The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice For First Time Fathers by Scott Mactavish

The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice for First-Time Fathers by Scott Mactavish
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Perhaps my enjoyment of this book was affected by the fact that I DID read it a little later than I should have. It basically covers from the last few months of pregnancy into the first few months of having a new baby (which is where I was when finishing this book). While there was some helpful information included, it is written in a style that seems appropriate for a new dad who is 18-24 years old and has never known someone who has had a baby or taken a sex education class. The overall tone is fairly juvenile, and the author definitely gives a fairly personal account of the process thereby lacking some comprehensiveness. Overall, I imagine it would be an interesting read for a young, soon-to-be father who has not had a chance to read any other literature on the subject, but I found that it didn't contribute much to my knowledge on the subject matter.

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Husband-Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert Bradley

Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth by Robert A. Bradley, M.D.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this was basically the manual for the childbirth class that we enrolled in when expecting Ruby. The basic philosophy is that, while medical advances have been great and worthwhile, they are overly applied in the case of childbirth. Childbirth has become more of a procedure than a natural phenomenon. Dr. Bradley espouses a throwback into doing things the more natural way whenever possible.

Overall, I liked the philosophy and the way it was presented in the book. A couple chapters got a little too New Age-y and out there for me, but when it stuck to the logical arguments it was well represented. For anyone interested in having a natural childbirth, I definitely recommend this book and the associated Bradley Method class.

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Taste Test: The New Red Bull Editions

My buddy Dustin works for Red Bull and hooked me up with a set of Red Bull Editions. Basically, they are flavored Red Bulls that aren't yet released. I'm not sure if they are planning on releasing them all, or if they are currently getting feedback about the flavors to decide which one to release. Either way, I figured I would do a little write-up about the newest creations from my favorite beverage company. :-) [caption id="attachment_1585" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Fancy package just brimming with excitement[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1586" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The little guys are peeking out, ready to take on the world![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1587" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Well hello there my delicious new friends![/caption] Blue

I decided to start out by checking out the Blue Edition. The blueberry hits you pretty hard right off the bat. Not just sweet blueberry, but you definitely get a tartness with it. Then the blueberry flavor fades a bit, and I almost got a hint of original Red Bull flavor. I think the flavor reminds me of a gum I used to chew whose name I have completely blanked on. They were marketed to really change the color of your mouth and even came in what looked like a paint can when we got a big load from Sam's. Because of this, I was almost surprised that my mouth wasn't completely blue after drinking this. While I enjoyed it, I don't think I could drink a much bigger can (definitely no 20 oz cans like I enjoy of Red Bull!) Definitely an interesting take on Red Bull, and I look forward to trying out the other two!

Silver

[caption id="attachment_1592" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Starting my morning with some light reading and a new Red Bull Edition![/caption]

The silver edition incorporates lime flavor into the world of Red Bull.  I thought this was a pretty interesting choice because lime is already so prevalent in the carbonated drink market (Sprite, Squirt, Diet Coke with Lime, Bud with lime, etc.). Sure enough this was a lime-flavored soda! I really wish that Surge was still around because I think a side-by-side tasting would be really interesting. Obviously, it has been quite some time since I had a Surge, but if I remember correctly, the flavor profiles are pretty similar. I enjoyed the lime and could definitely enjoy a larger can of it, but I'm not sure it is different enough to be worth bringing to market. One thing I love about Red Bull is that the flavor is completely unique. While there are tons of other energy drinks out there, none come close to replicating Red Bull. Now one more edition to try!

Red

[caption id="attachment_1595" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Giving me a boost on the way to work[/caption]

The final edition! While all of the editions are artificially flavored, the cranberry flavor tasted the most natural to me. It actually tastes a lot like a club soda and cranberry juice. Similar to the blueberry, it starts out sweet, but has a nice cranberry tart to it. With this one, I could definitely drink a bigger can, and this one would also probably be the best mixer, haha.

Final verdict

While I enjoyed them all, Red Edition was by far my favorite. I was a little disappointed to notice that all three were artificially flavored. After plugging the all-natural Red Bull Cola (which I'm super bummed isn't around any more), I would have hoped they could keep with that philosophy when concocting these editions.  While I will likely remain true to the original Red Bull, these are still a fun addition to the Red Bull Family, and I look forward to seeing one or all of them on the shelves!