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One Dad's Quest to Regain Control of his Kingdom

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The (No Princess Movie Way) To Spend Daddy-Daughter Time

March 2, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

We all know that the relationship a daughter has with her father is one of the most important ones growing up. In fact, having a positive relationship can set your daughter up to be confident in her own self-worth and how she expects to be treated by others. However, for many dads finding common ground on which to bond with their daughters can be a challenge. Especially if they have trouble embracing the more ‘princessy’ side of things. After all, there are only so many princess films you can sit through before they all start to blend into one. The good news is there are still plenty of options to choose from. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Create an artwork together

One of the most fun things about being a dad is all the neat activities you suddenly have a reason to be involved in again. One of the best of these is getting seriously messy and creating a piece of art.

In fact, as a joint interest creating artwork together can work really well as a daddy-daughter activity. After all, it requires excellent communication and teamwork.

Don’t panic if you’re not the naturally arty type, either as there are actually plenty of ideas and tutorials online. Additionally, it’s highly likely that the diva in your life will have some ideas about what to paint or create as well. Although, if you leave it all to her, I cannot guarantee that a princess motif might not make it into your work!

Go out for a meal together

Another smart way to spend some quality daddy-daughter bonding time is to schedule a regular meal. If you can, take your daughter out for this because it can make it just that bit more special. Also, if you have other children in your home, it means that she gets your undivided attention for the duration of the meal. This being something that can make a massive difference to your relationship.

It shouldn’t have to be a fancy meal, of course, Although getting your daughter involved in picking the venue is always a smart idea. After all, you don’t want the experience to be marred by complaining.

Of course, it’s not just the act of being out and enjoying a meal together that makes this option special. It is taking the time to make a genuine connection with your daughter. Something you can do by catching up on what has been going on in her life. In fact, by making an effort to develop this kind of relationship with your daughter from a young age, you can forge a healthy connection. One that means she knows she can come talk to you if she has a problem, even as she grows up and becomes an adult.

Don’t worry too much about what to say and ask either. You can do a little research online if you choose and get some questions. But just going with the flow and showing an interest in what she is talking about is usually enough to get the ball rolling.

You may also want to try a variation on this theme and cook a meal together as well. In fact, this is an activity that you can choose to do at home if you like. Although you may wish to invest in the odd cooking class together sometime as well.

Explore a new place together

Another fantastic option for daddy-daughter time is to explore a new place together. In fact, sometimes, if you can go to a location that you haven’t visited before as well, it can level the playing field. That is, she will know as much as you do about the place you are visiting. Therefore can be involved in making choices of where to go and what to see.

You can even spend some extra time together researching what there is to do in the area you know you are going to visit. Something that will give you a shared bond and a good reason to talk even before you go on your trip.

Build something together

Next, if you are more of a practical guy, why not use this to your advantage and get your daughter involved in a building activity? Happily, we are well past the outdated idea that building things with our hands is only for boys. Something that means your diva is likely to jump at the chance of getting involved with such a project.

Build Something

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Once again, you can start the process by choosing a project to work on together. Whether that is something more traditional like a soapbox racer or a birdhouse, or one of the many you can find online.

Don’t discount the fact that your daughter may also want to help you out with DIY and renovation jobs that need doing around the house too. In fact, by using your daddy-daughter time to do this, you are setting an excellent and responsible explanation. While also teaching her essential skills that she can use later on in life.

Of course, safety is always vital when it comes to building projects, especially if you decide to allow your kids to help. To that end, before each session, be sure that you explain the safety rule carefully and kit out your child with things like google and gloves.

Encourage a shared love of sports

For many dads, sports like NBA basketball are their big passion in life, and there is only one thing that can make it even better. That is getting to share it with the most important person in your life, their daughter.

What it pays to remember here is that like many subjects, a love of sport is often something that is learned from those around you as you grow up. That means if you want your daughter to be enthusiastic about basketball and come to games with you, you need to encourage this from a young age.

One way to do this is to invite them to sit down and watch games with you at home. In fact, if you can make a big deal of it with foam fingers, banners, snacks, and drinks even better. Additionally, for those that are a little older, educating them on some of the key players and events in the NBA can help them be much more invested in the game. In fact, they may end up being so invested that their enthusiasm and knowledge eventually surpasses your own. Which, for a proud fan and father, really is a beautiful moment.

Have a cultural exchange

Finally, while we live in a much less gender-stereotyped world, the chances are that you have probably seen a few princess films already. You will likely end up watching a few more before your daughter (& son/s) grows up and moves out too.

However, why not temper this and spend some additional time with your daughter by offering a sort of cultural exchange? That is for every princess film you have to sit through (I’m thinking of your Frozen) you watch one of your favorites movies together as well. Age and topic appropriate, of course. That means no Rambo for the little ones! In fact, by doing this, you can encourage a love for all sorts of genres, and the movie-going experience in your daughters.

It’s also a fantastic way to spend some relaxed quality time in each other’s company. This being something vital to maintaining a positive relationship with your daughter. Both throughout her childhood, and when she is grown too.

Filed Under: fatherhood Tagged With: activities, dad, daddy, daddy daughter, daughter, father, fatherhood, time

How to Create a Dad’s Ultimate Man Cave

December 21, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

You may have thought that life as you used to know it stopped as soon as you became a father and you’re right, to a certain extent. For most of us dads, we wouldn’t have it any other way; our kids go straight to the top of our list of priorities, and thinking about our own relaxation and hobbies gets parked at the bottom.

Maybe you used to have a man cave - and now it's been taken over by the kids

Maybe you used to have a man cave – and now it’s been taken over by the kids

“Man Cave After” (CC BY 2.0) by justin.winchester

 

However, when you do have some time for yourself, it’d be great if you had the perfect space to enjoy it in – and one way to do this is to create your very man cave. So, how do you go about it, without having to call the contractors in? (After all, creating it can be as pleasant as spending time in it!)

 

First, you need to decide which space you’re going to use. You might have a basement where you could set up your man cave. If not, a spare bedroom or a shed in the back yard can be equally good. Ideally, it’s somewhere that’s away from the main hub of the house so that you can turn your music up or play the TV loudly without worrying about disturbing the kids. The likelihood is that the time you spend in there is going to be later on in the evening, after all.

 

Once you’ve decided on your space, decide what you want in it. For many of us today, the point of a man cave is somewhere we can do some gaming, watch sports on TV or do some binge watching of our favorite box sets. You may want your man cave to be a chill-out zone for just you, or even to make it a social space for you to invite friends over to watch the big game.

 

Of prime importance, then, is the screen you’ll be watching or gaming on. There is, of course, a huge range of mobile gaming options too, so you’ll want to consider a tablet. With gaming apps and mobile casino providers like mFortune offering a wide range of games like poker, and blackjack, you might not actually spend that much time gaming on a big screen.

 

Choosing the right screens for your gaming is key, regardless if you prefer a FPS or a game of slots. You can combine your tablet with work use, as well as keep your little ones entertained (away from the man cave, of course). However, it’s still great to have the option to play on a large screen sometimes. Decide on this component of your man cave and then figure out how the rest of the furniture will fit around it. If you’re a PC gamer, you’ll need to include space for the computer too.

Please RT! #decoration #interiordesign Man Cave by Inhouse Brand Architects https://t.co/1o7nR9d6vm pic.twitter.com/ixcid85KO8

— DecoStyleClub (@decostyleclub) December 8, 2016

 

Seating is also something to do some research on – you want to be comfortable while you’re in your cave, after all. Will you go for one or two big armchairs, one large sofa or something a little more off-beat like one of these game room seating ideas?

 

No man cave would be complete without some kind or bar or drinks cabinet. At the very least, make sure there’s room for a mini-fridge, so there’s no need to press pause on the game or movie to get refreshments!

Some man caves cater to one specific pastime.

Some man caves cater to one specific pastime.

“Man Cave” (CC BY 2.0) by richblend

Once you’ve got all the essentials into your man cave, you may want to give some thought to the decor and styling of the room. Or then again; maybe not; this is a man cave we’re talking about, after all. We men aren’t always known for our concern about the overall look of a room; it’s the functionality that counts!

Filed Under: fatherhood Tagged With: father, fatherhood, Man cave, mancave, time

Timex releases list of Top 10 Ways to Save Time at Home

November 12, 2012 by dadofdivas 43 Comments

We never seem to have enough time. Whether it is working, spending time with family, exercising or keeping up with household activities, the precious minutes of each day seem to fly by. To help gain back valuable time each day, Gary Cohen, President and CEO of Timex, has developed a list of his Top 10 Ways to Save Time at Home. Saving time at home will allow us to do what we need to do and what we want to do.

1.      Divide & Conquer – Time is precious for all of us, so make the most of your time by developing a list for you, your significant or roommate of weekly things that need to get done around the home.  By using tech gadgets such as smartphones and tablet calendars, you can have reminders sent to you on daily basis to keep your organized so you won’t have household chores and responsibilities back-up.

 

2.      Smart Eats – Shop smart and save time by making a weekly meal planning chart of meals and prep as much food in advance as possible so they are ready to eat or cook.  This will not only save time on meals each week, but can also help the entire household eat healthier meals by reducing those last minute runs to the take-out restaurant.

 

3.      Savvy Shopping – Consolidate grocery and club store shopping to one day per week and stick to it!  To save time, order and pay for your groceries online with your local supermarket – if this service is available to you – so all you need to do is drive by and pick them up.   This will also cut down on impulse buying.

 

4.      Spick & Span – Streamline cleaning and household chores by cleaning and organizing one room at a time.  If you have children, make them accountable for cleaning specific things in their bedrooms and bathrooms.  This will not only teach them responsibility, but help get the household chores done faster.

 

5.      Laundry Loads – Wash a load daily so that dirty clothes don’t pile up and eat up time during your weekends.

 

6.      Expedite Bills – Pay bills either weekly or monthly via online bill payment options.  This will not only save money on stamps, but cut down on the time it takes to pay bills and will reduce late payment charges.

 

7.      Errand Running – Save one day a week to run errands.  If you are running out of the house every day to do errands, you won’t have time to get other activities done. By making a list and doing all of the errands on one designated day, you will open up your schedule for the rest of the week.

 

8.      Tech Time – Allow for a specific amount of time at home to surf your favorite websites, play your favorite games, etc.  It is easy to get lost while using our tablets, smartphones and gaming devices.  By setting a time limit, you can still have fun, but ensure that you are not spending too much time with your technology.

 

9.      Chatter – Allocate a specific time each day to make those important calls for you and your family.  It’s easy to spend hours per day on the phone, so try to reduce that time so that you open your schedule.

 

10.  Play Time – Always make time to have some fun!  Schedule a date night with your spouse         or significant other and make plans with your children to do a fun event/excursion.  Remember we work to live… not live to work!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Filed Under: Guest Post Tagged With: guest post, time

Modify Watches ( @ModifyWatches ) Allow You to Take Style into Your Own Hands #Giveaway #Win

October 20, 2011 by dadofdivas

A throwback to those candy colored and neon bands of the 90s, Modify Watches are interchangeable (offering 13 fierce faces and 9 stylish straps) and affordable—at just $45/combination (and multiple ‘kits’ to get more for your dollar).  For the novice Modifywearer you can choose from predestined combinations like ‘Bar Fight’ black and blue or ‘Dimples & Pimples’ pink and red.  If you really feel like living on the edge, choose a color combo of your own (although we know how busy you are and don’t blame you if you don’t have time—no pun intended).

And, because Modify Watches don’t discriminate, they even have pieces for stiff-suit dad (Argyle anyone?) and your picky pre-teen who will like totally only wear yellow right now.

Modify Watches are modular – you can mix together any face and strap to make a combination, or Mod, that fits you. They’ll be coming out with new designs frequently, so follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get the lowdown on when the new styles will drop. More than that, they want you to help us determine what designs to create, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to them with your thoughts.

 

 

For me, I had the opportunity to modify a watch myself, and this time I thought of my wife instead of just me. I had her look at the site to see what she would choose, and though her first pick was out of stock, she decided to go a bit crazy and try a green faced watch with a pink band. I know… it was a bit out there, but she enjoyed it and found that the when we received the watch that she really liked it. The fact is a bit larger, but that means it stands out and lets your fashion shine. The great people at Modify Watches even sent a second band for me and I think this looks like even a watch I would wear… grey is a great color (at least for me).

I was impressed with the number of great watch options that they had and what was nice was that the price of the watch was reasonable and they are always coming out with new ideas that you can use to modify your own watch!

 

Giveaway

How would you like to win 1 Modify Watch (1 face, 1 strap) The colors will be randomly selected by Modify.  All you need to do is Subscribe to this blog  and follow on Google Friend CConnect.  The contest will run for one week and will end on October 27, 2011.
Bonus Entries
    • Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

 

    • Grab my badge to your sidebar

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    • Subscribe to the Dad of Divas Reviews Site

 

    • Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)

 

    • Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away a @ModifyWatches Watch #WIN  –http://dadofdivas.com/giveaway ” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)

 

    • Like Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until October 27, 2011 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media.  Thoughts are my own.


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: giveaway, product review, time, watches

Renewing Your Spirit as a Parent

April 14, 2010 by dadofdivas 3 Comments

As parents there are many times when you are just beat down by your kids and your spirit needs a recharge. Whether you are a parent who stay at home with the kids and you get bombarded consistently with the issues of raising siblings, or if you come home after a long day and need to take over with parenting o give your partner a break.
The challenge is finding ways to allow yourself the opportunity to renew and get rejuvenated. Every one of us does this in a different way. For me, in the past it was exercising or blogging. For J-Mom it might be making cards, or reading a book. As I mentioned each one of us is different. With this in mind though it is very important to allow yourself and your partner in parenting the opportunity to do the things they need to do to be able to renew themselves. You cannot be selfish and do everything for yourself and not allow for your partner to also find the relaxation and peaceful serenity that they need to remain sane.
So how do you renew yourself? How do you share the burden of parenting?
In doing some research for this post, I found a few links I wanted to share with each of you:

  • http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Renew-Your-Spirit-and-Increase-Your-Self-Esteem&id=1461700
  • http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/stress.shtml
  • http://singleparenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_get_the_break_a_single_parent_needs
  • http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1397381/tips_for_new_parents_taking_time_for.html
  • http://www.life360.com/blog/me-time-for-parents/


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Filed Under: parenting Tagged With: family time, J-Mom, parenthood, rejuvenate, renew, time

Riding the Rails

March 30, 2010 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

For the conference that I attended over the past month, I decided to take the South Shore Metra Rail into Chicago to save some money. I have to say that this was a great idea! Not only did I save money (only about $8 each way instead of the $49 per night people in my downtown hotel paid for parking), but it also was very relaxing. I was able to get a ton of things completed while on the train (if only they had WIFI I could have gotten even more completed), and the people were very kind.

Sitting on the train watching the country roll past, it reminded me of how quickly time flies and how quickly our time with our kids fly past us. Before having children I never would have thought about myself getting older, but have you noticed how much more you notice your own age as well as the fleeting time with your kids around?

I attribute this to the fact that we can see our children aging, learning and growing, while as we look in the mirror the changes may not be as visible. In our child we see our own life going by. I am not saying this to be fatalistic or anything, but it was something that simply came to me mind while riding the rails toward the windy city.

What are your thoughts on this?


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Filed Under: fatherhood, parenting Tagged With: aging, family time, parenthood, time

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

June 10, 2009 by dadofdivas 3 Comments

How many of you have sat down in the early morning to write a blog or to read a book, surf the internet or the like? I find that for me, this is one of the most productive times of the day, when my mind is the most awake and I am at my most creative. I also have to say that it is nice to have a quiet house where I can work uninhibited (at least for a short period of time).

This time as I mention though is fleeting and it soon turns into the hustle and bustle of the morning which turns into the work day wheich turns into the evening “dad”routine and then slow down yet again for the evening where things quiet down again.

Thus is the existence of my day, at least on most days. Sometimes there is some outlier, something that is different and a welcome change. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way displeased to what my life is like, but the routine is something of an interesting phenomena that has occurred.

So my question for the day for all of you is what do you do in the wee hours of the morning? Sleep? Work Out? Read? Simply watch and listen to nature? What helps you to wake up and start your energy going each day?


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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: family time, morning, morning person, time

Contributing Writer and Guest Posts

August 6, 2008 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

I was pleased to be asked to be a contributing writer by Jeremy over at Discovering Dad. This has been a blog that I have been following for some time, and Jeremy is not only a great writer, but also has become a friend and mentor when it comes to blogging.

My first post as a contributing writer is up so I encourage you to come over and read: Time Bandits – Who’s Stealing Your Time?

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I look forward to seeing you back here again!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: discovering dad, guest post, time

Manly Monday #9 – Fathers as Dream Makers

July 7, 2008 by dadofdivas 6 Comments

You know, I have always seen myself as someone who encourages others to do what they can and be what they can with the gifts that they have been given, but as I have assumed ther rolw of being a father I have found this to become even more important.

In my past post about the importance of fathers I talked about all of the important things that I think of, but also what others have said regarding the importance of being a Dad in today’s society.

Since writing that post, I also started thinking about the importance of a Dad being someone who inspires and creates dreams for his children. What I mean by this is that I hope with my girls that I can instill in them a sense of wonder and allow them to have BIG dreams that can be achieved (while others may not be achieveable). I hope to make them see the world through large amazed eyes, and allow them to experience the world around them as if everyday is a special one to be cherished.

Do I do a good job at this now…I don’t know about that… I want to, but I also think that at times I get caught up in my own world that does not allow this dream making to occur, at least not to the extent that I would like. Much of this goes back to the whole issue of time and not feeling like I have enough of it to spare or at times even share, though I know I should.

So, again, how do I make dreams occur. First and foremost I have to listen to my Divas and know what their dreams are and then by knowing I can work to make them come true. Second, I have to be present, I have to be around to be active in my divas’ lives, so that they will know that I am there for them and that they can rely on my to help them to achieve what they hope to achieve. Finally, I have to be willing to take a chance on my Divas… making their world a bit unexpected (well…at least somewhat unexpected).

So what about all of you… how are you dreammakers for your children?

I look forward to your comments on this one!

Filed Under: fatherhood, parenting Tagged With: dreams, father, maniverse, manly, Manly Monday, parenthood, time

Maniverse #5 – Time In A Bottle

June 14, 2008 by dadofdivas 4 Comments


Do you remember the song time in a bottle by Jim Croce? Yes I know that the song is a bit old and dated but the lyrics seemed a it meaningful to me as I was driving yesterday. For those of you that don’t remember the words…I suggest you read them below!

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
Id save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That you’re the one I want to go
Through time with

Let me give you some context to my thoughts. I was driving to an all day meeting in Madison, WI which is about a 2.5 hour drive and on the way home (another 2.5 hours) I started truly thinking about the amount of time away from our families we as full time working dads have sacrificed. Now I am not saying that Moms do not sacrifice this time as I know they do…so hear me out.

I started to think about all of the times where I was driving long distances for meetings and how quickly this time adds up into much larger amounts of time. I can remember my first professional job where I was driving about 2 hours each day. I stayed in this job for about 1.5 years. Thinking back on this for a year’s worth work (in this case 9 months) I spent approximately 360 hours of my life on the road. Now I occupied my time listening to audio books and the like, but still 360 hours. Those are360 hours that I can never get back to depend with J-Mom. The time now that I spend going to meetings is time I can never get back with Diva-J & Diva-PJ.

Outside of my own experiences, I think about those people who drive for a living, such as truck drivers. Now I know that some of them have their wives or families riding with them, but many of them ride alone, and I wonder what kind of life that is, especially if they have families. I don’t think that I could do that myself (needless to say I wouldn’t be able to stay awake for the amount of time that I would need without copious amounts of caffeine).

So the moral of this story…take advantage of the time that you have as it is fleeting and precious…don’t squander it!

Filed Under: fatherhood Tagged With: dads, Diva-J, Diva-PJ, father, J-Mom, maniverse, time

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