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!

Life, Parenting

You Can’t Spell Catastrophe Without ‘Cat’

03/16/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Yes, our cat played a small part in the weekend, but that wasn’t all. Just made for a fun title, don’t you think?

We actually had a pretty good weekend overall. On Friday, my squat day, I got to test out my new Soft Star Shoes doing one of the most intensive and best bang for your muscular buck exercises! I already train in minimal shoes, in fact, they’re called “Minimus”, as in New Balance Minimus. I’ve run marathons, sprinted, and lifted in them and have loved them, but the Soft Star Shoes give a true minimal feel.

The less cushioning between your foot and the ground the better when it comes to leg-intensive lifting like dead lifts and squats since you need that ground feel for stability. All of the cushioning on most “athletic” shoes make it as if you’re trying to squat while standing on a pillow; not fun, or easy……….or safe!

The verdict? Soft Star delivers and excellent shoe for lifting! I loved how I felt secure and connected to the ground, and unlike my Minimus with a 4mm heel-to-toe drop, these have zero. I could feel how different the dynamics change the lift, but it was in a good way. Anyway, looking forward to my next squat day, and I’ll have a full Soft Star review soon.

Saturday started with a giant bowl of blueberry NuttZo chia oatmeal made for Kelley and Avery. In return, Kelley makes the coffee; my typical breakfast.

Kelley made an appointment for ~~our~~ her fat black cat (seriously, 17+ pounds), Lou, to get his annual shots. The cat and I have a mutual feeling of resentment, and I am no help when it comes to rounding him up in the cat carrier since he flees at the sight of me.

But, he hates the carrier and Kelley was having a difficult time chasing him around the house. For such a fatty, he can really move and squirm! Finally, I joined in at Kelley’s request (which she regretted soon after), and tried to litter-ally (ha ha) pounce on the svelte feline. I ended up with wads of cat hair on the couch, in the air, and all over me with several deep claw scratches on both arms. Fail.

Avery was following us around and watching in pure confusion at the whole ordeal, and started getting upset. Toddlers make so many things 10,000 times harder! What’s up with that?!

After getting Lou in the carrier once and having him jump right back out, Kelley and I were finally successful after pinning him in the closet and dropping him inside as I held the carrier upright. The guy was panting hard; tongue out and loud as a dog. He was worn out, pissed, and probably hungry…….being fat and all.

Unfortunately, Kelley didn’t give him to some cat-loving person at the vet, but she did snap this pic of what looks like a cat in distress.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate any animal, but for some reason, I just don’t have a great relationship with our cat and dog. I can’t pinpoint the exact reasoning, but I lack the bond. Since Avery, I’m even more anti-pet than before. That said, I still feed the animals and make sure Abby, our Golden Retriever, goes on a walk with us almost every day.

The rest of Saturday was spent doing random things inside and out, while our crazy toddler took over the house. At night, after Going Mom nursed Avery ~~to sleep~~ and put her in her crib since she wouldn’t go to sleep, we finally watched The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay. Only a week after we originally planned, but we watched it nonetheless!

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Stupid ending, or whatever you call it……we can’t wait until November for part 2, we want it NOW! Just like Veruca from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory wants that golden egg…

On Sunday, Kelley needed to run to Home Depot for a few bags of sand and tools to work on our back yard garden. I stopped at a car parts store to get oil to change in both of our cars (we both have Subaru Outbacks) while we were out.

As Kelley tended to the yard, Avery and I changed the oil. Although, she wasn’t too sure what was going on, she made it clear she did not like being next to a running car as it pulled inside the garage. I’m just glad she gave me smiles most of the time!

So that was our weekend. No frills (besides the damn cat), and pretty pleasant. Oh, and I’ll share with you a recent pun I posted on Facebook….

Post by RC Liley.

Kelley and I are having a date night at a BYOB Paint Class tonight and G-Ma is coming over to spend time with Avery. We did this a while back where we painted a jellyfish and had a great time.

Kelley’s was way better (on the right). I blame the scotch. Okay, I also suck at painting. This time it’s a Monet painting of a pretty sunset on the water. I’m bringing scotch again, so if I suck, at least I have something to blame besides my lack of artistry! We’ll see if it’s still pretty after I’m done with it. Tonight, Monet might be rolling in his grave for a while!

Happy Monday!

Life, Monthly List, Parenting

16 Memories From My 16th Month Since ‘Going Dad’

03/15/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

We’re starting to rack up the memories here, and there’s still a looonnngggg time to go! But that’s a good thing, no need to rush through life, right?

I’m going to have to start cutting down on my word length so as to not draw everything out. Well, at least not more than I already do! See, I’m doing it now? Damn.

So, Avery, let’s cut to the chase and get on with the memories, shall we?

1. Your popular phrase this month has been “Say cheese!” Mommy kept telling you this while taking the thousands of pics we take of you, and eventually you just started repeating what Mommy said. You’ve slowed down recently, but still surprise us by saying it out of no where.

Thanks to Mommy’s great training, Avery can now say “say cheese”. Guess she needs her own camera now. #Parenting #teaching #learning #toddlers

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Feb 17, 2015 at 12:13pm PST

2. We’ve been “playing” peek-a-boo with you since you were just 2 weeks old, but now you’re finally playing back. Although, you tend to draw out the amount of time you have your hands over your face. Either way, cute as ever!

She’s good at hiding, and great at making it awkward by taking too long for the reveal! #Parenting #peekaboo #funny #love A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Feb 16, 2015 at 5:19pm PST

3. Having hit the weigth limit in your infant car seat, we needed to upgrade to a convertible seat. The extremely generous people at Britax WOW’d us by sending their Boulevard ClickTight seat. It was a breeze to install, and, you were obviously WOW’d too!

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4. We watched our first movie, Puss in Boots, together as a family. You could hardly sit still enough to actually watch any of it, and you didn’t miss much since the movie did not impress! It was still a good bonding time and hopefully we’ll have another one soon!

5. Another family “experience” this past month was that we all got sick. I mentioned how both you and I got sick in my last “Memories” post, and Mommy had her face time with the toilet not long after. Whatever it was, I’m glad we’re all happy and healthy now!

6. You are finally holding and drinking from the bottle on your own! Holding it upside down is still an issue, but you’re getting better each day. This is great, because I had just wrote about our frustrations with how you should’ve been holding it already. But, since you are still breastfeeding, we attributed it to that at least a little bit.

7. The hypocrite in me came out this month when I gave you one of those applesauce-in-a-pouch things. I was going crazy trying to prepare several meals at once as you ran around my legs, so I busted out the GoGo Squeez pouch you received as a party favor from our neighborhood friend’s 1st birthday party. You were unsure of the puree being squeezed into your mouth at first, but quickly finished off the whole thing!

8. After years of talking and having what my late grandpa (your G-Ma’s Dad) called the “I Wanna Disease”, I finally bought an indoor rower. Thanks to Amazon Points and Mommy’s fitness reimbursement at work, I felt somewhat justified in the purchase. When it arrived, you were a huge help in getting it put together quickly!

9. While people in Boston were getting feet upon feet of snow, Texas had it’s own “extreme” weather hit with *gasp* a few inches of snow! It actually was pretty bad since the roads were iced over almost everywhere, but we still made the most of it and you got to walk around in your bear suit for your first ex-snow-perience.

10. Since you started playing peek-a-boo, saying “Say cheese”, and holding your own bottle, it only seemed fitting for you to bust out some high fives too. And that you did! Maybe too good at times, since you’d give my five when I had food in my hand and was offering it to you.

Giving high fives like a pro, and proud of it! #Parenting #sahd #teaching #learning #toddlers #DaddysGirl

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Feb 23, 2015 at 8:57am PST

11. The creator (and wonderful father and husband) of the Dad Bloggers group I am a part of, Oren Miller, passed away after battling stage 4 lung cancer for almost a year. I never met him personally, but was a part of a group-wide initiative to raise funds for him and his family to go on one last vacation together. As a tribute, many of us dad bloggers lit up social media by having a #LoveWalkForOren and tagging #Dads4Oren. You and I shared in the heart-warming tribute with our own walk. Things like this make me realize how much I love you and Mommy more than ever!

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12. I recently have been given the honor to help our Dallas Dads Group branch out to the Fort Worth area which is closer to where we live. The first meet-up I scheduled was for a bounce house called Jump For Fun in Southlake. We had a blast, and since it’s free for 2 and under, we’ll be going back soon for sure! 13. For G-Ma’s most recent visit, she couldn’t believe how much you had grown after only not seeing you for 2 weeks. G-Ma was excited to see what all you can do now, but didn’t expect your eyesight to be so good as to point out food in her teeth! 14. Mommy and I have been trying to teach you a few words in sign language for a while now, but we weren’t too consistent in the beginning. We picked it back up this month, and the sign for “more”, as in food, is your ultimate favorite. Now you’re signing more all day! You’re a bottomless pit, but thankfully it’s all healthy goodness with things like NuttZo! 15. With you doing so well at signing for more and holding your own bottle, I figured I’d start setting several bites of food for you to have as you roam around the house. But, you still don’t understand the concept of “one at a time”, so that was short-lived. You just stuff your face with everything in front of you at once! While signing for more, of course. 16. Annnddd, finally, the last one this month. Our Texas weather just started warming up (hopefully for good since it’s almost spring), and I’ve been bringing you to the playground to get some outside time. You can’t do much with the equipment yet, but it’s obvious you just enjoy being outdoors.

Enjoying the #Texas sun with my daughter! #Spring is coming! #Parenting #DaddysGirl #playing

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on Mar 11, 2015 at 4:16pm PDT

Happy 16 months, Avery, Mommy and Daddy (and a lot of other friends and family) love you so much! Keep on growing, not too fast, and lets work a little more on keeping your bottle upright. 😉

Thanks for reading through this post that gets longer and longer each month.

What were you finding about your kid around 16 months?

Life, Promo

Gaining Strength with My Daughter + Immune Support from Ester-C

03/14/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its Advertiser. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone and should not be construed as medical advice. #24HourEsterC #CollectiveBias

Half-way through my college career, I decided to run a marathon. I hardly trained, and the race hurt….a lot, but I pushed and made it across the finish line. Walking up or down stairs the following 2 weeks brought painful tears to my eyes, but I was hooked and wanted to do another, only better. I know, crazy, right?

Armed with a training and nutrition plan, I learned how important both aspects were to attaining any goal. Training, to prepare the body for the stressors of an endurance event, and nutrition for peak performance, recovery, and especially proper immune support.

Fast-forward to current day; I’ve completed over 10 marathons (including Boston), an ultra-marathon, and too many 5k’s and 10k’s to count. I’m extremely proud of these accomplishments as anyone should be, but I found endurance came at the expense of strength after failing miserably at trying to jump in the air. I certainly lost weight and changed my body composition, but my body lacked muscle and I decided it was time to train for strength.

Strength training and distance running are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the need for good nutrition and a supported immune system remain key factors. I get all day immune support from Ester-C to keep me “Going” as a dad (see what I did there?) living a healthy lifestyle!

Although good nutrition may help support your immune system, I’m not taking any chances of being sidelined from training again. Now I get 24 hour immune support from Ester-C which enables me to consistently train as well as manage my key role as a stay-at-home dad and loving husband.

When I first became an at-home dad, a big fear of mine (besides nap time) was not having a consistent strength training routine since raising a baby was uncharted territory. That was over a year ago, and thankfully, with a little creativity and determination, that fear is a thing of the past.

When I go into our garage gym complete with a power squat rack, bench, several kettlebells, and Olympic barbell set, Avery comes too. She even has her own toy kettlebell to use when “working out” with Mommy and Daddy. She still needs a little practice on her swings, but she’s already a natural at squatting!

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Along with cooking nutritious meals and lots of playtime, working out with Avery is part of the daily routine to keep fit, get stronger, and support our immune system. Thanks to a supported immune system and my motivation providing us to stick to our routine, both Avery and her Daddy (that’s me!) are getting stronger physically and strengthening our daddy-daughter bond.

It’s obvious I’m mindful about what goes into our bodies seeing as to how I cook all of our meals and rarely go out to eat, so why do I make Ester-C my go-to Vitamin C supplement? Among the many benefits 24 Hour Ester-C has to offer, here’s several that make it a no-brainer in our house.

Ester-C is a special form of Vitamin C designed to stay in your white blood cells for up to 24-hours, providing you with around-the-clock immune system support.*
It is carefully manufactured to contain the same compounds your body produces when it metabolizes vitamin C.
Its unique, water-based manufacturing process combines Vitamin C with Calcium using no chemical solvents. The manufacturing process also neutralizes pH, making it non-acidic and gentle on the stomach
Comes in 1000mg or 500mg Vegetarian Coated Tablets that are Non-GMO and Free of Sugar, Soy, Gluten, Wheat, and Artificial Flavors & Colors.

Ester-C is easily found at your local Wal-Mart in the Vitamin and Supplement aisle and it’s currently on rollback! I take the 500mg tablets to split my doses since I prefer to take one in the morning and another at night. Keep up to date on the latest immune supporting products and great info on the Ester-C Facebook page and on Twitter too!

Why not let Ester-C help support your health so you can help support what matters most, our children?

Have you dealt with setbacks in training before?

Share how you’re currently training for a certain goal, how are you working to reach it?