tend to stress eat and feel I ‘deserve’ junk food when times are tough. I know this is wrong. I am working hard on changing these negative tapes.
55. Olivia finds comfort in food. That scares me.
56. Morgan could care less about food. I admire her for that.
57. My goal is to join a CSA this spring.
58. I would love to grow my own fruits and veggies but I have no gardening skills.
59. I am overly protective of what my kids eat. They eat extremely healthy at home. They have never eaten a slice of white bread under my supervision.
60. Cancer runs in my husband’s family. His sister passed away of cancer at 29. His mom is a breast cancer survivor. His aunt died of cancer. Too many women with too much cancer.
61. If I can do one small thing to help my daughters stay healthy forever, I would be so happy. So I feel justified in being so anal.
62. I have two dogs, a weimereiner and a mutt.
63. An ex-boyfriend bought me my weimie for my birthday. I have had her longer than my husband. She was supposed to be my running partner. Now, she’s just annoying
64. I know that sounds mean, but she did not take all the additions to the family very well. She just kept getting more and more jealous. Now she acts out to get any kind of attention, good or bad.
65. I hope my kids don’t turn out like that.
66. The 3 cities I have lived in are the 3 capitals of the confederacy – Richmond, Atlanta, and Charleston. You would think I was a southern belle. I am not.
67. Although, if I have enough drinks my accent appears.
68. I have always had a hard time making new friends. I have lots of acquaintances but few friends. I wish that were different.
69. I used to have more guy friends than girl friends. Now that I’m a mom, that has changed. I am grateful for all my girlfriends. I like them better.
70. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. For the past 10 years, we have hosted every year except one. That was my least favorite year.
71. We have hosted as few as 7 people and as many as 40. I prefer 40.
72. I do not cook very much except on Thanksgiving. If I follow the directions, I am a good cook.
73. I don’t like to follow directions. It takes too much time.
74. That fault has caused many problems over the years.
75. It is the reason our swing set in the backyard is backwards. You wouldn’t know if you played on it. But it is totally wrong because I didn’t read the details of the directions.
76. I pride myself on providing top-notch customer service.
77. I get anywhere from 100-200 emails every day. Its very hard to get back to people promptly but I try.
78. I don’t get much sleep.
79. I seem to do my best thinking when lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Many nights I find myself getting up and working instead of sleeping. I just can’t turn my brain off.
80. I sometimes wonder how much larger my business would be if I could dedicate 40 hours a week to it.
81. But then I realize my girls wouldn’t be home with me all day. I understand that there are some business ideas I won’t be able to implement. It’s hard to swallow, but my family is first.
82. I get very competitive trying to make sure Stroller Strides remains the best and most popular fitness program for pregnant and new moms. I am confident we offer the best possible classes around.
83. I have employed over 20 instructors since I opened. I am proud to have opened up new career opportunities for moms. These women are all very talented and knowledgeable. I am proud to have them on my team.
84. I expect a lot of my instructors. They are the face of my business. I put a lot of trust in them. It’s not easy work what these ladies do!
85. My ideal trip would be to California. First in Napa Valley. Then to LA, and finally end in San Diego. I love it over there. I’m afraid I would never leave.
86. I wish I had more time to cook elaborate meals every night.
87. Instead my family eats the fastest things I can throw together. They are healthy, but not fancy.
88. I am proud that our family sits down at the table for dinner every night. Not everyone always eats, but at least we are sitting as a family.
89. I love the beach but I hate the sand. If I had all the money in the world, I would buy a house on the beach, and build a boardwalk from my house down to the beach so I didn’t have to sit in the sand.
90. I have had 8 body piercings including 5 in my ears, one in my tongue, one in my belly button, and one in my nose. I just got the one in my nose 9 months ago. I call it my quasi-mid-life crisis. Some days I love it, others not so much.
91. I don’t like being late. As a child, we were always early. My mom arrived at doctor’s appointments before the office even opened.
92. I am always late.
93. I have no style or fashion sense. If I could wear sweats and t-shirts forever, I would be happy.
94. I enjoy dressing up but it makes me too self-conscious.
95. I can’t sit still for very long. I often wonder how I made it through school without getting into more trouble.
96. I graduated high school 9th in my class. Honestly, school was easy. I was a rebel. My poor mom.
97. Karma is a bitch.
98. I have broken one bone – my right arm. I was 24. I was rollerblading for the second time ever and I was letting my dog pull me. Bad idea.
99. I like to take risks. I have taken lots of risks in my life, some smart, others not so much.
100. I love the adrenaline rush.

Meet Your Instructors - Tonia

noreply@blogger.com (TMB) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:09:00 +0000

Over the next few weeks, we will be giving you the opportunity to get to know your instructors just a little bit better. Each instructor will be compiling a list of facts about themselves. You might just be surprised with how much you'll learn. Here's my list, updated from the original which some of you may have seen. Yes, it's long. But I'm complex. Hope you enjoy!

1. My name is Tonia (Toe-Knee-Ahh).
2. I have always had a bit of disdain for my name, as I have rarely met a person who could pronounce it correctly without hearing it first.
3. Because my name is unique, I wanted somewhat unique names for my children. My plan kind of backfired. My older daughter's name, while unique for a girl was the fifth most popular name for a boy the year she was born and my youngest daughter's name was the 22nd most popular in the year I bestowed it on her. When we found out we were having our third girl, I gave up on names all together and let Jeremy have control.
4. It's probably the first and last time that that will ever happen.
5. My sisters do not have unique names. My parents chose Angela and Gina for them. So not fair!
6. I always wanted two children, preferably a boy and a girl, even more preferably born in a bubble. Neither of those things happened.
7. I am thankful that they didn’t.
8. When I met my husband, I thought he had a huge gap between his front teeth. He doesn’t.
9. All three of my children do.
10. I got married in the Bahamas.
11. It was one of the best days of my life.
12. One of the most memorable things that happened that day had nothing to do with me. My little sister fainted during the photos. Scary then. Funny now.
13. I don’t like waiting … for anything.
14. I am a quick decision maker. I bought a house, got married and was pregnant with my first child in a matter of four months.
15. I had my first child young … I was 23. The second came along when I was 25 and the third, one week before my 27th birthday. This means that I have been pregnant or breastfeeding for over five years straight.
16. Having children at a young age was the best decision I ever made.
17. Two of my biggest accomplishments are graduating from an Ivy League university and finishing a marathon.
18. I've run two marathons. I will never do another one.
19. I am striving to run a sub two hour half marathon in 2010.
20. My other three biggest accomplishments are my daughters.
21. Proof of the first two is hanging on my wall. I would hang my children on the wall too, but I think that is frowned upon.
22. I finished college in three years.
23. I did it because I was sick and tired of both school and accruing student loans.
24. I have never had a real job (i.e. one I could support myself with).
25. However, being a stay-at-home mom is more job than I could have ever wanted.
26. I am the bad cop in our house.
27. I often think I should show more compassion toward my children. I often expect more from them than I probably should.
28. In addition to watching my kids 24/7, I currently work part-time as a fitness director, handle the bookkeeping for Mr. Honey-Do, serve of the board of Kaden's preschool and have my own business.
29. I do a lot of things, but running is my passion.
30. Strangely, I used to hate running and would avoid it at all costs.
31. I still hate running, but I run at least four days a week and am mildly addicted.
32. I ran throughout my pregnancy and completed two sprint triathlons, 3 10Ks, an 8K, 2 5Ks and a half-marathon. Four days before I delivered, I ran seven miles.
33. I used to be overweight.
34. That is no longer the case and on more than one occasion have been told that I need to eat something.
35. When I was 12 I broke my pelvis and dislocated my hip.
36. I was on bed-rest for two and a half months.
37. Although my doctors were sure that I would never return to sports I did, and I competed through college.
38. The only lasting effect of the injury is that my right leg is an inch and a half longer than my left.
39. I am a two-time NJ State Champion in the shot put.
40. I still hold numerous county and school records in both the shot put and the discus.
41. I have two tattoos, one is a discus thrower.
42. The other is Chinese symbols. My sisters have the same tattoo.
43. I want a third – a shamrock and my children’s initials.
44. At one point in my life, I had 12 ear piercings, in addition to a belly ring, an eyebrow ring, and a tongue ring.
45. I started dating my husband while on a trip to England.
46. We dated for 10 months before becoming engaged.
47. We didn’t live in the same state until a month before our wedding.
48. If given three wishes, I would wish for wealth for my family, health for my family, and for my father to be able to meet my husband and children.
49. If I was only given one wish, I would wish for my father to meet my husband and children.
50. My father passed away when I was 20.
51. It was the worst moment of my life.
52. It was also one of the best moments of my life. It completely changed my perspective on life and how I approach things. It made me into the person that I have become and that is a person that I am 100 percent happy with, both inside and out.
53. I miss him everyday.
54. I have known my best friend for almost 25 years.
55. I am about to turn 28.
56. I was the first of my friends to get married and have children.
57. This makes me feel much older than I am.
58. But it will also make for an early empty nest.
59. I watch too much TV.
60. My favorites are teenage dramas and reality shows.
61. I could live off hamburgers and cupcakes, but I would have to workout far more than I do now.
62. I write lists for everything, including other lists.
63. I pack two weeks in advance to avoid forgetting something.
64. I usually still forget something.
65. Three years ago, I vowed to cook dinner Monday-Friday for my family for the entire year.
66. I did, and I still do.
67. My favorite sandwich is peanut butter and banana.
68. I eat it everyday. Sometimes twice.
69. I will finish paying off my college education two months before my oldest daughter enters college.
70. I missed 72 days of school in my junior year of high school. I still got straight A’s.
71. I missed finishing in the top 10 of my high school class by .001 of a point.
72. I only keep in touch with two people from high school.
73. They both served as maids-of-honor in my wedding.
74. The last time I had an alcoholic drink was at my wedding.
75. It was an amaretto sour.
76. I don’t plan on ever having one again. For no other reason than I don’t like how it tastes.
77. The only thing I ate at my wedding was a cream puff and a bite of wedding cake.
78. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
79. Christmas is a close second. Only because I really love the look of joy on people’s faces when you get them a gift they truly love.
80. I hate Christmas music, without exception. Ok, maybe one exception – The Tran Siberian Orchestra.
81. I was born in February.
82. I have always been jealous that I never had a pool party for my birthday.
83. My father once called me out of work and said that I had "explosive diarrhea."
84. It wasn’t true.
85. I am cheap. So cheap that my children wore cloth diapers, and not because it is good for the environment.
86. I often put my kids to bed extremely early because at least one of two things is true. 1: I have had enough of them and/or 2: They can’t tell time and don’t know how early it is.
87. I love to travel, yet have done very little traveling, mostly because I have either been pregnant or had children for all but two months of my married life, which began less than six months after I graduated.
88. I want to travel to Australia more than anywhere else.
89. Yet, if I could live anywhere, at least for a little while, it would be the Pacific Northwest.
90. Whenever I stay at a hotel I always sleep with a hood on. I don’t like my face resting on the same pillowcase that others have used.
91. I almost never drink anything with calories. It’s always water, unsweetened iced tea and diet soda for me. I live eating too much to waste any calories on a beverage.
92. I’m not a sucker for romance. I think jewelry and flowers, while a nice gesture, are a waste of money. Give me a box of donuts and a good pair of running shoes any day.
93. I am addicted to running skirts. I owe 13 of them and if they didn't cost a fortune, I'd buy them in every color.
94. Although I am not a jewelry fan, I never take off my wedding band and engagement ring. I even play soccer with them on.
95. As a child I played the clarinet. My parents bought me one for Christmas and I quit playing the following spring.
96. I am tall for a girl, 5’8 ½"
97. Yet, I am destined to be the shortest member of my family. My husband is 6’7" and most of my family, including my mom, are over 6 feet tall.
98. It’s said that you can double a child’s height somewhere between age 2 and 2 ½ to get an idea of how tall they will be. If I do that for my oldest and it’s true, she will be between 6’ and 6’3. The same is true for Mackenzie and I am sure that Natalie will follow suit.
99. Most people’s feet grow during pregnancy. Mine shrunk a half size. Now I need all new shoes.
100. I hate wearing shoes. But, alas, no shoes, no service. So in my opinion, sandals are the best option, sneakers are close second and dead last, heels, I can barely walk in heels.

running late?

noreply@blogger.com (TMB) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Can you remember a time when leaving the house meant grabbing your keys, your bag and nothing more? Remember when you could just get in the car and go? Well, then I'm sure you've noticed that since you became a mom, leaving the house is never that simple.

It's a hard adjustment to make. Having children means packing up a lot of stuff, not to mention a lot of people. For me to make it to Stroller Strides in the morning, I need to get everyone (all four of us), fed, dressed and out the door. Add in the bathroom breaks, the crying fits and all of the gear I take (a triple stroller, tubing, a mat, Stroller Strides paperwork, three cups, three snacks, a water bottle, sunblock, sunglasses, three blankets (in case it's cold), diapers, pull ups, wipes, and three emergency outfits) and leaving the house can be an hour long ordeal.

But, how can you guarantee that you'll make it to Stroller Strides (or anywhere else for that matter) on time? It's easy. Give yourself "loading and unloading time." Think of it this way. If you were kid free and going to a doctor's appointment at 10 a.m. that is 15 minutes away from your home, you'd probably leave around 9:40-9:45. Well, with kids, you can't walk out of your door at 9:45, you'll never make your appointment.

BUT, if you walk out of your house at 9:30 you now gained 15 minutes of "loading and unloading time." This is the time you can use to buckle your little ones into the car, make the multiple trips back inside to get things you forgot, or just to give yourself a cushion so you don't feel so stressed while you are driving. Because honestly, nothing is guaranteed to make you late and ruin your day like getting a speeding ticket on the way.

So, tomorrow, when you are getting ready for Stroller Strides, keep this "loading and unloading time" in mind. Just remember that you need to give yourself a cushion to get there on time, but you'll also need to add in time for getting yourself and your baby ready for class once you arrive. Here's an example of how I would make this happen:

Class starts at 9:30.

So, if you need 10 minutes to prep for class once you arrive, you need to arrive at 9:20.

And, if you have a 15 minute drive to get to class, you need to pull out of your driveway at 9:05.

Which means, in order to give yourself 15 minutes of "loading time", you need to walk out of your door at 8:50.

Try it out! See how it works. I promise that you'll feel much less stressed and enjoy your workout more if you don't have to worry about running late ...

Top 10 Components Found at EVERY Stroller Strides Class!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:52:00 +0000

I snagged this list from our November Stroller Strides Instructor Newsletter written by our amazing, incredible, inspirational National Fitness Director, Farel Hruska. I just want to remind everyone what they can expect at EVERY Stroller Strides class!

#10) An instructor presence and energy throughout the entire class

#9) A dynamic warm -up that is also fun and social

#8) A gradual start into each set of exercises

#7) 5-8 stations with cardio bursts at each one. This is to ensure we keep the strollers moving!

#6) SINGING! This is an integral part of Stroller Strides. We want to keep the babies happy while we get our workout!

#5) Mom and child interaction throughout class.

#4) Different levels for each exercise designed for all fitness levels.

#3) Resistance training of every major muscle group in EACH class. Stroller Strides is a one-stop fitness experience: cardio, strength and flexibility at every class.

#2) Communication about other Stroller Strides events like weekly playgroups, monthly Mom's Nights Out, and our community events.

#1) Support Group Fitness: As Stroller Strides instructors, we create a safe environment (both physically and emotionally) where moms feel comfortable, supported and challenged!

Every mom should experience all 10 of these components at each class. It is truly a fitness class like none you have ever taken!

who needs sleep?

noreply@blogger.com (TMB) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Are you getting enough sleep? Probably not. As a mother of a newborn (or toddler or even teenager for that matter), your sleep is probably interrupted on a daily basis. It's a constant game of catch-up. A game that you are never going to win.

In the December issue of Fitness Magazine, it is reported that on average, women sleep six hours and 40 minutes on weeknights. A huge drop from the nine to 10 hours Americans slept per night a century ago.

I'm sure you've heard people say, "I only need four hours of sleep." or "I'm used to getting less than eight hours." And if that is true, then how important can sleep really be?

To answer that simply, it is VERY important, especially for active women. Sleep allows your body to recover from tough workouts and readies it for the next one. During deep sleep, every muscle in your body work to rebuild itself stronger than before. Also, sleep plays a major role in muscle memory, which sharpens focus and reduces reaction time.

So, how much do you really need?

Experts suggest that women get seven to eight hours of sleep per night, which may seem like a lot. But just wait, if you're an active woman, especially one whose training for an endurance event (and isn't parenting the ultimate endurance sport?), then up to 10 hours of sleep per night may be needed for peak performance.

Sweet dreams!

Do you really need to drink 8 cups of water a day?

noreply@blogger.com (TMB) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:22:00 +0000

We all know hydration is important, but is it really true that we need to drink eight cups of water each day? The answer is no, but it's not that simple. The average person needs 8-10 cups of FLUID per day to replace what the body uses each day (in addition to the fluids we ingest through our foods). While water is the recommended fluid, keep in mind that all the fluids you ingest do add up.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that women should aim to get 10 cups of fluid daily, from all sources. And pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding may need more.

But rather than measure out every ounce you drink, keep these two things in mind:

1. Drink when you are thirsty.
2. If your urine is clear to pale yellow, you are probably getting enough fluids.

ATTN ALL MOMS!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:08:00 +0000

It is VERY important that any fitness instructors/trainers that you work with should have specific training in PRE and POSTnatal fitness. Mommys' bodies are unique and we have very specific training needs. ALWAYS ASK your trainers about their experience, training, and qualifications! Its good to know ALL Stroller Strides instructors are nationally certified PLUS have training in pre/postnatal fitness!

BEWARE OF IMPOSTERS! You do not want to injure yourself! Your family depends on you!!

Stroller Strides Richmond was named Top 3 Fitness Program in Richmond by the readers of Richmond Magazine!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:13:00 +0000

WOOOHOOO! I am overjoyed with this news! Stroller Strides Richmond truly rocks!! Thanks for everyone who voted for us! I am giddy with excitement!

We are continuing to work hard to provide you high-class instruction, powerful workouts, and a supportive environment for moms and their children. Thank you to everyone who voted for us. And a special thank you to our instructors who's knowledge, energy, and excitement make Stroller Strides the BEST in RICHMOND!

PLUS - check out this photo of how moms are teaching their children the importance of exercise!! This is Jackson doing bicep curls :)

Stroller Strides Richmond JULY Contest...Win Big!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:39:00 +0000

Stroller Strides Richmond and Tots on the Go have partnered together to give you the chance to WIN A FREE WEEK'S RENTAL OF ANY PRODUCT (including ALL strollers, carriers, and more)! Plus, it is a chance to donate to the Central Virginia Food Bank (CVFB).

At playgroup on July 17th, the person who brings the most canned food (based on weight) to donate to the CVFB, wins a free weekly rental of any product Tots on the Go offers! You can try out that new double BOB or practice using the Lillebaby Carrier...any product, you choose!!

Did you know many kids and families in Richmond face a food shortage this summer? With school out of session, children lose access to school-provided meals. Plus parents must pay for childcare during the summer months and have even less money to feed their families. Its important we help them! Please participate in this great contest!

Seven Steps for a Better Post-Baby Body Image

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:43:00 +0000

This incredibe blog post has been taken from the Stroller Strides Blog. I think it is amazing and has some great points for all of us!
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More powerful than any food you eat or any exercise you do, are the feelings you have about yourself. According to our founder in her book, Lean Mommy, breaking away from a negative body image will help you make – and stick to- positive lifestyle habits. Not only will you be happier, but you’ll be a better mommy!

I’ve never met a mom (including myself) who didn’t want to lose the baby weight she gained. Who likes the fleshy belly left after pregnancy? However, how we see ourselves isn’t always realistic. It’s important for our mental health, not to be a slave to the scale! It’s easy to slip into tunnel vision after having a baby. If you have more weight on your bottom that you’d like, is this what you should focus on? NO! It’s your choice whether you hone in on what you don’t like or whether you adopt a more accepting attitude and see the whole, healthy you. When you are depressed and unhappy, you are more likely to see only the negative. But, you’ll be happier if you focus on the positive. This is easier said than done. You must stop thinking that you, or your body, or its parts are awful. At first you can try lowering the volume of your dark thoughts and you can redirect your self-talk by creating a awarenes of it, then you can begin to minimize it. When you learn to like and hopefully, love your body, you will begin to appreciate it. Here are seven quick tips from Lisa Druxman to help you get started:

FOCUS ON STRONG POINTS Would you let your husband or your kids tell you repeatedly that you are fat and ugly? So, don’t do it to yourself. You deserve to treat yourself as well as you expect others to treat you.

BE WHAT YOUR LOVED ONES SEE Your baby thinks that you are the most beautiful creature to have ever walked the planet. (Your dog and cat does, too.) Allow yourself to see what they see!

LOOK GENTLY IN MIRRORS Before looking at your reflection, identify something in your mind that you know you like about yourself. Focus on that when you glance in the mirror.

KEEP SCALES IN CHECK If you are prone to getting obsessive or having an emotional response to the numbers, throw your scale out the window! It can’t measure your worth, your health or your happiness. You don’t want your children to mimic your behavior and start weighing themselves as soon as they are able?

REFRAME SELF-DEFEATING THOUGHTS You think diet, you think DEPRIVATION, You think exercise, you think BORING or TORTURE. If you are following a punishing routine, you’re likely to fail since you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. If you respect and appreciate your body, you will want to treat it well.

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY Every negative remark you make about your body ingrains body-bashing beliefs even deeper. In Stroller Strides classes, no one is aloud to make negative comments about their bodies. Start listening to your conversations and stop all the negative talk!

CHANGE YOUR TAPES Every behavior stems from the desire to feel good or avoid feeling bad. If you associate eating healthy and exercising with pain and eating cookies and sitting on the couch as a pleasurable activity, then you will choose to snack and sit. But, if you redefine your thoughts so you think of being active as invigorating and eating well as energizing then you are likely to choose to engage in healthy lifestyle habits.

Learn more about what you think about the way you look in Lean Mommy. You can purchase the book from Amazon.com or from the Stroller Strides website.

Just more proof that Stroller Strides is good for your kids!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Just telling people about the healthy influence I have on my children has won me a contest! This is from RichmondMom.com. Thanks Kate and Shamrock Farms!

Shamrock Farms & Wii Fit Winner Announced!

Richmondmom.com & Shamrock Farms Milk asked for your fitness tips to get Mooo-vin this summer with your family, here’s what you told us! Some of you Richmond families hike, bike, dance and rock out, even do TRIATHLONS with your families!

Our winner, Rachel Pustilnik sent the following winning tip (selected by Shamrock Farms) and won a Wii Fit and $100 in Shamrock Farms milk, a $300 value! Congrats, Rachel!
I take my daughters to Stroller Strides class where they watch mommy exercise. Once home from class, the girls get to lead us in a fitness class. They set up obstacle courses, make us do lunges and get us sweathing. Most of the time the exercises they have us do are the ones we did at Stroller Strides so they are watching and learning.

Congratulations to Stroller Strides for the March for Babies!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:56:00 +0000

We knew that Richmond Stroller Strides moms are generous and caring, but did you also know we were the BEST! Our moms raised the most money of all other Stroller Strides across the country! Although it wasn't really a competition, it just shows how giving our Stroller Striders are!

Locally, we raised $5,530 for the March of Dimes. A special THANK YOU to Nicole Long and her family who raised most of our funds! Across the country, Stroller Strides franchises together we raised $76,169 for March for Dimes through your efforts nationwide. We have helped to save lives of premature babies and contributed to important research for preventing more premature births.

Congrats! Keep up the amazing work!

You'll Never Look at Dinner the Same Way...

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Check out this trailer for an amazing moving coming to Richmond this summer!! http://www.foodincmovie.com/ According to their website, it will open at Movieland on the Boulevard on July 10. I can't wait!

YES! Moms are role models!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:13:00 +0000

Hey Moms...you know you are a role model to your children. Why not be the best you can be! Stroller Strides really does instill incredible values in your children. I could make a list a mile long, but a picture speaks a thousand words. Enjoy!

We are downsizing!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:47:00 +0000

'Downsizing' - that's a new buzz word, right? It kind of makes everyone nervous, but at Stroller Strides Richmond, its a GOOD THING!

Every mom wants to stay on top of things, right? No mom has enough hours in the day to get evrything done, right? We all want something fast, simple, and complete, right? Well, we heard you, and we are 'STROLLING' towards the answer.

Right now, if you wanted to stay in the loop with all that the Richmond Stroller Strides mommies are doing, you would have to do the following:

Pull up the main website to see the current class schedule, read about specialty classes, and see the newsletter.
Join our Yahoo chat room to see who is meeting where for an afternoon coffee break, or to ask these 'expert' moms the answer to the question 'How do you remove crayon from carpet?'
Join our Meetup page so you can RSVP to all our social events - Mom's Night Out, playgroups, family days, community events, etc, etc
Click on the blog to look at cute pictures and read about the biz

WOW - that's too much information in TOO MANY PLACES! So I am currently working on a way to consolidate it all into one, yes ONE, place. Plus we will be adding an optional weekly email update so you can stay on top of everything. I am working hard to keep you up-to-date while decreasing your time clicking on website after website!

I am hoping to roll everything out by the beginning of June! Stay tuned!!

Stroller Strides on TV!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:38:00 +0000

What great press we have been getting lately! Yesterday Stroller Strides Richmond was featured on the NBC12 morning news at 6:45am. What a prime spot! Every mother in Richmond is probably awake at that time watching the news! A special thanks to Ashley Swann for doing an incredible segment! There are lots of moms, happy babies, and even a dad!

Here is the video:

Here is a link to their story online. Be sure to vote in the poll 'Do you ever mix in a workout with your kids?'

An Organized House is a Happy House

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:43:00 +0000

I had a very non-traditional Mother's Day. Normally moms (typically including myself) request the day off where they forget out their household duties just for one day. This year, I actually spent the day 'in the trenches'. I organized my entire house. It was a daunting task, but the toys and clutter were taking over. It had to be done.

So I made a goal...everything in the house has a 'home'. That meant all toys had their proper bin. All mail had a basket. All art supplies had a shelf. If we ran out of room, then something had to go. We did not keep it if it didn't have a 'home'. That meant no more toy strollers parked in the corner. No more coloring books stacked on the floor. Everything went somewhere.

Now I also made a household rule that no one goes to bed at night until everything is in its 'home'. I wish I took before and after pictures because the difference is remarkable. We are going on Day 2 of an organized house and everything 'feels' calmer. Let's see how long we can keep it like this! To top it off, we will get to have one killer of a yardsale to sell all the stuff who we deemed 'homeless'!

As a treat for all this work, many women would ask for a massage or a pedicure. Not me, I scheduled a carpet cleaning. I know, I'm a strange woman! Strange, but calm.

Watch our slide show!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:44:00 +0000

These are pictures taken during a Stroller Strides class and published in the Times Dispatch. What beautiful mommies and babies!

Mothers work out with Stroller Strides in Maymont Park

Extra, Extra, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Stroller Strides was in the Richmond Times Dispatch on Sunday! Here is the link. The article was FANTASTIC! I was so excited to have this piece written by Maria Howard who typically writes articles about all the fitness trends in Richmond and is a fitness professional herself. She did a great job explaining how moms are really important role models in promoting healthy lifestyles. I love how she talked about their being a 'crier' at every class. Its the tue, ain't it :)

They also had a fabulous slide show on the website which can be found here. Those moms are working hard!

Thanks for the ladies who were in class that day, and especially to Jenn B. who was quoted in the article.

Mother's Day is Special at Stroller Strides!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:33:00 +0000

I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day! At Stroller Strides, we celebrated with a good sweat on Friday! Our annual Mother's Day celebration started with 28 moms (and one grandma) participating in a great class! During class we focused on exercises that moms need to do our jobs as mothers so there was lots of squats, rows, core work, and agility work. Here are some pics of the babies all lined up at the start of class.

Then after class, we had our Celebration! We treated the moms to pampering, Stroller Strides-style!! Thank you so much to our businesses that supported our event:

Kalico Kitchen provided delicious cake!
Chick-fil-A brought a yummy gruit platter
Massage envy gave moms chair massages
BeautiControl consultant, Erin Snow, gave hand and foot treatments
Vitamin Water 10 provided refreshing drinks
LUNA provided the ever-popular yummy LUNA bars.

What a great way to kick off our special weekend!!

LONG time, no blog....

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:11:00 +0000

I am very sorry about the extended delay in my blogging. I have no excuse and am vowing to do better with posting more often. I will say this, the lack of blog posts does not reflect a lull un business. Stroller Strides Richmond is BOOMING! We have begun our outside classes (www.strollerstrides.net/richmond) and have met lots of new mommies since then.

We are also in the process of getting some great press coverage! As the newspaper and TV segments come out, I will be sure to post them. But I wanted to share a cute picture the newspaper photographer snapped at Maymont class on Tuesday. Look at those sexy moms and cute babies!!

Join the Get Fit Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Join Stroller Strides®’ National "Get Fit Challenge"! This will be a 3 month long challenge February 20 – May 22 to see what changes you can make in your life to create a healthier, stronger, leaner you! The best part is that you will have your fellow Stroller Striders encouraging you along the way so you are sure to succeed! Register by FEBRUARY 16th! The challenge is FREE. You will be provided with weekly emails that include fitness tips, recipes, support, and more! In order to participate you MUST attend the fitness evaluations at the beginning and end of the program. These will be held at Stroller Strides class on Friday, February 20th and May 22nd. Are you up for it? Go for it!

Watch this video about the challenge (we will not be doing the Hydrostatic Weighing, but instead we will do a fitness assessment at the beginning and end)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17rcMLAZx8Y&feature=email

LUNAFEST 2009 is going to be INCREDIBLE!

noreply@blogger.com (Pustilnik Family) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:25:00 +0000

LUNAFEST® is a fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their community.LUNA created LUNAFEST® to support women on a number of levels. Here is our mission:

To provide women filmmakers the opportunity to be seen and heard

To empower women by showcasing women’s issues, stories and amazing moments

To support women’s health and our partnership with the Breast Cancer Fund

To support local communities by providing non-profit groups a creative medium to raise funds for local organizations

To provide women with a forum to communicate, share, and inspire social change within their communities

Here is a description of the charities we will be raising funds for this year! The Breast Cancer Fund is a national organization dedicated to researching and raising awareness of ways to prevent breast cancer. The second charity is Cleaning for a Reason which donates house cleanings to women undergoing cancer treatments. The local business My Hands for Hope provides eco-friendly cleaning services to these women free of charge. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of ticket sales and silent auction monies will benefit these charities.

Tickets are ONLY $20 in advance and this includes food and a FREE wine bar!! We expect to SELL OUT so buy your tickets today!! visit http://lunafestrichmond.org/ and buy your ticket now!!