Ron Mattocks's Blog, page 2

Destination Dad and the Real Perks of Blogging

Often times my kids will ask me what exactly I do as a blogger. They get that it involves writing stuff for other people to read and make comments which my oldest son noted sounded ominously like homework. Skewed by such a perspective it then becomes difficult for them to grasp the various other facets of blogging such as contributing to a community or engaging in a dialogue with consumer brands.
“And sometimes I get paid for it,” I’ll explain hopefully to which they reply, “So it’s like work...

The Power of Dad: Lessons Learned

My father as a Green Beret in VietnamMy father is, hands down, the toughest, hardest working man I have ever met. A lot of people say this about their fathers, and I don’t doubt them, but how many can say they watched their father calmly hobble into the house to take a shower and then drive to the ER after accidentally sticking an ax blade into his shin? What truly amazed me about that memory, though, was waking to the sound of the crunching gravel from our driveway as my father left for work...

How Social Media Ruined Me as a Parent

I’ve been blogging for a little over six years now, seven if you count that first year when I posted nothing but inane drivel. In that time I also gained familiarity with the various social media channels—Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, the Twitters, etc. And while blogging provided me with an outlet to work through my journey as a stay-at-home dad, social media granted access to a community of fellow parent bloggers sharing their own stories. 
Eventually this lead to substantial freelance...

Can You be a #LatteRomeo for Mother's Day?

So if you're wondering what that video's all about then let me fill you in. (And if you missed it, click here.) It's a promotion Starbucks is running to find the next #LatteRomeo. And what is that exactly? With Mother's Day on the horizon now is the perfect time for you and the kids to show how appreciative you are of the special woman in your lives by making her breakfast and, yeah, including Starbucks VIA Vanilla Latte or Cafe Mocha.  (Oh, and the winner could receive a $500 Starbucks...

Mad Men Season 7, Episode 1, Time Zones: The True Don Draper

When we last saw Don Draper prior to the Mad Men Season 7 opener, the normally cool and collected paragon of masculinity entering the beginnings of an existential crisis. Soaked in booze, he's landed himself in jail for the night after punching a preacher. He's alienated himself from his young daughter who earlier caught him in the middle of his latest affair. He’s angered his wife, Megan, by jerking her chain over his previous commitment to move to California, and he’s lost his job after com...

Remembering Your Messes: Win at the #Ickies

You see that picture? It's one of my favorite all-time photos of my two oldest boys when they were younger, and I have it displayed right above where I hang up the car keys. That way I see it at least twice a day--when I leave for work and when I come home. Every time I give it a good look it makes me chuckle.

There's something in their mud-splattered expressions that conveys both a contented joy and an earnest pride in the muck-filled hole they've dug into the yard. And there's a bit of wonde...

I Join #FrozenChefMadness with Chicken and Waffle Buzzer Beater Bites

It’s March and that of course marks two monumental events: March Madness and Frozen Food Month. I mean, honestly, how great of a combination is that—non-stop college basketball and some tasty vittles. That’s what the team of guys at Life of Dad thought when they put together the #FrozenChefMadness Challenge in which participants can vie for an $800 prize by submitting their snackable recipe using three or more ingredients from among a list of approved Easy Home Meals Products . (And by the way,...

Back Pain, Flying Children, and the Extent of My Wife's Love

If the last seven years has taught me anything it’s that I peaked in life seven years ago. I mean this, of course, physically; otherwise, the sky’s the limit. As a twenty-something I remember feeling virtually indestructible as the Army honed my body into a lean, mean, fighting machine. After leaving the Army in my early thirties I’ll admit to getting a bit lazy which led to putting on some pounds, but even then, it was nothing a little time at the gym didn’t solve, and soon I was in tip-top...

Does The Buying Power of Dads Really Matter?

Recently several articles dealing with the role of today’s modern father and how marketers should view them popped up in my news feed. As a longtime dad blogger with a background in marketing and experience working with major brands, I have a keen interest in such information. One of the reasons I blog is to help collectively reinforce a positive image of fatherhood, and in a sense, the way marketers represent dads in their campaigns can serve as a gauge of success in regards to this. ...

Breaking Dad: Say My Name

First allow me to apologize for the “Breaking Dad” portion of my title. I realize it’s a bit cliché, and thousands of dad bloggers and journalists have probably already worn it out. Hopefully, though, by the end of this you’ll agree it still applies.

By admission I was a latecomer to the television phenomena that was Breaking Bad. I resisted the hoopla for as long as I could, but left with nothing substantial to entertain us, my wife and I binged our way through all five seasons in a mat...