It’s the night before my first race with Avery and I should probably be sleeping. But instead, I’m sitting down in my running shorts while eating and writing this post.
Yep, my nightly big salad with a mix of kale, Brussels sprouts, salmon, broccoli, jicama, pumpkin seeds, and mustard and salsa for dressing. The perfect pre 5k meal! Hey, it worked for my 10k the other week.
So, ummm, yeah, like the title says, this will have posted 30 minutes after the start of the race and I’m fairly confident I will be done well before 30 minutes. Hopefully Avery is good and enjoys the ride!
Today is the eve of my 30th birthday, and my mom (G-ma) and her boyfriend, Paul, are meeting us at the race for a fun day together. We are going to a new restaurant called Brewed that serves local fare and then heading to a local brewery, Martin House Brewery.
Seems weird, huh? A guy who despises eating out and normally just shares a beer with his wife is doing this for his birthday? Well, it helps that Brewed serves local food and fair trade coffee and I’m still a fan of craft beer and will happily have a few of for a special occasion! I’ll probably skip on the food and just enjoy some good coffee; then head to the brewery for beer.
Hmmm, coffee then beer; I’m sure I won’t be going pee a lot….NOT! Oh well, despite my aversion to restaurants, it’ll be in good company and I’m sure we’ll all have a great time. Of course, Avery will have the final say on that!
Who me? I’m always good….
I don’t ever get to a “buzzed” feeling often since I hardly have much alcohol when I drink because I can’t justify it’s non-nutritive contribution to my body. Yep, I’m serious. But for my 30th, since Kelley is offering to hold off and drive home, maybe I’ll have *gasp* 2 or 3 beers! Hey, that’s a lot for this lightweight!
I don’t want to be an alcoholic dad, and I’m perfectly fine with just sipping some good stuff every now and then. Enough with the drink talk though, I’m just thinking in the future at this point, so I’ll fill you in early next week.
For now, I should probably get some rest before our “big” race tomorrow. I’ll leave with one of my favorite pictures of Avery this week; her smile makes me grin every time and flushes away any stress I may have.
There were about 10 carrots around here just a minute before this picture. She didn’t eat them, but strategically hid them in various places….the floor, her lap, her diaper (seriously), and behind her.
Any special plans for the weekend?
Do you ever go places you usually don’t enjoy but when you’re with your loved ones it’s okay?
Do you know exactly what went into the last meal you ate? If it wasn’t you making the meal, chances are, you may not.
This way of thinking has had me making my own meals for several years now. There are times when I go out to eat, not by my choice, and I have to pick apart the menu and annoy the crap out of our wait staff. But, I have no shame when it comes to wanting to know exactly what I’m being served and how it was prepared.
I wasn’t always like this, I used to go out all the time and the words macronutrients, calories, trans-fat, high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, etc. were never a consideration. If it looked and sounded good, I ate it. Back then, I was being “healthy” when I requested no cheese on my double-meat hamburger from McD’s.
Yeah, things have changed and now I’m a health food advocate who questions any and all ingredients. If it’s packaged, I have to scrutinize the label several times and maybe even perform a Google search. For the several years I’ve been like this, I get extremely irritated at how food companies advertise their “healthy” products and at the ignorance of the average consumer.
And now, as a parent, I’m disgusted at what some parents feed their children. I might get a lot of negative responses here, but I see no reason any kid should have to eat fast food. There is a wealth of information out there on what is healthy vs. unhealthy and enough buzz on the topic to claim you “didn’t know.”
I know Going Mom and I will instill our healthy values in Avery, but I fear how powerful the influence of her peers will be. I remember what it’s like being in grade school, and how no one wants to be the odd one of the group! All I can do is hope Avery values health and knows what is good and what is not when she’s faced with choices on her own.
Hopefully, these ten food related Pinterest Pins help open your eyes and inform you in a way to be able to make changes for the better. I know right after I changed my eating habits, I felt, looked, performed, and recovered better than ever before. I could easily go way beyond ten, but for these are a great to start with to make changes today!
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3. 10 reasons not to eat at most restaurants.
4. Convenience, not price, limits veggie consumption.
5. A 20-ounce soda contains 65 grams of sugar, that is approximately 22 packets of sugar in just one bottle.
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Hopefully you found some or all of these thought-provoking and useful to help you start making changes for yourself and loved ones. Or maybe you’re already in the know and these are nothing new to you.
If you already are a health living advocate and you have older children, how have you worked to keep your little ones from eating fast food or other processed junk when at school or a friend’s house?
I would love to hear anyone’s tips/advice as I feel like we are a minority when it comes to caring about what we eat.
My father passed away when I was only 7 years old. He and my mom were divorced and since he lived in another state, I didn’t see him very often. Even with the infrequent visits, I still have lasting memories of him that I will never forget.
I never thought much about how and/or why I was able to hold on to memories at such a young age, but now I know it’s from the #PowerofDad. The influence a father makes on his kids is powerful and stays with them through life; I’m living proof!
Now that I’m a father to one beautiful little girl, I make it a point to harness the #PowerofDad every day. By treating my daughter with respect, getting on the floor and playing with her, and teaching her how to live a healthy life by example, I know I’m shaping a positive future for Avery.
One of my favorite moments in the 6.5 months I’ve been a father is being there as she first entered this world. After her time with Mommy, I got my skin to skin time with Avery as soon as possible to better help establish our father-daughter bond.
Skin to skin with dad!
Watching Avery being born created the deepest love I’ve felt since meeting Kelley (Going Mom) and it took the air out of my lungs! It was the best and scariest feeling I have ever encountered and I will never forget that day I became “Dad.”
Being a stay-at-home dad to our little girl makes every day with her is my favorite moment. We show her how living an active, healthy lifestyle is beneficial is so many ways and hope she’ll follow in our footsteps.
From our nightly bath time routine where she brushes her teeth gums….
….to watching her actually eat solids through our baby-led weaning tactics…
….to going on walks while wearing her..
..I know I’m utilizing the #PowerofDad to the best of my abilities.
Knowing just how important the #PowerofDad is, I am proud to announce that I have partnered with Oral B and a group of other outstanding dad bloggers for an awesome Father’s Day campaign! Just like words can’t describe my intense love for my daughter and wife, the same goes for trying to explain the #PowerofDad.
Luckily, Oral B put together a video that needs no words to show how powerful it can be.
I’ve watched this video several times, and get goosebumps every time I see the father helping his daughter pack up to leave for college. Yeah, yeah, it’s years down the road, but time is going so fast, we all need to cherish every moment we have and don’t rush things too fast!
Oral B and Life of Dad have joined forces to promote the #PowerofDad which celebrates fatherhood’s little moments and the dads that bring big smiles to their families every day.
Oral B wins my seal of approval for recognizing the important, yet overlooked role of mothers and fathers, and supporting great causes.
In their second year of this Father’s Day program, P&G Oral Care has partnered with March of Dimes, a leading organization for healthy, happy families that celebrates mothers and fathers every day. P&G Oral Care is also joining forces with members of “Football’s First Family,” New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, his father Archie and his daughter Ava – to celebrate fatherhood’s little moments.
And when you’re happy, you smile, right? In order to help keep those smiles shining bright, Oral B has introduced its newest and most technologically advanced toothbrush yet, the Oral-B 7000 BLACK. The Oral-B 7000 BLACK features Oral-B’s signature oscillating, rotating and pulsating technology and provides superior cleaning and a more personalized brushing experience compared to a regular manual toothbrush. With its sleek design and top of the line features, even the most discerning consumers will note, and benefit from, the unparalleled design and technology it offers.
Now that’s a dad brush if I’ve ever seen one! This brush has stats better than most athletes:
Oral-B’s signature oscillating, rotating and pulsating technology provides a superior tooth-by-tooth clean to remove up to two times more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush.
Features 8,800 oscillations per minute and 40,000 pulsations per minute to create shearing forces for excellent cleaning efficacy.
Six modes for a more personalized brushing experience including an extra “Tongue Cleaner Mode” along with standard Daily Clean, Deep Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, and Massage modes.
Quadrant pacing signals every 30 seconds to guide quadrant switching; at the end of two minutes a longer signal indicates when the dental professional recommended brushing time period has been reached.
SmartGuide wireless display with while-you-brush feedback to help you brush thoroughly, gently and for the dentist-recommended two minutes.
Indicator® bristles remind you to replace your brush head every 3 months, or once they’ve faded halfway.
Accelerates to top speed faster than a race car
That last bullet pretty much means you’ll get the feeling of NASCAR in your mouth! Popcorn kernels beware, Oral-B is coming for you!!
So this Father’s Day, upgrade the toothbrush for the dad in your life to the Oral-B 7000 BLACK and watch their smile become even more vibrant! Oral-B even has a $7 off coupon to help you (and dad) out.
Let me know some of your favorite #PowerofDad moments below and have an awesome Father’s Day. I’m excited to celebrate my first!!
Disclosure: I partnered with Oral-B and Life of Dad, LLC for the #PowerofDad Father’s Day promotion and was compensated for my involvement.
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
