“Just breathe. Take three deep breaths because you are three years old.”  This is what I say to my son when he is angry, frustrated or just plain too excited.  Usually after he takes his third deep breaths (properly), he has either calmed down enough to have a conversation or is ready to go onto the next activity. Like any three year old, he repeats back to me what I say to him. So one day my husband and I were having a heated discussion and he turned to us and said, “Calm down. There are other ways to handle this situation. Just breathe.”  At that moment, my husband and I were no longer fighting because we were laughing too hard. But, my son has a point. So the next time I got angry and needed to calm myself, I thought to myself just breathe. Except, I decided to take 38 deep breaths for 38 years old; take the number of breaths based on your age. Low and behold by the time I got to 20 breaths I was calmed down; 38 deep breaths takes a hell of a long time.  No, I do not do this every time; some times I cannot think that fast. But I realized when I do, the “situation” is not as bad as I thought or I am able to handle myself and my emotions better. In light of everything going on around us, I wonder if we all took the number of breaths that is equivalent to our age, if perhaps, we would have far less angry people in the world.  Or if nothing else, we learn a new technique to control our immediate impulses. Seriously, try it!  You will find in most circumstances you will have...

By Stephanie Maziejka I have been discussing health and wellness as it relates to the individual and I would like to branch out and focus on why healthy touch can have a much larger positive impact on not only the family unit but the community as well. My previous articles discuss the physiological benefits of massage; relief from musculoskeletal aches and pains, stimulation of body systems, and a decrease in stress/increase in relaxation via accessing the parasympathetic nervous system and kicking our bodies out of the fight or flight stress stage, where many of us spend our daily lives.  In a world where individuals sustain heightened stress levels, more and more preventable pathologies are popping up (a discussion for a different day) and the emotional and psychological connectedness that used to be prominent among families and communities has suffered.  Physiologically, touch improves health. When individuals are healthier they tend to be happier and psychological studies* have shown this to have a tremendous affect on the happy individual’s interpersonal relationships, work ethic and productivity, and their connectedness to the world around them. In addition to the physiological benefits and the increased levels of happy that massage and healthy touch can provide, its strongest attribute is to promote and establish trust.  One reason that touch has become such a taboo subject in our society is because of the horrendous stories told on the media about physical and sexual abuse among adults.  Even more atrocious are the stories of physical or sexual abuse of children by adults.  As a new mother, I am affected by these stories more so than before I had my son. Now upon hearing these stories I get a visceral reaction of panic, disgust, and overwhelming sadness. I realize that upon hearing these...

This is our final review for Baby Safety Month, where we provide a table of all seven brands (17 jog strollers) of JPMA approved and certified manufacturers. After reviewing all 17 models, we have two favorites based on quality and usability, BOB Revolution SE and Baby Jogger Summit X3. Both have great suspension, which means the kids are more comfortable while you are running. And we love the one hand fold on the Baby Jogger Summit X3.  When you have kids and you are trying to maneuver the stroller with a child in your arms; one hand fold is key. In comparison to the 17 strollers we reviewed, these two strollers are in the mid to high price range ($449 – $499 for a single stroller).  If you are looking for a more economic jog stroller, you might consider the Joovy Zoom 360 ($249 for a single stroller). If you are interested in our individual reviews of their brands and models, here are the links; Baby Jogger, Baby Trend, BOB , Graco, Joovy, Kelty, and Phil and Teds. [table id=1 responsive=”all” /] Please note we do not receive any of the products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller runners. For more Run Stroller Run family and stroller friendly races updates, training woes, pictures and more, check out: Twitter: Run Stroller Run Twitter: Lara Coffee Facebook: Run Stroller Run Pinterest: Run Stroller Run Google+: Run Stroller Run Hashtag...

Costumes, candy and goblins…Celebrate Halloween in style with a family and stroller friendly run; check out the races and see if any are in your area.  Be sure to wear your best costume, most all races have a costume contest for the best, most creative costumes. Top 40 Halloween Stroller Friendly Runs California Halloween Spirit Run Howlin’ Moon 5K and 1K Fun Run @ Little Marina Green SF Mad Dash Wicked Woods 5K Costume Run @ Golden Gate Park Polo Field Colorado 2013 Scream Scram 5K Run/Walk Halloween Hustle Connecticut Halloween Hustle 5K + Scarecrow Scamper Kids’ Run Florida 4th Annual FrankenFooter Half-Marathon @ Starkey Wilderness Park-Campground Halloween Hustle Georgia Atlanta Halloween Half Marathon and 5K Atlanta Monster Dash Halloween Hustle for Hope 2013 5K Race Idaho 5k Zombie Chase Rigby Idaho Halloween Run and Bike Parade Illinois Chicago Monster Dash@ Grant Park GCMS Monster Dash @ Gibson City North Park Indiana Halloween Hustle 5K/10K Maine Spooky 5K Maryland Harrier Hustle 5K Run & Kids Dash @ Spring Ridge Middle School Michigan Alger Heights Halloween 5K Dragons in the Woods Halloween Hustle 5K & 10K 2013 Wicked Halloween Run: 10K, 5K Run/Walk, Monster Mile Minnesota Minnesota Monster Dash Missouri The 5th Annual Great GO! St. Louis Halloween Race New Jersey 5K Halloween Fun Run HoBOOken Halloween 5K and Scary Scurry Kids’ Run Spooky Tails & Trails 5K, 1.2 Mile Kid’s Run & 2 Mile Walk New York 1st Annual 5K Fall Fun Run @ Stotsky Park 19th Annual Goblin Gallop 5k and Halloween Hop Kids’ Fun Run Pennsylvania 2013 Flyers Charities Halloween 5K & 1-Mile Walk South Dakota Halloween Sock Hop Texas DFW Monster Dash Utah Haunted Half Marathon, 5K & Kid’s Run Haunted Hustle 5K Virginia 2013 Spartan Spooktacular @ Broad Run High...

Our seventh jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Graco jog strollers.  Graco is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer. Graco have two jog strollers, FastAction™ Fold Jogger Click Connect™ Stroller and the Trekko® Classic Connect™ Stroller. Favorite Graco jog stroller style: FastAction™ Fold Jogger Click Connect™ Stroller Features We Love: The one handed fold. Deluxe parent’s tray features a unique smart phone cradle for your phone or MP3 player, 2 deep cup holders and a covered storage compartment. Compared to the Trekko® Classic Connect™ Stroller, this model is made more for runners. Features We Do Not Love: Only can hold a child up to 50 lbs. No double jog stroller feature. The car seat adapter is only compatible with the Graco car seats. I have a Chicco Key Fit 360, which is the top rated infant car seat carrier; therefore, I was not able to test the stroller with my car seat. See the table below for Graco model jog stroller comparison. Please note, Graco sells twelve additional models that are everyday strollers that are not jog strollers and not shown below in the table. [ws_table id=”11″] For our final post on jog strollers for Baby Safety Month, we will compare all seven jog stroller brands we reviewed thus far and provide our favorite jog stroller based on usability, price and quality. Please note we do not receive Graco products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller...

Our sixth jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Kelty jog strollers.  Kelty Kids is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer. Kelty has one jog stroller, the Speedster Swivel Deluxe. Only Kelty jog stroller style: Speedster Swivel Deluxe Features We Love: Rated in 2011 as one of the best jog strollers by Babble. Adjustable height of the hand bar. Adjustable tracking. Features We Do Not Love: Have to engage one wheel brake at a time; they both don’t lock together. Narrow seat, according to Consumer Reports the narrow frame can lead to tipping over easily. No Double Stroller option No car seat adapter; meaning an infant or a child under six months cannot use this stroller. See the table below for Kelty model jog stroller comparison. Please note, Kelty does not sell other strollers; but they sell a plethora of child carriers.  Unfortunately, Kelty has not offered a new jog stroller model since 2011; it seems that their focus is more on child carriers and camping gear. If you are looking for a stroller to use from birth through the toddler years, this would not be the stroller for you due to the fact that there is no car seat adapter. [ws_table id=”10″] Our next jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month will be Graco, which is another manufacturer approved and certified by JPMA. Please note we do not receive Kelty products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller...

Our fifth jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Phil and Teds jog stroller.  Phil and Teds is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer. Phil and Teds have one jog stroller, the Sub 4. Favorite Phil and Teds jog stroller style: Sub 4 Features We Love: The rear wheels are tilted in at a slight angle giving better control of the stroller through turns. Complete impact absorption. One hand dual disk brakes for speed control & par. Features We Do Not Love: It can only hold a child up to 33 lbs, which falls extremely short compared to most other brands that can hold a child up to 75 lbs. The stroller only comes in a fixed wheel. The price; it is $900. See the table below for Phil and Teds model jog stroller comparison. Please note, Phil and Teds sells seven additional models that are everyday (single and double) strollers that are not jog strollers and not shown below in the table. [ws_table id=”9″] Our next jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month will be Kelty Kids, which is another manufacturer approved and certified by JPMA. Please note we do not receive Phil and Teds products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller...

Our fourth jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Baby Trend jog strollers.  Baby Trend is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer.  Baby Trend has three main styles of jog strollers, Expedition, Range Jogger and Velocity Jogger. Favorite Baby Trend jog stroller style: Expedition Features We Love: Affordable Parent console and snack tray included The front wheel swivels for walking and can be locked in place for jogging Infant car seat adapter included MP3 speakers plug-in in parent tray, compatible with most MP3 players; and compatible with most Apple® iPod® models and Apple iPhone Features We Do Not Love: Narrow seat Does not ride smoothly when the front wheel is in the locked position The car seat adapter only fits with the Baby Trend Car Seats, not compatible with other car seats 50 lbs. weight capacity limit, when most other jog strollers are 75 lbs See the table below for Baby Trend model jog stroller comparison. Please note, Baby Trend sells more than eight additional models that are everyday (single, double and triple) strollers that are not jog strollers and not shown below in the table. [ws_table id=”8″] Our next jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month will be Phil & Teds USA, Inc., which is another manufacturer approved and certified by JPMA. Please note we do not receive Baby Trend products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller...

Our third jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Joovy jog strollers.  Joovy is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer. Joovy has three jog stroller models, Zoom 360, Zoom ATS, and Cocoon. Per a reader’s comment, we will be incorporating the Features We Do Not Love section to our product reviews to provide a more balanced evaluation. Favorite Joovy jog stroller style: Zoom 360 Features We Love: Swivel front wheel that locks straight on the Zoom 360 Included Rain/Wind Cover – custom fit rain/wind cover. Features We Do Not Love: Only available in a single stroller Heavy, does not glide forward Hard to steer while running See the table below for Joovy model jog stroller comparison. Please note, Joovy sells nine additional models that are everyday (single, double and triple) strollers that are not jog strollers and not shown below in the table. [ws_table id=”7″] Our next jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month will be Baby Trend, Inc., which is another manufacturer approved and certified by JPMA. Please note we do not receive Joovy products for free or receive any additional compensation. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller...

Our second jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month, Baby Jogger jog strollers.  Baby Jogger is JPMA certified and approved manufacturer. Baby Jogger has three jog stroller models, The Baby Jogger FIT, The Summit X3, and the POD. Favorite Baby Jogger jog stroller style: Summit X3 and Summit X3 Double (Released July 2013) Features We Love: Patented Quick-Fold Technology – allows you to fold your stroller with ONE hand Unique patented all-wheel independent suspension offers the smoothest ride on the block Adjustable multi-position sun canopy with clear view windows and side ventilation panels See the table below for Baby Jogger models stroller comparison. Please note, Baby Jogger sells six additional models that are everyday strollers that are not jog strollers and not shown below in the table. [ws_table id=”6″] Our next jog stroller product review for Baby Safety Month will be Joovy, which is a JPMA approved and certified manufacturer. Please note we do not receive Baby Jogger products for free or receive any other compensation for writing this review. We are just #strollerrunner moms who enjoy sharing our favorite brands with other stroller runners....