How Princesses Provided A Fairy Tale Ending For One Little Girl

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Official Princess Parties

The opinions on Princess culture run from those who love everything about the fairy tale stories, to those who think princesses are ruining our little girls and driving us further into debt with all the commercialization. I have always been in the middle. I love how much my little girl adores the princess culture but I don’t think it’s turning her into anything more than a little girl who has found something she loves.

I had a change of opinion this past week, however, when something amazing happened. My friend Christine, who blogs for “Life on Manitoulin”, was forced to take an emergency helicopter ride with her 4 year old daughter, who was experiencing severe stomach pains. When they got to Ottawa and were released from CHEO, following the little one’s surgery, I got the chance to spend some time with them. Her little one, tough as nails by the way, started telling me all about her favourite princesses, as little girls do.

Christine had asked me if I thought we would be able to hire a princess on such short notice and seeing as how I am no stranger to hanging out with and writing about all things princess, I decided to try to help out. I called Official Princess Parties, a company that has already impressed me in the past, and I definitely wasn’t prepared for the kindness that followed.

I explained why I needed someone on such short notice and the owner mentioned that they were all booked up for the next couple weeks, but would send out a feeler to see if anyone was interested in the extra work. Not one minute later, while we were still on the phone, she had already received 3 messages back with people saying they wanted to help out. That would have been enough for me to sing their praises but the owner then mentioned that she wanted to provide this visit, to cheer up a scared little girl, on the house, and my heart exploded. Our princess showed up that night and had everyone mesmerized and smiling from ear to ear. She was perfect and it is exactly the thing that little girl needed at that moment.

Long story short, you can think whatever you want about the effects of princess culture, but this single event and watching the joy on that little girl’s face was enough to convince me of the overwhelming positives that can come from it. At the pace life is moving these days, sometimes it’s just nice to let kids be kids, and when it comes to princesses, I am fine with doing just that. Thank you to the amazing staff at Official Princess Parties for making this little girl’s pain a little more bearable.

Princess Funny Faces

Princess Beauty Julia

Princess Tiara

Just Call Me Coach

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“Coach Chris”. That’s what the kids are calling me these days and I have to say that it feels pretty good. I guess you could say that I was destined to take on this role. You see, I was raised by one of the greatest coaches to ever step on a field. That man was my father and also my hero.

Truth is, I didn’t even sign up to be my son’s coach for his first year of T-Ball. It was only after we received an email from the league telling us they were short that I decided to throw my name in. I don’t have an official reason for why I didn’t sign up in the first place. I rationalized it by telling myself and my wife that it was because I was way too busy to take on coaching two nights a week, but I knew what the real reason was.

It’s been almost 6 years since I lost my father and while a lot of things have become easier, this is the one that I have been dreading most. He had coached me in multiple sports for as long as I can remember. We traveled a lot. We won championships together. He helped me develop my skills, not only as an athlete, but also as a man. Sports were the major reason for our great relationship. It was our bond.

It’s not that I didn’t want to coach and share that bond with my son, I just wasn’t sure I was ready for the emotional overload that was going to come with it. As it turns out, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. As I grew older, I often wondered what had compelled my father to put so much effort into something that seemed to come with nothing but high costs, upset parents and the stresses of dealing with a team full of kids. I found the answer.

It has only been half a season so far and I already love every one of the kids on my team. They all have different skills and quirks and smiles that make each one of them unique and amazing. The innocent joy on their faces when they catch the ball or win the game of freeze tag, is something that changes you. It changes your whole outlook on what is important and I like to think that this was a secret that my Dad would have shared with me had he still been round to see this.

As for my son, I try not to be too hard on him. I know exactly what it feels like to be the coach’s son and it’s something that he is going to have to get used to because I’m not going anywhere.

Catch Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Hedley & More At Big Music Fest!

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Big Music Fest

I love music. If you’ve read this blog or have followed me on social media at all, I would imagine this much is evident. So when I was asked to help out with Belleville’s “Big Music Fest” on June 22nd, my immediate reaction was to say yes. When I popped onto their website and saw bands like the Counting Crows, the Wallflowers and Hedley, my fingers couldn’t type back my YES response fast enough.

Regardless of the lineup, the big ticket item for me is the opportunity to see the Counting Crows play live. The album “August and Everything After” was the first time I can remember actually “feeling” music. It was and will always be the anthem of my younger self and I still listen to it at least once a month. While singing the song, “Mr. Jones”, it was also the first time someone told me that I had a pretty good voice, which has led to me singing in my own band for the past 8 years.

The awesome thing about music is that it has the ability to mold your entire life. For me at least, turning to music has lifted me out of some of my darkest places. Green Day was instrumental in helping me work through the death of my father. And, who hasn’t listened to “Don’t Cry” by Guns and Roses after a tough break up. Music is something that makes our world a better place and I can’t wait to soak up everything that Big Music Fest has to offer.

Just to fill you in on a few details, Big Music Fest will take place on June 22nd, 2013 at East Zwick’s Park in Belleville, Ontario. The featured acts are Burton Cummings, Counting Crows, the Wallflowers, Hedley and Bleeker Ridge. Tickets are on sale now at $64.50 for general admission, $84.50 for VIP and they can be purchased by clicking this link to TicketBreak.Com.

I hope you’ll join me for this incredible weekend of music and please let me know if you are coming so we can get together for a soda…or whatever. You can stay up to date on everything Big Music Fest by following them on Facebook and Twitter as well. I hope to see you there!

As a blogger for the Big Music Fest, I have been offered tickets to the Festival.

The Greatest Love of All

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Love Those Kids

I don’t tend to do the Wordless Wednesday posts and I guess these words kind of negate this being one of them, but every now and then you take a picture that rocks you and this one did that for me. It reminds me of the lengths I would go to make sure they are protected and get the life they deserve. I love these little munchkins and wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

My Summertime Reading List and Subliminal Father’s Day Wish List

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#cbias

As a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community, I was asked to pick out a few of my favourite Summer reads from Chapters and share them with you as part of a #cbias campaign. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client, Chapters.

Only in the past few years have I become more interested in the joys of reading. I realize that sounds weird coming from a grown man but I was so into sports and video games that I never really had time for it. Now with kids, age and gravity all changing the way I looked at the world, I decided to try it out and couldn’t believe what I had been missing out on.

I still remember the exact book that dragged me back from my Hardy Boys days and into and new era of appreciation for books. It was Mo Hayder’s “Birdman” and it is a gruesomely amazing detective thriller. The kind that you never want to put down and that wakes you with nightmares so realistic that you’d swear you were living it. I have read all of her books since and was excited to snag one of her newer ones, “Hanging Hill”, on my latest trip to Chapters.

#cbias

Since that first Mo Hayder book, I have been sampling every genre I can think of in order to find a few that fit. As it turns out, I haven’t been able to narrow down the field too much because there are so many incredible titles throughout all genres. If pressured, I could probably cut it down to murder mysteries and biographies but it would be painful to leave the others behind. The biographies have really been growing on me lately, especially after reading “Always Looking Up” by Michael J. Fox and “Home Game” by Michael Lewis.

With Father’s Day just around the corner, I was excited to see that Chapters had dedicated three separate displays to books for Dad. On one of the displays I found what I believe to be a jewel in the rough, so to speak, in Mike Adamick’s “Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects”. I consider myself to be a novice crafter but this book looks to challenge me to step outside of my home made light sabers and to step up my game to the next level of Fatherhood!

#cbias

Not to be outdone, the kids love a good trip to Chapters as well because on top of the incredible play areas they have set up, they know that a book store is the one place where Daddy can’t say no to a new purchase. I’m not saying I bribe them but the promise of new reading material is an excellent way to get them to behave while Daddy shops for his literary needs.

#cbias

I have to admit that I may have gone a little overboard on my latest shopping trip but it’s a long summer and once I’m in the beach chair it’s really hard to convince me to get back out of it. Yeah, I’m kind of lazy, wanna fight about it? Sorry about that. Anyway, here is what my shopping bag full of summer reading looks like. Do you recognize any of these titles?

#cbias

Finally, I imagine that we all have a favourite place to read, whether it be in bed, on a park bench or on the beach, and I am no exception to that rule. There is nothing I love more than heading up to the cottage, grabbing a copy of Barbie’s Princess and the Popstar and curling up on a deck chair with my best gal.

#cbias

We had a great time on our shopping trip to Chapters and you can see everything I checked out, which includes my subliminal Father’s Day Wish List, over on my Google+ page! Also, I’d like to know, do you have a favourite genre, author or book? Give me your suggestions in the comments so I can expand my summer library. Happy Reading, My Friends!

The Time I Froze Like A Wil Wheaton Fan Boy At ComicCon

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I went to Ottawa ComicCon over the past weekend. I had a very short To-Do list, which included shooting a few interviews with vendors, snapping some pics with the crowd and finally, requesting an interview with Wil Wheaton. I accomplished only one of those goals over the weekend and as you will see from the photos I have attached, the interviews did not go so well.

I guess I should point out a few things before I get into my ComicCon experience. I am a closet nerd; or at least to myself I am. I suspect that others never thought I was as cool as I think I portray myself to be. I love superheroes, Star Wars and card collecting, and couldn’t wait to dive in to everything there was to offer. My goal of interviewing Wil Wheaton had nothing to do with some dream of being the next Bloggess, either. It’s awesome what Mr. Wheaton did for Jenny Lawson but my interest in him had nothing to do with Star Trek or collating paper, and had everything to do with getting his take on fatherhood; something he openly discusses on his blog and the thing I like most about him; other than Toy Soldiers, which was the bomb!

While my original interview request had been denied due to his busy weekend schedule, I had other tricks up my sleeve. One of them included getting in line for a photo opp with him and casually passing him the questions folded up with my card attached to a witty cover letter. It also included me saying something profound to entice him to want to answer said questions. What happened instead was me standing in line, confident with questions in hand, until it was my turn, when I decided to scrap the plan, throw out a “How’s it going?” and turn in this beauty of a crazy-eyed, deer in the healdights fan boy pic.

Me n Wil

Yeah… I know. I didn’t even suggest the pose I wanted, which was going to be the classic DX pose from WWE Wrestling. I would have been Shawn Michaels in the front, by the way. Unless Wil had wanted to be Shawn, of course, than I would have been Triple H. Side note: In thinking about this, Felicia Day would have made for a cool, Lita, and Nathan Fillion could have bumped me down to X-Pac, but now we’re talking about some serious $$$.

DX WWE

Where was I?? Oh yeah, my interview with Wil never panned out and the vendor interviews we shot got drowned out by the noise of the 30,000 attendees, but I learned a lot and will be far better prepared the next time. I have to admit that all of this news got me a little down and I almost forgot why I was there in the first place, so I did the thing that always makes me feel better. I told my kids to pick out some costumes and packed them up for ComicCon’s Sunday festivities.

Dad Kids ComicCon

Watching their excited faces as they saw and yelled out the names of all of their favourite superhero characters, was exactly the thing I needed to snap me back to reality. Their innocence reminded me that I am still clinging on to a little bit of my own, especially when it comes to superheroes and celebrities.

In reminiscing about the weekend that was ComicCon, I have to say that other than the crummy cell reception, the entire thing was a huge success and I will definitely be back. I’d also like to add that one of the interviews that didn’t pan out was with the Ottawa Public Library. I thought it was awesome that they purchased a table to showcase that they had a ton of cool things for kids at their branches. As we get further into the technological age, it’s important to encourage our children that reading can be fun, so I appreciated and fully support their presence and message.

Did you make it out to Ottawa ComicCon this year? If so, what was your favourite part? Also, for more pictures of our ComicCon adventure, check out my Google+ album.

PS – Wil, still hoping for that interview.

BumbleBee

Super Girls

Chris Mikey

My Way Overdue P90X Review! (Sort Of)

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P90X

There are a million reasons for why I took so long to write about the P90X. I received the package from Beachbody back in February, just as I was crashing down from the inspiration that was the Dad 2.0 Summit. The truth is, I was afraid. I am overweight, out of shape and I was petrified to try out the system for fear of dropping dead. That probably sounds ridiculous but it’s what was going through my head.

I have always prided myself on providing the work I promised in a timely manner and this one has been hanging over my head for a couple months now, taunting me like the ghost of reviews past. I even thought about returning it a couple times but have since decided to face my fear and give it a go.

Due to prior commitments, I will be starting the program next week but promise to make amends to Beachbody by posting an update on how everything is going at a later date. I’m still scared of passing out but I feel like this is something I need to do for myself and my health.

While I gear up to get started, I’m looking for some tips and tricks from all you fitnessy people on things I should be doing to get through this unharmed. Please leave them in the comments for me and maybe others. Thanks!

Michael J. Fox Is Back, Baby!

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Michael J Fox Show

I was so excited to hear that one of my favourite Canadians, Michael J Fox, is returning to television! The Michael J. Fox Show starts this fall on NBC and combines humour, family and his life with Parkinson’s. I have been a huge MJF fan for as long as I can remember and it’ll be nice to see him back on my television screen.

Since his diagnosis in 1991, Michael J. Fox has been a strong advocate of Parkinson’s disease research. His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, was created to help advance every promising research path to curing Parkinson’s disease. He has published three books, with my favourite being, “Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist“. He is a proud father, proud Canadian and I am proud to share a nationality with him.

Seriously, this guy is an inspiration and I can’t wait for his new show to air. I’ve included a clip of the trailer below for you. Have a great day!

Join Me At The @MapleLeafPrime #BreakUpWithGroundBeef Twitter Party

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MapleLeafPrime

Look, I’m a huge fan of beef. Whether it be steak or ground beef for hamburgers or tacos, I’m all in when it comes to that beefy goodness! All that said, Maple Leaf Prime is hosting a Twitter party on May 15th where they are challenging all of us to #BreakUpWithGroundBeef and are asking us to try alternatives like ground chicken and ground turkey.

Now don’t panic, they’re not asking you to drop ground beef altogether. Maple Leaf Prime just wants you to tell beef that you’re on a break so you that can play the field a little. Just in case you need a little convincing, they are also giving all attendees a chance to win amazing prizes valued at a total of $1400, including FREE Maple Leaf Prime Chicken coupons AND one of two Hamilton beach Indoor Grills!

All you have to do to join the party is RSVP below and then show up. As a special treat, Maple Leaf Prime have invited special guest, Chef Bob Villeneuve to share some tips and tricks. Well, what are you waiting for?! Prizes are available to Canadian Residents Only but all are welcome to the party. Don’t forget to RSVP and please follow the hosts to stay on top of the action. Please check all the details below and I hope to see you on the 15th!

Date: May 15, 2013
Time: 9pm – 10pm EST
Twitter Party Hashtag: #BreakUpWithGroundBeef
Hosts: @MapleLeafPrime – @MommyKatandKids
Moderators: @ThisLilPiglet – @MapleLeafMommy – @CanadianDadBlog – @SoberJulie
Special Guest: @Chef_Bob_V



A Letter To My 5 Year Old Son

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Happy Birthday

You just turned five.

Every day that passes makes it harder and harder for me to admit that you are growing up. You rode a bike for the first time the other day and I expected that you would need me to follow along side of you, but you just pedaled ahead like a seasoned pro. Luckily for me, the pride over powered the thoughts of not being needed.

Even with your newfound independence, there are still reminders that you are my little boy. Someday you will understand how much it means to your Dad when we are just snuggling on the couch together, watching TV. I would never wish an injury upon you but having the power to make your pain go away just by kissing it better makes me feel like Superman. I also realize that my superhero time is running short.

The way you love your sister makes my heart hurt in a totally amazing kind of way. I had no idea that a child of only five years old could be that much in love with anything, but you prove it more with each passing day.

I wanted to share a few things with you about life, our relationship and the way that you probably perceive me to be, as your father. They aren’t form fitting for everyone but it is the way I feel and I think it’s important for you to know about. I’m sure I will be adding to this list as the years pass but this is what I have for now.

• When I say no to you, I really want to say yes a lot of the time. It hurts my feelings to know that I am hurting yours, but my job as your father is to do what I feel is best for you. So when I say that you can’t play Skylanders after dinner, it’s not because you did anything wrong, it’s just that I want to spend more quality time with you before bed time.

• I may act all cool, collected and sometimes even nonchalant when you fall off your bike, or the time you cut your eye on the dinner table, but inside I am a raging ball of emotional wreckage. I want you to learn about toughness but it takes every bit of my energy to stay calm myself.

• I cried to myself after dropping you off at your first day of school. The message here is that it is okay to cry, whether it is for happy or sad reasons. Being vulnerable does not make you less of a man, it just makes you human.

• No matter what age you are when you read this, do not bottle up depression or anxiety. I did this and it cost me the first year of your life. Please promise me you will talk to someone, whether it be myself, your mother, a friend or professional. You’ll be happy you did.

• I may not always say it but I am always proud of you, no matter what you do. I’m not supposed to over praise you so you’ll learn to want more from yourself but I am happy with you just the way you are.

• Your Mother is the best thing to happen to all of us. I know you don’t like the day care because you have to share your toys, time and family but she is doing it with your best interests in mind and I know someday you will understand how lucky you were. Without your Mom, we would be a lot less clothed, fed and taken care of. So after you read this, give her a big hug for me and then do the same for your wife.

• Family always comes first. I don’t care what happens between now and whatever point you are at while reading this, nothing is more important than family. Write this down somewhere and keep it with you always.

The point of this letter is that I love you and your sister more than I ever thought I was capable of loving anything. There are no words to describe how proud I am of you and everything you have and will continue to accomplish. You may be another year older and you may not need me as much as you did last year, but I will never stop being there for you.

Your Dad had to fight off a few tears while writing this one and I have never felt like more of a man. Happy Birthday, kid. Here’s to many more!

Funny Faces

Selfies