All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, for 7 years as of 8/17/14. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the upmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!

BYOB with Jellyfish on Date Night

Remember my Foodie Facts post on Friday? I mentioned how Going Mom and I went on a much needed date night while G-Ma watched Avery.

Our date took us to a BYOB paint class called Texas U Can Paint where you can drink and snack as an instructor leads the class in painting their own picture. Everyone has the same type of picture depending on what time and day you choose to go.

This is one of the gifts I gave to Kelley on Mother’s Day, and it turned out to be a fun time with my lovely bride! We chose to go when a Jellyfish was the image to paint. For the BYOB part, Kelley brought red wine and I had Zevia Ginger Ale with bourbon.

Yep, drinking from a straw. I know how to keep things classy! What I do not know, is how to pour slowly. I enjoy a good whiskey, but hardly every that much, and I still haven’t had dinner! So, I was feeling pretty “artsy” as we painted our jellyfish. Too bad that feeling didn’t transfer onto my painting….

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Kelley told me we can still hang mine though. YAY! Buuuutttttt,………….only in the closet. BOO! Meh, guess it’s hard to argue; I just enjoyed the time with my love. And hey, her painting turned out pretty good.

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Here’s a side by side comparison just so you can laugh at mine a little more.

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Kelley’s Dad, Papa, said mine kind of looks like an octopus, and I’d have to agree. What do you think?

At one point the instructor started to explain the shape of the jellyfish head but paused and said “Oh, there are kids here.” (This was a 12 & up class). Then she just said it’s sort of like a mushroom.

With the help of bourbon, I blurted across the classroom asking her what she was going to say to describe the jellyfish head at first, and she just laughed. After a group of women caught on to my question, they started laughing and said I was bad. Turns out, that’s how I felt afterward.

A young girl who was sitting next to us looked at the woman who had brought her and said “What, I don’t get it?”

Oh man, I could feel the red flush over my face. I later apologized to the woman, but she didn’t mind and just laughed. Phew, dummy me!

Going Mom and I really enjoyed ourselves and the time spent together. It’s not often we get to be alone, so we’re learning to make the most it each time get!

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We are extremely thankful to my mom, G-Ma, for coming over on a work night to watch our dear daughter. Avery wasn’t the easiest for G-Ma that night, but my mom still said she enjoyed the time with her. From watching how much she loves watching, playing, and holding Avery, I know this is true, and I love that she’s able to be there for her…..and for us!

Have you ever attended a BYOB paint class? We saw a similar place that does pottery and might have to try that next, but I see another paint class in our future too!

Incoming!! Pictures of a Teething Baby

We’ve been pulling the teething card on Avery’s crankiness for several months now, starting when she was four months. Now, just days away from 8 months, we can actually confirm teeth are pushing their way through her gums.

I’m sure you experienced parents know the feeling, excitement and fear combined, and we’re definitely going through this now. On one hand, it’s exciting to watch our baby grow and hit another milestone, but at the same time….TEETHING!! AHHHH.

Okay, I’m calm again…for now.

Since our little girl will soon have boob-threatening teeth, I wanted to create a post with a picture compilation of Avery chewing on different things. Completely random, I know, but this is what my blog is all about; sharing our journey.

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So, what do you think makes the best teether?

Actual teethers, bear heads, pink balls, green balls, wooden spoon, yellow balls, recorders, carrots, plastic rings, inflatable balls, cucumber, Daddy’s finger, or bear paws?

Right now, I’d say it’s a draw between pink balls and the wooden spoon.

Five Foodie Fun Facts For Friday #1

Food encompasses our lives and is typically on our minds the majority of the day. Of course our loved ones always have a place in our thoughts, but don’t you ever think about what to feed your loved ones? See, you can think of food and loved ones simultaneously.

Sadly, too many people only view food as something they eat and either tastes good or not. There is so much more to food than we realize and it affects more than our taste buds. From skin, hair, mind, how we function and recover, etc. food is a major player.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge advocate of real food and try my damnedest to limit packaged products. Sure, there are many healthy packaged options, but whole foods trump all.

I could go on forever, but I’ll save that for another day and another post. Today, I’d like to start the first of a series of fun facts revolving around food. Some may be funny, some may be serious, but hopefully all will be of interest.

Going Mom and I went out last night to use her Mother’s Day gift I got her to attend a BYOB painting class. The chosen item to paint was a jellyfish and I’ll be sure to share our pictures soon.

For now, enjoy these facts and please feel free to share your own in the comments below. Happy Friday!

1. Broccoli and cauliflower are the only vegetables that are also flowers!

2. Onions, apples and potatoes all have the same taste. The difference in flavor is caused by their smell. Pinch your nose and try it – they will all taste sweet.

3. Lettuce is the only vegetable never sold frozen, canned, or processed in any way, it’s only sold as fresh lettuce.

4. The meat from a fast food hamburger can come from up to 100 different cows.

5. Best for last…..The largest living organism is a mushroom in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. It has been growing for 2,400 years, killing trees along the way. The giant fungus covers 2,200 acres with an average depth of 3 feet into the ground. 

Stay tuned for the second installment of foodie fun facts if for no othe reason than the joy of knowing it’s Friday!

And, of course I have to share a photo of Avery. Here she is working on her pull ups.

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Then she just came over to say “hi.”

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