Life of Dad Show Postcast - A Road Warrior's Best Friend

"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation;
for it is better to be alone than in bad company."
- George Washington

   I'm a lone road warrior. I spend my days on the road, alone, doing the work thing. Upon returning to my castle, I join the ranks of front line infantry to battle children. The Cheeky Family is in the midst of a the stereotypical "young family" phase. We're up to our eyeballs in homework, meals, and diapers (never in any particular order). This leaves no time for "brandy and moustaches". I currently do not have a man cave, I'm not going out with my buds any time soon, and there's certainly no sign of a fox hunt in my near future.

   So why do I rejoice this day? I found the Life of Dad Podcast. The idea of podcasting has existed for years, but I've yet to find a series or show that was interesting enough for me to download and listen to. Let me rephrase. Given the VAST trough of great shows, it was hard to find a place to start. As I joined a dad blogger group, one social media site caught my attention.

   The Life of Dad Show is run by Tommy Riles and Art Eddy, two extremely funny and interesting guys. They've had on some awesome guests. My two favorites thus far are Charles Baker and Jim Gaffigan, and it looks like they've got more incredible guests on the way! What I've liked best about the show is that the interview portion goes above and beyond the pandering "so tell us about your next project." Sure, each guest is asked about what makes/made them special. I'm already a fan of Uncle Jon (see episode 49 for a POWERFUL interview on drug addiction). Beyond the expected Q&A that we love to listen to, each interview delves into the father within each person. I've found that as I listen, I feel like I'm in the room, sitting on a couch across from "the guys". I've found my man cave! It's in my car, while I'm driving, with some good people along for the ride.

   There's also The Life of Dad After Show, which adds another layer to the mix, interviewing popular dad bloggers, etc. So much to listen to, so much time to get into it. If THAT weren't enough, they've gone above and beyond by listing a slew of other dad blogs that are noteworthy. I'm sold. I'm listening. Question is, why aren't you?

J.

Life of Dad #SuperMilkMan Contest To Meet @TheRock

   This post hails the world premiere of The Cheeky Daddy's Instagram 15 second video for the #SuperMilkMan contest put on by Life of Dad. See, Life of Dad teamed up with The Breakfast Project and put together a kick-butt contest for a number of us dad bloggers to "wrestle" it out over the internet in a battle royal of sorts. We've all been tasked to make a quick video on Instagram, showing what makes us the ultimate #SuperMilkMan.

   Now that in itself is the supreme challenge. Bring the thunder and bring it in a quick 15 second video. The kids and I have been having a good time with the Instagram video feature that's newer to the app. This challenge was no different. My 'Lil Miss seems to have taken on the role of movie star, and loved almost all of it (attention span still leaves a lot to b desired).

   So take a look at my submission, like it on my Facebook page, love it on Instagram, and/or retweet on Twitter. Check out The Rock's ad and commercial for the Got Milk? campaign, and don't forget to have a glass of milk with breakfast or with a nice plate of cookies! My next post on this topic might just be to announce my trip to meet The Rock!

J.

The fine print: The Cheeky Daddy was compensated by Life of Dad for participation in the #SuperMilkMan promotion and contest. All opinions and praise are my own, but milk is good for ALL of us. 

#LifeofDad and Starbucks #Via Contest!

 



"Some people handle sweets better." - Harvey Weinstein



   There are a few things I love about Starbucks. I loves me a Peppermint Mocha in the winter (it's like Christmas in a cup!). Free WiFi is ALWAYS welcome. The employees treat my children like royalty. Those same children LOVE the cake pops (to the point of an intervention needed). All of those things pale in comparison to the Starbucks gift card. It's like Christmas day, ANY day you receive a gift card that says, "Have a warm beverage on me." Who says it needs to be a warm drink, though?
 

   These days, a mild pick-me-up has taken the form of a cold drink. The Starbucks Refreshers have been field tested and customer approved! Now THAT'S summer in a cup! The Via packets make it simple to enjoy a quick break from reality on the go. They're also good as props for home videos!
 

   The crew at Life of Dad have done it again. They're running a contest for you to highlight your Starbucks  #Via Moment, a fun promotion to highlight how these beverages integrate with you parenting life. It got the creative juices flowing and I started planning. I was new to Instagram's new video feature, so my first attempt got deleted (...sadness....). My second attempt is what you see above.
 

   Competition is fierce (what else do you expect with all that caffeine consumed during filming!), and the crew at #LifeofDadShow are keeping everyone in the know with who's submitting. EVERY ONE'S invited to submit, so check out the details on the Life of Dad site. The grand prize is a $500 Starbucks gift card (ohhhhhh, the cake pops that could buy!), second prize is a $200 Starbucks gift card, and third prize is a $100 Starbucks gift card. The contest ends August 31, 2013, so don't wait!

   As for me and mine, we're already sketching plans for a #Via pyramid. The kids want non-stop hot chocolate. What's your Starbucks Via Moment?

 

J. 

30 Dads, 30 Days - Pondering Different Persona On Life of Dad Interview

"There's the private persona and the public persona and the two shall never meet." - Liev Schreiber

   I'm honored to be a part of Life of Dad's 30 Dads, 30 Days. This the dad community that brought you the hilarious and fun Cheetos Mix-Ups Art Contest. This has been a fun way to meet dad bloggers in our online community and have a little fun along the way. The questions were thought provoking and got me to thinking about the many persona that we have in each of our lives. 

   

   I was listening to NPR and there was a segment on the many persona that we carry in our various real life and online communities. It was discussed that we represent ourselves differently amongst family, friends, and our online relations. It was even pointed out that we represent ourselves differently from one social media platform to another. I thought this was ridiculous until I really thought about it and found myself agreeing completely. I blog in a way that represents me as a father. I Tweet in a way that tries to be funny in small sound bytes. I post in Instagram that tries to show me as pensive and thoughtful. 

   As I thought about what I was typing for the Life of Dad highlight, I tried to remain true to who I really thought I was. A father, trying to be funny, while enlisting his thoughtful side. Mission accomplished? Or perhaps, I've just carved out another persona. You be the judge. Check it out at Life of Dad. 

J.