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BBQ: Beginner’s Guide to the Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker
My brother in law is passionate about smoking meat and everything he makes tastes amazing, which spurred my interest in BBQ. I also follow a lot of BBQers on Instagram like grillin_with_dad, heygrillhey, darksideofthegrill. Sidebar, I am obsessed with Mel from DarkSide of the Grill and have hair envy (he has a wicked mullet). Motivated by family and inspiring Pitmasters, I decided it was time to start my own smoking adventure. My gut was to drop $3,000 on a bad-ass smoker but my better half, aka my smokin’ wife, “encouraged” me to try a cheaper option ‘til I prove I stick with it. Spoiler alert, I’m hooked! This post covers…
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How to Install Double Barn Doors
Why Barn Doors – We have an extra room in our basement with a large, 5’x7’ opening without a door. Occasionally we use this area as a spare bedroom for guests and wanted to add privacy with a door. We chose barn doors to add style and function to our space. This is a supplemental guide to provided instructions – Single barn doors are popular, but double barn doors are slightly more complex and most “how to” videos only cover a single door. The opening for our space required a double barn door due to its size. I am sharing my experience because the instructions lacked detail and there are…
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Review of The Top 3 Toddler Products You Need
Parenthood comes with an overwhelming amount of stuff. Many baby registry items are expensive and unnecessary, but a few are critical “go to” items I can’t live without. If you are a parent of young kids or need gift ideas, I suggest you buy the following. 3 products I can’t live without #1 Pop ‘N Sit Portable Booster. This portable high chair rocks for two reasons; gifting and functionality. Gifting – This is my “go to” baby gift. If you’re reading this and you’re my friend with a new baby, spoiler alert, this bad boy is comin’ in hot on your front porch. Best baby gift ever. Functionality – We…
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A Simple Guide to The Shrimp Boil
Delicious shrimp boil with Slap Ya Mama, Cajun seasoning. This recipe kicks things up with shrimp, crab, red potatoes, corn and two kinds of sausage. Amazing!
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How to Manage Back to School Stress – a Dad’s Survival Guide
This is my first Back to School season as my oldest enters Kindergarten this fall. It is an unprecedented season filled with extra stress due to the COVID pandemic. As I researched how to have a “successful Back to School season,” I found great DIY tips for projects and packing lunches, but did not see a lot about helping parents get through this stressful time. So here’s my take on how to manage Back to School stress. Understand what’s causing the stress. COVID impacted schedules, attending a new school, and back to school shopping are just a few stressors impacting parents. Tackle your largest contributor first. The largest for my…
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Unforgettable “Up North” Minnesota Vacation on Crosslake.
Recently my extended family rented a cabin “up north” to get away for a week long vacation. The term, “up north” is a Minnesota saying referring to spending time in Northern Minnesota, generally at a cabin, lake or in the woods. This is our adventure… Arrival & Location – My brother-in-law, Charlie (aka Chaz), thought it was a good idea to rent a trailer to lug our stuff to the cabin. He was right as we nearly filled a 16’ trailer with everything from bikes, inner tubes and a Lilly Pad for the kids, to coolers and more coolers for the adults. In a future post I’ll give tips and…
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Follow me on Instagram – Here’s what you’ll see
Having fun as a dad & husband. https://www.instagram.com/fulldadmode/
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How to unclog a bathroom sink without chemicals
This is a fast, easy and cheap (under $3) way to unclog a bathroom sink without chemicals. How to: 4 easy steps Figure out cause of the clog. After a 30 second Google search, I found The Home Depot’s recommendation on How to Unclog a Bathroom Sink excessive for my needs (lots of steps). But, it did help me learn to first think through what’s causing the issue before jumping to a seemingly easy fix using chemicals that may not be needed. My Cause – I knew it was hair because I am the only owner of my home (wasn’t a previous owner/tenant clogging) and my wife has a lot…
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About me…
Why Full Dad Mode. The goal is to help you learn from my misadventures to get the most out of life. Dads should know how to do things like have crispy clean-cut grass, fix clogged sinks, and make strong drinks. But, fatherhood does not come with a manual, and even if it did, who reads the directions anyway? I started Full Dad Mode so other dads can learn to do essential “dad things” efficiently, saving time for cherishing special dad moments. One way I embrace such moments is to take mental snapshots of sweet moments with my kids, like a hug or unsolicited “I love you, daddy,” because I know…
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The Best Shish Kabab Recipe
This is the BEST Shish Kabab recipe for special occasions. Abrev’d as “Shisk” at our house, it has been a staple of special occasions in my Mother-in-Law’s family for decades. Recipe Kebab Ingredients Meat: 4-5lb Tenderloin or Sirloin. More than enough for 6-10 depending on how big of eaters you’re feeding. We’re big eaters, so we go big. Mushroom caps (white or brown). 1 pkg Cherry tomatoes 2-3 cans whole potatoes 2 bell peppers cut into pieces 1 can/jar onion pearls Skewers – I like the metal ones, more sturdy to better hold weight vs wood. Marinade Ingredients 1 clove garlic (minced) ¾ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup soy sauce…
