Top 25 Daddy Blogs: 2 of 8

What inspired you to start blogging?

After almost ten years as an executive for Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions and Chelsea Handler's Borderline Amazing Productions, I found myself without a contract and a job in the midst of a giant recession. I became a full-time stay-at-home dad and started Dad Or Alive as my creative outlet. If I've learned anything, aside from the fact that no one at the unemployment office answers the phone during business hours, it's that being a parent is the most important job there is. Sure it has its ups and downs, and I'm here to share mine with you. Hopefully I can grab a laugh or two along the way.

What makes your blog stand out?

As an expectant father, I scoured the shelves at the bookstore for something that would give me the down and dirty on pregnancy and parenting. The women had Jenny McCarthy and Vicki Iovine, but I couldn't find anything written by a man, for a man, that told it to me like a best friend would. Experiential, raw and funny.

What are three adjectives that describe your blog?

1. Comedic
2. Edgy
3. Unfiltered

What are you doing when you're not blogging?

Enjoying every moment with my wife and daughter. Running a household, hitting the trash can with dirty diaper 3-pointers and bleaching milk stains out of my t-shirts. Hiding in the bathroom before my wife leaves for work, and expecting a baby boy in July.

What inspired you to start blogging?

I love my life. I wanted to always remember why I love my life. Blogging seemed to be a great way to keep a man-diary of everything going on in my life…without having to call it a "man-diary." To be honest, I fully expected my third blog entry to be titled "Forget it. I'm tired of blogging. Just follow me on Twitter." Much to my surprise, my blog continues. It has been a wonderful diversion from my day-to-day grind.

What makes your blog stand out?

I have six kids ages 7, 5, 4, 3, 3, and 2. If it weren't for them, my blog would be full of spreadsheets and other horrendously dull stuff that only nerds like me care about. I'd probably only have one or two blog readers…perhaps three if you count my mom.

What are three adjectives that describe your blog?

1. Light-hearted
2. Obsessive-compulsive
3. Nerdy

What are you doing when you are not blogging?

Most of my time is spent hanging out with my wonderful wife and kids, working at my day job (financial stuff), being involved with my church (Jesus stuff), reading (economic/political/non-fiction stuff), being involved in my community (civic organization stuff), and doing mind-numbing volumes of laundry/dishes (disgusting stuff). Also, on rare occasions, I sleep.

What inspired you to start blogging?

Pete: We’ve always been the type to help out our family, friends and sometimes complete strangers with just about anything. Over the years, we’ve shared our hacks, stories and solutions with each other — ranging from DIY home projects, autos, electronics, and after starting families…kids. You know, dad “stuff.”

Marty: We’d always be laughing at each other, and I’d often tell my coworkers or family about something Pete or I did and get a good laugh.

Pete: Since we’re in advertising, we do quite bit of research about clients, products, the marketplace…we are learning all kinds of stuff, all the time. We call it the “Pond of Knowledge.”

Marty: Yeah, it’s really broad, but not that deep. We know a little about a lot of things. Which can be dangerous. So, Pete calls me one day and said we should start a dad blogshare “the pond.”

What makes your blog stand out?

Marty: First off, there’s two of us, so I think we offer a little something for everyone. My perspective as a dad of four children, twins, homeschooling, etc, but also as a guy who's not afraid to try anything…at least once.

Pete: …and me raising my daughter as a single, dating father. I am seeing someone but I don't see this ever becoming a daddy dating blog. Like Marty said, the daddy stuff comes into play, but we're not trying to tell anyone how to raise their kids or be inspirational. There's enough of that, and those blogs are a dime a dozen.

Marty: Dadand is pretty entertaining so far…the writing style is funny, I laugh at Pete’s posts all the time. And I think we do good stuff, we’ve got some skills.

Pete: We’re still fairly new and finding our way. We think we have more to offer than a report of what happened over the weekend…

Marty: …but we’re not trying to change the world either.

What are three adjectives that describe your blog?

1. Clever
2. Conversational
3. Sweaty

What are you doing when you're not blogging?