Mornings before school are busy times in households with young families. They begin and end in a flash of brown bags, water bottles, books and backpacks. Within an hour, many kids and parents are up and out the door to drop-off at school and take on the business of the day.

Patch recently caught up with a group of enterprising moms who are experimenting with a new way to carve out some productive “me” time somewhere between the busy school day drop-offs and pick-ups, sports, clubs, homework and dinnertime of busy Haddonfield families.

The moms: two business owners, two Ph.D.s and a doctoral candidate at University of Pennsylvania, meet up for a workout in a small group exercise setting in someone’s basement once a week.

Tina Caruso, mother, wife and co-owner of Casual Cuts Salon in Mt. Ephraim, NJ, is the spokeswoman for the group. She and four other moms—Jean Alley, Jodi Duffy, Aimee Heslin and Angela Lavine—have been working out with Trainer Divas, Inc. in Caruso’s basement for several months.

“The group of us started talking about doing something. Angela found Trainer Diva’s and I offered my basement because there is nothing in there,” said Caruso. “We are in our second round of training. I feel stronger. I couldn’t do a sit-up before and now I can,” she said.

According to Elena Ciccotelli, president/CEO of Trainer Diva, Inc., her Haddonfield-based company serves Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington counties in New Jersey, as well as Center City, Philadelphia. She started the company in 2009.

“What makes us different is that we are really focusing on women’s fitness. All of the personal trainers on our staff are women. Many women are more comfortable training at home, and we have very accommodating schedule offerings for working women.”

Caruso said “The Divas” helped each of the women in her group set goals. Before and after physical assessments help trainers and clients measure progress.

“My goal is a six-pack,” laughed Caruso. Since starting Trainer Diva months ago, she said, “I’ve got a one pack, now.”

Caruso commented that the concept of in-home personal training works for her because she doesn’t have to travel far to participate.

“If someone’s coming to my house, I really have to do it. I get myself motivated and I don’t have a choice to say ‘I don’t feel like it today.’”

Caruso and company meet once a week with their TrainerDiva, also a Haddonfield mom and resident, Christi Tedeschi, for one hour in Caruso’s basement. Each works on their personal goals in the group session with Tedeschi running the show.

Ciccotelli holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. She has been featured in several segments with CBS Talk Philly’s Pat Ciarrocchi doing back to school and post-Thanksgiving workouts.

Ciccotelli said group rates run from $60 for two to three clients ($20 a person for a group of three) for an hour session. She said Diva Trainers see groups of four and five at different rates as well. Private sessions are also available, as is nutritional consulting and a grocery consult, which Ciccotelli calls “fun.”

For more information about Trainer Divas, visit trainerdiva.com.