johnporcaro: mktg@large

Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

I’m not quite sure why, but Halloween is one of the biggest holidays we decorate for, get ready for, have boxes of decorations for, and seem to enjoy as a family. 

Maybe it’s that it’s been so long since a “proper” holiday, the kind that people decorate for.  Can’t recall putting up decorations for Labor Day or Columbus Day.  So the second the calendar turns to October, the boxes come out.

We have nearly as many boxes of Halloween decorations as we do Christmas decorations. And despite our recent effort to stay far, far away from the producers of “Hoarders,” we have enough to make our house look like the set for The Haunted Mansion.

We have some pretty set traditions around Halloween, that make it something that ties us all together as a family—so it’s always really pleasant and exciting for the kids. 

So for your reading pleasure, I present (in no particular order),

The Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

1. Visiting the Pumpkin Patch.  We haven’t gone this year yet, but we will soon.  We love picking out a few pumpkins, wandering around in the hay mazes, getting all muddy and cold and having hot apple cider before we leave. 

 

 

2. Picking apples.  We’ve only been a couple of times, but it’s something the kids enjoy.  And we eat a LOT of apples around our place.  It seems to be everyone’s favorite late night snack.  Especially Dad’s.

 

 

3. Decorating the House. Dragging the boxes from the attic and remembering all the funky stuff we’ve accumulated over the years.  The door knocker with the creepy music.  The hand that walks by itself.  The cat whose head spins around and around.  And the “Halloween Tree” that holds the Jack Skellington ornaments.  Strange how spider webs and creepy music seem to be acceptable one month of the year…

 

4. Picking out a costume.  We always plan on using our “costume box,” but usually end up buying costumes at Target or the overpriced Party store. But the joy it brings when your child get just the right costume—it’s (almost) worth the $40 for the cheap cloth and plastic that (hopefully) lasts one night.

 

 

5. Decorating Pumpkins.  Each year, the tools get better, and the pumpkins get more elaborate.  I can't wait to see what we come up with this year!

 

 

6. The “Microsoft Halloween Party.”  This year will be the first year my kids haven’t gone to the Microsoft Halloween Party.  Every building decorates, most people put candy outside their office doors, and my kids (usually accompanied by a friend) make out like bandits, filling a bag with candy.  With small offices or cubicles all offering candy, and none of the “trick-or-treat” begging, they can get 200 small candy bars in an hour or two.  Despite that, they always want to go out to the parties that happen later, and then Trick or Treating. 

 

7. Planning or attending a party with friends.  I’m not sure if it’s because trick or treating is becoming out of fashion, or that Halloween is becoming more and more social—whatever the reason, there always seems to be one or two friends who really go all out to decorate, and act as a home base for trick or treating.  We’ve been the host family, and we’ve been guests.  Either way, having a place to meet, before or after going out with the kids is a fun thing to do on Halloween night.

 

8. Visiting Haunted Houses.  They get less and less scary every year, at least that's what my kids tell me.  What is it that makes us want to be scared, puposefully?  I never really did like haunted houses, so the ones we've been to have been pretty tame. 

 

 

9. Trick or Treating. Even though this may be one of the last years for the older kids, being “pre-teens” hasn’t slowed them down in their desire to traipse around in the dark, visiting one of the popular neighborhoods with lots of houses.  

 

 

SIDEBAR: Why is is that on one night of the year, we encourage our kids to do most of the things we spend the rest of the year telling them to avoid? 

A) Going out in the night and wandering up and down the street.
B) Going to strangers houses and demanding candy (actually threatening a trick without a treat!)
C) Taking candy from strangers
D) Eating their body weight in fat and carbs

 

10. Gorging on candy for the first few days of November.  There’s always the promise that it’ll all last until Thanksgiving, but by November 3, only the hard candy at the bottom of the bag is left. 

 

 

Ah, Halloween. 

Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign by Dad Central Consulting and they sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Thoughts on M3, The Modern Media Man Summit

I wanted to capture a few of my thoughts about the M3 Summit.  I really enjoyed my time in Atlanta, and meeting with so many great men (and women).  

It was awesome to have so many conversations--the face-to-face time really helped me get to know those attending, and certainly will help us all as we build this whole space together.  I left with a renewed sense that we can do some great work together, while building strong trusted relationships with our communities. 

I enjoyed reading everyone's opinions about the show, and there are some good suggestions that will make future events even better.  All-in-all, I think everyone came the same conclusion that there are a bunch of great guys (and gals) working really hard to make this space a great place for the modern media man.  

Thanks to the organizers of the event, especially Donny and Debby.  And thanks for all of you for coming out to hear Stacy and me speak about what we're doing at Dad Central Consulting.    

Here are a handful of blog posts I've read (yes, I actually read them all...), from attendees: 

• Stay at Home Dad in Lansing: 10 – Great things about the Modern Media Man Summit
• Daddy Claxton: Finding my voice
• Rebel Dad: Musings on Modern Media Man
• Clark Kent's Lunchbox: M3 Summit: This Changes Some Things. This Changes Others. This Changes Nothing
• Dad of Divas: I Am Part of the Dad Movement at the M3 Summit
• Real Men Drive Minivans: Chuck Norris and Pay Per Punch Monetization (A #M3Summit Recap)
• Kevin Gainey: M3 Summit Made Me Lazy
• The Exceptional Man: Good Men, Good Stories 
• Ben Spark: I Talked About Photos and Cal Ripken Jr. at the M3 Summit
• The Father Factor: Modern Media Men
• And Triplets Make Six: M3Summit Recap
• Angus Nelson: M3 In Review

If you have any questions, be sure to let me know.  And if you didn't already, sign up for our Dad Blogroll! 

See you all next year!  

M3 Dad Central Consulting Presentation

A few of you have asked for our presentation at M3, so here's a link to our Slideshare.  

The New Hands On Dad Modern Media Man (M3) Summit

View more presentations from Dad Central Consulting.

New Study: Dads Use “Dad Lens” to Make Family Purchases

Today, we sent a press release of the official results of an indepth study we did a few weeks ago, as well as formally announcing the creation of Dad Central Consulting. 

We searched quite a bit online for recent research about the purchasing habits of Dads, and found very little that was current. Because we have access to a huge research panel at Mom Central, we were able to put the call out for participation from Dads, and were able to get several hundred responses overnight. Thanks to all those that helped by completing the survey, or forwarding the survey link to your friends!

Stacy and I will be presenting the complete study this Saturday, at M3, the "Modern Media Man" Summit in Atlanta.  In the meantime, you can check out the research by filling out a quick form to have a link to the published study sent to you. 

Here are a few of my favorite parts from the survey of over 700 Dads with kids under 18 at home:

• 77% - being a Dad significantly influences how I make decisions
• 82%  - being a Dad influences who I trust when I seek advice
• 92%  - I make purchases through a Dad Lens™
• 68%  - my purchasing is influenced by the needs and interests of my family
• 56%  - report making more purchasing decisions than before becoming a Dad
• 67%  -  trust other Dads more than TV or print advertising, or articles
• Dads connect with other Dads mainly through one-on-one conversations, work, Facebook, and email

Some more interesting facts in the study, I hope you'll check it out!  If you have any questions, let me know. 

Power of Dads Twitter Meetup

Today, a few of us here at Dad Central Consulting (and Mom Central) held the inaugural “Power of Dads” Tweetup.  We had over 850 Tweets in an hour, and got some good insight into a few questions we’ve been doing some research around.

We had six winners of $50 American Express Gift Cards: @kiltedshaver, @DadaRocKs, @cnaes, @simplyandreah, @dealdaddy, and @portlanddad.  Congrats!

You can catch the whole transcript here, on www.wthashtag.com (thanks, @DaddysToolbox!)

One way we hold these is to answer a series of questions, and get feedback from everyone.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Q1: How has being a Dad influenced and changed your life?

ivannawin: Q1 speaking from my perspective of hubs... he's calmer and no longer skydives..

kiltedshaver: Definitely changed the tway I think about my family, added a big perspective in responsibility.

timeoutdad: Fatherhood is an AWESOME responsibility!

bigdisneyfan: My husband now has our son to play video games with, they really bond over Lego Star Wars.

CarlThress: A1: Much less self-focused. Decisions and choices are all filtered through "how will this affect my kids?

simplydab: RT @johnporcaro: How has being a Dad NOT changed my life? Most pleasure, most pain, most joy, most grief. Wouldn't change i

artisticbaker: Theres less money to spend on cars/tvs/gadgets - thats one change

Doodle741: Yea, my husband's "leisure time" is mowing the yard or taking care of house stuff. He does enjoy playing Halo

smlcfh: Now that hubby is in the military, any spare time he does get, he writes letters to them. It's the sweetest thing

squirrelburrito: @johnporcaro Our daughter got plenty of p0wnage in utero, but she's more interested in rock band and racing games!

 

Q2: Who or what influenced your purchasing habits before being a Dad?

dealdaddys: for me it was mostly just what I wanted, better neater stuff mostly technology

thesavingqueen: Q2 His friends and desires influenced his purchase habits. Now fellow dad and his kids influence them

glme: myself

dragonfly777: Before becoming a Dad....wife, friends and co-workers influenced me

DadCentric: Ricardo Montalban. Dude could sell the s*** out of a Chrysler Cordoba

squirrelburrito: @johnporcaro mmm...gadgets...we still get plenty of those, just installed some high wall shelves!

JanetandMaya: Q2: Purchasing habits were "selfish" now more careful esp about product safest

Q3: Who or what influences your purchasing habits now that you’re a Dad?

timeoutdad: Family comes first... always...

TechyDad: My wife and my kids. (Their needs more than "I want this!!!")

tshaka_zulu: A3: The children's needs, sometimes their wants and a lot of prayer. Have to be wise.

portlanddad: Q3 With kids it is now a family thing, we make purchasing decisions together but also have discretionary funds for each of u

squirrelburrito: @artisticbaker No minivans! We're clinging to our awesome little hatchback!

DaddysToolbox:  A3 - we think "do we REALLY need new sheets" or should we put the kids in soccer or karate

judgebrix: my lovely wife and my kids ... and then new cool toys :-)

timeoutdad: Q3: My Bank Account... Can't spend more than I have.

thesavingqueen: Q3 Now fellow football dads and my kids influence my purchases.

_mongoose: We've gone to 5 phone lines with unlimited texting and my two oldest will be driving soon scar

ivannawin: hubs buys games he can play with kids and also buys matching jerseys

elivya:    @johnporcaro Sometimes just seeing a kid happy is enough to make you forget what you sacrificed.

CarlThress: we went from spoiling ourselves to spoiling our kids :)

tidbitmom: RT @timeoutdad: Anyone else have Suze Orman's voice in their head every time they use a Credit Card? LOL < DENIED! ;-)

dark54555: One thing that has not changed: NO MINIVANS. Of course, with one kid, seating isn't much of an issue regardless.

jaybugsmommy: I think as moms and dads we try to give our kids things we didn't have as children ?

jaybugsmommy:  this makes me want to give hubby and dad a Gift all this Dad talk .. or at least tell them I appreciate them!

timeoutdad:    @MomCentral Becoming a dad has definitely forced me to become more sociable. That's good.

Q4: Where do you go for advice or information for family purchasing decisions?

kingkontra:  Q4 My wife and i decide together for most big purchases

JanetandMaya: Q4 It's fun to see hubby talk with other dads about things like baby monitors, hehehe.

theladya: Word of mouth is best. If our friends and their kids like something, we probably will too

sethandshannon1:  our parents and consumer reports

kiltedshaver:  My wife and I talk over big purchases; we research, ask our parents and other mentors we have.

squirrelburrito: A4: We don't have outside resources for talking about spending, but we make sure each purchase is a family decision

simplydab:  internet, friends/family, esp if it's big $. Needs anal. is critical - do we really need to spend the $ for this?

DaddysToolbox: i'm a GOOD src of info when it comes to techie purchases, food, wine, etc. lots of friends hv older kids & we ask them

DadStreet: A4: I do all the research for our family when it comes to buying things. I also call upon my support at #DadsTalking

dark54555: Q4: INTERNET INTERNET INTERNET! You can research everything to death if you so choose. And I usually so choose.

TechyDad: I do research online like looking for product reviews on Amazon.com (even if we're not buying from them).

ivannawin:  I sometimes do impulse buys on gadety items and hubs always returns them for a better item

mongoose: My three teens are smarter than I am about electronics so I go to them

thesavingqueen: Q4 My husband relies on me to check the reviews, because of the lack of daddy blogs!

MomCentralChat: My husband is a better wife and Mom than me in so many ways. His family raised foster babies and he is AMAZING!

elivya: @mstyle10 So many people on twitter... someone here is bound to have tried a product, can give opinion!

TechyDad: Review sites mostly, but also sometimes Twitter.

kiltedshaver:  internet: Amazon, review sites, Consumer Reports, Twitter, Facebook, retailer websites, etc.

Cinderellamom: Totally getting dizzy trying to keep up w/ #powerofdads twitter party! Yikes!

CK_Lunchbox: I go to FAIL Blog for advice.... on scary things not to buy

Q5: How do you connect with other Dads? (Online, at work, at kids sports games)?

sleatham1: Everywhere! Facebook, twitter, ballgames, inperson, phone, work

lolamichele: hubby is a member of several online communities revolving around hobbies.

sweetone624: Q5 he plays video games with them on xbox live

squirrelburrito: We don't have a parent's circle yet, and we're the first in our group to have kids. meet dads at parks and other outings.

CarlThress: A5: at work, at social functions, starting to try to connect more online, too, in forums like this.

Kelliebug:  Q5. He sees them at work and has buddies that are dads as well. I should get him involved in dad community online!

mandyOregon:  Q5 my hubby gets together with the guys for basketball games a few times a month

portlanddad: Q5 I connect with other dads on Twitter, through blogs, locally at the pub, and even the occasional playdate

kiltedshaver: Q5:Mostly through internet based communications, Twitter, Facebook; church, and community activities.

_mongoose: DH still plays in bands. The kids are old enough that he can go do it without them caring lol

kingkontra: Q5 I also connect with dads on my daughters soccer team during soccer season

doodadblog: Q5: 1. Church 2. Online 3. Family 4. Sports (adult)

elivya: From these answers I'm imagining dads... "Gonna go hang with the guys, hon." "Sure! Will you be on twitter or fb?

CK_Lunchbox: A5 There should be a Fantasy Dad Blog League were we make up fictional blog names & chest bump our monitors

johnporcaro: I talk to Dads the most when I'm at soccer games with my son, or when I'm at the park with my kids and their friends

portlanddad: Sadly Dads don't see the value in connecting with other dads the same way Moms do. That is changing but slowly

DaddysToolbox: I connect with other Dads via #DadsTalking (Dads TALKING :) ) and all on Twitter

onescrappyblog: My husband does PTA stuff at the school with other dads. Networking that way is nice

lanieekat: Q5 my husband also spends time playing of Xbox live and I'm sure he connects w/other dads there

johnporcaro: My four brothers are amazing Dads, and all have good ideas. Except one of them. He knows who he is... ;)

SpinyNorman: Q5- Through Disc GOlfing, Geocaching, Social Media, Blogging, X-Box, Sporting Events..

jaybugsmommy:l this makes me want to give hubby and dad a Gift all this Dad talk .. or at least tell them I appreciate them!

Q6: What was the last purchase you made after consulting with another parent?

kamewh: A playset for our backyard

My3Sons33:  Q6 the last purchase after consulting w/another parent was a baseball bat for our son.

kingkontra:  A new xbox after my last 1 died

onescrappyblog:  Definetly a car seat! A dad's advise on them is GREAT!

portlanddad: Q6 Phil & Teds double stroller, talked to a guy in the bookstore about it for 20 minutes, researched, then pulled the trigger

DynamoMike:  Q6: we bought a Wii for game night with the kids

squirrelburrito: A6: Picked up a sweet Pow-Pow-Power Wheels after talking with my neighbor!

raggammuffin:  Q6: i conulsted with my hubs on what brand razorblades he needed

1awesomekid: sheetrock for our bathroom redo!

thesavingqueen: My hubby purchased a mountain bike for my son after reading reviews to choose the best one.

dragonfly777: My last purchase was a keyboard for our PC...a friend had one he recommended. Great purchase

lilmiss37: The other big purchase was a nice 35mm camera

CarlThress: A6: bananagrams. great game. we (my wife, my older son, and I) love playing it.

Cinderellamom: Q6: Husband bought a table saw- an expensive un-needed table saw! after talking to friend

DaddysToolbox: A6 beer. honestly it was.

mochadad: Able to change a diaper with a single hand

DaddysToolbox: .@1awesomekid yes, getting good advice on which sheetrock is good for bathrooms!! hoepfully mold resistant

TechyDad: I do research online like looking for product reviews on Amazon.com (even if we're not buying from them).

A couple of notes we threw out during the discussion:

• Join the @DadCentral Facebook page to stay up to date on all campaigns and going-on! http://bit.ly/rKox3

• Are you a Dad Blogger? Join the @DadCentral Blog Roll by filling out this quick sign up form: http://bit.ly/cHJIwv

• Testing Panel answers surveys/ gets inside information on cool brands – Join here: http://bit.ly/ak5Eoe

Thanks, everyone!   We had a blast!

Join Dad Central Thursday for a "Twitter Party"

What the heck is a Twitter Party?  Twitter Meetup?  Tweetup?  Glad you asked!

We've been doing some heavy-duty research here on how being a Dad changes the things guys care about, what they buy, whom they trust, that kind of thing.  We just got the results back (Thank You to all that participated!), and we'll be publishing the results shortly.

We wanted to follow up with a more interactive forum, so we'll all be meeting up online this Thursday, on Twitter, to talk a bit more and to get some advice from the real experts, you Dads.

Here's how it works: Log into Twitter (create a free account if you don't have one), and do a search for the hashtag "#PowerOfDads".  I'll be there, along with several others from the Dad Central and Mom Central team, to ask questions and get your feedback.  We want Dads to join, but Moms are welcome to cheer on the Dads, and give opinions of their own, too.

Here's what makes it even more fun.  Every 10 minutes or so, we'll give away one of six $50 American Express gift certficates to someone participating.  Heck, couldn't be much easier than that, right?

Make it a point to join in, for a few minutes, or for the whole hour. No RSVP required...

Here are the details:

What: Dad Central Consulting "Power of Dads" Twitter Party
When: Thursday, August 26th from 12-1pm EST
Why: To discuss how becoming a Dad has influenced what you buy, why you buy it and who you trust for advice. You'll also be entered to win one of six $50 AMEX gift cards.
Hashtag: #PowerofDads
Hosts: @MomCentral & @DadCentral

Talk to you Thursday!

The New American Dad

Kat at Maternal Journal pointed to an article in Parenting Magazine called "The Responsibilities and Expectations of the New American Dad."

Paul Scott writes that Fathers are expected to do more than ever. And he goes on to show how things have changed for Dads over the years.

Most of us know that parenting really involves both parents, whenever that's possible.  Today's environment makes having a full-time, stay-at-home mom less feasible, and in a lot of cases, impossible.  If you combine that with a new generation that rejects the old stereotypes of traditional roles, everything has changed.

Some recent statistics might surprise you:

• Fathers are the primary caregiver for about one out of every four preschool-age children, according to the US Census Bureau.
• 80% of women and 70% of men hope to create a home where both partners pitch in equally.
• Men have doubled the housework from 1960, from 15% to 30%.
• Husbands spend an average of 23 hours a week doing housework (compared to 42 hours by wives)

Marketers need to realize that the "traditional" roles of the 50's and 60's have changed. Not only are market dynamics forcing more men out of 9-5 jobs, more women are (deservingly) excelling in careers. And even though the numbers of stay-at-home-dads is relatively small, the fact that today's Dad is more involved can't be denied.

As a Dad of four, I represent those that want to be much more involved in my kids' lives. Since my kids were born, I spent significantly more time with my them than I did with friends, co-workers,or  even my wife. And even though my wife was a "stay-at-home-Mom," I did most of the grocery shopping, laundry, and a good deal of shuttling kids to soccer or volleyball practice.

Marketers need to realize that the old ways of marketing just don't work, or if they do, they won't for long. It's the main reason I left a 20-year career at Microsoft to join Mom Central, to create a division focused on marketing to Dads.

Dads can't be ignored. Except on Saturdays during NCAA football, then, go ahead and ignore us.... ;)

Jif Peanut Butter Tasting Party

There are only a couple of things my family can't go without: Milk, TP, apples, bananas, and, of course Peanut Butter.  We all enjoy a good PBJ with cold milk, and who hasn't made good old-fashioned Ants on a Log?

I got to participate in an online tasting party, sponsored by Jif (a Mom Central client).  To prepare, they sent a nice box of goodies to a couple of us here, and to a dozen or so Mom Bloggers we work with.  The bag they sent included several flavors of Jif Peanut Butter, along with some things to try a few new ways to enjoy it. They also gave us a $25 gift card for Walmart, so we could buy fresh fruit and veggies.

Not sure what an Online Panel looks like?  By using UStream.tv, Jif was able to broadcast directly from their test kitchen, while we participated right along by trying out the things they showed us, and asking questions and getting responses in real-time.  Kind of a personalized Cooking Channel, just for the few of us participating.  Everyone had a blast, had a few surprises, and got to know each other, along with the folks at Jif. We all especially enjoyed meeting Sara Donavan, and our MC Cody.

And for the record, I had my eyes opened to the awesome possibilities of the crunchy combination of Jif and bacon.

For my part, I had a few PB and somethings yesterday.  For lunch, I debated how to keep the carbs low, while still eating a sandwich.  Patrick introduced me to the idea of carving out most of the bread from a bagel, and filling it.  In my case, I stuffed the chewy shell with Crunchy Jif, and sliced up a kiwi to sweeten it.  Yum.

During the tasting, I tried carrots, brocolli (really good!), animal crackers, pita chips, pretzels, teddy grahams, grapes, and for fun, cottage cheese.  Before working out, I mixed up a chocolate Muscle Milk shake, adding in a couple of tablespoons of Jif.  Talk about a dose of protein, with a creamy, chocolaty, peanut buttery taste.  Mmmmmm.

My daughter Emily especially likes Peanut Butter.  She'll take a big spoon, dip it in, and eat it like a lollypop.  And Alyssa likes spreading it on warm toast with a little honey.  She told me that just the other day, she ordered a PBJ shake at Emerald City Smoothy, where they added peanut butter and grape jelly to a protein shake.  Sounds pretty good to me.

A few things that I didn't know were talked about during the webcast:

• More creamy peanut butter is sold nationwide by Jif than crunchy: 80% to 20%.  Wow.  I'm such a huge fan of crunchy, that was hard to believe.
• It takes 1,218 peanuts to make a 28 oz jar of Jif.
• Jif has an unrefrigerated shelf life of 3 months.  Unopened, it will last up to two years.  Though most of the moms and dads participating never have a jar last that long.
• Jif's new Omega 3 has some interesting ingredients, but tastes really good.  I was pleasently surprised, and will probably make this my favorite brand to keep on the shelf.  Though I might have to mix it with crunchy every now and then.
• Jif's Peanut Butter with Honey ROCKS.

Jif has posted lots of recipes on their website, with sandwiches, sauces, desserts, main dish ideas, and more.   And a lot of them included bacon.  I've always wondered how to make a good thai peanut sauce.  They showed us how, so I'm going to try that this weekend.  A great way to get a little more protein along with chicken (or bacon).

My favorite idea was mixing in a ziplock baggie a a spoonful of Jif with a spoonful of vanilla frosting, adding a little cinnamon.  Take some scissors, snip the end of the bag, and use it to squeeze the frosting onto cookies or crackers.  My kids loved that idea.

Finally, they announced the Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest for kids 6-12, to submit their recipes to Jif.  The winner gets a $25,000 scholarship, and all finalists get a trip to NYC, and a $2500 scholarship.  So get out your jars of peanut butter, and get a little creative!  And while supplies last, if you enter by Sept 10, you'll get a Jif to Go Back to School Pack.  So get your entries in!

 

 

Beat the Heat: How Do You Keep Your Kids Safe When It's Hot Outside?

Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Nutrition at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and a nutrition consultant joined us today on Twitter to discuss how you can help your kids beat the heat. And today, Gatorade (client) will donate $1 to charities for every download of the Heat Safety Kit.

Making sure kids stay hydrated, especially during outdoor sports where it's warm, and dry, can cause serious problems.

Last summer, my son complained about feeling dizzy and even started slurring his speech during a soccer tournament during a rare, very hot day in Seattle.  He had on a full-length goalie jersey and goalie pants, plus goalie gloves.  We tried to make sure he was hydrated, but we probably didn't do enough to prepare.

Some great suggestions from the Twitter meetup:

• Get plenty of rest the night before @grantquonce
• Hydrate, with protein too, before the activity.  Don't forget to stretch. @mom4everandever
• Make sure uniforms aren't too tight fitting, and light colors help. @WildOrchids09
• Bring cold fruit, orange slices, grapes.  @CleverGayle @sethandshannon1
• Of course, bring the Gatorade! @simplydab
• Make some ice cubes made of Gatorade.  (Love that!) @BillieGH
• Keep an eye on the young ones.   Ask if they're okay.  @simo_8
• Stay in the shade if possible (I know I keep my umbrella handy for rain and sun!) @shannon717717
• Educate your kids so they're aware (good suggestion!) @simplydab
• Have them take "hydration breaks" @iamfor48nascar
• If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.  Drink before you're thirsty.  @scm74
• Make sure kids drink, at least as often as you apply sunscreen (or vice versa!) @glassfishie
• Make sure your kids like the sport they're in, they'll do better and excel @PlumSage
• Don’t forget about your internal equipment – breakfast, lunch and fueling before practice. @momcentral
• Make sure your kids know each teammember is important and valuable @cstironkat
• Grocery shop with your kids so you can set a good example @artisticbaker
• Watch for warning signs of heat-related illnesses: confusion, nausia, headache nausea, vomiting, light headedness, weakness, fainting, flushed skin, poor concentration @JoeyfromSC @cnaes

More information:
Beat the Heat! Campaign
Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses (PDF)
Heat Safety (PDF) | Hydration Tips (PDF)

P90X Round 2.5

Now that I have an apartment, I can get back to my regular routine of working out.

It's been about a month since I started work here at Dad Central Consulting, and moved from Seattle to Boston.  In the middle of it all, I was traveling a lot, working crazy hours, and didn't plan well enough to carry everything I needed to do P90X the way it should be done.   I finished P90X in April, then started Insanity.  About halfway through Insanity, I started P90X Plus.  I was about halfway through P90X Plus, and ended up missing the last month or so.

This time, rather than start P90X Plus back up, I would go back to P90X Classic, and start again at the beginning.

I kept a pretty accurate journal on another site that I HIGHLY recommend, MyFitnessPal.com.  If you're regularly working out, or watching what you eat, this free site is really great.  Before starting P90X last January, I had never counted calories nor tracked what I ate.  It really opened my eyes to what I should be eating, how short I was in one area (usually Protein), or when I should be eating more to keep my energy up.

You might have seen the infomercials for P90X on TV.  I'm not usually attracted to that kind of thing, but the results they showed, and the low price of about $100 made me think it would be worth a try.  After checking around for reviews, I found almost NO negative reviews online, but I did find lots of positive reviews from enthusiastic people.

I really liked the format, different workouts everyday, a good challenge everyday, and almost immediate results.  I went from a size 40 pant to a 34 (that's what I wore in high school), and actually got the beginnings of a six pack in just 90 days.  I even impressed my brother enough that he gave it a try, and had similar results.

There's no secret sauce, other than consistently spending 60-90 minutes a day doing the workouts for 90 days, and following the eating plan.  So starting today, I'm back to high protein/low carbs (for the first 30 days).  Cottage cheese, chicken, greek yogurt, egg whites, and muscle milk--lots of it...

Thinking you might want to give it a try?  There is a 30-day money back guarantee...   :)

What have you done to work out?  What works best for you to stay in shape, with your busy lives?

Disclosure: I paid for my copy of P90X, and all supplements, etc.  I really enjoy BeachBody's products, and signed up to be a coach.  If you order through my coach site, I do get a small portion of the price.  But if you can find the product somewhere else, it won't hurt my feelings.