Practical ideas across family life—home projects, tools, money, tech, and lessons from raising six kids.
The power’s out, and your phone just buzzed with an emergency alert that says “shelter in place immediately.” You hear something shuffling outside—could be your neighbor Todd stumbling home from trivia night, or it could be the undead finally making their grand entrance. Either way, your heart’s doing that thing where it tries to escape…
Last Tuesday, I walked into the kitchen to find my 13-year-old asking Alexa for homework help while my 6-year-old negotiated bedtime like a seasoned lawyer. My wife looked up from grading papers and said, “Welcome to 2025.” She wasn’t wrong. The landscape of raising kids has shifted in ways that would’ve seemed wild even five…
Here we go again. I’ve stepped on a squeaky toy wearing only socks, our Australian Shepherd has knocked over the water bowl (again), and somewhere in the house, our cat is using the couch as his personal scratch-off ticket. Spoiler: he always wins. Living in a house with six kids and pets means our home…
Picture me, dad of six, standing under freezing water at 6 AM questioning my life choices while my kids pound on the bathroom door asking where their Pokemon cards are. 🚿❄️ This is modern parenting meets wellness culture—a bizarre intersection where ice baths are trendy and everyone’s an expert on optimizing their circadian rhythm. We…
Ever wondered why you went from tossing kids in the pool like a superhero to grunting just getting off the couch? 💪 Blame the tiny hormone running the show—testosterone. One day you’re conquering the world (or at least the backyard), and the next you’re wondering if that afternoon nap is really necessary or just inevitable….
Living books for early readers transform reluctant listeners into eager story enthusiasts who beg for “just one more chapter.” I discovered this magical shift during our family reading time when my youngest was five. There I was, reading My Father’s Dragon while our golden retriever lay at my feet, ears perked up like she was…
Many parents dream of homeschooling but freeze at the thought of curriculum costs. I’ve watched fellow military families move frequently, switching between public schools that never quite clicked, wondering if there was a better way. The good news? There is. Just like when school is here and families scramble to prepare, the key is mindset…
Last Tuesday, my 8-year-old decided to conduct a “science experiment” by flushing an entire roll of toilet paper down our upstairs bathroom toilet. The same day, my wife discovered the kitchen sink wouldn’t drain after someone (looking at you, teenagers) dumped pasta water without straining the noodles first. And to top it all off, our…
Walking through my neighborhood last weekend, I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks. Two houses, side by side, with nearly identical landscaping — except one looked professionally designed while the other seemed unfinished. The difference? One simple detail that most homeowners overlook entirely. Sharp, defined borders around every bed and tree. After…
You hear it everywhere—Army grunts calling Air Force members “chair force,” Navy sailors mocking Marines as “crayon eaters,” and everyone questioning what the Space Force actually does. But here’s what numerous years of military service taught me: the jokes are harmless until they’re not. I deployed multiple times across different theaters, working shoulder-to-shoulder with Soldiers,…