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!

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Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren: My Top 5 Fitness Apparel Picks

12/09/2015 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Dick’s Sporting Goods. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to shopping for all things sports and fitness related, it’s a good idea to choose a sporting goods store that is truly passionate about what they sell. At DICK’s Sporting Goods®, you’ll find just that, along with excellent service and great prices on name brand equipment, apparel, and accessories. From gym-sized exercise equipment to fishing lures, DICK’s has the quality products you need and want. So, it should come as no surprise that they now carry Polo Sport® by Ralph Lauren, a new collection of men’s activewear.

Found in select DICK’s Sporting Goods locations, I ventured to the nearby DICK’s at The Parks in Arlington, TX to treat myself to a few of the new Polo Sport items. I thought it might be hard to navigate my way to find where Polo Sport was located within the large sporting goods retailer, but it was hard to miss the bold sign proclaiming its presence.

I’m just glad I didn’t have to stop and ask this guy. I think he was in the middle of auditioning for Iron Mannequin.

Hey, I claim to love puns, but never said I’m good at them!

The layout was filled with activewear designed for top notch looks and performance in the cold or heat. The cold weather gear was tempting, but I find myself indoors or in a heated garage since Avery is usually with me when working out, so I gravitated towards the shorts and short sleeved shirts.

I found plenty of items I wanted to take home, but lets face it, spending a lot on myself right before Christmas would just be wrong. Obviously, I can wait to return that scratchy wool sweater from Aunt Sally and then go back to buy more! 😉

With the approaching holiday in mind, I narrowed my selection to 5 favorite fitness apparel items to bring home and start “playing” with right away. Having had the chance to wear and workout in my chosen items, I figured I’d share my top 5 with you.

Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey T-Shirt – This is my new favorite shirt. I love the deep blue color and the comfortable fit allows me to move as it keeps me cool for the indoor workouts I’ve been doing lately. Not covering our floors in sweat is vital to stay in good standing with the wife too!
Polo Sport Men’s Performance Jersey Long Sleeve Shirt – Same as the T-Shirt but with long sleeves, I like having this for when I venture outside and it’s actually cold here in North Texas. Right now it’s been in the 70’s so I still wear my T-Shirt when going out for a run/walk/playground time.
Polo Sport Men’s Tech Fleece Hoodie – Even as a lover of heat, there’s just something I enjoy about a good hoodie, and Polo Sport got it right with this one. When I can wear winter clothes that won’t interfere with my chosen workout for the day, well, that’s just awesome. Somehow, this comfy hoodie manages to keep me feeling warm and doesn’t get in the way of doing back squats and kettlebell swings in a cold garage when the heater stops working.
Polo Sport Men’s Stretch-Fit Performance Cap – My big noggin usually will not accommodate anything but the hair growing out of it, but after trying on this hat, I’m willing to reconsider. It’s designed for ultimate performance during intense workouts, but I like just having a hat I actually enjoy wearing. Yes, so much so that I even take smiling selfies of myself with it on.
Polo Sport Men’s Jersey Active 10” Shorts – Helllloooo, comfort! I’m extremely peculiar about having good shorts, and when I find a pair I like, I’ll wash them every day just so I can keep wearing them. Just a pull of the drawstring gives me a custom fit and their moisture-wicking fabric keeps me dry and stench free. Not to mention the 10″ inseam protects from any “exposure issues” when working out. All good things for something who likes to use the rower.

Bonus points for being able to right to playtime after an intense workout and not smelling or dripping sweat like a wet dog. Avery appreciates it.

Any or all of these would make a great gift someone you know or for yourself. Hey, only you really know what you want, right? With color options ranging from light colors like Andover Heather or Pure White, dark colors like Pacific Blue (my favorite!), and vibrant colors like Shocking Orange, there’s plenty of options to suit any taste.

Looking to buy some nice activewear for the man in your life? Polo Sport has what you need to keep him looking good and maybe even motivated to stay in shape. Win-win!

Motivation comes in many forms, and what you wear definitely plays a big role in your desire to get up and MOVE! Polo Sport has just what any fitness-minded guy would love, so head over to DICK’s Sporting Goods or visit online by clicking here.

Life, Parenting

You Don’t Need An Elf or A Shelf For Tradition

12/08/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

The Elf on the Shelf Christmas tradition is definitely cute and fun for kids and parents, but you can just as easily start your own, less commercialized tradition too. To me, once there’s an app for that, a lot of the fun part goes away.

I prefer to keep most traditions exclusively within the family, and recently, without the intent of it becoming tradition, we created our own Elf-on-the-Shelf-like tradition with Lamby. If you are not aware of her current best plush friend, it’s the lamb (obviously) in her hand.

Lamby is always by her side unless he’s “taking a bath” in the washing machine from too much outside playtime. One night, after Avery’s usual pre-bed bath, I decided to place Lamby on the couch where he was peaking over the side. When she came running, naked straight out of the bath, there he was, staring right down the hall where she emerged.

The first time caught her off guard, but her face lit up as she proclaimed “Lamby!” as getting on to him for moving from the spot she had left him. Going Mom and I both loved seeing our wide-grinned daughter excitedly running to find Lamby and grab him to bring to bed. Thus, a tradition was born.

Every night since, I’ve been trying to find a new spot/pose for her wooly pal to be found. Now, after getting out of the bath, she’ll ask where Lamby is and my wife will say she doesn’t know and to go find him. He’s been on the couch in various areas, holding her toy kettlebell, climbing on the desk in our front entry, sitting on a balloon, and most recently, playing with blocks.

Avery has been repeating “Lamby’s playing with blocks” for the past couple days now, so I am sticking with it for now. She obviously enjoys finding her rogue Lamby.

Honestly, I’m running out of ideas. I know there is so much more I can do, but I don’t want her going on a scavenger hunt right before bed. Especially when she’s running around naked in a cold house; she can get upset in an instant. Oh wait, that’s toddlers in general.

So he doesn’t come with a book telling the story of his purpose for hiding around the house to keep tabs on our little girl for Santa or the Easter Bunny, but she love it nonetheless. Besides, Lamby is unique to us. Maybe other families have their own free versions too, but we have Lamby in our house, and that just makes it more fun to us.

Who knows, maybe she’ll want an elf as she gets older, but right now, Lamby is free and fun for all which makes it a win-win for everyone. Now, I need to find some new Lamby hiding spots since I know blocks can’t his thing every night.

Do you do Elf on the Shelf in your home?

Do you have your own version of this or any other popular/commercialized tradition?

Any thoughts on what Lamby should be doing next?

Life, Parenting

When Did Our Toddler Get So Smart?

12/04/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

We had just come to terms that our baby is toddler, but now she’s transforming into a smart/tricky toddler of sorts. Smart, because she’ll call out all letters of the alphabet, numerous colors, stack blocks (instead of just destroy) and speak in complete sentences sometimes.

In Mary Katherine from SNL style – Super~~star~~ Smart!

Tricky, because, well, she’s figuring out how to delay things at night when it’s bedtime, and how to use her cuteness to get her way.

Smiling on kitchen floor — Stop what you’re doing and just play with me!

But make no mistake, Going Mom and I are not complaining. We couldn’t be me happy to see how our little girl is growing physically and intellectually. But also make no mistake, it drives us insane at times!

Mainly, the nighttime toddler delay tactics. She has this thing where she likes to do a “jump” into her pajamas after bathtime, so Mommy will let her jump once, but then she says “Again”, and she goes again. But two is not enough, and she’ll continue going until one of us makes her stop. Some nights, she’ll accept it, other nights, you’d think she’s auditioning for an opera.

Then, we normally only read one book, but now she turns on the bottom lip to try and delay the inevitable; sleep! Well, at least going into her crib. We had a nice few weeks of an easy transition from putting her in the crib and she’d go to sleep soon after, or at least not throw a fit. But now, WOW, this girl makes her demon days look like a cute and cuddly kitten!

When her screams aren’t radiating throughout the house, she’ll pace around her crib and talk to herself. We consider this much better than the alternative, and even nice to see how her brain has developed. Just listen to her talk amongst herself to decide if she wants the blue plate or pink plate tonight.

I stay up at night making the tough decision on whether I want the blue or pink plate tonight too. #terribletwos #toddler #resistance #parenting #sleep

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Dec 1, 2015 at 6:45am PST

Saying “Blue plate tonight” has become the majority of our daily conversations. I ask her if she wants water, it’s “Blue plate tonight”.

Me: Did you go poop?

Avery: Blue plate tonight.

Me: Do you want to go for a walk to see the moon tonight?

Avery: Blue plate tonight.

Me: *Silence*

Avery: Blue plate tonight, blue plate tonight, bluuuuueee plate toniiiiiight!

You get the drift.

Don’t get me wrong, she says more than Blue plate tonight, but those three words are repeated all day long. Other popular phrases are:

Crazy football
See you tomorrow, goat cheese. (Now she says “See you tomorrow, blue plate”)
More goat cheese. Please, goat cheese.
The moon’s a coming.
Biceps and triceps.
Clean the boo-boo on the butt.
The light’s on!
I’m a crazy Avery.

I could go on with a few more, but these are the ones that stand out right now. Needless to say, this girl truly is crazy, and we’re loving how much fun (usually) she is.

With the increased fun/craziness, means decreased blog posts, or at least shorter in length. Naps are becoming scarce and I’m keeping busy with other things. But don’t worry, I’ll be around to post updates when possible and even share product reviews, workout ideas, and maybe even recipes.

Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season so far with more good times ahead! Oh, and here, Avery wanted to say bye-bye with Lamby.