OttowaatHomeDads. This Ottawa-based group is for SAHD’s, and offers a ton of resources, including meetups, playdate coordination, member discussion forums, a member database, and announcements of upcoming kid-friendly events.

Dad Central/Papa Centrale (Ontario). This super-helpful site has links to slews of Dad-focused parenting information (in print and online, English and French), forums,  and more, all for free.

AbbyDadds. In the Abbotsford area, this excellent organization gives local dads access to programs, activities and support for Abbotsford dads.  The group organizes playgroups, educational resources, parenting resources, legal advice, group and individual support, and more.

Father Involvement Research Alliance (FIRA). According to its website, FIRA is “dedicated to the development and sharing of knowledge focusing on father involvement.” There are several subgroups of resources for fathers of all kinds (married, single, GLBT, Indigenous, etc.), parenting resources, and the opportunity to be involved in various national and international research studies on fatherhood and parenting.

My Daddy Matters Because… The motto for this organization is “Fatherhood: the best job on the planet” and describes itself as “also known as the National Project Fund on Fathering that is funded by Health Canada’s National Project Fund. The primary purpose of this site is to provide information for people who are developing and managing Father programs in their communities.” It offers access to activities, services, resources, and programs that exist for fathers coast-to-coast. The organization of the User Index allows the user to search for information either by geographic location of the activities, services, resources, and programs or by the type of father that is served.

Father Involvement Network. Part of the BC Council for Families, the BC-FIN is a network for professional men who are also fathers. According to its website, BC-FIN “serves as a place where professionals from across the province can work together to support fathers as they navigate how to become involved and what it means to father today. We connect professionals to best practice methods and strategies. As a province-wide network, FIN advocates for the advancement of father engagement in family services, and active, positive fathering in the home.”

 Golf

The Masters Golf Tournament: If you love golf, this app’s for you: the official app of the Master’s Golf Tournament. Use it to follow your favorite players’ scores and watch the action via live streaming video. Price: Free!

GreenFinder:  This app is super cool for when you’re traveling or on vacation and want to let off some steam on the greens.  GreenFinder uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS function to determine the exact distance to the nearest courses. Price: $34.99.

GolfCard: This is for the serious golfer. GolfCard uses satellite photos of more than 20,000 courses around the world, determining your distance from the courses. Track your scores and analyze your game based on previous rounds. Price: $19.99.

iGolfrules: This app is good for those just starting out, or who haven’t played in a while, or anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of the rules; it’s also perfect for resolving friendly disputes with other golfers on the green! Based on the bestselling book, “Golf Rules Quick Reference.” Basically, it’s  pocket guide of all the various and sundry rules of golf. Price: $9.99.

 Budget and Home Life

iXpenseIt: If you’re like me and every dollar counts, this app will make keeping track of those dollars a lot easier. Use it to simplify your daily expense tracking and to manage your family’s budget. Price: $4.99.

Bloomberg: For those who dabble in the stock market, this app will be a blessing. Coming from the most trusted financial report in the world, you now have Bloomberg on your iPhone. Use it to get the most reliable, up-to-the-minute financial news, and you can create customized lists of the most important stocks from world markets. Price: Free.

Gas Cubby  MPG & Car Maintenance: Track your vehicle’s gas mileage and maintenance, so your car is always running its best. Price: $3.99.

Health and Fitness

iFitness: With iFitness, you can take your workout plan everywhere with you, increasing your likelihood of greater success. The app has pictures and instructions of how to do various exercises, which will help you get into your best shape ever. Price: $1.99.

FitnessBuilder: This pocket-sized and comprehensive workout plan has lots of detailed instructions and photos. Price: $19.99.

Heart Monitor: This app is great for using when you’re working out away from the gym and the heart monitors on workout machines. The Heart Monitor app is an actual heart monitor–on your iPhone! Using spooky technology, it listens to your heartbeat and measures your heartrate, allowing you to stay in the target cardio zone and stay safe. Price: $3.99.

BP Buddy – Blood Pressure Helper: If you have blood pressure issues, BP Buddy is the perfect companion for tracking it. Price: $4.99.

Sports and Entertainment

CBC Mobile Services App Family. Check out all the apps offered for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, ranging from music streaming and downloading to hockey information and viewing.

Touch Hockey FS5. This ultra-cool game app allows you to play virtual air hockey against your friends and other opponents via Bluetooth and WiFi. Free!

Zagat Mobile. Any savvy traveler knows that Zagat’s is the guide to consult for the best restaurant reviews. Price: $9.99

Icebreaker Hockey. Any red-blooded Canadian male can and should have at least one hockey app on his phone, and this one is lots of fun. From the makers of the BackBreaker Football app, it’s $0.99 well-spent.

Instagram. This app has been taking the social networks by storm, allowing you to share your photos simply and efficiently, with tons of cool effects and filters to make things more interesting. Price: free!

Lifestyle

Weber’s on the Grill. Who knows grilling better than Weber’s? This app is extremely useful, allowing you to access a huge database of grilling tips, recipes, meal plans and more. Price: $4.99

Kijiji Mobile. This is Canada’s number one free classified site, and now you have it on your iPhone. It is a convenient, fun, and easy way for people in the same city to buy, sell, trade and help each other out in areas such as goods, cars, services, housing and jobs. Price: Free!

Control4MyHome Mobile. This thing is wicked. It’s the ultimate touch screen remote for your Control4 home automation system. Control your lights, thermostats, audio, video, web cameras, security system, and much more with easy taps and gestures. Please Note: This application requires a Control4 system. Price: Free!

The Couvade syndrome poster boy

We’ve all heard the stories; most of us have actually experienced it: “sympathy pains,” or other symptoms in common with your partner’s during her pregnancy. I know I did. I got nauseated, had mood swings right along with her, even gained a few pounds. Of course, she wasn’t terribly sympathetic to my sympathy pains… Most guys seem to feel a bit embarrassed by it, but don’t worry–it’s not all in your head, after all! There’s physical evidence that sympathy pains are real, and there’s a name for it: Couvade syndrome.

Couvade (a word that means “A practice in certain cultures in which the husband of a woman in labor takes to his bed as though he were bearing the child.”) syndrome is a term used to describe a situation in which an otherwise healthy man — whose partner is expecting a baby — experiences pregnancy-related symptoms. While some research suggests that Couvade syndrome (sympathetic pregnancy) is common, it isn’t a recognized mental illness or disease. Further studies are needed to determine whether Couvade syndrome is a physical condition with psychological causes.

Symptoms reported to be associated with Couvade syndrome vary widely and typically occur only during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Physical symptoms may include nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, bloating, appetite changes, respiratory problems, toothaches, leg cramps, backaches, and urinary or genital irritations. Psychological symptoms that may be related to Couvade syndrome include changes in sleeping patterns, anxiety, depression, reduced libido and restlessness.

It’s estimated that around 90% of men experience Couvade syndrome to some extent. So, don’t feel embarrassed. You’re definitely not alone!

Whether Couvade syndrome is real or not, what’s certain is that becoming a new dad can be exciting, emotional and stressful. If you’re a man whose partner is pregnant, take steps to manage stress and prepare for fatherhood. Attend prenatal classes. Seek out advice and encouragement from friends and family. Talk to your partner. Understanding and planning for the challenges ahead can help ease your transition into fatherhood.

1.  Buy a beer mug for $15 as soon as you get on the ship.  For the rest of your voyage you get 22 oz. for the price of 16oz and you can refill it as much as you want.

2.  Make a reservation (or several) at Palo as soon as you get on the ship.  Better yet, check in online up to 48 hours before you sail and do it then.

3.  Get to the ship as early as possible on your day of departure and use the AquaDuck lots before the lines begin.

4.  The men’s rooms are equipped with low urinals for toddlers, change tables and sometimes diaper genies so you can impress your partner by offering to do the potty trips.  (She needn’t ever know how easy Disney makes it).

5.  Use the Small World Nursery, Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab to their full advantage (the kids won’t want to leave anyway) and try the adult-only bars and clubs.  Skyline is chic, Oh La La is like a Parisian boudoir, the Tube is total funky London, La Piazaa oozes Italian flair and O’Gills Pub is super cool.

6.  Disney does a great job at segregating infants, kids, tweens and teenagers so they can hang with their own peeps.

7.  Get a stateroom on Deck 5.  Their balconies are twice as deep as on other decks.

8.  Carry your Wave Phone with you to eliminate texting and internet charges while you are at sea.  Disney provides 2 of these phones in every room and they are free to use.

9.  Put a GPS tracker on your kids (it’s attached to a wristband) while in the cruise ship terminal.  They use it to check into kids’ clubs and can be located in an instant by staff.

10. Make sure you carry your Personal Navigator (the daily schedule delivered to your stateroom each night) so you know what’s going on.  You wouldn’t want to miss a chance to wait for those princess photo ops.  For the kids of course.

11. Order half sizes of a few appetizers to share.  The waitstaff will honour every whim and the food is to die for.

12. Do the 5k run early in the morning at Castaway Cay – Disney’s private island.  (Reason: See #11).

13.  The Midship Detective Agency (register on Deck 5) will keep kids and adults busy for hours and help everyone navigate the ship.  The art throughout the vessel comes to life and helps you solve crimes.  Sherlock.

14.  If you bear a strong resemblance to Brad Pitt, or just want a bit of privacy, the rooms on Deck 11 and 12 come with a private concierge area and dining room.  So you won’t be hounded for autographs.

15.  Because you have so many food choices, try to nudge the kids out of their comfort zones by ordering atypical dishes from the extensive children’s menus.  You can always resort to Mac and Cheese, chicken fingers, hotdogs and pizza later.  (For you too via room service after having too much fun at the Tube).

Disney Fantasy

Disclosure: UrbanMommies Media was provided a 3-night vacation on the Disney Fantasy, a shipboard credit and airfare for one.  As always, our opinions are our own.

SKIN CARE

Sure, when you look at the skincare aisle in the pharmacy you’re typically seeing stuff geared toward those who possess two X chromosomes, but just because you’re a guy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of your skin. If you’ve outgrown that pesky teenage acne, it doesn’t take much for men to have great skin. Eat right, drink lots of water, and use a couple of basic products. Here are our UrbanDaddies favorites:

BODY WASH
Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort
Dove has a whole men’s skincare line, Men+Care, and we love this body wash. At this price (around $5), nothing softens or cleans your face and body better, with a light, fresh scent.

MOISTURIZER
Lubriderm Men’s 3-in-1 Lotion Fragrance-Free

This lotion is not greasy, doesn’t leave a film, and absorbs quickly. It’s also lightweight and is fragrance-free, which makes it pretty much perfect, especially since it’s less than $8.

ANTI PERSPIRANT
Gillette Odor Shield
Say goodbye to sweat stains on your summer shirts. This anti-perspirant is tough as nails and has a great fresh scent that sticks with you.

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HAIR CARE

A man’s scalp produces around 50% more oil than a woman’s does, making scalp acne, dandruff, eczema, and more. A good rule of thumb is to wash your hair every other day, to keep oil under control without drying out the hair or scalp. As far as hair care styling products go, keep it simple and light, because you don’t want to look (or feel) “shellacked”.

CONDITIONER
Bumble and Bumble Quenching Conditioner
Bumble and Bumble is a great line of hair care products. A small dollop of this stuff replenishes the moisture your scalp and hair lost during shampooing.
$30, bumbleandbumble.com

STYLING CREAM
Axe Understated Look Cream with Tea Tree Extract
Styling cream is a good alternative to gel for guys whose hair isn’t too oily. With this, you gain shine, without looking too styled or greasy.
$6, theaxeeffect.com

DANDRUFF SHAMPOO
Head and Shoulders Hair Endurance for Men
We love our Head and Shoulders; this particular version conditions the scalp as it cleans up excess oil, leaving you dandruff-free and confident.
$8, headandshoulders.com

POMADE
Grooming Lounge Some Hair Pomade
We know, when you hear “pomade” you think “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.” Well, this stuff isn’t the same. This water-based hair styling product delivers a light to medium hold, doesn’t look greasy or oily, and rinses clean, without buildup.
$18, groominglounge.com

SHAMPOO
Molton Brown Volumising Thekku Hairwash
Do you feel like your hair is thinning a little? We feel your pain. But before you reach for the Rogaine, try a thickening shampoo. This product includes thekku bark extract, which coats and restores your hair to its former hair-band glory days look. Well, maybe not. But it does make your hair feel thicker and with more volume.
$28, moltonbrown.com

STYLING GEL
American Crew Firm Hold
American Crew has long been a favorite line of hair and body products for many, many men. This particular gel, which has a low-pH formula without drying alcohol, helps your hair look thicker and shinier, without flaking or that helmet-hair look. And it smells awesome.
$22, americancrew.com

Soy protein contains isoflavones, which are compounds that act like estrogen in the human body. Soy protein is also listed as the only complete protein that is plant based, so if you are vegetarian or vegan, or just cutting down on meats, this is the only substitute that gives all the essential amino acids. So the controversy stems from the need to risk things like man boobs to be able to get proper nutrition without eating animal based protein.

Reproduction

Scientific studies offer mixed results regarding isoflavones. A study this year in “Toxicology in Vitro” says that there is a feminizing affect on developing male fetuses. However, last year in “Fertility and Sterility” a study showed that at typical levels of soy consumption do not affect sperm, free testosterone, or total testosterone levels in developing males. Some experts suggest that the disparity of results comes from the fact that rodent test subject metabolize isoflavones differently than humans and the fact that in test studies, the rodents are fed much higher levels of the compounds than would normally be consumed.

Heart Health

Plant-based proteins such as soy do not contain saturated fats or cholesterol, so substituting some soy for high-fat animal protein can lead to a healthier heart. Other researchers have shown that consumptio of soy protein also lowers bad cholesterol levels.

Sports Nutrition

Many of the sports supplement products taken by endurance athletes and men doing strength training contain soy protein. The American Dietetic Association reports that high quality plant proteins such as casein, whey, or soy can help enchance muscle gain from exercise, as well as maintenance and repair of muscle mass.

Soy is a good source of protein, but it should be taken in moderation, just like everything else. A normal diet that includes soy protein will not cause a man to need to shop for bras, but it will deliver numerous health benefits.

Now, the Kiwis do not have the system perfected by any means. In 2008 the registrar allowed some someone to name a boy Number 16 Bus Shelter. Another example of failure is a set of twins named Benson and Hedges. I wonder if they were born underweight and premature due to smoking during pregnancy? Even though some crazy names make it through, I guess we still have to give them credit for making an effort.

Another country that is trying to address this problem is Sweden, also with mixed results. Superman, Elvis, Metallica and Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced ‘Albin’) are all on the no-no list, but somehow sticking kids with the monikers of Lego and Google is OK. Well, I will allow them a pass on those two since they refused Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116.

Another piece of naming advice to parents: CONSIDER INITIALS! I grew up with a girl named Allison Sarah Shaw, who excelled in school, went to med school, and throughout her professional career has been referred to as Doctor ASS. Poor thing.

Picking names for your kids is important, and for those of us who do not live in countries with such restrictive measures on prental stupidity, try the fall back position of common sense. Is the name you want to give your kid going to inspire teasing, wet willies, and Indian burns? Is this a name your kid is going to want? And finally, try to remember this point: 13 years from naming your kid, that kid is going to enter their teens! The vast majority of teens think their parents are cruel and oppressive idiots anyway, so why give them an extra incentive to think so by giving them a name that they will hate?

The report further states that parents should not rely on any sound or video monitoring device that claims to reduce the risk of SIDS. To avoid confusion, a baby monitor that allows parents to see or hear an infant from the next room is fine, but no monitoring device can actually reduce the risk of SIDS, so any company claiming their product does so should not be trusted. This information is backed up by the FDA, which is now recommending to manufacturers to stop claiming that any baby product reduces SIDS risks, as such claims are misleading to consumers.

“In the last year, since the joint FDA-CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) release of the safety communications on infant sleep positioners and related actions, FDA has become aware of a variety of baby products being marketed over-the-counter with claims to prevent or reduce the chance of SIDS,” said Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokesperson. “FDA has never cleared or approved a product to reduce or prevent and SIDS and knows of no evidence that shows that baby products prevent or reduce the chance of SIDS.”

Walsh added, “ Current research shows that the best way to reduce the chance of SIDS for infants from birth to one year of life is: alone in their own crib or bassinet on their backs on a firm sleep surface; and in a crib or bassinet free of pillows, blankets, bumpers, sleep positioners and other objects. Parents and caregivers should not buy baby products simply because they say they will lower SIDS risk—they will not. Some common baby products can pose a suffocation risk to your baby. Parents and caregivers should always check with their health care professional before using a new product for your baby or other over—the-counter medical products.”

Consumer Reports also endorses a bare crib as the safest sleeping environment for your baby.

·         down. set. snack.
·         down. set. pop.
·         let’s get ready to crumble!
·         half time. crunch time.
·         trying not to cheer with our mouths full.
·         why wait? we’re putting some super in a bowl right now.
·         popchips & pigskins.
·         sideline snack time.
·         snacking from the sidelines? lucky you.
·         game time. snack time.
·         sunday, sunday, sunday! let’s get ready to crumble!
·         football makes us hungry.
·         let the recreational eating begin!
·         champion-chip.
·         work hard. play hard. snack harder.
·         play hard. snack harder.

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