Tag Archives: gifts

Six Gifts for the Active Dad this Father’s Day

06/13/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Father’s Day is on the way, and for all you moms and kids out there wondering just what to grab that special dad in your life, I know it can be tough to narrow down gift ideas. Whether you’re shopping for your dad or for the father of your children, if he’s an active guy, you can appeal to his health passions and take your Father’s Day gifts from ordinary to extraordinary. From sports tickets to family adventures, the latest in melbourne storm merchandise (or whoever their team is), to gym necessities, you’ll find something for your active dad on this list.

Tickets to a Game

If your dad is an avid sports fan that knows his favorite player’s stats like he knows his own child’s birthday, then make sure he gets the chance to see his idol in action with tickets to a game. Check out Ticketmaster to see if there are any games coming to a city nearby in the near future, or plan ahead and buy accommodations out of town for a surprise trip that will blow his mind. If you find the tickets have already been sold out, just check out Craigslist or Stubhub to grab resale tickets.

A Fitbit

If he’s all about staying in shape and pushing his body to be the best it can be, you can’t go wrong with a Fitbit. These awesome activity trackers will give him a plethora of important health information, helping him reach the recommended amount of steps each day, track his food, and keep his heart rate in check. There are various models out there at different prices, so you can find something that matches your budget and appeases your pop on Father’s Day.

Quality Earphones

If he’s a runner or gym rat, he’s likely got a playlist of pump-up jams that get him in the mood to pump iron and pound the pavement. If that’s the case, make sure he gets to listen to his sweet tunes with the best audio possible and buy him a pair of high-quality earphones. Check out the JayBird X2 wireless earbuds. They’re a bit of an investment, but the quality is more than worth the price tag, especially if you know your dad will get great use from them. He can get rid of those pesky wires and answer any emergency calls while he’s at the gym getting a great workout in.

A New Gym Bag

If he’s always out the door and on the way to the gym to follow his daily workout regimen, make sure he can get all his essentials to and from with stylish ease. A new duffel will help him go from home to office to gym in one fell swoop and keep all of his gym necessities contained, whether it’s shower essentials after a sweaty session or his work clothes to go from gym to desk in the morning.

An All-Out Adventure

Your active dad is likely an adventure-happy fellow, and if he spends a lot of his time chasing adrenaline pumping activities, then an experience gift is probably right up his alley. Websites like Excitations.com offer a variety of exciting events to take part in. If your dad loves fast cars, take him for a spin in an exotic speedster for the day. If he’s a water sports enthusiast, a white water rafting trip will be the present he never knew he needed. All you have to do is enter your zip code and the website will pull up all the nearby activities that you can purchase for him. This is sure to be a one of a kind present that will make this Father’s Day more than memorable.

Sports Gear

If your dad is an active member of intramural sports teams, then you can’t go wrong with new sports gear. Baseball bats can be a great gift if he’s part of a league as they are constantly evolving, with companies consistently coming out with cool new designs and functionality. In a similar vein to golf clubs, remember that just because he already has them, doesn’t mean he won’t want the latest and greatest.

Show Dad how much you appreciate all he does for your family with the perfect active gifts sure to give nod to his athletic passions and make this a Father’s Day to remember.

Going Green, Going Reviews

Plan Toys Push Along Duck Review

02/25/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

You know those toys you had a long time ago but forgot about until going through some mystery stash in the corner of a room? Then, all of the sudden they are a favorite once more? Our daughter’s Plan Toys Push Along Duck is one of those toys.

We first got the duck, Quackers (original, I know), around the time our little girl started walking over a year ago. I remember growing up with one of those plastic push along poppers with balls enclosed in a bubble and how much I enjoyed running around making the most obnoxious noise and knew I did not want something like the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper for Avery.

Fun toy for kids, but we try to limit the amount of plastics in our home, so this was an easy one to avoid. Just not a fan of everything that comes out of China to begin with. Plus, how cool is it to have a wooden duck with flappy feet to push around instead?

Yeah, it's pretty cool, Dad. — Yeah, it’s pretty cool, Dad.

When Quackers first waddled his way into our home, Avery enjoyed the new toy but didn’t seem too impressed.

baby, toddler, parenting, funny, humor — **Yeah, I see the duck, but do YOU see I took off my sock?**

I think Going Mom and I were more excited about the cute rubber feet flip-flopping along as it was pushed around the house; usually by us. One of Avery’s friends was instantly drawn to it during our NuttZo tasting party last year, and that’s all she played with the entire time. Obviously kids love once they see, feel, and hear it in action.

The natural rubber feet, which are easy to clean (trust me, this is a wonderful thing!) don’t make as much of an audible flappy noise as I’d expect. Guess it’s not such a bad thing, but when compared to the noise a Corn Popper makes, the feet are almost ninja-like. One reason is that the wooden wheels are very squeaky, almost to where you can’t even hear the feet flapping, and can quickly become irritating when your kid goes on a marathon duck pushing jaunt. An easy fix for this is something like WD-40 or, as I used, coconut oil. Problem solved!

Just the look and feel of the Plan Toys Push Along Duck proves it was built with quality care. Our destructive tot further proves this as it has stood up to the vigors of daily abuse. The paint has yet to chip and all of the parts are just as sturdy as the first day we bought it.

The latest use for Quackers is for him to “help” Daddy every time I vacuum. It’s cute, but when Quackers winds up between my feet and knocking into my legs multiple times as I clean around the house, it gets old….fast. But hey, if it makes my girl happy and not crying, I’ll take it!

We love having fun, eco-friendly toys like the Plan Toys Push Along Duck, and I’d highly recommend one for any kid aged 1 and up. I wish the handle could be detached to make it easier for travel, but that’s a minor issue. I’m more concerned with getting hit by the rounded end on the handle, which happens A LOT. But again, just a minor thing that’s easily overlooked when it comes to the safety and happiness of our kid.

Plan Toys is one of our favorite eco-friendly toy companies as they use a variety of material like organic rubberwood, e-zero glue, water-based dyes, recycled and recyclable materials, soy and water-based ink and their proprietary PlanWood. All good things when it comes to what our kids are playing with all day.

Pros

High quality, eco-friendly construction that will last years
Sturdy, but light enough for little ones to easily push and maneuver
Makes for great imaginative play….like a vacuum, for instance
Freakin’ cute duck on a stick, what else can I say?

Cons

Wheels are very squeaky (can be fixed with a little oil as I mentioned)
Wish the stick could be removed for traveling
Can become a dangerous duck when it gets airborne or pushed into your legs, knees, and sometimes head.

If you’re looking for a great gift for an upcoming toddler birthday, this is a perfect choice. At just $24.99 on Amazon, it won’t break the bank but will warm the heart watching those little feet push their duck with a big grin!

I purchased the Plan Toys Push Along Duck and full price and was not compensated in any way for this review. All thoughts are strictly my own. Although I never collaborated with Plan Toys for this or any review, I’d love to work together for future product reviews. *Hint* *Hint* to any Plan Toys associates who happen upon this post. 🙂

Earn Income, Promo

Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren: My Top 5 Fitness Apparel Picks

12/09/2015 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick’s Sporting Goods. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to shopping for all things sports and fitness related, it’s a good idea to choose a sporting goods store that is truly passionate about what they sell. At DICK’s Sporting Goods®, you’ll find just that, along with excellent service and great prices on name brand equipment, apparel, and accessories. From gym-sized exercise equipment to fishing lures, DICK’s has the quality products you need and want. So, it should come as no surprise that they now carry Polo Sport® by Ralph Lauren, a new collection of men’s activewear.

Found in select DICK’s Sporting Goods locations, I ventured to the nearby DICK’s at The Parks in Arlington, TX to treat myself to a few of the new Polo Sport items. I thought it might be hard to navigate my way to find where Polo Sport was located within the large sporting goods retailer, but it was hard to miss the bold sign proclaiming its presence.

I’m just glad I didn’t have to stop and ask this guy. I think he was in the middle of auditioning for Iron Mannequin.

Hey, I claim to love puns, but never said I’m good at them!

The layout was filled with activewear designed for top notch looks and performance in the cold or heat. The cold weather gear was tempting, but I find myself indoors or in a heated garage since Avery is usually with me when working out, so I gravitated towards the shorts and short sleeved shirts.

I found plenty of items I wanted to take home, but lets face it, spending a lot on myself right before Christmas would just be wrong. Obviously, I can wait to return that scratchy wool sweater from Aunt Sally and then go back to buy more! 😉

With the approaching holiday in mind, I narrowed my selection to 5 favorite fitness apparel items to bring home and start “playing” with right away. Having had the chance to wear and workout in my chosen items, I figured I’d share my top 5 with you.

Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey T-Shirt – This is my new favorite shirt. I love the deep blue color and the comfortable fit allows me to move as it keeps me cool for the indoor workouts I’ve been doing lately. Not covering our floors in sweat is vital to stay in good standing with the wife too!
Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey Long Sleeve Shirt – Same as the T-Shirt but with long sleeves, I like having this for when I venture outside and it’s actually cold here in North Texas. Right now it’s been in the 70’s so I still wear my T-Shirt when going out for a run/walk/playground time.
Polo Sport Men’s Tech Fleece Hoodie – Even as a lover of heat, there’s just something I enjoy about a good hoodie, and Polo Sport got it right with this one. When I can wear winter clothes that won’t interfere with my chosen workout for the day, well, that’s just awesome. Somehow, this comfy hoodie manages to keep me feeling warm and doesn’t get in the way of doing back squats and kettlebell swings in a cold garage when the heater stops working.
Polo Sport Men’s Stretch-Fit Performance Cap – My big noggin usually will not accommodate anything but the hair growing out of it, but after trying on this hat, I’m willing to reconsider. It’s designed for ultimate performance during intense workouts, but I like just having a hat I actually enjoy wearing. Yes, so much so that I even take smiling selfies of myself with it on.
Polo Sport Men’s Jersey Active 10” Shorts – Helllloooo, comfort! I’m extremely peculiar about having good shorts, and when I find a pair I like, I’ll wash them every day just so I can keep wearing them. Just a pull of the drawstring gives me a custom fit and their moisture-wicking fabric keeps me dry and stench free. Not to mention the 10″ inseam protects from any “exposure issues” when working out. All good things for something who likes to use the rower.

Bonus points for being able to right to playtime after an intense workout and not smelling or dripping sweat like a wet dog. Avery appreciates it.

Any or all of these would make a great gift someone you know or for yourself. Hey, only you really know what you want, right? With color options ranging from light colors like Andover Heather or Pure White, dark colors like Pacific Blue (my favorite!), and vibrant colors like Shocking Orange, there’s plenty of options to suit any taste.

Looking to buy some nice activewear for the man in your life? Polo Sport has what you need to keep him looking good and maybe even motivated to stay in shape. Win-win!

Motivation comes in many forms, and what you wear definitely plays a big role in your desire to get up and MOVE! Polo Sport has just what any fitness-minded guy would love, so head over to DICK’s Sporting Goods or visit online by clicking here.