Tuesday, August 27, 2013

#SuperMilkMan

Dad on the Run has been selected to be an official entrant in the Super Milk Man video contest. I just completed the entry and we're ready for the big time and a chance to meet The Rock! Visit milk at http://thebreakfastproject.com for more information on the contest, recipes, nutritional information and ideas for incorporating milk into your breakfast.

Check out our Instagram video entry:


I'm hoping this entry sets me up for a chance to meet actor, producer, athlete and author Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson! The Rock knows how important protein is to fueling his days of juggling work, family and fitness. I sometimes struggle with juggling the fitness part as you can tell from my dance scene above but milk is helping me maintain a balanced diet and giving me the energy to go after my fitness goals. When we have no time to slow things down in the mornings milk helps prepare us for anything the world might throw at us Super Milk Men.



Johnson says, "I always look at protein as the anchor to my day. My entire family's morning is anchored by protein, protein comes from milk. Breakfast without milk is like a Rock movie without Rock saving the world."

I smell what the rock is cooking and as long as it's waffles, cereal, oatmeal or some other breakfast highlighting a glass of milk, my kids are happy too. Starting a day with milk powers our potential for the day and gives my tyrants the energy they will need to drive me to the edge of sanity each and every day. I wouldn't have it any other way and I rest easy knowing that the high-quality protein helps them build muscles and bones and helps them feel full throughout the day (not to mention the calcium and vitamin D).

Breakfast is the perfect opportunity for me to model healthy choices for my kids. They pay attention to what I'm doing and eating so it's important to me to start each day by eating a good breakfast. Knowing they are off to a good start in the morning with milk lets me know they are ready for the day.

Keep up with other entries on twitter at #SuperMilkMan or check in with @MilkMustache and @LifeOfDad on twitter.

FTC Disclosure: Dad On The Run was compensated by Life Of Dad, LLC to be an entrant for the SuperMilkMan contest. That's right I was paid to get a chance to meet The Rock! Life is good. 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Drill Baby, Drill!

It's a sad realization that I now enjoy the dentist. 30 minutes sitting in a recliner with music playing, no one asking me for anything more complicated than "open wider" (and nothing unexpected like pre-chewed Cheerios going in when I comply) along with and the gentle gum massage and the reassuring hum of the polisher providing a calming white noise? Yes please. It's like a session at the spa sans kids. Oh no, one of my fillings needs to replaced?! Starbucks and Pandora in a month, it's a date... err, I mean appointment.

I Like to Move It!

Another installment of "I Like to Move It." The one in which Dad On The Run reminds all the Parenting Partners that sometimes what you have to do is stop what you are doing, grab your kid(s) and dance like it's 1999 (should we change that to 2099 now?) Have a great day everyone:

Cake- The Distance (From The Letterman Show)

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Have You Hugged Someone On The Pot Today?

It will be nice to one day go to the bathroom alone again, but I think I'll miss having a little person who can't wait for me to finish before I get a hug. Maybe it's just Link's strong affection for the greatest Dad in the world (that's right, I was nominated by J Bean just this year) or the lack of facilities to put two and two together when it comes to the olfactory assault he just walked into and the giant man crouching on the funny seat, but I'm going to miss those potty time snuggles when they're gone. J Bean understands privacy and will often ask me if I need some while staring at me in the bathroom... "Yes, please." However, Link sees the bathroom seating area as the prime opportunity for a nice squeeze (no pun intended).

Monday, August 12, 2013

Starbucks VIA Moment

Ever had one of those mornings where you start out grinding some fresh beans for a nice fresh cup of coffee and the kids and their messes get in the way? I have, and those are what I call VIA moments! Thank goodness for VIA on those days, so that I can still have some tasty coffee when time has run short! It's the perfect coffee for Dad on the Run or any parent on the run for that matter. Below is my entry video for the Starbucks VIA Moment contest! You can enter yourself at Life Of Dad by clicking the link here. Entrants are eligible to win $500/1st Prize, $200 for second prize or $100 for third prize. 

This video is entitled "HURRY UP!!"


FTC disclosure: Starbucks sent me some VIA samples and compensated me in return for this sponsored post. Does that take away from the convenience and awesomeness of having great coffee in a matter of seconds? You decide.

#Via #LifeOfDad

Thursday, August 8, 2013

...And Doggone it, I Can Be a Better Parent!

I keep trying to make changes to the way I view and approach the kids, sometimes I do better than others. It's so hard to focus on the change I want to be and keep my head right so I can remain calm in the inevitable chaos that is life with kids. Maybe I should make a short video reminding myself what I (at times) know about my life and my role in these little people's lives.

Would be nice to be reminded about the mirrors our kids are to us, the promises I've made to myself about "being there" and fully engaged, how I need to be thinking on the level of reducing volume and yelling, providing positive reinforcement and not becoming a "No" parent. Boundaries are necessary, schedules are flexible, behavior swings and moods come and go like the wind so don't get so worked up because J Bean is going ballistic. Present what I want to receive and learn to listen to those little people. Giving them a strong voice and the confidence to know others will listen to them (no matter how silly or unimportant something may seem) will lead to the adults I am trying to raise. I am not working to raise robots who respond to me immediately out of fear and follow orders to the letter, but rather I'm  hoping to have a hand in bringing out the successful, happy, fully functioning, confident and independent adults I know they can be.

These are the thoughts I have in the still of the night when no one is throwing food at me, whining, crying and litigating everything I say. I've got to figure out a way to communicate these thoughts to "morning me" first thing and remind me of what I know. Morning Me is always ticked that I don't do the dishes, so maybe I should start there and loosen his load a little. Better yet, maybe I/he can start reciting this to myself in the mirror every morning  (Stuart Smalley style).

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Daddy Got Back... Chuck the Chunk: On The Road to Dad 2.0 Summit 2014


I think you have to put on a sad face for
 the "before" photo right?
As many of you know, I won a trip to a Dad Blogging conference in New Orleans which will go down in early January of next year. A friend of the blog, Brent from Designer Daddy, reached out to a group of Dad Bloggers and asked for some help in getting motivated and asking how many of us could afford to get in better shape and were willing to do so. This was a good thing as I am not a self-starter. I procrastinate, I hem and I haw, I cheat on diets if I even start them and I haven't been able to get in a workout routine at all since becoming a stay home father. It is time for a change.

Anyway, this is my shame post. My admission of where I am fitness-wise and what I look like without a flattering camera angle, sucked in gut, good lighting or an Iron Man mask. I have to admit, it is good to start at the bottom (Good grief, I hope this is my bottom, no pun intended) and after a trip to south Georgia. I have plenty of room for improvement and have been eating even worse than usual for the past week so I'm ready to see some weight loss right away just by not eating a butter based diet. I guess I'll have to cut down on beer as well (I'm assuming straight grain alcohol will still be fine).

That's J Bean holding my belly. 
I've been using some velcro gardening tape I had at home to measure parts of my body (no not that part) this morning. I am discovering some very disturbing things. I'm over 4 feet around... holy crap! Despite wearing size 38 pants, my waist measures 46 (WTF?!). If Sir-Mix-A-Lot wrote a song about me it would say: 49, 46, 49... only if he's 7' 8" Also, I ain't got no motor in the back of my Honda, though I do seem to have a sidecar for a belly which is weird.

From left to right: my bicep, my waist,
my belly, my butt, my chest. All but my
bicep are longer than my daughter is tall. 
The tapes will provide a nice visual for staying motivated as I will hang them on the wall in the kitchen. It will also be interesting to be able to take them down and check progress (or lack thereof) along the way and an easy way to see how small I'll be when I reach my goals.

First things first. Diet change. I haven't decided exactly what I'm doing yet so I'll cut back on carbs and processed foods hardcore and cut out most beverages outside of water. I also will begin making small changes in how I get around and try to do some extra walking/jogging until I can get something I can use at the house. I already have a membership at the local Y, but I have to admit it has been very difficult for me to find the time to get up there without cutting into the small amount of time I get to see VV in the evenings which is not really the way I want to go. I think if I can get a routine going at home, especially one that allows me to interact online, listen to music and/or watch TV is what will be effective to me. It's boredom more than exhaustion that gets to me during cardio.

Any tips and suggestions are appreciated and encouragement is needed. If you would like to join in the fun and make a change in your life then please feel free to update here or on my FB wall. I'm leaning toward Mark Bittman's VB6 plan (vegetarian before 6pm) anyone tried it or know anything about it? What have you had success with? Thanks for reading and your continued support! I will update regularly, but not too often as no one wants to be spammed with pictures of my big belly. I do feel, however, that this remains with the theme of DOTR as being healthy, presenting a good example for your children and taking steps to ensure we'll be around for them for a long time are all parts of being a great parent. Have a great day, Parenting Partners!





Update 9/28: I haven't given a Chuck the Chunk update in a while. I haven't been doing a whole lot other than eating better and snacking less especially. I'm down 12lbs since I started (woohoo!). I'm about to step it up though, I've got an elliptical machine to put together today. It says, "some assembly required" which is like putting a tag on a live chicken that says, "may require some preparation before eating." Mmmm chicken... Stay strong, Dad.