Need a little inspiration for some last minute shopping? Here are few ideas that we like for the guys in our lives:
{image: Cheap Neckties}
A Lesson
You giving dad a lesson? The irony. How about a hobby he’s been talking about for ages. Sign him up for guitar, tennis, cooking, painting or photography. Check your community parks and recreation bulletin for upcoming courses. If you live near a college or university, they often have continuing education sessions that appeal to the community as well. Museums are great for introductory art classes. And if cooking is his thing, many Sur la Table cooking stores have test kitchens where they host a regular schedule of cooking classes.
An Experience
If your dad is into microbrews, he might like to brew his own. Brewing at home, while a fun and popular hobby, requires equipment and ingredients. But, “Brew on Premises” breweries allow you to show up, choose your ingredients, and brew your own using their equipment. You can even create custom bottle labels. If you’re not already familiar with your local breweries, search “brew on premises” and include your city to find a facility near you.
A Tradition?
Never understimate a good book store. Whether it’s your local used book store or a Barnes & Noble, you can always find an interesting, practical or inspiring gift. If your dad likes to cook or has an interest in buying local produce, I can highly recommend this book. Book stores are also great for a wide variety of magazines. Wrap up the current issue of a publication and order a year-long subscription online. This can even start a nice tradition if you find one he really enjoys reading where you simply renew the subscription year after year. I think this is a nice way to treat a dad who already has what he wants when it comes to presents.
A Mix Tape
iTunes makes it so easy to give the gift of music, videos and podcasts. You can pick up a gift card with a fixed denomination at any Target, Walmart, Staples and even most grocery stores. You can also buy online and print to your home printer. Want to make a personal selection? You can gift an album, an episode or a movie. You can even compile a custom “mix tape” that iTunes will e-mail to your recipient! Check out your iTunes gift options here.
A Gadget
The Flip camcorder is a fun little gadget that’s small enough to carry around in a coat pocket or a briefcase and takes videos good enough for capturing life’s moments and sharing online.
A Lazy Day
Who doesn’t love the idea of napping in a hammock? Hammocks are an island art and you can buy some really high-quality, handmade ones at specialty stores and online. But if you live near a hammock store, you probably already have one, right? Since we’re running out of time, you can also find some terrific manufactured hammocks at Target, hardware stores, or sporting goods stores.
Here’s to dad! Happy Father’s Day.
Now that summer is in full swing, hopefully the mosquitos aren’t preventing you from spending some time outside in the evenings. If you’re in need of some cool and inexpensive outdoor lighting, check out Jamali Garden. Have you shopped there before? It’s a great source for floral and garden supplies and decorative objects, and it’s my favorite source for lanterns. Here are a few of my personal faves: square iron lanterns, matte pewter square lanterns and antique white lanterns.
