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!

Going Reviews

Kore Essentials Trakline Belt Review: A Perfect Fit

05/07/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

No belt holes, but it’s still a belt?

This was my initial thought when I first heard of Kore Essentials and their Trakline belts. They have zero holes, are made of 100% full grain leather, and can be adorned with several unique, fashionable buckles that are solid stainless steel or high-grade alloy.

I love being limited to how my belt fits based on the one-inched spaced holes it has and how ragged it looks after wearing it a while. Said no one, ever.

But this is the case for those primitive belts with holes. Thanks to Kore Essentials, that’s all changed. Their Trakline belts are not only appealing to the eye, they’re high quality pieces of wearable waist art that will last virtually forever!

There’s a reason they are the #1 rated men’s belt on according to customers on Amazon.com, and it’s not because they smell pretty. Actually, the leather is quite pleasant. 🙂

Here’s the 411 on why the Trakline Belt is better than those other belts, direct from the Kore Essentials site:

FUNCTION
NO more belt holes to stretch out, wear out, or punch out yourself. Instead a hidden track sewn into the back of the belt and unique,
patent-pending buckle create a precise fit every time you put it on. The track features 40+ sizing positions (1/4″ increments), making
Trakline belts 8X’s more adjustable than a tradional men’s belt (5 one-inch holes). A discreet tab under the buckle allows you to easily
adjust, or remove the belt fast. Honestly guys, it feels like the belt of the future.

FASHION
We’ve designed a limited collection of classically cool men’s belt buckles for work, play and dress. At last, a mens belt that’s smart, stylish,
and simple to use. Makes a desirable gift for fathers, dads, grads, groommen and any guy looking to upgrade.

FORM
Our men’s belts are constructed of premium Full-Grain Leather (the best grade of leather). Full-grain leather improves with age, conforming
to your actual waist shape. The stainless steel buckles are handformed, 16 gauge, solid stainless steel and the alloy buckles are a high-grade
zinc. We built our belts – to last.

SIZING
Trakline belts fit any waist size from 24” up to 44” (XL sizes to 54″). Try on the belt, then trim off the excess leather (using household scissors)
to attain your optimal size range. Then the 10″ track creates a precise fit as your waist fluctuates in and out every day.

GUARANTEE
If you don’t completely love yourTrakline belt, just send it back within thirty days for a full refund. And of course all our products come with a
one-year, warranty against defects and breakage, to keep you happy.

MISSION
We set out to redefine those basic, essentials items you use each day. Our approach is pure >> blend innovation with superior materials to create
unique, more exciting products that exceed expectations

Annndd, if that weren’t enough, it doubles as a bottle opener! Sold. Where were they when I had a date night with my wife and spent forever trying to open our beer with my crappy, worn out belt with holes?

No funny thoughts..... — No funny thoughts…..

Yes, we were in the car, no, nothing like that. We ate and drank before in the parking lot before going inside to see the Imagine Dragons in concert. It was a great time, but could’ve been better if I had a better belt like the Trakline.

Thanks to the wonderful Karl and all of the Kore Essentials team, I am now the proud owner of their black genuine leather belt with stainless steel Evolve Buckle they sent me to review.

It comes with a handy belt hanger (that plastic thing that looks like a giant two-prong fuse), that allows you to easily hang your prized pants-holder-upper right next to your pants!

The included instructions on how to measure and trim the belt to your appropriate size confused me at first, but then I realized it was just the user….me! Essential-y (see what I did there?), if you have a good idea of your pant waist size, you can go with that number and trim off the excess leather that’s conveniently marked.

Then just clamp the buckle receptacle in place and you’re good to go. Being the goof that I am, I failed to take a picture of the full process, but lucky for you (and me), Kore Essentials has a handy dandy video to watch if needed.

After trimming off your excess leather, do NOT throw it away! It’s a little known fact that things not intended to be toddler toys, are in fact, perfect toddler toys!

Avery loved running around with this quality leather strap and completely ignored her actual toys for a full day! Even Going Mom was impressed.

I made use of my fancy new belt for a date night with Kelley last weekend and simply loved how perfect if fit around my waist. No in between holes where it’s too tight or too lose, it was just right. Hence the boyish smile I had when posting my attire on Instagram.

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

The shirt was tucked in to give a good view of the belt, but I quickly had to un-tuck after the picture was taken. We never had to open a beer bottle that day, but it was nice knowing I could if I needed to!

One of the great things about the belt is how easy and fast it is to adjust. After gulping a liter of water, I needed to loosen up a little, and with the Trakline, I could even do it on the “fly”. Bam, I’m on fire!

I love having a belt I can count on and quickly get on and off, and this belt allows just that. Plus it looks good, will last me a long time, and it looks good. Wait, did I already say that?

This would make a perfect gift for the upcoming Father’s Day holiday, or as a “just cuz” gift to the man in your life. Head over to the Kore Essentials site and pick one or a few belts and use code SAVE15 to save 15% off your order.

Food, Going Healthy, NuttZo, WIAW

WIAW #10: What I Ate Before Fatherhood

05/06/2015 R.C. Liley 8 Comments

Not like the meals I had before fatherhood were gourmet dishes or anything, but I certainly didn’t have to practice the whole “don’t eat with your eyes” thing as much.

I’m not complaining, I love my meals of randomness all mixed together in a Tupperware dish, but it’s fun to look back at the meals I had in the past, where you could even make out what they were! I’ve mentioned before how I had a healthy foodie blog, Just Add Cayenne, as you will find with its own page above, and figured I’d pull an old WIAW post from the archives.

Sticking to a post around this time, I found one I published on April 24th, 2012, titled When Life Hands Me Wednesdays, I Make WIAW Post #9. It only seemed fitting since this is my 10th WIAW post on Going Dad, so it’s kinda like just picking up where I left off, just now I have a daughter and I’m a stay-at-home dad. A damn proud SAHD at that!

Before we travel back in time 3 years, I’ll quickly share what one of my day’s worth of eats looked like recently.

Morning – I cut a banana into slices and cover each one with NuttZo to feed the non-stop Avery as she does circles around the kitchen island.

I was expecting to have a few left over for me to finish, but….

….that was the last one. I did get to lick my fingers clean though! Luckily I had several cups of coffee to keep me “going”.

Then lunch was a combo of steamed veggies and a microwave salsa omelette.

Dinner was my usual mix of randomness with kimchi, homemade fermented cucumbers, eggs, tuna, and steamed brussels sprouts.

I know, hold the jealousy train, one at a time now!

Now, how about a little back to the future WIAW to see meals pre-dad? I’m bringing everything I shared from the old WIAW post to this one, even my commentary, just to give you a glimpse of life back then.

Thanks as always to the wonderful Jenn from Peas and Crayons, for creating this fun link-up for foodies everywhere! It was great then and continues to be an awesome linky now!

Breakfast – Cold quinoa and bean salad with steamed veggies, and a little salsa mixed in; baby carrots; overnight peanut butter oatmeal crisps; French Press coffee with nutmeg and vanilla extract

Snack – Handful of roasted pumpkin seeds and black chai tea

Lunch – Spicy Black Bean Cakes on a bed of arugula and roasted veggies; small cup of frozen strawberries and papaya; Ak-mak crackers; baby carrots; green tea with stevia

Snack – More green tea mixed with an herbal peppermint tea; great for after eating!

Dinner – Bring on my biggest meal; always ready to eat after a good strength/cardio workout! Mixed salad greens with lentil-veggie puree as a dressing and topped with Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and tomatoes; Pumpkin Protein Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich (I made the pancakes using my crepe recipe with less liquid); pumpkin and frozen fruit protein puree topped with oatmeal crisps; no-bake peanut butter cookies on the side; I also had a slice of low-fat peanut butter protein bread I made this weekend…..recipe to come.

After a wonderful day with Kelley on Saturday, I spent way too long in the kitchen on Sunday. Even after saying I’ll just make simple meals for the week, I went overboard. I promised next weekend I will actually make simple, steamed bean and veggie meals to get out of the kitchen quicker. I must stick to it!

Although, I keep seeing/thinking of awesome recipes that I want to try, so it’s hard not to try them out! Maybe just one fun recipe and be done with it….uh oh, this is how it starts! I want to start posting more of the various vegetable and fruit blends I make on a daily basis; anyone interested?

Q: Do you like going to the movies or staying at home?

A: I typically prefer to stay at home to watch something where my own food is readily available and there’s no noise from other people to bother you.

Life, Parenting, Soft Star Shoes

My Last Run Before 13.1 and Splash Pad Fun

05/05/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Sunday brought us beautiful weather here in the South, and Going Mom had a great idea to go to a splash pad with Avery. I was planning on going for a run in my Soft Star Dash RunAmoc Shoes. They have a bullhide leather sole instead of the typical rubber sole you find on most shoes.

Definitely not what you’d picture a running shoe to look like, but they are awesome for the barefoot enthusiast! And not just for running, these things are comfortable around the house and would easily pass for work shoes in the office. Desk jockeys, rejoice! I’ll have a review posted after running the Mother’s Day half-marathon I signed up for.

I haven’t run over 10 miles in over a year, so I’m interested in seeing how I do. Stay posted to find out. My wife will be running the 5k and my mom (G-Ma), will be with Avery watching and cheering us on. Then we’ll go out to enjoy a Mother’s Day brunch together. Big weekend ahead!

But back to this past weekend, running and a splash pad. Kelley drove with Avery to a splash pad a few miles from home and I ran to meet them there. This was Avery’s first splash pad experience, so she was a little unsure of what to make of it at first.

I showed up not too long after they arrived and Kelley told me how Avery seemed more intrigued by the surrounding grass than the colorful water-spraying structures. Makes sense….NOT! So I decided to swing Avery around one of the sprayers.

What kid doesn’t love water sprayed in their face? Seriously though, Avery actually got a kick out of it.

Her smile and laughter is worth more than any sum of money I could imagine! So I continued my earning the riches with more swinging in the water.

You can see how smart I was by keeping my leather running shoes on while splashing in the water. For some reason, leather soles with no tread don’t provide the best traction on wet surfaces. Hmmm, probably why Soft Star even warns about this! Just had to test them out for a thorough review!

I took a break from swinging Avery around the water streams and my wife took over for a while. First she had to catch the little grass lover who is too quick for her little legs!

Then back to getting swung around for more toddler soaking madness.

I swear, that smile, it’s infectious! That goes for my wife’s too! There’s no doubt fun was had by all.

Of course, Avery seemed a little lost when we set her down to have a go in the pad by herself.

Ummm, Mom....Dad....a little help here? — Ummm, Mom….Dad….a little help here?

Once more, we took turns throwing our daughter around the water like any awesome parent would. First I played helicopter with her as the propeller….

….and then Going Mom reenacted The Lion King with our girl “Simba”.

Circle of life, gotta love it. Also gotta love these two….a lot, which I do.

Avery was getting cold and slightly fussy so it was time to head home. Kelley drove, I ran. With the run there and then back, I totaled about 7 miles, give or take a few tenths of a mile. As expected, traction was limited, but I enjoy running in the Dash RunAmocs thus far.

Once home, the fun didn’t stop there as I had a full-grown lawn to mow. No problem there since mowing with our EGO Power+ Mower took all but 25-30 minutes and I was done. Great way to wind down the weekend for sure. We never watched an episode of The Walking Dead after our date night, but snuck one in on Sunday.

Getting close to the yet-to-be released on Netflix Season 5, what are we to do?! Besides pay for it, I refuse, even though Kelley is threatening to buy it and watch alone.

Oh yeah, Happy Cinco de Mayo……if you care.

Ever take your kids to a splash pad?

Would you wear leather-soled shoes to go running or just in general?

What do you think wait for The Walking Dead Season 5 to come out on Netflix or give in and pay $27 for instant gratification?