Big Dad Energy

#82 –Your kids in public can be stressful

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Well we weren't able to do a normal episode this week. Or a Dad Talks..... BUT we did get to chat for a little bit! We talk about our lawns and how ou...

Dad talks! Idiom origins

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#81 –The one where we talk about daycare

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared hung out twice this weekend and recorded together! We talk about daycare and how it has helped us out and the benefits we've seen from t...

Dad talks! If you could go back in time...

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#80 –Ben's speechy adventure

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jared and Joe recap the wildness of the Oscars. Jared brags about his new appliances coming. Jared also talks about starting occupational therapy with...

Dad talks! The perfect tie

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#79 –Infant international travel with Florian Kollment

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our good buddy Florian Kollment joins us to talk about traveling with his 4 month old from Florida to Austria over the holidays last year. Florian tal...

#78 –Daylight savings check in

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared chat about this insane Michigan weather and about daylight savings time and how it affects their kids. Joe gives an update on his new jo...

Dad talks! Batman: The Killing Joke

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#77 –Jared talks about his therapy journey

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared talk about the very nice weather that definitely won't last. Jared lets Joe talk about "The Batman" for far too long. Jared ta...

#76 –"Being a Dad is Hard as F*ck" with Mike Venutolo-Mantovani

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jared and Joe are joined by writer Mike Venutolo-Mantovani on this one! Mike talks about his newsletter "Being a Dad is Hard as F*ck", what ...

Dad talks! Mardi Gras

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#75 –18 Months of Ben!

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Having toddlers is ROUGH. Joe and Jared really lean into the therapeutic side of the podcast in this episode. They discuss all the troubles the kids h...

Dad talks! Resumes

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#74 –Stomach bugs and big changes

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jared and Joe discuss their eventful weekends. Jared watched as some good football happened and Joe's family has caught a gnarly stomach bug. Joe also...

Dad talks! A prelude to the Oscars

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#73 –Katy's breastfeeding journey

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Katy joins us on this one talk all about her breast feeding journey. She chats about what works for her, what didn't, and gives some tips and ideas on...

Dad talks! What happens if USA is under a nuclear attack?

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#72 –New approaches to a new baby

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jared gives Joe the low down on all this football stuff. The guys then chat about their lawns and when they are going to start working on them. Joe ta...

Dad talks! Chicken Wings

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#71 –Hey Jude

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe is back and he talks all about the birth of Grayson! Joe walks Jared through the day with some audio bits he recorded with Kayla. You can find us ...

Feed Drop! Best Song Ever- BSE Minisode 24

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe's finishing up his paternity break, so here's an episode from the boys of Best Song Ever! On this episode, Kevin and Luke share their music resol...

#70 –What to do when your friends have a Baby

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Episode Notes Jared and Katy do an episode! We talk about what to do, and what not to do when your friends have a baby. You can find us on Instagram, ...

#69 –Still waiting...

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared talk a LOT about Detroit sports and that there's hope for next year. So much hope. Jared talks about his new lamp. Joe talks about Grays...

Dad talks! Top 5 Dad beers!

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#68 –The waiting game

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared discuss their New Years weekends. Joe talks about the very Covid filled hospital they will be going to to deliver Grayson. Jared quizzes...

Dad talks! New Years traditions around the World!

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#67 –A look back and a look ahead

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What a wild year this has been! Joe and Jared take a look back at their year and note a few of their favorite moments of the year. They also take a lo...

Dad talks! The history of Christmas!

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#66 –Kayla talks to us about birth plans!

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kayla comes on to talk all about her birth plan, what she wants to keep from last time, what needs to change, and what Joe can do better. Joe and Jare...

Dad talks! Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Feat. Kevin Connor!

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#65 –Injuries...another part of growing up

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jared tells Joe about Ben's traumatizing injury that occurred this weekend. The chat all about injuries and how much it sucks to see your kids go thro...

#64 –Pets are kind of like kids

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oh it was a big sports weekend for Detroit! Joe talks about Grayson almost being here and what he's been feeling lately. Jared and Joe then chat about...

Dad talks! Hallmark Christmas Movie game, real or fake?

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#63 –Kid meltdowns happen

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared discuss the new Beatles documentary, Thanksgivings, and the big U of M football win. Then they chat about the fits their kids have and h...

#62 –Thanksgiving is upon us

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared get HYPED about Thanksgiving! They discuss their traditions, favorite foods, least favorite foods, and left overs. Joe also chats about ...

#61 –Winter is coming...get your house ready

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hey you know what time it is around here? That's right, cold time. Here's some hot tips from the boys on what we are doing to prep our houses. Joe als...

Dad talks! Top 5 TV and Movie dads!

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#60 –Kora turned 2!

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was a big day for the Lopez fam! Kora turned 2 and a party needed to be had! They talk about the different presents she got, and give some tips on ...

Dad talks! Fantasy football

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#59 –Kids get sick and it sucks

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend was Halloween and Joe loved it, but it was not a great sports weekend for Jared. Jared recaps his rough week with a sick Ben, and how sca...

Dad talks! Halloween is here!

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

Dad talks! Gary Sudbrink

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#58 –Kids outgrow clothes, like quick

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared give you everything they've learned about buying clothes for the kiddos. They also chat about their lawns and if they should use chemica...

Dad talks! Listener story!

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#57 –Check-in with ourselves and the kiddos!

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jared had a wild weekend with a power line and Joe went to another wedding! The guys then check-in with themselves, talk about how their kiddos are do...

Dad talks! The Watcher House

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#56 –Kayla chats about pregnancy check ups!

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared talk about their fall projects and discover they both want to learn a little wood working. Kayla comes by to talk about different doctor...

Dad talks! What gets Joe in the spooky mood

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#55 –When should you chat about wanting kids?

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jared and Joe both stayed in cabins in the woods this past weekend, one was nice one was very spooky. We also chat about tag team parenting and we wra...

Dad talks! Fall beers!

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#54 –Communicating with the kiddos

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know toddlers babble some times and their parents totally understand? Well turns out it's a pretty cool secret language. Jared's rivalry with back...

Dad talks! Multi-level Marketing and Pyramid Schemes!

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#53 –Family, Life, Work Balance

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared chat all about the stress of trying to balance the important things in life. Over the weekend the Detroit Lions did alright, Jared went ...

Dad talks! Lord of the Rings Trivia!

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#52 –Bath time!

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We try to tell you all we know about bath time! Some tips, tricks, and the differences between newborn and toddler tub time. It can all be chaos. Jare...

#51 –Ben turned 1!

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ben turned 1 this weekend! Jared talks about his party, how they prepped and planned, and about all the changes in the last year. Joe was gone at a ba...

Dad talks! Spiderman!

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#50 –A Big Dad Anniversary!

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's our one year anniversary!!! We look back at some things we are really proud of, some things we wish we would've done different, and talk about wh...

Dad talks! Eels

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#49 –Tiktok says it's time for fall

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to Tiktok and Joe it's time for fall! We chat about our trips up north this weekend, Joe's encounter with a wasp, and Jared's house plans be...

Dad talks! Detroit Lions

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#48 –The one about diapers

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared discuss diapers on this one! What it's like changing your first one, when to switch sizes, and which ones worked for them! Joe talks abo...

Dad talks! Netflix roulette

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#47 –Road trips with tiny humans

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jared and Katy went on a very long journey with Ben recently and we chat about what works for us on trips and what doesn't. Joe talks about cutting ou...

Dad talks! Vernors Ginger Ale

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

Feed drop! Best Song Ever - BSE Minisode 7 (w/ Joe Lopez and Jared Szymanski)

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We weren't able to record this week, but check out this episode of Best Song Ever we were on! Luke and Kevin were angels and let us drop it in for you...

Dad talks! BBQ Styles

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#46 –Tom Stineman talks about teaching and coaching!

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a really good one y'all. Tom is a Planet Ant regular and you know what else he does? Teaches and coaches! Tom talks to us about his teaching c...

Dad talks! The future of Marvel

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#45 –Parenting solo

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared talk about some tips for when it's your turn to watch the kiddo for a day! Jared also tells us what the humidity of a basement should be...

Dad talks! Luis Miranda, Jr. (Lin-Manuel's dad)

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#44 –A Big Dad announcement!

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alright folks, Joe has something big to tell you all! Jared chats about his fourth of July filled with projects! Joe also talks about the long journey...

Dad talks! D.B. Cooper

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be conspiracies, could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life les...

#43 –Hey....clean your gutters

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe and Jared are back together after being separated for two weeks! They catch up and chat about Joe's vacation, Father's day, and this INSANE Michig...

#42 –Kayla and Katy talk postpartum!

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kayla and Katy are back! They talk about their journey's through postpartum, what worked, what products they liked, or what they may do next time! Lis...

Dad talks! The great grill debate

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life lessons. Who knows what yo...

#41 –We don't like our dad bods

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Just to be totally upfront, sorry about the low energy, what a weekend we had. We chat about Joe's trip to Holland and Jared having a good amount of s...

Dad talks! Some new recipes

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Dad Talks! Where we send you some knowledge to digest. Could be recipes, could be movie summaries, could be life lessons. Who knows what yo...

#40 –9 months in, 9 months out

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're back! After some time off we do some catching up on our home projects and long weekends. Ben is 9 months old! Joe embraces his inner Sean Evans ...

#39 –Fish gotta swim, baby's gotta eat

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the words of Robert De Niro "I have nipples Greg, could you milk me?" Well no we can't but we can definitely give you ideas on how you ca...

#38 –Do we really know ourselves?

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe did it y'all, the apartments behind his house now have a mowed lawn! Jared and Joe also got together this weekend and experience a little of the r...

#37 –Here's to all the moms out there

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was Mother's day this weekend and boy was it busy. Joe convinced Jared to go full nerd and play some Dungeons & Dragons! Jared tells Joe about ...

#36 –Show me those teeth!

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ben's getting a tooth!!!! Joe tries to give Jared advice on teething, but there really isn't much to be honest..... Jared attempts to explain the Lion...

#35 –Parenting around the family

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's happened since we met last, other than Jared losing all of his friends about his ridiculous brunch thoughts? Well the Oscars happened and diape...

#34 –Jared's war on brunch

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yeah you read that title right. Jared has beef with brunch and Joe's going to do his best to represent all normal people and debate against him. Turns...

#33 –An episode all about realty with special guest, Zack Bock!

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zack Bock, one of Joe's best friends and his realtor, joins us for this special episode! Zack talks to us about his start in realty and some tips and ...

#32 –These are a few of my favorite things!

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's another long one, sorry about that! The boys haven't seen each other in two weeks so there was a lot to catch up on! Joe and Jared talk about the...

#31 –What scares us now as parents?

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we get a little vulnerable and talk about some of our biggest fears as parents. Jared also talks about his big dad weekend and tells Joe ...

#30 –Mikayla Cline talks about an almost car birth!

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we chat with Mikayla Cline! Mikayla tells us all about her wild ride of a pregnancy and her even wilder ride to the hospital to have h...

#29 –One small bite for Ben, one giant leap for milestones

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know what we love? Food. You know who's noming on some food? BEN! We talk about transitioning to foods and the fears and excitements of trying som...

#28 –Growing up ain't easy

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up can be tough. Jared and Joe talk about growing up in different family systems, Joe's dad passed away when he was 13 and Jared's parents div...

#27 –Sometimes you just need a new job

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jared did something wild this week. He made tacos! But Jared also started a new job. Joe grills him about what led to the change and asks for some adv...

#26 –Toddlers: Just tiny drunk humans

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know who falls down, yells a lot, and wears a bowl on their head? Kora. Listen y'all toddlers are cool, they're learning and growing so much, but ...

#25 –Valentine's day but as parents

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about love today. Specifically how we celebrated the love day as parents. What did we get? What did we get our wives? Well someone got a giant...

#24 –Katy sets it straight

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oh this is going to be a good one. Katy's here to tell us her side! We finally get the truth of what really happened during her pregnancy and birth! ...

#23 –We modern parent as best as we can

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is this episode our best? No. But it is an episode and hey that's pretty good! We talk about some new home projects we are tackling, learn about the y...

#22 –We've helped plan a wedding before

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of people are getting married this year or got engaged and will be planning weddings soon. And ya know what? We've been married. We've helped pl...

#21 –Kayla's Turn

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kayla's back! In this episode Kayla talks all about her pregnancy, labor, and giving birth to Kora. Speaking of Kora, she was wondering around Joe and...

#20 –Sleep Wars: A New Hope

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What do a former President, Nickelodeon, washers & dryers, and pooping all have in common? Well we talk about all of them on this episode! Jared a...