Tag Archives: healthy

Going Reviews: The Ergobaby Ventus Performance Carrier

12/30/2015 R.C. Liley 15 Comments

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I love wearing my baby. I try to urge everyone to choose babywearing over alternative methods whenever possible. Check out my post on Why I Wear My Baby to get a better understanding of how important it is for parent and child and know my stance on the topic.

Being one who always wants to try everything, I was delighted when Ergobaby agreed to send me their new Ventus baby carrier from their Performance Collection to review. The Ventus is designed for the active parent who wants to comfortably take their child on adventures both around the city or hiking on trails. Adventures, baby, comfortable; all sound great to me!

I’ve had the pleasure of wearing Avery in an Ergobaby Original carrier and we both enjoyed the time spent with it on. But, when it gets hot outside which is guaranteed here in Texas, things can get sweaty, fast!

When the Ventus arrived, I immediately noticed the difference in overall look and feel from the Original.

The Ventus is lighter and less bulky with breathable, moisture-wicking fabric throughout. It only comes in one color, graphite, and is perfect for a gender neutral carrier.

The Ventus offers 3 carry positions (front, back, and hip), but I’ve only worn Avery in front so far. Once she’s a little older and sitting up on her own, I will feel better about trying her in the back position.

Putting the carrier on was fairly easy, and if you’ve ever used a soft-structured carrier before, this will be no problem. The straps are pretty thick and proved slightly difficult to adjust which is annoying when you have a squirmy baby to hold on to at the same time. But, those thick straps also help to limit slippage and the need to re-tighten after a while, so I’m okay with the straps.

I truly appreciate the ability to move the chest strap up and down to get the right fit, and reaching behind my head to connect it was pretty easy. Actually getting the clips connected is hard at times; I just have an issue with how they are shaped and feeling my way to connect them. It’s not always, but just a minor thing to note.

Our first walk in the Ergobaby Ventus was over an hour and Avery slept most of the time while I was able to comfortably move at a brisk pace. Avery felt secure and snug against me the entire time and we both kept rather cool despite the heat and humidity that day.

If you are looking for a baby carrier, a small but very important thing to look for is a built-in hood. The Ventus has one and it works great to block everything from wind, dust, sun, and noise when I’m walking and trying to let her nap.

Once it is adjusted to fit Avery and me, the lightweight structure feels great all around except one area. The straps wrapping around me under my arms rub and put pressure on my shoulder blades. This only happens when I’m on a walk and I don’t notice it when moving around a store, but I walk a lot!

See how the clip us just under my arm where it will rub.

Again, the rubbing comes and goes and doesn’t stop me from using the carrier since it really is a great option for us both. Going Mom even enjoys wearing Avery in the Ventus and we even argue over who is going to use it when we’re together. But, Going Mom, as usual, wins.

That’s okay though, I love seeing my two girls together and know how much Kelley misses Avery when she’s at work; they both put a permanent smile on my face.

Part of what makes the Ventus so light is the absence of the bells and whistles like other carriers. You get a zippered pocket that conceals the hood and that’s it. To me, this is good and bad. If I were to go hiking in the Ventus, I would want some sort of storage compartment.

In our Onya Outback, it is heavier, but it has several pockets to store necessities which always comes in handy for me. So for going on an outdoor adventure, I’d prefer the Onya.

But if you have other places to store your necessities, the Ventus is a great choice with its breathable, lightweight material. I’ve actually started keeping it in my car so it’s always on hand when I bring Avery to the store. Plus, I know she likes that she can already stick her head over the top without an infant insert.

And it’s the perfect spot for her to chew and soothe those sore gums.

I have only tried a few soft-structured baby carriers thus far, but the Ergobaby Ventus is an overall great carrier for the active parent just as it claims. Since it is made to carry babies weighing anywhere from 7 to 45 pounds, it will last years as your baby grows with no need to upgrade.

Being lighter, Going Mom enjoys wearing this one more than our heavier Onya. I don’t mind the extra weight in trade for its storage space, but I would say the Ventus would be preferred by those with a smaller frame.

Here is the list of features on Ergobaby’s site:

Special

Body Material/Shell: 100% Polyester

Body Material/Mesh: 100% Polyester

Lining Material: 100% Polyester

Standard

Comfortable for Parents: Baby’s weight is evenly distributed between the hips and shoulders
Ergonomic for Baby: Baby is cradled in a natural sitting position
3 Carry Positions: Front, Back and Hip
Baby Weight Range: 7*-45 lb/3.2* – 20 kg (*Newborn with Infant Insert)
Stitching: Reinforced at all fabric intersections for extra durability
Shoulder Strap Length Range: 24”-44” (61cm-112cm)
Waist belt Circumference Range: 29”-55” (74cm-140cm)
Shoulder Strap Padding:4mm EVA with 15mm High Density PU Foam
Hood
Machine washable
Designed in the USA

I have and will continue to enjoy using the Ventus with Avery and want to thank Ergobaby for the opportunity to use and review their carrier. As an active dad I want to get out and move with my baby to show her the world, and carriers made for this are awesome!

Check out Ergobaby on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and send them some babywearing love!

Disclosure: Ergobaby sent me their Ventus Carrier free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. I did not receive compensation for this post.

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Life, Parenting

What Counts as Exercise?

12/27/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Many parents, at-home and working alike, succumb to the “I don’t have time” mantra when it comes to exercise, but it’s an important part of life and is worth making time to do.

You might think exercise is something that requires special equipment or is only done at a gym, but you might already be “exercising” without even knowing it. Exercise falls under several definitions, and one way it is defined is that it’s a regular or repeated use of a faculty or bodily organ. Knowing this, I’m positive we all have a long list of things we do every day that count as “exercise” and we never thought of it as such.

Carrying your kid around the house or grabbing them before they grab the cat’s tail several times a day would definitely count.

That was before she could walk, now just doing what she does would be an excellent way to exercise without even knowing it.

This girl loves to #squat, and she’s crazy #awesome! #workout #exercise #strength #strong #toddler #proud #Squats

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Dec 7, 2015 at 10:34am PST

Daily things like going for a walk, mowing the lawn, vacuuming, mopping, doing laundry, and playing (or squatting) with your kids are all great ways to fit in exercise and accomplish your laundry list (pun intended) of things you need to get done.

In a nutshell, movement of any form is, in and of itself, exercise. An important thing to remember is to be consistent with your movement and make sure it’s something you enjoy. If your stomach churns just thinking of going for a run, don’t do it, you’ll never stick with it. Ride a bike, walk, swim, row, hike, or……clean house. The point I’m trying to make is, keeping active, however you so choose, helps to make a better you.

As parents, we need to be excellent role models and should let our children see us being active and living a healthy lifestyle so they will hopefully follow suit and WANT to be like mommy and daddy. Note I said “healthy lifestyle”; this means exercise and good nutrition! If you are trying to lose weight, you can workout all you want, but without good nutrition, your results will be minimal at best.

Finishing a great workout session is NOT a pass to go pig out on packaged, processed junk or order takeout without thinking of what you’re actually putting in your mouth. Do you even read the ingredients label on some of these things? Actually, real food won’t have a label at all since it’s just the one ingredient in its whole form. Crazy, right?

No matter your fitness goal, lose weight, gain strength, maintain current level, etc., we will all benefit from moving more and practicing good nutrition for the quality of life it provides. If you are already a conscious eater and get a good dose of daily movement, good for you, keep it up and hopefully you are inspiring others! Bonus points when it’s your little ones that are being inspired. I love knowing Avery is seeing her Mommy and Daddy keeping active and wants to do the same whenever she can.

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

Do you struggle with motivation or find yourself doing too much when it comes to working out?

Are you a health food lover who cooks their own meals or could you use some work help in the nutrition department?

Food, Going Healthy, NuttZo, Parenting

Healthy NuttZo Cinnamon Banana Frittata Recipe

12/23/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Remember that frittata recipe I never made? It had NuttZo, cinnamon, and a ripe banana combined with eggs to make a sweet and satisfyingly healthy frittata.

Well, I made it, and it was just as delicious as I imagined. If not better! As usual, my recipe tester approved!

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A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

I tried giving her a bottle of milk to wash it down, but she quickly handed it right back and demanded more NuttZo banana frittata.

Since Avery is my boss, I obliged. Extra NuttZo on top just for ~~brownie~~ Daddy points.

And then it disappeared into a happy (and healthy) belly.

Want a happy and healthy belly full of this NuttZo Cinnamon Banana Frittata for yourself? Here’s what you do….

Whisk 2 eggs, 1-2 tablespoons NuttZo of choice, lots and lots of cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk or milk of choice. If you want extra sweetness, add a few drops of vanilla or regular liquid stevia, a packet of stevia, or a tablespoon of honey.

Slice a ripe medium-sized banana into 1/4 inch circles.

Saute banana slices in grass-fed butter or coconut oil on a skillet over med-high heat until they caramelize on both sides.

If you’ve never tried sauteed banana, you must steal a bite! After stealing a bite, pour egg mixture evenly over the banana slices.

Allow to set a couple minutes. Lift the sides with a spatula to let the middle drain under and cook.

After 4 or 5 minutes of this, finish your delicious dish off in a preheated 425°F oven for another 2 – 3 minutes or until you see the middle is cooked.

Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before attempting to remove from skillet. I know, it’s hard. Have a scoop of NuttZo while you wait.

Once cooled, place frittata on a cutting board and cut into triangles just like a dessert pizza. Serve with more NuttZo as icing on the top and keep the resulting grin on your face all day!

The cool thing about any frittata is that they are good hot or cold, so it’s perfect to grab and go if you need. I recommend making time to sit and savor this one at home if you can though!

Healthy NuttZo Cinnamon Banana Frittata