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Buffalo Wild Wings Unveils the “Moist Tielette” For Father’s Day

By Mike Julianelle
Moist Tie-Lette
(YouTube/Buffalo Wild Wings)

Father’s Day is this Sunday, which, if you’re anything like your dad and his dad and so many dads over the years, you’re probably going to get a tie. The “tie for Father’s Day” stereotype is well-known for a reason: it’s a very real thing. But what if I told you it didn’t have to be a bad thing? q

It’s 2020, the summer of COVID, and many of us are still working from home. Which means if we receive a tie on Sunday, we probably won’t need to wear it anytime soon. Unless it’s a special tie. A tie that does more than just bring a splash of color to your outfit. A tie that serves a real purpose.

I give you: the moist tie-lette, which is a necktie that is also a wet wipe.

That’s right! Buffalo Wild Wings unveiled this new product, a groundbreaking piece of dad-wear that isn’t just there to make you look good, it’s also there to help you stay clean while you eat their wings.

From BWW’s Moist Tie-lette website: While they won’t be available at fine men’s retailers, the tie-lettes are sewn from the most absorbent towelettes and designed to mimic a standard necktie. They are paired with a one-of-a-kind chicken wing bone tie clip, adding some extra flair to dad’s look. The Moist Tie-Lettes are packaged like an oversized version of the typical moist towelettes you’d find at any BWW sports bar. Further details can be accessed HERE.

It’s $25 bucks, but can you really put a price on a product so bizarre and yet so perfect? So ridiculous and yet so right? So mantastic and so multi-functional? No, you can’t.

So if you’re stuck on what to get your dad for Father’s Day, Buffalo Wild Wings has got you covered. And after he opens his unique gift, you can sit down with a plate of wings, without any worry that you’ll make a mess, and watch the making-of video:

Meet the Dad Whose New Balances Glow When It’s Time to Mow

By Jimmy Applegath
Scott Golz, American Lawnmower
(SUPPLIED)

Meet Scott Golz. Dad. Lawnmowing enthusiast. He caught our eye when he commented on a story we did about a community lawnmowing gang. He shared an amazing photo of him proudly posing on his trusted machine, hoisting an American flag. But our community also noticed a subtle glow coming from his New Balances. We needed to find out more. Thankfully, Scott was gracious enough to share his story and some of his tips for a ballpark-esque turf.

Every superhero has an origin story, what’s yours?

My lawn mowing history began around the age of 12. My father passed away 4 years prior so I am what you would call “self-taught”. I didn’t have much technique but damn were my lines straight. The interesting thing is, I had heard stories of my father and how he could mow the lawn with one hand and drink a cup of coffee with the other. It is quite possible that I had acquired some of the raw talent he possessed.

Tell us about your lawnmowing footwear.

The New Balance sneaker – I had my daughter at the age of 32, it was maybe a couple of weeks later when I purchased my 1st pair of New Balance running shoes. I can’t say what inspired me to try on that 1st pair but I did, and haven’t looked back since. New dad instincts I’m guessing.

Lawnmowing Footwear New Balance
(SUPPLIED)

I have a theory called the New Balance evolution. That 1st pair was my everyday shoe. I’d wear them to the grocery store, casual work meetings, and fun nights out on the town. When they began to lose their luster, they evolved into “work shoes”, mainly worn while doing various light-duty yard work. At this point, I purchase a new pair for everyday use. Once the new pair loses its luster, they evolve into the “work Shoes” and the old “work shoes” graduate to “Lawn Mowing Shoes”. These grass-stained soles are basically the Holy Grail of Dad footwear. I have a large assortment of grass-stained New Balance sneakers on display in my walk-in closet and the collection isn’t showing any signs of slowing. In terms of what pair I choose to wear when I mow, the sneakers basically dictate which pair will be worn on any specific day. I don’t choose the sneaker, the sneaker chooses me.

You may notice the “N” symbol on my New Balance shoes will glow at times. I compare it to the Bat-Signal. I always say “When the New Balance Glow, it’s time to mow”. I couldn’t tell you exactly when this phenomenon first occurred but I can tell you that every Dad has the ability to harness that power. It does come with time and patience. I have been a Dad now for 13 years and I would say it took a good 10 years before I experienced “The Glow”. The funny thing is… I believe it was right around the time I got my 1st riding mower. It was sitting in the garage of the new house we were putting an offer on. In my offer, I negotiated the beautiful green mower into the price of the house and the rest is history. The only thing that can diminish the glow is a rainy day. It is Dad Law that you cannot and must not mow when those blades of grass are wet.

How did becoming a dad change your mowing mindset? 

You need to teach your kids to take pride in everything they do, even mowing the lawn. I am sad to say, however, my 13-year-old daughter shows absolutely no interest in lawns, lawnmowers, or lawnmower accessories. She does say the striping looks really nice when I finish. I’ll take any compliment I can from her at this point.

Scott and Jenna Golz
Scott and Jenna (SUPPLIED)

What do you think of Robo-Mowers?

THEY’RE A JOKE. This is a major part of living the dad life. Don’t let robots take that away from you. If you want a robot to vacuum your new bamboo hardwoods, that’s acceptable.

Do you have any signature moves?

I have several signature moves. I usually pull out the 1 handed finger gun and pew-pew the next-door neighbor. Sometimes if I am having an exceptionally good mow, I whip out the double-handed finger guns and pew-pew like the wild west. Know this much, if you drive down my street, you will always get a wave no matter what. You will also see me mouth the words “who the hell is this”.

Do you have any lawnmowing rivals?

When I moved to my current house 3 years ago, my lawn was horrendous. Riddled with a cornucopia of weeds and the invasive “Nutsedge” I was a bit overwhelmed. My next-door neighbor Simon has a beautiful lawn and I decided if I get to look out at his masterpiece, he should get a masterpiece as well. I have been on a mission to be on the same level and it looks like I am almost there. I would not consider him competition, I would consider him motivation. He and his family are wonderful neighbors as well.

Between the two of us, we are the dominating forces in our neighborhood.

Ball Park Lawn Lines
(SUPPLIED)

What advice do you have for up and coming lawnmowing dads?

Keep your blades high, do not under any circumstance scalp your lawn. It opens the lawn up to weeds like you’d never imagined. Get yourself on a 3 step fertilization program and do not mow when the grass is wet. Another major component to my lawn success is to mulch your clippings, do not bag. The clippings are a natural fertilizer. Aerate the lawn every so often and dethatch as well. When you have things looking good and the grass is lush, buy yourself a striping kit for the mower. This will give you those beautiful lines you see at ballparks. This is how you attain lawn domination in your neighborhood. Sticking flame decals your kid got you for Father’s day on your mower definitely scores domination points as well.

Crocs Expanded Their Shoe Give Away to Include All Essential Workers

By Mark Chalifoux
Crocs Giveaway to Essential Workers
(Twitter/Crocs)

Some companies are trying to make a difference in the lives of those who have been affected most by our global pandemic. Whether it’s donating more than a million dollars of flowers to moms stuck in senior centers, or organizing a fund-raising effort to bring in millions for restaurant workers, people and organizations are giving back in creative ways.

Crocs is one of those companies. The shoe-maker with a very specific audience began giving away tens of thousands of pairs daily to healthcare workers, people who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic. The shoe is a popular choice for healthcare workers, given the comfort and ease to wash. The campaign was a popular one, as eligible people could sign up before 12 p.m. ET every day to win a pair, as Crocs has given away more than a half-million pairs.

And now the company has expanded its popular free-shoe giveaway, widening the groups of people they recognize. On Friday, Crocs organized a #FreePairFriday for all essential workers, starting a “pairs that care” campaign, allowing servers, line cooks, delivery drivers, grocery store attendants, and “anyone else significantly affected by the crisis” to enter the free shoe giveaway. The company gave away 10,000 pairs of shoes to those essential workers.

And Crocs is firing up its campaign for healthcare workers again as well, starting another round of “Sharing a Free Pair for Healthcare.” If you’re a healthcare worker – or if they do another FreePairFriday this week), the place to sign up every morning of the giveaway is here.

Props to Crocs for continuing to give back to the people helping the most right now.

10 Hilariously Creative Face Masks People Are Wearing Amid Coronavirus

By The Dad
Funny COVID-19 Face Masks
(reddit/staceyjg314 Twitter/mjxsmith24)

2018 was the year of tiny sunglasses and biker shorts with blazers. 2019 brought us a spike in boiler suits and cheetah print. In 2020, the year of the socially distanced, protective face masks are the hottest new fashion trend.

While we all strive to make the most of such dire circumstances, some folks are outright refusing to let one measly pandemic compromise their good time. Here are 10 of the funniest, most inventive face masks. We can’t vouch for their effectiveness against the spread of COVID-19, but they’ll certainly elicit a smile in these strange times.

We are all Harold now.

“Say it, don’t spray it” gets a reboot.

Then there’s this old man, crushing it.

Quarantine fun with Mom! Only masks available on-line! from r/funny

🙂

This guy should be on currency.

This guy didn’t have a mask, so he came to the orthopedist as a polar bear from r/funny

Genius money-saving hack.

There’s this duo who seamlessly reconciled Star Wars Day with CDC guidelines.

Who needs facemasks, or hand sanitizer when you can have beskar armour to protect against Corona? from r/TheMandalorianTV

Please, please tell us she had a dog with a person mask.

This woman who came into our restaurant said this is the only protective mask she could find. from r/funny

Over here, some really misguided Jughead cosplay.

Mysterio has been seen in Tbilisi metro fighting COVID19

Finally, this brilliant mask modification is bound to be the hottest trend of summer 2020.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Sign of the Weird Times: Disney Is Selling Baby Yoda Face Masks

By Mark Chalifoux
Baby Yoda Face Mask
(Disney)

The pre-virus world was marked by many a craze, but none carried the fall of 2019 quite like Baby Yoda (not his name) from “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. The BaYo obsession reminds us all of a much simpler time. But now there’s a way to bring Baby Yoda into the Coron-era: Disney’s new Baby Yoda masks.

To be fair, it’s not just Baby Yoda masks. Disney is selling four-packs of face masks featuring a variety of characters from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.

As much as I’d like to make fun of this, being a website that treasures humor above all else, this is actually a cool idea. Now that the CDC recommends facial coverings for anyone in public over the age of 2, having masks with familiar characters on them will make the concept a whole lot scarier for kids. Tying a bandana around their face like you’re about to take the family to a bank heist can be intimidating, and the last thing parents need right now is more resistance.

Getting a kid to look more like Iron Man or Elsa before going to run an errand? A much easier task.

“We realize this is a challenging time for families and wearing any type of mask can be daunting,” a senior VP for the Disney Store said in a statement. “Our hope is that Disney’s cloth face masks featuring some of our most beloved characters will provide comfort to the families, fans and communities that are so important to us.”

Wearing masks routinely is a very foreign concept to most Americans, so it will take some getting used to. It may feel weird or silly, but it helps to remember that when you see someone wearing a mask – they’re doing their part to protect others. And given this seems like the new normal for the next while, finding a mask that’s both comfortable and fun can make a big difference, especially when it comes to kids.

You can buy a four-pack for yourself (or your people) online at the Disney Store for just 19.99. Disney will also be donating $1 million of sales to COVID-19 relief efforts and will be donating masks to underprivileged communities.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Nurse Designs Customized Power Rangers and Teletubbies PPE

By Nick Ciavarella
Power Ranger Nurse
(Instagram/Adrian Pe)

A Philippines-based nurse is using his expert design skills to give back to his very own healthcare community. Adrian Pe is one of those all-too-common nurse/fashion designers and has decided to use his combined talents for good by creating customized PPE (personal protective equipment) based on the Power Rangers, Teletubbies, and more. Adrian explains:

I chose the Teletubbies because it gives frontliners not only the protection but the positive vibe, and Power Rangers to inspire workers to live out their childhood superheroes.

No need to inspire healthcare workers to live out their childhood superheroes, though. They clearly already are the heroes we so desperately need but do not deserve.

And because good news spreads like wildfire, Adrian’s designs have been making the rounds on social media, inspiring others to use their sewing techniques to help produce larger quantities of colorful suits—because why make boring old hospital-blue PPE when you can make awesome bright red, green, purple, and yellow PPE?

View this post on Instagram

Team RED ♥️ #COVID19 TMCILOILO OR DR NICU

A post shared by Adrian Pe (@senoritoaidz) on

Sewers can finish six to eight suits at home or four to five suits in the hospital (I guess they’re busy at the hospital or whatever). Adrian and his team have already completed and distributed more than 600 suits.

“In general, all front liners and nurses, they are risking their lives and also their families’ lives as well,” said Adrian. “I correlate it with our modern-day heroes, our front liners.”

Not only has Adrian created PPE based on popular 90s’ shows, though. Here is a group of healthcare workers posing as Kylo-freakin-Ren:

Yo, Adrian! Thanks! You’re adding some needed color to a very bleak situation.

The Rise of Teleworking Is Causing the Sale of Pants to Drop

By Mark Chalifoux
Teleworking Causing the Sale of Pants to Drop
(Getty/South_agency)

The American worker is quickly adapting to the brave, new world out there. With travel limited only to the most essential for us, offices across the world are moving online. And with the rise of telework and video conferencing comes other new adjustments to the economy. Namely, the sale of pants is plummeting.

In a world where your co-workers and meeting participants can only see your top half (even then, mostly just a face and part of your shirt), people are dropping their pants. Sure, you can throw on a nice shirt, but you better believe there are sweatpants on under that sharp blazer. Yeah, your co-worker is dressed in a lovely sweater, but if you could tilt the video down, you’d see he’s wearing it with lacrosse shorts. Never before in American history have so many people been working in yoga pants.

“We’re seeing increased sales in tops, but not bottoms. People who are concerned, obviously, from the waist up,” Walmart’s VP told Yahoo. “These behaviors are going to continue to change and evolve as people get accustomed to this new lifestyle.”

Other retailers and clothing stores are reporting similar results. Shirts, definitely up. And their pants are down. Especially when it comes to dress pants. They’re seeing an increase in loungewear, such as sweatpants, leggings, etc.

Save the pants for the essential workers out there, they still need to be in public. The rest of us can chill through quarantine, taking our meetings in our favorite raggedy pair of college sweatpants. Once reserved for lazy Sundays, sweatpants are getting the call up from the bullpen and added to the starting rotation. It is their time to shine. I can even envision a future where sweatpants are divided into categories, such as your everyday sweatpants and your “nice” sweatpants.

It’s also important to embrace all the offshoots of the sweatpant, including track pants, athletic shorts, and every other kind of bottom you can’t get away with wearing when you talk to your boss at the office.

Man Transforms Dad Into Food Critic From “Ratatouille”

By The Dad
Ratatouille Dad
(TikTok / Joe Mele)

There is no shortage of dads on TikTok, a video-centric social network on which every parent will eventually be forced to appear. Seriously, brush up on your dance moves while there’s still time.

@tommy_braccoBracco boys in their element ##BlindingLightsChallenge ##fyp ##foryou ##foryourpage @philipbracco @philbracco♬ Blinding Lights – The Weeknd

Truly, the only thing TikTokers love more than their fathers is the film Ratatouille.

In recent months, the 2007 Pixar smash hit has captured a second wave of relevancy on the app, due in part to a resurgence of the movie’s theme song, “Le Festin” (“The Feast” in French). The catchy Camille Dalmais tune has become the go-to score for TikTok’s cooking videos. Even Dr. Phil partook!

@drphilBon Appetit! 👌🏻 ##happyathome @robin_mcgraw♬ original sound – ssaaggei

It was an inevitably that dads and Ratatouille would someday cross paths on the app. We just had no idea it’d ever be this perfect. Meet TikToker Joe Mele and his dad Frank.

(TikTok / Joe Mele)

Recently, someone pointed out that Joe that his pops bore a striking resemblance to Anton Ego, the caustic, world-renowned food critic from Ratatouille who gave five-star Gusteau’s the four-star review that effectively killed Chef Gusteau.

(Disney Pixar)

Frank scoffs at the comparison. “I don’t look like this guy,” he insists.

With minor pushback, Joe coerces Frank into a quick cosplay to prove his point. The end result is… jarring, to say the least. “Uncanny” may be too scant a word to describe the resemblance here. Watch for yourself:

@mmmjoemeleDAD ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT😂 ##foryou♬ original sound – mmmjoemele

Incredible. This man should be entitled to royalties.

Crocs Is Giving Away up to 20k Pairs to Healthcare Workers, Daily

By Mark Chalifoux
Crocs Daily 20k Giveaway
(Instagram/Crocs)

If there was an honorary member to the dad shoe class, Crocs could make a case. It checks all the boxes; they’re comfortable and durable. They’re affordable and easy to clean. Oh, and they’re an awesome company.

The shoe is popular in the medical community, for many of the above reasons. And as our nation’s healthcare workers are facing a pandemic, the shoe company is trying to show its love, by giving away up to 20,000 pairs to healthcare workers daily.

The president and CEO of Crocs said in a statement the duration of the giveaway to these ‘heroes’ would depend on inventory. But after offering 10,000 daily the first few days the campaign ran – they upped the number to 20k a day.

He also said: “These workers have our deepest respect, and we are humbled to be able to answer their call and provide whatever we can to help during this unprecedented time.”

This is the hour where people are rallying to help those on the front lines in any way they can. Maybe it’s free shoes. Or maybe it’s stopping the manufacture of jerseys, opting to make medical masks and PPE. Or maybe it’s donating supplies from your TV show, or making hand sanitizer instead of (or along with) booze.

Companies across the spectrum are doing their part to support those in the pandemic trenches. If you are a healthcare worker (or know one), you can get your free Crocs by going here at 12:00 p.m. ET every day.

Celebrate MAR10 Day With Some Epic Announcements From Nintendo

By Mike Julianelle
MAR10 Day Celebration
(LEGO/Levis/Nintendo)

Today is March 10th, which, in the spirit of something like Star Wars Day (May the Fourth… Be With You), has been rechristened Mario Day, because MAR10 looks like Mario. Or something.

Here at The Dad, we’ve recently shared a lot of breaking Mario news: Levis and Nintendo are collaborating on a clothing line. So you’ll be able to wear a pair of Mario inspired overalls when you visit Super Nintendo World in Orlando and Hollywood in 2021/22.

Then today, LEGO announced on their Twitter feed that they’ll be partnering with Nintendo on a Super Mario LEGO set, and, judging by the video in the tweet, is there a forthcoming LEGO-based Super Mario video game?

Check out the tweet:

Is that a smartphone inside, or more excitingly, a Switch? No one knows anything yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Levi’s and Nintendo Collaborate on Super Mario Clothing Line

By Jordan Stratton
Levis Collab with Nintendo
(Twitter/LEVIS)

There’s a lot of signature characteristics when it comes to Mario: That iconic mustache, his vibrant red hat, the trademark Italian accent, but probably the most timeless characteristic of the super plumber is his unforgettable overalls.

Few articles of clothing have experienced the wear and tear that these bad boys have endured, which makes sense why a company like Levi’s would try and cash in on their fame. So, get those coins ready because clothing crossovers with Nintendo don’t come around every day. And with Super Nintendo World under construction in the U S of A, these garments could come in handy.

Levi’s tweeted out a teaser for the upcoming line, cycling between the Levi’s and Super Mario logos along with a big fat gold coin. Subtle.

While Levi’s has yet to drop too many details regarding the upcoming line, the website Level Up shared a gallery featuring some of the upcoming pieces, which including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and of course, jeans.

Sure, Nintendo merch isn’t too hard to come by nowadays, but coming from a brand like Levi’s – usually known for its quality and resiliency – we’re expecting some gear that could withstand a bout with Bowser (or, at the very least, a good old fashioned goomba stomp).

Now, we just have to wait and see if the price point is reasonable or King Boo-level scary. Either way, we’ll be ready to jump over and check out this sweet Super Mario swag when it drops April 1st on Levi’s website and in select stores.

Crocs to Sell KFC Branded and Scented Shoes

By Mike Julianelle
KFC Scented Crocs
(Crocs/KFC)

That’s right, Crocs, a shoe brand, has partnered with KFC, a fast-food fried chicken brand, to make a new pair of shoes. You can not eat the shoes, they are not made of chicken or vegan chicken. They are actual shoes, actual Crocs, designed with KFC’s colors and images of fried chicken on them.

And they smell like KFC.

Taste of Home has the lowdown on these new limited-edition KFC Crocs, which come in two different sizes, the typical Crocs, and 4.5-inch Bucket Clogs, which are more like platform shoes. Something Tom Cruise might wear in a scene with Charlize Theron.

But the real piece de resistance, emphasis on piece, are the Jibbitz. What are Jibbitz? I’m glad you asked.

According to Taste of Home, Jibbitz, basically bling for Crocs, are mini drumsticks placed on the top of each shoe. They’re scented and removable if somehow the drumstick adorning your KFC-branded Crocs is a dealbreaker for you.

The KFC Crocs will be on sale this spring, on the Crocs website, and should cost around $60 bucks.

Former NFLer Wins Oscar for Short About Dads, Daughters, and Hair

By Mark Chalifoux
Hair Love
(Twitter/MatthewACherry)

Former NFL receiver Matthew Cherry scored a huge honor for his second career when his animated short, “Hair Love”, won an Oscar. Cherry, a journeyman receiver who went undrafted out of Akron and bounced around several NFL rosters before retiring a decade ago, started his project with a robust Kickstarter campaign. And it ended with him holding an Academy Award.

“Hair Love” is a touching short film about an African American dad trying to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. A little over six minutes, the animated short has been viewed almost 20 million times. And it’s very much worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.

Cherry is not the first professional athlete to find success in film, as NBA legend Kobe Bryant won one in 2018 in the same category (for his short “Dear Basketball”). Cherry called this out during his acceptance speech and dedicated his win to the late basketball great.

Cherry was confident in the idea from the start, as he put out a call for help on Twitter several years back, in which he confidently declared the idea worthy of an Oscar. And history bore out his prediction, so huge props to him for that.

The short has since been translated into other languages and even features a book component.

Cherry said his motivation was to bring some positivity and representation into the animated short realm and to channel the joy that dads had in helping do their daughter’s hair.

“Black fathers get one of the worst raps in terms of stereotypes—we’re deadbeats, we’re not around,” he told the NYTimes. “The people I know are extremely involved in their kids’ lives.”

The NFL player turned filmmaker is just getting started, and he’s always been confident in his vision.