Pops Pint

In search of a new family car? My family arrived at two options last year, the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. I sit with my car guru to discuss decision factors and my car buying experience. Spoiler alert, I purchased the Palisade. Regardless, we have excellent performance factors for you to consider. Don't worry if you're a car novice. You will quickly discover that I am as well. Our car guru sheds some light on factors I never considered and frankly should have. 

The first case of the Covid in Manhattan was confirmed in March 2020, though later research showed the virus had been circulating since January, with cases of community transmission confirmed as early as February. By March 27, over 23,000 cases were confirmed, which rose to 30,765 by March 29. NYC had become the worst-affected area in the US. Hoboken sits across the Hudson River running parallel to Manhattan. CJ lives in Hoboken with his son and wife in a two floor apartment with limited space. We discuss how Covid has affected their family dynamic. Discussions loomed as to whether they should move away from the city due to the transmission rates. Starting a new job is never easy, but throwing a global pandemic in can add a boatload of stress. Separating church and state is hard when you are working from home. Here is how the Greene's managed.

It’s a tale as old as time and a sure shot Hallmark classic once the rom com novel is written. Canuck girl sweeps Long Island boy off his feet. NY boy ventures to the wilderness to capture girls heart with a ring. Real life settles in as the movie credits begin. “Canadian Dad” is part of our Covid Series. JP and his wife have welcomed their first child, Oliver into the world 7 weeks ago. Social distancing leaves the new family with limited options for help. JP’s US support system is not an option as travel is suspended between countries. JP was lucky as it is to get into the country before lockdowns on the Canadian side. Nevertheless, life goes on. We discuss some differences between the two health systems, birthing plans, baby scalp massages (yes please), hospital stays during a pandemic, and circumcision. I was planning a complete episode dedicated to circumcision after having my first boy. A lot of information I did not know. Thankfully we had a wonderful doctor to walk us through our decision. JP was pret

Playgrounds are closed with quarantine leaving young families with limited options to enjoy the spring weather. We were lucky to install a swing set/playground last year on our property. It was a big discussion and a lot of research. Bart joined me for Episode 5 to discuss their families purchase and the chooses he made. My crew went a different route than Bart. AKA, the much cheaper route lol. There are advantages and major disadvantages that we discuss.  Neighbors have pulled over to ask me where I purchased ours, friends are pinging me nonstop if they should pull the trigger now that public playgrounds are closed, and it felt like a perfect time to share my feedback for other families in the same boat during this quarantine. Sit back and hit play on Episode 21, "Playground Grace". 

The term "weekend warrior" is on the shelf until quarantine ends. We are in full blown "Fixer Upper" mode 7 days a week. Covid-19 is keeping us house bound and that "to do list" looks a lot more achievable. Lowes and Home Depot are running full tilt with everyone trying to improve their sanctuary. We will be running a series on some beginner projects to tackle throughout the house.  Carpentry is a great place to start. A couple 2x4's can be daunting if you never used a hammer before. But it doesn't have to be. You can cover a lot of ground with a circular saw, screw gun, and tape measure. We discuss Chris's first wood project that opened a slew of other projects throughout his house. Share some insights into what Home Depot covers at the store and cheap pocket jig that is pretty fun to use.  Stay safe all and enjoy the episode. 

Jay Jay is one of my oldest friends of over 20 years. It is easy to see how incredible of a father he will be. The journey to fatherhood is a different story. Jay and his husband will have to go through surrogacy or adoption. Both journey's are loaded with legal work and countless variables that can change the situation drastically. We plan to stay connected with Jay Jay and Mark throughout this journey. Lucas joins as the first cohost to Pops Pint due to Jay's extreme dietary restrictions. Of course Jay would enter clean eating for a month right when Covid-19 quarantine kicked in. Wah wahhhh!

March is upon us and Covid-19 is changing our way of life for the next few weeks. Companies are enforcing some WFH policies that can be challenging in a house full of little ones running around. I have been wanting to do this episode for quite some time with my brother in law, Ken Barkley. He took the plunge over a year ago to work from home. He has taken the leap into the gig economy practicing sharp time management skills while being home throughout the day. Ken is a creator of all things editorial, video, and radio with sports gambling. We hear how he manages his routines at home while juggling multiple business ventures and awesome insights into the March Madness bracket. He is even writing a book to help you navigate the odds in the big tourney. You can find it at https://www.patreon.com/lockylockerson immediately after Selection Sunday. 

Hot debate among the fathers of Pops Pint. Does the first birthday warrant a full fledge party? We are joined by Mr. Lucas, father of 2 (Adalyn - 3 yrs & Eli - 1 yr). Surprisingly the cheap bugger went all out while my wife and I opted for low key, no party. It's not that we didn't celebrate. We just didn't want the work of organizing, preparing, and hosting a 20+ event for something our girls wouldn't remember. Our view was that a 1 yr old bday party would have been more for us. What say you? 

Andy is cooler than me. Andy’s wife Nicole is cooler than me. Andy’s daughter GiGi is cooler than me. Frankly, the family is cooler than a lot of people. Who on earth takes their 6 week old daughter on a 29 day camping trip in their airstream ?!*?!*! Andy and Nicole, that’s who. Andy migrated west a few years back and graciously joins the show over a breakfast beer while his beard glistens in the newborn sun peaking over the mountains. Yes, his instagram is badass, but he shares the reality of hitching a trailer with his family in the passenger seat. Great inspiration to pursue your own family adventure.

Fall has arrived in the north east and so has a major milestone for Brian’s daughter. Piper started kindergarten! Safe to say, poppa was a little choked up. Personally, I’m already accepting that I will cry like a baby when Harper’s moment arrives. Piper was fearless in her first day, due in large part to Mom. Get your act together Brian. We discuss all the emotions going through the Esernio household and how they prepped for the big day. I am particularly keen to learn how their youngest dealt. We will eventually go through the same scenario with Dempsey & Harper. Welcome to fall and enjoy episode 15.

Easily the most important discussion we have had and a core reason this podcast exists. I am extremely grateful Kim and Bart offered to share a deeply personal experience to listeners who are preparing for parenthood. When you learn about conceiving, the joy and excitement is overpowering as a parent. You understand the risks through the first few critical weeks but I think many believe, “It will never happen to us”. After all, you don’t hear a lot of friends or family talk about miscarriages. And that is precisely it, the pain of the experience often makes it hard to share such a personal tragedy. Bart was given one directive from Kim, don’t “bullsh!t” the experience. Mission accomplished. Bart delivers the respect and honesty that carries the brevity of such an important subject. I believe this episode will help others understand they are not alone. It’s not all sad. Somehow Bart is able to put me in a tongue twister that offers a laugh. He continues to outrank our cohosts with new craft brew recommend

Moving. Changing Jobs. Having a Child. Three things that should never coincide. Unfortunately reality plays by it’s own rules. Jake vents and shares how he copes with the new stresses of fatherhood. Luckily he has his wife, Jami by his side and their newborn son, Ryder James dominating the bouncer scene.  Jake and Jami are both teachers who decided to move closer to family. Unfortunately they left full time gigs without an offer from another school. TALK ABOUT STRESS. The summer has been a constant interview. Pep talks and communication have been their key to staying positive.  If you are a new dad, you are not alone. No one is batting a thousand and it’s okay to talk about it. 

Oh Crap! The poop episode has finally hit our podcast. Potty Training is about to enter my household and I've begun searching the net for articles, books, and recommendations. There are multiple plans and opinions on how to start this phase for your child. Nothing says more than experience and the Greene household is five months into training. I sit with CJ to learn about their plan for his two year old man, Parker. We discuss everything from reminders, hydration, rewards, mistakes, and tips for traveling. "Push and pinch" as CJ would say. It's that easy ;) 

In honor of America's big day we discuss a key factor into "The American Dream", college. When my first daughter turned one, college planning became a major priority for me. My research was producing more questions than answers. Shortly, I began asking key sources that have earned elite, grandfather status. My father put 3 kids through private college and my father in law put 4 through the college ranks. Major accomplishments when you think about 2019 media coverage with graduates in deep debt.  We are remote in Newport, Rhode Island on July 5th with Grampy Shaw to get his insights on planning. One major vehicle in college planning is the 529 plan. There are 4 key factors to consider when selecting a plan but regardless of the factors, it's important to just START! Happy 4th of July.

It’s only fitting that we do our 10th episode on Father’s Day! Brian graciously offers his time on the big day for Dad’s everywhere while enjoying a Long Island pounder. We debate the high cost of growlers at micro-breweries. Frankly there is no point if the price is more than a six pack. Shame, shame, shame on the breweries who sell a growler for $20. In episode 10 we discuss playing peacekeeper for your kids. Brian’s older daughter has developed an advanced method of psychological warfare against her younger boy. His household is divided between two sole colors, red and blue to distinguish a clear line of ownership for the children and we learn that his son doesn’t have a taste for cayenne pepper.  Happy Father’s Day to all our Pops out there and hopefully you are enjoying a pint with us!

Top 3 quarterbacks of all time. Top 3 basketball players of all time. Top 3 dynasties. “Top 3” arguments end friendships and set rivalries for life in the sporting world. Pops Pint “Top 3 Baby Buys” solves world hunger, ends climate change, and gives you insight as to how we arrived at our list. How does this help you? Luc and I help you avoid the pitfalls of this unknown baby market (amazon black hole) that will soon take up your instagram feed, gmail ads above your inbox, and facebook recommendations. Luc clearly goes for cost and efficiency as his first two buys morph into additional products. I go for safety, looks, and extremely high prices when someone else is buying it for me. My triple IPA leaves me a bit choked up at times which gives Luc the ability to go off his rants. Welcome to Episode 9!

Happy Memorial Day! I have a fellow techie visiting from Philadelphia and we take 30 to discuss our smart homes, set up, solutions, and how we use them. Bill rocks his knowledge from work and how he uses the internet of things on the second floor of a duplex. Go America! 

My father in law told me that one kid was tough, but two was a game changer. In Zone D you can divide and conquer with your wife/partner. You get a breather while the other half of the team is playing the ball. And boy, was he right. Going from one child to two has resulted in new levels of exhaustion. I look back when it was one kid and I am in awe of how easy we had it.  Mikey has a second on deck in June. We discuss the world of pain he is in for along with the pain of being a New York Giants fan due to their No.1 selection in the NFL draft. YIKES! Mike talks about putting his daughter to work around the house to prep for baby bro. He runs a tough household. Once you crack two years of age, you need to start holding your weight. His rules, not mine folks ;) 

Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous. That's Confucius for ya, always deep in thought after a few pints. My brother has been hounding me to get on the podcast since episode one (complete lie). He is single, living his best life in Philadelphia and I get to live vicariously through him. We sit down for a pint to discuss "Mom" pressure to settle down, being an uncle, and if these dating apps are beginning to lose their steam. Spoiler alert, they are not. 

My wife and I have recently been thinking about a swing set for our two year old daughter who is a ball of energy. My daughter loves the outdoors and we have the 2 acres to do it. Inevitably it comes down to budget. We have been researching sets on Costco, Wayfair, Amazon and companies around us. You name it, we have looked. I sit down with my buddy Bart who just made the purchase a month ago. Bart and his wife Kim had all the same questions we are now asking. I learn it's not just the cost of the play set, but also the work of setting up a level foundation underneath it.