All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!

Routine Health Precautions And Why You Should Do Them

Let’s face it, we all know that eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise on a regular basis will help us maintain our fitness and health. There are, however, other things you should be doing for your health that do not require food or continuous treadmill jogging. You can perform further tests and maintenance on yourself to ensure that you are as fit and healthy as possible. Here are some routine health precautions and why you should do them.

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Teeth

Our teeth aid in the chewing of food so that it can be swallowed and digested more efficiently. Dentists recommend that children get a dental check-up every six months and adults have one every year, assuming there are no complaints or issues in between. While many people are afraid of going to the dentist, it is critical to keep an eye on your teeth to ensure that you not only have the greatest set of pearly whites possible, but that you are also not at danger of problems that can develop from not taking appropriate care of your teeth. Get in touch with a family dentistry clinic to get advice and book in for a check-up for the whole family as soon as you can.

Some difficulties can’t be foreseen and aren’t caused by anything you’ve done wrong, such as wisdom teeth erupting or teeth that don’t develop straight, necessitating braces to straighten them out. Whatever your reason for needing to visit the dentist, don’t put it off if you want to avoid greater issues growing from smaller ones.

Even if you don’t think you have any issues other than the appearance of your teeth, it’s always a good idea to talk to your dentist about your choices. There are a plethora of treatments available to improve the look and feel of your teeth!

Hearing

Being able to hear everything that is going on around us is a luxury that not everyone in the world has. Our hearing not only allows us to converse and listen to leisurely things, but it also aids in our overall equilibrium. Many people who have ear issues have trouble balancing, which can cause nausea or vomiting. Could you envision going from being able to hear to being unable to hear, or perhaps becoming entirely deaf? It’s frightening to think that a sensation we’re experiencing may just vanish, therefore it’s critical to have your ears checked on a frequent basis, especially if you’re experiencing difficulties with your ears.

As you get older, you may be invited to attend regular health check ups but in the meantime, you can request a hearing evaluation from your GP if you’re worried about your hearing. Some signs may be turning up the TV louder than normal for no good reason, or mishearing people in conversations where you’d usually not face any problems communicating. Again, the sooner you can have your ears checked, the more likely you are to find a more suitable treatment.

Eyesight

Our eyes are our portals to the outside world, and many people across the world, like those who cannot hear, are unable to see at all. They are fragile organs that are constantly exposed to the elements and can easily be harmed or injured. Make sure you get your eyes examined as often as your optician suggests, and if you notice any issues, schedule an appointment right away to avoid losing part, if not all, of your vision. Take care of your eyes so you can appreciate all of the delights this planet has to offer!

Being unable to see would limit your capacity to not just go where you need to go, but also to accomplish things that might appear straightforward to someone who has sight. You may lose your job, be forced to relocate to a safer place, and learn to navigate without your eyesight!

Intimate areas

Because of the fear of humiliation in getting it looked out if there is an issue, the intimate areas of our bodies often go untreated. However, you can get illnesses or problems that affect how effectively your intimate areas function even if you don’t do anything wrong.

GPs and nurses are properly qualified to examine these types of problems, and the sooner an issue is identified, the higher the possibility of permanently correcting the problem before it does any harm. Some sexually transmitted diseases can lead to infertility, so push through the embarrassment and have it tested so you don’t irreparably harm yourself!

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Taste

Our taste buds are a delicate component of our bodies that are easily influenced by the things we do on a daily basis. To preserve your taste buds at their peak, avoid the following:

  1. Foods that are too hot to eat or drink
  2. Too many meals that burn your tongue in terms of flavor
  3. When chewing food, take your time so that your taste buds can fully appreciate all of the flavors.
  4. Avoid or quit smoking as it not only damages your health, but can ruin your sense of taste

Smell

Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful, especially when we love the smell of delicious aromas from the kitchen when we’re hungry. Here are some suggestions for improving your sense of smell:

  1. Exercise will improve your sense of smell because it will increase your heart rate.
  2. Drink lots of water to wash out any impurities that may be clogging your system.
  3. Avoid taking any medications that might make you feel drowsy. Talk to your doctor about it.

Touch

Last but not least, touch is a wonderful sense that we can’t imagine life without. Imagine being unable to feel the warmth of a hug or the soothing touch of a back massage; it’s simply not right! To increase your sense of touch, try the following suggestions.

  1. Exfoliate on a regular basis. The feeling we get when we touch something might be dampened by dead, dry, and thick skin.
  2. Continue to move so that blood circulates throughout the body and no senses are dulled.
  3. If you’re concerned about something, go to your doctor. You might have an underlying problem.

Regularly do these tests to make sure that you are living the healthiest and happiest life possible! It’s important to take care of your health so that you can enjoy life to the fullest!

How To Ensure Your Packaging Is Child Resistant

Child safety is an important factor to consider when designing your packaging. Supplements, vitamins and medications can look like candy to children, and they may consume multiple doses of a product that isn’t intended for them, the consequences of which can be dire. The good news is, manufacturers can prevent harm with child-resistant packaging.

Key Components of Child Resistant Packaging

So what makes a container child-resistant? Packaging is considered child-resistant if it meets CR certification. To do so, it must be difficult or impossible for children to open the container but easy for seniors and people with disabilities to open it. This is a fine line to walk, but a few components can help you balance these requirements.

Visual Cues

Visual cues can be helpful in packaging that doesn’t contain potentially dangerous products. Strategically placed colors and shapes can subconsciously direct consumers where to place their fingers to open the containers. However, the same features that communicate this information can be appealing to kids, which may draw them to products that could hurt them.

If a pouch contains something dangerous, you should also include warning labels. These will let consumers know to store them out of easy reach.

Resealing

Ensuring your packaging is child-resistant when it’s fresh off the line is important, but you also need to verify that the container is just as impenetrable once it’s resealed. A previously opened container is arguably more dangerous for children since it’s more likely to be within reach and line of sight. A great option is to transfer your products to grip seal bags (aka resealable bags) and place them out of reach and sight of children.

Developing Effective Child Resistant Pouches

Developing child-resistant containers is a long process with several steps. You don’t want to sacrifice branding, but you may need to make compromises to ensure your packaging is effective in terms of marketing and child safety. As you work and rework your designs, here are two tips to help you create the most effective pouches.

Put Your Packaging to the Test

The only way to get CR certified — and determine if your pouches are really child-resistant — is to test them. In most cases, this is done in a safe, regulated environment by literal children.

What happens if your packaging doesn’t pass the test? Then it’s back to the drawing board. Honestly, it’s best if you find out during a test, as it not only keeps children safe but also saves you the cost of manufacturing or ordering thousands of pouches, only to find them flawed.

Customize for Adults

If you intend only adults to access your product, you should customize the packaging for adult hands. For example, you can make levers sized for adult thumbs or cap circumference for adult palms. If kids physically can’t hold the packaging correctly, they won’t be able to open it.

Combine Features

Finally, don’t rely on just one child-resistant feature. Including multiple strategies decreases the likelihood that kids can open your pouches or even get ahold of them in the first place.

When considering materials for your child-resistant pouches, you should consider custom printed mylar bags. This packaging not only offers several child-resistant features but provides many branding and design opportunities. Whether you want stand-up or lay-flat pouches, mylar can deliver.

3 Innovative Ways of Strengthening Your Family Bond and Promote A Healthy Lifestyle

Every father-child relationship is unique and should be treasured. Every father needs to strive to build a relationship with their children from infancy. Creating that spark and connection with your child might not be an instant hit; it can take time to familiarize and understand each other. However, it is worth the process as you will get to experience the best gift life has to offer. 

Each child is different. So, you do not expect to have the same experience with every child you have. Their preferences and personalities will guide you and you will relate with them. Even though you will be firm and strict as you teach and discipline them, you need to ensure that you have fun and create memories with your children as they grow. 

While choosing the bonding activities, you need to be mindful of the age and attention each child needs. Here are some innovative ways you can use to improve your daddy child relationship:

Healthy Exercises

Leading a healthy lifestyle as a family can be challenging. It takes discipline and effort to be able to bring everyone to work towards the same goal. You can take this opportunity to engage your kids in different physical and nutritional exercises that will not only help them but create a special bond between you and the children. 

You can take it upon yourself to teach them how to prepare healthy meals or work on specific workouts and exercises to boost their physical, mental, and emotional health. There is no joy in having an all-around and healthy child and creating memories while achieving it. 

You can also organize healthy competitions to build your relations and the competitive spirit in the children. It will teach the children valuable skills that will help them in future. In addition, you will also get to create memorable moments that will last a lifetime. 

Bonding Over Your Favorite Sports and Hobbies

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By considering the children’s favorites and hobbies, you can schedule a specific time to engage with and bond with them. Of course, you need not limit yourself to sporting or physical activities, but you can utilize quiet sessions like yoga or book reading sessions to intensify your connections. 

It might also develop the sharing culture where you can share different book titles or ideas that will benefit your livelihoods, like financial or wellness books such as the Nova Science Publishers books. With this exchange of ideas, you, your children, and the bond will immensely grow. 

Learning Various Skills

It is always an exciting period to learn new skills or gain further information. But, you can make it even more special by doing it with your children. Identify an activity that you have been longing to do and will strengthen your bond. Activities like fishing, learning how to play musical instruments, or even hiking and biking will give you an excellent opportunity to spend time with them. Try not to limit your boundaries; you can travel far and wide and widen your lines of thoughts and test their influence on your relationship. 

The inspiration for strengthening your daddy bonds must always stem from happy and creative thoughts. Try not to be self-centered; think of the overall benefits in the children, and it will be a success.