What does a typical “day in the life” of Dave look like?

Ha, no day is ever typical in our life, but that makes it fun! Recently Jack has been yelling DAD!!! repeatedly starting at about 5:30 AM. Although it’s early and I’d love to sleep for another hour, it’s the best alarm clock I’ve ever had and I’ll miss it when it’s gone. So we get him up and Charlie is soon to follow and then it’s a couple hours of chaos that include some cartoons, playing with toys, breakfast and then getting dressed for the day. The boys are at daycare a big chunk of the week so one of us will drop them off and then head to the gym for a quick workout. After that I’ll head in to the city to get work done at my company, www.thesafecharge.com, or I’ll work from home so we can get a bunch of projects shot and work done for HAF.

What’s your favorite thing about Liz? 

Picking one thing is really hard because she has so many amazing qualities, but the fact that she still thinks I’m funny (most of the time) makes life so much fun because we love to laugh together. She is also one of the most determined people I’ve ever met. When Liz wants to do something she does it and no one will stop her. It’s one of my favorites, but can also be frustrating when she wants to clean NOW and throws away important papers I had out on the dining room table that I was working on…She is also the best mom in the whole world! Watching her mom it up with our boys is awesome!!

What’s your least favorite habit Liz has? 

Unnecessary vacuuming/cleaning – She’ll leave me for a weekend with the boys and I spend half the morning she returns on cleaning the house and pretending we didn’t live like slobs for three days and I vacuum the whole house, clean it head to toe and the first thing she does when she gets home is vacuum and then will spray down all the counters, tables, etc. It’s bizarre but I just let it go. She will also fluff the throw pillows on our couches when we are leaving our house and are already 10 minutes late for a meeting, dinner, etc. I don’t get it, but I just let it be. 

What’s your best piece of advice for new dads? 

Hold on!! There is no amount of preparation you can do to get ready for what’s about to happen. You will be more exhausted than you could have ever imagined and your wife is going to do the majority of the heavy lifting while going through a hormonal roller coaster. DO NOT try to make sense of some things that come out of her mouth, just answer, yes (or most appropriate answer), move on and then you can laugh about it a few months later. It is funny, but at the time she is 100% serious so put your head down and plow through it. At first you’ll think this kid just poops all over and doesn’t even look at you, but after a few months when they start getting their personality it will all change. You’ll love them more than you thought possible. I’m crying while I type this. Fun fact: I cry easily…at movies, commercials, talking about my amazing family, etc. 

What has suprised you the most about the world of influencers and blogging? 

It’s the real deal!! The reach and growth brands can get from partnering with influencers/bloggers is unbelievable and it’s only gotten better/smarter. We can now track the success of brands, individual items and more analytically which is really helpful with our business and partnerships. There’s no more smoke and mirrors like the early days which is great for both the brand and influencer. 

What’s your current workout routine? Any goals for 2020? 

Liz and I have been on a great workout routine lately and we are going to keep it up. In 2020 I’m going to try and workout 6 days a week. Even if it’s a short, 20 minute push up/sit-up circuit at home. You feel way better and it gets your day started right! I’m also going to try and lose the spare tire around my waist that I’ve had since about 6th grade. I have had a lot of love in my handles for way too long and I’m going to get rid of it!  

What are the top five style pieces you would suggest to upgrade any guy’s wardrobe? 

Nice pants: I use to buy cheap pants, but it’s worth investing in your clothing. Some of my favorites include the AG Everett Slim Straight Fit Pants, Bonobos Slim Fit Stretch Washed Chinos and Paige Transcend Jeans!

Nice Blazer: My favorite way to finish off an outfit. I am always drawn to blazers and right now I’m eyeing this Eleventy Slim Fit Jersey Sport Coat or this Hart Schaffner Marx Classic Fit Check Sport Coat.

Watches: I love a nice watch. I feel like they complete an outfit and I hate when I forget to put one on. A nice quality watch will last you forever! You can’t go wrong with this or this. 

Underwear:  Never thought about this till recently, but if you upgrade your underwear, you’ll appreciate it. I am a Tommy John guy through and through. 

Shoes: My mom always told me she looks at a mans shoes and can tell a lot about him. Not sure how accurate that is, but the better you feel when you look in a mirror the more confident you will be at work or play. My three favorite shoes are my Veja sneakers, my Good Man Low Top Sneakers and my Ugg Chukka Boots. 

What would you say is the best part of being a parent? The hardest part? 

It does not get any better than seeing my boys smile and laugh or when they are proud of something they have done. It makes me so proud of the little humans they have become…tearing up again. There’s literally nothing better than that!  The hardest part is staying patient. We all have fuses and some days our fuse is shorter than others but I think it’s so important to keep your cool around your kids. They will drive you absolutely nuts! BUT you have to be ready, find your inner strength and keep it together so when you need to discipline your kid, you keep your cool. I wasn’t the best at that at first, but I’ve gotten a lot better and it shows in their overall behavior. If you yell at your kids when they are being bad, they will yell at you and other people. Your kids want to be you, so remember that they are always watching and paying attention to your every action. 

If you could have a beer with anyone in the world, who would it be? 

Do they have to be alive?? I absolutely loved Chris Farley when I was growing up. He was so damn funny and wish he was still around today making us laugh. That would be a fun beer. I also love golf and think it would be awesome to have a cold one or two with Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods. 

Dave is wearing what he calls his “uniform” featuring some of his favorite items from Nordstrom! I steal this sweatshirt from him every single weekend because it is so cozy. You can shop some of his favorites below!