Standing By...

The kids are getting bigger, and it kind of sucks.

It's a sad reality as a parent when your kids start to outgrow some of their stuff.  I have a basement full of old toys that they used to play with that now just sits idle in hopes that they play with them once again.  The truth is they probably won't. There are other things that are occupying their time now, big kid things.  But the toys in the basement are there - standing by - just in case.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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My Syracuse Fandom and Target NCAA Giveaway

When it comes to NCAA obsessions in my house, there is only one... Syracuse Orange Basketball.

I am a graduate of Syracuse but my fandom for the school started way before I stepped foot on the campus.  When Keith Smart hit the jumper to beat SU in 1987, that was probably the single worst moment of my life up until that point. I know what you are thinking, that I am probably taking it a bit too far, but this is Syracuse we are talking about, not Stony Brook.

My buddy Chris and I with SU legend John Wallace

When Syracuse won the national title in 2003, that day ranks up in the top 10 moments of my life.  My wife thinks that I would put it higher than my wedding day, and as she says unlike weddings SU winning a national title in basketball only happens once in a lifetime. BURN!

With their move to the ACC this year, there are high hopes for the team. Of course there are always high hopes from me as I pick them to win every year.  It's called being a fan right?

Why am I telling you all of this?

Well I was asked to let you know that Target has teamed up with Dove Men+Care, AXE, Degree Men, and the NCAA to help guys keep smelling fresh.  You are asked to put your skills to the test and play the "Save your season" QB Challenge for a chance to win and Xbox One.

Also at Target you will receive a $5 gift card when you buy any three participatingDove Men+ Care, AXE or Degree Men products from now until 11/9.  Just because your team may stink (mine won't) doesn't mean that you have to.  Don't forget to join @resourcefulmom for a Twitter party on 11/4 at 8:00PM using the hashtag #TargetNCAA.

Also here is your chance to win $20 from Target (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was compensated for this post but all opinions about Syracuse being the best basketball team on Earth are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Create 2 Destroy and the Power of Outdoor Play

It's been many years since my boys last played with Play-Doh.

Honestly, if you are like me, its fun to play with OUTSIDE but never indoors.  The little balls of dough always dried up and made a mess of of the floor.  I swear it's the only thing worse than crumbs in my eyes.  I made the mistake when the kids were really little to let them have at it in the kitchen, but as a parent you live and learn.  Take that stuff outside and save me the aggravation of having to sweep the floors more than I already do.

I had almost given up on the product.  My boys no longer showed an interest in it, partly from me NOT wanting them to play with it and partly that they were getting older and into a lot of other things.  In fact I just threw out a complete set the other day so I could make room in a closet for my wife's Pumpkin Puree obsession.  She eats so much pumpkin she has actually started to turn a little shade of orange.

Enter Crayola.

The folks at Crayola wanted to know if I would take part in a little competition amongst some other bloggers making videos on Instagram showcasing their new Create 2 Destroy product line.  Me, not one to stand in the way of showcasing my kids, agreed right away.  When the box came in the mail the kids were actually excited (perhaps they weren't done playing with these sort of things after all.)  So outside we went.  They promise that the Morphix dough won't crumble and scatter all over my kitchen, but I wasn't taking ANY chances.  This is strictly an OUTSIDE toy regardless of what is promised.

My kids had a little trouble with the molds of the cars and trees in the Dino Destruction Metropolitan Mayhem, but overall they enjoyed just creating bombs that they could fling at each other.  Perhaps the set wasn't designed to cause World War 3, but when you get two competitive little boys that's what happens. And since we were OUTSIDE who was I to stand in the way of a good time?

This was the video that we came up with:

Now I need your help.  The contest is officially underway so I need you to go and vote for me right HERE.  It's very easy.  Follow the steps to vote for videos and find my name "Daddy's in Charge" not the "Dad in Charge" one (unless you think his is better than mine).  But as you know, I am a professional at this sort of thing. This process is NOT easy to accomplish from a mobile phone and a desktop is recommended.

AND!!!!

You guys have a chance to make your own videos with the product as well.  All you have to do is follow @Crayola on Instagram and include your kids descriptive story line in the caption/ video description.  Also make sure that you use the hashtag #Create2Destroy in the description as well.  The winning video storyline will be featured on the 2014 Product Box. HOW COOL IS THAT?

AND!!!

You can win your own Create 2 Destroy set by entering the contest below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was supplied a set by Crayola and was compensated for my time and this post.  All opinions are mine except when told by my wife what to think otherwise.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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5 Rules for People on Scooters

First of all I want to apologize to all the scooter riding people in the world.  I have no idea why you are riding the scooter or the circumstances that put you there. I can only assume that you no longer have full use of your legs or you just like riding around in a scooter.

With that being said, there are some simple rules that you need to follow to make sure your ride is a pleasurable one for you and for me.

1. You do not own the road.  Just because you are riding around in the four wheel vehicle does not give you the right to run people over.  Lets pretend for a second that you HAVE full use of your legs.  Would you go around weaving through people and push them out of the way.  No you would not.  You are on the same walkway as I am, we are equal.

Scooters are EVERYWHERE at Disney

2. If you can, shut that beep OFF! How about you act like a human for a change and not rely on the stupid beep sound to let people know that you are backing up. When I walk backwards I don't yell, "Beep, Beep, Beep," I say a simple excuse me and go about my way. The beeps are for big trucks that can't see everything behind them. Clearly you can turn your head and see that I am standing there.

3. You are not entitled to anything. Call me heartless, but we are waiting in the same line.  You can sit behind me.  A scooter does not give you the right to get at the head of every line.  Some of us are standing.  Wait your turn.

4. Do not offer rides to my kids.  I don't want them getting the idea that this is a way that they should be getting around.  Your legs don't work and my kids legs do (except when I tell them that we need to walk somewhere).

5. Do not abuse the use of the scooter. I am not a fan of scooters as I think that too many people abuse them.  Obviously there are those that completely rely on them for any sort of mobility, BUT we all know that there are those people that use them way more than they should. Being large is NOT an excuse to ride one in my eyes.  Perhaps walking, or trying to, would be better for you.

It's simple really, a four wheel vehicle should not turn you into a complete moron.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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At the Movies

My kids love going to the movies.

I remember when Tyler was two and my wife took him to his first movie, it was Barnyard.  Every parent gets a little nervous about taking their kids to the movies for the first time.  Are they going to sit still for that long?  Are they going to be THAT kid and put up a fuss for the entire movie?  Will that make you THAT parent that has to drag a kid kicking and screaming out of a crowded movie theater?

Fortunately for us our kids have not been like that.

We always arm them with the biggest tub of popcorn possible and make sure that we get free refills whenever we can.  Of course I end up eating way more popcorn than I probably should, but we don't go to the movies everyday so I can justify it.  We also throw in a little candy, so any possible meltdown happens AFTER the movie is over.

The movie experience has evolved for us over the years.  It used to be that we would only take the kids to animated features like Toy Story, Cars, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.  Now the kids are into movies like Iron Man and Captain America.  It really has made going to the movies that much more enjoyable for ALL of us.  As much as the G rated movies are cute, sometimes you just need that thrilling action of the PG-13 ones. Now that they like going to those, I don't have to go to the movies by myself to get that fix.

Now that the fall movie season is kicking off with the long awaited release of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, to get us all in the mood, my friends at MovieTickets.com are giving away $50 in movie tickets and a DVD of the first Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.  All you have to do is enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit MovieTickets.com for tickets, trailers, and news on upcoming releases.  You can follow MovieTickets.com on Facebook and on Twitter.

*Daddy's in Charge was compensated for this giveaway... not that I had an opinion, but all of them are my own unless my wife tells me otherwise.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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A Man in a Van... The Toyota Sienna

I'm not a car guy at all.

I look under the hood and it's all foreign to me.  I know how to put gas in the car, maybe add a little oil, and put air in the tires.  But that's it.  When I go to buy a car there are a few things that I want: a loud sound system, automatic doors, and the ability to carry a lot of stuff. You can only get that with one vehicle; a minivan.

I was obviously never into minivans before I had kids, why would you? I had nothing to haul and no kids to tote around.  I would have been laughed at.  Instead I drove a Dodge Neon. It was fine; it had wheels and got me to where I needed to go.

Then we had kids.

Not wanting to fully jump into the suburban lifestyle just yet, my wife and I bought a Honda Pilot.  I think every couple buys an SUV first then eventually gets smart and buys a minivan, at least that's what we did.  Our second car was a Honda Odyssey.  It was great.  There was an entertainment system for the kids, satellite radio for me and the wife, and the ability to load as much stuff from Home Depot as I wanted.

Our second van, which is our current car, was a Chrysler Town and Country.  We would have liked to stay with the Odyssey, but the price was too much and we got a great deal on the T&C.  I'm not thrilled with my current car.  It seems that they engine light has been on since the day we got it.  Even after numerous trips to the dealer the light still glows.  I don't want to waste my time sitting waiting for a car to get fixed, when it doesn't get fixed.  Needless to say, when our current lease is up we'll be shopping for a new van.

Enter the Toyota Sienna.

I hadn't given the Sienna much thought.  Truth be told when we first looked at vans five and a half years ago I wasn't thrilled with the car.  My sister in law drove them and she loved them.  But she always had a dent in her rear bumper.  Maybe I couldn't get past that, but the Sienna was always a car that was just meh to me. But that has changed.

Photo by Shawn Parkin

I was recently invited by Toyota out to Las Vegas to check out the new and improved Toyota Sienna.  At first glance I liked what I saw.  Clearly this isn't the same vehicle that we test drove almost six years ago and there are no dents to be found in the rear bumper like my sister in laws old car. This car was sharp.

I know what you are thinking, its a van.  Men want bells and whistles and they want speed.  There are places that you can go to find out all the specs of each individual model, I'm not going to get into that here.  All I needed was somewhere to plug in my phone and have easy access to the radio.  Both of which it has.  My only concern was the lack of a USB connection in the second row of seats in the model that we test drove.  And you want speed?  What better place to test that out than Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

Photo by Shawn Parkin

I had never raced cars before outside of Pole Position and most assuredly I had never raced minivans.  This was an experience that was all new.  I am not going to lie, there were times that I thought the van was going to flip over going around some of the turns, but it didn't.  The van is NOT a race car and it's not a car that I am going to race in ever again, but it did handle fantastically.  While I was scared for my life at certain times I didn't die, and what more could you ask for from a minivan?

The car is spacious too.  It's probably the only time that I am ever going to be in a minivan with three other grown men, but we had leg room to spare.  Driving around the streets of Las Vegas you could tell that people weren't looking at us because we were some weird group of dads driving a minivan, they were all gawking at the look of it.  The only thing hotter than Las Vegas in August, is a TOYOTA SIENNA in Las Vegas in August. (I wasn't paid to say that)

I've seen a lot of Siennas driving around my neighborhood, but they are the older models.  There is a look and feel to the latest edition that's hard to describe.  It actually seems like the kind of car that I would get even if I didn't have kids.  But don't tell anyone that I said that.  It's has enough room for me and the family, and I can still go to Home Depot and load up all the supplies that I think I need to build something. I might just build a garage for my new Toyota Sienna.

*I was flown to Las Vegas by Toyota, put up in a fancy hotel and was fed very well.  That being said, all of the above opinions are my own

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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No Story is the Best Story

It seems that everyone has a story about where and what they were doing when the attacks of September 11th happened.

I don't have a story.

Had I been working my normal shift at a television news station in New York City, I would have been directly in the chaos. My schedule was changed to 3:00 pm a week earlier to accommodate the primary elections that were taking place that day.

Truth be told, I was asleep when the attacks began.

It seems to me that everyone was directly effected by this tragedy. If you didn't know someone who died, you certainly knew someone who knew someone. I'm not going to pretend that I knew anyone or that I helped out in any way that day. I was in front of the TV, much like the rest of the world.

Things could have been different, I could have been on a live remote in lower Manhattan like my colleagues were, or I could have taken the day off and was visiting the Towers, but I wasn't.

Our station lost someone who worked in the Towers; I didn't know who he was until that day. Only one friend of mine had people she knew intimately who perished when the Towers collapsed.

I could have been at work just like the thousands of people who died that day, but I wasn't. I never made it in.

For a journalist I don't have much of a story to tell about that day. BUT perhaps I'm lucky that I don't.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Back to School at Dick's

Back to school soon!

My boys still have another week and a half before school starts.  It starts late here in New Jersey this year due to the Jewish Holidays that fall in the first week of September.  Normally we would head back right after Labor Day and this week I would be scrambling to get all of their supplies.  But I can put that off until next week when all the cool folders have been taken and my boys are left with plain blue and yellow ones.

It's the same thing every year.

One thing I have not put off buying is all of their new sports gear.  Like most kids they outgrow all of their stuff after one season and I am left to head to the sporting goods store to buy all the essentials.  This fall was no different.  Carter is now playing football and of course you want to be safe.  Two things that are mandatory in flag football are a mouth piece and a cup.

His cup runneth over

I never wore a cup when I was a kid playing sports.  I found them too restricting and uncomfortable.  Fortunately I never had an incident in either football or baseball.  Perhaps I was lucky in that regard, but not so lucky when it came to tennis. I should have had a cup then (oh the pain!)

But now that I have boys of my own we need to protect the family lineage, so off to Dick's Sporting Goods we went.  If you have never been to a place like Dick's you are really missing out.  I remember as a kid my first visit there and thinking how it totally put our local Swain Ski and Sports to shame.  The place was huge.  If you couldn't find what you were looking for, the sport probably didn't exist in the first place.

Buying a cup for your kid is a little weird.

You don't want to buy one that is too small and it won't protect them, but you don't want to buy one that is too big and have it be completely uncomfortable. Now I am not going to get into how well endowed my son is, let's just say the cup was not the smallest one there and he is now fully protected.  Thanks to Dick's my son will help carry on the Willey family name!

Of course you can get more than just sporting goods. They have a ton of backpacks (which I have way too many of) clothes, and everyones favorite disappearing item SOCKS.  Just click on the link and buy as many as you want. Be sure to check out the Backpack Selector to find the exact fit for you.

Dick's was kind enough to offer a $25 off coupon code to one of my lucky readers!  Just follow the simple instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*This is a post sponsored by Dick's. I was compensated, all opinions are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Around the World in 17 Days

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks to say the least.

It started with a plane ride TO France and ended with a plane ride FROM Las Vegas. From seeing old world Provence towns to the very modern and glitzy Sin City. Two distinctly different places, but two absolutely amazing experiences. Each I will talk about much more in the future.

Sometimes I really need to slap myself to realize how lucky I am in life. Not only do I get to visit these amazing places but I have an amazing family to share it with. As my kids favorite T-shirts say... Life is Good.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Somewhere Down There

Somewhere down there is a dad shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, kissing his family goodbye, and rushing out the door hoping to make the 7:29 train into the city and his job in finance.

Somewhere down there is mom knee deep in laundry with a newborn crying in the living room after being woken up by the neighbors barking dog.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving his rig across country on his eighth day on the road... kids at home wondering when daddy's coming home.

Somewhere down there is a mom at a sales conference wishing she was anywhere but in the windowless meeting room in yet another generic hotel.

Somewhere down there is a dad plowing a field, hoping for rain... But not too much like last year.

Somewhere down there is a mom pulling a stolen car over having one eye on her police issued revolver and the other on the noticeably drunk man in the drivers seat.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving a bus full of kids on his second of three jobs, needed to support his three kids and his wife who is expecting their fourth in the fall.

Somewhere down there is a mom interviewing the local Sheriff for the six o'clock news about a child predator who is stalking kids at local playground.

Somewhere down there is a dad who just lost his architect job wondering where the money for his mortgage and college tuition for his daughter is going to come from.

Somewhere down there is a mom cutting yet another persons hair, struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over her kids head.

Somewhere down there is a dad being deployed overseas for the next seven months, not sure if he will ever see his family again.

Somewhere down there is a mom working at a bowling alley spraying disinfectant into a pair of shoes not knowing how she will stay awake for her second job later that night.

EVERYWHERE down there are parents doing what they need to do to make sure their kids have the best life possible.
Somewhere up HERE I'm applauding each and every single one of you.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Royal Baby (Exclusive Photos)

I know that you are all waiting anxiously for pictures of the royal heir.

I have been given exclusive access to the hospital and am here to share with you photos that I have taken of the happy family.

Enjoy!

William and Kate entering the hospital

Our first look at the Royal Baby

Elton John visits

The Spice Girls show their support

David Bekham and Harry Potter stopped in

President Obama cleared his schedule

Finally the Queen interrupted her vacation to visit her Great grandchild

 We hope to be given this kind of exclusive access in the future.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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(Le)tting (Go)

For the past six years they have meant everything to my two boys.

Now I don't know what will happen to them.  My kids are growing up and they seem to moving on from something that has really become a part of our family.  

Legos.

They are part of our family

Thousands upon thousands of little plastic bricks and hundreds upon hundreds of minifigures just sitting by waiting for their turn again. But will it come?  The truth is my boys go through phases like I'm sure a lot of kids do and we as parents have fed their obsessions.  Whether it's been Toy Story, Star Wars, or Cars my kids get so wrapped up in it, that that's all they ask for for Christmas or their birthdays.  While some things have come and gone, one thing has remained constant... Legos.

You could always count on the boys to ask for them as gifts and I was always happy to oblige.  But things are starting to change.  Carter didn't ask for any sets for his birthday; he only wanted things that involved basketball or football.  I don't know how much he actually liked playing with them from the start, they sort of frustrated him. But Tyler was different, he could sit for hours and pretend that these guys were his friends.  

In many ways they have been. 

Tyler's birthday is this weekend and he is turning nine(!?) and this is the first birthday since he started to ask for presents that he hasn't asked us for Legos.  I knew that this day was coming, but I don't think I was fully prepared for it to arrive.  I could always count on going to the store and picking up a few sets as presents, but now the Lego aisle is starting to be one that I skip, just like the ones that have all the Star Wars, Toy Story, and Cars toys in them.

His latest obsession is baseball and more specifically the New York Mets.  While I am thrilled that he is able to find new things to love, especially something as fun as baseball is, I just wish he wouldn't move on from things from his past so soon.  

If it is so easy for him to let go, why is it so hard for me?  

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Summer Bath Schedule

Bath time lost its luster long ago.

When the kids were little, the thought of them splashing around always brought a smile to my face and bath time would take hours. Somewhere along the way everything changed. Bath time turned into an annoying splash filled soak fest (most of the time I would end up wetter than the kids.) Showers became the rage and if getting them clean took longer than two minutes you were really pressing your luck.

Fall, spring, and winter are the worst. They have to be all clean to go to school and having to do that EVERY DAY is torture. Don't say you enjoy, because you don't. Admitting it is the easiest part. Then summer roles along and every excuse NOT to give your kids a bath is used.

1. They went in the pool.
2. They went to the water park.
3. They went on a slip and slide.
4. They had a water gun fight.
5. They went in the ocean.
6. They are going in a pool tomorrow.
7. They are going to the water park tomorrow.
8. They are going to the beach tomorrow.

Basically what is boils down to is that the kids either got wet or they are going to get wet tomorrow. If they did get dirty somehow, why would you waste your time giving them a bath if there is the possibility that they might get cleaned off or dirty the next day? We can worry about it when school starts.

Summer... Why can't you last all year long?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Graduate... Starring Legos

It's really hard to believe how big my kids are getting.

No sooner do you blink and six years passes right before your eyes.  My youngest has gone from this little tiny baby, to this smart, funny, energetic big kid.  Yesterday was his Kindergarten graduation. While I am not normally a fan of these types of ceremonies, it really is a time to look back at what your kid has become and where he is going.  He started the year off worried that he wasn't going to be able to read, he knew his ABCs but didn't know the entire order that they went in.  He couldn't add one plus one, and now he is basically multiplying three digit numbers together.  His growth has been amazing. In every way.

Not sure I am quite ready for that yet.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Darth Visits

We are all tough guys sitting in our easy chairs.

Sometimes I find myself yelling at the TV screen at people who I know can't hear me.  It's dumb really, but when you boo a player from your favorite baseball team, you never think about what it would be like if they were in your house... sitting right next to you.  When David Wright strikes out, you can call him a bum, but would you say that if you were in the same room?  Now I might be able to take David Wright, he's not that much bigger than me, but I think my attitude might change if I met him face to face.

What if that person on TV was Darth Vader? Side note... I had my picture taken with Darth Vader once!

Now I know that there is no way in heck I would say or do anything to piss him off if there was even the slightest chance that he would jump through my TV screen and force choke me to death.  He's Darth Vader.  He's probably the most evil character to grace the silver screen.  When he wants something, he gets it.

As you know by now I was chosen by Pringles and Lucasfilms to be an influencer in their The Force For Fun Campaign.  Each week I have shown you a video by one of the finalists in their competition and this weeks is titled "Darth Visits."  Film maker Steven Hauser shows us what happens when an on screen Darth Vader becomes very interested in a can of Pringles that a man is eating at home.  Vader uses his powers to try and wrestle the can away, but the man quips, "Not in my world."  Soon after the doorbell rings and you can pretty much guess who is there.

So now that we have visited the video, it's time to win a cool prize.  This week you can own a very cool Jawa plush doll.  It's not just any doll, it's eyes flash!  Be the envy of all of your Star Wars friends with this toy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all who stopped by and entered these contests over the past few weeks.  It's been a lot of fun!

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Roommate

We've all had that roommate.

You know the one that was always stealing our food or the one that didn't get you all of your phone messages?  We've all been there.  I had a roommate once, back in the days of dial up internet, that never unplugged his modem from the phone line.  He was also the one that had the answering machine connected, so when the modem was still plugged in, we could never get phone messages.  I was working freelance in television at the time, and while I had a beeper, I relied on the phone for work.  It took me a little to figure out why I wasn't getting any work.

Needless to say we had words one night and his television just so happened to go back into his room, leaving the rest of the house unable to watch Monday Night Raw.  Somehow I was to blame for this issue.

I know what you are thinking; beepers, dial up modems... it all seems so foreign now.

As you know I was chosen as an influencer by Pringles and Lucasfilms to help promote their Force For Fun campaign.  Each week I am showing you a video made by one of the finalists and this weeks video is titled "The Roommate." Filmmaker David Brashear shows us what happens when one possessive roommate finds out that someone is eating his Pringles.  Take a look:

So now that you have seen the video, it's time to win some prizes.  This weeks prize is an R2D2 folding chair.  You can be the envy of your town at any outdoor event with this sweet seat! Thanks for playing along!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Don't Hold Your Breath

For as along as I can remember, I've been trying to imitate the voice of Darth Vader.  If you are a guy, who hasn't.  

Every time that I put on my Darth Vader costume, which isn't that often mind you, there is this little part of you that just HAS to act out the whole character, and that includes his voice and his breathing.  Twice I went as Darth Vader for Halloween and while the costume is great, it just isn't the same if you are breathing right and force choking people.  I don't know if people in the neighborhood thought that I was funny, or if I was just being stupid.  I am sure that there were at least a few guys that looked at me like they knew I just had to take the character to the next level.

As you know I have been chosen as a Pringles and Star Wars influencer in it's Force For Fun Challenge.  Each week I am showcasing one video on behalf of Pringles and Star Wars.

This weeks The Force For Fun video takes what I used to do up a notch.  In this weeks video titled "Don't Hold Your Breath," filmmakers Matt Sklar and Colin Duffy have the main character pretend that he is talking like Darth Vader by speaking into a Pringles can.  I have to say that this is something that I have totally done, without the audience that this guy has of course.  I mean seriously if I were to walk around acting like Darth Vader someone might think I was crazy... oh wait, I've already done that.  One thing I haven't done though is thought about what it would be like to encounter the real Darth Vader acting like Darth Vader.  It might not be pretty.

Now that you've seen the video, you can enter to win this weeks cool giveaway.  Not only do you receive two cans of Pringles, but an AWESOME set of Star Wars headphones.  They would be perfect for you to listen to the Imperial March on your iPod while you are walking around town pretending to be Darth Vader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was compensated by Pringles and Lucasfilm to help promote this competition.  All opinions are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Poison Ivy... Starring Legos

I get poison ivy all the time.

I swear all it takes is for someone to say those two words and I will get a rash all over my body.  You just said it, didn't you?  For the most part I can tolerate the itching.  The problem is that it gets on your hands and well, your hands touch everything.  Your legs, your arms, your face, and well you know the rest.  There is one product that I have found works to relieve the itching for me, but it happens to be the most expensive thing on the market.  That's annoying, but not as annoying as getting poison ivy to begin with.

So I guess from now on either I go outside with a full body suit, or I hire someone to do the work for me.  I've had enough of this stupid plant.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Delectable Weapon

If you remember last week I told you about my nephew Dylan and his desire to only get Pringles for his birthday.  Well the family came through and he probably has more Pringles than most people in this world.  Most people that is besides me.  The day after Dylan's birthday I received a shipment in the mail from the fine folks at Pringles full of every brand of Pringles on the market.  That's 15 in all.  What a gift that would have been.

Dylan going ALL IN

Dylan hadn't see my Pringles collection until Sunday night.  I think he was amazed to say the least.  He along with my two boys decided to have a taste test to see what ones they liked and what ones they didn't.  Personally I like Sour Cream and Onion and am not a fan of the Dill Pickle.  To each his own I guess, that's why they make 15 varieties right?

So the kids decided to mix and match different Pringles together.  Some were actually quite delicious, like Ranch mixed with the Buffalo Wing variety (think happy hour... hmmm beer flavored.) Others not so much.  His first concoction was called El Diablo.  That had a mixture of Jalapeño, Barbecue, and every one of the spicy varieties that they made.  Nobody had the courage to eat it.  Then he came up with what you could call "The Delectable Weapon" something he called, ALL IN.

All In was a combination of all the Pringles that were made.  It was a something that would probably make your taste buds explode and something that you wouldn't have your worst enemy eat.  Well, Dylan tried it and needless to say, the Pringles went in, and they promptly came out.  Pleasant I know.

As you know I have been chosen to take part as an influencer in The Force for Fun video contest held by Pringles and Lucas Films

This weeks video that we are taking a look at is called The Delectable Weapon.

Film makers Ryan O'Rourke and John Griese have created a video where one guy wants to go watch a Star Wars marathon with his buddies.  The only think standing in his way is his Darth Vader like boss. With the help of his delectable weapon (Pringles) he tries to convince his boss to let him go home early.

The film makers are both lifelong Star Wars fans (who isn't?) and both lovers of Pringles.  While working on the pitch for the video, O' Rourke went through three cans of Pringles all by himself.  That sounds like something that my nephew Dylan would do.

This weeks giveaway is a talking Ewok.  I know that the Ewoks aren't everyones favorite Star Wars character, but my kids loved them when they were little.  Let's face it, they aren't Jar Jar Binks.  Just follow the instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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A Drawer Full of Teeth

At some point I guess they have to go.

But when?

As it stands right now I have I have nine teeth sitting in my sock drawer in my bedroom.  They will be joined tonight by another one.  Tyler lost another tooth this morning.  Each time it happens now there is less and less fanfare involved.  There were no crazy outbursts like there used to be when he lost a tooth. He simply got a ziploc bag from the kitchen, put the tooth inside and put it under his pillow.

The tooth fairy is coming tonight.

Instead of whisking those teeth off to a far away place, she puts them in my sock drawer.  Then it's up to me to decide what to do with them.  So far I haven't a clue, much like a lot of the stuff I keep from when the kids were little.  Their first hair cuts, their first pair of shoes, even some of my favorite shirts of theirs from when they were babies.

I collect a lot of things.

But why?

Sure all of this stuff might be fun to look back on one day, but I honestly don't know if I will want to.  The thought of being an old man and rummaging through a box of teeth and old shoes might be too much for me to take.  Them getting older is something that I struggle with now, what will it be like in 20 years or even 50 if I'm still alive?

After tonight there will be ten teeth in my drawer.  Since Tyler is almost nine and learning the ways of the world, I don't know how many more teeth the Tooth Fairy will put in there.  One day that phase of our lives will be over.  Then what?

A drawer full of teeth... I might just have to leave them there.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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