Category Archives: Guest Post

DadsRT Shield
Sep 30 2012

Someone Should Totally Make That… Oh wait! => #DadsRT


You know what would have been great as a social media dad who was getting into blogging and twitter, and the whole dad-blog universe?  If there was a group of well-known dad bloggers who got together to become a brain trust of honest feedback, experiences, and entertainment.  That would have been a great place to go and chat, brainstorm, meet other online dads, share stories, and get honest feedback that didn’t feel like cheesy tips and advice that was cut and pasted off of Wikipedia.

If someone made a place like that, it would be absolutely awesome!

Turns out, that’s exactly what we did.  It’s called DADS Round Table, and its a place to gather, learn, and be heard.  We were brought together because we enjoyed reading one another’s blogs and figured that as a group we could really become a great resource for fun, for discussions, and for sharing experiences.  None of us claim to be “Parenting Experts”, (doesn’t that just sound oxymoronic?), but what we do is share our experiences and stories and open the door for you to do the same.  We can learn from each other.

You Pigs Are Sexist Against Moms!

Actually, in our early talks, we realized that MOST of our readers were moms, and didn’t want to alienate them, but make sure they didn’t feel kicked out of yet another Good ol’ Boys club.  WE LOVE MOMS!  In fact, we all needed moms in order to become dads.  We also did not create this to be in some unfounded competition with momblogs, but because we just enjoyed each other’s blogs, and in turn we liked each other.

So this is my official invite to check out the DADS Round Table, meet some other bloggers, and join in on our discussions.

 

Everyone is welcome at the DADS Round Table, so pull up a seat.  

-JB

Michelle-0005
Aug 18 2012

Guest Post: One Puzzle Piece for One Less Orphan


This guest post is from Sarah and her husband.  They are friends of mine from my old church and they have an amazing heart for orphaned children.  My wife and I have 2 cute kids and have always talked about adopting in the future, but Sarah and her husband have done that.  However, one child was only the beginning.  Here is Sarah’s Post from her blog One Less… An Adoption Story

Help us add ONE piece to the puzzle so that there will be ONE less orphan.

I am really excited to announce a fundraiser for our adoption that anyone can help with.  It is also my birthday wish.  Today is August 1st.  The first day of my birth month.  What I really want for my birthday is to be closer to bringing our child home from Uganda.  Into his or her forever home.

We believe that we have been called to adopt.  With Jeremiah and Caleb we could more or less afford to adopt.  This time, even though we are living as simply as possible and saving every penny from my nanny job we know that we are not going to be able to do it alone.  We need our friends and community to help us.  There is a huge task ahead to raise the rest of the money needed to complete this adoption.  But we believe that nothing is impossible with God.  He can part seas and move mountains.  We believe that He has asked us to adopt a child who needs a family and even though we don’t have all of the finances up front this time, we trust Him to provide.

So……We are having a Puzzle Fundraiser!  We purchased this beautiful puzzle designed by a Tanzanian artist and will hang it in our child’s room.

Here is how it works:

For $10, a person can purchase 1 piece of this beautiful African puzzle.  We will write your name on the back of the puzzle piece(s), and our next child will forever know the loved ones who helped to bring him/her home. You can purchase one for yourself, your spouse, your children, whoever’s name you want on your piece(s).  When all of the pieces have been purchased and the puzzle is complete, we will place it in a double-sided glass frame to hang in our nursery. Your gift will forever be remembered, and our child will know as he or she grows up the impact that you had on their life.  Just imagine them seeing all of those names and realizing hundreds of people cared enough about them to help bring them into a family??!!!  Can you imagine how special and loved this will make them feel?

This is a 1,000 piece puzzle.  I tried hared to find a 500 piece puzzle that I loved with African flair but this was the best one.  Our goal is to have 5oo pieces purchased by September 30th, 2012.  If all 1,000 pieces were purchased the remaining half our our adoption costs needed to be saved/raised would be funded.  Imagine that!!  I however do not have 1,000 facebook friends, or even 500 so I would be grateful if you could spread the word by sharing with everyone you know.  Post it on facebook, your blog, or twitter and invite others to share in our adoption journey.  Our goal is to sell at least 500 pieces of this puzzle, so we need your help.  Thank you for supporting our adoption!

You can sponsor pieces in a couple of ways.  You can click the donate button on the right side of this blog and put in the dollar amount you wish to donate.  With the donate button you can use paypall, your credit card, or your debit card.  Or you can send a check to our home address (email me at mikeandsarah112903@yahoo.com for our address).  Then comment here or let me know on facebook how many puzzle pieces you purchased and what names you wish to put on them.

I will periodically post the pictures of the progress on the puzzle.  Once it is complete we will frame it in double sided glass as a reminder of everyone who helped bring our child home!

Sarah and Family

Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers!  We are truly grateful!  May God bless you for being such a blessing to us!

This is a great couple with an amazing idea to share their love with the world.  Even if you have not thought about adoption, or don’t think you could, this is an opportunity to talk about it with your kids and let them know that there is a way to help those kids.  We did, and my daughter added a note to the child they adopt, “I Hope You Find Your Home Soon (paraphrased to Hope for a Home).”

Please take a moment and DONATE from their blog.  Thank you.

Pieces from MvD and Family

-JB

JLdads aquaman
May 30 2012

Modern Mythologies – Aquaman by @Jetts31


For this post I want to thank Jimmy (@Jetts31) from Founding A Father for contributing this to the Modern Myths Series.  This is a great take on an often overlooked but always utilized character.  I know you will enjoy it, and also stop by Jimmy’s Twitter and website as well.

AQUAMAN

As a lifelong fanboy, I have been glued to Joe’s ‘Modern Mythology’ series.  I love how he has taken iconic characters, characters I have grown up with, and spun them to reflect Dadhood (yes, I mean that pun).  So when he asked for someone to contribute a guest post for his site, I jumped at the chance.  My obvious choice of what to add was to be towards his ‘Modern Mythology’ series and I had a specific character in mind.

Aquaman.

Aquaman is from the DC Universe, created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.  Aquaman, no matter what your thoughts are about the character, is one of the oldest and most recognizable in comic books. His first appearance dates back to ‘More Fun Comics’ #73 in September of 1941 which makes him as old as Captain America and Wonder Woman and older than Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern.

While his origin has been told and retconned throughout the years, it has been recently established by the writers and editors at DC, that Aquaman is Arthur Curry, the half human son of Tom Curry and Atlanna, an Atlantean princess.  He is the king of Atlantis, King of the Seven Seas, the Aquatic Ace, the Marine Marvel, and maybe one of the most over looked heroes in all of comics.

So what could the guy in the green and orange tights who talks to sea life have to do with modern dads?

Aquaman has never really been taken seriously by the masses.  While Batman and Superman have had phenomenal (and not unwarranted) success and seen their comic book titles run continuously throughout the years, Aquaman has had multiple series come and go, been without a title multiple times throughout his history, and had his longest run in his own title go a meager 75 issues.  Aquaman, who was a founding member of the Justice League in 1960, has been the butt of jokes, not taken seriously as a character, and pushed to the background.  He has gone through changes with his character, his appearance, his demeanor, and his appearances in the mainstream DC Universe.

Yet the character has endured…for over 70 years.  He has been in other titles if he was not in his own; he was in the first Justice League. He was included in Grant Morrison’s Justice League run, the Brightest Day arc, and he was added to DC’s recent relaunch, 52, with the Justice League and in his own (popular) title.  For a character long mired in retcons, re-do’s, overhauls, and modern media parodies, Aquaman has been a mainstay and an important piece in the DC Universe standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Batman and Superman.

Dads of today should take notice.

Like the King of Atlantis, we have watched while others got credit, glory, or top billing.  Despite how he has been portrayed in the media, his importance to his comic universe remains.  Dads of today are going through much of what Aquaman has been through in his 71 years as a character (without the harpoon hand or a half-brother who is our arch-nemesis).  The need for us to be active members of our children’s lives is important no matter what has been said about us, how many times we have been pushed to the background, parodied or slighted in the media…or how ridiculous any of us would look talking to dolphins in green and orange tights.

The DC Universe needs Aquaman and our families need us.

Aquaman has endured.  He has evolved, changed, changed back, and changed again to best fit the moments he has occupied the pages.  We as fathers can learn a lesson from Arthur Curry, aka Orin, aka Aquaman.  Our job, as dads is to evolve, change, change back, and back again so that we may best fit what our families’ need from us.  We shouldn’t require the spotlight, top billing or even presume to be taken seriously because we are undeniably needed, we are important, and we will endure.

-Jimmy

android sweat
Apr 23 2012

#DadFit Guest Post: 5 Apps for Your App-solute Best Beach Body


Powerhouse Downloads: 5 Apps for Your App-solute Best Beach Body

 

As summer quickly approaches, we can guess what you’re thinking – and it’s all about getting that perfect beach bod to impress the ladies when you hit the sandy beaches in your new board shorts. Lucky for you, what they’re saying is true: there really is an app for everything.

 

Below, we’ve put together a list of our favorite apps that will have you ready for the beach in no time flat. And it’s not just about exercise – we’ve thrown some great nutrition-based apps in the mix as well. So grab your surfboard, board shorts, and shades, and head out to soak up the sun after taking advantage of these awesome apps:

 

iMapMy

Free

iMapMy has quickly become a popular choice for mapping physical activity of all kinds. The app is available for the Android, iPhone, and Blackberry, and uses your phone’s built-in GPS to help you track your workouts. Whether you’re running, biking, or something else entirely, it will help you track your distance, speed, calories burned, and route. When you’re finished, be sure to hit “save” so you can come back and look at past workouts to see the progress you’ve made.

 

Men’s Health Workouts Lite

Free

This free app takes tips from some of the world’s top athletes, strength coaches, and fitness experts and puts it all together at the tip of your fingers. Browse through workouts to find step-by-step instructions and photos to help guide you. The lite version contains five workouts, but if you’d like access to more, simply upgrade to the full version and you’ll have access to hundreds of exercises and workouts.

 

Lose It

Free

Lose it is a great app to help you track the nutrition content of what you eat each day, including calorie count, carbs, fiber, sodium, and protein. Simply browse through the extensive food library and add meals to your day. Then, set a daily calorie budget and track how close you are to your desired intake. By signing up for a free LoseIt.com account, you’ll be able to add friends who can motivate you, earn badges based on your accomplishments, share your progress on social networks and more.

 

Restaurant Nutrition

Free

Take control of your eating habits with the Restaurant Nutrition app. It seems easy to keep track of what you’re eating when you’re making food for yourself, but as soon as you go out to eat with friends or family, things can get a little more challenging. That’s where this app comes in. Restaurant Nutrition features nutritional data from more than 60,000 food items in 250 restaurants across the U.S. Simply search for your food item to find nutrition information like fat, calories, protein, and carbs. Then, track your intake and at the end of the day, you’ll have an overview of your intake.

 

Sportaneous

Free

If you’re like most guys, eventually you’ll get tired of the same old routine – cardio, weightlifting, cardio, weightlifting, and on and on. Luckily, the Sportaneous app is designed for guys who want to play a pickup sport but don’t have anyone to play with. The app lets you create a game and invite others in the area to participate (it’s all tracked by GPS) or join a game that someone else has created.

 

Next time you need some killer workout and nutrition tips, look no further than these five apps. They’ll have you looking great – and beach ready – in no time at all.

 

 

About the Author:

Cindy Prosser modeled swimwear in a past life… but now that she’s a part-time freelance writer and full-time mom she has embraced a new passion: helping you look great in board shorts for men from Bare Necessities. Like Bare Necessities on Facebook for HUGE sales and be sure to get the Bare Necessities coupon!

 

 Thank you Cindy for putting these apps together to share with my readers!

-JB

 

 

 

 

 

Ben H
Mar 11 2012

Come Meet Ben of @MyRadDad [dotcom]


The life expectancy of a man with all daughters drops by 15% with each daughter where there’s no son to offset. There may not be some fancy research to backup my opinionated fact, but stress is known to shave years off your life, and the more women you have in your life (moms, sisters, wife’s, daughters, or nieces) the more stress a man has.

I have one daughter and one son. I feel obnoxiously fortunate and blessed to have been given these two kids. But with every year that goes by is one year closer to my daughter becoming a creature I no longer understand: A WOMAN. It has been a lot of work for me with my Neanderthal brain to build a functional understanding with my wife; I’m like the guy that can change a tire and check his oil, but I don’t really know what a wrench is. In a few short years, my daughter will be beyond the Cooties stage and in the “OMG Becky, look at her butt!” stage. She will deal with jealous mean girls, oblivious boys she has crushes on, nice guys who have crushes on her, older boys, friend’s brothers, etc.  These years , that start around the age of 7 now become very stressful for a father of a girl.  It is quite likely that I will choke a HS kid sometime in the future.

Imagine having several girls.  I do not envy any man with all girls, but I do respect him. I know he has a long road ahead to raise girls with self-worth, with bright minds, and with strong faiths. I know of one man who has done that, and a couple who are on that same path. Ben is one of them. I know he wants a boy to share in his love of killing and eating animals, of sports,  of outdoor living, and of male bonding.  I also know he LOVES his daughters. It takes a real manly man to raise  daughters,  and an elite few are given the opportunity to raise only daughters.  I have known Ben since we were in little league baseball, and he’s one of those guys.

It is sad that since he has all girls, though I am older, I will outlive him. That’s just the way of things.

So go by and get to know Ben either on Twitter or on his Blog Page!

-JB

QT perimeter
Dec 18 2011

#Tips4HT by @BekahBaker_com “Secure the Perimeter!”


QUICK TIP:
Always shop the perimeter of the grocery store FIRST.

That is where all the REAL food it! Think about it – Breads, Meats, Dairy & Veggies are in a big semi-circle around the aisles! Load up on those (100% whole wheat/lean/low-fat/fresh) choices FIRST before heading to the aisles in the middle where everything is in a box, bag or can.
Of course your rices & spices & other healthy choices can be found there too… but if you start from the outside in your waistline will thank you!

@BekahBaker_com

www.BekahBaker.com

www.ProBodySupplements.com

-Bekah

Uncle Teaching to Fish
Dec 17 2011

#DADuary is not MY project, it’s OURS!


This DADuary idea is not meant to be MY thing but something for everyone, BY everyone!  I have a vision of taking the month of January, the month devoted to new beginnings and new promises and resolutions, and take some time to make sure our focus stays on the people most important… our families.  As one who has been working in schools for years outside of the general population, I have seen one startling common thread, and that is the impact a dad has on their kids.  It doesn’t matter if Dad is there, absent, single, engaged, SAHD, working, etc… The Dad is at the heart and soul of both of his kids.  Raising kids is not a mom’s job or role.  Many of us, no matter how hard we try, have learned good and bad things from our dads.  Even my own dads (step and bio) have not been the best role models or examples, but I will take the month of January to celebrate the positive aspects of myself that can only be attributed to their efforts and failures.  

I want DADuary to be something that is open to dads, moms, and everyone else who wants to talk about their dads, or the dads they know.  If you would like to be involved Be sure to check with the Daduary Facebook page for updates, but we will be having some guest posts, and some other bloggers posting ad sharing on the Daduary page.  As new events and activities become solidified, I will be posting it to the Facebook page.  I hope you’ll join us. 

For Bloggers- If you are interested in being a part of DADuary, please start by creating a promo post sometime after Christmas and before January with this as your prompt: ”Why should Dads get a full month to celebrate fatherhood in all its forms?” Also, there will be 2 Twitter parties.  Once those are set, I will pass the information along.  There will also be weekly themes to create a post about.  If you want, you can ask others you know to guest post, or you can spread the word to other bloggers as well.  I am not a graphic designer ( I may get one down the road sometime), so there is not official January DADuary blog badge or logo.  If you want to make one and stick it on your site then feel free.  

WEEK 1 Reflection Posts:
DADS: Who or what has caused you to become the type of dad you are?  How has this helped you grow as a man and husband?
MOMS: In what ways is the father of your children similar or different than your own father?  What qualities did your dad possess have you found in your husband?
THE REST: How has being a daughter/son, brother/sister, etc… effected the person  you have become?  How will the relationships with your male family members impact the person you have yet to become?  

Week 2 Activity Posts:
DAD-Activity Picture Week – with MyFamilyActivities.com
Post a picture of you and your kids doing one of your favorite DAD-Activities.  Pics can only be 2 months old at the oldest, so you might have to do something if it’s been a while!  Also post the pics to the DADuary FB page, and make a #WordlessWednesday blog post to share with the Twitter-verse and include the #DADuary hashtag so we can all see them.  
MOM-BLOGGERS- feel free to submit a picture of your hubbies doing activities with their kids.  
BONUS- If you have an old photo of you and your grandpa, please include that.  I think it would be great to see, because that is one relationship I completely missed out on until meeting my wife’s grandpa.  
Uncle Teaching to Fish
Weeks 3 and 4 are coming soon so stay tuned.  

If you are planning on participating, please go to the DADuary FB page, Like it, and post an update as to how you want to be involved, and any suggestions.  

Thank you all for your openness,

-JB