Category Archives: Going Reviews

It’s Here! The Onya Baby Outback Carrier!

03/18/2014 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Christmas in Jul....March! — Christmas in Jul….March!

Baby wearing is a daily occurrence for Avery and me, and I don’t know how I’d be “Going” anywhere but crazy without it. Since Avery was 2 weeks old, I’ve only used the Baby Bjorn carrier to wear her everywhere. Long walks, store trips, and chores around the house have all been in the Baby Bjorn…..until now!

The very kind Diana from Onya Baby agreed to send us their Onya Baby Outback carrier to use and review on this blog! I first gave news that we’d be getting this carrier for active parents in this post. The Outback was provided to me free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions will be completely my own.

I can’t explain how excited I was when I first spoke with Diana and she agreed to send one. Now that we have the Outback, I’m anxious to go everywhere with Avery while wearing our new “ride”!

I wanted to capture the "Active Parents" part. — I wanted to capture the “Active Parents” part.

Here is a description and list of features on the Outback directly from Onya Baby:

Whether you’re out with your child wandering the urban jungle or hiking with them in the hills, the Onya Baby Outback offers a new approach to the soft-structured carrier. A durable, water-resistant, rip-stop nylon exterior and air-mesh lining makes it perfect for hot weather or hiking the trails. Parent and child will stay cooler with the air-mesh lining, which wicks away moisture leaving you both comfortable. It can be worn as a front-pack or backpack, and comes with an integrated seat that will fit almost any chair – for when you’ve decided to take a break for lunch and the restaurant doesn’t have a seat for your little one.

• Rip-stop nylon body and air mesh lining
• Patent-pending integrated chair harness with safety strap
• Tuck-away sleeping hood
• Low-profile shoulder straps
• Contoured low-profile, supportive waist belt
• Sternum strap for adjustable comfort
• Double-entry, side-zippered koala pouch and patch pocket
• Seat darts for child’s comfort
• Leg padding for baby
• Toy loop on each shoulder strap
• D-ring for attaching key clip (key clip not included)
• Safety-tested to 75 pounds
• Machine washable
• Instruction manual

Since she’s still pretty young, Avery has a bit of growing to do before it has a better fit. But until then, Diana generously provided a “Baby Booster” for smaller babies. I already tried Avery both with and without the booster and can tell it helps to have it in right now. Avery appreciates the extra boost too!

Although a review is the main thing I will write after using the Onya Outback for a while, I will be posting frequent updates along the way. Since part of our daily routine is going for long walks, I plan on providing daily or weekly time/miles spent in the Onya Outback along with any notes.

Also, be on the lookout for posts about exercise routines using the Onya and possibly doing different types of home maintenance inside and out. What I am really looking forward to is taking Avery on a nice trail hike. The Onya Outback is made for hot weather and hiking and I’ll be sure to make use of its features often!

Today, after putting Avery in the Outback for the first time, she was a little fussy, but eventually calmed down. She calmed down so much, she fell asleep for 40 minutes! When Kelley got home, we took it for a test run walk for about a mile and so far I’m impressed! The initial setup was a little difficult, but it’s easy to get used to quickly.

I’m saying goodbye to the annoying weight the Baby Bjorn put on my shoulders and hello to the comfort of the Onya! Make sure to check back frequently for current updates on where I’ve gone with Avery in the Onya and my thoughts.

I want to thank Diana and everyone at Onya Baby for being so gracious and giving me this opportunity to review their premium baby carrier!

Are you a fan of baby wearing?

What’s your favorite carrier and what do you look for in one?

Going Reviews

Going Review and Giveaway: Navitas Naturals Super Food Power Snacks and Chia Seeds

03/14/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

Even as a stay-at-home parent I still look forward to Friday since that means I get at least 2 full days with my wife/partner in crime/Going Mom, Kelley! The rest of the work week can be difficult when it’s just Avery and me hanging around. If you don’t know yet, babies are demanding!

When the kind Mic from Navitas Naturals agreed to send me a bag of their chia seeds and a bag of their Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snacks, I was happy I’d have a quick, healthy snack for those stressful parts of the day. Avery isn’t a demon child or anything, far from, but as a baby, she has her moments……

Of course, I guess we all have our moments, huh?

Anyway, since the time I opened the package, I have been enjoying both products every day. The chia seeds are perfect in oatmeal, even overnight oats, to make the perfect, gooey deliciousness I crave. Add peanut butter and a banana and I’m set!

Speaking of bananas, I recently posted a recipe for Banana Chia Pudding using Navitas Naturals’ Chia Seeds. Have you tried this yet? If not, you’re missing out!

Here’s what Navitas Naturals lists about their chia seeds’ nutrition:

“Navitas Naturals Chia Seeds are an excellent source of healthy essential fatty acids – containing eight times more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon! Chia seeds are also one of the most digestible plant proteins, an excellent source of dietary fiber, and a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and free-radical fighting antioxidants.”

Another way to harvest the power of the chia is to make a quick chia jam with your favorite fruit. All you do is add chia seeds to your favorite pureed fruit, a little sweetener of choice and give it at least an hour to set. Voila! You have a thick, omega-3 rich jam that’s delicious on anything! Here’s a quick recipe:

Ingredients

•1 cup strawberries

•1 Tablespoon Navitas Naturals chia seeds

•1 Tablespoon water

•stevia, to taste (use honey or maple syrup if desired)

Instructions

1. Mash strawberries with a fork or blend them. I use my Vitamix to blend, but both methods work great. The blended version will be more like jelly and less like jam.

2. Mix in chia seeds, water and stevia. I usually use 2-3 drops of liquid stevia, but I don’t think the powder would be bad either. Be careful when adding, stevia can be very overpowering!

3. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge to thicken. 30-60 minutes should be all you need.

And for the Organic Raw Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snacks? YUM! These are loaded with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars or artificial anything which is exactly what I look for! Apparently, so does Avery.

These were great to have before and after a run with Avery and while having coffee as I watched her sleep on the monitor. I still have these at work and use them for my emergency hunger attacks if my lunch was not enough. Try them, you won’t be sorry.

Navitas Naturals explains their nutrition best…

“Cacao is one of nature’s most complex superfoods. There are thousands of phytochemicals stored inside each little bean. A rich source of magnesium, cacao is also loaded with antioxidants and theobromine. Goji berries contain some rare compounds like germanium – an important mineral. The red chewy berry also provides protein, fiber, antioxidants and lots of beta carotene.”

So, does all of this sound good to you? Well, how about winning your own 8oz bag of these little power gems? Navitas Naturals has agreed to give away one bag to a lucky reader of Going Dad!

Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter and good luck! A winner will be chosen at the end of the day next Friday, March 21^st, and announced soon after.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Going Reviews

Going Review Update from Avery: The Art of Cure Baltic Amber Teething Necklace

03/13/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hi there, it’s me, Avery! You know, the reason my daddy (Going Dad) stays home all day and does things like make us hunt for breast pads. Yeah, real cool, dad….

Anyway, since I’m the one wearing this Baltic Amber Teething Necklace from The Art of Cure, I wanted to share my thoughts. My dad first talked about it on this post.

The first day it came in the mail, my dad quickly put the necklace on me and stared as if I was supposed to do tricks. I don’t know any tricks, so I just gave an awkward smile to get him to stop staring.

Then he started trying to put it in my mouth for some reason, but it just fell out. Later that day dad told me he was wrong for doing this and that the necklace is NOT meant for chewing. He then went on to tell me about the proclaimed benefits of Baltic amber for teething babies. Exactly what these “teeth” are, I have no clue.

Most importantly, dad told me it has to be Baltic amber since it is the only type that contains succinic acid. Succinic acid is said to have a beneficial effect on our bodies by improving immunity, reducing inflammation, and act as a natural analgesic. These qualities make them popular for giant babies like daddy, he calls them adults, and normal babies like me.

Dad let me know that in order for these beneficial qualities to work, the amber needs to remain in contact with my skin. Apparently, it’s the warmth from my body that allows the Baltic amber to release the oils that contain succinic acid.

There are many imitation amber necklaces out there, but The Art of Cure has their Baltic amber certified as being genuine. Definitely good to know since I don’t like fakes! They even provide a certificate of authenticity to back their product 100%!

So, how do I like it after wearing it all the time for over a week now? Well, I still don’t have these teeth dad talks of, but it doesn’t really bother me having it on. Plus, I look pretty cute with it……no, I look pretty cute no matter what! So far, I’ve been like a regular baby with my fussy times and happy times, so I am undecided at this point.

These necklaces are very affordable and for what they claim, my dad says he’d get another one if mine broke. My mom isn’t too excited about it, and she took it off of me last night because she thinks I get uncomfortable while sleeping. Really, mom?! Maybe if dad didn’t put me in a straight jacket, er, swaddle, I would be more comfortable. I have been waking up earlier than the week before, but hey, I’m a baby, I do unpredictable things!

Yes, I see your hand above the camera.....wow.... — Yes, I see your hand above the camera…..wow….

My dad did let me know that The Art of Cure offers bracelets for anyone concerned with wearing a necklace. This sounded good to me as I think it would help complete my wardrobe! Maybe having both would help extra, who knows?

Anyway, the necklace is easy to wear and doesn’t bother me during the day. If it bothers me at night, no one will know since I can’t talk yet. But typing, as you can see, is much easier! Since I am only 4 months old, my dad says these teeth can still be months away, but he’ll be sure to post another update on the necklace once the time comes.

Goodbye and thanks for reading! Now I’m off to go feed the puppies under my crib.

An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.