This post is sponsored by Georgia-Pacific; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a parent of three kids, I have changed thousands of diapers over the years. It’s a tedious task, but I can’t deny how much better parents today have it than parents decades ago who didn’t have absorbent diapers to soak up baby messes. It was with this in mind that I visited Georgia-Pacific’s Foley Cellulose Mill: one of the primary locations we have to thank for making the absorbent material found in diapers: cellulose.

What the cellulose is cellulose?

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, cellulose comprises about 33 percent of all vegetable matter (90 percent of cotton and 50 percent of wood are cellulose) and is the most abundant of all naturally occurring organic compounds. In short, it is the basic structural component of plant cell walls.

The Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill, which is only an hour from my house in North Florida, is a major producer of cellulose fibers derived from slash pine trees. These cellulose fibers are used in more than just diapers too. They are in everyday things like clothing, food products, tires, shampoo, filters, and towels. The fluff pulp Georgia-Pacific makes from cellulose is ideal for disposable diapers and baby wipes because it has tremendous absorbency.

But that’s not all. Cellulose also makes dairy products smoother and creamier. I bet you never realized something in your baby’s diaper was also in your dairy products. Yum, right?

Who is Georgia-Pacific and what makes them so special?

Georgia-Pacific operates nearly 200 facilities, mostly in the United States, and employs 35,000 people. Sixty-five percent of U.S. households have consumer products made by the 91-year-old company. Familiar household brands owned by Georgia-Pacific include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair® and STAINMASTER™ cleaning products.

The Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill is the largest employer in Taylor County, Florida with 600 employees. Its estimated impact to the local economy is more than $230 million per year. Recognizing the importance of giving back to the community and being a good neighbor, the mill donates more than $100,000 annually to charities and schools including the Tallahassee Museum, Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity and Red Cross. The mill and its employees also contribute over $100,000 to the local United Way campaign annually. Impressive.

Operating Like a Good Parent

On my tour of the Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill, it occurred to me that the mill operates like a good parent. It’s running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has to manage hundreds of different tasks at the same time. And it takes safety very seriously, constantly reminding everyone to be careful. I could use a couple of these signs in my house:

     

Thinking of the Future

Another way the Georgia-Pacific team acts like a good parent is how they think about future generations and sustainability. They are very energy-wise. By using environmentally conscious production practices, they maximize the use of renewable raw materials. Georgia-Pacific uses every part of a tree and transforms wood waste into energy for their mills (called woody biomass). The Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill generates 85 percent of its total energy needs from renewable biomass.

Black Water Keep on Rollin’

After our tour, we went on a boat ride down the nearby Fenholloway River, a black water stream used by the mill. Since that time, I haven’t been able to get the song Black Water by the Doobie Brothers out of my head.

 

The Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill has invested $250 million to improve the water quality of the river. The effort is called the Fenholloway Water Quality Project. You can learn all about their environmental restoration efforts here.

What’s in Your Backyard?

I had driven through Perry, Florida, where the Georgia-Pacific Foley Cellulose Mill is located, many times without ever stopping to see the mill. Now that I’ve had the chance to visit, meet the mill’s great employees and learn about how it’s helping the community and surrounding areas like mine, I feel like I know my neighbors even better. And it’s good to know how much they care about their neighbors, including the wildlife.

If you have a large business near you, I encourage you to visit them and ask how they are helping your community. Maybe you’ll even learn a fun fact like I did about how cellulose is used in food and diapers. I know I’ll be sharing that one at the next cookout if anybody complains about my cooking.

 

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com.

Shopping for a dad isn’t easy. As a dad myself, I’m aware I don’t do my family or friends any favors. I rarely mention anything I would like for Christmas. It’s not that I don’t want anything. Rather, I just don’t take time to think about it because I’m so focused on what to get my wife and kids. Also, if there was something I really needed, I would just buy it instead of waiting for Christmas.

Dads may be bad at making Christmas wish lists, but that doesn’t mean you can cross them off your shopping list. There are great options available for dads. You can be sensible and get something they need. Or, you can be fun and get something they want. The best-case scenario is it’s both. Here are some options to make that possible:

AfterShokz Trekz Air

Listen up. Whether dads are going to work, working out or doing work around the house, they are always on the go. For the music or podcast lover, having a reliable pair of headsets makes being on the go much more entertaining. That being the case, a great gift idea is a pair of AfterShokz Trekz Air.

Trekz Air are inspired by elite athletes motivated by music. They are the lightest and most organically designed open ear headphones to date and have the next generation of bone conduction technology. As part of the #GiveGoodVibes campaign, with every order of Trekz Air placed through aftershokz.com from November 23 to November 26, you’ll also receive an unboxed item of Trekz Titanium Slate Gray (while supplies last) to gift.

Learn more about AfterShokz Trekz Air here.

Beau Brummell: Charcoal Facial Mask

Help the dad in your life look and feel good. The Beau Brummell: Charcoal Facial Mask is great for removing excess oil and dirt from your skin’s surface and deep within pores. The face mask for men also tightens the skin and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, although you probably don’t want to mention anything about your dad’s wrinkles.

Right now, you can get 15% off your total purchase at beaubrummellformen.com by using the coupon code: BEAU15BRUMMELL. Offer valid through January 31st, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST.

Learn more about the Beau Brummell: Charcoal Facial Mask here.

Dr. Scholl’s NIKOLA Sneaker

The Dr. Scholl’s NIKOLA Sneaker is a sneaky good gift. The shoe features Dr. Scholl’s premium materials with glove-like softness. Translucent soles and marble-print accents are standout details. It’s also worth noting the quilted heel counter, copper-infused lining, anti-microbial sock and deconstructed raw-edge leather upper.

Right now, there’s a special offer if you use the promo code: Babblebox20FS. It will get you 20% off + Free Shipping (*Exclusions apply. May not be combined with other offers. Not valid on previous purchases. Free ground shipping applied automatically during checkout and is not valid in Alaska or Hawaii. Promo code and free shipping expires 11:59 p.m. CT November 30, 2018.)

Learn more about the Dr. Scholl’s NIKOLA Sneaker here.

ZENNI Glasses

You’ve got to see this. Zenni believes everyone should have access to high-quality, affordable eyewear, and that means dads too. Best of all, with prices starting at $6.95 for single-vision prescription glasses, you don’t have to limit gift-buying to just one pair.

Zenni offers a variety of styles of prescription glasses and sunglasses to make sure your dad’s eyewear fashion fits their personality. In particular, Blokz blue blockers are blue-light blocking lenses designed for all-day wear and protection from blue light. They can be worn like regular glasses to protect your eyes from harmful blue light emitted from any digital device, as well as artificial fluorescent and LED light exposure.

Learn more about ZENNI Glasses here.

Ties.com

Perhaps the most classic gift for a dad is a tie. Ties.com was founded to make finding high-quality, wallet-friendly menswear easy. I have the Charcoal Seagoville Tie, which instantly adds a preppy touch to your look with its diagonal black and white stripes contrasted against a charcoal background. From now until December 31, 2018, you can also get 15% off at Ties.com by using the discount code TIESXBB.

Learn more about Ties.com here.

**Thanks to Hanes for sponsoring this post.**

When my kids were toddlers, if you asked them what city, state or country they were from, they would have answered Florida to all three questions. Right or wrong, it was a cute answer because they obviously didn’t understand the difference between cities, states and countries. Florida was more of a state of mind than one of the 50 states in the U.S.

If you ask me where I’m from, I’m not much better at answering the question than a toddler. It’s certainly much less cute when I answer. I’ve moved around so much that I don’t know if I’m supposed to say where I was born, where I currently live or where I’ve lived the longest.

The truth is that the best answer I can give is similar to a toddler’s answer. Since I’m from many different places, I’m from more of a state of mind than a state on a map. It’s like the saying, ‘home is where the heart is.’ My heart is in different places simultaneously. That’s just not easy to explain during small talk at a party.

I haven’t lived in Tennessee since I was in first grade, but it’s the place that resonates the strongest as home in my ‘state of mind.’ I was born there and I’ve visited cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents there nearly every year since my family moved away.

When I return to Tennessee, there are always new neighborhoods, stores and road construction projects. But the protected parks stay the same, just as I remember them as a child. It’s why I like to go back to the parks and see the world not only as I saw it as a child, but as generations of families before ours saw the world. It connects me to my roots somehow.

The sustained beauty of Tennessee is best experienced in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So last week, that’s where I took my kids from “Florida” to see, touch, hear and smell, but thankfully not taste, the place of their roots.

When you visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s always tricky to know what to wear. The weather fluctuates from morning to night and it gets much cooler at the top of the mountains. Thankfully, Hanes dressed my family in comfortable clothes for the trip, from Nano T® V-Neck T-Shirts to colorful Nano-T® T-Shirts and Comfortblend® EcoSmart® Full-Zip Hoodies for the kids, and a graphic tee from their new apparel collection in partnership with the National Park Foundation for me. Luckily, nobody fell in a stream, so we didn’t need to change.

The one time I was tempted to add more clothing was when we got out of our minivan to start our climb to the top of Clingmans Dome, which is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. The air was very cool, even downright cold for a midsummer day, but it would quickly be appreciated. The light 100% cotton Hanes t-shirt was all the comfort I needed once we got started.

When we arrived at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we stopped at the Visitor’s Center to ask which sites we absolutely needed to see. Clingmans Dome was at the top of the park ranger’s list, as I thought it would be. But she warned me, it’s a steep climb to the top. I told her I brought a stroller for our four-year-old, and she just laughed. They didn’t ban strollers from the path, but they strongly recommended against them. An hour later I would find out why.

 

When our family started the climb, people walking down the mountain laughed at me in the same way the park ranger did. They knew I was going to have a tough push to the top, because it’s already a hard walk without a stroller. Thank goodness the summer weather at the top of the mountain was cool or I would have had a stream of sweat running down me with a stronger current than some of the streams in the park.

After a few stops to sit down and catch our breath, we finally made it to the top. Victory! Perhaps the most amazing part was the kids didn’t complain on the way up. Granted, the youngest one was sitting comfortably in a stroller. But usually at least one of the kids finds something to complain about.

I think the beauty of the mountains was more than they expected. Every step we took was a step closer to the clouds. And when we reached the top, we were in the clouds. The visibility wasn’t great if you wanted to see long distances, but our kids were enjoying what was right in front of them.  I think they thought it was even more awesome that we were walking in the clouds.

When somebody asks my kids now where they are from, they can tell you our exact address, at least the oldest two kids can. Our four-year-old would be a mailman’s worst nightmare. But after our experience in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I know they’ll always share another home with me that can’t be placed on a map. And that’s because it’s in their hearts and literally in the clouds.

Someday, I hope my kids will take their kids to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as other national parks. It’s comforting to know that because the parks are protected, they will always be just as beautiful as the first time they saw them, I saw them or even early American frontiersmen and the Native Americans before them saw the land.

Thanks to Hanes for sponsoring this post. It’s so cool that the National Park Foundation and Hanesbrands are partnering to inspire people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national parks and community-based programs. As one of the newest National Park Foundation partners of the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement, Hanesbrands is helping to protect America’s national parks. Learn more about the partnership here.

My ninth year as a father begins this month. To say it’s been an adventure would be an understatement. Every day presents a new challenge, breakdown, victory and reward.

I’ve thought about why every parent feels like the years go by so fast, and I think it’s because parenthood is such an adventure that it requires you to live in the moment. Kids demand non-stop attention. If you get caught dwelling on the past or thinking about the future too long, a kid will shock you out of your daze by splashing you in the face with something or by throwing something at you when you least expect it. Resting is out of the question.

Living in the moment is awesome. Everyone should try this on a daily basis. But if there’s a downside to living in the moment, it’s losing track of time. I’m so focused on getting kids to school and soccer practice, passing out snacks and wet wipes, picking up toys and dirty clothes, etc. that it’s hard to find the time to notice how fast the time is passing.

The New String for Your Finger

Time isn’t a luxury parents enjoy. But at least parents today have something convenient to capture the ‘moments’ in the moment so we don’t forget them: the camera phone.

Prior to the camera phone, I had an expensive, fancy camera to capture every cute thing our firstborn did. The only problem was that lugging around that camera wasn’t easy. It weighed heavily around my neck, literally and figuratively. Meanwhile, I wanted to capture more than the traditional photo op.

Birthdays and Christmas are great for pictures, but every new day has an unexpected adventure and moment to remember. And I wanted to capture the simple moments like an impromptu walk through our city or a hike through the woods. And now that I have a phone that fits in my pocket beside the rocks my kids want me to keep for some reason, I can. (See below.)  And these photos stored on my phone (and some magical cloud) allow me to scroll through them and remember the moments that would have otherwise been lost in the back of my busy ‘living in the moment’ mind.

    

Focusing on the Moments that Matter

Among the thousands of pictures taken of my family every year, there are a few that stand out and deserve more attention than the occasional scroll through my phone’s photo album. The picture featured at the top of this post is one such picture. It’s a moment I want to remember. But, just as importantly, it’s a moment I want my kids to remember as well.

The picture was taken in the mountains of Tennessee where I was born. Although I moved away when I was seven, it’s always remained my ‘home’ – as in the place where I’m from. My parents ingrained in me the importance of knowing and remembering your roots, and I’m trying to do that for my kids. I want them to remember running over hills and through creeks on the family farm. I want them to remember their connection to the place of their family roots.

Kids, like their busy parents, tend to forget the places they go and see. So capturing the everyday and significant moments of their childhood in a picture can help them remember that moment forever, just like it helps me remember. When they look at this picture 15 or 20 years from now, I hope they remember playing on our family’s farm and the windy day that picture was taken. I hope they consider it a moment that matters, just like I do.

Capturing Your Own Moments that Matter

Because there are pictures that deserve special attention, I’m thankful there are companies like Fracture to help us showcase those pictures. Everything Fracture does is centered around revolutionizing the printed photo, because they want to help anyone who wants to share their story in a unique and tangible way.

Since Fracture is so focused on the moments that matter, they’re giving away a family vacation to help you enjoy more moments that matter. All you need to do is follow this link to learn more.

Embrace the adventure of parenthood, enjoy the ride and take plenty of pictures. Your future self will thank you.

How would you like to put yourself in the running to win a family vacation that would help you create new memories?

Simply enter HERE, then post one of your favorite family moments to Instagram using the #FocusOnMoments hashtag and you’re in the running!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a sponsored campaign with Fracture on behalf of their #FocusOnMoments campaign, however the memories are all mine. Check them out HERE, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I’m not a perfect parent and I’m not a perfect camper. But I love being a parent and I love camping. So over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make parenting and camping possible without putting my sanity at risk – at least not any more than usual.

If you haven’t gone on a family camping trip yet, I have good news for you.

1. I’m about to share a few of my most fundamental family camping hacks.
2. Yogi Bear and Jellystone Parks is offering you the chance to win a 7-day/6-night trip for 5 to the Jellystone Park of your choice in the U.S. or Canada. You can enter the sweepstakes here.

Camping Hack #1: Wear comfortable shoes.

If you think you chase your kids a lot around the house, just wait until they have wide open spaces to explore. Keeping an eye on your kids while in the outdoors sounds exhausting, and it is, but it’s just as exhausting for your kids. And that’s a good thing for you both.

The best way to ensure your kids get a good night’s sleep at a campsite is letting them go on adventures down hiking trails, in creeks and wherever else a park allows them to go. Everybody wins. They get exercise and rest. And you get exercise and some time to spend with your significant other around the campfire once the kids are asleep.

While you’re doing all of that running around with your kids, make sure to have comfortable shoes. If my experiences are any indication, your kids will be begging to be carried down the trail at some point. And as soon as one kid is being carried, the others will want to be carried too.

Camping Hack #2 Bring plenty of snacks. And then bring a few more.

This hack should be obvious. Our kids beg for snacks so much that we can’t go to a restaurant without bringing snacks.

At a campsite, you and your kids will be burning lots of energy, so make sure you don’t skimp on the snacks. You don’t want to turn your camping trip into an episode of Survivor.

Camping Hack #3 Bring a flashlight.

I would like to think that the stars provide all the light our family needs on a camping trip. Yes, the starlight and moonlight are beautiful. But nothing is more beautiful than a flashlight when one of your kids loses something in the dark – especially if it is something like a teddy bear that your kid can’t sleep without.

I also have three kids, which means there is a 300% chance that one of them will need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Since my imagination can trick me into thinking the sound of a squirrel is a bear, having a flashlight to walk through a campground at night helps put my nerves at ease. I imagine it will help you too.

Camping Hack #4 Don’t be surprised if your plans go awry.

Parenting is unpredictable in a house, so you should expect it to be unpredictable outdoors too. It might be a rainy day that changes your plans by getting everybody soaking wet. Or, it might be a toddler who dumps a drink out and gets you soaking wet. Either way, you have to be patient and go with the flow.

Being outdoors with your kids is an awesome experience. Part of the adventure is not knowing what is going to happen next. So whatever happens next, enjoy it. Your kids will follow your lead.

So those are my parenting hacks. I’m not a perfect camper. So I don’t have any perfect tips. Perhaps my best tip is to just go camping and learn on the go.

Like I mentioned already, Yogi Bear and Jellystone Parks is offering you the chance to win a 7-day/6-night trip for 5 to the Jellystone Park of your choice in the U.S. or Canada. You can enter the sweepstakes here. As part of your entry, share a story that includes a camping hack you used that really came in handy. They will be sharing their favorite hacks with campers everywhere.

Even if your story doesn’t give you five minutes of fame, you can still be randomly selected to win the trip for five, one of 20 $100 Jellystone Parks Gift Cards

Disclosure:  This post is in collaboration with Jellystone Park Camps-Resorts. Yet all opinions and hack concepts are mine.

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