superdad

As someone who enjoys taking a breather from your daily grind what better to talk about vacations and what to do on those few precious days we somehow still find in our busy lives.  First off many people might not have the luxoury of vacation days at work so sometimes just taking advantage of a three day weekend is the closest thing you may have to getting away.  Here are some tips from my most rescnet experinces.

If you are someone that lives nearby Chicago Illinois my first tip especially if you have young children is take a stop at Kiddie Land in Melrose Park.  It might not be Great America but in your children’s eyes it is the same if not better.  Kiddie Land has been around since your grandparents were children and it one of those destinations you just got to see before there is no more. As of right now the family that owns the rights to this magnificent park is not renewing its lease with Melrose Park for next year so the park could become just another strip mall in due time.  So if you got a day to catch this park out before it goes for good now is a good time to visit.  Kiddieland .com is a great way to start looking at what the prices are and what those prices include in the admission.  You will be pleasantly surprised that your admission includes amenities that many amusement parks these days cannot afford due too their large stature.

If a amusement park is not up your allie why not just go to the beach.  The beach is the most inexpensive way to enjoy a day in the hot sun.  Most beaches that are around Chicago and Northwest Indiana are not going to break you as far as your wallet.  If you plan ahead as far a packing a cooler with snacks or food for the day then the price of the beach  becomes even lower.  Of course check the beach you are going to before you go in case their are any closures.  Moreover,  the children love the water and if you know a child that is not happy being on a beach then I think your kid may be from Mars.

My last suggestion for fun in the sun on a staycation is try to find a deal on a pool.  If you are not a fan of big crowds at a beach or amusement park then try to find a deal on a swimming pool.  I just recently got a pool from someone who was upgrading theirs and sold theirs for a lesser amount.  It is simply perfect for those hot days especially if you need a break from the extra rise in ac operation cost in the summer.  When you are in a pool ac is no longer a necessity but a luxury once again because you found a more cooler and enjoyable way to enjoy the summer without being trapped inside your house.   Now there may be some operational costs for running that pool but is less compared to paying large amounts of money on you electric bill.  Trust me the cost is worth it and plus it is only a seasonal item that does nto require year long maintance especially if you have a pool that is smaller and easier to disasemble at the end of the summer.  There are many inexpenisve ways to have a pool these days you just got to see where the bargains are or to know someone that has a some expereince dealing with swimming pools.

Recently these three stay cation ideas helped our family have one of our best 4th of July weeks ever and it did not cost us an arm and a leg.  Sometimes you just got to plan smarter and not harder.  You worked hard for those days off in the summer and at the very least take advantage of every oppurtuntiy to get out but make sure too that your not hurting yourself finacially in doing so.  We all want to keep up with the Jones’s but in reality some people can not because of these hard economic times.  Trust me a little less can be a whole lot more and you may think more positive going with a staycation over a vacation after trying a couple of my ideas.

We all know cigarettes are bad that is a fact.  We also know that much of this money is to help Children health care and that is okay but this recent tax hike on tobacco is extreme.  As a smoker it is I believe a right to smoke if you want.  Even ex smokers smoke from time to time because they feel they just want to taste or smell of a cigarette.  Yes, we should not smoke three to four pack a day, that is extreme, but if you want to have just a couple then that should be okay.  Even this guy smokes from time to time.

Not anymore as cigarette tax is so high that people just cannot afford to buy them at all.

It is in the best interest of us to not smoke but many Americans really enjoy the right to smoke.  Even cigar smokers are feeling the hit and they are sort of a result of the tax hike as well.  So long to those days when a first time father gets that cigar for a boy or girl in the hospital even that might be too expensive for most Americans.

The thing that is funny about all of this is we are the most over obese country in the World but food tax has only gone up a little in the past ten years.  I understand food is way more important than smoking but why is one thing being taxed so much when other things that are killing us as well is not as much taxed.

I agree with Barack Obama and understand he is trying to fix problems that he can no longer just avoid like so other president have done in the past.  He had to take this necessary proposal to increase taxes on luxuries but cigarettes are mostly smoked by the poor not the rich.  The extremely rich now will be afford their pack of cigarettes or cigar if they want while the rest of us just get crabbier from cigarette withdraw.

I understand everyone is never all pleased at the same time.  Here in Chicago Illinois we have had to deal with not smoking in public spaces for over a year now and for the most part we have adjusted whether going outside to finding a free zone to smoke.  Now we will be looking for that guy with the fancy suit to try to bum a smoke off of next time we go out.

You see Americans, we adjust and we will adjust to this as well,but when does it stop.  If the government really cared about our overall health they would just shut down tobacco all together.  However we all now that will never happen as the federal government saw 9 billion dollars from the tobacco industry just last year alone.

Lastly I am trying to stop smoking but truly understand the frustration a smoker goes through these day and this recent tax hike should do it for me as well, superdad feels your pain.  Yes I know I shouldn’t as a father but we all have or own Kryptonite don’t we?

With unemployment rates up high the trend of stay at home dads are at a all time high.  You see I am not alone as a stay at home dad it is good that more dads are getting involved with their children.  We live in times where who makes the money is not as important as children being able to bond with their parents.  The most important time to bond with children is when they are young and this is huge in a boy’s or girl’s development.  If you are one of those dad’s that is just learning the ropes do not worry you’re not alone.

Although rough at times, that you’re not the primary bread winner it can be frustrating but hey we are just being exposed to something new and that is what we have to deal with right now.  It is not to say your going to be stuck home for the rest of your life, it is more like you are needed at home right now and if you are taking care of your kids then that is your role you must take on until the time is right for you to return to work.

Trust me as a experienced stay at home dad money and work is great, but that is not what life is all about as a parent if you are chosen as a parent or given the gift of being a father it is also good to just be there and that in itself will reward you ten fold in the future, I guarantee it!

Here Fox News does a little segment about what I am talking about that we are not alone but getting better every day as a superdad.

copy and past the link

http://www.foxnews.com/video/partners/synacor.html?playerId=videosynacorlp&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=4059513&referralPlaylistId=647eb6a0a327c91527f222db54bea29cf937e8b6

Many times we feel we want to volunteer or support a cause but we are not sure where or who we should contact.  Well one of my favorite causes is Chicago Hopes and they are having a fundraiser coming up March 19 in Chicago.  The fundraiser will be at Caza Aztan where many of Chicago HOPES finest will be attending to raise money for a good cause.

Chicago HOPES is a program that helps homeless children in grades K-12 and families a opportunity to get extra help when it come to dealing with school work and learning.  All over Chicago there are homeless families that do not have a stable home which makes it difficult for their children not only to get to school on a consistent basis but to keep up with the rest of the class.

Chicago HOPES was created for this purpose and is sponsored by Chicago Public Schools.  As a current supporter and a recent tutor that spent time with these students at one of the many shelters there is no bigger reward than helping a child or even a teenager that does not have the means to keep up in the classroom.  As a tutor I dealt with kids ranging from Kindergarten all the way up to High school helping them with school work. My experience came from when I worked in the summer time where they had a summer tutor session.  I did not have a lot of time available to work as I only was able to volunteer a couple times a week for a couple of hours and the coordinators in return were so thankful and happy for my contribution.

Even if you cannot volunteer this is a great cause to support.  Here is a link if you want more info about Chicago HOPES or if you would like to come to the fundraiser.

http://www.chicagohopes.org/

http://www.chicagohopes.org/content/march-fundraisier

I will also add them to my blogroll in case you may want to check back later for more events and opportunities to volunteer.  If you have Facebook they have a fan page for Chicago HOPES as well.  This is a great cause!

Anyone out there a Facebook user?  Well I am and I understand there is a new privacy policy now, where Facebook may have more control over more of what you post onto your profile.  They already ask for permission from you, but they may have more access to that info for as long as Facebook is around whether or not you are a part of the social network.  The final decision is still a debate but many people are pulling a lot of stuff off of their page in case Facebook chooses to allow info to be seen by a anonymous third party without you knowing.

All I have to say it post at your own risk.  I mean I use pretty good judgement on what not to put on my page.  Sure we get goofy some times and say things or post videos that might not be suitable for all ages but that is why there is an 18 and over policy to even sign up for the site.  In addition there are settings for your profile that you can make you appear more private. You just have to use some more common sense that is all.  People tend to blow things out of proportion and this in another example.

However the main thing is try to stay professional and think before you post something that you may regret posting later.  Maybe take a few extra things off of your info page if you are really scared that others may use this against you. I use my Facebook more as a way to show my personality and my professional skills and less about posting a thousand pics of my kids.  I will be more conscious of the new rule but not scared out of my pants.  I mean I do post birthday pics or special occasions but for the most part I only post a few pics at a time.  Some people do way more than that, if you ever noticed.

In regards to posting pictures or videos of others that are not knowing of you having those pics.  That is an issue you should take on with a case by case basis. I just would not post something that can lead to someone else getting in trouble. Do you really want to be that guy similar to the Michael Phelps situation who took that pic?  I thought that was a cheap shot out of jealousy and un necessary judgement.  Just think of of it this way would you like it as well if someone posted something on you that made you feel uncomfortable. Probably not so remember to be kind to those that are not aware of what you may have in the photo vault.

Please respond if you have any other comments and check out this link for more info from the founders themselves for more detailed info. There is even a group being developed as we speak for creating a Bill of Rights for Facebook users.

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?blog_id=company&m=2&y=2009