Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayWithGlade #CollectiveBias

The holidays are here and that means that my wife starts setting out “holiday-scented” candles throughout the house. My favorite one is the Cherishthe Present™ Apple Cinnamon from the Glade^® Limited Edition Winter Collection . This scent evokes a sense of calm and joy in me. It also reminds me it’s time for me to start making one of my kids’ favorite foods: Apple Cinnamon Muffins!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 medium apple, chopped

Glaze:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease (or use muffin cups) a 12-cup muffin pan, set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in bowl. Add milk, butter, vanilla and egg and stir until moistened.

 

Add the apples. I used one medium-sized Honeycrisp apple. Don't chop it too small, you want to make sure you can see and taste your apple pieces! Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20-23 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

For the glaze:

In a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and butter for glaze. Once the muffins have cooled take a muffin and dip the top in the glaze and twist. Make sure to cover all the top of the muffin.  Repeat until all muffins have been glazed.

Like I mentioned before, these muffins are my family’s favorite. I make them often throughout the holidays!

Each fragrance from the Glade^® Limited Edition Winter Collection aims to embody the special moments with friends and family that make the holidays so special.

We purchased our Glade^® Jar Candles at our local Publix.

3 Ways I Stay in Touch With My Daughter

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #CloudPetsForever #CollectiveBias

My daughter, Amberly, is my world. Her birth changed my life forever. She made me a dad, the most important job I will ever have. Deciding to separate from her mom when she was only two was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, not because my relationship was ending but because I knew that I wouldn't see Amberly every single day. Ever since then, I look forward to the weekends when I get to see her (and her brother!) 

Over the past six years, I have tried hard to maintain as much contact with her as possible, not just every other weekend. It's important for me to have an open line of communication with her. It's important for her to know I will be there for her, no matter what. My ex (her mom) and I get along well so it does make things a lot easier on everyone involved. I stay in touch with Amberly all week long.

{ONE}

The easiest way to stay in touch with her is by calling. At first, we had a set time once a week where we would talk over the phone. Thankfully, she has always been a big talker and has always loved talking on the phone with me. Since she started school, the phone calls are more frequent, at least twice a week. She will call me or I will call her. We discuss homework, behavior or just a quick Wednesday morning call to say "Happy hump day!"

{TWO}

Sometimes phone calls are not enough! When I see her on the weekends, the first thing she does is run and give me a big hug. She does not let go. I know she has missed me as much as I have missed her. She is the cuddly type so when I heard about CloudPets™, I knew it would be perfect for her!

CloudPets™ are these cute stuffed animals that lets you stay in touch with your loved ones. CloudPets™ lets you download a free app, register your animal and then you get to send a message to the pet. Your loved one hears the message on the pet and then record a message back! CloudPets™ come with parental controls and only invited friends and family can send a message to your pet. 

{THREE}

Another way I stay in touch with Amberly is to be present. When she is around, my attention is on her. We don't see each other as much as we would like so why be on the phone or working when she is around? My weekend is devoted to her (and her brother!) when they are over. We play, read books, go on outings, always something and always together! Now, I am present, no matter what. If there is a school function, I am there. She can't understand homework explanations over the phone, I drive to her house and we figure it out. Always available and always present is the perfect way to let her know how much I love her!

I can't wait to see her this weekend and gift her her new CloudPets™ Unicorn. The unicorn is exclusive to Walmart. CloudPets™ are also available as a Kitty, Bear, Puppy and Bunny!

Have you seen CloudPets™ at your local Walmart? Who would you gift one too?

Our Car: Keeping My Family and I Going Since 2006

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CambioConfiable #CollectiveBias

As a family of five, we are busy and constantly driving from one place to another. On a typical day, we drive to the gym, back home, to school dropoffs, work dropoffs, school pickups, work pickups, extracurriculars, back home and maybe back out one more time for groceries. Our car barely gets a break so I make sure to keep it well-maintained. Car maintenance can be expensive so I try to do some of it on my own, like change the oil, item replacements and car washes.

A little background on our car. I was born in Cuba and came to the United States when I was 8. I remember getting here and seeing so many cars and knowing one day I wanted one of my own. When I turned 16, my mom didn't have the means to buy me a car so I drove a hand me down for a couple years. When I was 19 and in college, my girlfriend at the time found out she was pregnant. I remember being in my car on a hot summer day and knowing that we couldn't bring a baby into the world and drive her around in a car that didn't have a/c. 

I saved some money (which was very hard at 19 and in college), went to the dealership and bought (financed) a brand new 2006 Toyota Corolla. I wanted a new car and I was able to get one. I was now a father and was determined to always give my child everything I didn't have as an immigrant into this country. This car, my car, saw me through all my child's first, a second child, single fatherhood, graduating college, new jobs and now transporting my new family around town. 

This car has been a huge part of my life and will continue to be. I plan on keeping it around as long as possible so I keep up the maintenance schedule. Now keeping up a maintenance schedule can get expensive, so like I mentioned before, there are many things I do on my own, like change the oil. Changing the oil on a car is not easy but it is time-consuming. You need to make sure you purchase the correct oil your car requires.  Quaker State has svereal varieties available for your car like the  Advanced Durability Motor Oil and Defy-High Mileage Motor Oil.

Every day as I get into my car I am filled with pride knowing that hard work pays off. I have a car of my own. I have made a life for myself and my family. I know that I am serving as an example to my children about hard work and empowerment. I love my car and plan on driving her around for many more years to come!

 Quaker State Motor Oil is available at Walmart in the Auto Care aisles!

Have you had your car a long time like I've had mine? Tell me about it!

Road Trip Games For Kids

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #Tips4Trips #CollectiveBias

As a dad, I have certain things I am in charge of such as all our tech (tablets, cell phones, video games), any science or art project and keeping the kids entertained in the car. These duties were pushed upon me and honestly, I don't really mind. Recently, we took a family road trip and with four kids in the car for hours, I knew I had to be prepared with fun road trip games to keep them entertained. I spent hours researching games, testing them out with the kids and these were our 5 favorite road trip games!

When we go on a road trip or any kind of travel, the kids know that they need to pack a bag. They are responsible for that bag during the whole trip. In this bag, they can pack whatever they feel they need to keep them entertained. Usually they will pack their tablets (and chargers), a book, stuffed animals and some toys. Even with tablets and toys, they still get bored and will begin arguing and whining, that's where road trip games come in!

5 Road Trip Games for Kids

1. "I Spy" I'm starting with a classic. I think we have all played "I Spy" at one point or another in our lives and kids love it. I started it off by spotting an item and reciting the line "I spy with my little eye something ______" and the first kid that figured out what it was would be next to spy!

2. "Go Fish" This is my kids' favorite card game. We play with Jumbo playing cards. Seven cards are dealt to each player. The remaining cards are put in  a pile known as the "ocean" that is shared between the players. Each player removes all pairs from their deck and then take turns asking each other for cards such as "Adrian, do you have any three's?" If Adrian had a 3 he gives it to the player that asked, if not he says "go fish" and the player that asked him has to pick up a card from the ocean. The point of the game is get rid of all your cards in pairs!

3. Tic Tac Toe All you need for tic tac toe is a paper and pencils/pens/markers. You draw the tic tac toe board (a pound sign or hashtag!) and one player plays as X and the other as O. The point of the game is to get three in a row or tic tac toe!

4. Would You Rather? I like games that get my kids thinking and Would You Rather is a great one! This one gets the whole family playing too. All you do is ask someone "Would you rather?" and then two choices they need to pick from. For example: "Gian, would you rather eat escargot or not play with your tablet for 2 days?" Once he answers, then he asks someone else in the car. This game gets lots of laughing, joking and lots of creativity from the kids!

5. Telephone One child whispers a story to someone else in the car. That person then whispers what they heard to another child in the car and so on until everyone hears the story. The last person to hear the story repeats it out loud so everyone can hear. Some of the story will get mixed up along the way and the resulting story will usually get alot of laughs from everyone!!

I had lots of games planned but these were the top 5. Some of the games on my list they didn't want to even try, so at one of the rest stops, I pulled out my trusty cell phone and searched for some more games which is where I got the idea for "Would You Rather?" Technology saves the day again!!

I'm so thrilled I am able to take my kids on vacations. Growing up, my family wasn't able to do so. I make sure to save my pennies all year long so we can take at least two vacations a year. One of the ways I save is by using Walmart Family Mobile with its unlimited talk, text and data service plans as my phone carrier. I have an Alcatel One Touch Pop Astro which is 4G LTE compatible, lightweight and very affordable. Walmart Family Mobile service is $29.88/month (for the first line) and the unlimited talk, text and data plan includes up to 1G of 4G LTE data!

I purchased my phone and starter kit at my local Walmart. The Walmart Family Mobile displays are in the entertainment sections of stores!

Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/frw8 or your local Walmart for current pricing!

I've shared our favorite road trip games and would love to have some more in reserve. What are your family's favorite road trip games?

A Day In The Life of a Dad

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PowerfulProtein #CollectiveBias  

Being a dad, especially a working dad of three, is no easy task. I need to be 100% at everything: work, the gym and with the kids, so I don't miss out on a thing. I like being busy but I also want to be present. A lot of people ask me "How do you do it?" My response: "I just do." Since I get asked this so often, I decided I would document a typical day in my life and share it with you.

My days start off early, at 5:15 a.m. I wake up, get dressed for the gym and have a prep meal (usually a rice cake with almond butter and honey since i wake up starving!) or a pre-workout shake and eat/drink on my way to the gym, arriving at the gym at 5:45 a.m. ready to workout! I do Crossfit, so everyday is a different WOD (workout of the day.)

Normally, I do the workout of the day, which is about 20 minutes and some strength-training, like clean and jerks or snatches, since I also compete in Crossfit competitions various times a year. By the end of my training, I bust out my signature move:

After I scrape myself up from the floor, I rush back home. I try to be back home by 7:40 a.m. the latest. Ida is great at getting the kids up, dressed and downstairs ready for breakfast by the time I get home. We are on summer break now from school but we still need to be up and early since Ida and I both work outside the home. We have breakfast and are out the door by 8:10 a.m.

I get to work by 8:30 a.m.  I am an architect and usually work from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., unless there is a major project deadline and I have to stay late.

Ida works until 4:30 p.m., so she will pick up the kids from summer day camp and them pick me up at work. From there we head home and get started on dinner. Thankfully, the kids are old enough to shower on their own so they will do that while we work on dinner. During the school year, it's a lot more hectic since there is homework to do and sports practices to be at but summer is a little more relaxed and we can spend more time together as a family. After dinner, I will usually play a board game or some video games with the kids. This is our bonding time. We will usually play until about 8 p.m. when I send them up to their room, they get in bed and read. 

Once the kids are in bed, I go out for a jog. I jog for conditioning training and to clear my head. I will jog for about 30 minutes, come back home, do some yoga to get in a good stretch and then of course, eat! I am once again starving but I do not dare ask Ida to make me more food. I only know how to make fried eggs and that can get a bit tiring after a while so I went to the store and stocked up on the new STOUFFER'S® Fit Kitchen meals. 

I need a meal with lots of protein and once I saw that these meals have at least 25 grams of protein each, I knew they would be perfect for me. I could just take one of the freezer, pop it in the microwave and in less than 10 minutes, I have a delicious flavorful protein packed meal!

My favorite is the Cilantro Lime Chicken. It's white meat chicken with black bean and corn mix, seasoned brown rice with a verde tomatillo sauce. 

I usually eat my STOUFFER'S® Fit Kitchen meals while chatting with Ida about our days. This is our together time. We are very busy during the day at work and with the kids so really this is the only time where it is just us. After I eat, I will take a shower, go to bed (around 10 p.m.) and am back up at 5:15 a.m. the next day to start all over again!

STOUFFER'S® Fit Kitchen meals are available in  the freezer section at your local Walmart. 

Be sure to check out STOUFFER'S® on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for more info!

I've shared a typical day in my life as a dad now tell me about your day! 

4th of July Blended Family Style

4th of July is a big holiday in our home. My honey loves it and loves spending it as a family. We have the same tradition every year of going to the beach for the day and then the Biltmore Hotel at night to watch the fireworks. It is an amazing fireworks show and I am glad we go. Her big hting about the 4th is we spend it all together as a family. With my custody schedule, we didn't have Amberly and Gian this weekend so we sad about her tradition being ruined. I knew how important this is for her (since Thanksgiving and Christmas are always crazy on a shared custody schedule) so I had to do something. I spoke with my ex and she agreed to bring the kids to the Biltmore to watch the show. Sometimes the universe is really amazing!

I wasn't born in this country but I did immigrate here when I was 8 years old so I was raised here and am a naturalized citizen. I love the United States and am very grateful for all the opportunities and freedom I have been provided in this amazing country. I'm glad my children were born here and are proud to be Americans!

Life With Three

Life with three kids is anything but easy. There isn't enough time in the day to do all the things they want to do. When it's just Adrian, it's easier. I have more time to play, time to listen, time to interact but when it's all three, it's very difficult to dedicate time to any child individually.

MEET MY KIDS:

Gian Carlo is 7. He likes to play Mario games on his Nintendo 3DS and Minecraft on his tablet. He is very curious and once he gets started telling you a story he goes on for what seems like hours. He was diagnosed with ADHD a couple years back and it's been hard for me to parent him. I expect him to act just like the other kids but he's not. He does things on his own time, in his own way and that has been hard for me as a father. Honestly, I do feel like I don't spend enough time with him. It's hard since he's the youngest of the three and the other two demand lots of attention. 

Amberly is 9. This little girl changed my life. I was young when she was born (19) and thanks to her, I am the man I am today. I made myself a promise when she was born, that I would be great for her, and I have kept and will continue to keep this promise. Amberly is my "hippie". She is an artist, has long wild-woman hair and loves wearing dresses. She wants to grow up and design buildings. Hmm...I wonder where she gets that from! She is moving closer and closer to her teens and it's starting to show. She isn't a baby anymore and it's taking some getting used to as her dad.

Adrian is 8. He is my step-son. We have been a part of each other's lives for the past three years. He is definitely the most difficult child to parent because he is a tough cookie. If he doesn't like something, he will tell you. If I do something he doesn't like, believe me, his mom will hear about it. He is fun though and up for anything. We argue constantly, usually about one sport or another. Adrian likes to play sports, especially basketball, as do I but we cannot play together. I love this boy as if he were my own. I am his "Papa"

As you can see, they are three very different children and the only thing we really do as a group is play Minecraft. We all connect to a world and build and create. I try to find different things we can do together and maybe it will get easier as they get older. The problem is I only see Amberly and Gian every other weekend. When we are together, we need to get so many things done that I do not have time to spend with one or the other individually. I need some tips from other dads out there. How do you do it? How do you handle life with three, four or more kids?