Posts filed under 'fitness'

Not sure what to do this weekend? Problem solved. Head to Madison this Sunday, August 30, 8am – 2pm, for Ride the Drive, a family-friendly event celebrating the city’s commitment to healthy living. A 6-mile loop from John Nolan Drive to East Washington will wrap around Capitol Square, and you can hop in at any point—on foot, bike, or skates—on the “car-free care free city streets.” Along the way you’ll find great events: kids’ bike rodeo, bike/stroller decorating and parade, art cart and obstacle course; adult group exercise classes; tunes in the tunnel underneath Monona Terrace; a block-long picnic; demonstrations; bike tune-ups; workshops with Suzy Favor Hamilton—and too much more to list here. Check out the Ride the Drive site for complete details.
— Mama Kate
August 26th, 2009

We know the drill. Have a kid or two, feel lumpy and soft. You want to exercise, but where do you find the time or an affordable class or gym?
A couple of years ago, we both started training with Dustin Maher through his MamaTone group fitness classes for moms. We can’t say enough about the experience—particularly the fact that it’s great to work out with gals of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels who know what you’re going through. Dustin’s created a fun and supportive community atmosphere in his MamaTone fitness classes at Supreme Health club, and it’s fantastic to have a workout that is geared toward women’s bodies and getting us mommies back in shape fast. We’ve come to believe that we deserve to carve out time for focused exercise, as it makes us feel and look better, and helps us cope with and de-stress from the everyday aspects of momhood. That’s good stuff.
Together with the gals at Bean Sprouts cafe, we’ve created a monthly mommy chat. It’s an opportunity to gather, grow your community of moms, and talk about topics that are of interest to you. This month’s Coffee Talk, at Bean Sprouts, is loaded with inspiration and tips to make getting into shape easy. Dustin will teach 5 body-transforming
exercises you can easily do at home—whether watching the kids in the yard or Oprah on TV. He’ll also advise on exercises to avoid (yes mamas, it’s crunches!), and share nutrition tips on the top metabolism-boosting foods you can eat. You may have heard of Dustin; his fitness advice has been featured on local news casts for NBC, ABC, and CBS, as well as on Wisconsin Public Radio. He’s also founder of Fit Fun Bootcamps, and has recently launched a series of workout videos.
To learn more about Dustin Maher, his workouts and fitness philosophy, visit dustinmaherfitness.com/about-2/. Be sure to visit his site for more details on attending a MamaTone class free, and receiving a free fitness-related gift from Dustin (sign up for his newsletter). On his site, you’ll also be inspired by some amazing body transformations from some of his clients, and appreciate all the fitness and nutrition advice he offers.
Kids are welcome! They can play while we moms enjoy a complimentary cuppa joe and catch up on getting fit. Stay for lunch afterward, and gnosh on Bean Sprouts delish and healthy eats.
No more excuses — we’ll see you at Coffee Talk!
Date: Tuesday, August 18
Time: 10am-11am
FREE! Bring the kids.
Location: Bean Sprouts cafe, 6719 Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue, Suite 101, Middleton, WI 53562. 608.826.6YUM.
— Mama Kate + Mama Jen
August 9th, 2009


I gotta say, I am digging Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP website/newsletter, whose mission is to “nourish the inner aspect.” It’s filled with lots of ideas, both hip and helpful (well, and some not so at the moment—though I do love anything foodie oriented, I, sadly, don’t envision I’ll be lunching with the kids in Barcelona or London any time soon, or purchasing any designer fashions until my next life …). About every week or so, I get a nifty, conversational email about the idea of the week (and hey, it’s from Gwyneth, no less!). GOOP is wrapped around six main categories: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, See. And, Miss GP includes plenty of family- and mommy-friendly ideas. GOOP features expert advice aplenty. And, there are lots of celebrity hooks—recipes and restaurant ideas from GP buddy Mario Batali, Cameron Diaz’s “green list,” DJ AM’s party jam picks, gal pal Madonna’s fave books, and so on—and that’s kinda fun. Essentially, though, I find it a great resource and collective of ideas—info on things alternative (healing modalities, for example), travel ideas (for my future files…), general food for thought (parenting ideas from experts). Back on that foodie note, I absolutely love the recipes GOOP features—a great variety that runs the gamut from family friendly to vegan, dairy-free, meat-free, super healthy deals that sound truly delicious. One friend had great success with Gwyneth’s detox diet (minus 6 lbs in one week) … that’s one aspect of GOOP I’ve not yet checked out, but hope to soon!
—Mama Kate
July 3rd, 2009




Huge sale at GagaGoods that has brought you wonderful, mom-made and mom-approved designs by Madison mom Kathryn Adler. This wonderful company that donates 5% of your purchases to a children’s charity is full of wonderful gifts and items that you and your kids will love. This companies goodies were noted in Life & Style Weeklyas having the perfect tee for Suri Cruise when she was born—the Fairy Princess Snuggly. Info below:
What’s the deal? 50% off EVERYTHINGon GagaGoods.com!
Here’s your chance to snap up some great HALF PRICE gifts for the holidays — or any day! We have a lot of fun games by eeBoo, cute puzzles by Crocodile Creek and Mudpuppy, plush items by Rich Frog, board books by Simon & Schuster and Chronicle, and more. There’s a few fun Mom gifts left too, like notepads, stationery, books, and a couple mugs by Our Name Is Mud.
Don’t forget about our wonderful Gaga Goods clothing line too! Our onesies, tees and bibs are made in the USA from super soft 100% combed cotton and celebrate the new arrival, big brother or sister, birthday kid, and more. Our sizes range from 0-6 and are a great deal starting at just $7!
Why are we doing this? After five years of love and energy focused on GagaGoods.com, I’m ready to move on to new horizons. That means EVERYTHING must go! Please help me clear my storage shelves — and score a great deal for yourself! If anyone is interested in taking over as the new Chief Smile Spreader, let me know that too. I can forward you a business prospectus.
How long do you have? Even though summer is over, our coupon code: summersmiles will still give you 50% off EVERYTHING on our website while supplies last. Any orders totalling over $40 after discount will also receive a free set of Nifty Gifty Notecards too! But remember, when the goods are gone, they’re gone, baby!
October 28th, 2008
Recently, I was reading a forum where lots of moms were praising something called a “Balance Bike.” I had no idea what it was, so I HAD to look into it.
Balance bikes are an alternative to the use of training wheels for the beginner cyclist. The balance bikes supposedly allow your child to transition to a full-on bike more easily and quickly than if they had started out using training wheels. That’s because the hardest part—balance—will have been learned.
In my searching I came across an aptly named balance bike company called SKUUT. Scoot is what you can do on these things while your body learns to balance the bike. You can walk them, ride them, “skuut” them or glide them. Definitely something to check out.
Check out the Skuut website or call your local bike shop to see if they have balance bikes for you to look at. Very Interesting!
Mama Jen
March 31st, 2008
If you are interested in teaching your child yoga, Little Yoga: A Toddler’s First Book of Yoga is a great place to start.
Full of colorful illustrations of beginner poses and whimsical text, you can both take a much needed breather and practice yoga together. (This works great especially if your child was more interested in taking props from other little yogis while in yoga class…not my daughter of course)
Watch for the DVD to come out—Gwyneth Paltrow will be doing the commentary since she loves the book for her children. Currently, the book is available at most book stores including Amazon, Borders, and Barnes and Noble.
Namaste!
Mama Jen
March 20th, 2008

With Spring officially arriving this Thursday (wahooooo!) you may be getting that spring cleaning fever. I know I have been organizing here and there—only for it to be re-organized by my two year old, but I am making a little, more, OK, some headway! Buttoned Up is a company that helps “stretched and stressed out women” get themselves and their families organized. Personally, I think they are going to rescue our bulging file cabinet.
Buttoned up features about 30 great products or “kits” that will help you organize your tax documents, be prepared if you are in a vehicle collision, get your fitness goals in order, organize to-do lists diaper bags, moves and more…virtually all the important parts of our lives that would be so much easier if they were neatly “buttoned up!”
You can browse their selection of nifty kits that help you organize life’s important information at their website, or look through them in person at Target, where they are available in some locations.
The company was invented by a Alicia Rockmore (a mom) with her business partner Sarah Welch and her sisters, who know just how much you are juggling and found a way to help.
Fabulous idea that has major MomAppeal! Mama Jen
March 18th, 2008
Anke Johnson has put together some fabulous and reasonable tips for surviving the Thanksgiving meal or meals if your me and have two Thanksgiving dinners to attend!
Have a Healthy, Happy Thanksgiving!
By Anke Johnson
For most of us, Thanksgiving is one of the happiest times of the year. The weather is cool and crisp. The wine is flowing. And we get to enjoy the company of family and friends. What’s not to love?
The only drawback might be the extra weight some people gain during the holiday season. Now, I’m not going to be a Scrooge and tell you to skip your favorite dishes on the 22nd. But here is what I do suggest: Focus on eating more of the healthier foods.
There are many healthy foods to choose from at Thanksgiving. Fill up on the turkey, tomatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, salad, nuts (preferably raw and unsalted), and all the other things that are good for you. Eat slowly and stop when you’re full. You don’t have to miss out on the candied yams (but if they’re not candied, fill up on them as well), stuffing, and dessert, but if you fill up on the healthy stuff, you won’t have much room to overindulge in those less-healthy options.
After dinner, take the kids out on a post dinner walk, before you do the dishes. The fresh air will invigorate the most tired cook, but most of all you’ll get the much needed blood flow back for proper digestion.
Follow this advice and you just might make it till dark without passing out in a food coma.
Above all, enjoy your holiday! www.naturalsolutionsbyanke.com
November 12th, 2007
Just a note for you to check out the newest fitness guru to enter our scene, Anke Johnson. Anke is an expert Certified Health Coach who can help you with your total health plan…from incorporating organics, getting into a fitness routine, learning to deal with your stressors and creating a non-toxic environment for your family—AND she’s a mom! (She can even collaborate with you via phone and email which is important for us parents who have a hard time getting away often.)
She is a dynamo, who is inspiring, easy to talk to, easy to relate to, and she really knows how to work with your personal health needs and goals effectively.
Check out her bio on our Fit Mama tab as well as more information at www.naturalsolutionsbyanke.com
Word is that she and Dustin also have some plans to join their efforts at times!
July 17th, 2007

Wish I had this one when I was little!!
For those who love pink, this adorable Pegasus retro trike is available at Target. It is modeled after the classic 1934 Van Doren design that you see in museums. It is such a sweet version of a tricycle!!
Who knew that trikes could be so cool??? Check out the ultra futuristic Italtrike OKO Tricycle. They are on the cutting edge of tricycles and this one allows you to comfortably walk or run behind your little rider!
!

Then, there is this little charmer, also an Italtrike…It looks great, is unisex, and full of pizazz!
Best part…they are all available at Target!!! Jen
June 4th, 2007
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