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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