1 Comment Posted on marriage, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

My Parents’ 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Hawaii

Yes, today is Father’s Day. So, Happy Father’s Day! (Even though 73% of my blog readers are actually female.)

But for my parents, it’s an especially epic day: Exactly 40 years ago today, my parents got married.

The date was June 18, 1977. My dad was 20. My mom was 19.

And now, 40 years later, they have two children and four grandchildren.

For their special 40th wedding anniversary, they decided to go big, as it was literally years in the making:

They had been planning and putting aside $20 a week, for the past few years, to fund their tropical vacation/anniversary celebration in Hawaii.

And now, after a whole week spent in the Aloha State, my parents are back.

The whole time they were out there, my mom kept me up to speed by sending me pictures from her phone. I am glad my parents were not shy about asking strangers to take their photos, at each place along the way.

So much for taking it easier. Instead of the word vacation, it seemed more like an expedition!

They were so proud of the Mazda 3 they rented and were able to go exploring in.

It is obvious they made the most of their journey to Hawaii. Instead of just hanging under an umbrella on the beach all day, they were on the move!

Among many other adventures, they hiked a volcano, swam in a waterfall, and visited Pearl Harbor where they met a 97 year-old survivor of the attack.

Not to mention, they definitely enjoyed the local cuisine.

It’s funny because if it were my wife and I taking this trip, I am convinced we wouldn’t have been so ambitious! But my parents were dedicated to making the most of their 40th wedding anniversary celebration.

They got their money’s worth.

And now, they will have these memories as their souvenirs.

Happy 40th Anniversary to my parents!

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, People, Uncategorized, vegan

Dear Holly: You are My Golden Senorita who Loves Munching on Tortillas

1 year, 1 month.

Dear Holly,

I doubt most people would guess it, but you are indeed part Mexican. My grandmother’s parents were born in Michoacán, which is in southeast Mexico. She was born in Buffalo, New York, but was completely Mexican. So Nonna is half Mexican, I am a quarter, and you are 1/8th.

You’re 12 and half percent Mexican. Of course, your golden hair sure doesn’t help imply that. Nor your blue eyes. Nor your fair skin.

But if nothing else, you have definitely been showing your Mexican roots in that you are currently obsessed with Tortilla Land brand tortillas.

I like them because right there on the package, it says there are only 5 ingredients: wheat flour, water, canola oil, salt, sugar. No unpronounceable chemicals or preservatives. Plus, I can eat them because they are vegan.

Mommy gets them at Kroger, which is where we buy most of our groceries each week.

You just can’t get enough of these tortillas. I love watching you use your little figures try to aggressively grab the little morsels that Mommy and I tear for you. You quickly stuff them in your mouth as if each time were the last time.

Of course, your brother regularly eats them for breakfast, so I suppose there is indeed some legitimate concern that we could run out of these tortillas before you’re ready for another one.

And Mommy makes quesadillas out of them as well. She uses avocado instead of cheese, since I can’t have dairy.

I’ve been trying to get your brother into spicy foods, but he thinks black pepper is spicy. So if I can’t convert him, maybe I can convert you. I need to have at least one kid who can appreciate spicy food.

Perhaps it all starts with a 1 year-old little girl’s fascination with tortillas.

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on fatherhood, parenting, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: You are Trying Violin Lessons for the Summer

6 and a half years.

Dear Jack,

A couple of weeks ago as our family was driving down the Interstate, your sister was having a hard time falling asleep that morning. Mommy turned the radio station to 91.1, which is the classical musical station.

You call it “the violins.”

During the time it took to get your sister to sleep, you were staring out the window listening to the music. To my surprise, you sincerely enjoyed what you were hearing.

You expressed this out loud.

Within a few minutes, you proclaimed to Mommy that you would like to learn to play the violin.

Well, it was an easy sell.

It’s the summer. You’re a very intelligent boy. You need something challenging and productive to do to keep your brain engaged in things beyond shark and dragon games on the Kindle.

So this week, I took you to a performance center, just around the corner from our house where they teach violin lessons. How convenient!

We got you fitted for your violin. You’ll be starting your lessons soon!

Granted, Mommy and I are just having you try this out for the summer. We’re not expecting you to become a prodigy at this. You may decide by the end of the summer that this just violin thing just isn’t for you.

We are just so proud of you for wanting to take on this challenge, on your own. You have truly been so excited for the weeks leading up to this.

Who knows? Maybe you will truly end up committing to it. Maybe you’ll continue playing the violin beyond the summer of 2017. Maybe this will even led to you playing other instruments as well.

A 6 and a half year-old boy who is genuinely excited about learning to play the violin. Seriously, how cool.

Love,

Daddy

4 Comments Posted on fatherhood, Health, parenting, Uncategorized, vegan

This is 36: I Hate Onset Diabetes Enough to Prevent It (Inside the Mind of a Crazy Vegan Dad!)

Something peculiar I have learned over the years about my active, plant-based lifestyle is this:

The most outspoken (and predictable) demographic who opposes my lifestyle consists of overweight men who have onset diabetes.

When they learn I don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs, or drink soda, and that I haven’t for over 4 years, they scoff at the concept. They basically mock me for “not getting enough protein.” They insinuate that because my kids are vegetarians, I am depriving them of proper nutrition as well. They have clearly told me on multiple occasions that there is no way I can possibly be healthy, since I am a vegan.

Have you processed the irony yet? These claims about my health are coming from overweight men with onset diabetes.

People who are officially not healthy are confidently telling me how unhealthy I am.  What?!

No other demographic is more openly opposed to how I live my life.

I don’t argue with them, though. I choose to let them continue to believe their version of reality. I am so confident in my beliefs, that I have no desire to try to convince them that my way is superior to theirs.

My motivation is to not become like them, in both their closed-mindedness and in their physically unhealthy state of being.

For me it’s pretty simple. I know that both an increased intake of processed sugar and meat lead not only to onset diabetes, but also prostate cancer.

I refuse to become another stereotype 20 years from now.

Therefore, I eat only plant-based foods, just 6 “food groups”:

Vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds.

I consume zero percent of my daily cholesterol (which is a default of the vegan lifestyle), while still consuming at least my minimum of daily protein and fat intake. My doctor has confirmed I am healthy and getting enough protein; and that I am healthier than most men my age.

Not to mention, I am perfectly in the healthy weight range for my age, height and weight. In other words, I am neither underweight nor overweight.

But what I eat is only 80% of it. The other 20% of what helps me avoid prevent diseases and health issues is the fact that I faithfully exercise and work out.

Being the busy full-time working husband, dad, blogger, and YouTuber that I am, I make my hour long lunch break at work my time to work out.

It’s basically a Triathlon of running 2 miles, along with either mountain biking or skateboarding.

This particularly diet and workout plan is what works for me personally. Before I became the crazy vegan, I was not consistently happy with my health.

I have nothing to prove to overweight men with onset diabetes.

I only have something to prove to myself:

That I indeed have much control over preventable diseases and health problems.

-Nick Shell, vegan, age 36

 

Top photo: Jasmine Moreno

 

If you found this blog post mildly intriguing, then you will definitely enjoy…

Top 10 Reasons My “Diet” is Consistently Successful and I am Still Healthy & Fit at Age 36 (from a Non-Vegan, Non-Vegetarian Perspective)

1 Comment Posted on reviews, Uncategorized

Update: The Winner of the PureClean XL Rolling Steam Cleaner… Plus, the 1st 20 People Will Be Fully Reimbursed for Their Purchase!

And the lucky winner of the PureClean XL Rolling Steam Cleaner is…

But what about the people who didn’t win? Well, you can still kind of get one for free through Pure Enrichment:

Send an email to mat@pureenrichment.com and if you’re one of the first 20 people, you’ll receive a follow-up email with the details.
Pure Enrichment can offer a reimbursement for the FULL amount of the purchase on one of the following sites: Amazon.com,Walmart.com, or Target.com.
You buy the unit, submit your receipt, and they send them a check for the full amount of their purchase.
A big factor is to help generate reviews on websites like Amazon.com,Walmart.com, and Target.com. Although it is not required, is it kindly requested by Pure Enrichment.
The goal would be to encourage you to leave their honest reviews online. Although it isn’t mandatory, they greatly appreciate their support.
But don’t forget to take the first step, and that’s to first email Mat:

mat@pureenrichment.com

Thanks for participating!

Original blog post:

After having been in our “new” house for 2 and a half years now, we still love our home very much. But naturally, some of the shine is going to wear off in that amount of time.

For example, just a few weeks ago when we got home from the pool, my wife looked at the carpet in our living room and stated, “Seriously, we need to get this cleaned professionally or something. Our carpet is only a couple of years old but it looks a lot older than that.”

She’s right. We opted for the “2nd from the lowest grade” carpet when we were having the house built. I didn’t see the point in purchasing a higher grade carpet, only to have to roll that into our mortgage and pay interest on it, when carpet isn’t meant to hold up for the duration of us paying off our mortgage.

Then, amazingly, just a few days later, I was contacted by the folks at PureClean XL Rolling Steam Cleaner.

They asked me if I’d be interested in receiving their product and conducting a giveaway for one lucky reader out there. That’s some perfect timing…

Obviously, my wife is very happy about our new PureClean XL Rolling Steam Cleaner. I have no reservation in admitting I am Chandler Bing, and I married Monica Geller.

If you asked her if she loves cleaning, I bet she would deny it. But after being married to my wife for 9 years (as of next month), I believe she secretly loves cleaning.

Don’t tell her I said that, though.

Product Features

  • 18-PIECE HEAVY-DUTY SET: Includes all the essentials needed to effectively steam clean your home both indoors and outdoors
  • ALL-NATURAL STEAM CLEANING: 1.5-liter water boiler produces up to 45 minutes of continuous hot pressurized steam to naturally eliminate grease, grime, mold, stains, and bed bugs without harsh chemicals
  • SAFE TO USE A VARIETY OF SURFACES: Feel confident cleaning a wide range of surfaces including ceramic tile, granite, waterproof wood flooring, laminate tiles, most cotton and wool carpets, and washable wallpaper
  • EXTRA-LONG POWER CORD: Extended 16-foot power cord makes it easier to steam clean throughout your home and includes a cord wrap for compact storing
  • 5 YEAR WARRANTY: Your satisfaction is guaranteed with Pure Enrichment’s industry-leading warranty program