Gift Guide for Father’s Day

Father’s Day is just around the corner on June 18th. Dads can be challenging to buy for. Some are really picky, some won’t give you any help at all with gifts because they don’t know what they want, and some say they already have everything. So I wanted to help you out by offering some gift suggestions for Father’s Day gifts that go beyond getting them a tie or grilling tools, though you should get them those things if that’s what they want. 🙂

Let’s start with Pet Dads.

These can either be guys who are fathers only to pets at this stage in their lives, or dads who dote on their pets as much as they do their human children.

I love this one. It’s the Furbo Dog Camera: Treat Tossing, HD Wifi Cam, and 2-Way Audio. With the use of an app, it allows you to monitor your pet while you’re away. It alerts you when your dog barks so that you can communicate with them. You can also toss a treat to them remotely!

Handyman Dads

My husband says drill kits are always a good thing. DEWALT DC970K-2 18-Volt Compact Drill/Driver Kit. 

Gardening Dads

Gardening can be tough on dad’s back. He might love taking a break with this 10-piece Gardening Tool Set with Zippered Detachable Tote and Folding Stool Seat with Backrest.

How about his own Mini Walk-In Greenhouse for gardening?

Mad Men Dads

Dads who love a good drink might enjoy these Whiskey Stones Granite Drinking Rocks used for chilling drinks without diluting them. You just chill the rocks and put them in the drink in place of ice cubes. I got my brother some of these for Christmas and he loves them.

Cocktail Shaker Cocktail Mixing Spoons

My husband just asked me for some of these this week. They are a more sophisticated alternative to stirring with a plastic straw. 🙂

In-Bottle Beer Chiller Sticks. These things are awesome, and they make them for wine bottles too. You just freeze them ahead of time and stick them in your drink to chill it quickly.

Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cocktail Shaker and Bar Tool Set

The Well Groomed Dad

Give dad a great shave with this Scottish shaving soap. I gave my brother this soap a few Christmases ago and he asked for a refill.

Scottish Fine Soaps Classic Male Grooming Shave Soap

Caswell-Massey – Presidential Soap Collection. This soap smells SOOO good. In this set, you get three scents: Number Six, which was George Washington’s favorite, Almond Cold Cream, President Eisenhower’s fave, and Jockey Club, which was President Kennedy’s choice. We love Number Six at our house. If it’s good enough for the Father of our Country, it’s good enough for us. 🙂 We all use it.

New Dads

What new dad wouldn’t love a frame with a picture of his baby?

First Father’s Day – Engraved Natural Wood Picture Frame

Why not a shirt to let everyone know he’s a new dad?

First Time New Dad Shirt

Stylish Dads

Cufflinks. Classic.
Monogram Cufflinks

Watches. I know many people just use their phones now to see what time it is, but there is nothing like a beautiful wristwatch. This Slow Watch is a unique timepiece. It only has one hand that rotates only once every 24 hours. It takes a bit of getting used to to read the time properly, but once you do, it is fun and always a conversation piece. My husband has one and wears it often.

Anything from Vineyard Vines. You can never go wrong there. 🙂 

The Traveling Dad

My husband travels a lot and he still forgets stuff from time to time. The  Pack This! Pad might help keep the traveler in your life from forgetting something next time they head out.

LectroFan – Micro, Wireless Sound Machine: Anyone who travels a lot knows how important a sound machine can be, both for environments that are too noisy AND those that are too quiet. This tiny little sound machine can be easily packed for any trip.

If your favorite traveler likes to rough it or needs to pack light, this Laundreez Portable Clothes Washer might be a fun gift idea. You add the clothes you wish to launder to the bag, along with water and detergent. Then you close it up and shake it vigorously, then allow the clothes to soak for about ten minutes. Shake it again, then pour off the water, adding clean water to rinse the clothes. Shake, pour off the water, repeat. Then let the clothes air dry. This could really come in handy for camping or traveling to remote areas where laundry services might not be available.

Just because dad is traveling doesn’t mean he should have to settle for nasty coffee. Have you seen the MiniPresso GR Espresso Maker? It allows you to make espresso anywhere, anytime, without batteries or electricity. I know someone who got one and she said she stopped using her coffee pot because she liked this better. I’m thinking it would be a great addition to a survival kit too. Because we can all handle things a little more civilly when we have good coffee. 🙂

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter: This is more for the extreme traveler, but could also appeal the the “prepper” dad because it provides access to safe drinking water because it filters out harmful bacteria in water whether out in the wild, traveling abroad, or in a natural disaster.

Tech Dads

How about a Retro USB Typewriter Inspired Mechanical Keyboard? This is a great combination of technology and retro cool.

High Performance Desktop 3D Printer . Why not? 🙂

Sporty Dads

Is dad a cyclist? How about a shirt telling everyone how cool he is?
Cycling Dad T-shirt

If your dad is a runner, has he ever tried running while wearing the Vibram Men’s Cross Training Shoe? They make your feet look like monkey feet, but some runners swear by them.

Just some other fun ideas:

WalletBuckle: These guys were on Shark Tank, and I don’t think they got a deal, but I thought these buckles were cool. They are a belt buckle that doubles as a card holder where the wearer can put an ID and a credit card inside so they don’t have to carry a wallet. They have lots of styles from which to choose.

Ancestry DNA Test: For $99, you can purchase a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. It’s a little tube that you place a saliva sample into, seal up, and then mail off to the folks at Ancestry.com. A few weeks later you will receive an email with the most amazing information you can imagine about all your DNA. It shows you a pie chart, along with percentages of DNA from all over the world that make up your genetic identity. I plan to do a whole blog post in the future, sharing our results. My husband, daughter and I all had ours done and it is amazing. So if your dad would like to know where he comes from, get him a DNA kit. Also, sometimes around the holidays and St. Patrick’s Day (because we’re all a little bit Irish 🙂 ) they will run a special and you can purchase the kit at a discounted price.

Some Free Stuff:

Talk to your dad. Chances are, your dad has led a fascinating life. Spend an afternoon talking to him about it. Better yet, set up a video camera and ask him questions. What was his first car? How did he propose to your mom? Did he serve in the military? Where all has he traveled? What was his first job? How many were in his high school graduating class? Does he play any musical instruments? Just ask him to start talking. You will probably be amazed at what you learn. This will actually probably end up being a gift just as much for you as it is for him.

Offer to do one of his chores that he dislikes. Ask him for one thing he has to do that he doesn’t love, then offer to do it for him. Mow his yard. Detail his car. Do a grocery store run for him. Pick up his dry cleaning or a prescription.

Invite him over for movie night. Ask him what his favorite movie is and what his favorite movie snacks are. Then rent it, pop the popcorn or get out the Junior Mints and spend an evening watching what will probably be the Dirty Dozen or a Clint Eastwood flick. 🙂

Dads are so important, and I hope I have given you some interesting gift ideas. I’d love to hear from you if you have some great suggestions, as well! Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!