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Happy MLK Day. What a wild football weekend. Just a reminder to keep sending us your build projects for our Friday ‘garage’ section. We wanna see what you’re working on (or already built). Man cave, garage gym, you name it. Reply to this email with some photos.


Making It Up As We Go

Here's something they don't tell you: That dad at school drop-off with the perfectly packed lunch and crisp shirt? He's winging it too. The one coaching his kid's team like a pro? Also winging it. That veteran dad giving sage advice? Yep, still winging it.

None of us get a manual. We're all just responding to whatever chaos each age brings - from midnight diaper explosions to teenage eye rolls. The only difference between "got it together" dads and the rest of us? Not the number of times we mess up, but how we handle the next moment.

So yeah, you might not know what you're doing. Neither do we. But showing up and trying again? That's the whole game.


Shaun Murray

This one takes me back - when I was 13, I took a lesson from Shaun Murray on the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. Picture a nervous kid charging the wake and getting absolutely wrecked while a 4-time World Champion coached from the boat.

Between inventing tricks that defined wakeboarding, starring in his own video game, and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, he's found his greatest joy in simpler moments - like hearing his kids laugh or teaching them to drive the boat.

His dad hack worth stealing? "Show up empty-handed. Leave everything in the car so you can pick up your kids, hug your wife, and even ask the kids to help you bring stuff in." And keep notes of the funny things your kids say - you think you'll remember forever, but you won't.

When he's not competing on American Ninja Warrior (yeah, he does that too) or running wakeboard camps, you'll find him up before 6am, starting with coffee, Bible reading, and planning the next family adventure. Because for this wake legend, the biggest tricks aren't on the water anymore - they're in making everyday dad life epic.

Read the Dad Day Q+A here


Digital Dosing Coffee Cup

Alright, coffee nerds - meet the cup with a built-in scale. LED display, perfect dosing, no extra steps. Because sometimes the best upgrade is removing one.

Get it here


What Else We’re Eying Up:


How Many Sets to Get Strong (and stay that way)

Quick reality check: We need both cardio and strength training. There's a reason you don't see many jacked people in nursing homes - muscle matters for the long game.

But how much lifting do you actually need? According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, here's the magic number: 5-20 sets per muscle group per week. Let's break that down for normal humans:

Just Maintaining?

  • 5 sets per muscle group weekly

  • That's like hitting each group once, solid

Actually Trying to Build?

  • 10-20 sets per muscle group weekly

  • Split it up across 2-3 workouts

The Sweet Spot Protocol:

  • 3-5 exercises

  • 3-5 sets each

  • 3-5 sessions weekly

  • Rest 3-5 minutes between sets

→ Get the full workout breakdown here


demolition funny kid GIF

How Dads Are Handling Allowance

Forget the old $5 handout—modern dads are turning allowance into a tool for teaching financial responsibility.

  • The 3-Jar Method: Divide allowance into Save, Spend, and Give jars to teach budgeting and generosity.

  • Work for It: Tie allowance to chores to show money comes from effort.

  • Digital Allowance: Use kid-friendly debit cards like Greenlight to teach smart spending.

  • Set Goals: Help kids save for big purchases to learn delayed gratification.

  • Stay Consistent: Structure builds good habits—and keeps the peace.

Read More Here



Spaces that make you want to stay a while

Four days. No phones. Just you, your kids, and UTVs ripping through Grand Canyon backcountry. Wilderness Collective's dad-kid adventures are what your Xbox-loving offspring never knew they needed.

They handle everything: pro guides, chef-cooked meals, and yes, even car seats for the little ones. While you focus on making memories, their photographers capture the moments you're too busy living to shoot yourself.

The best part? Watching your kids discover what life looks like beyond a screen.

Plan your escape here