Wordless Wednesday: A Springtime Game of Tag
Review and Giveaway: Aerobie Sprint Flying Rings
Now that spring is here, we can go outdoors for extended periods of time. This means playtime at the park: slides, climbing, throwing frisbees. What could be better? How about tossing an Aerobie around?
You see, NHL and JSL haven’t quite gotten the knack of throwing a frisbee. NHL’s throws tend to not travel far and JSL’s barely leave the ground. So, while we do have fun, there isn’t any distance involved. Enter the Aerobie Sprint flying ring.
The minute the boys saw the flying ring, they wanted to try it out. I had them wait until we went to the park. Good thing too, because that disc can really fly! NHL was able to send it quite some distance. I didn’t measure, but I’d guess his throws easily topped 30 feet. JSL had more trouble, but he also had a few successful throws. His only went about 10 feet or so, but I’d call that impressive for an almost-four year old. As for me? I got some seriously far throws in as well.
This is definitely something you’ll want to play with where there’s plenty of room. At one point, NHL threw the ring towards me when we were too close to the edge of the park and it almost went into the road. After that, I made sure all throws were directed into the park and not outside of it.
We all loved playing with the Aerobie and it definitely attracted attention. Before long, two other kids in the park joined our game of catch. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone with kids (or even just adults) and a large amount of land to toss the ring across.
Giveaway:
Thanks to Family Review Network & Aerobie Sprint, one lucky winner will receive an Aerobie Sprint flying ring. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering this question: What activity do you and/or your children like doing best in your local park or playground?
You can also earn bonus entries by doing any (or all) of the following items. Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each item that you complete. (Don’t just leave one comment listing everything you did.)
- Follow @TechyDad on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
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To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today, May 3rd and ends at Noon EST on May 17th, 2011. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.
Disclaimer: This post was written for Family Review Network & Aerobie Sprint who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.
20 Pounds In 20 Weeks: Week 15: Post Passover Weigh-In
| Starting Weight | 205 |
| Current Weight | 194 |
| Goal Weight | 185 |
| Lost | 11 |
| Left Until Goal | 9 |
Now that Passover has ended, it is time to get serious about my weight loss again. After all, I expected some weight gain but I weighed in at 194 pounds yesterday. 194! The last time I weighed in there was way back in week 6 (February 20th weigh-in). It stings to realize that my work from the past weeks were undone by a couple of carb-loaded matzo days, but I’m not letting my resolve weaken. I have 5 more weigh-ins until my challenge is over and 9 more pounds to lose. It may be tough, but it won’t be impossible. I can do this!
Aloha Friday: Food Deprivation
Last week (and the beginning of this week), I celebrated Passover. During this holiday, I give up a lot of foods like bread, rice, corn, beans, and soy products. This can be a tricky time as we are confined to matzo as most of our source of carbs. It also means that favorite year round foods, such as macaroni and cheese or soy-based veggie burgers, aren’t allowed.
Of course, in many ways I’m used to restricting my diet. While growing up, I learned about the Kosher dietary rules during Hebrew school. One by one I decided to follow them. First, I stopped eating milk and meat together. This meant turning my usual bacon cheeseburger into a bacon burger.
Next, I gave up all meats that couldn’t be kosher* while eating out. This wasn’t too hard. Except for bacon and the occasional Chinese food spare rib, I was never a big fan of shrimp, clams, ham and the like. Spare ribs were occasional enough that I gave them up easily. Bacon, however, I dreaded giving up. I expected it to be a difficult affair packed with cravings and backsliding. Instead, I turned my bacon burger into a plain burger and never looked back.
My Aloha Friday question for today is: What foods would you find difficult (if not impossible) to give up for a week? What foods would you find difficult or impossible to give up for the rest of your life?
* To clarify, by “meats that couldn’t be kosher”, I mean meats that intrinsically couldn’t be kosher due to the animal they come from** such as ham (from pigs) and shrimp.
** For the curious, the rule for land animals is cloven hooves and chews its cud. Pigs have the hooves but don’t chew their cud; cows do both. Therefore cows are kosher while pigs aren’t. Water animals, meanwhile, need to have fins and scales. Tilapia, for example, have both and are thus kosher while shrimp have neither. Of course, while eating out, I tend to just say I am “vegetarian” since this is quicker and something most waiters will understand instead of “I have a complex set of religious rules that I follow and here they are…”
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the McLinky there if you are participating.
Aloha #85
A Look Back At Disney: Kilimanjaro Safari
One of my favorite “rides” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Kilimanjaro Safari. I use “ride” in quotes because, despite the “chase the poachers” storyline at the end, it feels more like an actual African safari than a ride.
Of course, a big reason why I like it is taking photos of the animals. This can be a bit frustrating, though. The car you’re riding in goes over bumps and doesn’t always stop for every animal. Some animals might be right in the clear, giving you the perfect shot.
“Who says I need a bath? Want to come closer and say that?” *sharpens nose-horn*
Other animals hang back and make you use your camera’s zoom to the fullest… and then make you wish you had an ultra-super-mega zoom lens you could attach.
I promise there’s an animal in there. Lying down. No, really, there is.
Of course, when you go on safari, you never quite know what to expect. One trip can be a washout for elephant sightings while another one can have the most unexpected cuteness around!
Yes, that’s Mommy and Baby Elephant walking to the pond. Isn’t Baby Elephant so cute?!!! Lots of awwww’s were uttered, I assure you.
The big things (like elephants) are great, but it’s the small touches that turn this from a “ride through a glorified zoo” into “African safari moved into Florida.” Small things like these termite mounds.
Given Disney’s quest for realism, we’re left wondering if that’s a fake termite mound or if they imported actual African termites. I’m leaning towards fake only because real termites would be tricky to keep confined. They’d tend to get out and munch on other sources of wood. Pretty soon you’d have these mounds popping up all over Disney World and that wouldn’t look too good. As a side note, while impressive, I’d *hate* to see one of these pop up in my yard. I think I’d just wave a white flag and surrender my house to the wood-munchers at that point. Those things can clearly out-build me!
If you find yourself in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, whatever you do, don’t miss the Kilimanjaro Safari! But before you get on, make sure your camera is ready. You’ll need it!