parenting

2 Comments Posted on fatherhood, new house, parenting, Storytelling, toy reviews, Uncategorized

Our Back Porch and Back Yard are Like 2 More Rooms of Our House in the Summer (Featuring American Plastic Toys)

This makes the 3rd summer we’ve spent in our house since it was built, yet it’s the 1st summer we’ve really made an effort as a family to utilize those 2 forsaken “rooms” of our house: the back porch and the back yard.

It’s becoming the norm these days that, as a family, we end up hanging out there under the blue sky, with the soybean field in sight right over the fence. My one year-old daughter loves it when I take her out there just to watch the robins fly by. She points to the sky, “Wuh? Wuh?”

I then confirm, “Yes, birds. Birds.”

While we were on vacation in Florida last week, American Plastic Toys sent our family some samples of their outdoor sports equipment for kids. (And yes, these products are actually made in America.)

So this past Saturday morning, we finally were able to break out the new outdoor sports toys and have some fun.

We made our way out onto the lawn so my son could hit some home runs. I forget how big our lawn actually is, but playing baseball helped put our “field” to use.

Our back porch transformed into a golf course, as our son wanted to refine his skills for the next time we visit a putt-putt place. Eventually, our golf game transitioned in to a hockey match, as our son is quite aware of the Nashville Predators. Before he was ready to move on, though, he also engaged me in a sword fight, using the golf clubs.

Summer is on its way. I want make sure we make good use of the great outdoors, especially when they are literally right outside the back door.

As for my daughter, she’s happy just to watch her big brother play, as she uses our back porch as a training facility for learning to walk.

3 Comments Posted on parenting, Uncategorized

Decorating Your Child’s Room Can Be Fun- By Special Guest Blogger, Angela Berry

Is it time for you to decorate or redecorate your child’s bedroom, but you’re just all out of ideas? Or you don’t feel like doing it, because you don’t know where to start? Here are some helpful tips and tricks on how to transform your kid’s room and make it super fun, cosy, practical and stylish.

Get your DIY on

Even if you’re not big on DIY projects, you will probably enjoy making things for your toddler’s room. We don’t mean you should make furniture from scratch, but some small details such as framing a picture or crafting a piece of décor. You can also bring out your sewing machine and make some cushions for your nursery glider, transforming it from an essential piece into a focal point for the room.

Bring in some colour 

If you’ve been planning to paint the nursery one colour, that’s ok, but have you thought about 3 or 4 colours? Maybe some dramatic stripes to make things more interesting? You can always go for a nautical look for boy’s room. Think blue and white stripes, wooden shelves, turquoise linen and furniture, and some fun suitcases as storage space. Maybe put up a life buoy as a finishing touch.

Don’t rush into things 

Buying a finished bedroom with all the matching furniture and décor will never look as good as a personalized room. You don’t want your kid’s room to look just like any room, but want it to have a personality that matches your kid. You can collect different décor pieces and furniture over time to achieve that new vs. old, cool and eclectic look. Or, you can choose one piece of furniture, and then build around it. If you don’t know where to start, you can browse for decorations from Angus & Dudley Collections  and find something beautiful for every nook in your kid’s room. For instance, you can get cosy Grey Raindrops Bean Chairs, put them in a corner and create a little nest for reading and relaxing. Reserve that corner for peaceful activities which will provide your kid with some space where they know they won’t be disturbed.

Shelving 

Most of the kids are collectors. They are very proud of what they own and want the world to see it. Make sure to provide your kid with enough display space, so they can arrange and rearrange their collection as they want (put shelves and cabinets on their level). If your kid wants to display photos and other memorabilia on the wall, it doesn’t mean you have to go with corkboard. You can hang them from thin ropes or clip them to a string attached to the wall. Also, you can buy (or make) a cool magnetic board made of galvanized metal for a more contemporary and industrial look.

Light it up 

One thing you must think about is the lighting. Your kid will need multiple kinds of lighting, such as overhead lighting for play, task lighting for studying, and a soft light for dark nights. Night lights come in interesting shapes and size, and are perfect for nurseries and young kids’ rooms.

Personalize for older kids 

Teenagers don’t care about themed rooms, but they want a space that tells you who they are. The best advice is to take things your teen loves, and incorporate then in the design. Is your kid an aspiring athlete? Frame their favourite athlete’s jersey or make a classic display shelf for all of their sports souvenirs. Is your kid a future musician? Find a cool spot for their instruments and records. If you’re raising a little explorer, put up a world map.

As you can see, decorating your child’s room can be so much fun, not just for you, but for your kid too. Let them help with decoration to make them enjoy their new room even more. Have fun!

photo
Angela Berry
Editor, Ripped me
E angela.berry@ripped.me W  https://ripped.me/

 

1 Comment Posted on car reviews, fatherhood, parenting, Uncategorized

2017 Toyota Prius Three: Child Car Seat Space in the Back Seat/Putting the Car in Reverse and Park

As you may have recently read, my wife and I recently took our two young children on a 7 hour road trip from Spring Hill, TN to Destin, FL and back in a 2017 Toyota Prius Three. While I would definitely consider the Prius to be a compact vehicle, never once was space an issue for our family.

There even were times when my wife, who is 5’ 6” and 119 pounds, sat in the back seat between our 6 and a half year-old son in his front-facing booster seat and our 1 year-old daughter in her rear-facing car seat, as my wife needed to play with our daughter after she woke up from long naps.

 

While obviously, squeezing in between two kids’ seats wasn’t ideal or comfortable, it was possible. She made it work.

Out of curiosity, I tried sitting back there. I did it but it was quite a struggle. I’m 5’ 9” and 162 pounds, so I would say that a person any larger than me wouldn’t be able to accomplish this task.

Another thing that a 2017 Prius Three driver might need to know is how the gear shifter works. It’s different than what you’re likely used to, but once you get used to it, it’s almost simpler and more fun.

By default, the shifter is over to the right side. You have to slide it to the left, which places the car in neutral. From there, simply shift down to reverse or up to put the car in drive.

 

To place the vehicle in park, slide the shifter back to the right side, then simply press the “park” button which is right next to the shifter.

Hopefully my family’s recent road trip and vacation has been able to provide you today with useful information on the Toyota Prius Three.

4 Comments Posted on car reviews, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

This is 36: We Took Our 2 Young Kids on a 7 Hour Road Trip to Florida (So You Don’t Have To!)

Brave. Ambitious. Heroic.

Those are buzz words that people like to throw around these days when referencing someone who dares to go against the norm; someone who is willing to take risks that others dare not.

If that’s the case, then my wife and I are soon to be famous…

Because during past week, we willingly took a 7 hour road trip from Spring Hill, Tennessee (where we live) to Destin, Florida and back… with our 1 year-old daughter and our 6 and a half year-old son.

Not in a minivan. Not in a big SUV. But in a small car.

As Jeb Bush muttered during last year’s campaign… Please clap.

Now I want to warn you, over the next week or so, you will be presented with several blog posts about our recent road trip and vacation to Destin. Riding on tubes at the beach, digging up buried treasure, racing go-karts…

At times, you may even think, “Lucky them! What a cool, fun family! Looks like they’ve got it made!”

If those thoughts cross your mind, think back to this blog post…

In the midst of all the glory and splendor of our trip, we were also caring our daughter who was still recovering from an ear infection.

We were there during a holiday weekend, meaning we were at one point stuck in traffic for 2 and a half hours (during a stretch that should have barely taken us an hour) with that little girl who we were desperately trying to keep asleep, as her older brother who hadn’t had a nap that day was getting way too antsy.

Keep in mind that as we were sharing a condo with family (which definitely saved us money), at one point we got locked outside for about an hour, which delayed our daughter getting to bed that night on schedule. And by the way, it took hours to get her to sleep each night in that new environment, compared to her falling asleep within a few minutes back home in Tennessee.

Consider that the 4 of us all slept in a small room with very squeaky beds, which at any moment my son or my wife or I could (and sometimes did) easily wake the baby.

Near the middle of the vacation, my wife mutually proclaimed we would not be taking another trip like this for years.

Funny though, because by the last day of our trip, we both recanted, asking each other, “Hmm… when can we come do this again?”

Despite the chaos, we truly had a blast.

And the fact that we were in a 2017 Toyota Prius Three, that meant we did the entire road trip on just two tanks of gas! Plus, we very easily stuffed the hatchback with all our stuff. We actually had plenty of room. My wife even rode in the back seat with the kids a few times, while I drove up front.

Our road trip not only produced awesome memories (and photos to prove it), but it helped build character for our family. And I’m all about character arc, because in my opinion, that’s what makes a good story.

I wouldn’t have had it any other way, actually. I think it’s obvious that my wife and I are wired for a good challenge.

We survived. We did it!

This is 36.  

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, funny, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

This is 36: How I Got Locked Outside of My House While Accidentally Wearing a Mustache

Tuesday afternoon my wife took our kids out to run an errand. We all had the day off, since we had just returned from our vacation to Florida. I decided to stay home while they were out, as it would give me about an hour and 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to finish unpacking from our trip.

The first order of business was actually to shave my beard. I had made a point not to shave while on vacation- just one less thing to worry about in my attempt to relax for a week in the sun.

I already had several days’ stubble before we even left for Destin, so by the time we got back nearly a week later, I had a decent beard going on.

But before I shaved it off, I decided to shoot a quick video for one of my YouTube channels, which caters to young men who are freaking out about seeing the first signs of hair loss. (Yes, I make a supplemental income from that; currently about $50 a month.)

I wanted to make a video which made it seem like people were demanding I grow a mustache, which is hilarious, because obviously a white guy under the age of 40 who isn’t a cop can’t get away with wearing a mustache.

So I shaved off everything but the mustache and walk outside, where there was better natural lighting, and began shooting the video; which again, was a complete joke in itself. I like to keep my 1500 YouTube subscribers on their toes.

 

But after I recorded the video, I realized I had locked myself out of the house. I knew it would be more than an hour before my wife came back home with the kids.

Then down came the rain, accompanied by some light thunder and lightning. And I was barefoot too.

At least I was able to find shelter on our covered front porch. Before my phone battery died, as I was down to about 15% at this point, I figured I might as well commemorate the occasion with a video explaining, behind the scenes, what had happened.

So there you go. That’s how I ended up locked outside of my own house, in the rain, barefoot, while accidentally wearing a mustache.

This is 36.