Happy Friday. Kids are officially on holiday break. It’s go time.

Quick note: don’t sleep on the “Do It Anyway” link below. I watched it the other night and had one of those damn… yeah moments. Hits different as a dad.

Have a solid weekend. See ya Monday.

PS: If you’re new here, we mix it up on Fridays with a quick recap from the week and a few extra gems to head into the weekend right.

THE DIGEST

Most Clicked: Go West Trailer (This is our first in-house film series. The YouTube channel’s just getting started. Hit subscribe to join the ride) Real excited about this one.
Best Community Reply: Show up messy. Show up tired. Just show up.
Wisdom of the Week: Being a dad rewires you. Your default setting becomes usefulness. So when the house goes quiet, it can feel off, even when it’s peaceful. It means you care. It means you’ve built a life that needs you. It means doing something has slowly turned into being someone.
Deal of the Week: Made in Cookware — 25% off Stainless Steel Set.

📕 Read: Blue Highways - A Journey Into America

🎧 Listen: The Power of ‘Screw It’ With Rob Lowe and Simon Sinek

📺 Watch: Do It Anyway (This one hit hard as a father)

🍔 Eat/Drink: Smoked Shotgun Shells

🩳 Style: Mid Monty Coat

FROM THE TRENCHES

Topic: Expect the Chaos

Last week, we had Kirk Martin from the Calm Parenting Podcast join us for Dad Lab. He dropped a ton of note-worthy advice. Here’s one worth carrying into the weekend and the holidays.

The chaos is baked in.

Kirk reminded us that holiday routines are loose at best. Travel. Late nights. Sugar. Big emotions. Meltdowns aren’t a parenting failure. They’re a predictable outcome of less structure.

One thing he hit on that stuck with us was boredom. His advice was simple and uncomfortable in the right way: don’t rush in to fix it. Boredom is part of life.

Kids are capable of figuring it out. Creativity shows up when we stop entertaining on demand.

He also warned against chasing the idea of a “perfect” holiday. Trying to manage everyone’s emotions, avoid every disappointment, or keep kids happy at all costs is a losing game. Unhappy doesn’t mean unsafe. It just means human.

The real goal isn’t a flawless holiday. It’s staying steady inside the mess.

Lower the expectations. Hold the line. Let some chaos exist.

GARAGE

Send us what you’re working on…

Blake from Michigan with the garage gym and the DIY wall organization. Thanks for sharing, Blake. Looking strong.

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