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The Ultimate Gift Bag/Basket for Running Moms (Dads too)
[category_specific_rss_menu] For those of you on a budget, but with a bit of time and energy, here are some ideas items to include in an Ultimate Gift Bag for Running Moms (and Dads too) that you can throw together online or with a short trip to your local sports store. Depending on how much money you want to spend The Ultimate Gift Bag for Running Moms (and Dads too) can cost you as little as $50. Of course, if Santa is feeling generous, you can always add something from the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs or the 10 Great Stocking Stuffer for Running Moms. 1. Bag/Basket You can purchase a relatively inexpensive basket from Target, craft store, Amazon, etc. However, if you are interested in your running, multisport mom or dad using it for multiple uses, consider purchasing a duffel bag, swim, sling or transition bag to put all your items in. You can purchase a relatively inexpensive transition bag for $49.99 or a mesh sling bag for $14.95. 2. Body Glide, Lansinoh Nipple Cream, and/or Aquaphor – to prevent chaffing, also great for prevent blistering. Body Glide ($8.95) can be bought online or purchased at any local running store; it is good to prevent chaffing. Lansinoh Nipple Cream ($27.85) is not only great for breastfeeding moms, but it works just as well as and perhaps better than Body Glide to prevent chaffing, plus it is great lip balm and prevents feet from blistering. Aquaphor ($7.99) is multi-purpose ointment as well. It is great to prevent chaffing, body cream for babies and toddlers, and great lip protection and prevent your feet from blistering. I have used all three; I am partial to Aquaphor, then Lansinoh Nipple Cream and then Body Glide. However, if you purchasing this for a guy, you might consider purchasing the Body Glide, otherwise they might get odd looks if they bust out some nipple cream at a race. 3. Suntan lotion Consider purchasing the suntan wipes ($10 for 8 wipes). They are easier to use during transitions and are great because they do not leak and are not messy when traveling. Plus they are great to use if you have kids. If your kid is anything like my toddler, he hates getting sunscreen on his face. This makes putting on sunscreen on so much easier. 4. Wsyi Wipes (portable wet-wipes) Every parent, especially moms could use extra wet wipes. Great for removing the permanent marker race numbers from your skin or a quick clean up after a sweaty race. Consider purchasing portable, eco friend Wsyi Wipes ($11.95 100 Piece Bag). They are a small tablet the size of a few nickels can expand into a 9″ x 9″ biodegradable cloth. Here is a video to explain how to use them. 5. Tie-less shoelaces The Yankz! Sure Lace System ($6.95 per set) or other tieless shoe laces such as Lock Laces ($4.99 per set) are a must have for multisport athletes that need to get their shoes on fast. Heck, as a parent this is necessary sometimes as well. 6. Race Number belt Another cool item that speeds up transitions or just great for a 5K local race, but won’t bust your budget. There are several types available on...
read more10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs
[category_specific_rss_menu] Are you feeling uncertain what to buy that special running, mom or woman in your life? Perhaps, you are running out of time as well. With the help of other running moms, here are the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts for Running Moms. This is part two to my series on great gifts for active moms that focuses on the necessities running moms around the country have weighed in on. The items on this list are more expensive items than you will find on my 10 Great Stocking Stuffer for Running Moms. I organized the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs into four categories: Running Watch, Motivation, Fashion, and Accomplishments. RUNNING WATCH 1. Garmin Forerunner® 310XT ($349.99 basic unit w/out the HR monitor; $399 w/HR monitor) This watch is great for both runners and triathletes alike. To me this is the mega of all watches, but of course that depends on what you are looking for in a watch. I am a triathlete and runner, so I wanted a watch that was able to track all three sports. However, I have definitely not used this watch to its full potential. Some key features that are especially important for runners are the 20 hour battery, GPS features, Heart Rate Monitor; and Run, Sync, and Store features. Depending on how much you budgeted for your special running mom or lady in your life, this might be more than you are willing to spend. However, if you are truly wanted to make her feel special and show her how much you support her running or triathlon habit, this might be the gift for you. The Garmin Forerunner 310XT basic unit without the heart rate monitor is $349 and with the heart rate monitor it cost $399. If your running mom is interested in tracking their cadence, consider purchasing the Garmin Foot Pod ($45) as well. For an extensive product review, check out DC Rainmaker’s review. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators. 2. Garmin FR60 Black Fitness Watch Bundle ($118) The Garmin FR60 Black Fitness is a the new version of the Garmin Forerunner 50, which is a great entry-level heart rate monitor that measures speed, distance and cadence with a Foot Pod unit. It also supports a bike Speed/Cadence Sensor making it great for triathletes and cyclists. The FR60 is much more suitable for use in water, though without the heart rate monitor. HRM watches generally do not work under water. Other watches in the Forerunner category are the Forerunner 305, a relatively chunky GPS watch that has now been superseded by the more normal sized Forerunner 405. Both these watches cost more than the FR60, but provide a stack more features too including the Virtual Partner feature, Courses, AutoScroll and Simple/Interval/Advanced Workouts. Garmin FR60 is $118 which includes the foot pod, heart rate monitor, and USB stick. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get it the next day; great for procrastinators. MOTIVATION 3. Books ($10-$15) They say a book is a gift you can open again and again–and it’s true. Not only that, but running books can be valuable resources for improving form and staying injury-free. Run Like a Mother...
read more10 Great Stocking Stuffers for Running Moms
[category_specific_rss_menu] Since holiday gift buying season is now – with the help of other running mama’s – I gathered enough information to write a two part series on great gifts for active moms: 10 Great Stocking Stuffers for Running Moms and 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts Every Running Mom needs. Part One focuses on 10 Great Stocking Stuffers for the running, multi-sport mom or a special woman in your life. These little gifts are small enough to be placed into an already stuffed stocking. Just remember, although these items are small, doesn’t always mean inexpensive. I organized the 10 Great Stocking Stuffers into five categories: Accessories, Fashion, Motivation, Music Lovers, and Recovery and Relaxation. ACCESSORIES If your loved one loves to be active—and stylish—then accessories are the way to go. 1. Road ID The Road ID ($19.99) offers stylish bracelets in different colors to fit your athlete’s persona. In the event of an accident, if you can’t speak for yourself, your Road ID will. I use my Road ID for every activity. I have mine in hot pink and my hubby has his in orange. 2. Head Bands If you’re looking for something more fun, yet practical, why not pick up some headbands. Running or working out with hair in your face is annoying—a sturdy headband keeps hair in its place, and your athlete can focus on her workout. Many running and triathlete moms I asked suggest Bondi Bands. Bondi Bands are are a comfy, colorful and creative way to hold your hair back with a wicking favorite. According to some moms, you can also get them personalized as well. Active.com suggests Sweaty Bands ($6) offers cute styles and never slips. Sweaty Bands are the ultimate sports and fitness headband, uniquely designed for women and girls who want to show their style, even when they sweat a while! FASHION 3. Compression Socks These are not just a fashion statement. You probably now more than ever see runners and triathletes on training runs wearing knee length compression socks; these are used to increase blood flow. I am not necessarily fond of the look, but the socks work. But, since I started to wear them I want them to look cute. Some of the top brands that seem to be circulating more in the runner’s community are CEP, Oxysox, Recovery Socks, 2XU and Zensah compression socks and sleeves that just cover the calves. Here is an online store of fashionable, cute compression socks for women. http://store.runningskirts.com/accessories/compression-socks 4. Balega Socks Balega running socks are ultra soft, durable, and well designed. Balega means “To Move with Speed” and the socks they offer provide outstanding results regardless of the speed you move at. All of Balega socks offer a seamless toe, deep heel pocket, and terrific moisture management technology. MOTIVATION 5. Race Registration It can take a lot to fund a runner’s racing budget. From flights and hotel rooms to transportation and meals on the road, races—especially destination ones—can add up. Sign your runner up for his or her next event. It’s an investment in their health and fitness—what could be better than that? Find a race the whole family can enjoy or pick something close to home. 6. Magazine Subscriptions Magazine subscriptions are a gift that continues to give every...
read moreInfant Packing Where Do You Start?
Traveling with an infant can be very stressful especially with a new born not knowing what to pack and how much to pack. For me, it was the first time I had to worry about packing for someone other than my husband and me. I was told that I needed to bring two outfits per day in case my son had a blowout or threw up. Wow, that is a lot of clothes. Like a new mom, I took the advice only to realize after several trips that I did not need two outfits per day and came home with a lot of clean clothes. OK, maybe that is not such a bad thing on the laundry front, but not good in trying to minimize bags. This is great advice, especially if you are traveling via car and you have no place to wash laundry, which the first couple times we traveled via car this was the case for us. But in order to reduce my luggage, I developed my own rule of thumb, one and half outfits per day. For example: a six day trip, I would take 9 onesies. I am no pro at traveling, but we have done several long road trips with our son including a 50 hour car ride in 10 days and crossed 13 states, so after preparing for that trip, I feel more equipped to provide a infant packing check list. I developed an infant packing check list of necessity items that I needed to remember when traveling with my son. Your list will become more modified and honed over time based on your baby’s needs and yours, but hopefully, this is a good starting point for you. For additional packing resources check out BabyCenter.com. Good Luck! Hopefully, this will lead you down the path of becoming a more efficient packer. My husband is wondering when it will happen for me. Interested in more infant and toddler travel tips, check Kristy and my Travel Series: 15 Tips for Flying with a Toddler 10 Tips Traveling Carry On...
read morePicking the Right Pediatrician
Picking a pediatrician is extremely important. When we were born our parents chose a pediatrician based on their parents and friends recommendations; not much has changed. You will still receive the majority of your recommendations through your family and friend network. But what has changed since our birth is now you interview the pediatrician. With so many of our friends having babies, I found it only appropriate to write about how to go about choosing a pediatrician. I am no expert, but this was useful information that was passed down to me when we were expecting from many mommy friends and sisters who all had to go through the process of choosing the right pediatrician. You should begin your pediatrician search in your sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. Most pediatricians now have new parents informational sessions or “meet and greets’ with the pediatrician. If not, call the office and set up an introductory appointment. They will generally not charge you for this appointment. My recommendation is that if the pediatrician does charge, then you might not want to go with that practice. To me it is just like any other business, you do not charge prospective clients; it is considered business development and it is the cost of doing business. When you begin calling the offices to set-up a time to meet the pediatrician consider the following: How long does it take to get through the phone system? Were the people answering the phone polite, knowledgeable and helpful? How long did they put you on hold? If you choose one of these offices, you want to ensure you can speak to someone in a timely manner because if there is an emergency you want to know they will be there for you. When you go in to the office for your new parent meeting, things to watch for: Is there a well and sick waiting area? Is the staff friendly? What is the general vibe and cleanliness of the office? Are the same people sitting in the waiting room when you arrived as when you left? Do they have weekend hours? Do they have clinic hours (no appointment required)? The weekend hours are an important question for me because I am a working mom and if I for some reason cannot get off work for a weekday appointment, I know I can get a weekend one. Remember to meet with some of the nurses as well- more than likely they’ll be spending more time with your child than the doctor, and their bedside manner can make or break a relationship with the practice. You do not need to sign a contract or anything with the pediatrician once you chose one. You need to have their practice name, doctor’s name; address and phone number available when you check into the hospital for your delivery. The hospital will be the one to contact your pediatrician to let them know your little bundle of joy has arrived. The first day after birth the pediatrician will be in to see your baby for a routine checkup. The baby will then need to be seen again at 3 days old; if you and your baby have not been released from the hospital, they will come visit you again there. The schedule for...
read more10 Tips Traveling Carry On Only with a Toddler
The holiday season is just around the corner and it one of the busiest seasons for airlines; like millions of other people you probably are considering traveling to see your family and friends. And if you are anything like me you want to carry on to avoid checking in bags, if at all possible, especially now that airlines charge you for checked baggage. As I stated in my post on 15 Tips for Flying with a Lap Infant, I am not an expert flying with a toddler, but have done it many times in the past 20 months since C2 was born. To provide additional value, I have partnered with another mom, Kristy Wood stay at home mom to 20 mos. old J. Kristy travels often with J and has been on 14 flights with him. We are two moms that want to share our tips and experiences with other parents in hopes that our tips will make your travel experience a bit more pleasant and less stressful. Here are our top 10 tips on how to Travel Carry on Only with a Toddler. 1. Research. Research. Research. Purchase. Prior to purchasing any items for travel, research and think about the items you really need versus the items you want. My husband and I travel a lot, so when we found out we were expecting we knew we had our work cut out for us. I hate to check baggage with a passion, so this also fueled my need to pack smart, and buy products that served more than one purpose, or were compact. Every trip that we went on after we found out we were expecting became a research trip. We would look around the airports, planes, and at families traveling with small children to see what was working and what wasn’t. Don’t be afraid to ask. I discovered the Graco Snug and Ride when I talked to a new mom while preparing to board a flight that I saw the typical “travel” systems that were being offered as a car seat combo were actually bulky, and not really a good travel system. She had returned hers, and was using a frame combo, which I immediately registered for as soon as I got home. We had always planned on my son having his own seat when we traveled, so we wanted to get one car seat that was good for daily use, as well as travel. The Graco fit this need, plus it was comfortable for me to carry with, or without an infant. *Update* Now that my son is too tall for the Graco and we have switched to using his Recaro car seat. I was very hesitant at first, and figured that we would need to buy a smaller travel friendly one to fly with. Then I saw the Traveling Toddler. I highly recommend the Traveling Toddler travel system; it is great. I was able to attach it to my carry on suitcase with a strap, and wheel it around the airport. The best part was that my son actually slept in his seat when we got off the plane, was re-hooked up to the suitcase, and slept until we made it to the curb and our awaiting ride home. The Recaro is a heavier...
read more15 Tips For Flying with Lap Infants
During the next two weeks, I will be spending some well needed time with my family and will not be writing as much, so I’ll be running posts from the olden days, starting with…15 Tips For Flying with Lap Infants. Don’t worry though Stroller Runners, I will continue to update the stroller friendly race calendar on a daily basis. For Updated October 2013 United States Domestic Airlines Stroller Regulations, check out Flying the Stroller Friendly Skies. ___ Flying with kids of any age can be very stressful, but flying with kids under the age of two seems like you are embarking on an epic journey. It does not have to be that way. I am no expert in baby/toddler travel, but I have driven several thousands of miles with my son and flown more than 8 times with a “fly free” or lap infant in the past 20 months, so I feel I might be able to provide some useful guidance and tips on traveling with a toddler. With the holiday season coming up and families are considering traveling to see friends and relatives; I thought this would be an appropriate topic to broach. Here are my top 15 suggestions for parents with lap infant or “fly free” kids (children under the age of 2 years old) to make you and your baby have a more relaxing trip. 1. Fly when your child seems to be the most relaxed. This might require trial and error. Some parents say flying the red eye is best, or flying during nap times. I have flown during my toddlers nap time; did not work because he was too excited. I have flown a red eye (night time, think that would work); nope he was up the entire flight. The best time we found to make it the most pleasant flight for everyone was the earliest flight in the morning. Of course this was a bit harder on my husband and I (especially since he sat on my lap), but it seemed to be the best for our toddler. 2. Check airlines regulations for lap infants. Yes, most airlines allow lap infants to fly free under the age of 2, but some require physical boarding passes for the infants and some do not. For instance, if you fly United Airlines, they require a physical boarding pass for an infant; whereas Frontier Airlines does not. This is essential if you are trying to check in prior to arriving at the airport. Also, I recently discovered that on American Airlines, you can’t book an infant lap ticket online; you have to call their reservation line. Every time we have flown with our toddler on United Airlines, we physically have to go to the counter with assistance because they have to print a boarding pass for us. The machines will not print the boarding pass for the infant because the infant did not have a paid seat. Major Domestic US Carriers Lap Infants Requirements AirTran Airlines American Airlines Delta Airlines Frontier Airlines JetBlue Airlines Southwest Airlines United Airlines US Airways Virgin America 3. Try to reserve a window seat if possible. Other might disagree, but I think the window seat for you flying with a lap child is the best. My son likes to look outside and...
read moreBaby Signs Does It = Better Communication?
While on my three month maternity leave, I educated myself on teaching a hearing child baby signs and giving my baby the ability to express his important needs and thoughts through gestures. What is “baby signing”? Baby signing refers to the use of signs from American Sign Language (ASL) or other native languages—but with mother and baby modifications: that is, adjusting signing space, signing size, and sign duration or length to emphasize a salient sign and/or word. A dear friend of mine taught her daughter basic signs and I found it remarkable how her daughter – then one year old – was able to communicate her basic needs via sign language with her mom without the presence of any tantrums or frustrations. Of course, she got frustrated when she was not given what she wanted all the time, but the same is true for all toddlers. I wanted to be able to communicate with my son at age when he still was not able to form words or vocalize his needs. No, I did not have unrealistic expectation that this would happen overnight nor did I expect him to start signing prior to 9 months old, but I thought this was worth a try. Especially, if the possibly existed that we could potentially minimize frustration and tantrums. Furthermore, I know this approach is not for every family. Over the past couple years, basic baby signs have become more widely used in day cares and nursery schools, but still remains to be a very controversial issue. Some of the controversy relies around whether teaching a hearing baby/toddler sign language prior to learning to speak prolongs their verbal development. Actually, according to Drs. Acredolo and Goodwyn’s federally funded research showed that using baby signs actually helps babies learn to talk. They found that 2-year-olds who had used baby sign language had significantly larger verbal vocabularies than their non-signing peers. And by the time they were three years old, the language skills of the babies who had used baby sign language were more like that of 4 years old. In particular, I have found that the baby boomer and older generations are more opposed to the use of baby signs. In my opinion, the underlying reason is the fear of the unknown. They fear their grandchildren speech will be delayed. But, the main reason is they fear that they will not be able to communicate with them. Their grandchildren sign and they do not know what they are saying. My suggestion to the baby boomer generation and others who are weary is too pick up a book, or watch a YouTube video on baby signs and learn the basics before judging. It might be scary, too hard to learn, or not what you want you do, but ultimately, this is the route your child chose to go to educate their child and you need to respect that. I am truly fortunate that my family has embraced it has tried to learn the basics. Here is a basic reference below, but at the bottom of the post you will be able to view some of the basic baby signs. In my experience, baby signs have not hindered any verbal development if anything it has assisted. C2 started actively signing a few basic...
read moreRunning Moms In Need of Inspiration
[category_specific_rss_menu] As a full-time working, triathlete, and running mom I find it difficult to fit daily exercise into my already tight schedule. My time, like most parents, is scheduled down to the minutes. But for me, exercise is my coffee. If I do not exercise I am grumpy, I don’t have the extra bounce in my step and as my husband will attest to more difficult to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my coffee in the morning too. Furthermore, because I train for races and so does my husband, I sometimes get the “catholic” guilt that I am training and I am not spending more time with my son. Every now and then, I need a reminder that leading a healthy lifestyle makes me a better mom. Of course, I am not the first mom who’s had to balance family, work and exercise into my daily life, but after having my son it became just that more difficult. After giving birth, I began searching for inspirational books, and running communities of moms who could relate to similar issues that I was facing. I came across these two great books Run Like a Mother and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas. These books are great, quick reads that do not require a lot of your time or money. Run Like A Mother This book is filled with essays based on the personal experiences of the authors, two women who are runners, have full-time jobs, and are also wives and mothers. It is hard to do all of these things effectively, but this book argues that running, because of its side benefits to mood and self-image, is an essential part of life regardless of the inconvenience. It touches on all topics in respect to running before, during, and after kids. It’s a great read for those who are embarking on this journey for the first time but don’t have anyone to ask the questions that aren’t covered in running magazines like “what do you do if you need to pee 1/2 way through a run?” or “what’s the best running bra for a nursing mom?” Amazon Product Description In Run Like a Mother, authors Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea offer both inspirational advice and practical strategies to help multitasking women make running part of their busy lives. McDowell and Shea understand the various external and internal forces in everyday life that can unintentionally keep a wife–mother–working woman from lacing up her shoes and going for a run. Because the authors are multi hyphenates themselves, Run Like a Mother is driven by their own running expertise and real-world experience in ensuring that running is part of their lives. More than a book, Run Like a Mother is essentially a down-to-earth, encouraging conversation with the reader on all things running, with the overall goal of strengthening a woman’s inner athlete. Of course, real achievement is a healthy mix of inspiration and perspiration, which is why the authors have grounded Run Like a Mother in a host of practical tips on shoes, training, racing, nutrition, and injuries, all designed to help women balance running with their professional and personal lives. If you are interesting in following the two authors, here is their website Another Mother Runner. Plus, if you are...
read moreMoms Night Out – Rent The Runway Review
A year and half ago, I discovered Rent the Runway (RTR) in my favorite weekly gossip magazine Us Weekly. As most new moms can attest, you do not always feel beautiful after giving birth due to weight gain, body changes and major life adjustments. For the majority of moms, we also do not have the time or energy to shop. My first experience with RTR was five months after giving birth to my son. My grandparents were having their 60th wedding anniversary party and like most moms and women, I waited to the last minute to decide what to do about a dress. I had been thinking about it for awhile, but procrastinated too long. I wanted something new, but I only had a week to buy something and I really did not want spend too much money. The concept of renting a designer dress for minimal cost intrigued me. After visiting RTR website and reading more about the concept – brilliant by the way – I decided that I was going to give it a try even though the word “rent” does not always say classy, clean, chic, etc. to me or most other people I know. I worked with the stylist online, which was much more fun than expected and did not take much time to find something that would fit my personality and style. I placed an order for your dress two days prior to leaving on my trip. They shipped me two sizes for free (RTR’s common practice, if both sizes you choose are in stock), which is great because I found in almost designer piece of clothing the sizes varying from one designer to the next. I received the dresses at my hotel the day before the event, and mailed the dresses back the following day. I would recommend purchasing the $5 insurance. For me, this is an absolute must. It prevented me from paying the retail price of the dress for any of the damages. After a night out with a five month old, I had grease stains, baby throw-up, breast milk, formula and everything else all over me. Needless to say, I felt wonderful, looked great and received so many compliments. Here I am in my first Rent the Runway dress w/my 5 mos. old. If you decide to rent a RTR dress, I would highly recommend doing the following ten things. 1. Read the reviews from the other members and renters of the specific dress you are interested in renting. I have found most reviewers are honest and put a lot of thought into their reviews making them more detailed and easier to figure out if the dress would be a good fit for me. 2. Pay close attention to the Product Details and the Size & Fit. Product Details section provides details about the length of the dress and how the dress fits on certain size models. I have notice most RTR models are 5’ 10”. This is very important for dress lengths because what looks short on a 5’ 10” model will not be short on a 5’ 4” woman. The Size & Fit notes might have more specifications from the Designer on the dress fit. 3. Purchase the $5 insurance. This is an automatic setting already clicked...
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