Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

We made ice cream at Kapolei Playgroup today and here's the recipe, as requested by most of us after having a cup. It's surprisingly good! (I admit, I was skeptical.) Thanks to Beth for a very hands-on, fun activity for the kids.

And this being Beth, thank you for the variety of flavors: chocolate, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, and soy!

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup salt (the bigger the granules the better. Kosher or rock salt works best.)
Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
1 pint-size ziplock bag
1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Directions
1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.

2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.

3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag.

Chocolate ice cream requires 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup half and half, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon cocoa.

Restaurant Club => Moms Night Out!

Restaurant Club has been such a great way to get together and socialize outside of class. We visited so many restaurants that I never would have tried on my own -- Indigo, Trump Tower, Halekulani... the list goes on.

Margene and Liz were the driving forces behind Restaurant Club these past several months. They researched establishments, checked availability for a large group, and were there every month when I couldn't make it. They made RC happen!

Restaurant Club will still take place, but on a quarterly basis as we add in new activities to our monthly Mom's Night Out. Oahu has so many fun things to try and they're more fun to do as a group! Mom's Night Out will always be the second week of the month, thought the weeknight will vary.

We will be rock climbing at Volcanic Rock Gym in Waipahu for August's MNO. It will be Wednesday, August 11 at 7 PM. Please RSVP via Evite if you plan on attending.

I am keen to know what you would like to do for MNO so please send me your suggestions. It's due to member suggestions that we went to Sesame Street Live and chartered a boat for snorkeling, so keep 'em coming!

Dolphin Trip Pics

We had a great day out last week, truly one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had. Thanks to Margene and Usanee for sharing their pics of our trip. I'm sure you'll agree that Margene's underwater dolphin shots are simply amazing!











What a day! If you ever want to go swimming with dolphins, I highly recommend Wild Side Specialty Tours. They were great with the kids and coached us well so that we were able to swim with the dolphins as much as possible.

And thanks to all the SS moms who helped out with younger kiddos so that several of us could take the older ones snorkeling. Stephanie, Laura, Teresa -- you're gems!

July's "Kids Day Out" is at 808 Bounce in the Uptown section of Pearlridge Mall

Tuesday July 27, 12 PM.

See you there!

Member Monday

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I have 1 son, Nijel, who is 8 1/2 months old. I'm originally from Karlsruhe, Germany, but have lived on island for three years now. My husband is in the Coast Guard, which typically means we're stationed on one coast or another. Love warm weather and being near water, so I married into the right lifestyle! :-)

I would like to participate in class about 4-5 times per week, so main class locations will probably include CORP, Ocean Pointe and Kapolei, although I plan on making the Kailua classes a few times per month for a change of scenery (and weather).

I'm a freelance photographer, floral designer and also carry out color consultations for clients -- I love any creative outlet! I can normally be found outdoors at the beach, races (especially stroller friendly), sight seeing, hiking, gardening and just being active and enjoying the island with my family and friends.

Fitness is very important to me and so I've been looking for creative ways of getting exercise in with the baby in tow. Looking to tone and lose about 10 lbs.

Dolphin Trip!

Just a taste of our trip today to swim with the dolphins! Hands down, coolest Mom's Day Out ever. Ever! More pics to come as they trickle in from all of our cameras.

Lots of fun with Susan and her mom, Tarah, Margene, Beth, Monica, Catherine, Liz, Usanee from Windward, and yours truly (along with my husband Jeff who was there to lend moral support to me as a very skittish ocean-and-wildlife type of gal).

And kudos to all of our keiki snorkelers: Darian, Declan, Aleksey, Kyle, Hannah, Emma, and Leah.

1 Year Class and Party Slideshow

Click on the photo to see a slideshow of pics from last week's class!

Member Monday

My name is Jennifer, but most everyone calls me Jen. I have one daughter named Leiana and she turned 2 in March. We have recently joined Stroller Strides and absolutely love it. We attend the classes held at the Waterfront at Pu'uloa and live there as well. We moved to Hawaii a year and a half ago when my husband got stationed here. I really like to read, but it is a challenge to find quiet time. We enjoy relaxing with family and friends usually at the beach, but with that comes lots and lots of bbq's and food. This is also the reason I have gained some unwanted pounds, I am really hoping to get back in shape and just live a healthier life in general.

July Restaurant Club

July Restaurant Club is just around the corner! We will be meeting at the Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe.

Tuesday, July 20
6:30 PM

RSVP via Evite!

The Waterfront at Pu'uloa

For some reason my camera has been either MIA or I simply forgot to take pictures at the last two weeks of class at the Waterfront. Enter Lauren to the rescue! She got some fun shots of us at Stroller Strides' newest location and a taste of how neat it is that we get to work out at the beach. Thanks to Tarah who got the whole process rolling and to Kiran at Resident Services who helped make class at the Waterfront a reality. They do great work over there!



From left to right: Lauren, Tarah, Joni, Amanda, Sheena and Jennifer, the founding mommies of SS at The Waterfront.

1 Year Party and Instructor Extravaganza!

Stroller Strides has been on the island for 7 years and this July marks my 1 Year Anniversary as Leeward's third owner (following in the footsteps of Buffy & Katey and then Sarah).

Stroller Strides has roots here on Oahu and I am so lucky to be here, right now, with all of you!

Instructor Extravaganza and Party by the Numbers!

*4 stations taught by 4 instructors who I love dearly: Jill, Michaela, Rayna and Stephanie. They love SS and have been here with me from the beginning (and in Jill's case, much earlier! Jill has been teaching SS for 4 years!)

*34 members attended! Shout out to our oldest members, Jenna and Sharara, who have been members for 4 years!

*3 new moms who came up to us at class. Yes, we are Stroller Strides! All are welcome and this is one of the best mom communities you could hope to find.

*Countless pieces of exercise equipment hauled to Kapolei by members and instructors alike (thank you!), two tables courtesy of Lisa R., and a water table, cooler, bubble wands, chalk, etc. etc. by Beth. Her car was completely full!

*60 balloon creations were made for the keiki. BIG MAHALO to Adventure Balloons who went above and beyond to give the kids unique, creative, and overall awesome balloon creations. Thank you to Jimmie and Ivan for their great interaction with the kids and for staying a little late to give emergency care to balloon creations that got into a fight with the grass and lost. I hope we can have you back for our 2 Year Anniversary!

Warm up and abs with Michaela. I was duly impressed with all you early and on-time arrivals. Well done!!

Chest and shoulders with Jill. Love the medicine balls!

Who doesn't love doing abs with a crew of 3 year olds?

Share your photos from today on our Facebook page! And more pics to come on the blog as I collect photos from Susan's mom who graciously let me borrow her camera after mine froze up after 6 pictures.

Meet the Trainers: Lauren

Hi! My name is Lauren and I am married to Paul, my husband of eight years. We have 1 beautiful daughter named Lily who is 20 months old, and a baby boy on the way… he’s due in October.

I am originally from New York and Paul is from California. We met while both serving in the Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. Since leaving Texas, we’ve moved to Augusta, GA; Fort Leavenworth, KS; and lastly to Hawaii. What a great move that was! We’ve been here for over 4 years now, and have loved every minute of it.

I have always considered myself an active and athletic person. I used to consider running as a hobby because I loved it so much. I ran my first 5 mile road race when I was in the 2nd grade as a member of my elementary school’s “Jogging Club,” and have been enjoying it ever since.

Before I became pregnant with Lily, I was working as an Army ROTC instructor at the University of Hawaii. I was the instructor for the freshman Army ROTC cadets and a main responsibility of that job was to ensure they could pass the Army Physical Fitness Test by the end of the first semester. I really enjoyed that aspect of the job, helping others achieve their physical fitness goals, which is why I am so excited to come on board as a new instructor for Stroller Strides.

When I became pregnant with Lily, I thought I had to stop working out. At the time, I didn’t know any better and just thought that running was not an option for me anymore. I figured I could pick it up again once she was born, but as a new mom, it was hard for me to find the time to workout. I finally discovered Stroller Strides, and joined them 11 months after Lily was born. It was a great discovery! I love Stroller Strides for many reasons, but mainly because it allows me to easily incorporate physical fitness back into my life. I love the fact that I can include Lily in my workouts and that she will grow up with a positive exposure to physical fitness. I am so thankful for Stroller Strides for getting me back into shape, and really look forward to being one of your instructors!

Introducing Lily!

Congratulations to Gloriana (CORP) on the birth of her first child and new daughter, Lily!

Lily Kay Dacy
born July 7 at 2:16 AM
6 lbs 13 ounces
measuring 19 3/8 inches

Congratulations Gloriana! Enjoy this special time. There's nothing like those first few days with your first baby... She's gorgeous!

Ko Olina Triathlon

Ko Olina is hosting a sprint triathlon, 10K run, kids triathlon, and a Lagoon Challenge, October 22 through 24.

Particularly for someone like me who dreads the super early starts required of races in Waikiki and beyond, this is a perfect opportunity to race right in our own backyard!

You can find more information here. Early bird registration ends July 31!

4th of July 5K at Schofield

From left to right: Rachael, Michaela, Liz, Debbie, Stephanie, Maria and Bobbie.


Congratulations to all the Schofield moms who ran in the 4th of July 5K on post. I don't have official times yet, but I hear that Debbie won 2nd in her age group! And Stephanie placed 4th in the 18-29 bracket. Go get those teenagers, Stephanie!

Saskia, James, and Emma all ran in the keiki 1 Mile race. Considering that they are all 5 and under... wow!

Other than the race, it was a great day to hang out in Michaela's "space" and enjoy the 4th together. Wish I could have been there...

Member Monday

Hi, I'm Rebecca and I attend the Schofield location. I have two girls, Grace 5, Madeline 1 1/2. Husband Vashon. Married 7 1/2 years! We are an Army family and we have lived, thus far, in 8 homes in our 7 1/2 years in the Army. We have been here in Hawaii for 2 1/2 years, the longest we have lived anywhere and we love it. I feel like I am at home here and I am NOT looking forward to moving this summer.

I am originally from San Diego, which is probably why Hawaii feels so much like home to me. I have been working out regularly since college, focusing primarily on free weights and running, and by running I mean the treadmill. Once I hit the outdoors and need to actually move my body, I find it a bit more challenging! That is why running with other moms is so helpful and motivating! I usually turn to a personal trainer when I hit a plateau, however I am LOVING Stroller Strides and really hope there is a class in our new home in Missouri.

I was introduced to Stroller Strides by both Michaela and Jennifer M and I am so grateful that I joined the class. I really look forward to it every morning. I have never actually been able to make every class of the week due to some scheduling conflict, but I really do try! Thank you for the wonderful workouts! They are kicking my butt!!

Restaurant Club UPDATE

The evite is correct -- Restaurant Club will be on the third Tuesday of this month, not the second.

Come join us on July 20 at Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe!

The July Newsletter is Here!

July Newsletter