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These are the podcasts I’ve been enjoying in 2018

June 6, 2018 Zoe

(Photo by Lesha on Reshot)

I wasn’t much of a podcast fan. In fact, I used to think they were pretty stupid – I just didn’t get the appeal of them because they either seemed useless or boring or just a pain to listen to. But around this time last year, I got into a couple of them, and I would listen during my drive to drop off and pick up Harley from school. Now, I drive even less each day, and yet I have a few podcasts I’ve been enjoying in 2018.

I mainly listen while I’m at the gym and in the car. While I’m doing my weight training, I’ll listen to a podcast, switching to music for my cardio so I can push the rhythm and stuff. I don’t drive much anymore, except when I go visit my mom when I have over an hour each way, which can easily clear any podcast backlog I might have built up. So here are the things I’m listening to now, and please feel free to share your favorite podcasts as well. Continue Reading

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2 Comments Geek, Products

Top 5 Geeky Father’s Day Gift Ideas

June 3, 2018 Zoe

Mother’s Day came and went, and now it’s time to prepare for Father’s Day. Dean keeps saying he doesn’t want anything for Father’s Day, gift and celebrations are apparently unnecessary. But I really want to get him something, and I think it’s important for Harley to see how nice it can be to celebrate other people and give other people nice things.

Just like I did for Mother’s Day, I figure this is a great opportunity to look for some fun Father’s Day gift ideas. Even if I can’t or don’t buy them this year, they might still be relevant next year. At the very least, I hope they help you figure out some things that you might like to give a geeky dad in your life. Disclaimer: Yes, these are affiliate links so I will get money if you use them to buy awesome stuff. Continue Reading

Comment Gaming, Geek, Parenting, Products

Father's Day Gift Present

The second baby conversation that I keep having in my head

May 29, 2018 Zoe

Maybe it’s because Harley is almost 2.5 years old, and is acting more and more like a big girl. Maybe it’s because with Harley being such a big girl, people are asking me the question more. Or maybe it’s just a timing thing, but I keep thinking about the second baby question. Dean and I agreed that we would only have the second baby conversation when Harley was 3, but considering how ridiculously fast the time has been going, I feel like I’ve been getting a head start in my head.

But it’s so confusing for me. Not like children are a pros and cons list. There’s something inherently primal about the decision to make a new person. You can have all the reasons why and why not lined up, but when the animal brain kicks in and you want to make a baby, it’s hard to think about much else. So, I preface all of this with that knowledge – this is basically all the logical, reasoning, thoughtful stuff, which could all get thrown out of the window if the biological mandate rears its ugly head. Continue Reading

1 Comment Parenting, Pregnancy, Rambling

Baby hunger Pregnancy second baby

1001 Nights of Bedtime – The ups and downs of sleep in the early years

May 24, 2018 Zoe

(Photo credit: Becca Gutierrez with Rusty Metals Photography // @RustyMetalsPhotography)

Whether on TV or all the articles online, parents idolize bedtime. It’s that special time with kids, an important part of the routine and a key part of bonding. Or so they say. Let’s be realistic, though – unless you do sleep training or have a magic kid, it’s probably also a bit of a struggle. The first years are the hardest for obvious reasons, and I just keep thinking of them as the 1001 nights of bedtime, and just like Scheherazade’s story, it can be about survival more than love.

I know, I know, these will be the times I’ll look back on fondly when Harley is older. This is part of how I’m building a solid foundation of love and trust with her. But mostly, I end up trapped under a hot toddler who screams at me if I move. So yeah, the Scheherazade thing fits. Maybe. Continue Reading

1 Comment Parenting, Rambling

bedtime Routine Sleep

A personalized fitness plan is changing my body [Giveaway now closed]

May 17, 2018 Zoe

(Photo credit: Photo by Ryan Liberto on Reshot)

Not so long ago, I mentioned how I’d returned to the gym after a rather extended time not exercising. I was really happy to be working out again, and I was pretty confident that I knew what I was doing there. But I just didn’t see much in the way of results, and generally felt a bit unfocused in what I was doing.

I knew that I had to do more, or change things up, but I wasn’t sure that I had the time. I also kept finding routines and programs that looked like random crap thrown together by an avid Pinterest influencer (no offense, I love Pinterest after all) rather than an exercise program built on any real understanding. Which is why I was so thrilled to hear from Carla, offering to give me a personalized fitness plan (and one for you, too, but more on that in a moment). Continue Reading

Comment Fitness, Giveaway

Fitness Giveaway weight loss