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!
Parenting, Promo

My Happy Pillow: A Fun Way for Kids to Show Emotions

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A toddler’s emotions are about as stable as nitroglycerin in a monster truck rally. I’m assuming we all have our days, but for kids, it’s just routine. Lucky us, huh? If only we could get in our kid’s mind to know how they’re feeling when they can’t or won’t say it themselves.

Enter My Happy Pillow! They are a small, family-owned business making fun and adorable animal pillows with dual expressions. One side has the animals in their happy state, and the other has them mad/sad/bored/scared depending on which animal you have.

my happy pillow

The pillows allow kids (and adults) to express their feelings without saying a word. Your kids can show their feelings by revealing a certain side of the pillow and then we know if it’s playtime or bedtime/cheer up time/hold close time/keep your distance time!

What makes My Happy Pillow extra special is that these pillows were created by a precious 6 year old girl who wanted a way to express her feelings. It’s like getting inside information for what kids want from a kid! This was something I had to try with Avery, and was ecstatic when they agreed to send me one of their pillows for review. I even had a kind note from Wendy upon opening the package.

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And then a not-so-kind Sunny the Bear showed his face….

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I quickly flipped him over so we all could be happy though!

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Phew! The stitching and fabric is all high quality and soft to touch. Both extremely important for a pillow and for kids who like to “test” the durability of their toys.

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If you were wondering, Sunny passed the test. In order to show her acceptance, she brought him to her favorite chair for a big a hug…

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….and even let him sit there! Obviously, this made him happy.

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Avery still hasn’t caught on to using pillows when sleeping in her crib. Despite our efforts at putting him in there at night, he always ends up on the floor along with anything else we put in there. But when on her blanket pallet, she enjoys cuddling close to her bear pillow.

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And, after taking too many pictures and testing her patience, I’d say she learned how to express her feelings without saying a word.

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Loud and clear!

Since a lot of my time is spent in the kitchen dealing with food prep, Avery found a wonderful way to keep me company and stay comfortable on the hard floor. Pillows are great for more than just your head!

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Of course, as I posted on Instagram, Sunny makes a perfect pillow too.

As you can see, we’re enjoying our fun and emotional pillow over here, and I’d say it’s worth picking up one (or several) for your family too. I think we all need a wordless way to show our feelings, so why not make it fun with a pillow?

My Happy Pillow currently has Sunny the Bear and Zee the Monkey for purchase, but have a panda, dog, lion, and giraffe you can pre-order now. Check them out here. For a better look, here’s the graphic from their About Us page with all of the animals and story of how they got started.

My Happy Pillow

I have a feeling your kids will love these pillows just like Avery since one of their kind created them. It’s genius! We all like the pillow and Avery has it with her every day now. I can’t find anything bad to say except that I really wish they would come out with a turtle pillow.

So, Isabella, if you’re reading this, please please PLEASE make a turtle pillow! I’ll be your first customer!

Make sure to keep up to date with My Happy Pillow and like them on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.

Which pillow do you think your kids could use the most?

What about you?

Any other animals you’d like to see created by My Happy Pillow?

Life, Parenting, Vlog

Flying High in the Backyard: Avery & Daddy Ep. 6

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We took the Vlog outside in our backyard (after picking up the dog poo) to show off our flying skills. Pilot Dad (that’s me) and my oddly quiet Co-Pilot, Avery, safely defy gravity (kinda) and even add a few spin moves.

The day was hot, but with the clouds and a light breeze, it was manageable. Plus, our flight lessons made going out in the heat well worth it. I ended up throwing her a little higher than anticipated, but she didn’t seem to mind, and no one was hurt.


When the camera is out, Avery tends to turn silent, as you can tell, but that blue-eyed grin says it all loud and clear; “I’m happy!” Or she’s already good at throwing me a pity parade. If so, I’ll happily take it!

Especially after this past Saturday morning. Kelley had just changed and nursed her and they were coming into the kitchen to have the peanut butter blueberry oatmeal breakfast I always make on the weekends. Avery seemed in a good mood at first, but then I crouched down and asked for a hug only to have her turn away crying.

I tried several times to get a hug or just talk to her and the girl simply wanted nothing to do with me! Talk about breaking a dad’s heart, geez! She eventually came to her senses and gave me a hug, but I haven’t felt so rejected since the high school dating scene. Hmm, maybe she really didn’t like me throwing her so high……or spinning…

Does or did your kid love being thrown in the air?

How do you deal with rejection when you’re the odd parent out that day/week/month/always?

 

Parenting

10 Tips to Get Your Toddler to Eat….Maybe

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Feeding Avery has never an easy task, and I assume that’s how it goes for any toddler. Unless it involves some of my healthy homemade bread or anything with NuttZo, feeding her is never a simple ordeal.

Each day brings a new attitude, so we’re never sure what we’ll get when we lift her out of the crib. As the day progresses, we usually go through all of the moods listed on a mood ring, some that aren’t, and by the end, we’re all on high alert for the next change. If you are or were a parent to a toddler (or baby or any kid probably), you’re probably nodding in agreement to at least part of this. If not, what’s your secret?

When first feeding her solids, we went the Baby-Led Weaning route and although difficult at first still, she’s actually really good at grabbing her food and feeding herself. But when it comes to things that need utensils, that’s still a work in progress.

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She does try, but most times it goes on the floor, her lap, our lap, on the cat (seriously), or just all over the highchair tray.

There is still plenty of time to go in this wishy-washy eating stage, but so far, we have 10 tried and true tips to get our little girl to eat with us. Don’t get me wrong, some days not even these will do the trick, but 8.45 times out of 10, one of them will work.

  1. Classic airplane – Yeah, it still works. She doesn’t even know what a plane is yet, but just making loud sounds and moving the spoon all around (tip – don’t do this with soup) takes their attention off the food and sometimes they’ll just open their mouth. Use that time to get a bite in!
  2. Let them hold the lid – If you have a container like a Tupperware that their food is in, rinse off the lid and let them hold it while feeding. Tell them they need to keep it safe since it covers the food and maybe they’ll buy into it. Or just have something to play with as they allow the fork/spoon to feed them.
  3. Watch out for the flies! – Avery is quite the fly catcher and loves clapping her hands in the air any time I mention the pests. This is usually good for one or two bites, but if I say she needs to finish her food before the flies get it, sometimes she gives in and that’s a win.
  4. Give them their own utensil – Preferably a spoon since a fork can get a little pokey (Going Mom and I both know), and a knife because, toddler. Having their own utensil is empowering, and they love having “control”. Or, again, something to play with. But this does allow you to at least try and teach them how to use a utensil. It worked for us before…. 

     

  5. Don’t offer, just do – Yes, this could be bad and result in spilled food as they quickly turn their head and shake their arms in refusal, but it can also work. I have found that when asked if she wants to take a bite, she usually shakes her head, but if we just bring the food to her mouth in silence, she’s more apt to take the bite.
  6. Read a book – This has been our go-to option during dinner every night lately. Kelley offers her food, she shakes her head and turns away, I open a Dr. Suess book to read a few lines and the magic gate (i.e. her mouth) opens. It has worked every time so far. Not sure how or why, but give it a try. Hey, I rhymed!
  7. Use sturdy produce to produce results – Something like an orange or small winter squash that can withstand toddler abuse (to a degree) keeps their attention off the task at hand, eating, and on the cool food in front of them. As they explore the food, take each chance you get to feed them. Plus, you can teach them about the food they are playing with and/or throwing on the floor.
  8. Wait for a yawn – Okay, so this one is not highly recommended, but I admit to doing it before and it works. Use it as a last resort and only on very soft food or liquids so the don’t choke. As they yawn, just sneak that spoon in there!
  9. Screen time – Again, not the best option as we have yet to really introduce her to watching TV, but she loves looking at the screen on our computer or phone. On those days you just don’t feel like dealing with a fussy eater, pull out your phone, turn on the TV, or bust out the computer and play something kid-friendly on YouTube or the like. I feel guilty for admitting it, but this works and it’s just so hard to quit!
  10. Make good food – Duh, make sure the food you’re giving them tastes good. I am by no means saying give them sugary and/or fatty processed food, but don’t expect them to take to that kim-chi right away. My wife has told me simple is better when I cook her dinner, and that approach works well for both of my girls. That, and adding goat cheese seems to work. Please, just keep it healthy too. It’s vital to how your kid grows!

Hopefully you’ll find at least one of these helpful. You can combine a few to increase your food-to-mouth chances too. Let them have their own spoon with an orange to play with as you read a book out loud. Yeah, it doesn’t make for a glamorous meal, but it can be fun and hey, they eat! Sometimes….

Have you developed any tricks to get your little one to eat?

Which one of the above tips will you try first?