Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to you…

My Sister and I growing up...

My father owned a camera store growing up so we some how defaulted to his test models for every new toy and every new costume in his photo studio… this was taken some 23+ years ago… not shabby – huh…

Well its been a while since my last post — and well there is some major reasons behind that – I’ve been working a lot on LateNightParents.com but I’m also doing a huge backend update/theme update to dadarocks.com. I’ve long talked about how this was coming – this large shift and I thought the weeks following Father’s Day would be a nice period for me to work on that….

Turns out even a few weeks wasn’t enough time… but just hang around – you’ll see new topics and some amazing summer giveaways coming your way…

The future of DadaRocks and Cision Names Top 50 Daddy Bloggers

The future of DadaRocks and Cision Names Top 50 Daddy Bloggers

If you read my blog you know I’ve started someplace very different then where I am today based on input from family, friends, PR, Brands, Bloggers, and my own ideas of trying to move forward (without a direction)… no matter what… writing for me isnt the easiest – while if you sit down with me; I can just talk and talk and talk… usually with a pretty good idea of the topic I’m talking about…. but here it is over a year and half after starting this project (which I thought was going to be a little hobby) never excepting it to have grown into what it is today.  Since that time I’ve co-founded numerous other daddy projects like dadrevolution.com and dadstalking.com with great dads in the community of twitter.  Lately I’ve been working with Josh Becker of DadStreet.com on LateNightParents.com which is a little different then other projects because its not just writing its video and its also a live show.

Why am I saying all this — for a very long time I’ve been tinkering with a DADAROCKS overhaul and between some recent interactions and some desire to push myself a little bit more… its going to be happening soon…  I’ll be doing more personal content (that hasnt been there in a while), bring in some video into dadarocks, covering more of things I’d like to see and do, some travel, some of my day job which is web programming and social media – just overall I’m hoping to move it all forward and to the next level but I have a better idea this time around of the direction.

When I recieved an email saying I was going to be listed as a top daddy blogger I did a little happy dance – its nice to get a little pat on the back. You know a little at-a-boy.  Being named number two – yes thats RIGHT #2 daddy blogger based on klout score is pretty pretty awesome.  Congrats to the other 49 Dads who are on this list – I know the hours we put in to this isnt just one or two a week.  Check out the Cision Top 50 Daddy Bloggers List and stayed tuned as you’ll start to see some changes first in content and then in design…. then a of new stuff should be exciting or it’ll be a terrible fail but one things for sure you cant just sit still and let it all just pass you by.

Do you know about Late Night Parents and a Mamas & Papas Mylo Stroller Giveaway

Do you know about Late Night Parents and a Mamas & Papas Mylo Stroller Giveaway

Hopefully by now you’ve seen a few of the dadarocks tweets or a few of the dadarocks facebook page updates, but if not you might have missed the news about Late Night Parents.  Really Late Night Parents was born from the desire for a parenting show that could be hosted at night for when those that have 9-5s could catch up or simply have the kids fast asleep to enjoy hearing the latest in parenting news and products.

I asked my good internet friend Josh Becker of DadStreet.com to take the 2nd seat and away it went… fast forward 9 weeks, we’ve had our glitches but more then that we’ve found great success and a real audience (I was worried there would be crickets). The best part is that if you’re not watching it live there is great content in watching the show in replay. The replays are up on iTunes, Vimeo, Blip, Boxee, Roku, and MomTV (along with a few others).

The show is geared for expecting parents, new parents, parents of toddlers, and parents of little kids/tweens. We really try to cover the range and by doing so we also get to help parents out with amazing giveaways.  This week we have a few great giveaways up and going up.  The biggest of which is Mamas & Papas Mylo Stroller Giveaway.

The live show is Monday Nights at 11PM est.  and I really hope you get a chance to check it out! For more information please check out http://latenightparents.com

Happy New Year – Welcome 2011

Happy New Year – Welcome 2011

Happy New Year from DaDa Rocks and family to you and your family…. May this year be all that you’ve wanted it to be, may it be a year of health and a year of kindness, may your dreams come true…

May your 2011 be what Betty White’s year of 2010 was…

and if there was ever a time to reinvent yourself the time is now…

Ending the decade that was

Ending the decade that was

Its hard to imagine that tomorrow we start a new decade, of course its a new year and a new chance do right were we did wrong the year before. This statement along with a new year and a new you are the ones that will be with me for a long time… you’ll see some changes happening around here – just to keep up with the new year and the fact that in less then a week this site turns 1 year old.

I know many people stop doing resolutions once they hit a point in their life, I know many say weight loss and that usually just covers the holiday weight they’ve put on over the last month.  For me I have a long list along with the idea its time to start crossing items off my bucket list as well… If you follow me on twitter and if you read my christmas post you know that a few weeks ago I had a major health crisis and to be able to walk away from that is amazing. More so to walk away from that event and be able to change my life in hopes of seeing my grandchildren one day is the new mission of life.

When you make your resolutions make ones that you can meet, why because its important to set realistic goals telling yourself to become a millionaire isnt really realistic unless you have the means or the ability to do that… Telling yourself to drop 40% of your body weight isnt either…  try more reasonable goals like I’m going to go credit card free in 2011, managing a better budget within the family, I’m going to loose 25 pounds in 6 months  and keep it off, and I’m going to run a marathon within 3 years.

My true resolutions are much simpler – its to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, and most important to take better care of myself (in terms of health and fitness). What are your resolutions?