Tag Archives: dad bloggers

Life

What Happens When Two Stay-At-Home Dads Get Out?

08/09/2014 R.C. Liley 7 Comments

Nothing much, really, we just enjoyed a couple good beers and talked about dad life.

What? Were you expecting some crazy shenanigans with lots of booze and guys running wild chasing miniature horses or something?

I hope not, that’d be weird. And very random….why did I even say that?

Anyway, let us move past that comment and come back to reality. I had the opportunity to meet up with another local stay-at-home dad and fellow blogger on Thursday night to discuss setting up a dad’s group. Just like the last time I was allowed out of the house alone to meet my brother (Uncle Preston), we met in Fort Worth at The Flying Saucer.

Thanks to my wife, yet again, for staying home with Avery on a work night! Avery was obviously not impressed with Kelley’s attempt at taking a selfie. Or maybe it was her cold….

David Kepley is co-creator of Just a Dad 247 who blogs with his long time friend, Pat Jacobs; also a stay-at-home dad. They’ve been in the blogging game for a while and have some great stuff for dads and really anyone. Go check them out, but then come back since I’m not finished here! 🙂

Kepley and I met through the Facebook Dad Bloggers group we are both members of and I have mentioned before. We were both seeking a dads group in our surrounding area and were unable to find anything, so we decided we’d try to start one ourselves.

Lucky for us, we have connected with Lance Somerfeld and Matt Schneider who formed the City Dads Group which is a national organization devoted to supporting fathers everywhere. They’ve helped dads create groups in major cities across the U.S., and we’re hoping to add Dallas to their list.

Our discussion on how we’ll get things up and running went well, and we are hoping to have our first meeting next month in September. Obviously, I’ll share the details here as we get more info and have a solid date/plan. Either way, I’m excited to be a part of something so important and hope I’ll be able to bring Avery to many future meet-ups with other dads and their kids.

Asides from the dad group talk, we shared our thoughts and stories around a multitude of topics; I even gave insight to how I view food and make it a huge priority to maintain a healthy family. Fortunately, while he may not be as ~~crazy~~ strict as I am on what to eat, he agreed with my views for the most part and didn’t just get up and walk out.

Another bonus is that Kepley knows how to pick and choose a good beer. Like me, he won’t settle for the crappy, run-of-the-mill Bud Light, Coors Light, etc., he expects good stuff if he’s going to drink, just as we all should! Plus, we both know how to pose for a picture….

I think we’ll get along just fine and am looking forward to working with him and other local dads to create our own Dallas City Dads group.

Are you part of a parent (mom or dad) group where you live? Any tips or stories?

Friday Food Facts, Life, Parenting

My Wife Wins Again, Our Baby Throws Food, and More Banana Fun Facts #5

08/08/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Why must I be so stubborn all the time? Even if I know I’m (probably) wrong, I still end up trying to stand my ground. This part of me seems ingrained deep within, and I’m sorry to those who have to witness my hardheadedness.

Recently, okay, almost everyday, but still, work with me here, Going Mom and I had slight disagreement about something. It’s one of those small things most couples will argue about at least once; the toilet seat.

As the one who stays home all day, takes in a lot of caffeine, and subsequently pees a lot, I always keep the seat up. It makes it easier for me to go in, do my business, and get out back to Avery. Months ago, I even wrote a post defending my “right” to leave the seat up.

In that post, I clearly thought I won this argument fair and square. Turns out, the dispute was still unsettled. During Avery’s bath time, Kelly asked me in a nice tone to please start putting the seat down since Avery is now mobile and can easily make her way to the toilet. I stubbornly said “Just don’t let her.” as if it is always that easy, and thus our small argument began.

We kind of ended the tiff without further discussion, and I resorted to asking other dads on the Dad Blogger Facebook group I am a part of. The responses quickly came one after another with the majority of other dads taking not mine, but my wife’s side. After several of them mentioned crawling/walking kids getting into and possibly drowning plus just having really “pissed” (ha ha, get it?) off spouses, I realized my battle was lost; just like before Going Mom wins again.

So, to my wife who I still haven’t told that I now keep the seats down, I am sorry. Hopefully you’re reading this post today and can find forgiveness; you always do! 🙂

Now that I’ll be putting the seats down after each use, I’m looking into getting toilet seats with the soft/slow close hinges. I live in constant fear about making a loud noise when Avery is sleeping, and slamming the toilet seat is the last thing I want to do, so it only makes sense. Thanks to all of the dad bloggers who pointed this out!

Another “issue” we’ve been having lately is Avery throwing her food on the floor during dinnertime. This is the only time we give her solids since she’s still on breast milk, but she used to actually eat a little before just tossing the food. Before, she’d accidentally drop food on the floor and we’d laugh thinking it’s cute, but now she’s fully aware of what she’s doing.

Going Mom still laughs and does a bad job at hiding it, but it hurts me to see good food go to waste. I realize this is part of raising a baby, and I accept it, but no reason to laugh at her which I think makes her think it’s okay.

What, it's not okay? — What, it’s not okay?

I’m pretty sure discipline at this age is frowned upon, so I just try and tell her that’s not okay to do, and then I’ll take a bite of my own broccoli in hopes that will help. So far, it doesn’t….

Go ahead, laugh at me, you more experienced parents, I know it only gets worse. Oh well, it’s hard to ever stay upset with her for more than a minute; hopefully that never changes!

Maybe we’ll start introducing fruit to see if she likes the sweeter things. We wanted to start with veggies so she wouldn’t get used to sweeter things first, but I know bananas are always a tasty treat! Speaking of, I have some more banana fun facts in continuation from last Friday’s post.

The fastest marathon ever run by a competitor dressed as a fruit was 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 20 seconds—recorded at the Barcelona Marathon on March 6, 2011. The runner was Patrick Wightman from the United Kingdom, who dressed as a banana.
A few varieties of wild bananas include bubblegum pink bananas with fuzzy skins, green-and-white striped bananas with pulp the color of orange sherbet, and bananas that taste like strawberries when they’re cooked.
Banana peels are actually edible if cooked.
A man in India once ate 81 bananas in a half hour.
More songs have been written about bananas than about any other fruit.
The scientific name for banana is musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men.”

I’m off to enjoy the rest of Friday now, hope you do the same! Kelley is having a girl’s night out tonight, so it’ll be just Avery and me for bed time. It shouldn’t be too bad…..as long as she actually eats her veggies!!

Do you have any tips/tricks on how to not let your child throw food? Or should I just give in and accept it?

Giveaway, Parenting

The Best Night Time Routine for your Baby and a Fresh Air Crib Liner™ Giveaway!

08/06/2014 R.C. Liley 7 Comments

Isn’t it funny how hard some of us try just to have a baby and want so bad to become parents, but then, upon baby’s arrival, we immediately MUST find a way to get them asleep! Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not like we’re trying to get rid of them, I just feel there’s a little irony in there.

Sleep was, is, and will always be one of the most talked about, important, and difficult parts of raising kids. Many parents will quickly buy anything promising to safely get your baby to sleep through the night in hopes that it actually works. I know this because I’m one of them!

And yes, I too felt the grief when these false hopes turned out to be nothing more than a way to get rid of our money. Who needs money anyway? :/

As many parents already know, gimmicky products may or may not actually benefit your child’s sleep, but there’s one surefire and free thing we can all have immediately; a night time routine. You know, a way parents can ease their kid’s transition from being awake to going to sleep.

So, what is the best bedtime routine for your baby? This might come as a surprise to some, but there is no one best way. The best routine for our house may not work so well in your house and vice versa. Whatever you and your family can stick with and get your baby used to will be the “best” routine.

As your baby ages, you might do a few things different, but as long as nothing major is changed like watching TV after bath time when TV was always before, you should be safe. For us, we usually go on a walk before sitting down at the dinner table together. After dinner, it’s straight to the bath (she really needs it since we’re doing baby-led weaning!), and then we go to her room to dry off, rub coconut oil on, and Going Mom will nurse her to sleep.

Other things to incorporate into a night time routine include:

letting your baby move around to get built up energy out of the system
giving a baby massage
story time (preferably nothing too adventurous or exciting)
talking with your baby about the day
saying goodnight to everyone and everything (stuffed animals, toys, etc.)
create a soothing playlist of lullabies or other easygoing music to have in the background while settling in for the night

Whatever you choose for a routine, stick to it! Even when you’re away from home, try and stick as close to your usual routine as usual to give a better chance that everyone will have a good night’s rest.

When your precious little one finally goes to sleep, a safe, comfy crib will help to ensure they stay that way. A problem we ran into once Avery learned to roll around was that she would get her limbs caught between the crib. And there went sleeping through the night….*womp* *womp*

From reading about the dangers of crib bumpers, we didn’t want to put Avery at risk of suffocation, but luckily we found a breathable mesh crib liner to keep her limbs in and danger out.

Since installing the liner, we have had zero issues with safety and Avery’s arms and legs are always inside where they belong. She’s even pulling on the crib and liner and standing up now, but we still have no issues with anything getting messed up and out of place. To us, we wish we would’ve had a liner in from the start, but better late than never, right?

Do you have a crib liner for your baby or baby on the way? Obviously, we were a little late to the game, but lucky for you, the nearest Target now has all you need to line your crib and keep your baby safe and comfortable!

The Fresh Air Crib Liner ™ by SootheTime can now be found at Target, and you can even get a $5.00 rebate by clicking here. This is the perfect alternative to dangerous crib bumpers and will allow baby to sleep safe and sound while parents can sleep with peace of mind.

The liner is meant to fit most cribs with ease and has colors for boys, girls, or a unisex option.

If you haven’t found something to keep your baby safe in their crib, then head to your nearest Target and pick up a Fresh Air Crib Liner™ for yourself. Don’t forget the $5.00 rebate!!

But, if you can wait a few days, I have an even better way to get your own Fresh Air Crib Liner™ by entering to win one here! Just do as told by RaffleCopter and you’ll be entered. The giveaway will end next Wednesday, 08/13, at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck to all of you!

Disclosure: “I am participating in this campaign as a member of The Niche Parent Network & Conference. Although I received compensation and product, all opinions are my own.”