Happy Monday, gents. Hope you had a solid weekend.

Hard to believe, but my kids start school next Tuesday. What happened to post-Labor Day starts?!

The new Dad Day site is coming together nicely. We’ll be looking for a few contributors to help with articles and content, so if you’ve got something to say, hit me up.

Let’s have a week. Onward.

📕 DAD WISDOM 

Choose Your Stress

Parenting comes with a steady drip of chaos, but not all stress is created equal.

There’s the big stuff you have to deal with (kid’s sick, work is overwhelming, dog ate a sock).

Then there’s the other stuff: the mismatched socks, the tantrum over the wrong color bowl, the unfinished garage project you swore you'd finish last weekend.

Here’s the trick: not everything deserves your cortisol. Choose your stress. Let the small stuff slide, so you have the bandwidth to show up strong when it really matters.

You’ve only got so many “I’m gonna lose it” tokens in a day, so spend ’em wisely.

RAD DAD 

Jimmy Spithill

Photo via RedBull

Caught the SailGP series on Amazon the other night and thought, “This guy’s a savage.” Then I found out he’s also a dad of two and just like that, Jimmy Spithill had to make the Rad Dad list.

He’s a two-time America’s Cup champ and one of the fiercest competitors on the water. But off the boat, he’s based in San Diego, doing what most of us are: trying to raise good kids, stay grounded, and not screw it up too bad.

He grew up sailing to school and learned early that resilience beats talent. Now, he’s passing that same lesson down — celebrating the small wins, teaching grit through the chaos, and reminding his boys that just showing up is half the battle.

“If it’s not over… you still have a shot.” Follow Jimmy here.

DAD TOYS 

Bed Cooling System

Alright dudes, this one’s a bit of a splurge, but hear me out.

The older I get, the more I realize how clutch a solid 7 hours of sleep is. I run hot at night (like, wake-up-in-a-sweat hot), and being able to crank my side of the bed to 65 degrees? Game-changer.

The Pod 5 from EightSleep lets you control the temp on both sides, tracks your sleep stats, and even adjusts throughout the night.

They’re hooking up the Dad Day crew with $350 off. You get a 30-day test run, and it’s HSA/FSA eligible too.

Not cheap, but neither is feeling like a zombie every morning.

Sleep better now.

DAD BOD 

Should You Stop Eating After 8PM?

Only if you’re crushing chips on the couch like it’s a competitive sport.

Yes, late-night eaters can gain more weight. But it’s usually because they eat more overall, snack on ultra-processed junk, and sleep like trash, not because they had a protein shake at 9PM.

One study even gave two groups the exact same meals—just at different times. The late eaters were a little hungrier, burned slightly fewer calories, and had lower levels of the “I’m full” hormone. But the difference? Basically a rounding error.

If you’re eating decent meals and keeping calories in check, the clock doesn’t matter much. Still, closing the kitchen 2 hours before bed can help you sleep better and avoid the late-night snack trap.

Credit: Arnold’s Pump Club

JUNK DRAWER 

This is gonna be a tad longer than usual; stick with me.

When I started this thing, it was just the newsletter. But over time, it’s morphed into something bigger; a real community of dads, both online and in real life.

Lately, we’ve been leaning into running. Not because everyone’s a runner, but because it’s a simple way to get outside, clear your head, and get moving.

We’ve had a handful of dads reach out about starting run clubs in their neighborhoods, and that lit a fire. So, we’re officially doubling down on getting Dad Day Run Clubs going across the country.

Nick Merich (fellow dad + our run club captain) is helping lead the charge.

Here’s the deal:

👟 Want to Start a Run Club in Your City?
You don’t have to be a marathoner, just a dad who wants to build something local and is committed to showing up.

You’ll get:

✅ Access to our Strava group
✅ Your own club page via Heylo and pop.site
✅ Support + Swag from HQ
✅ A playbook to grow from 2 guys to 20+

If you're down, hit reply. Let’s get more dads moving.

DAD HUMOR