📝 Editor’s Note | Rob Belk
The calendar date of Mother’s Day is a big deal in our house.
In the US, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May. This year the celebration is on May 11th. However, there are many years it falls on May 12th. The 12th is a less known but
equallyimportant holiday: my birthday.When the dates overlap, everyone loses. The baby is split. The match ends in a tie. Who should be celebrated more, me or my wife? If you know our family, you know the answer to that question…
For those of you looking to take care of your mom, I have recommendations. These recommendations are vetted by my wife, a necessary step after I infamously once gave her kitchen dishwashing towels on Mother’s Day. Don’t do that.
Table Stakes
Hanwritten Card + Flowers. Guys, if you haven’t figured out the best local flourist in your town, you need to do so! I also like the route of buying a $14 vase online and filling it with flowers from Trader Joe’s
Breakfast and coffee in bed (For my wife, this means Biscuitville)
Bonus: If you are a young dad, film a video with your kids saying Happy Mother’s Day
The Upgrades
The Gardener: Hunter Green Clogs ($99) + Felco Shears ($35)
The Runner: CloudNova 2 Shoes ($160) + Feetures Socks ($18) — trust on these socks…
The Homebody: Lenora PJs ($153) + Ceramic Rings Tray ($7) + Personalized Weezie Slippers ($40+)
My Wife’s Favorite: Nerd Rope Box ($19) + BY9 ($85)
This is your sign: take care of your Mother’s Day prep today. I’m very thankful for the three most direct moms in my life — Kim, Sherrie, and Elizabeth!
Without further ado….
Why Jack?
Frank Elliott recommended Jack for a profile. Frank is my brother-in-law’s little brother, and I’m honored that I’m sometimes mistaken for him. Frank and Jack got to know each other while living in Charlotte. While I didn’t know Jack previously, I have been a satisfied Jambys customer for a few years. Therefore, it is exciting to profile the man behind the comfy underwear. I gifted my wife a pair, so this is another great idea for a Mother’s Day gift.
Self-Description
5'8" on a good day – the guy who thought snow built character… until his wife sweet-talked him into trading blizzards for sweet tea and sunshine.
Jack’s 6 Recommendations
Written in his own words…
1. Jambys - Long Jambys
Selfish plug here, but this is why I'm here! Jambys makes performance inactivewear designed for your maximum comfort at home. Our original product was boxers, with pockets. Because, why not? But our best-selling product has been the Long Jambys - Sweatpants? There's no sweating here. Joggers? Jog in them and we'll sue. These are Long Jambys.
2. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace
I love this book. It's about a man named Gordon McKenzie, who worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years, and his main goal was to not get caught up in the corporate "hairball". Such a great way to live life, and the chapters are short and fun and will make you smile when you read them.
3. YouTube Premium
I actually pay for YouTube Premium - it takes out all of the ads but more importantly let's you download videos. There are so many good old videos on youtube that are even better than listening to podcasts - one I'm really into is Ric Beato, who is a music producer that sits down with artists and interviews them with their songs. The one with the Third Eye Blind singer is still my favorite. Also I've watched pretty much every Hot Ones episode and made my wife's family do the challenge once and it was hilarious we all cried eating Da Bomb.
4. Drops of God
My mom told my wife Katherine and I to watch this 50 times and we finally caved. It's by far the best show we've ever watched!
5. Coffee an’ Donuts | Westport, CT
Big donut guy. If you ever make it to Westport, CT you need to go to coffee an' donuts. Still working my way around Charlotte, but my favorite so far has been MJ Donuts.
6. Strategy for Getting Answers
I picked this up from a podcast with Zach Weinberg on The Logan Bartlett Show. When he wants to get an answer to a question someone won’t give up—like how much they paid for a company—he throws out a wildly inflated number. Say the real deal was around $10 million—he’ll casually suggest, “What was it, like $300 million?” People almost can’t help but correct you if you’re that far off, because they don’t want you walking around thinking they dropped $300 million. Their reaction gives you all the clues you need.
Bonus: Good Karmal.
It's the best caramel you've ever had, with a fortune cookie wrapper around it. Next question.
Want to get in touch with Jack? DM him at @jambysjack on Instagram!
P.S. from Rambull — I asked several friends from college (I graduated in 2012) the following question, “If you could only play 1 song from college, what would it be”? The overwhelming majority said:
Honorable mentions:
While I agree strongly with Avicii’s Levels, the one song that reminds me of being 18 is MGMT - Electric Feel.
Reply to this email or comment - What is the one song that reminds you of being 18?
Wait and go team Jambys! My husband gave me a pair for Christmas, love them!
HBD to you Rob! My daughter shares your birthday and I'm May 19th so things get messy during this week for us. That nerd rope variety box definitely transcends celebrations ;)