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 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost 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!

Life, Parenting

I’m Leaving Home to be At-Home

09/23/2015 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Yep, the 20th Annual At-Home Dad Convention in Raleigh, NC put on by the National At-Home Dad Network. So the title is not my best work, but I seriously spend too long thinking of titles sometimes, and I think it works. Any other bloggers or writers in general do that?

I wanted to go to the one last year in Denver, CO, but it was too hard financially and just not easy to figure out. But, no worries, I heard plenty of exciting stories from last year that has me fired up about participating in this year’s event!

There will be parenting experts as well as dads just like me there to talk and listen to for us all to share tips, ideas, and crazy poop stories. I mean, c’mon, what parent doesn’t have a crazy poop story? I’m still waiting to walk into Avery’s room to find that she “repainted” the walls with a paint scheme you can’t have mixed at The Home Depot.

The convention begins on Saturday, September 26th, but I’m flying in to North Carolina tomorrow, that’s Thursday the 24th, to join other early arrivals for a nice beverage while we introduce ourselves. I’ve been talking to a lot of these guys through social media for at least a year, some closer to two years, and it’ll be great meeting them in person.

Remember how I mentioned that I’m following the Squat Every Day program and would make sure I would find a way to squat while traveling? At first I was seeking local gyms that I could go to and use their squat rack, but after stressing too much about something that shouldn’t be top priority during the convention, I came to my senses and stopped looking.

The hotel gym has dumbbells and several machines including a leg press, so I’ll just do some form of squatting with the dumbbells in order to say that I did squat every day. Once I get back home, I’ll just pick back up where I left off and I’d like to bet the world will still go on. Maybe I should spend less time inside and more time enjoying a different atmosphere too…

….or maybe the hotel gym isn’t that bad. Note to self: pack a jacket.

Not only will this be my first time travelling alone in years, but it will be Going Mom’s first time to stay home with Avery all alone for a few days. I already have some food prep done since I’m a good stay-at-home dad/husband, but she’ll have reign over the kitchen too.

In our home, this is weird as I’m used to taking control when it comes to kitchen duties (actually, I’m already feeling a little anxiety set in), but I know there’s nothing to worry about. Although, she might make her awesome spaghetti sauce; hopefully she’ll save a little for me! Please, wife, if you’re reading, save some sauce!

Better wrap it up now since I still need to pack so I’m ready to go for my mid-morning flight tomorrow. I’ll be sure to share the adventures when I get back, but until then, no more posts for a few days. In the meantime, head over to Gary’s blog, Skipah’s Realm, to see what crazy antics he’s up to. The guy gets himself an awesome girlfriend who treated him right on his birthday (it was last Sunday, the 20th) and suddenly he’s yelling about walking whales getting in the way.

Have a great rest of the week, and if you’re in Raleigh, maybe I’ll see you there!

Food, Going Healthy

Coconut Carrot Cream Soda Zevia Pudding Recipe

09/22/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Are you looking to add something new, exciting, and different to your list of healthy treats? With the help of my favorite (and only one I drink) soda brand, Zevia, I have just the recipe for you. If you think making pudding with soda sounds impossible, prepare to be amazed.

Maybe amazed is a bit extreme, but either way, this pudding is delicious (confirmed by Avery), and healthy enough to eat for breakfast.

I’m proud (and lucky) to team with Zevia to help spread the word about their #ClearlyDifferent campaign to let the world know they are now Non-GMO Project Verified and color-free. That’s on top of being zero calorie, sugar-free, and having no artificial anything! I wrote a post about this a few months ago if you’d like to read more.

Want to give up your beloved sugar-laden soda in place of healthy alternative like Zevia but fear having withdrawals from a certain flavor? Never fear, Zevia has 15 flavors all rocking the healthy specs mentioned above. Seriously, making the healthy switch should be no problem. Here, let Avery help you out….

If you’re still confused, she can help again. Just follow her lead and put it to your lips to take a drink. The following burst of healthy deliciousness will take care of the rest. Since her first taste of #TheNewSweet of Zevia, she’s all smiles every time I bust one out.

But hold on just a minute. Technically, you don’t have to drink Zevia, they have plenty of recipes to prove it. And today, I’m adding one more to the mix. It’s one I have never seen anywhere else and am totally happy with how it turned out. I used Cream Soda Zevia to create a creamy vanilla pudding with a healthy dose of carrots and coconut.

You might think it’s difficult to make, but on the contrary; the only hard part is waiting for it to chill. Which, trust me, really is hard!

Coconut Carrot Cream Soda Zevia Pudding

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (Approx. 32 Ounces)

1 ½ cups steamed carrots (about a 1 lb bag of baby carrots)
¼ cup cold water
1.5 Tbsp. Great Lakes Grass-Fed Gelatin
1 Can Zevia Cream Soda
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Dash of sea salt
Optional: 5 – 10 drops pure liquid vanilla stevia for extra vanilla sweetness

Instructions

1. With carrots still hot from being steamed, add all ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until carrots are pureed

2. Dissolve gelatin in the cold water

3. With blender/processor running on low, pour in the gelatin and turn up the speed to completely mix it in.

4. Pour into heatproof container and chill in fridge at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.

5. The pudding should be solid, like jello, after sitting. You can eat it like this or use electric or hand beaters to whip it into more of a pudding consistency.

6. Top with extra cinnamon and enjoy your healthy, dairy-free, egg-free, and delicious vanilla pudding!

*Alternatively, you could use a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree, just make sure to heat it before putting in blender so the gelatin will bind once added.

Now, go grab a six-pack or two (or three or four) of Zevia and try this recipe along with several others. Don’t forget to simply drink and enjoy too. While you’re savoring your soda, share a pic of you enjoying Zevia, share it by tagging them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with hashtag #ClearlyDifferent. If they share your pic, they’ll, as they say, thank you with a soda high 5!

Please let me know how it turns out if you try the recipe, and remember to share it with your little ones. Also, make sure you have extra Zevia to drink while cooking!

Note Avery’s bottle with the #ClearlyDifferent soda that’s free of color!

Food, Life, Parenting

Weekend Recap: Parental Ailments & Toddler Head Planks

09/21/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

You know how you can make awesome plans for the upcoming weekend only to have them fall out of place for one reason or another? That pretty much happened to us this past weekend.

Not like we had a full agenda lined up, we just planned on being in good health to tackle our backyard project and continue with my Squat Every Day routine. Well, an infected and inflamed eye for Going Mom and some sort of sharp pain (thinking rotator cuff tear) in my right shoulder kinda wiped the whole “in good health” part of our weekend out.

My poor wife has been battling her eye infection for several days and it has only gotten worse. I think, but we’re not entirely certain yet, that it’s on its way to getting better, but only time will tell. It’s driving her, and therefore me, crazy, and I wish I could do something to rid her eye of the crap.

For me, I’m sure my OCD habit to exercise with heavy weights almost daily helps my shoulder pain not one bit, but I keep going anyway. We had a lot of rain which made the ground nice and soft (very muddy), so I did what I could in the backyard by shoveling dirt and moving it out with a wheelbarrow. Yeah, all “smart” moves when you’re nursing an injured shoulder.

I’m hesitant to go to the doctor because, one, sometimes all symptoms disappear when I do, and two, making Avery go to the doc with me after her having to go not long ago would be traumatic for the poor girl. Again, time will tell, and then I’ll tell you here on the blog. I know you’re all concerned, right? 🙂

Speaking of, the one person not ailing this weekend was our growing girl, so that’s a plus!

With a painful eye, Kelley still took some excellent shots of Avery while cleaning all around the house. We aren’t idle people, so even when we’re sick/hurt, we still find stuff to do. The house is much cleaner as a result.

Avery “helped” Mommy clean and rearrange things all over the house this weekend and she hardly wanted anything to do with me. I’d ask her one question and she’d run away whining to Kelley. Meh, I know it’s just a phase. Besides, I was able to get a lot of cooking done for my two beautiful girls without having to worry about tripping over a quiet toddler in the kitchen. Cooking parents, you know what I’m talking about.

Butternut Squash and Kale Fritatta=Winning — Butternut Squash and Kale Fritatta = Winning

She has become great at working out with Mommy and Daddy, and the newest exercise seems to be the plank. Luckily, she’s not doing that in the kitchen, yet, but a more advanced version using her head and rocking chair.

I don’t know about you, but that would hurt my neck amongst other things and I’m proud of her feats. She knows she strong too. How strong you ask? Well…

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

We never taught her to pump her fist like that, but it’s only right that she does it to show her strength. Right?

Not much outside playtime happened as a result of the rainy weather, and poor Avery didn’t exactly understand.

But getting to spend time with Mommy seemed to make her forget about outside. As is apparent….

Now we’re back to the beginning of another week, but Kelley will be taking off to stay home as I go to the National At-Home Dads Convention from Thursday to Sunday. I’m excited, a lot, but I know I’ll miss my two girls back home and will be eager to see them on Sunday.

I have a little food prep to do so my wife can enjoy my excellent cooking (yeah, I’m biased) while I’m away. I feel this week, short as it may be, will still drag on.

Do you still find things to do when you should really just be resting?

Do you like going to conventions? Any ones in particular if so?