Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, toy reviews, Uncategorized

Here’s What My Son Did With 4 Rolls of Sticky Brick Tape, Which is Lego-Compatible

Being a daddy blogger is fun. I have companies reach out to me and send new products for my family to try out; like Sticky Brick Tape.

While Sticky Brick Tape is not an actual Lego product, it is Lego-compatible. It is designed to enhance play with Legos.

I handed my son Jack the 4 rolls of Sticky Tape and gave him this assignment:

Just play with it and make whatever you want to. Your job is to give other kids ideas of how to use Sticky Brick Tape.

His favorite part about playing with Sticky Brick Tape is that it is “bendy”. He enjoyed making snake-like creatures and vehicles; something a kid can’t do with regular Legos. Sticky Brick Tape has refreshed Jack’s interest in making new Lego creations.

But where does Sticky Tape get its name? While one side has grooves to stick to Legos, the other side can stick to virtually any flat surface: Just peel back the film to reveal the adhesive side. You can even cut the Sticky Brick Tape to the length you want it.

For example, that means you could help your child decorate their desk or bed with sideways Legos.

As for my son though, he never made it that far. He enjoyed the “snake” aspect of Sticky Brck Tape too much to cut it or stick it.

If you’re curious about Sticky Brick Tape, just click here to check out their website.

And if you’re feeling lucky, you can even click here to try to win 4 rolls of Sticky Brick Tape for your child. Make sure you sign up before the deadline, October 1, 2017.

I can definitely tell you my son has thoroughly enjoyed using Sticky Brick Tape. There’s just nothing else like it out there.

It has gotten him playing with his Legos again, that’s for sure.

Leave a comment Posted on reviews, Uncategorized

We Now Sleep on Adjustable Snuggle-Pedic Kool-Flow Pillows

Up until last week, my wife and I had been sleeping on pillows that were 9 years old. We had never bothered to replace the pillows we bought back when we got married. But then out of the blue, the folks at Snuggle- Pedic reached out to me and asked if my wife and I would be willing to try out their pillows, then keep them as a thank-you for spreading the word.

How could I say no? After all, we’ve been sleeping on 9 year-old pillows!

We’ve now had our new pillows for over a week; giving us ample time to test them out.

I can easily and absolutely confirm that I am sleeping harder with this pillow. I am sleeping deeply enough to dream again. I can’t explain why I am apparently staying in a deeper sleep by using this pillow, but I know that I am.

It reminds me of those infomercials where they show the “before” picture, which is black and white, then they compare it to the colorful “after” picture.

Something that makes this pillow special is that you can easily add or remove the stuffing inside, to suit your liking; thanks to a handy zipper on the side of the pillow. In the event you needed even more stuffing, Snuggle-Pedic will take care of that free of charge, including shipping.

I never needed to do this, but my wife did. She found that the default amount of stuffing was too much for her. So she simply took out of few handfuls, then placed the pillow in the dryer on “no heat” for a few minutes, to calibrate the consistency.

Actually, I’m glad it worked out this way; how my wife needed to adjust the stuffing but I didn’t.

That helped me see for myself what a cool feature it is, being able to personally customize the pillow’s consistency. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought much about that feature.

So if you’re looking for a new pillow, here’s a link to their website, Snuggle-Pedic.

I definitely am sleeping better since getting the Snuggle-Pedic Kool-Flow. And if I weren’t, I would just remove the extra stuffing.

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, funny, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

The “No Such Thing as a Crazy Baby Name” Theory

People are giving their babies weird names these days. We all know this. It is an epidemic.

Openly, we don’t acknowledge it. But privately, among friends, we talk about it.

It’s a release for us. It’s confirms that we are not the crazy ones.

Right now, you’re probably already thinking of 2 or 3 weird names you know that other people have recently named their kids.

But here’s the thing. We just have to be okay with it.

Because that peculiar baby name is an expression of that parent’s identity and their perception of their own creativity.

And sure enough, you could have this same conversation with someone who named their kid something obscure like, Cheezeburger Rex, and that parent would instantly agree with you that other parents name their kids stupid names.

That parent of Cheezeburger Rex (which let’s assume is a girl’s name just to make this scenario more believable for a crazy name) would predictably say something like this:

“I know, right!? I know this one mom who named her son Spikey Purple. I feel so sorry for that kid!”

So maybe, in theory, the rest of us “normal parents” should assume that we are the ones who named our kids strange names?

I call this the “No Such Thing as a Crazy Baby Name” theory.

It’s inspired by one time when a guy told me, “There’s no such thing as a stupid tattoo.”

I could easily argue that it might not be the best decision to get a Chester the Cheetah neck tattoo. But if that guy embraced the tattoo as part of his identity, making it a way to express himself; to him, it’s not a stupid tattoo. Instead, he’s proud of it.

Similarly, it’s this way with baby names too.

So the next time I hear a parent proudly tell me that their newborn son’s name is “Dracula Titus” or their daughter’s name is “Intelligence Martin”, I know how I’m going to respond:

“That is the perfect name! It’s so creative, too. But that makes sense, because you’ve always been such a creative person. Well congratulations! (He/she) is so adorable!”

By doing so, I am able to give that parent confirmation that they chose a name that accurately reflects their own identity as the parent.

Their identity; not mine, not yours.

And, for better or for worse, the identity of their child, as well.

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Why My Next Car Will Have a Metallica Sticker on the Back Window, Not a Christian Fish Symbol

Whenever I eventually do trade in my 2004 Honda Element for a newer SUV with a 3rd row seat, I have already decided I will not be putting a “nice dad” sticker on my back window: No stick figure family, no logo from my kid’s school, not even a Christian fish symbol.

It’s Nashville. I’m a commuter from a bedroom community. I typically spend a minimum of about 2 hours a day, navigating through chaos from the congested back roads to the often stand-still Interstate.

Being perceived by other drivers as a “nice guy” is not what I’m interested in when I’m on I-65 or Columbia Pike. Otherwise, I’d be in danger of also being perceived as a hypocrite in other drivers’ eyes when I am either driving too fast or too slow for their liking.

Other drivers’ personal perception of my driving ultimately serves a reflection of the legitimacy of whatever sticker is on my car.

Yeah, I know that sounds obtuse and illogical. But it’s true…

If a non-Christian driver perceives that I selfishly pulled out in front of him, then sees a Christian emblem on my car, that driver is placed in a position where he can theorize: “There’s another one of those self-centered, hypocritical Christians! Why would I ever want to be like them?”

Instead, I’d rather be known as the guy who other drivers don’t have high expectations for. The easiest way I can think to accomplish this is to simply have one black sticker on my back windshield:

Metallica.

That way, when I have to hurry and pass another car real quick on the Interstate in order to reach the exit lane in time because of how congested all 4 lanes are, I’m not a jerk. Instead, I’m simply what they expect from a guy who listens to the legendary heavy metal band Metallica: I’m assertive, intimidating, and unpredictable.

However, when I do something courteous, like when another driver is trapped trying to make awkward turn and I let them in (which is something I do several times per day), and then I eventually catch up to them when that one single lane transitions to a double, and I’m now in the other lane and they can see the back of my vehicle…

Now, I’ve suddenly become the Good Samaritan. Why?

Because, hey, the Metallica guy was nice to me!

I’d rather be perceived as a nice Metallica fan rather than a “hypocrite” with a Christian fish symbol on my car. I

My ironic theory is that it’s easier for those fellow commuters to see the grace and kindness of a Christian when there is no Christian label, as I’ve learned that people naturally have higher expectations of Christians; meaning it’s also easier to be disappointed by Christians.

No one is disappointed by a guy who listens to Metallica. But as a commuter, I say the Metallica guy has got a better chance of being seen as a saint, compared to a guy with a Christian fish symbol on his car.

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, infographic, parenting, People, Uncategorized

Playground Safety Checklist (By Guest Blogger, Ken Allen)

Most parents will tell you that raising kids is very different today than it was when they were growing up. In many ways, that’s true. Consider how kids spend their free time:

Children today have so much of their time outside of school occupied by structured activities that parents need a separate datebook just to keep up with their kids’ daily schedules.

Even though a lot of aspects about raising kids have changed, a lot of parts are just as parents remember them. One of those aspects is the importance of the playground. Even with competition from video games and streaming video, the playground remains one place kids are sure to congregate.

That’s a good thing, too, because playgrounds offer children the opportunity to get some much-needed exercise as well as kick-start other areas of their intellectual and social development.

Although playgrounds remain as popular with kids today as they did in generations past, playgrounds themselves have changed somewhat over the years, particularly when it comes to safety. Whereas playgrounds of the past featured concrete or asphalt underneath many of them, today’s versions are far more likely to feature soft wood chips or recycled rubber to cushion falls. Metal slides have given way to plastic ones that don’t heat up to dangerous levels under the sun. Swing sets often include special swings that will safely hold toddlers without allowing them to slip off the seat. However, just because playgrounds have become safer over the years doesn’t mean parents don’t have to worry about playground safety at all.

Teaching kids how to use playgrounds safely and inspecting equipment to look for potential hazards are responsibilities parents should take seriously, even as playgrounds become safer, in general. In doing so, parents can help ensure that their kids gain the full benefit of everything playgrounds offer them. Consult the following checklist the next time you take your kids to the playground, and you can make sure they’ll have a fun day with their friends, just the way you did when you were a kid.

“Playground Safety Checklist courtesy of Merrillville Personal Injury Lawyer Keneth J. Allen Law Group”