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A Healthy and Safe 2012 – National Random Acts of Kindness Week @MasterLockCo

In honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 13-19), Master Lock is doing a variety of things to encourage folks not to give up on their New Year’s resolutions to stay fit and active. At the same time, they want to use this week to encourage consumers to commit small acts of kindness by committing one of their own. During that week, Master Lock will be surprising consumers in 6 different markets across the country and simply handing out completely free locks along with a little nice, inspirational note. They will also be hosting giveaways during this week on their Facebook page.

 

Today I want to talk about Having a Healthy and Safe 2012:

There are so many things that one can do to be healthy and safe and this year I am taking some steps personally to make sure that I am staying healthy and I am working on trying to make sure that I teach my girls some important lessons in safety as well.

For me, I have been truly trying to look at ways to eat healthier this year. I am packing more homemade lunches and eating more fresh foods. I am also trying to uphold the resolutions that I mentioned earlier this week and exercising more frequently. This is not always easy to uphold, but I want to do this not only for myself but also to show my daughters the importance of living a healthy life.

In regards to safety, one of the things that I want to work out with my whole family soon is a family emergency plan so that we all know what to do no matter what happens. Thus, if we have a fire, a tornado, flood or whatever other situation that might occur, the kids know what to do and where to meet so that if we get separated they will know where our family spot is.

So these are only a few things that I am hoping to do to have a healthy and safe 2012, but I would really like to hear from you. What are you planning to do to make 2012 healthier and safer for you and for your family?

I look forward to your comments!

 

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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No-Fail Resolution – National Random Acts of Kindness Week @MasterLockCo

In honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 13-19), Master Lock is doing a variety of things to encourage folks not to give up on their New Year’s resolutions to stay fit and active. At the same time, they want to use this week to encourage consumers to commit small acts of kindness by committing one of their own. During that week, Master Lock will be surprising consumers in 6 different markets across the country and simply handing out completely free locks along with a little nice, inspirational note.

They will also be hosting giveaways during this week on their Facebook page.

 

Today I want to Talk About Resolutions:

Every year people come up with great resolutions for the new year. Work out, eat right, do things differently in their life. There are so many resolutions that each of us make and in many cases break throughout the year. For me this year I stated that I wanted to be able to work out more and get back into the shape I was in before I had knee surgery. The year started well and I began slowly getting back into a routine, but soon I started to get into rut and losing motivation. That is the biggest thing for me, the lack of motivation. I find that when it comes for working out, I need to have someone to work out with to keep up my motivation as well as to have the motivation of someone else too.

My suggestion for all of you, especially if you are like me is to take the resolution that you want to accomplish or keep up and see if you can break it down into smaller components or time segments. For me I will be doing this and working on getting the additional help of a partner/friend to keep me in check.

My questions today are: What are your resolutions this year? How are you doing on them and what do you do when you fail in holding them up (if you do?


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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Kindness Matters – National Random Acts of Kindness Week @MasterLockCo

In honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 13-19), Master Lock is doing a variety of things to encourage folks not to give up on their New Year’s resolutions to stay fit and active. At the same time, they want to use this week to encourage consumers to commit small acts of kindness by committing one of their own. During that week, Master Lock will be surprising consumers in 6 different markets across the country and simply handing out completely free locks along with a little nice, inspirational note.

They will also be hosting giveaways during this week on their Facebook page.

 

Today I want to talk about why kindness matters!

Too often in today’s society we see materialism reign and a self-centered approach to life within ourselves and our own children. When did this start? When did our society turn around to be focused on ourselves instead of the people around us? I see this on a daily basis, and this “me” attitude is one that is hard to deal with.

For me I truly believe that if each of us took the time to show just a bit of kindness to one another we would be amazed to see the difference in our neighborhoods, our towns, our States, our Country and even in the World. The is why I try and teach my own children the importance to always be kind to others. Being kind to me is more than a nice word, but it actually showing others that you care and doing things to follow up on this. Showing kindness can show up in many ways, from simply being present, to listening, to acts of service or so many other things. What is hard though, as a parent, is to explain this to a young child. Instead, you have to be able to show this to your children through the actions, deeds and words that you show on a daily basis.

 

My question for you today is how do you teach others that Kindness matters?

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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Inspiring Kindness in National Random Acts of Kindness Week @MasterLockCo

In honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 13-19), Master Lock is doing a variety of things to encourage folks not to give up on their New Year’s resolutions to stay fit and active. At the same time, they want to use this week to encourage consumers to commit small acts of kindness by committing one of their own. During that week, Master Lock will be surprising consumers in 6 different markets across the country and simply handing out completely free locks along with a little nice, inspirational note.

They will also be hosting giveaways during this week on their Facebook page.

cts of kindness, the company has created the following set of tips to help consumers strategically adapt to their new lifestyles and make their New Year’s resolutions permanent habits:

  • Write It Down…and Share It. Simply thinking through your resolutions and storing them mentally isn’t going to ensure you stay committed. Having a list of goals in your organizer, smart phone, or social media profile that you can easily access and share will reinforce your promise to yourself and spur encouragement from your followers and friends.
  • Get the right gear. Whether your goals revolve around getting back in the gym or being more organized at home, having the right products to help you succeed is a must. For organization, the 7148D document storage box can help keep important documents safely filed away.  To securely organize your digital life, register for a free account at masterlockvault.com to safely store your user names, passwords and other confidential data for easy access anytime, anywhere.  Getting good shoes, proper work-out wear, and a new gym lock such as the 1534D Password lock will help reinvigorate your enthusiasm to exercise.
  • Do it for a Month. In order for a new behavior to become a habit, you must stick to it for at least thirty days. Setting this small goal will make achieving your overall resolution more realistic. Plus, you can be encouraged when you’ve reached the one-month mark and assess your progress.
  • Keep a Journal. Commit to writing one to two sentences about your progress toward your goals each day. Keeping a written record of how you’re doing will keep your resolution top of mind and motivate you to continue to make changes.
  • One Step at a Time. Don’t set too many goals and then try tackling them all at once. Make one goal your priority and focus on changing your habits to achieve it. Once you’ve mastered it, set your sights on two additional goals, giving yourself realistic timelines to achieve them and go from there.

 

During National Random Acts of Kindness Week, Master Lock will be surprising gym-goers in six cities with the innovative 1534D Password lock to encourage them to stick to their fitness resolutions and spread a little kindness. The lock is ideal for safely storing your personal belongings during a workout and will be distributed at the following markets:

  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Los Angeles, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • New York, New York
  • Dallas, Texas
  • Miami, Florida

Consumers outside of the six markets can also get in on the fun and celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness week by visiting Master Lock’s Facebook page to enter for a chance to win prizes, including the 1534D Password Locks and Visa gift cards.

 

For more information about the tips above and other security solutions, please visit Master Lock’s website at www.masterlock.com or the Master Lock Facebook page at www.facebook.com/masterlock.  Visit www.masterlockvault.com to utilize the free, secure online data storage application and download a smart phone app for easy access on the go – an ideal place to keep important passwords and other information.

 

What Kindness means to Me

As a parent I am always trying to teach my daughters about the importance of being kind to others as well as sharing and giving back to others even if they have never given you anything in return. There have been so many moments for which kindness has occurred within my life. Sometimes this is something simple like a slight offer of help, a gift or a unknown benefactor. Though these are many times little things, the return on all of these are HUGE in the long run and what I always find in the end for me it is the intrinsic rewards that I receive from kindness that I give that sustains me most!

 

What about you, what examples of kindness have been given to you, or what have you done in the past to share a kindness?

 

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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Manly Super Bowl Party Planning for the Whole Family

Here are some tips fromMr. Handyman, the nation’s largest residential handyman company, on how to spice up your Super Bowl party by creating ultimate football-themed décor.

There is also a link here with more information and tips: http://blog.mrhandyman.com/2012/01/18/super-bowl-party-ideas-football-bar-decorations/

  • Turn Your Food Table into a Football Field: Lay down an old table cloth to protect your table, cover with outdoor carpet/Astroturf. Add a few white lines with tape and ta-da! You have your own football field right in your kitchen or living room. With leftover scraps, you can make festive coasters or easy-to-grip beer cozies.
  • Change Your Coffee Table into a big field blackboard: Why not give your guests a place to show off what they have in mind during the game? Cut a piece of plywood to fit your coffee table and paint it with chalkboard paint. Add lines and finish the edges with duct tape. Leave chalk out for your guests to play with for a simple and fun addition to the party.
  • Make a Football-themed bar: With all the cheering and hollering, your guests are bound to get thirsty. Get a nice piece of plywood and cut out a football shape using your jigsaw. Paint it with some brown and white paint, and there’s your giant football. Then, using plywood and 2 x 4s, create a box. Attach the football to the front, add some green outdoor carpet on top and you are ready to wow your guests.
  • Create some very simple goalposts: Using PVC pipe, you can make your own goalposts and do a little football playing of your own before the game!

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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12

Blog Pop ( #blogpop ) @penguinusa Puppy Bowl Sticker and Activity Book and Puppy Bowl Yearbook #Giveaway

It’s almost time for Valentines Day and to celebrate this Blog Pop is celebrating Bubbles of Love with all of you! Between January 19-22 the 10 bloggers from Blog Pop are working together to bring you some awesome giveaways! So go and check out the following blogs for some other great prizes, and remember to come back here a lot over the next few days to enter for some great prizes! The ten blogs that are a part of the School Rules Event include:

Quick Tattletails Still Blonde After all These years The Socialite’s Closet Stash Mama Momma Told Me
Turning the Clock Back Making Ends Meet My Life with Rats and More Confessions of an Overworked Mom Dad of Divas

My next giveaway is Below!

About the Books
Puppy Bowl Sticker and Activity Book: Puppy Bowl is the only place you can see a football matchup between two teams of adorable puppies, sideline entertainment from baby bunny cheerleaders and a halftime show put on by a band of kittens! Now you can join in on the fun with this interactive sticker activity book, featuring a maze to the doggy bowl, canine word search and four pages of puppy stickers. SRP: $6.99

 

Puppy Bowl Yearbook: What’s cuter than a puppy playing with is favorite chew toy? A team of puppies playing with their toys on a canine-sized football field! Puppy Bowl is Animal Planet’s annual matchup between two teams of adorable (and adoptable!) puppies battling it out for gridiron-glory. You’ll ooh and ahh over the cast of all-star puppies and all their tumbles and fumbles-not to mention the furry bunny cheerleaders and sweet kitten halftime show. This Puppy Bowl Yearbook features profiles of all the furry players, activities, a pull-out poster, and more! SRP: $7.99

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of these books? All you need to do is subscribe to this blog or be a GFC follower of Dad of Divas and then go Penguin USA Website and share something that you learned in the comment section. The contest will run for one week and will end on January 28, 2012.
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) (+4)
    • Grab my badge to your sidebar (+2)

<a href=”http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/”><img src=”http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk235/lewisca3/DadofDivasButton1.jpg” /></a>

 

    • Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment) (+1)

 

    • Follow Penguin Publishing  on Twitter (@penguinusa) (leave username in comment) (+1)

 

    • 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 @penguinusa Puppy Bowl Sticker and Activity Book and Puppy Bowl Yearbook #Giveaway  - http://dadofdivas.com/giveaway #blogpop” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day) (+1)

 

 

 

    • Follow the Blog Pop! blogs: (+1 each)

 

      • Enter any of the giveaways below (+1 per giveaway entered)

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 January 28, 2012 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.

As required by the FTC: Blog POP! received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are those of the writer’s alone.

THE FINE PRINT: All entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Please read each giveaway’s directions carefully as entry methods may differ, and giveaways may be open to different world areas. Please make sure you leave a way (valid email address) with your entries to be contacted if you win. Please note that Dad of Divas, Blog POP! or the Blog POP! bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. We will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor please notify the blog you won a prize from within 30 days for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you. Good luck!

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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12

GMC Terrain ( @thisisgmc ) Works Great in Winter Conditions! #gmcwinterdriving

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Getting to Try Out the New GMC ( @thisisGMC ) Terrain #gmcwinterdriving

Last week I was lucky enough to be asked to go to Steamboat Springs, Colorado to try out the new GMC Terrain in winter conditions. As I have never driven the Terrain before I was very excited about the opportunity to not only learn abotu the new car and what it offers, but also to learn more about tips for driving in winter conditions. Living in Michigan, while I know we do not have a lot of snow and ice yet it is coming very soon!

Arriving in Steamboat Springs last Thursday I had the opportunity to explore the city which was very quaint and western in Nature (which makes sense). I found some fun shops with very neat people. One of the fun stores was a store named FM Light and Sons. This was a store that has been in business since 1905. I walked in and was amazed to see that they had a whole wall of cowboy boots and another section with so many stetson hats that you can not even imagine. What I came to find was that people come to this store from over 100 miles away to get fit for hats and boots and a large amount of their orders are custom orders. What this means is that a person would have to go to the store get fit and then come back in a month or two when the boots are ready to get fit again. You might ask if I stocked up on western gear, but alas, I would have to say no. That being said though I do have to say that I was impressed though in the overall selection and the personal attention that the store provided!

The rest of the town was great and the people were very happy to have tourists in town. I walked through the entire town and found some fun gifts for my girls as well as one for my family in general (have to come back with something, right?).

The first night that I was there we had the opportunity to eat at a great restaurant called Cafe Diva (perfect name for a Dad of Divas like me) and again we were met with great hosts and amazing food. I even decided to try fresh Bison and let me tell you, if you have never tried this, it is so tender and the flavor from this restaurant was out of this world!

 

Day 2 was where the meat of this program took place. This was the day in which I and the rest of our group would be learning to drive in winter conditions in the new 2012 GMC Terrain. We started the day with a great overview of the Terrain itself and let me tell you from all of the things that were being explained to us, I was very impressed, but as the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, so it was up to the actual driving to let me get a true sense of the vehicle itself.

Getting into the vehicle I was impressed to find the large on-screen display with the

added upgrade of a navigation system. This system was great and ended up being (in my opinion) as good as the Garmin that I have in my own home.  With the fact that this is only an $800 upgrade it seemed to me to be a great add-on for this vehicle. The vehicle also has some great functionality built in for stability control as well as for someone like me that is a bit shorter, I appreciated the additional controls to make it easier for me to adjust the pedals as well as my seat so that I could drive in comfort. Add onto this the rear camera as well as the new safety features that alerts you when there may be someone that could be close enough to cause a collision (don’t worry, no bells and alarms, but instead lights that were easy to understand and follow).

The Terrain handled well on main roads and when we got onto the snow it also handled well. Keep in mind that we did have snow tires on, but I can say that we had no problems with the vehicle itself. One of the things that I really liked about the vehicle (outside of what I have already related) was the fact that it was so quiet on the inside. Even with winter tires on, I found the inside to be very well insulated to outside noises which was great. I also liked the fact that you could fold the seats down to the ground for easy storage and hauling if need be.

Seeing that this was a winter driving experience, I learned quite a bit about what to have in the car with you, as well as what to do when in a slide and other treacherous conditions. Outside of this thought, one thing that I did learn was more about when to shift into first or second gear when in snowy conditions, which was good to know in any situation!

When we were done driving we had the opportunity to go outside and experience more of Colorado. I chose to try something I had never done before, snowmobiling. I had heard fun things about this, and with my bum knee being what it is I knew that I needed to try this out for myself.

Getting out on the trail with the wind in my face was exhilarating. With that and the speed behind this I can see why this is a popular winter sport. After finishing this I wanted to go out for more and now that I am back in Michigan, I may just look into doing this!

All-in-all, I was completely impressed with the Terrain as well as my trip to Steamboat Springs. I have to say thanks to GMC (@thisisgmc) for the opportunity to go and try out the vehicle as well as to experience a great town in Colorado.

If you or your family are looking for an amazing vehicle, take the new  GMC Terrain for a test drive and I think that you will be as impressed as I was!

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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3

2011 Top Ten Holiday Gifts for Girls! (@timetoplay)

A few weeks back I had the chance to interview Shannon Eis from Time to Play Magazine about the top gifts this holiday season for Girls! I want to thank Shannon for her willingness to share her thoughts with you and hope that you will find this as informative as I.

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Reflections on my trip to theTime to Play Toy Show (@timetoplay, #timetoplay)

As a dad who loves toys and who loves to share toys with my daughters (and my readers – can’t forget you) I was floored when I was asked to go to New York City this past Monday to be a part of the blogging Team that attended the Time to Play Magazine’s (@timetoplay) Time to Play 2011 Toy Fair.

Seeing that I have not attended many blogging events let alone a toy fair, I have to say that I did not know what to expect, but I was still very excited about the event itself and all of the fun new toys that I was sure to be introduced to.

Leading up to the event my anticipation mounted as I spoke with some blogging friends of mine Adam Cohen (@DadaRocks) and Drew Bettett (@BenSpark) and found out that they would be there along with Josh from @DadStreet and a number of mom bloggers that I had seen around the internet but did not know them much more than that (but now I do!).  As I said I do not get to these events often and usually am confined to talking over the phone or via social networking so this was also going to be a treat.

The amazing people at Litzky PR treated me with utmost respect especially by Kaylie (@kayliegrace), she made every step of my trip amazing! I found out more about the trip itself and that I would be coming in the day before and meeting up with the blogging team. This was beyond my expectations and I was very excited to be sure!

Time to play, I came to find is an amazing company and website! They have amazing staff that go above and beyond to make toy buying easy for anyone. What they do best is get down to the basics with the toys and play with them like kids would so that they can share with their readers what the toys are really like and what their positive and negative aspects are. Their site (timetoplay.com) is amazing and so user friendly. In talking to the owners, they have so many great ideas about the future of the company, I know that I and I hope all of you will come to find that this will be your first step before purchasing any new toy!

The night before the event we all went out to dinner at a restaurant called Blue Smoke. It was amazing and I had the best Ribs that I have ever had in my life. If you are ever in New York City you should try this restaurant! We all had a great time getting to know each other and developing even stronger friendships.

Back to the reason I was going. I was going to see and experience the unveiling of the Time to Play’s Holiday 2011 Most Wanted Toys List. Every year Time to Play comes out with the top toys of the holiday season. Below I have linked to a video that unveils these toys to you.

The morning of the show itself was exciting, we got in a cab and went over to the Altman Building to experience the show itself. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was very well organized with a ton of great businesses. I started the day hanging out with my friend Drew from benspark.com , we started by learning more from Razor, Crayola and LEGO. I was amazed to find that there were so many new great toys on the market!

I could easily spend a long time today talking about all of the toys that I I learned about but I will be talking more about these in the following months as I review the toys and possibly even give some away as we prepare for the holidays!

After the show I had to catch my ride back to LaGuardia to fly back home. I was surprised to find that three great moms that I met at Time to Play were on my flight to Milwaukee and I got to sit by them on the plane as well. So thanks to @momstart, @OutnumberedMama  & @RobynsWorld for making a long wait in the airport and on the plane enjoyable and I look forward to keeping in touch!

I had am amazing time and I have to say thank you SO much to a few people that made this happen. First to Adam Cohen (http://dadarocks.com) as he was the person that passed my name on to Time to Play and thus is the person that paved the way for me to have this experience. Second, thanks to Kaylie Nelson, a great PR Representative and a great person (and so organized!). She did an amazing job at balancing everything. I am completely hooked and know that I will be spending a lot more time on Time to Play Magazine’s Website and you should too!  I made the video below to talk a little about my experiences…hope that you enjoy!

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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