As a kid, I always celebrated Father’s Day with my mom and Mother’s Day with my dad. Weird, I know! For Mother’s Day we celebrate my dad’s mom Beatrice (sweetest grandma ever) and for Father’s Day we celebrate my mom’s dad Julie.
Every year, we have a Father’s Day picnic at my uncles and my whole family gets together to celebrate Julie. He turned 91 this year and still has the energy of a 30-year-old–I’ll take those genes, please! My family all lives in different states or countries, but growing up we never missed this holiday. Even as jet setting adults we still all pencil the weekend into our calendars.
Even though I celebrate the holiday with my mom-my dad still gets some Father’s Day love. My parents divorced when I was 2, but growing up I spent countless weekends at my dad’s doing my favorite thing: eating skittles, drinking sprite and watching I Love Lucy reruns with him. As an adult and living in a different state, our visits are few and far between, but we still manage to stay very connected!
If you are struggling on what to get that special guy this year, especially if you don’t live close to home, you’re not alone! I’ve listed some of my favorite ideas below. Enjoy!
1. Man Crates: I came across Man Crates a few months back while looking for a gift for my boyfriend. This site is so creative and has some awesome gift sets that you can search for via price point or theme. Two of my favorite sets are The Pit Master Crate which gives you all the tools you need to make some kick ass BBQ and The Hot Sauce Making Kit which is labeled a “do-it-yourself, gloves-on experience for high-stakes heat-seekers.” The site also allows you to select your delivery date to make sure the gift arrives at the perfect time.
2. Beer of the Month Club: Ah, the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve wanted to gift a Beer or Wine of the Month Club for so long, but just haven’t found the right time to do it. If your dad loves a good craft brew, this beer club has awesome reviews and plenty of cost efficient options. This company puts together boxes with 12 beers from small independent breweries across the country. You can order anywhere from one to twelve shipments and they’ll arrive all bundled up on your dad’s door. If craft beer isn’t his thing, be sure to check out some of their other options. They have a cheese club, chocolate club and you even have the ability to design your own club. I’ll take 12 shipments of wine and cheese, please and thank you!
3. Happy Socks: I don’t know what it is, but I know so many guys who love socks. I do everything I can to make sure mine are white, stay below my ankles and cannot be seen by the human eye, but guys seem to be different. This website has tons of options for fun and creative socks that you can peruse through. You can create your own set or even pick from a list of pre-made classics. They have everything from a Father’s Day Set, to a Beatles Set, to a set featuring only socks with fruit on them (I kid you not).
4. Ink Card: If you don’t already have this app on your phone, you need to download it ASAP! After the year 2000, I never thought I’d send a postcard again, but this app makes it so fun! You can choose from hundreds of custom templates that are constantly changing, add photos and text and send it right then and there. Most of the options are just $1.99 and that includes postage. You can also store your credit card info and addresses for easy sending down the line. If a Father’s Day gift isn’t in your budget or if you live far from dad, this is a great option to show him that you’re thinking of him!
5. Monogrammed Piece: Monogrammed items will always have a place in my heart. I think anyone that receives a gift with their initials or special saying gets that extra warm and fuzzy feeling inside. One of my favorite sites is Best Man Gifts. I’ve purchased a few items from there including a custom pocket knife and a personalized travel cigar humidor (thank you Best Man Gifts for making me look cool). They have so many great gift options ranging from custom watches, flasks and cutting boards to whiskey barrels and accessories. You really can’t go wrong.
At the end of the day, most parents just want to spend some quality time with the ones they love. While gifts are great, if you’re lucky enough to have your father in your life then spending some quality time with him is the best thing you can do. Grab dinner at your favorite spot, FaceTime with him for a while, take him to watch his favorite sports team or just enjoy each other’s company at home.
Whatever you do, I hope you all have a love filled day!
