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Treehouse Dad
Below are updates on how I built my first treehouse, my mistakes, and lessons learned along the way.
You’ll also see articles on new travel, surfing, food, personal growth, art, and the most important thing: FAMILY!
Father’s Day Maui Treasure Hunt
I thought I’d share a fun thing I did for my wife and kids a long time ago, in hopes that it inspires dads to do something different and create some memories they won’t soon forget.
Tokyo with Kids
This was our first real trip to Japan (though we’ve had intentionally long layovers in Japan, where we explored a bit.) We only had 6 full days, so we’ve broken everything we want to see into regional sites per day. It worked out rather well.
Talloires Lake Annecy France
Tucked beside the glassy waters of Lake Annecy, our good friends’ family welcomed us to their village. We spent our time swimming, fishing, hiking, and relaxing, all against a backdrop of Dr. Seuss-style alpine peaks and lush green flower-dotted hillsides.
‘Ōhia ‘Ai – Mountain Apples
We have a beautiful tree that we’ve watched grow from 3 feet to over 15 in the last few years. A few flowers, and now we finally have fruit! It’s said it can grow up to 60 feet tall with trunk circumference of 15 feet.
75 Hard Tips – My Experience
After a stressful winter, it’s time to cut bad habits and add some good ones. No sugar/booze, 2 workouts daily, water, reading & daily photo.
Tahoe with Kids & Igloo Build
Having had just looked through past photos for Grandpa’s memorial, I stumbled on an amazing trip 6 years ago. Our family trip to Sierra-at-Tahoe was a wonderful way to experience Lake Tahoe in winter.
Family Halloween Costume Ideas
I’ve dug through some old photos from Halloween’s past. We’ve done solo outfits as well as group family costumes. Hopefully, this will give you some good ideas!
40 Books Challenge for 2024
For 2024, I’m shooting for 40 books. I’ll be moving back and forth between fun books (sci-fi, biographies, fantasy) and self-helpie (business, money, discipline, web geekery.)
Ardèche France with Kids
Join us for family-friendly activities in the Ardèche in the south of France. From cliff diving to prehistoric caves, here’s how to enjoy this beautiful region with kids.
10 Days in Tahiti, Moorea, Tikehau Islands
It was my first time visiting Tahiti. I share some highlights, my impressions, and ultimately the impact the Tahitian people had on my family.
Universal Studios Hollywood Review
Our trip to Universal Studios Hollywood was our first in 30+ years! Here we share what we did right and what we did WRONG!
Avoid these SCAMS in Europe
Scams that are hard to avoid, and Scams you’ll likely naturally avoid with common sense are listed from our experiences in Europe.
Nicaragua Surf Trip
We share our impressions of each wave, our favorite things, and what we would do differently next time we take a Nicaragua Surf Trip.
Sober September Tips
Striving steadfastly to succeed, I’ve set a self-improvement challenge this Sober September, seeking strength and serenity.
Maui ‘Ohana Spotlight: Ari Zainuddin
I’ve had the idea for years to do interviews with my favorite Maui humans. This island tends to have some of the most spectacular people on Earth, whether born and raised or new to Maui. So, I’m starting with my good friend Ari.
Amsterdam with Kids – 4 Days
Join us in Amsterdam with kids for 4 days as we bike, stay in a house boat, explore museums, parks and avoiding the red light district.
Hamburg Germany with Kids
We enjoyed 4 days in Hamburg, Germany with our kids in order to meet our long-lost family and to explore.
Paia Hippie Classification
Hippies come in all forms, fashions, and families, and since Paia Town has been a beloved, salty melting pot of hippie happenings since the 70s, I’m here to classify some of the most recognizable types for your knowledge and entertainment.
Poznań Poland with Kids
Exploring a country isn’t just about visiting tourist hotspots. I was eager to see the real Poland, so we went to his hometown in Poznań to experience everyday life there. I’m truly grateful we did—it was a remarkable experience!
No Sugar, Daily Exercise
My next challenge starts today! No processed sugar (minimal fruit with low sugar), and daily exercise of at least 30 minutes.
Uluwatu – Bali, Indonesia
Uluwatu in Bali is famed for its epic cliffside views, world-class surf spots, and the iconic Uluwatu Temple perched atop limestone cliffs.
Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
Nusa Lembongan is a small island near Bali in Indonesia. A quiet, peaceful atmosphere with amazing surf, scuba diving, and epic adventures.
10 Bali Temples You Should See
Bali is home to some of the most saught after temples for travelers around the world. Herre are 10 Bali temples you should see when you go.
Bali Yayasan Permata Orphanage
Looking for a way to give back on Bali? We visited Bali Yayasan Permata Orphanage, where we spent the day surfing with some awesome kids.
EMP Attack Prepper Guide
After reading just one chapter of One Second After, the 2009 novel by William Forstchen, I found myself unexpectedly propelled into adopting the mindset of a prepper. And since the threat is finally in the news, here I’ll share what I’ve found to be crucial to survive long-term after an EMP attack on US soil.
My Perfect Sleep Recipe
Though I know everyone is different, I’m going to share exactly what’s required for my getting a perfect night’s sleep. Hopefully, some of you will take away at least a tip or 2, but this is really just for me. I’ll be refining this article on a regular basis.
Copenhagen with Kids
3 Days is an insanely short trip for any city in Europe, but we had to sneak in a Coldplay concert. Copenhagen has captured our hearts, and its now on our revisit-list!
Bristol England with Kids
We managed to visit the aquarium, surf man-made waves, watch the Lion King musical, participate in a wild street festival, and explore old Tyntesfield.
Heartburn & Meditation Challenge
Unfortunately, I’ve suffered from heartburn (GERD) since High School. Not good. It’s time to put a 100% concerted effort to stopping it!
Maui’s Mai’a – Apple Bananas
We share Hawaii’s history of Mai’a as well as how to grow, harvest, dehydrate, and all the parts of the apple banana “Tree.”
Zakynthos and Peligoni Club
We’d just come off a week through the Greek Islands on a catamaran, and staying at a beach club didn’t sound half bad. With building expectations, we were excited to spend time on land enjoying the beauty, food, and people of Greece.
William Norberg
It's been over 12 years since we had to say goodbye to Will, and personally, I'm at a point where there are more good, positive memories and...
Will Lahaina’s Banyan Tree Survive the Fires?
Though the importance of taking care of our displaced people and animals comes first, we still have to work toward the Lahaina Banyan Tree’s future as well.
Saronic Islands Greece with kids
When friends ask us what our favorite part was on our Europe trip with kids across 9 countries, sailing in a catamaran through the Saronic Islands is first to mind.
Athens Greece with kids – 2 Days
Here we share the limited experiences we had in the short time before and after going on our week-long boat trip through Greece. We had a day before and after, and we took full advantage of the little time in Athens we were afforded.
Tuscany and Florence, Italy with Kids
My first trips to Italy 20+ years ago left me underwhelmed. Heat & Crowds turned me off. This trip, however, changed my opinion of what I now see as one of my favorite countries on Earth: ITALY!
Montmartre Paris with Kids – 2 Weeks
We’ve stayed at his flats in the past, but it was always just 3-5 days in Paris (and never with kids.) Traveling back to France after an 18-year break from Europe, we were itching to explore one of our favorite cities again.
Richelieu France – 5 Days
Our only exposure to Richelieu was a lunch 20+ years ago, so we were excited to spend some quality time in this old city after our stay in Geneva with kids.
Geneva Switzerland with Kids
I’ve shared some of our favorite things to do in Geneva with kids, within surrounding areas, and tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years and during this recent 2-week trip.
Virginia with Kids – 7 Days
7 nights is never enough in Virginia with our favorite people, but here are some fun things to do with kids in and around Aldie.
Maui Hawaii
I’ll be documenting each part of our crazy trip coming up, and I thought sharing packing and prepping would be fun.
Trekking the Sapa Region of North Vietnam
We did the 3-day 4-night trek in north Vietnam’s Sapa region. The following is our account of what happened along with some photos.
Hanoi Vietnam
We went to Vietnam on a whim knowing we’d spend over 60 total hours traveling on our 7 day trip. Crazy? A little bit. Worth it? Absolutely.
BREATH WORK & NO SOCIAL MEDIA: 21-Day Challenge
The Treehouse Dad is taking on another challenge… Let’s see how I fair with 21 days without personal social media and daily breath work.
NO BOOZE & NO CAFFEINE: 21-Day Challenge
I’m taking 21 days off from drinking as well as coffee to begin developing habits of abstinence and calm, but I’m mostly doing it to record how I feel. 2023 is all about health and growth.
NO SUGAR & BETTER SLEEP: 21-Day Challenge
I’m taking 21 days off from processed sugar (fruit ok) as well as going to bed by 9 pm (for at least 8 hours of sleep) to begin developing habits of abstinence and optimal health, but I’m mostly doing it to record how I feel. 2023 is all about health and growth.
NO BOOZE & DAILY WORKOUTS: 21-Day Challenge
I’m taking 21 days off from drinking as well as daily workouts to begin developing habits of abstinence and exercise, but I’m mostly doing it to record how I feel. 2023 is all about health and growth.
Treehouse Planning
I share our treehouse planning, including sketches, goals, and overall design thoughts moving into this project!
Treehouse Platform Structure
Building a strong, safe treehouse structure is priority #1, and I share the platform I created along with its supports.
Most Recent Video
Our last travel video was from the Ardèche France, but this video above best describes our lives since the maui Fires.
About the Treehouse Dad
To start, I have no business building anything. I’m a web geek, so anything I share is just to show how I did it, and I’m not making recommendations. My hope is to get feedback and learn from others!
A little about me.
Having been obsessed with both the book and movie (and Disney attraction till they changed it to Tarzan) Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann David Wyss, it’s always been a dream to build my own treehouse!
My experience:
- Garden boxes
- A deck and stairs 95% made from used pallets (see photo above and below)
- Chicken Coops. I’ve gone through building 2, and I think if I built a 3rd it’d be the best chicken coop tractor ever made.
- A custom lego table
- Various mediums of art
Clearly, I’m not a builder and all of my woodworking experiences were experimental, until now!
My Inspiration:
Our kid’s Grandmpa looked up into a small tree in our yard less than a year ago and said we should make a treehouse. it seemed way too small, but the idea was intriguing. Grandpa was definitely the catalyst and part of the inspiration. The other part came from, of course, Pete Nelson and his crew from Treehouse Masters. We love that show and have bought and watched almost every season.
I didn’t know until starting this project that my own grandfather was a carpenter in his youth, which could account for the ancient hand-me-down tools I still use.
Why now?
Being a good dad and husband are my most important jobs. As we first drew sketches of the treehouse, the excitement in my kids’ eyes was overpowering. It had to happen, and I’m loving every minute of it!