📕 DAD WISDOM 

Joy in the Valleys

I heard something on a podcast that stuck. It discussed how most of life is lived in the valley, not on the mountaintop.

We chase the peaks—promotions, birthdays, first steps, vacations. And yeah, those moments are awesome. But most of parenting? It’s not fireworks. It’s brushing teeth. Packing lunches. Driving to soccer practice for the third time this week. And ya, sometimes it feels like an absolute grind.

• It’s Tuesday night dinner with no one eating the same thing.

• It’s the "dad, can you help me" at 8:42pm when you just sat down.

• It’s the 3am wake-up for no apparent reason.

• It’s the 15-minute car ride that turns into a life lesson.

The everyday stuff. The valleys.

And that’s where the good stuff actually lives. Not on the mountain, but in the small, forgettable moments that quietly stack up into something solid.

The truth? Your kids are growing up in the valleys. And maybe the best thing we can do is stop waiting for the next mountaintop and start noticing the magic in the middle.

What’s a valley moment with your kid you didn’t expect to matter—but kinda did?

RAD DAD 

Chris Pratt

From galactic guardian to girl dad, Chris Pratt has done some serious evolving—and we’re not just talking about his Marvel abs. Off-screen, he’s a father of four and a guy who’s clearly all-in on showing up for his family.

Pratt’s dad philosophy? Less tough love, more open heart. He’s been candid about raising his kids with a modern mindset—encouraging self-expression while still teaching the fundamentals like discipline and respect. He credits his mother-in-law, Maria Shriver (yep, that one), with inspiring him to lead with values and intentionality.

One of his core beliefs: don’t wait too long to have kids. “Every day you wait is a day your kid doesn’t get to spend with you,” he once said, echoing advice he got from Adam Sandler. For Pratt, parenting is less about perfection and more about presence.

Whether he’s voicing a character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie or taking a role his kids can actually watch, you can tell his career moves are now filtered through a dad lens. And as his kids grow, he’s laser-focused on connecting with each of them for who they are—not just who he hopes they’ll be.

→ Follow Chris here

DAD TOYS 

Quick Note: We featured Highland Clay Pomade last week. They reached out with a discount code for our readers. Use code DADDAY at checkout for 20% off. I’ve been using this stuff for the last 2 weeks. It’s the real deal. Get it here. 

Go-To Webcam

If you’re logging long hours working from the garage, kitchen table, or that one quiet corner of the house no one else uses—you deserve to look halfway decent on camera.

The Logitech C920s is our go-to webcam for dads who work remote but don’t want to look like they’re dialing in from a 2002 flip phone.

→ Grab one here

DAD BOD 

Microplastic Mayhem (and How to Dodge It)

Look, we’ve got enough to worry about—school drop-offs, toddler meltdowns, college funds. So yeah, microplastics might feel low on the priority list. But they’re sneaky little suckers that can mess with your hormones, gut health, and even fertility. Not ideal.

The good news? You don’t have to live in a yurt and churn your own butter to cut down exposure.

Here’s a short list of practical moves to make your home (and your body) a little less plasticky…

• Water upgrade - Ditch the plastic bottles.

• Non-toxic cookware

• Skip the shrink-wrap. Try Beeswax wrap.

• Tupperware is out. Glass and stainless steel are in.

• Don’t microwave plastic (ever)

→ Highly recommend the full breakdown here

JUNK DRAWER 

DAD HUMOR