To me being a parent is one of the most important jobs in the world and requires a great deal of responsibility. Kids aren’t able to take care of themselves and look to us for care and support.

One of the first things I can remember purchasing once we found out Melinda was pregnant was a car seat. Children’s car seats come in so many makes and models it can make your head spin but you must do your research to make sure you are getting the best car seat that you can afford. Kids ride in the car so often this is definitely an extremely important purchase.

Another thing I can remember wanting to buy but Melinda vetoed and with good cause was a jogging stroller. I had it in my head that I would jog and take Shaun/Shae with me. LOL. If any of you know me you know I am a cyclist at heart and jogging/running typically isn’t in my vocabulary. What I find crazy is I have seen people out running with double jogging strollers. I won’t jog with a single but you see people out with doubles. They must really really love running, LOL.

These are just a few things you need or may want to purchase but you will need a ton of other stuff like a crib, food, diapers, cloths and the list goes on and on. I don’t think until you are about to become a parent do you realize all of the things that are needed. I was terrifies the first time I found out Melinda was pregnant because I had no clue what was going on but some how I figure most of it out and the rest is history.

Tell me one of the craziest things you or your significant other purchased or may have wanted to purchase once you found out you were pregnant.

Mine was a jogging stroller. That still makes me laugh.

I can remember when I was a young kid and going to my grandparents for a visit and my grandfather would be cutting the grass and I always wanted to help. I remember him always telling me I was too young to cut the grass, but when I got older he would let me. My grandfather owned the oldest Toro lawnmower that I had ever seen and it had to be at least 20 years old but it always started on the first pull and always did the job.

Fast forward 20 years or so when I was looking at lawnmowers and thinking back to when I was young and that old beat up Toro that my grandfather owned. They say people buy things based on past experiences and word of mouth and to some extent I agree. Want to guess what kind of lawnmower I bought? You guessed it a Toro and I have owned it for about five years now. It starts on the first or second pull and works like a champ. All I need to do is change the oil and gas it up.

I am not sure if my Toro will last 20-25 years like my grandfather’s did but one can only hope. If it wasn’t for my grandfather owning a Toro lawnmower I may not even own one myself. I love these kinds of posts that make me think back to the old days. I love my grandfather so much.

Have you ever bought anything because of your parents, grandparents, etc?

My best friend and his wife are expecting twins probably within the next week and let me tell you I feel for them both. They both have nephews and nieces but I don’t think anything can prepare them for twins. At least not in my book anyway, LOL.

The first thing I think about when you say twins is $. Having one baby is expensive enough and I know since we have three kids but having two babies at the same time is NUTS! First off you need two cribs for babies which are crazy expensive not to mention changing tables, diapers, cloths, car seats, formula, toys and the list goes on and on. Writing this and thinking about the stress and expense is upsetting my stomach and I am not even the one having twins, LOL.

Don’t get me wrong here people babies are AWESOME and with twins that is now twice the fun but it is still a stressful situation no matter what. I know my friend and his wife are going to be awesome parents and it also helps that they have any awesome support system in place with family and friends which is essential because I am sure for the few months they are going to need to rely on that support system heavily.

I don’t show it or act like it but I am excited to see these babies so hurry up Cat and have these kids!!!!

Planning social events is a lot of work – everything is easy and simple if it’s just you and a friend, however, once many people get involved it gets a whole lot more complicated as everyone needs to have their say in the process. Conference calls are a great way to get around this as you can get everyone together at the same time, regardless of geography. Good events require good planning – these calls are a great tool to help you make these special occasions truly amazing.

If you are organizing a baby shower, a hen night or even a wedding you are almost certain to need input from many different people. For a wedding the best man, the bridesmaid, both sets of parents and the happy couple all need to play a role. Getting everyone together for this is a huge battle, especially as many families live far apart these days. A teleconference will allow you to get all parties together easily and without anyone leaving their home.

This form of communication has become very popular in recent years thanks to one major factor: price. To run a teleconference in the past you had to have a subscription with an overpriced provider – this has all changed and there are many companies which allow users to chat without any fees beyond the normal cost of the call. Now you can get on the phone and run a free conference call and actually be saving money – indeed, with the rising cost of fuel there’s no need to drive when you can chat to everyone without leaving your home.

So the next time you have a big event to plan, why not forgo meeting up and get on the phone? It is easier and cheaper, letting you plan your events at your convenience. This way you can focus on what really matters: creating a fantastic occasion for your friends and family.

This post was provided by powwownow!!!

This past Christmas Sabreena got her own laptop and a desk for her room so that she had a place to do her homework and a place to use her laptop but believe it or not we forgot to get her an office chair. To be honest with you I am not sure how that happened but she is currently using an old metal folding chair, LOL.

So over the weekend I started looking at adjustable, ergonomic and reclining office chairs for Sabreena in the hopes of finding something better and more comfortable then her metal folding chair. That shouldn’t be too hard to do considering there are hundreds of chairs to choose from plus almost anything would be better then her current chair.

During my searches I ran across a lot of very nice chairs but I really like the Office Star Space Air Grid Leather Office Chair which comes in black and platinum. It looks comfortable and seems like it would be a very durable chair that Sabreena would have for a long time. An office chair is something you use many hours in the day so having something that is comfortable and a good fit is key. At first this chair seemed expensive but like I mentioned it is something that is used often so I figure why not get something that is quality the first time instead of me having to buy 2 or 3 cheap chairs over the next few years.

The funny thing is Sabreena is probably total content on her current old metal chair but not me. I am that dad that wants her to have the best regardless. Crazy I know but that is just how I am.

Do you have a nice office chair or do you have a crappy chair like Sabreena?

I can’t say that I am a big traveler or vacation person but after our vacation last summer I am hooked on seeing new places. Typically in the past we would go to places like Ocean City, NJ, Wildwood, NJ, or Virginia Beach, VA so we could just relax and have a great week. Last summer my whole vacation perspective changed after going on a Carnival Cruise to the Western Caribbean.

I have always thought what is the point in spending a lot of money for a one week vacation and thought all places were created equal. Like I mentioned after last summer I realized that is not the case at all and our cruise has opened my eyes to other vacation destinations. So I started thinking where are some place that I may like to vacation with the family where we could all have a great time and here are a few places that I found.

1. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
2. Ponza & the Pontine Islands, Italy
3. Maui, HI (anywhere Hawaii would be awesome)
4. Cesme Peninsula, Turkey
5. Eastern Caribbean (via a cruise)

I am sure there are 50 more places that I would like to vacation but this list is a nice start, LOL. Who knows if we will ever make it to any of these places but it is good to have a list so just in case the opportunity arises you are ready to go on a moment’s notice.

Where is one place that you would totally love to go to on vacation?