I’m a Soft Star Shoes Ambassador!!

03/07/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

First there’s NuttZo, the most delicious and healthy organic nut/seed butter EVER, and now I’m proud to announce I’m an ambassador for Soft Star Shoes!

Soft Star Shoes is a company based out of Oregon where they passionately make minimal footwear for the entire family. Handcrafted to order, they offer minimalist Running shoes, Moccasins, Sandals, Padraig Slippers, Sheepskin boots, and other Casual Wear.

I just started using their Running Moccasins they sent me to try and will post a review here in the near future.

Looking forward to logging some miles, HIIT exercises, and weightlifting sessions in these 5oz foot-huggers. The freedom of sprinting practically barefoot is here! But I really can’t wait to get a pair of Kids’ shoes for Avery. They have shoes for babies, toddlers, and youth up to 12 years!

As if handmade in the USA by people (they actually call them elves) actually passionate about what they do isn’t enough, you can go online and design your own shoes for yourself and your little ones. I’m ready to get our whole family “going” minimal in Soft Star Shoes for casual daily use as well as when working out.

I’m no stranger to working out in minimal shoes as that’s all I’ve used for years now, but I’ve never tried anything like Soft Star Shoes….yet. Check out their site and see what you would like for yourself. Have fun with the design-your-own feature to see what you can create for the kiddos. A monogrammed moccasin for your tyke? How could you resist?!

Kids and adults don’t need the excessive padding seen on most running and casual shoes. It’s not natural and only messes with our dynamics. Get yourself and your family closer to the earth and feel the benefits of having “Happy, Healthy Feet”.

More to come on Soft Star Shoes, I promise. For now, enjoy your weekend and check out all they have to offer.

Life, Parenting

Dear Wife, I Caught You

03/06/2015 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Dear Wife (aka Going Mom, Kelley, Best Friend, and Mommy), I caught you doing something basically every night. It’s nothing bad, but actually very sweet.

At night, after a lonnngggg day at work, after coming home only to be bombarded by the need to breastfeed Avery as I am asking you several questions before you have time to think, after you spend the little time left before bedtime playing with Avery, after you nurse her to sleep (or try your damnedest since she’s a crazy), after you finally lay down to relax, you do something that warms my heart.

You look up pictures and videos of Avery, as if just to make sure she’s really ours since it seems so surreal at times.

When you join me in the living room where I’m usually writing on this blog, I’ll glance over and see you watching an old video of Avery from your phone on on Instagram. Videos both from your account and from mine, like this…

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

Most times you have your phone on silent, but I can hear Avery’s giggles just like I know you have in your head while watching this.

And the pictures, we have pictures from months ago as well as current day that you will make your way through. Again, from your phone, on Facebook, or on Instagram, you scroll through and look at the wonder that is our beautiful daughter.

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

Even on those nights when you’re so tired you go straight to bed, I know you make sure to look through pictures and watch videos of our growing girl. Sometimes I hear the videos playing, but other times it’s just instinct.

I can see it in your eyes and from your actions, you absolutely adore Avery, and not even the world itself is good enough for her. There are times when you doubt yourself as a good mother, but I want you to know that doubt is complete nonsense! You’re the best mother and wife there is, and you make both Avery and me so very happy.

Please, never, ever, think of yourself as anything less than the best. There are times when we don’t hug as much as we should, and when we finally do, it feels wonderful and I don’t want to stop. Unless I have tea tree oil on my face and you have carrot seed on yours. 🙂

Basically, dear, I just want you to know that seeing you simply look at old pics of our daughter says a lot about how kind, loving, and caring of mother you are. Avery is the luckiest girl and Wes (Updated to include our 2nd child) is the luckiest boy to have you as a mom, and I, the same as my wife.

You’ll probably be paranoid every time you get on your phone at night, but don’t worry, I don’t sit and stare or anything, just happen to see our daughter on your phone. It’s precious, you’re precious, our family is precious, and I hope that never changes.

Kelley, I love you, thank you for everything you do!!

Life, Parenting

Friends and Strangers at the Bounce House

03/05/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Have you ever been to a bounce house? Think of those giant inflatables that fill the backyards of homes for a kids’ birthday party, only it’s all indoors and filled with 10+ giant inflatables! In other words, a kids’ (and most adults’) wonderland!

As part of our Dallas Dads Group, I scheduled a Meetup at a local bounce house called Jump For Fun (fitting name I’d say) for us dads to gather and have fun with our kids. We had 4 dads attend, including me, and we each had one kid. It was hard to sit and talk with the other guys since I had to keep my eyes on Avery. She was all over the place!

Okay, so not first, but she started moving after warming up to her surroundings.

Until I put her inside one of the inflatables……

Yeah, that was her first and last time in that one. Not sure what made her so upset, but I blame her current teething issue as the main culprit. Once back out on the floor though, her mood changed back to happy status.

But we obviously didn’t go to a bounce house to run around the floor, so grabbed Avery and we went through several of the fun-filled obstacles together. She was confused at times, but I could tell she enjoyed it overall. But man, it was difficult trying to traverse some of the slippery inflatable steps with Avery in one arm! Regardless, we did it plenty of times, and even took on Batman!

He was all talk. One of our neighborhood dads and friends, Jason, was there with his daughter, Zoey, and we took turns taking our girls down a giant slide.

Avery, with her cutting teeth, had her hand in her mouth most of the time we were there. Nothing a little tickling can’t do to fix the hand-in-mouth issue.

Jason and Zoey were able to go up and down several times in the time it took us to go once.

Zoey is older and she was having a blast running all over the place. Notice, no hands in mouth for her since she has all her teeth!

While wondering around, Avery made a new, older, friend who seemed to like picking her up.

Seemed sweet and innocent enough, until she dropped her like a hot potato!

I guess they made up though, and the girl was more careful afterward.

I don’t know if it was the trauma of being dropped, her cutting teeth, or just because she’s a sweetheart, but Avery went up to a lady sitting on a bench, took the magazine sitting next to her, and held it up as if asking her to read it. The kind mom of two boys, Katie, kindly held Avery in her lap and read a little. Avery seemed to enjoy.

Everyone had a great time and we’re hoping to make the place a regular meetup for our Dallas Dads Group soon. Maybe next time Avery won’t be in the middle of teething and actually smile for a picture.

Eh, it wasn’t crying, so I’ll consider it a win in my book. Whatever book that is, I don’t know. I’m happy with the group of dads that met up and hope to be able to talk with them more next time. Which, thanks to our awesome group, we’ll have the chance plenty of times in the near and distant future!