First Steps Soccer Review!



A very proud moment as a Dad! My little boy Charlie went to his first football training session last Sunday and boy did he have fun!

After trawling the internet for days and asking all relevant friends, family members for information on classes/teams for my son to join at the age of 2, I finally came across First Steps Soccer! A private football academy based in the West of England (Bristol, Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire & Cardiff) that caters for children between the ages of 2 years and 9 years. Researching further into the academy they aim to develop skills and confidence with a football. As Charlie has already developed a love for kicking a football and watching England embarrass themselves once again (not bitter, honest), I decided this would be perfect.

 

 



Initial contact was made via a Facebook message, with a reply within 12 hours of the message sent. I was speaking to Jim Mitcham and must say I was impressed with the promptness and clarity of the information sent. Jim had Charlie booked in for a trial session last Sunday within about 30 minutes.

Sunday came around fast and Charlie being 2 wasn't aware of what was happening, all he knew is that he had his football kit on and he was going to play football. When we arrived we were greeted by Jim who briefly went through some initial details and we agreed to talk at the end of the session. No photos allowed of the session - which I must say I completely support!



The session was a mix of running games, team building exercises, a little ball skills and shooting the ball into a net then retrieving items for your team in a bid to win the competition. One aspect of the session Jim forgot to mention was the full parent involvement! By the time the session was done I honestly have to say I had no need to go the gym that day!

At the end of the session all involved sat in a circle to congratulated the children that had completed part of their skills book (later found out that there is a structured syllabus which is truly amazing) and then a certificate was presented to Charlie for completing his trial training session to which Charlie came running back to me with a beaming smile, shouting "look Dada, I did it!"

 

 



Signing up to a session for Charlie every Sunday morning was a very easy decision and purely based on the enjoyment he got out of it (still asking every day to go back)! The process is simple, I pay by DD at the start of the month and I must say it is extremely competitive in comparison to other sports options available.

As this Sunday approaches I cannot wait to take him again and hopefully my little footballer will continue to enjoy himself thoroughly (who knows one day I will see him with 3 Lions on his shirt scoring the winner in the World Cup Final.......dreams of a proud daddy....)

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WedWork 5!! Sweat not included!

Happy Tuesday one and all. It's that time of the week again so please see nominated workout below for WedWork tomorrow!

If this is your first week on this blog then a random workout is picked every Tuesday to be performed on a Wednesday. The aim of this is to keep my workout varied and add in a little fun.

 

 

Please give it a go and then feedback to me on Twitter to let me know how you got on?!



Top 5 Bedtime Story Benefits!!



One of the things I was most looking forward to when I heard the news I was going to be a Dad was the opportunity to be the teller of the bedtime story. I made it quite clear (in a stern, authoritative manner hoping my partner would allow) that it would be nominating myself as chief story teller as that was the job of the Daddy! Without hesitation the title was given to me and I proceeded from first bump to present day to read a story every evening possible.

I believe the reading of a bedtime story is very important for every child to experience but also for every parent to participate in too. I thought I would take some time and list the potential benefits to reading to your children in the hope that anyone reading this and not taking the opportunity would then pick up a book to spend just a short time with their little ones.

1. Building a bond
By reading with your child you will be spending some quiet, quality time with them. Not only will this be enjoyed by them it will also give you moments you can remember. If you were lucky enough as a child to experience a parent reading to you then surely you would want your children to have the same beautiful memories?!

2. Bedtime routine
If you are able to make this a regular part of putting the children to bed then it will quickly become a integral part of their routine. This will also mean that bedtime is looked forward too and doesn't become a chore for them or you.

3. Quality of sleep
It has been proven in many studies that reading over the watching of television/playing on devices before sleeping enables the brain to switch off and gives a better quality of sleep. Watching TV puts your brain into overdrive as the lights, movement and sounds over stimulate. Reading a book requires minimal work from the brain and as the stimulants (light, movement, sounds) are not present the brain is able to relax therefore resulting in a peaceful sleep.

4. Education
Children are like sponges when it comes to information and learning. Reading to or with them will promote their ability to recognize letters, numbers, words and sounds. If there are pictures, ask them to describe what's going on or create their own story from what they see as this will encourage their creativity.

5. Life skills
Most books these days have a hidden meaning, wisdom or moral. Reading to your children is the perfect way to convey the messages within the books on life without the child being aware they are receiving the information - who doesn't remember the story of the boy who cried wolf?? If your child has a behavioral issue then reading the books can be used as a tool to help you help them overcome the issue. Finally the books can be used to develop social skills that will serve them well as they grow into the adults you hope they will be.

My grandfather read to my father as a child, my father read to me as a child and I want my children to read to their children and so on. Too many present day children have the innocence of their childhood and imagination tainted by television or the internet so lets strive to give our children a better future by spending a little time reading with them...

WedWork 4!! Burn fat burn!

Good evening one and all. Apologies for the lack of WedWork last week as I was taken down by a rogue sausage consumed at a friends BBQ (please see previous post for more details).

Well I thought I would ease myself back into it and take it nice and slowly..

Not a chance!! Right back on it with this intense fat burn workout!! The instructions indicate the need for dumbells but if you don't have these to hand then simply a few cans of beans in a carrier bag will sufice! The idea is to get a sweat on to burn that fat, not to build muscle! I will be doing this bright and early tomorrow morning so join me if you wish but if the morning is not suitable then anytime tomorrow will do. Only 30 minutes is required but if you have it in you go for 45-1hr!! Please see workout below and smile through the sweat..!

Join me again this time next week for a new WedWork!!

All feedback welcome so please tell me how you got on via my Twitter page Dadventures_

My BBQ awareness Top 5

Apologies to all that read my blog on a regular basis, I was taken ill last weekend by the consumption of a rogue sausage at a friend's BBQ and happy to say that I am just starting to feel almost human again. As a bit of a Brucie Bonus I did manage to lose 2.5kgs in weight but wouldn't recommend that diet for anyone thinking that following me in this would be a good idea! Unfortunately there were other casualties but I can confirm all are back to good health so far. I thought I would try to bring something positive out of a bad situation and try to assist others not to fall down where I did. I have compiled My Top 5 of what to be aware of when consuming BBQ food or cooking on a BBQ for others...



1. Sausages - Temperature - Cut it open as the main culprit of stomach upset is due to the sausage being cremated on the outside but still cold/luke warm on the inside - this is not something you are always going to notice through biting into the sausage when in a bun!! Tip - cook sausages in the oven for 10 mins before transferring to the BBQ.

2. Sausages - Juices - when a sausage has been cooked through thoroughly juices should be more or less non-existent. Should you cut open/bite into a sausage and the meat inside is overly moist or juices run out then please either discard or cook further. Tip - Piece the sausage in several places before removing from the heat and gently push against grill/plate to see if juices are still abundantly present.



3. Chicken - On the bone - If you suspect the meat to be pink in colour put it back on the heat and cook it further! Close to the bone the meat will be darker in colour and the bone may have some red/pink staining but this shouldn't be present in the meat. Tip - cook in oven for 15 mins before placing on BBQ or wrap in silver foil and cook on BBQ for 15 mins before unwrapping and browning off!



4. Pork - Colour & texture - for any pork item (eg chop, steak, medallion) you may be cooking, PINK is your enemy, if it isn't white then put it back on the heat! Also, well cooked pork shouldn't be mushy in texture when bitten into too. Tip - use back of a fork to apply pressure to the meat and if the meat doesn't break apart after some resistance then put back on the heat!!



5. Cleaning - Chemicals & Wire brushes - after cleaning the wire rack of a BBQ with brushes inspect thoroughly as the wire bristles from the brush that become dislodged can find their way into food you then cook on the rack at a later date and become a painful problem for the consumer of that food. Tip - always replace worn brushes and wipe down BBQ with a damp cloth after brushing!

Chemicals used to clean need to be washed off thoroughly as these can also taint the food cooked and can be harmful when heated. Tip - when you feel you have washed the chemicals off thoroughly, wash one more time just to make sure!

I do hope the above points will be of use to some if not all, but I do have to insist that before you cook or eat any food on a BBQ please research safe practice beforehand and if cooking for others its better to be overcooked and late than undercooked and harmful!!

Please stay tuned for other reviews, Top 5's and WedWork workouts coming soon on Dadventures.co.uk

WedWork No.3.....Mixing it up once again!!!

Good evening all.

It's that time of the week again so please see below the workout I will be doing tomorrow as part of my WedWork programme. This week I thought I would try something I hadn't attempted before as this was recommended to me by a friend and not normally my cup of tea...

Got a spare 20 minutes...? Then join me is giving this a go tomorrow!!

Any feedback or any comments on how you got on are always more than welcome 😃

WedWork No.2 - Give it a go!!

Good evening all!

Please see below the (hopefully) gut busting workout that I will be doing tomorrow as my WedWork program.

For those new to my blog, as part of a fixed workout program that I have just started I was advised to pick a random workout to perform on a Wednesday (WedWork) to mix things up and keep them interesting!! I decided I am probably not alone in the need to get in shape to keep up with the kids so I will post a Wedwork every Tuesday in the hope those reading will join me and perform the workout below at some point tomorrow....

Thank you for the positive feedback regarding last weeks WedWork and I hope this one is enjoyed just as much.

Stay tuned for what will be my before pictures as I start my journey towards my after pictures - it's also to show I am like many Dads that are in the same belly situation 😇

Check in this time next week for the next WedWork!!!

Reward for Abigail turns out to be a reward for Daddy also...

On Friday I found myself wandering around the shopping precinct close to work trying to find something to use as a reward for my daughter's good behaviour the previous night at bedtime. Normally I wouldn't use this method of bribery to aid me in the challenge of the bedtime routine but dinner was close to completion and Britain's Got Talent was starting within moments (I confessed, your smiling but we both know you were watching too)! As the time allocated to my lunchbreak was rapidly slipping away and having found very little in the limited choice of shops I had to my disposal. I put my last hope in a shop I usually avoid due to the excessive queues and my tendency to buy random objects I don't need just because they are, no more or less than one hundred pennies of my hard earned wage packet! For those whose bank holiday weekend has been long and alcohol fuelled, I am referring to the nation's much loved, PoundLand.

Before being completely condemned for the use of rewards and bribery to get my daughter's obedience, I must point out this is only used in emergency situations, that the reward is never food or drink that will result in the funding of a dentists new car and the reward is always creative or educational in some way.

Fighting my way through the lunchtime masses I managed to find the aisle with what appeared to be arts & crafts plus some dog food and random carpentry tools! With barely minutes to spare I grabbed the item pictured above as it looked creative and the princess theme should please my little angel.

Moving swiftly on to yesterday afternoon and the time arrived to sit down and assist my daughter with her reward. Opening the package we are presented with 13 pieces of card with shapes cut in their interior, a fair number of small foam pads and a 11g stick of PrittStick. Praying for instructions that make even the slightest amount of sense, we are happy to see the clear instructions below (I say we but if I am honest the 4year old next to me really didnt have the same excitement for good instructions as I do)!

We quickly decided who would be doing the popping out, folding of the pieces provided and who will be using the glue (I am sure no Brain surgeons are required for this one). I found the pieces easy to pop out and the folds perfectly formed making them very easy to manipulate in accordance with the instructions. With the help of my lovely assistant we are quickly well on our way and having lots of fun, folding and sticking our masterpiece. As we go I am instructed to take photos periodically to show mummy how we did it so naturally I oblidged (risk of 4 year old temper loss too great to refuse)! Please see below...

 

At this point the top has been put on back wards and I am lucky enough that Abigail prefers it that way otherwise I could have been in real trouble...

As you can see Abigail was very pleased with the final outcome and so was I. I hadnt expected it to look so good as after all it was just card and a bit of glue. The total build time was approx 1 hour, which we could have shortened but when your having fun, whats the rush?! On the packet it had given a guideline of the parental involvement required depending on the age of the child (Abigail is 4) and in my opinion they hit the mark. I was heavily involved but I must say some parts (chair & table) were really fiddly and took a large amount of patience which for 4 year old Abigail (and her 33 year old Daddy) found really difficult, as patience is a virtue neither of us possess!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and are already planning to see if we can find the other models available. I hope that others will get the same enjoyment from this or any other creative task they sit down to complete with their children.

Product - Pritt Create Your Doll House
Purchased From - PoundLand
Reason for Purchase - Reward for good behaviour
Time to complete - 1 Hour approx
Cost - £1!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saisfaction from completion and fun had together - Immeasurable!
In Comparison - Cost of sweets/chocolate/fizzy drinks as a reward - £1-£2 + obesity, pain and loss of teeth - Don't take what you believe to be the easy route when they are young!

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Why not mix your Wednesday up a little..?!

Two months ago I decided that with my 2 children now running a mock and wanting Daddy to join in all the fun, I would need to get into shape as my belly (all bought and paid for) was now starting to deprive my feet of their yearly suntan! As daunting as the thought was, I managed to join a gym, buy the required fluorescent, multi-coloured, bump hugging apparel required and pluck up the courage to actually go, after watching my Rocky box set for inspiration (cue "Hearts on Fire")!

I now have a fairly regular workout week with set days for certain workouts and things are going well. I was given advice to keep things mixed up so that I didn't get bored or my body got used to the repetition. Taking this advice I decided that every Wednesday I would pick a workout (either from the web, advice of a friend or made from my own limited experience) and perform said workout on a Wednesday then repeat on a Sunday if I was feeling adventurous. This has proved challenging but also lots of fun with Renata (afore mentioned, long suffering partner) joining in to prove that anything I can do she can do....(not going to admit that in writing)!

As I am now running this blog I thought I would share my Wednesday workout with you all in the hope that not only will you give it a go but also have fun doing so! All of the workouts I must add, can be performed in the comfort of your own home, will require little or no equipment and must be done at a pace that will not cause injury(apologies for the generic shopping channel quote)! Sweating, collapsing in a heap, verbally abusing the person who suggested the workout and crying for your mummy are all perfectly normal and will usually arrive just before the satisfaction that I will be doing exactly the same!

All comments or feedback (including CONSTRUCTIVE criticism) will be more than welcome and please keep an eye on this blog every Tuesday night (unless someone wishes to whisk us away on an all expenses paid holiday) for the Wednesday workout for that week!
Please see first installation of WedWork underneath, Happy Sweating!

T-Sticks Experience and my Top 3!!

Work life doesn't get much better when the colleague next to you, offers out of the blue to make you a cup of tea! Happily accepting Chloe's offer and instantly regretting the no cake for May pledge made 19 days previously, I get back to the email I was quietly constructing.

After a few minutes I am presented with a cup full of hot water with what appears to be a silver stick bobbing around inside and a captivating orange aroma. I am then instructed to remove said silver stick after 2 minutes, stir, taste and voice my opinion on the hot liquid in my cup (normally containing a PG tips with a splash of moo juice)! Thinking it best to be a good boy and do as I am told I wait, remove, stir then tentatively slurp at the golden liquid.....

Well Vegas, Monkey, take your Pyramids and have a day off! This smooth, powerful and deep orange tea has me wrapped around it's little finger....instant convert! I am then told that this is a tea made by T-Sticks and Chloe is reviewing them for her blog after being sent a generous sample pack from the company. It doesn't take me long to enquire what other flavours are available and over the course or the next 2 days like a kiddie locked in a sweet shop, I skip my way through all T-Sticks have to offer!

Now I could go on about how all 10 flavours are amazing but what I feel is needed for you reading pleasure is my Top 3?!

3. Morrocan Mint - initial beautiful, fragrant scent. Delicate colour and a fresh, crisp taste. Left my mouth feeling clean and happy!

2. Zesty Lemon - Boom! Powerful but amazingly sweet lemon envelopes the senses. Taste reminds me of warm, lemon tart eaten outside a cafe overlooking the Mediterranean sea off the south coast of France. This tea is dreamy....

1. Tangy Orange - They say your never forget your first time and who it's with...! 😉 Sweet, fruity, tangy, and oh so wonderful deep flavour that brings a calmness to my being! For me this tea was a small step above the rest.

Aside from the awesome flavour of these teas, they are presented in a small plastic packet which retains the freshness and flavour. They are small and compact, meaning they will fit into any bag or pocket unnoticed. A very easy way to enjoy a delightful tea experience.

Pictures taken later in the day for illustration purposes.

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Pick up a present...? No problem!

Abigail has had her first invite to a birthday party being held this Sunday at 12pm. Upon receipt of the invitation I saw a perfect opportunity to become Superdad and make sure all goes well for my little treasure.....

 

Monday evening, 6pm - The invite gives simple instructions of when, where and how to dress (super hero or Disney Character), making life for me very easy. Look at map, see diary for potential hazardous double bookings and finally pop upstairs to check Elsa dress still safely in Abigail's wardrobe. Tasks complete and one is feeling quite smug with regards to my efficient completion of my objective, so time for a well deserved cuppa!

Still feeling rather smug and efficient I decide to send a message to the mother of the daughter in question, to confirm Abigail will be attending and that she will be dressed as requested. Just to place the icing on my efficient cake, I also ask if there is anything in particular the birthday girl would like for a birthday present, as being new to this I thought it smart (still smug) to ask. Having no experience in the world of present buying for someone else's child, I thought by asking the question my life would be easy by the direct and informative reply I was bound to get! Well.... you could have knocked the smug out of me with a feather! Please see reply below

'Hi Adam, thank you for letting me know that Abigail will be attending. I forgot to out on the invitation that the birthday girl is obsessed with the film Frozen and will be dressing as Elsa so please avoid dressing Abigail this way if you were going to. As for the present anything creative or Frozen would be fine. Thanks'

In the time it took for me to smile, sit down and take a generous gulp of my tea, my smug world had been destroyed in one very informative and ambiguous message! Not only am I now tasked with finding another outfit, I have to tell Abigail that she cannot wear her beloved Elsa dress and I have to use the ambiguous present information to source a gift! Creative or Frozen...to be honest I am thinking a packet of Birdseye's green pellets would definitely be unexpected?!

Putting aside the dress situation I am thinking gift, gift, gift.....

•how much do you spend on a gift?

•what if it’s not suitable for her daughter?

•what if her daughter doesn't like it?

•what if her daughter thinks it’s boring?

•what if I duplicate something she has already?

•why are my thoughts in bullet point format...?

 

When I first became a Dad I thought I had prepared myself for most situations (first day of school, learning to swim/ride a bike, first boyfriend(never going to happen) etc) but where was the book/advice/blog about this! Starting to be overcome with stress and doubt I am glad I am sat down for this! I decide enough is enough, pull yourself together or just man up!

 

At this point I do what any self-respecting father would do.....panicking I go and explain the disaster to Renata (my lovely partner if you skipped my intro). Renata smiles, shakes her head and utters...

 

"Alice in Wonderland dress in the wardrobe and Frozen art set I bought earlier on the kitchen table". Walking away she turns and smiles with a smugness at my knowledge that she will win most arguments for the next few months!

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Welcome to Dadventures!

Welcome to Dadventures and my very first post!! Let me start with a bit of who's who, my name is Adam, I am a father to two beautiful children and the partner to their wonderful mother. My partner Renata has blessed us with Abigail (4yrs) and Charlie (2yrs). We live in the south west of England, close to Bristol where the grass is plentiful and farm vehicles are guaranteed to block you path when your are already later than your temper will allow!

I now work in Sales after 13 years in the hospitality industry which for her sins, Renata is still married too. Due to our working hours and commitments, unfortunately most weekends I find myself alone with two excitable and demanding children. As a three, we find ourselves off on many mini adventures with daddy trying desperately to entertain to a satisfactory level (I have tough critics)! This led me to investigate a way to not only record our time together as we grow but to also share  this with others that may gain something from our reviews, experiences and any advice or opinion I can give to the other parents in our position. At this point, although I may get a look of disapproval from the desk next to mine, I do have a special mention for my learned colleague Chloe, who without her help none of this would be possible. I know this sounds like the start to a poor acceptance speech, but Chloe introduced me to the blogging world and to (can't believe I am going to admit this at the age of 33) Twitter! Yes, you read it correctly, until one week ago I was a complete and utter Twitter virgin (cue the rising blood in my face)!! 

 

Well I think that is a good note to close on, so I hope all that read my blog or follow me on Twitter will gain something positive from doing so, but please do remember all that is written is a mix of facts and my opinion so salt (by the pinch load) is probably required 😊

 

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