Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day sneaks up on us before we’ve even put away those sweet Mother’s Day cards we’ve been savoring. Isn’t it true? But the men in our lives certainly deserve a little appreciation, attention and extravagance from us. So today I’m offering you my best ideas for Father’s Day gifts. These are ideas I gleaned from my husband and my son, who isn’t a dad yet, but he shares interests with most young dads.

So whether you’re shopping for your own dad, the father of your children or even your son or son-in-law, I think I have some great gift ideas for you. I’ve tried to hit a number of price points and interests, too. So let’s get started.

For the Sentimental Dad

Perhaps my husband’s favorite gifts have been the ones that still sit atop his chest of drawers – simple picture frames filled with the children’s photos. It’s a hodgepodge collection – not the prettiest frames or even the kids’ best pictures. But, sentimentalist that he is, James treasures the simple gifts. I found you some frames for dad and for papa.

For the Sacrificing Dad

Our family still enjoys watching movies together, both at the theater and at home. But it seems my husband was and is always the one who gave in so that either I or the kids could have our way. Just this past week, when my 24-year-old daughter was home for a visit, we gathered around the television to watch movies. What did James sacrificially sit through? Oh just about five hours of Anne of Green Gables! That’s a sacrifice!

I think a movie night in a box is a great Father’s Day gift. Fill the box with movie night goodies like microwave popcorn, his favorite movie candy, enough sodas for everyone and a few of the movies he loves. My husband’s favorite movies include

• Second Hand Lions
• Hoosiers
• Field of Dreams
• Glory Road
• Rudy
• We are Marshall
• The Blind Side
• Remember the Titans

Ha! Did you notice a theme in those? They’re all sports movies except for Second Hand Lions. Those tend to be my husband’s favorites, but I also tried to choose films that are relatively clean for full family viewing. I didn’t, however, check the rating on all of those or watch them recently. So check out Pluggedin.com for ratings and reviews if you need to before purchasing any of those.

For the TV Sports Enthusiast

Yes, my husband sacrifices when it comes to family movie night. But he pretty much takes over the television on Saturdays during college football season and March madness basketball tournaments. And because our home has an open concept, when he watches the games that’s all anyone can hear throughout the house. Until I bought him the best. gift. ever.

I love wireless headphones! They have saved our marriage. Not only did they enable James to watch his college sports (and his shoot’em up, bang’em up movies!) while I had peace and quiet; they also allowed him to roam the house doing this and that while still hearing the game through his earphones. Yay for technology!

If you have a husband who likes to watch things on television that you don’t necessarily want to hear throughout the house, these wireless headphones are a marriage-saving gift!

For the Home Barista

Both my husband and my son enjoy brewing their own coffee. But they rarely settle for a cup from my Mr. Coffee. They are purists! Over recent years they’ve both accumulated French presses, hand grinders and Chemex® pour overs. If you have a coffee enthusiast who is game for concocting his own rich brews, he would probably love either a French press, a Chemex® or maybe a Nespresso®.

While no one in my family has a Nespresso® machine yet, I’ve heard nothing but good things from those who own them. If you want to go the pour over route, my son and daughter recommend the Chemex®. And you’ll also want to order some Chemex® Natural Paper filters. My husband prefers using his French press and he says Bodum® is the best brand. While you could go with the copper Bodum® French press, James says it’s really the glass in the Bodum® that makes the difference, so the less expensive black Bodum® is just as good an option. If you gift either a Chemex® or a French press, I suggest you also include a hand grinder. My guys prefer the Hario Skerton Hand Grinder. I know, I know. It’s more expensive than the coffee makers. But according to my family baristas this grinder makes all the difference in the world.

Oh, and don’t forget to include a bag or two of the dad’s favorite whole coffee beans!

For the Boring Dresser Who Needs a Little Color

My husband likes to dress nice, but he gets “a shopping headache” if he spends any time at all in a clothing store…or so he says. And if I don’t help him out a little, he tends to wear blue and blue and blue. So over the years I’ve accumulated for him quite the collection of golf shirts in a beautiful array of colors. That’s just his style – golf shirts.

While you can find all manner of golf shirts out there, I gravitate toward Roundtree & Yorke Performance short-sleeve polos. They’re made of moisture wicking fabric and they come in beautiful colors. I’ve provided a shopping widget with these and some Callaway golf shirts. You’ll find additional color options when you click on the pictures.

For the Experience Seeker

Both of my men and my own dad love to get out and go. I remember one Father’s Day just a couple of years ago when I happened to be home in Georgia for Father’s Day. After church that morning, my dad and I went into Atlanta to eat at one of our favorite places in the world – the Varsity – and then we ventured over to High Museum to see a concept car show. My dad restores old cars and is currently adding the final details to a “kit” car, so he was in 7th heaven!

There are so many experiences you can package as a gift. You might consider some of the following that you could do with a local twist:

• a baseball game – minor league games are sometimes even more fun than the major leagues, and they’re cheaper. With a major league game you can sometimes schedule a tour of the stadium before the game.
• the zoo, botanical gardens or museum
• an amusement park adventure
• a day at the beach
• hiking and a picnic
• an escape room – all the rage right now

I’m thinking of asking my husband if he’d like to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum this Father’s Day after church.

But there are also experience packages you can buy for your guy that he might prefer to do by himself, with a buddy or with just you. Check out Cloud 9 Living for experience packages of all kinds that you can purchase around the country. If there are no experience packages to be had near you, consider one that he could enjoy while you’re on vacation in a different area. For instance, you can buy him a golf lesson with a PGA pro, a Nascar ride along, an aerobatic thrill ride or scuba lessons.

For the Sharp Guy

My husband isn’t much for luxury purchases, but I know some men really like to have nice accessories. I think leather is always a nice choice for a man. That’s why I love a leather messenger bag for a business man, student, teacher or even minister. Of course, you can find nice messenger bags in canvas as well.

And for the guy who likes to wear a little masculine jewelry, they have some great pics from James Avery. For Father’s Day, I would check out their Fish Hook Leather Wrap Bracelet or the Bronze Infinity Leather Hook Bracelet.

For the Board Game Enthusiast

Does your guy – your husband, father, son or son-in-law – enjoy playing board games? Mine do! My dad really prefers cards, but my son and my husband enjoy board games. They especially enjoy cooperative games and strategy games. We’ve built quite a collection among us over the years. I encourage you to look beyond the normal Monopoly and checkers to these more intricate games.

Some of James and Daniel’s favorites include Carcassonne (well, actually that’s my favorite!), Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Small World, Splendor, Risk and Codenames. I’ve added these to the widget below also.

For Every Dad

I think guys are just like us ladies in a very important way. They just want to know they are loved and appreciated. I know the men in my life would enjoy receiving any of the gifts above. But most of all they need to be reminded of their value. It saddens me that so often today’s television shows minimize and even mock men, specifically dads. I’m afraid our children see this lousy portrayal of fatherhood on television and adopt some of the same attitudes toward their fathers unless we teach them to respect and value their dads instead. Let’s be sure to give the dads in our lives a little TLC, some of our time and a few kind words this Father’s Day …and every day.

Blessed for My Day

Let me share a little secret with you about appreciation. We tend to assume that others just know we are thankful to them for what they have done or given us. But we rarely assume others are grateful toward us unless they express it. Do you see the conundrum. We truly take gratitude toward others for granted but rarely take appreciation from others for granted. We feel thankful, but we rarely just feel thanked. That’s why we must go the extra mile and remind ourselves to express our gratitude toward others – whether they follow through with a promise, give us a sweet gift, do us a favor, just show up or hang in there with us when the going gets rough. They don’t just know we’re grateful because we feel it. We have to say it. Words of gratitude are powerful words…and silence is powerful, too. Powerfully destructive.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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