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!

Earn Income, Promo

Why Puerto Rico Will Have You Saying “It’s Rum Time!”

06/26/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rums of Puerto Rico for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you ever visited Puerto Rico? I have yet to go, but I do have a really cool uncle from there. That counts for something, right? Until Avery is older, I think we’ll hold off on making that trip. I’ve grown fond of sipping on a quality spirits over the years, and find that rums from Puerto Rico yield that smooth taste I look for in a drink. Probably has something to do with the fact that Puerto Rico has been distilling rum for over 450 years and is the Rum Capital of the world.

If you weren’t aware, 450 years is a long time, and a lot has happened in that time. Thanks to Rums of Puerto Rico and HISTORY.COM partnering to create a new web video series called Rum Times, we can explore world history through the eyes of Puerto Rican rum.

The series plays on the idea that, because Puerto Rico has been distilling this spirit for more than 450 years, Puerto Rican rum has probably been at the celebrations of many historical milestones throughout history. Rum Times imagines behind-the-scenes parties and celebrations of important achievements such as the quest for electric light, the development of motion pictures, and the invention of sports. It’s an exciting way experience Puerto Rico and its unique rum like never before.

There are two episodes available for viewing now, and in the first one, you learn about Thomas Edison’s quest for electric light and what role Nikola Tesla played in helping with this major discovery. I’d bet a good bottle of Puerto Rican rum these two celebrated their findings with a glass of rum from Puerto Rico.

Whether they kept their drinks neat, on the rocks, or made a mojito, I’m not sure, but I know they had a perfect reason to celebrate with this satisfying spirit. I prefer my rum over ice, but if I were to make a cocktail, the mojito would be my first choice. By the way, the mojito was supposedly the drink of choice of Ernest Hemingway, which I’m sure helped with many of his writings.

Did you know that Rum is a by-product of sugar production where sugar cane juice is turned into molasses? Thanks to the sugar cane workers, they realized you can ferment the molasses with water to create this wonderful spirit. Almost two-thirds of the rum in the U.S comes from Puerto Rico which is why it’s known as the Rum Capital of the world. Brands we know and love like Bacardi and Don Q all come from Puerto Rico and are my top choices for rum.

I don’t drink often, so I like to savor quality drinks like Puerto Rican rum when I do. After visiting Rum Times and learning about Puerto Rico’s rich history along with finding cocktail recipes anyone can enjoy, I suggest you head on over yourself and find out why you’ll be saying “It’s Rum Time” in no time! Once you do, please come back and let me know what you think of the site and which Puerto Rican rum you’re going to try first.

Life, Parenting, Vlog

A Shy Intro: Avery & Daddy Vlog Episode 1

06/25/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

In an effort to reduce my writing time but still post to my blog, I am trying my hand at vlogging. With the ~~high quality~~ built-in camera on my laptop, I’ll record any random thing that involves Avery and myself.

No clue where this will go or if it will last, but hopefully she’ll do more than stare at herself on the screen. The first episode, our “pilot” is nothing to blow your nose at, but at least you get to see a cute kid!

Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas on what to record. I’m thinking some dancing, flips on the pallet, and working out will be in the near future. I also want to record me reading some of our favorite books to her. Maybe even video product reviews too!

What else can you think of?

Vlog, yay or nay? Should I stick to just writing or you like to watch something?

Life, Parenting, Photo Journal

Daddy-Daughter Photo Book: Birth to 19 Months

06/24/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

For my first Father’s Day, Going Mom made a Dad and Avery photo book that means the world to me. It’s not just something anyone can buy, and she put some obvious love and quality time into making it.

This year, for my second Father’s Day, she slipped the book from it’s spot on our bookshelf (or tried, because I noticed it was missing) to add to it with more daddy-daughter photos. In my last post, Kelley was in the process of putting it together as I wrote (all hail nap time!), and after seeing the final product, my heart turned from mush to pure liquid. Kinda sounds bad, but trust me, it’s a good kind of mush-to-liquid.

I love it so much and every time I flip through the pages beginning from the first day Avery was born to just a few weeks ago, I am still amazed at how much she has already grown. I figured I’d share the entire book in a post for everyone to appreciate Kelley’s lovely crafting skills and pictures we will hold dear for eternity.

I’d like to note, the pictures of me wearing Avery in a Baby Bjorn are before we learned of the dangers of wearing babies in “crotch danglers” for impeding their hip development among other issues. Plus, having them face outward is also not the best. Not judging, I’ve obviously been there too, but I stopped right after learning of this and hope any babywearing parents will consider the same.

Okay, I’m done with the thought of the day. I can’t express my gratitude to Kelley enough for making this book of memories, and wish I was at least a quarter as crafty as her so I could do the same. Makes my photo coffee mug I got her pale in comparison.

I’ve said it already, but THANK YOU, Kelley, for being such an amazing wife/mother and for the best gift ever. Oh, and the beer of the month club is just stevia sweetened icing on our homemade chocolate cake! 🙂

Do you love sentimental gifts like these or prefer getting gifts from retail stores instead?

What would be your favorite personalized gift to receive? A photo book, jewelry, framed picture, kitchenware, etc.?