Meet the Shells: The Plant-Based, Road Tripping Nashville Family

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

In case you’re just now tuning in to Family Friendly Daddy Blog, I figured it would be a good idea to present a synopsis of what our family is all about.

While in many ways we are just the average all-American nuclear family, we have our quirks as well.

The most obvious one is that we are a plant-based family: I am a vegan while my wife and kids are vegetarians. And this is no hipster phase… We have lived this way for years now.

On top of that, we are a road tripping family. That is our thing.

Based out of Spring Hill, Tennessee (a bedroom community south of Nashville), we find ourselves travelling throughout the year to places like Asheville, NC; Destin, FL; Pensacola, FL; and Atlanta, GA.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Not to mention, since my wife is from Sacramento, California, we head out there once a year as well; though this year, we’ll be making our way to San Diego instead.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/05/03/motormood-classic-review-a-fun-emojicon-for-emotionally-intelligent-drivers-giveaway/

Because of my volume of viewership, and based on the fact I am a daddy blogger (which is a unique demographic), I have the privilege of being able to “review” brand-new vehicles on these road trips.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

And while we’re on location, I often am able to score complimentary tickets to events in exchange for exposure here on my blog.

Not to mention, I regularly cover events that come here to Nashville.

When we’re not travelling or going to big events, sometimes my son and I like to make videos. In one series, my son is a super hero and I am the villain; that’s Jack-Man.

I also do a series where I am the host, sort of like an outdoors version of Mr. Rogers, in Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest. Both shows contain all original songs and music.

We have been approached multiple times about being on reality TV shows, but in the end, it has never worked out- I think mainly because I was very straight forward to the casting directors that we are into having fun, but not into getting into arguments for the world to see.

Ultimately, my agenda as a daddy blogger is to positively demonstrate fatherhood and married life, as both are often negatively portrayed in pop culture.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Thanks for choosing to visit our corner of the world today. If you like what you’ve read today and would like more positive family vibes coming your way, I invite you to subscribe to my blog (see the button above) or follow me on Facebook.

We are the plant-based, road-tripping family of Nashville.

We are the Shells.

Meet the Shells: The Plant-Based, Road Tripping Nashville Family

Social Media, Help Me Find My Twin: Campbell’s Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa

 

Dear Social Media,

I am recruiting your help today. I believe that together, we can find my twin, whose image can be found on the current Campbell’s Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa package.

Granted, he’s not my actual twin, but instead, my apparent doppelganger; as my friends on Facebook have collectively agreed.

Last year March here on my blog, I first mentioned this finding. Since then, Campbell’s has evidently made a slight change to the their packaging, changing the name of the flavor of this soup from Chicken & Quinoa with Poblano Chilies… to Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa.

Social Media, Help Me Find My Twin: Campbell's Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa

Either way, it’s the same guy in the picture.

Can you help me find him? I think it would be cool for us to meet up for a photo opp.

I am curious to see how much we actually look alike when we are side-by-side. I would also like to learn other similarities:

How tall is he? I’m 5′ 9″.

What’s his ethnic background? Mine is Mexican and Italian.

Where is he from? I live near Nashville, Tennessee.

Social Media, Help Me Find My Twin: Campbell's Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa

I understand right now that Americans are more focused on Pokemon Go, but I’m sure there’s someone out there who could help me find the model who posed for this soup packaging.

Last March when I did my original post, Campbell’s (understandably for legal reasons) was not able to give me any information on this male model.

Here is the Facebook conversation I had with their social media person:

Nick Shell  3/10, 7:52 pm

 Hi, I’m Nick Shell from Family Friendly Daddy Blog. My recent story featuring Campbell’s Go has been my most popular this week! (Am I The Guy From The Campbell’s Go Chicken & Quinoa With Poblano Chilies Package?) As random as the conversation is, it is proving relevant in my social media circles :) So the truth is, I’m actually a vegan and my wife and son are vegetarians. But if there’s anyway I could land an “email interview” with the actual model used for that package, it would make very a really cool, unique follow-up story that would serve as more product placement for Campbell’s Go. It would also give the model guy some extra exposure for his career. Is there any chance at making that happen? Thank you so much for your reply.

Facebook User  3/12, 8:23 am

Thank you for your message, Nick. Unfortunately, specific information about actors is controlled/proprietary to our ad agency. Can you please provide us with your contact information? Your comments and inquiry will be forwarded to our team and should they be interested in working with you, they will reach out directly.

As you can see, by going back to my old Facebook messages, social media account now simply shows up as “Facebook User”, where as before, it was something like “Campbell’s Soup”.

So maybe now, a year later, someone at Campbell’s would be willing to go out on a limb and help me find my doppelganger.

But if not, how about you, social media? Can you help me?

 

Sincerely,

Nick Shell of Family Friendly Daddy Blog

AKA: The Guy Who Looks Like the Guy from the Campbell’s Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa

Social Media, Help Me Find My Twin: Campbell's Go Southwest Style Chicken with Quinoa

 

Dear Jack: The Mysterious Package- Puss in Boots Funko Vinyl Character

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: The Mysterious Package- Puss in Boots Funko Vinyl Character

Dear Jack,

You are always so excited whenever a package is delivered to our front door. When I got home Tuesday afternoon from work, Mommy asked me, “Were you expecting a package for your blog or something?”

The only thing I have been waiting for to come in the mail was a much larger package; a Simply Fit Board I saw on Shark Tank.

So I was just as surprised as Mommy to see such a small box with my name on it. With much anticipation, I opened the mysterious brown box in front of you, Mommy, and Baby Holly.

It was as if time stood still. The anticipation…

I had received my first Funko Pop Vinyl character: It is Puss in Boots from the Shrek series, which is part of DreamWorks Animation, which is now part of Comcast and XFINITY.

Dear Jack: The Mysterious Package- Puss in Boots Funko Vinyl Character

It was only natural that you immediately asked me, “Daddy, can have that cat?” You immediately named him Quasi, and it appears “he” is your new favorite toy.

Coming up in a month from today, you and I are taking a special father and son road trip in an all-new 2016 Toyota Prius that Toyota is sending us to drive for a week; like our they recently sent us a 2016 Lexus IS 200t.

We have decided to take Quasi’s picture at each point in our trip, as a way to sort of document the chronological progression with the background of the photo illustrating our whereabouts.

So this new toy cat of yours will be showing up again in a few weeks.

The reason I received this gift from Comcast is because for the past 3 months, I’ve done a monthly sponsored post about the relationship between Comcast, XFINITY, and DreamWorks Animation:

April: XFINITY X1 DVR: Taking Entertainment on the Go for Road Trips

May: Comcast + DreamWorks Animation = Future of Family Entertainment

June: XFINITY’s Share App Lets You Stream Live from Smartphone to TV

The folks at Comcast recognized that I’m one of the top findings when you do an Internet search on “Nashville Daddy Blogger”. So they hired me to spread the word about what’s going here in Nashville with Comcast.

Little did they know, they would be making you very happy!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: The Mysterious Package- Puss in Boots Funko Vinyl Character

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show (Repticon)

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack,

A year and a half ago your Pre-K teacher at the time, Ms. Aimee, got you interested in live reptiles, as she had them as pets in her classroom. She also informed you of Repticon, the Reptile and Exotic Animal Show that comes to Nashville every year.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

So not only did we take you last year when you got Snakey, your giant red snake, but we also took this year as well. Actually, it was this past weekend.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

It was a family affair; even Baby Holly came along… even though she slept through the entire event.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

While you definitely loved seeing all the live animals, your main incentive to go is knowing that Mommy and I are going to buy you a stuffed animal souvenir. As a family, we went there knowing that was the main agenda.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Though you had been planning on buying a spider and naming her Charlotte, you ended up getting swept away by a giant poison dart frog who you named, of course, Froggy.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Next, as any stereotypical vegan/vegetarian family would do, we had lunch at Whole Foods. Needless to say, Froggy accompanied you.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Fortunately, there happened to be a special on the sorbet (vegan) and gelato (vegetarian)…

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

The afternoon, you and I went to the movies for “boy time” as Mommy puts it. We decided to dress up in our matching tuxedo t-shirts.

Obviously, you took Froggy with us to the movies. After the show, as we were walking out of the room where our movie was show, a lady approached me:

“Excuse me, my granddaughters are dying to know where your son got that frog. Would you mind telling me where you found that?”

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Imagine that. You aren’t the only kid who that it would be cool to get a giant poison dart frog.

That night, you found a clear Tupperware container big enough to hold Froggy in, as you had seen the frogs at Repticon, and then attempted to place the whole thing in the bed with you.

But by the time I came to check on you later that night, you decided she was cozier to sleep with outside of her container.

I guess real poison dart frogs prefer a clear container, but the stuffed animal version prefers a soft bed and a young child.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Holly: The Picture Mommy Secretly Took of Us Sleeping

7 weeks.

Dear Holly: The Picture Mommy Secretly Took of Us Sleeping

Dear Holly,

I did a particular household chore over the weekend that I never look forward to doing: the tedious and unforgiving task of uploading the hundreds of photos from both Mommy’s phone as well as mine; then making separate folders for them to upload to our external hard drive.

(It’s not the simple cut and dry process it should be, nor is the transfer as instant as I would like.)

In doing this, I finally saw a picture that Mommy secretly took of us; back from when you were just a few days old.

I had been sitting on the floor, holding you in attempt to help you get to sleep. Then as my back became sore from hunching over, I laid back on the carpet, while keeping you in a nest of blankets, with my legs crossed “Indian style”.

Dear Holly: The Picture Mommy Secretly Took of Us Sleeping

Apparently my method was quite efficient, because we both fell deep asleep. That’s how Mommy easily sneaked over and snapped a picture of us with her phone.

It happened in the midst of first days of having bringing a newborn home from the hospital that as a parent, I don’t really remember too many details surrounding the event. Everything was just a haze at the time.

After I saw the picture this weekend, I informed Mommy that my favorite radio station, WAY-FM, is holding a contest in which moms are sending in photos of their husbands with their kids, for a Father’s Day.

So obviously, this photo has now been sent. I’m sure we won’t win, but it’s worth a shot. (The prize is a $1,000.)

If nothing else, it’s fun to be able to see this picture. Though I really don’t like uploading the pictures from our phones, at least I was able to unearth this gem.

It was totally worth the work for that reason alone, if nothing else.

Love,

Daddy