Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Become the King of Rest with a Restonic mattress

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad and Restonic Mattress for this promotion.
Stuffed animal bedroom infestations, all night binge watching on Netflix, working late hours to catch up on job assignments, or an uncomfortable mattress for your bed can all be causes of not getting a good night's sleep.  According to polling from the National Sleep Foundation, yes there is such a thing and it has a Board of Directors filled with reputable university professors and medical doctors, 92% of people say a comfortable mattress is important for a good night's sleep.  Are you comfortable with the mattress you sleep on?

Often times people don't make getting a good night's sleep a priority.  That's a big mistake as the National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute (a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) warns that failing to get adequate sleep can negatively impact your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety.  The bedroom should be a person's castle that buttresses you from the stresses of work and life being a place where one can focus on rest and relaxation.  Everyone should strive to be the King of Rest of their castle!

With all the responsibilities of parenting, it can be easy for busy dads and moms not to get a good nights sleep and find themselves tired throughout the day.  Falling asleep while with your kids can put you in a precarious position if you have mischievous kids like mine who wouldn't hesitate to wildly spin you around on a tire swing or decorate your face with a magic marker mustache.  Kidding aside taking a cat nap while you are supposed to be supervising your kids while out shopping, playing at the park, or even just staying around the house could result in some disastrous situations. Accidents, stranger danger, and medical emergencies are all very serious reasons that parents always need to be on their guard around children and can't let a lack of sleep get in the way.


National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute research shows a correlation between not regularly getting enough quality sleep and being at greater risk for a number of diseases and health problems.  Because sleep assists in repairing blood vessels and maintaining a healthy hormone balance, an ongoing deficiency can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, kidney disorders, high blood pressure, fertility problems, diabetes, and stroke. Their research has also shown how a lack of sleep can exact a toll on a person's perception and judgment which can put people's safety at risk, especially when people are operating machinery or driving while drowsy.  Did you know that drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving?

Information compiled by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that drowsy driving is the cause of at least 100,000 automobile crashes within the United States every year resulting in approximately 40,000 injuries and 6,000 fatalities.  Studies by Harvard University have shown that losing just a few hours of sleep each night can impair a person's ability to drive in the same way consuming alcohol can.  Being sleepy slows reactions, hinders decision making, disrupts concentration, reduces alertness, and negatively impacts coordination; yet many people don't associate being drowsy as being as dangerous as drunk when it comes to driving.  The National Sleep Foundation's polling has shown 60% of adults have driven a vehicle while drowsy and 37% have admitted to falling asleep while driving.


Don't put your health, and that of your loved ones, in jeopardy by not getting enough sleep! Here are some tips from Restonic that helped make me a KING OF REST:

+  Embrace the Dark Side:  Medical studies have shown that you'll sleep better the darker a room is!  Make sure you have curtains that do a great job of blocking out light from your bedroom windows.  Avoid electronic devices from emitting light in proximity to your bed.  You may look ridiculous but a sleep mask could pay huge dividends when it comes to ensuring you are getting enough rest.

+  Make your bedroom a "Sleep Only" zone: Don't watch television, eat snacks, surf online with your mobile device, or bring work from your job to bed with you.  These activities will disrupt your rest and hinder getting a good night's sleep. 

+  Schedule a Bedtime:  Block off 8-9 hours for sleep on your calendar every day just as you would when scheduling doctor's appointments, kids soccer games, or work assignments then stick with keeping that commitment every night.  If you can go to bed and get up at the same time every day it makes it easier for getting enough sleep to be the routine rather than the exception.

+  Select a Comfortable Mattress:  It is important to sleep on a mattress that is supportive of your personal body style by buffering your pressure points from the weight you press against them.  This allows your muscles to relax and aligns the spine while you sleep. Your spine is curved naturally and supporting those curves provides for a sleep experience that will rejuvenate and revitalize you.

Restonic has a variety of hand-made mattress options available because they understand not everyone is the same and people have a variety of needs when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. Since smart consumers are their best customers, Restonic encourages people to be educated shoppers when considering purchasing a new mattress. With that in mind, the Better Sleep Council recommends buying a new mattress approximately every 7 years and offers a handy mattress shopping tip sheet to assist consumers with making educated decisions on this very important personal investment.



For more great tips on getting a good night's rest visit the Restonic Sleep Blog which is filled with great posts full of useful information. Spending your nights obtaining plenty of rest allows you to make the most of your days not being worried about being tired or falling asleep.  Plus you never know when you'll need the energy you get from a good night's sleep to outrun a pesky dinosaur that may sneak up behind you while you are enjoying an afternoon with your kids or for participating in some other adventurous family activity!




Enter to win a Queen-sized Restonic Mattress!
By entering below, anybody has the chance to win a queen sized HealthRest® Mattress from Restonic.   Invest in your health with one of Restonic’s HealthRest® Brio™ Mattresses. Layered with latex and TempaGel® by Restonic and supported with a Trucomfort core™, a healthy, supportive night’s sleep is yours for the taking.



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For more information about Restonic connect with them on Facebook or Twitter, locate a local retailer near you by CLICKING HERE, or watch this video tour of the Restonic mattress factory.



#Restonic #KingofRest

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Unique Finds & Money Saving Deals Can Be Found Back-to-School Clothes Shopping @ The Salvation Army's Thrift Stores

50% off Labor Day clothing sale 


Second hand clothing stores became popular during the Great Recession years when everyone was trying to save money where ever and how ever they could and the shops have stayed trendy as the economy has improved as a source of unique finds that let people have a more personal touch in selecting their clothing style.  Of course every tween and teen wants to be trendy and have their own unique style so stopping by a thrift store like those run by The Salvation Army with them can be a fun search for great finds and a chance to save some money on back-to-school shopping.  As an extra bonus all of Metro Detroit's 34 Salvation Army Thrift Store locations will be open on Labor Day ( Monday, September 7, 2015 ) and have their clothes discounted an additional 50% off for that one day only.

It's honestly been a few years since I stopped by one of these thrift stores. So when I heard about this special Labor Day promotion, I stopped by to check out what they had to offer for back-to-school shopping.  From the location I visited if you want to pick up some clothes for grade school children at bargain prices you'd be better off heading to a Mom-to-Mom sale or resale shop that specializes in children's clothing; but if you have a tween or teen heading to junior high, high school or college there were plenty of pants, shirts, skirts, dresses and shoes for guys and gals to pick out to suit their own individual styles.  Keep in mind too that I only went to one location out of The Salvation Army's 34 local thrift stores so there may be other sites where they divert more of the children's wear to and of course since they are selling donated items not every location will have exactly the same items to choose from.


All of the donations  to The Salvation Army that stock the store had been sorted through by staff and volunteers so that  only the best of the best made it to the store shelves.  Everything was clean and in great shape with no stains, rips or tears.  Items ranged a whole gambit of styles from conservative Polo branded shirts to some slinky skirts.  There were lots of items that would be considered "vintage" and others that wouldn't stand out in a crowd but would be a bargain to help fill out a wardrobe for the school year.  A visit to a Salvation Army Thrift Store will help a tween or teen with developing their identity by searching for and picking out clothing items that fit their sense of style and make them feel unique.  It will also help people in need as proceeds from these sales fund The Salvation Army's Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Centers.


These adult rehabilitation centers provide a free 180 day residential treatment program for men and women who are trying to overcome addiction.  The Salvation Army as a religious institution uses a Christian-based program meant not only to deal with a person's addiction but also help them improve the overall state of their body, mind and spirit through individual and group counseling, chemical dependency education, relapse prevention education, bible study, G.E.D. courses, career counseling, and continued follow-up contact after the successful completion of the program.  Proceeds from all of the Metro Detroit Salvation Army Thrift Stores support the continuation of this program so that it can be adequately funded and continue to be provided at no cost to those in need.  The Adult Rehabilitation Centers are completely self-funded and receive their entire operating budget from the revenue generated from these thrift store locations.

Visit any of the 34 Metro Detroit Salvation Army thrift store location to enjoy 50 percent off clothing on Monday, September 7.  Door open at its 32 "Thrift Store" locations from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and its 2 "Dollar Store" locations in Pontiac and Detroit will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  For more information visit SalArmyThrift.com or call 313-965-7760.


Founded by William Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination.  The Adult Rehabilitation Centers are an integral part of The Salvation Army's mission by offering substance abusing adults the opportunity to rebuild their lives through a voluntary, short-term residential self-help program designed to establish a sense of dignity, self-esteem and personal strength that will allow them to resist the desire to abuse a substance and regain their rightful place as a contributing member of society.  In 2014, 174 men and 49 women successfully completed the 180 day program.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Parenting Can Be Crazy During the Holidays

Win a Jingle All The Way 2 Movie Prize Pack from A Geek Daddy Blog


My five year old daughter had been saving up her allowance for quite awhile waiting for something special to splurge it on.  She had been eying this ballerina snow globe at the store for the last few weeks and finally when my wife and her went out for Black Friday she bought it with her money as a special holiday treat.  The little girl was so excited about her purchase I saw her run into the house when they got home all smiles glowing with happiness.  She ran towards me yelling out "Daddy Daddy look at this it is so incredible!"  Then in slow motion I saw her stumble and trip.  The snow globe flew up into the air and before I could get close enough to grab it crashed to the ground shattering into pieces.

We cleaned up the mess from the floor then had dinner which my daughter teary eyed slowly ate before creeping over to the couch whimpering under a blanket about the loss.  I felt really bad especially since the accident occurred while she was trying to show off her new treasure to me.  A look out the window showed that a winter storm was just reaching our neighborhood and you could see the roads were already quickly becoming covered with ice and white powder.  Despite the emerging blizzard like conditions, I jumped in the car and headed to the department store hoping to find a replacement.  After sliding through three stop signs, observing two accidents and passing seven cars that had slid off the road, I arrived at my destination.

Wandering through the store to the location where my wife said the snow globes located, I found the display stand picked over.  There was one ballerina left centered perfectly at the top of the display.  I stepped up my pace to grab it when out of no where a teenage girl stepped in front of me and picked it up. Oh no!  She called out to her mom to come look at this neat snow globe, but her mother hollered back for the daughter to come over and look at something else.  I held my breath ... was she going to take the snow globe with her?  The teenager placed the ballerina back down and told another girl who had approached they'd come back for it.  I casually walked up to the display as they walked away, grabbed the snow globe and rushed the other way to the cashier.  

After wiping off a snow covered car, I drove home at about 5 miles per hour barely able to see the road in front of me.  Walking into the house with the cherished item behind me I called for my daughter to come see me.  Pulling out the snow globe to show her generated a smile and hug which was worth a million dollars.  Mission Accomplished!

The holidays can make parents like myself do crazy things to make their children happy!  The movie Jingle All The Way 2 which is being released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download on December 2nd highlights the zany adventures of two dads fighting to ensure a child has a great Christmas.  In recognition of the movie release, A GEEK DADDY Blog is providing one lucky reader with a Jingle All The Way 2 Blu-ray/DVD combo prize pack.  

For a chance to win this  movie prize pack you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 2 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Thursday December 4, 2014:

UPDATE: Congrats to Stephanie H. from Warren MI who won the Jingle All The Way 2 movie prize pack.

 Entry 1:  Follow @Geeky_Dad on Twitter & RT this Tweet
Entry 2: E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.  Email subject line should be JINGLE ALL THE WAY

 All valid entries will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly selected to determine the winner.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

About JINGLE ALL THE WAY 2

Two desperate dads compete in a no-holds-barred battle to be the best father and make this the best Christmas ever! Fun-loving, laid-back dad Larry (Larry the Cable Guy; Cars, Tooth Fairy 2) is having a bear of a time finding the perfect Christmas gift for his eight-year-old daughter, Noel. The season’s hottest toy, The Harrison Bear, is all sold out, and Noel’s new stepfather wants to keep it that way — so he can be the one to make her holiday wish come true. When Larry learns all Noel wants for Christmas is the bear, he’ll stop at nothing to make his little girl happy and get her the toy of her dreams…Co-starring WWE Superstar Santino Marella, Jingle All The Way 2 is heartwarming and hilarious fun for the whole family!



DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. The opinions in this post are my own.

#JingleInsiders