A few months Several months ago my friend Angela published and gave me her book called Backyard Farming on An Acre (More or Less). For a suburban-raised guy like me who’s now living in the country, it’s become my go to book on how we can lead a more sustainable, eco-friendly, healthier lifestyle.

How You Can Get Started

First, buy the book. It’s a quick but detailed read and helps you understand the basics of growing your own food regardless of the size of your property. With a quick trip to the home improvement store I was off an running with a bunch of 2×4, my circular saw, a cordless drill and some screws. For every three pieces of wood, we were able to cut one in half and make a nice raised bed for our 20′ x 20′ garden.

Once you get the hang of it you can literally have a raised bed put together within minutes. I saw kits recently at Home Depot for making raised beds, but it’s cheaper to buy the wood yourself and do it yourself. Plus, it’s not exactly an intimidating project as you’re not building a house or solid structure – you’re just screwing 4 pieces of wood together in a rectangular shape. Simple, right?

My wife and I then plotted out our garden based on the flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables we wanted to grow. A quick drop off of soil from the local nursery and we’re off and running. We’re even giving some vertical gardening a try with a trellis that we picked up for a few bucks from the garden center. It’s also crucial that you pick up heirloom seeds so that you’re getting non-GMO products. Unless, of course, you like those bland, apple-like tomatos.

They say the biggest barrier to getting started is just your will to do it. Hopefully this post shows you it’s a lot easier to get started than you think. And, in a short while, you’ll be able to reap the rewards of a weekend’s worth of work.

Food You Can Trust

As my pal Vincenzo says, if he can’t make it he typically won’t buy it. Growing our own food is just one way we’re teaching our kids about taking responsibility for their actions and specifically the food that they eat. It’s also going to be a treat when they go out back to the berry patch or tomato plans and snag a few out of the garden.

You can DO IT!

Will you give Backyard Farming a shot? If you are and are blogging/tweeting about it, please drop a link in the comments to share your progress!

The X4 Razor from Dollar Shave Club

If you’re not a bearded member of the Duck Dynasty

family, the daily (or for some of us, every-other-day) grind of scraping your face with expensive metal and varying degrees of foamy cream isn’t our favorite part of being a man. In fact, for those of us with less rugged genetics, shaving can sometimes be a painful and burning experience.

That’s why I spend a ton of cash on buying more expensive razor blades like the Gillette Pro Fusion Power, which are thinner and supposedly better for my wussy of a mug. The price for making sure my face doesn’t end up looking like Freddy Kruger: $32 for eight blades. No, that’s not a typo.

Despite the fact it severely impacts my kids college funds, I gladly pay the Gillette man his vig because if I don’t, I walk around with cuts and burns on my face. It’s not pretty and it’s a pain in the ass. Since I’m not a fan of strutting around with little pieces of toilet paper all over my face, I go with what works despite the exorbitant amount the company charges for its products. It had become my new normal.

Now, thanks to Dollar Shave Club, I’m reconsidering my loyalty to Gillette.

Most of the Klout perks I usually receive are not spectacular because I don’t work very hard to “up” the score. Just at 70, most of what I get are smaller perks of free mints or free hamburgers from fast food joints. But this time, the perk from Dollar Shave Club intrigued me so I actually ordered it. In a few days, it arrived in the mail with some blades, a razor and shave butter. Now, being what I’d consider an “old school” man – meaning I don’t wax, I don’t pedi/mani, and I usually don’t fuss with fashion in general, to put something called “butter” on my face took some convincing. But I digress.

I decided to put the DSC to the test. I had been a fan of its irreverent ad campaign and it’s really dialed-in brand voice. Besides loving their marketing, I have increasingly become more interested to actually try their service and products. Klout made that possible for free, so I said “what the hell.”

Good stuff but $8 price is a little stiff

Let’s look at the products I was sent and my experience with each:

1. Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter: Again, the word “butter” on my rotund face isn’t exactly something that excited me. But I figured I’d give it the old college try. When I opened the shave butter, it did smell a lot like many of the lotions my wife keeps in the house. That wasn’t building confidence. I squeezed it onto my hands and then proceeded to rub my face. Although it didn’t lather like my usual gel shave cream, it nicely slicked up my face. Although I was a bit concerned that when I put the blades on my face, I might end up looking like Sissy Spacek in Carrie. Note: having a little one with Celiac Disease, I did notice that the shave butter was not gluten free and included barely and oats – and despite listing the ingredients, if you have Celiac or a gluten sensitivity, this isn’t for you. I hope DSC will change their packaging to include this warning. Retail Price: $8 -not exactly cheap.
2. The 4X Razor: When I pulled out this bad boy, it looked a lot like the Gillette I had become accustomed to. I am sure that’s by design. The razor was nice and well built. I’d recommend it but also found some drawbacks on this model – one of three that DSC offers its customers. The chief drawbacks for me were two-fold: the small length of the razor and it’s too active, 90-degree head. Now, perhaps I’m just shave science ignorant but with a head that pivots too much, it doesn’t feel like I control the razor or its direction enough. The head also snaps back quite a bit and it left me feeling a little concerned. DSC promotes this as the “Lovers Blade” because it can be used by both men and women. While men and women may be equal in almost everything, shaving isn’t one and perhaps their other razors are more in tune with just what a man needs, dunno. The handle was also a bit danti for my liking. Yes, length does matter – at least with razors.
3. The 4X Razor Blades: Built like many of the common multi-blade razors these days, the 4X blades did a very nice job on my three day growth. Working in conjunction with the shave butter, the blades glided over my beard and did a nice job and gave me a very close shave. They include a lubricating strip on the top and the shave was easy and painless. I really didn’t notice a difference between these, which retail for $6 a month for four blades, and the blades usually spend almost three times as much on. Well played Dollar Shave Club, well played.

Up close and personal with Dollar Shave Club…a good shave!

So there you have it. My quick experience with the Dollar Shave Club. So the question is: did they get my business?

Although I am opting to upgrade to the more super-duper Executive razor, my experience with the trial pack Dollar Shave Club sent me has me convinced. I’m going to give it a run and see how it goes. Who doesn’t like a nice, close shave at almost 1/3 the cost? I like the way the products worked and I love the brand voice and how the company operates. In many ways, it reminds me of Warby Parker but without any pretense. I love that brand and, after one shave, I’ve become a Dollars Shave Club member.

Will I buy the $8 Shave Butter? Not sure I’m there yet.

What do you shave with? Would you consider the Dollar Shave Club?

Disclosure: This post was prompted by a free sample of Dollar Shave Club’s products sent via Klout.

At any rate, my neighboring town of Highland, NY passed a law banning the practice of hydrofracking in their town the other day. This joins several other towns in our county who’ve agreed that a quick, temporary fix for the local economy at the price of contaminating our water and air forever isn’t worth it.

“The concept of jeopardizing our surface waters and aquifers is entirely repugnant to me. I strongly believe that a community has the right of self-destiny, also known as ‘home rule’ and it is abundantly clear that this community overwhelmingly wants to ban fracking from our borders. On a personal level, for the past 50 years I have spent an enormous amount of time in the woods, on lakes, and in streams and in rivers. Fighting to make sure this legacy is insured is what a sportsman is about.”

Councilman Scully posed the question, “For those of you who think that we are taking away your rights to make money and have rights to your minerals… what makes that right more important than the rights of the people of the Town of Highland to have clean water and land to pass on to their children?”

And that’s exactly what it comes down to. I have a right to clean air and water. I have a right, as do my kids, to not be poisoned because you want to make a buck (drug dealers and pimps could make the same argument re: “let me use my land to make money!”, btw).

The fact is that the Catskills are beautiful, natural and pristine and that’s the way of life those of us who’ve chosen to move or vacation here want. We moved up here to give our kids the space they need to be kids, a way of life that doesn’t involve purchasing everything in order to survive, and one that will teach them about living a sustainable life. We moved here to be a part of a community. We moved here because, even if some opinions are different than ours on issues, the core of why we love the Catskills is the same. Why would anyone want to take the risk of ruining it for a quick buck?

It’s my guess the term “mid-life crisis” emerged from the salient moment when men take stock in their lives and realize they’re way off from where they wanted to be. Whether it’s with their relationships, their career, financial situation or role as a father, it’s a time when people naturally reflect on what was, what was supposed to be and what really is.

I turned 42 last month and it has been on my mind a lot lately. I don’t mind admitting that at all. I’m not in a mid-life crisis per se, but I am taking an accounting of where I am so far and grading myself out. Why? I am not sure but it’s happening whether I want it to or not.

Naturally, people tend to compare themselves to others when judging their own lives. I tend not to do this, most of the time. Everyone’s path is different and comparing yourself to someone else is futile. They haven’t had your challenges, your advantages or your disadvantages. Many men get caught in this trap and it’s exactly that – a trap.

In assessing my own life until this point, I’m overall very happy with how things have gone. Are there things I would have done differently if given the opportunity? Of course. Then again, would I be who I am today if I hadn’t had made poor choices or shown a lack of judgment at times?

I once read a quote the most expensive thing in life is regret. If you have many regrets, those weigh on you and impede your progress. Yet, I do have some. I’m doing my best to make them “ex-regrets” and instead look upon them as learning opportunities that make me a better man today. It’s hard sometimes but I challenge you to do the same.

At this point in my life, my biggest revelation is that I have so much more to do. I have so much more that I want to be as a man, husband and father. I also realize I have lots of work to do if I want to get there. We don’t know how man years we have here in this world so I need to get cracking at it.

I like to fancy myself a good father. Despite this, I know I can be better. And as every coach I’ve ever had, or have been around, has said: you can’t get better unless you know you need to get better.

Being a father for the fifth time this year again exposes to me where I can be better. I know I can be a better role model and leader for my kids. I’ve known that for a while. What I want to use 2012 for is to ensure I start doing what it takes to get me there. At this mid-point of my life, I now realize I can’t put many things off anymore. The clock is ticking and there is so much I’d like to do.

On the flip side, it’s also time to reflect on what I’ve done well as a father. I’m proud of those things and what I’ve been able to accomplish personally and professionally. You can’t get lost in where you can improve without first understanding what it is you do well. Make sure you take time to do that

If you’re approaching or near that mid-life part of your life, take stock and act now. You can accomplish many things in a short period of time if you want to. Move past regret and disappointment and focus on what you can control today.

Your wife, your kids and your soul will be better for it.

No stains and it's comfortable too!

As a stressed-out busy Dad of four (soon to be five) kids, sleep is a luxury. Even on a good day, with two kids under four, sleep can be hard to get even on the weekend.

As a life-long stomach sleeper, I often find it hard to find a pillow that’s comfortable for me to use. In fact, many nights I chuck the pillow on the floor (or my slumbering wife) and just go bareback.

So when the people at Mattress Giant dropped me a note asking me to try their new Silver Dual Comfort Pillow, designed specifically for stomach sleepers, they piqued my interest. Since we don’t do a lot of product reviews here at EOT (except Don who apparently keeps all of the freebies that come through), I told them I was game as long as our readers could take part. So, the good folks there said they’d not only let me try the pillow, but they’d also give one away here on the blog. Now, before you think it’s some cheap $4 pillow you pick up at the local big-box store, it is not. The pillow, valued at $99, is top-of-the-line. More on the giveaway at the end of the review.

I slept with the pillow for the first time last night after a tough day at the office. After slapping a pillow case on it (a Aquaman cover in honor of Curtis Silver…well, not really!) and doing my pre-sleep regimen, I laid down by weary head and wondered how I would review a pillow. After all, I’d be sleeping. Once you hit the pillow and are out, what is there to say? You’re out.

Recently having gained some weight and just being worn down, I haven’t slept well. Last night, I slept better than I had in a long time. Not only that, but the usual morning back pain I deal with was absent this morning. The memory foam on the surface of the pillow really supported my neck and the usual back pain was gone. After waking up to that, it wasn’t hard for me to realize the pillow actually made a different. I was skeptical that a pillow would make any difference on how I slept. I’ve just not had good experiences. That all changed with the Dual Comfort pillow.

I had such a good experience, I want a fellow Dad out there to experience it. So…thanks to the generosity of the folks at Mattress Giant, we want to spoil a Dad to a free pillow. And since we’re all manly men, I wanted to challenge YOU to compete for the free $99 pillow. So here’s how we’re going to do it:

• Take your existing pillow (after removing the prissy cover your wife or girlfriend puts on it usually) and dress it up!
• The Dad who can do the best job of decorating their pillow, wins the prize.
• There are no rules and the Dads at EOT will decide the winter via good old fashioned voting.
• Creativity is key…and you have to keep it clean. Decorate it with your favorite sports team, or other hobby-related decor. Use your heads fellas.
• Post the photo on the EOT Facebook page as your official entry.

Not to worry if you don’t win the contest. Mattress Giant, through June 30, is running a very cool giveaway/sweepstakes too. The “Treat Your Dad for Father’s Day” contest gives folks a chance to win a 32″ Toshiba HDTV, Simmons Beautyrest Ridgewood Right Side Mattress Set (King) for a total prize value of $2,268.97! Treat yourself to an extended Father’s Day by entering both contests.

Good luck!

Yeah, that's how I feel.

Sometimes, life just beats the crap out of you.

For me, the last few months have been like that. Not in a necessarily bad way, just everything coming in at once.

As I took some time to relax and enjoy my family over the Christmas holiday, I just realized how tired I was. When you’re on the treadmill and you’re running to live, you sometimes just forget how tired and what a wreck you are. That’s where I am at today.

After moving my family across country for a new job, I’ve been going non-stop both personally and professionally since the day I landed. I’ve literally been going and going. The Energizer bunny has nothing on this boy.

The time over the few days I had off all caught up with me. Like a road-weary traveler finally in his own bed, the body just finally called in its debts. I didn’t get sick mind you, instead it was just calling “uncle.” I’ve never been this tired or mentally drained. I felt like a 90-year old the past week and it doesn’t feel good. That’s why my gym bag followed me to the office and why I’ve gone back to my good eating habits versus scarfing down barbecue at the million joints here in the Kansas City area.

There’s too many people counting on me. I can’t keel over sick or die of a heart attack. My kids, my wife, my job all are looking to me to have a good 2011. But how often do we do this to ourselves? We get so caught up in the day-to-day we don’t realize we’re slowing killing ourselves and distancing ourselves from the people who love us most. Is it worth it?

I don’t think so.

As we go into the new year, many of you will make resolutions. For many, it will be losing weight. For others it may be finally quitting smoking. For me it’s going to be better balance between work and home and taking better care of myself. That means managing stress differently and finding ways to channel stress into healthy activities.

Christmas is always a time that leads me to reflect on how well I have it. I have a beautiful family that loves me for who I am – my strengths and my glaring weaknesses. I figure I can’t go wrong if I do more to make sure I am there for them and lean on them when times get tough.

As much as we love our jobs, careers, hobbies and passions, without health and happiness what good are they?

Make 2011 about prioritizing. Prioritize the precious and not the ambitious. Put family always first and keep yourself healthy.

My wife and I tried just about every trick in the book. Sticker charts. Water coloring (to change the water color when she pees). Candy. Toy store trips. You name it, we tried it.

This weekend, however, we had a breakthrough due to two things: diligence and the iPad.

You see, my wife and I were militant this weekend with throwing her little butt on the potty. While it worked, the only thing that kept her on it was the distraction of the iPad. Yea, the iPad is now a potty toy. It’s no longer daddy’s commuting companion. It has a permanent place in the John right next to the Cigar Aficionado and People magazines. It’s funny what triggers kids to do things. Whether it’s to go potty or eat string beans, there’s always a tactic you can employ. However, these little battles are indicative of parenting overall. No matter their age, negotiations are always in play. Eating dinner. Going potty. Be home at a certain time. Cell phone use. Homework. They are all negotiable pain points as a parent and we need to figure out how to get through them, around them or come to an agreement because none of it is in the parenting handbook.

It’s up to us to out-think the little Jimmy Hoffa’s in our house because as much as you get frustrated and want to bury them in New Jersey, you just can’t.

It’s doesn’t work. Trust me, I tried it. ?

I can haz your catz fur in mah fud? (Alternate title: Not exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to eat pussy.)

As a card carrying member of the Man Club, there are very few foods I wouldn’t stuff my face with – especially after having a few drinks. Day old burritos? No problem. Week-old General Tsao’s chicken? Just pick off the hardened rice and we’re good to go. Half-brown pears? Why not, they’re just as juicy and I don’t have to work as hard to eat ‘em.

At one point I noticed something, though. A co-worker and avid cat lover admitted that she let her cat sleep in her sink, on the counters and occasionally in a bowl. Yes, her cat’s filthy paws, that had just been in a litter box, were now in the place where the cookies for the company outing were prepared. A charming woman, I made a point to ask which dish she brought to pot lucks and never touch it.

I used to think this was odd behavior. I mean, she loves her cat so much and seems like a generally clean person (sans the cat hairs on the back of her favorite black sweater) and I’m such a snob that I won’t even give something she made a chance?

Flash forward several years and as the Dad of the house I’m essentially the garbage disposal, who’s responsible for every leftover, “there’s only one left – anyone want it?” and essentially crumbs of anything sweet that may be purchased and sit at the house while I’m gone at work. As a scavenger you learn to improvise and make due; Hot dogs on a piece of wheat bread? Why not. Mac and cheese, baked beans and broccoli in one bowl? Eat up. Half a burger? Gone. I used to plow through this stuff like I was prepping for one of many of Joey Chestnut’s titles.

That was my life until recently. I noticed the belt needed an extra notch, those “slim fit” pants were revealing male camel toe and my side profile looked like my father. I started watching what I ate and trying to get in some exercise and alas, my clothes started to fit again. I still felt sluggish, so I started re-examining what I ate.

Now, because of my job over the years I’ve been exposed to a lot of truths that get spun into “new” truths. Such as: Ethanol is a good thing. We need this bill to pass to “save jobs”. And High Fructose Corn Syrup is OK for you. Using my best judgement, I’ve usually been on the right side of these issues. When I would volunteer to hit the grocery store, I would always avoid products with high fructose corn syrup because I knew it wasn’t natural, your body can’t process it properly and there’s no way in hell I’m going to have my boys grow up with boobs.

My wife and I recently rented “King Corn” and, while it took us several months to finally watch it, showed us the exact reason why my instincts were right – high fructose corn syrup, while a cheap sugar substitute, is basically poison. I had no idea the depth to which corn was produced to support live stock and numerous industries, so that part was quite shocking to me.

A few days later I cued up “Food, Inc.” on Netflix. As some material was redundant with “King Corn”, this documentary went through the systematic dismantling of the family farm and how the government ordered the production and subsidation of the corn industry. Family farmer are either forced to sell to multinational chemical, err, biotech, err, “food”, companies, and those that stay in business are aligned with one of four major food producers, buried in debt to meet their standards, and are producing “food” that is poisoning our bodies daily.

Step right up and reach into a cow's stomach and pull out your own corn bi-product! Yee-haw!

Both documentaries go through the basic, simple notion that cows used to be grass fed and graze but are now confined to lightless, fecal-filled sardine cans and kept alive through the use of hormones and antibiotics. Their bodies, like every other animal (including humans), can’t take living on corn full-time.

It goes a long way to explain why so many Americans are, much like the cows, chickens and pigs in both movies, suffering from heart burn, acid reflux and ulcers. Your body, and in particular your stomach, is fundamentally breaking down and can’t handle that much corn. It also explains the obesity epidemic in this country and how, like most problems, when the government and business get into bed together it’s never the “consumer” that wins.

Times, They Are A Changin’

We used to shop at the local farmer’s market, grow a small garden and pick up organic food when possible. You better believe that we’ve made the switch full time. We’re even looking into buying in on a farm as a co-op in order to guarantee fresh, sustainable vegetables, fruits and meat.  One of the big arguments people have is cost. The prices actually aren’t much different from what you’d pay elsewhere and as “Food, Inc” points out, organic brands that support sustainable farming like Stoneyfield Farms are even being carried in Wal-Mart. Consumer demand is what drives this, folks, and the only way to break the cycle is to send a message with your wallet.

What’s crazy is that while we spend more on food and bring home slightly less, we’re finding that we’re not hungry all the time like we were before. I’ve lost weight and so has my wife, and it’s not because we’re wasting away due to starvation. It’s because unlike high fructose corn syrup’s empty calories our bodies are able to register when we’re full. The other piece that is huge is that I know my kids aren’t eating Frankenfood and I’m hoping my middle son will have a chance at outgrowing the numerous food allergies he’s had. You can help break the cycle for your kids at school as well by signing a petition for schools to provide healthy lunches here.

To top things off, I can’t walk down the streets of New York without thinking about how many restaurants and delis I pass that are charging an arm and a leg for serving processed foods and non-organic crap. Yes, I used to sneer at food made by cat people — but now I feel like unless I know the source I have to do it to everyone.

Yes, I wore Ralphie-type glasses

When I was growing up, right around the age of three, my mother took me to this weird place where an old, crusty doctor looked into my eyes, had some funky gadgets and said to mom dukes, “Yea, he’s gonna need glasses.”

From the age of three to about when I was about 14, I wore glasses everyday, all day, with the exception of showering, sleeping and swimming.

Back in the days, it wasn’t fashionable to rock glasses. In fact, all the harsh names that are in the peer teasing book were thrown at me: four eyes, coke bottles, nerd, etc. Eventually, I learned to tune out the morons and focus on school work and sports (and no, I didn’t rock the Kurt Rambis goggles).

Eventually, my bad eye (right eye) corrected to the point where the prescription for the glasses was just about as useful as glasses with no prescription — thus, no more glasses.

Fast forward to yesterday when I picked up my oldest daughter’s first pair of glasses. She was excited beyond belief and couldn’t wait to throw those bad boys on.

Once she put them on, I instantly flashed back to my early glasses-wearing days. I thought about her being teased in school, ridiculed about being a “nerd”, wearing coke bottles, etc. Then I thought about all the people I know in my life that wear glasses and how they have become a fashion statement. I mean, it’s actually cool to wear glasses. In fact, the glasses she picked out are sort of edgy, cool and very stylish. Back in the days, I rocked the classic Ralphie from A Christmas Story glasses.

As my anxiety about her being a target at school decreased, the more comfortable I felt about her wearing glasses.

So, this morning, she gets up, grabs her glasses and puts them on like she’s been wearing them all her life. She turns to me and says, “Daddy, I’m so excited to show everyone my glasses.”

Man, how times have changed.

Now, I know the latter comment us pure senility, but for you parents out there, don’t tell me you haven’t been in this situation before and not thought the same thing — whether it’s glasses, braces, diabetes, etc.

As I said, I totally understand this thinking is pure lunacy. While kids are like their parents, they are also that much different.  They will have their own issues to deal with, their own problems to solve, their own growing up to do, their own life hurdles to content with, etc.

So, what do we parents do when we learn that our kids are just as flawed as we are? I needed glasses and wore them for nearly 10 years. Luckily enough, my eyes corrected the small issue I had. My daughter now suffers from the same issue — not being able to see far away out of one eye.

As the doctor was going through her routine, she asked me all types of questions and I told her all about my plight as a kid with glasses. As she finished up the exam, she said, “Well Kayla, looks like you are going to need to wear glasses just like your daddy did.”

Despite my daughters excitement to go pick up pink and brown glasses, My heart immediately sank because it appears that her ailment is probably due to family history, i.e., me.

We spend an inordinate about of time trying to protect our kids from every cold, germ, harmful drug, violence, etc. that they are and will be subjected to, but there are some things that you can’t control just because it’s in your DNA. That’s the killer. As a parent, you want to help and protect your kids as much as possible, but situations like this come up and you quickly realize that they are just as flawed as you are, but you love them for it so that’s ok.