Wood Pallets Added Variety To Our Lives

“Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all it's flavour.” ― William Cowper

   When The Wife and I first started collecting old discarded wood pallets, we just looked at them all as uniformly delicious in their worn and distressed look. Our first several pieces were nearly untouched in preparation for their new life. Each board had been aged to perfection. The effect ended up being a double edged sword. True, our first several pieces were similar in their base look and feel. We couldn't have been more happy with the result. As soon as the supply ran out though, it was time to acquire a new collection of pallets to re-purpose. This is where the story takes an interesting turn.

   Each wood pallet has its own life. We noticed this immediately upon our fresh new supply of materials. Our next round of projects began with re-purposed pallet wood that was,....well,....not that old. It presented a momentary dilemma that got us talking about a solution. We researched some ideas and tried out some methods to "age" the wood. After some good results, we had a new perspective for our materials coming from anywhere, in any condition. 

   I think the analogy could be used in a lot of areas of life. As we try to encourage our children to make new friends, try new foods, and so forth, variety is essential. Now when it comes to the making of a favorite dish, I want no deviation in its taste, but that's different. In this case it's obvious I'm talking about variety being a good thing. Through a lesson learned, our decor pieces have gained variety and we've been introduced to new avenues for us to explore. We can all benefit from a little variety in our lives. Add some spice to yours. 

J. 



Hasbro Transformer Construct-Bots Review and Giveaway!

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye

   As a kid, I was a part of the Transformer movement. With the ongoing popularity of the autonomous robotic organisms, there's no end to the fun you can have with the movies, television programming and of course, the toys. Ahhhh, the toys. My brothers and I had a bin full of the original 80's merchandise, and I cry into my root beer every time I think about my mother getting rid of them once we all got older. I've been fortunate to partner with Hasbro to review some of their product lines that include the recently launched Transformers Construct-Bots. 

   My older two watch and love some of the new cartoons, so when they heard about the new Construct Bots, there was excitement in the air. We opened Ironhide: Transformer Construct-Bot Scout Class (retail price $9.99) and Soundwave: Transformer Construct-Bot Elite Class (retail price $14.99). Each came with a number of pieces, much like a puzzle to put together. The kids loved the construct portion. The toys are recommended for ages 6 and up, but with a little help from his old man, my 'Lil Man at 4 years old had a great time with it. In typical child fashion, we had to backtrack a few times when there was an arm where a leg went. That's just good old fashioned enthusiasm. There was much discussion about who was on which side of the fight, where did the Transformers come from, and so on. The kids were pleasantly surprised at how bit the toys ended up being upon completion. We had fun playing with the characters in robot form, though for the mechanically disinclined, converting them to their auto form is a bit more tricky, even for the old man. 

   In the end, what I liked best about the event was the interaction I had with my older two. I think it is a lesson in anything we gift out children. With the holidays upon us, we can apply this lesson to anything we give our children. Get involved. I think we had some music on quiet in the background, but for the most part, we sat at the table for close to an hour just being together. We talked Transformers, we joked about a number of other things, and had an overall great time. Seeing as both my son AND daughter had a great time with the project, I can recommend these for any child that shows interest in building things and might love the lore of the Transformer. Just be ready for lots of sound effects during the building process. "Rat-at-at.....phew! Ker-bang!!!!"

   On that note, let's do a giveaway!!! This giveaway is for a Transformers Construct-Bots Triple Changer Set. Enter below and good luck!

J. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 The Details: Promotion open to U.S. residents ages 18+, void where prohibited. Winner will be chosen at random on, about, or after December 4, 2013, and will be notified via email to obtain their shipping address. If no response within 24 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen. Shipping address must be a street address - no P.O. Boxes. Prize provided by Hasbro Gaming and delivered by The Cheeky Daddy. Not responsible for lost or misdirected mail. One shall win, one shall fall. Autobots,....roll out. 

FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Hasbro, practically another member of the Cheeky family with how long they've been in our home. All opinions are that of The Cheeky Daddy, Jason Swann. 

The Friday Flush #10

The Friday Flush #10

   Bears, beets, Battlestar Gallactica. I love that intro scene in the office where Jim is dressed up as Dwight, making fun of his idiosyncrasies. I was feeling fun and frisky this week and this line popped into my head. So,.....how to make it a cohesive Flush..............AHA!!! I've got it! I present The Friday Flush #10 where we discuss,....well....bears,...beets,.....and Battlestar Gallactica. 

Herobear and the Kid    I stumbled across Herobear and the Kid back in my artist days. I was immediately blown away. The movement of the drawings felt animated, even though I knew they were static drawings. The story is great, allowing a fun escape for child and adult alike. As an artist, when I first discovered Herobear, I was enamored right from the start. I copied everything I saw and felt like I progressed as an artist for it. I was also so absorbed into the story that it spurred me on to start jotting down some of my own stories that I had in my head from some time. So for several reason of my own, and soon some of your own, Herobear and the Kid is a must read. With the holidays coming up, it's the perfect time, for the perfect story, with the perfect theme. Oh, and if this gets read some other time of the year, it's a good time then too. 

Beets In The Juicer

   I've been wanting a juicer for some time. As age took its toll on my body, I've had a hard time handling stuff like lettuce and such. Also, for a guy who can't seem to get his daily serving of fruits and vegetables, it seemed like the logical step. I seem to really like juice. Sure, I'll enjoy the store bought stuff, but there's something about the fresh stuff. I've had orange juice from Jamba, and a blend from a health juice place in my home town. The stars finally aligned a few weeks back, and we bought ourselves an Omega Vertical Masticating Juicer, and I haven't looked back. I'm planning on a blog post, as I documented the whole experience that included some VERY excited children of ours. The reviews are in,......SO worth the money. We love it and already use it a ton. Apples, oranges, carrots, and beets have been favorites of ours thus far. Check one out if you can.

Battlestar Gallactica
   Me and my brothers grew up on the fruits of the 80's. Buck Rodgers, The Dukes of Hazzard, and of course Battlestar Gallactica. I thought Apollo was a role model and Starbuck was just freakin' cool. I was still young to get a lot of it, but I knew the Cylons were bad. Fast forward to the revamp of the series and make up your own opinion. My brother is not a fan of today's CG heavy movies and programming. When a series had a great plot line, he's in. So it has been with the new Battlestar Gallactica. I watched the first season and part of the second to keep pace and really enjoyed it. Both versions have their merit, for their time and what they were trying to accomplish. If you're into science fiction, you may just enjoy both. I did.

   So there you have it. Another Friday, another flush. We did it too! Bears, beets, and Battlestar Gallactica. I've impressed myself, and that's not easy. An ode to The Office and an episode since past left us with an amazing comic, a new life of juicing, and killer robots from outer space from the 80's and the now. All my best and take care.

J.