Straight Talk – 5 Back-to-School Survival Tips for Managing Busy Schedules

August 11, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

“I have partnered with Life of Dad and Straight Talk Wireless for this promotion.”

Straight Talk – 5 Back-to-School Survival Tips for Managing Busy Schedules

It’s Time for some Straight Talk! This summer has been flying by, and before you know it, it will be gone and the kids will be back into the fray of school, sports, and other activities. Does this sound like your own home, I know it does in mine. If your family is like mine, your home becomes crazy busy as we enter the school year and it only continues as the year continues. Preparing your child for a new school year can be overwhelming – from adjusting to a new routine to packing lunches and figuring out how to stay connected with busy schedules. Because of this we have found that being able to stay in touch and having a plan for trying to stay in control of the chaos is so important, otherwise the homes seems to feel like mass bedlam.

I have come up with five things that we have done in our own home that might help yours too. I know that we have found that in making small changes you can make a BIG impact and I hope that you find this to be true as well.

Do not rely on your memory! Even if you are as sharp as a tack, when you start to add in multiple schedules plus the schedules of yourself and significant other, anyone could get confused. Having a way to give you a reminder about what you have coming, whether it be in the form of a calendar, post-it notes or something else will help you and your family to stay on top of things.

Use Technology – Most of us have smart devices and sometimes so do our children. Thus, be where your kids are and use what they are used to using. Technology has come a long way and continues to get better and by using things like Google Calendar , Cozi or something else could help to place everything in a place that can be easy to find when you want to find it. If your child is on a team like my daughters are, one of the best tech team planning tools is a website called TeamSnap. Whoever is managing the team is given a ton of tools to allow them to communicate out effectively and even allows you to let the coach know if you cannot attend, you can share photos, files and more!
Write it down. There’s nothing better than going old-school though. Having a paper, physical reminder of what is happening when is a great way to keep the family connected. There are calendars now that have multiple lines for each person in the family so you can see what everyone has going on. You can create a time (maybe at dinner) where you have a family meeting to discuss the next day.
Carpools! Who else do you know that has a child that is doing the same activity as your children? Talk to them about assisting in the driving to and from activities. This will allow you some time to get caught up and tackle the honey-do list that usually has something on it!
Communicate. Make sure to talk to your significant other about who is doing what. There have been multiple times when J-Mom and I got our lines crossed and it can just stress out the relationship. Whether this means kids activities, meals, making lunches for the next day or having the paperwork completed for the school field trip, simply make sure that there is a balanced approach and both of you share the load. Also, keep communicating and talking about what is, and what is not working and make adjustments along the way as well.
Mobile-Friendly? Be on the same page with your significant other about if and when your child will get their first phone. I have a daughter now that is almost 13 who continues to tell me everyday that ALL of her friends have phone and how unfair it is that she is the ONLY ONE that does not have one. Yes, as parents you get the brunt of pre-teen and teenage ire at times, but you have to stick to your guns and that means having a plan for if and when mobile technology will be allowed and under what rules. Using cell phones to stay connected can be priceless… but an expensive wireless plan is one less item parents need to worry about. Thus, you do have to look at all of your options. I have been looking at wireless plans myself lately and have been impressed by Straight Talk Wireless plans. Straight Talk Wireless is the leading no-contract wireless carrier, offering customers the best phones on the best networks for less. Straight Talk offers nationwide coverage on America’s largest and most dependable networks. You can also choose from the latest phones on the best networks, all for less – including the Samsung Galaxy S8. With Straight Talk, there are no contracts, no credit checks and no mystery fees. With unlimited plans at $45 and $55, you can save on your monthly phone bill and get great deals on the best phones. Also, just in time for school, Straight Talk Wireless has added more high-speed data to its best phone plans. You can now get more high-speed data on Straight Talk’s unlimited plans for the same low price! You can get unlimited talk, text and the first 8GB of high-speed data then 2G* for $45. Or bump it to 12GB of high-speed data then 2G* for $55.

Starting a new school year can be overwhelming but it does not have to be. By following some of the ideas above you can make changes that will positively impact your entire family. Also, if you are in the market for great deals on smartphones and service plans, Straight Talk Wireless is the place to start. Straight Talk phones and service plans are available exclusively at Walmart stores and online at StraightTalk.com. For more information and ways to save, visit StraightTalk.com today!

Find out More about Straight Talk Wireless below:

Straight Talk Wireless website: https://www.straighttalk.com

Straight Talk Wireless Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StraightTalkWireless/

Straight Talk Wireless Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyStraightTalk

Straight Talk Wireless Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mystraighttalk

*At 2G speeds, the functionality of some data applications, such as streaming audio or video may be affected. Please refer always to the latest Terms and Conditions of Service at StraightTalk.com.

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Your Yard, Your Family, Your #LAWNGOALS !

May 10, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Cub Cadet for this campaign, but my opinions are my own.

When it comes to our yard, I work hard to try and keep it amazingly nice. I pay money to have people come and spray it for bugs, put fertilizer on it to make it grow and kill off weeds and even try and landscape to make it look like a place that I would want people to see and experience. Why do I set #LawnGoals for myself? Well, I have seen yards where this does not happen and it reflects poorly on the people and the neighborhood and I want to be able to take pride in my home and work to keep up the home values around me too.

I also want to have a place where my family want to spend time. I want to have a yard where my kids will go outside both in the warm and cold weather and I want my yard to be safe for them too. All of this being said, I have to work hard to keep this going and setting #LawnGoals every year takes time and sometimes money and effort.

I have some definite #LawnGoals to make my yard amazing.

A post shared by Christopher Lewis (@dadofdivas) on Apr 25, 2017 at 5:32pm PDT

Our house also has become a central meeting place for the kids in our neighborhood to come and experience life, so having a yard where we have not only aesthetically pleasing landscaping but also places for the kids to play has been at the top of my #LawnGoals over the last few years.

It’s time! Time to accomplish my annual #LawnGoals @cubcadet_usa #ad #sweepstakes Enter to win a great Cub Cadet mower – http://cubcadet.votigo.com/lawngoals

A post shared by Christopher Lewis (@dadofdivas) on May 6, 2017 at 9:46am PDT

On top of trying to keep my lawn looking great, one of the #LawnGoals that I have to work on this year is in working on drainage. We have a low spot in our backyard which during all seasons can become somewhat swampy. One idea that I have been toying with is placing in some type of a drain in the back that could run out to a creek further back behind my property. I know this will be a time and money consuming project but it is something that needs to happen.

Because I always do want to keep my lawn looking great, and the fact that my mower needs replacement, I have been looking for a new riding lawnmower and Cub Cadet has been one that has really been standing out! One of the things that I’ve been running into is that even though we have been adding to our yard to make it look nicer the current mower we have is not a zero-turn mower and it takes a lot of work to get around the obstacles in my yard. The zero-turn mower by Cub-Cadet would be an awesome addition to our yard and I know that it would make my life #LawnGoals would be accomplished even easier with such a mower. Also, Cub Cadet has continued to focus on quality and making innovative and high-performance products. They make it easy to keep your lawn looking great for years to come and the mowers they offer are out of this world!

To share some of the good news that Cub Cadet is doing they have created an opportunity for one of you to WIN an amazing zero turn mower! I know that I would do backflips if I could win one of these myself!

So how do you win? It is easy actually!

Here are your instructions:

To recognize those who take pride in bringing lawns to life, Cub Cadet launched the “Where Lawns Come to Life” contest, encouraging fans to share a picture or video highlighting their yard and why it is #LawnGoals.

To enter capture a photo or video of your yard, tell us how you bring your lawn to life and why your yard is #LawnGoals. Share the post on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #LawnGoals #Sweepstakes or visit XX.com and upload a photo.

If your entry is approved, you’ll be entered for a chance to win one Cub Cadet RZT L 42 KH Lap Bar Zero-Turn Rider (ARV $2,399.99), hotel accommodations for two, and two tickets to attend an NHRA event in the summer of 2017.

If you need a little more information OR TO ENTER you can also visit:

http://cubcadet.votigo.com/lawngoals

So I want to see what your #LawnGoals are! So get out there, take pictures and video and share away!

Find Out More About Cub Cadet

Brand’s website: http://www.cubcadet.com
Brand’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cubcadet/
Brand’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/CubCadet_USA
Brand’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubcadet_usa/
Brand’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CubCadetRidingMowers

#ISleepTo Be The Best Dad I Can Be And Completely Balance My Life

April 20, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Beautyrest Brand for this campaign, but my opinions are my own.

I am not the best when it comes to sleep. I at times do work too late into the night and finding balance between personal and professional life sometimes is challenging. I know that sleep is SO important but I have a hard time getting into the routine where I feel like I can get enough and still get everything done.

Recently, I heard about the new Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor from their #ISleepTo Campaign and I was impressed that this tracker gives me a closer look at the things keeping me up at night and offers me personalized, easy-to-implement insights to help me make the most of my time asleep. With the issues that I have had with sleep in the past this monitor sounded like the perfect solution that would allow me to gain some insights into myself while also encouraging and challenging me to get better sleep too.

There are other types of monitors out there that you actually wear at night, but for me this is the biggest issue with them. Unlike wearables, the Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor is completely non-invasive and plugs directly into a wall outlet.

This difference is amazing and allows me to get data and insights about my sleep quality without feeling completely tethered to a wearable device. The results that I received thus far since using the Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor have been so helpful. The product is already giving me a better understanding of how my daily habits affect my sleep. The Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor also challenges you to set goals and work to make small changes to get into a new routine and work on making small changes to feel better each day.

I have to say that I am loving waking up every morning and seeing what I can learn next about my own sleep. Most of the time I am surprised by what I find as I may think I am getting good sleep and sometimes I am and sometimes I am not.

The more I think about the results that I’m seeing since using this product, the greater my understanding has been for Beautyrest’s #ISleepTo campaign. Quality sleep is so important when you need to perform your best every day. When I think about the reasons I need great quality sleep there are a few things that come to mind:

#ISleepTo find balance in my life
#ISleepTo be present for my family, for my work, and for my life
#ISleepTo be rested and ready to be able to be the most productive I can be
#ISleepTo show my kids the importance of a balanced life
#ISleepTo have the energy to get up ready for a strong workout every morning

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I am the @IdahoanFoods #KingofSoup, There are No Others

January 19, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

As a dad life gets busy! We run around from activity to activity and sometimes lose track of ourselves. It is important to take care of your spouse and treat her like your queen, and that’s why I am the #KingofSoup!

You see, a recent survey found that 79% of Americans, including 92% of parents*, wish it were easier recreate a steakhouse experience at home. As a result, Idahoan^® wants to help parents and soup lovers alike recreate the steakhouse experience in the comfort of their home with delicious, Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups. It’s so easy – by just adding water, anyone can enjoy the flavorful, slow-cooked taste of restaurant-quality potato soup in the comfort of their home in no time!

This means that I can dress up in my finest duds, bring out our fine china and make some Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups to bring the steakhouse experience to my own home in minutes. This is a fun way to have fun with your spouse while still appreciating all she does to make your house a home.

In making the soups themselves I found that unlike other dry soups that take more than fifteen minutes to prepare by stove, with Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups, I was able to just add water and prepare some amazing, restaurant-quality soup in my kitchen within five minutes. I mean who does not have five minutes for an experience she will not forget!

Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups are delicious and they come in a number of great varieties, so no matter what your tastes, you have choice! Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups are available in four delicious flavor varieties: Creamy Potato, Loaded Potato, Cheddar Broccoli and Three Cheese Chipotle. My favorite so far is the Loaded Potato!

So the other night I did decide to take my own advice, dust off my tuxedo, and get fancy to surprise my wife with a meal just for her. The china was set, the soup was made, the kids were away and I transformed myself into the #KingofSoup! Check out the below video which shares this experience!

Find out more about Idahoan^® Premium Steakhouse^® Potato Soups!

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The Moment You Become A Father Everything Changes #ThanksBaby

June 14, 2016 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Pampers for this promotion.

The moment that you hold your baby is the moment for the very first time you become a father and it is a moment that you will never forget. That is the moment that you become a father for the first time. Now being a father is much more than that. Is much more than that. I know as a father, it has been a journey.

No baby comes with a user manual. And unless you grow up in a family where you are raising children yourself you have no clue what you’re getting yourself into. My children have changed me in some ways. I have learned to love unconditionally and to accept no matter what. I have come to better appreciate the gifts that every person brings. I have also learned the importance of helping your children to find the gifts that they have within themselves and to grow those gifts.

The funny thing is that I am still growing today. I learn something new everyday about myself and about my kids. I know that as a father I will continue to grow and continue to learn as I know that as a father I will continue to grow and continue to learn as they continue to grow.

I loved the below video, is it really showed me what being a father means and some of the things that you go through as a father. Thanks to Pampers for creating this but also for supporting fathers everywhere. I know as a dad Pampers was a brand that we continuously used because of the quality that they offered as well as the coverage that they provided.

Visit www.pampers.com to learn more about Pampers products, join the Pampers Rewards program, and find ideas and information to help your baby get the most out of love, sleep and play.

Dads in the Limelight – Patrick Quinn of Life of Dad

June 5, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Dads in the Limelight – Patrick Quinn of Life of Dad

Our 652nd Dad in the Limelight is Patrick Quinn of LifeofDad.com. I want to thank Patrick Quinn for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing Patrick Quinn with all of you.

1) Tell me about yourself, (as well as how you are in the limelight for my readers knowledge)

My name is Patrick Quinn, one of the founders of Life of Dad. I’m originally from the excellent city of Long Beach, NY but now live in Southern California. I’m the second oldest and first raddest of 6 kids. Before moving from NY, I worked in Brooklyn as a Special Ed Science and English teacher. Now, a solid 15 years later I’m still asked when I’ll return to teaching despite my 0% desire to ever do so.

Upon leaving NY, I moved to Hawaii with my wife for a year which was obviously amazing, but took some adjustment. Watching Monday Night Football at 1pm was a strange thing. Then we migrated to Arizona for three where we burst into flames during the summers and had our daughter. Shortly thereafter we moved a final time to Southern CA to be close to my wife’s family who had moved here from New Jersey. Since living here we have expanded our family by 1 and 8/9ths sons.

2) Tell me about your family

My wife Myra grew up in New Jersey and we met in college. We were friends for a while before we started dating (you’re welcome Myra). We have one daughter named Kayleigh who is 9. She looks like her mom (tall and beautiful), but her personality seems to be more like me. She is daring and stubborn and very outgoing. Our son Joseph is more of an introvert. He will be seven in a few months. He is more artistic and pedantic than our daughter is. We have one more coming…. Any second now. So we will soon have two sons, tipping the scales in the house towards the gentlemen.

3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?

It’s hard to pin down a specific challenge that would be the hardest one to deal with. It all depends on the situation, the mood, the timing… all of the things that we adjust our parenting styles to. But I’d say the ones that stand out most would be when I first became a parent for one. Everyone goes through it and it’s a tough adjustment to go from looking after yourself, to suddenly having another person who relies on you for survival. It was difficult to let the old way of life go and fully embrace my new place in the world. Another big challenge I face, more on a day to day basis, is trying to work from home. I know it’s hard for my kids to understand that even though I’m here in the house, I can’t just drop everything and play with them all the time. I certainly am afforded a lot of freedom to do that. More than I would if I were in an office setting. But it’s hard to create that line for them and for myself. Plus, while working from home allows me SOOOO much time with my kids that others don’t get, it’s also SOOOO much time with my kids. It almost becomes hard to get a break from them. I love them to pieces, but we all need a bit of time to NOT be surrounded by the kids and to have time to ourselves.

4) What advice would you give to other fathers?

You’re going to learn to do things your own way, but you’re going to need inspiration from other places. Look at the parents you respect. Learn from them. Take what they seem to do best, the things that make you recognize them as good parents and make it your own. But, don’t compare yourself to others. Even the best parents you know, the ones that seem to have it all together are having days where they just want to scream. Soon other new parents will look at you as the parent to emulate, and you’ll still feel like you’re faking it every day.

5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?

Merging the two. There is no other way. You need to be able to adjust what you do, and how you do it based on either having kids with you, or on how what you do is going to impact them later. You do what you can when you can if the kids are in school, or occupied with something around the house. And when they aren’t, you do what you can with them as an active participant.

6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?

I’ve learned that no philosophy is right. Nobody has perfected parenting. It’s all trial and error and trying to turn your defeats into wins. If your utter failure can be used as a lesson for your kids, or for your future self, you should consider it a win. All the dads I’ve interacted with have failed and have learned not to repeat their own failures. Or, at least they’ve learned to not fail quite so spectacularly.

7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?

Nothing in my existence has been so very capable of causing the roller coaster of emotions and feelings that being a dad does. It’s taught me that I can love to death and deplore with a passion a person, or persons simultaneously. Being a parent has made me grow and mature more in the past 9 years (since becoming a parent) than in the other 31 years combined. It’s awakened a level of responsibility and caring that I didn’t know was possible.

8) What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
It’s super hard trying to pick an experience, or even a series of experiences. I’d say that the most memorable moments are the ones where I see my kids doing something, or when they say something and I am suddenly aware of how far they have come. It’s the brief realizations that my shaping them and working and playing and encouraging them is working. That they are becoming real people with real opinions and real lives of their own. It happens often, so I can’t say one in particular, but those moments are the ones that most stick out to me as a parent.

If you have any questions for Patrick Quinn, please leave a comment here and I will make sure that he gets them so that he may be able to respond!

Also, do you know a Dad in the Limelight? If so, please email me their contact information so that they too can be a part of this series!

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Now You Can Smell Legendary with the Old Spice Hardest Working Collection Giveaway

May 27, 2016 by dadofdivas 13 Comments

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Old Spice for this promotion.

You might remember a month or so ago when I took the Old Spice Hardest Working collection and put it to the test and as you probably saw I am one of the hardest working dads out there but I know that there are many other dads out there that are working hard too. Because I know that I am not alone I want to give all of the other great dads around me the opportunity to win a very special “Old Spice Hardest Working Dad” kit just like the one I received. With it you can #smellegendary too!

Guys have come to know Old Spice for its premium scents, but they may not fully realize the performance Old Spice products provide. With the new Hardest Working Collection, Old Spice is taking performance up a notch, offering the highest-performing Old Spice antiperspirants and body washes in the world, truly delivering Legendary Protection

This kit has a bit of everything.

The “Old Spice Hardest Working Dad” kit contains:

Odor Blocker anti-perspirants
Sweat Defense anti-perspirants
Dirt Destroyer Body Wash
FREE entry into a 2016 Tough Mudder event to challenge the performance of the Hardest Working Collection
An Old Spice t-shirt fitting for Legendary Dads
A gift from Tough Mudder partner Merrell to keep more than your armpits dry
An autographed photo from the product king himself, Bob Giovanni (as seen on Old Spice’s popular digital infomercials)
Recognition of your Legendary Dad status with a customizable trophy, as commemorated by Old Spice
All contained in a Legendary Old Spice Metal Toolbox

To enter do the following:

Leave a comment here about why you or your dad should be considered the hardest working dad around.
Share this giveaway on a social network and let me know where you shared it.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

If you’d like to see some other hardest working dads out there, check out Old Spice on social media especially through the hashtag: .
Old Spice website: http://oldspice.com/en#smellegendary
Old Spice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldSpice
Old Spice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OldSpice
Old Spice on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldspice/

And if you cannot wait to find out if you won, in the plaarded this Hardest Working Prize Pack and you want to get some Old Spice products you can get them with these great Old Spice coupons.

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Putting the Old Spice Hardest Working Collection To The Test To #SmelLegendary

March 10, 2016 by dadofdivas 5 Comments

When it come to being a dad, it is not an easy job. There is a societal tacet cultural understanding that as a man I am supposed to provide for my family. While this role is changing and roles are being held in different ways within families, there is still a feeling that you have to do what you can do to provide in some way.

As a father myself I sometimes feel like one of the hardest working dads I know. I know that there are other dads that work just as hard, but with having a full-time job, running an LLC and a new podcast venture (Dad Spotlight) as well as being there for my kids and my daughters you can see that I have my hands full. Sometimes I feel that I am out of balance, but when I do, I work even harder to get the scales back in balance. You see, I am the type of person that when I commit to something I give it 110%. The problem with this is that when you have many things that you want to give 110%, how do you do it? The answer is, you can’t completely. You still have to make some decisions on where you focus and what gets more of your time, and I am doing this over and over again, day in and day out.

This comes with being a hard working dad, but I would have it no other way. I love to stay busy, but in staying this busy it can get stressful and that can also mean that I need to have some ways to keep covered no matter what you are doing. I’ll be honest, working this hard can be stressful and sometimes that can bring on the sweat, but in trying out some of the Odor Blocker and Sweat Defense anti-perspirants and Dirt Destroyer Body Wash from Old Spice really helped me to make sure that even when the pressure is one that I am covered and still smelling great!

I have been using the Old Spice anti-perspirants and Dirt Destroyer Body Wash over the last week and have found that not only did these products smell great, but they also made me feel better about getting through the tough times. I found that instead of coming home needing to freshen up, that the Old Spice products lasted the entire day! This truly helps me get through the easy and hard days and it let me know that I could get through this no matter what.

Now you might be saying, that’s nothing, let’s see this Old Spice Odor Blocker and Sweat Defense anti-perspirants be put to the real test. By happenstance I was planning to do a 5K run just recently and before suiting up for this, I put on the Old Spice to see what it could do for me. By the end of my race I was drenched in sweat, but the Old Spice Odor Blocker and Sweat Defense anti-perspirant really did the job and I was not smelling bad as I might have been with some other brands I have tried in the past. These Old Spice products really work and I was really impressed with the coverage and the smell!

On top of this I keep finding Old Spice turning up on so many of the Epic Legendary adventures that I have had. I was looking through the pictures that I had and was amazed. It just goes to dhow you that smelling legendary goes with living a legendary life!

1-800-PROVE-IT Challenge – Old Spice is so confident in the Hardest Working Collection, the product is backed with a money-back guarantee – as seen in a series of humorous digital infomercials hosted by Product King® Bob Giovanni. If guys use the Hardest Working Collection and the products do not live up to their standards, they can call 1-800-PROVE-IT for a full refund. Just call the line, and Bob Giovanni himself will provide further instructions.

Want to smell legendary yourself, get some money off by using this coupon: http://bit.ly/OSHWCDeal

Find Out More About Old Spice

Hashtag: #smellegendary

Brand’s website: http://oldspice.com/en

Brand’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldSpice

Brand’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/OldSpice

Brand’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldspice/

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Having a #Heart2Heart With My Kids & My Dad!

March 1, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Meta Wellness for this promotion.

Recently I was inspired by a recent trip to the Dad 2.0 Summit in Washington DC to think about my own health in a very different way. I had a chance to interact with Michael Strahan, and watch the conversation that he had with his own father (See below) as it came to health in general. You see, in celebration of Heart Month this February, Meta and spokesperson Michael Strahan launched the “Heart 2 Heart” campaign to encourage men across the country to have important health conversations with their loved ones this February and beyond.

After watching this it really made me think about conversations that I have had with my own kids about health and what I was doing to make sure that I was going to be around for a long time to come.

As a catalyst for conversation, the “Heart 2 Heart” campaign is providing a first-hand look at how easy it is to have a heart health talk with your loved one through a new video showcasing Michael Strahan’s intimate conversation with his father, Gene – and tips on how to help your loved one jumpstart their heart-healthy routine with Meta.

When I got home from the Dad 2.0 conference, I decided to sit down with my kids and talk to them about what I was planning on doing. I had never really talked in general about my health with them, but I thought it was important to have a #heart2heart talk with them and see if they would want to join me and if not at least support me in my journey. You see, though I may look thin, I am not the best example of healthy living. I do not always eat right and I go in stints when it comes to regular exercise. Now that I am over 40 I know that this needs to change and that I need to think about the future as I want to be around for a long time to come for my wife and kids.

So I sat down with my kids and talked to them about how I was planning on starting to exercise daily. I found some great exercises from Dai Manuel that were only 30 minutes a day (I mean, who does not have 30 minutes a day). Second, I told them that I was going to cut soda completely from my diet. Third, was getting more fiber in my diet, and what was great was that the great folks from Meta Wellness helped me with this with a ton of great products including Meta Health Bars and Metamucil that are filled with Fiber!

I was happy that I had this conversation with them and I was honest and asked them to help me stay accountable (which I know that they will). I only wish I had this conversation earlier.

After talking to my kids I decided to have a call with my own dad, like Michael Strahan did and followed his advice as he said that we should do the following:

7 Tips from Michael Strahan on How to Have a Heart 2 Heart Conversation with Your Dad.

Go into the conversation with a purpose. Make a few notes beforehand to keep the conversation on track. It’s really easy to venture down a road that both you and your dad may not be completely comfortable discussing.
Think about what you want to accomplish. If there’s an actionable goal that you want your dad to set, help him develop a plan to get it done.
Watch your tone. People can become really sensitive when you sit them down and tell them about themselves. Make sure that you are approaching the conversation as objectively as possible.
Set an example. Leading by example is always compelling, especially with parents. Holding yourself accountable will help you hold your dad accountable.
Acknowledge that you hear him. Making small changes can be a big task and what your dad really needs is your support.
Help him add more fiber to his diet. It’s scientifically proven that diets high in fiber can lower cholesterol and promote heart health†. Pick up some Meta and add it to smoothies or protein shakes for that extra boost to help ensure your fiber intake is met every day.
Watch and share the #Heart2Heart video. I recently had to have a tough heart health conversation with my dad that could inspire your talk.

†Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 7 grams of soluble fiber per day from psyllium husk, as in Metamucil and Meta Health Bars, may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. One adult serving of Metamucil Powder has 2.4 grams of this soluble fiber. One Meta Health Bar and one serving of Metamucil Fiber capsules have at least 1.8 grams of this soluble fiber.

I started the conversation by sharing the #Heart2Heart video as I was impressed by this and knew that this could be a conversation starter. You see, my dad and I had never really spent much time talking about each others’ health much in the past, but I knew that I wanted to, so this opened a door. When I called him I asked him about his thoughts on the video? I talked to him about my concern about his lack of exercise, and we really had a deep conversation about our thoughts on this. I think that this is the start of a dialogue that will last for some time to come, so I am grateful that I opened myself to having the conversations with my kids and my own dad, as prior to this I probably would have stayed silent as I had in the past.

I am so glad that Meta Wellness challenged me to have these comversations with my family and to get #Heart2Heart healthy.If you are interested in taking some similar steps for yourself, check out more information on MetaWellness.com.

You can also save some money on Meta products by using this link: spr.ly/MetaCoupon

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You are #kindawesome – Show The Kindness!

December 2, 2015 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I have partnered with Life of Dad and Kind Snacks for this promotion.

It was giving Tuesday yesterday and that means that hopefully you are finding ways to give to others in some way and show that you too are living the ideas of the #kindawesome campaign that I am talking about today! I know that for me, this is something that I am always working to instill in my own daughters and trying to impress on others. Not only do I talk the talk though, I walk the walk and try and pay it forward when I can.

I love it when I see people doing this for others. Whether it is helping people with their groceries, or even doing something like paying for a family’s meal or a cup of coffee, these things are special and show that people are not always in it for themselves (as media sometimes would portray it).

There have been numerous times in my own life when people have gone out of their way to show their kindness. One time that really stood out to me was when I had a house fire and severe burns on my left hand on Valentines Day 2013 and ended up in the hospital for numerous days and with a very long recovery.

During this time, people rallied around my family as we had to rebuild our kitchen after the fire and I had to rebuild myself too. One way this was shown was a neighbor that dropped everything to come home and be with my kids when I had to be taken by an ambulance to the hospital. When we finally got home, we found that she had done everything she could to clean up the grease fire including using cat litter to soak up the grease (I would not have even thought of that)!

Beyond that there were the people that made food for my family when I was in the hospital, or drove an hour to come and visit me in the hospital. Things like this that were not required but truly brought a smile on my face and warmth to my heart.

KIND is a company that continues to show how they care about people and currently that are showing their own kindness by celebrating kind acts through their #kindawesome program. KIND has been on a mission since day one to inspire and celebrate kindness. The #kindawesome program is one that KIND is hoping will resonates with parents as they teach their children the importance of kindness at a young age. One of the ways KIND has helped spread kindness is through their #kindawesome cards, which is a physical card you can give to someone when you spot them doing a kind act.

I received a number of the #kindawesome cards and loved being able to walk around surprising people for the kindness that they showed. One people simply gave me the ability to go before her at the store even though she had many more items. I gave her the card and I wish I could have taken a picture of the joy on her face and even better her middle school daughter was watching on when I gave it to her.

Yesterday, KIND continued to seek new and fun ways to recognize kindness and unveiled more scalable, shareable #kindawesome cards. These new cards will empower anyone in the KIND community to actively celebrate the kindness around them. To learn more about how we’re spreading kindness and how you can too, go to howkindofyou.com and check out @kindsnacks #kindawesome on social media.

So remember, it is important for us to celebrate kindness in the real world. so please go over to howkindofyou.com to show others how their kindness is appreciated!

Find Out More About KIND Snacks!

KIND’s Website: http://www.kindsnacks.com/
KIND’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KINDSnacks
KIND’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/KINDsnacks
KIND’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/kindsnacks/

Come and talk more with us about the kind things you have seen or done at the #kindawesome Twitter Chat: Tonight, Wednesday, Dec 2nd at 8PM ET

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