Father's Day Ideas!

[SweetErika]

I'm looking to...er...borrow some ideas for my husband's first Father's Day. Our son will be about three months old by then, and my husband will likely be working hours away from home, so it's not like we can go do one of his favorite activities (like hiking) as a family (spending time together is generally what we do instead of tangible gifts).

So, do you have any ideas for 1st Father's Day gifts? What have been your favorite things to give or receive for the occasion?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TypicalDeviant]

When I was younger, I gave my dad a bit of money three times a year (birthday, father's day, Christmas) until her had enough to buy a rather expensive item for one of his hobbies.

Maybe tickets to a sporting event?

Ties are whatnot are a no-no.

 

[eudaemonia]

If you've got a webcam at home and he's got a laptop with him, how bout just a lovely "handmade" video e-card of you and the baby wishing him a happy Father's Day?

If he'll be staying at a hotel, ship a wrapped gift in a flat rate box or envelope to his destination ahead of time with instructions to the staff hold for check-in. Inside could be a small b&w framed photo of you and the baby, which could be permanently stowed in his travel bag if he travels frequently. (And you could swap out the photo every now and again to keep him surprised.) The frame needn't be heavy or bulky. I've seen handsome leather frames in 5x7, 4x6 and even smaller at the usual places (well, maybe not Hallmark) and outlet stores such as Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx and Marshall's.

If I think of anything else ...

 

[SweetErika]

When I was younger, I gave my dad a bit of money three times a year (birthday, father's day, Christmas) until her had enough to buy a rather expensive item for one of his hobbies.

Maybe tickets to a sporting event?

Ties are whatnot are a no-no.

I'm not sure how well the money idea would work since he's the breadwinner and basically gets what he wants, within reason.

We can get free tickets to a lot of games through his work, but a hockey game or something might be an idea in future years when the kiddo is older and can go with him more easily.

I don't remember the last time he wore a tie, so roger on that.

If you've got a webcam at home and he's got a laptop with him, how bout just a lovely "handmade" video e-card of you and the baby wishing him a happy Father's Day?

If he'll be staying at a hotel, ship a wrapped gift in a flat rate box or envelope to his destination ahead of time with instructions to the staff hold for check-in. Inside could be a small b&w framed photo of you and the baby, which could be permanently stowed in his travel bag if he travels frequently. (And you could swap out the photo every now and again to keep him surprised.) The frame needn't be heavy or bulky. I've seen handsome leather frames in 5x7, 4x6 and even smaller at the usual places (well, maybe not Hallmark) and outlet stores such as Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx and Marshall's.

If I think of anything else ...

To clarify, we'll probably be with him on the day. We just won't be at home or have free time, which nixes things like breakfast in bed and doing something fun as a family.

I like the photo idea; maybe we could do one for his desk at work and one for travel as part of the gift.

 

[bobinks2]

snip...
To clarify, we'll probably be with him on the day. We just won't be at home or have free time, which nixes things like breakfast in bed and doing something fun as a family. ..

I've been trying to get away from purchasing mindless junk for gifts too. The past couple or years, for Mother's Day, birthday... I have been making gift certificates for things like breakfast in bed, hot stone massage, free car cleaning. Using Gimp, and some photos I pulled off of the web, I was able to make some decent looking certificates. I print them on 4x6 photo paper. My kids are older, and I can involve them in the breakfast in bed and car cleanings too. It's a gift that lasts longer than just that day.

 

[TypicalDeviant]

I'll echo bobinks2, gift certificates are a good idea.

I think most dad's just want something relaxing; for some that includes the family, for others it's solo.

 

[Metawampe]

A blowjob is always thoughtful.

 

[qcilguy]

Last year, I asked my wife to put money in each of our daughter's savings accounts. I don't need any more stuff.

 

[coastal-boy]

one of those magical frames loaded with pics of the family that changes every 10 seconds. It can pack into any suitcase.

 

[wicked woman]

one of those magical frames loaded with pics of the family that changes every 10 seconds. It can pack into any suitcase.

This was my idea too. Your husband seems to be away from home a lot lately (from my recollection of your posts) and if you've got a digital camera or even a phone that takes pictures, you can save pictures of your son on a memory card and put it into a digital frame. He can put it on his desk or take it with him when he travels. The neat thing about it is that it's easy to put new pics on the memory card as your son grows.

 

[SweetErika]

I like the digital pic frame idea, though I'm not sure how practical it would be due to the cost (I feel bad spending that much when we have the rugrat and a lot of other extra expenses right now), Hubby's lifestyle and fact that his iphone and numbers computers basically give him the same capability.

Some of the moms in our playgroup said they were doing the plaster handprint thing as part of their gifts. What do you all think about that? Too girly?

 

[fire_breeze]

I like the digital pic frame idea, though I'm not sure how practical it would be due to the cost (I feel bad spending that much when we have the rugrat and a lot of other extra expenses right now), Hubby's lifestyle and fact that his iphone and numbers computers basically give him the same capability.

Some of the moms in our playgroup said they were doing the plaster handprint thing as part of their gifts. What do you all think about that? Too girly?

What about a digital keychain? You can upload up to 100 photos on some models and most cost less than 20$ (the upscale models, between 30 - 40$). It is adaptable, he can have photos of you and the rugrat everywhere he goes and it's not work-related.

On another note, how about donating in your son's name to hubby's favourite charity? My brothers and I often donate to Mercy Corps in Father's name, and he told me recently that the families that we are helping means more to him than any other gift that we could think of. That being said, he still keeps our drawings that we gave him when we were two.

Another thought is maybe, if you have time, take your son to a professional photographer and have your portraits done, Mother and child. And then, on the back of one of them, you can trace your child's hand and foot, and date it. That way, your husband (and you) will have a memento from that time. It's what my Mother did when I was a baby to send to the grandparents over in Europe.

In any case, I'm positive that whatever you come up with, it will be meaningful and your husband will be deeply touched.

 

[bobinks2]

Some of the moms in our playgroup said they were doing the plaster handprint thing as part of their gifts. What do you all think about that? Too girly?

I have a shirt that my wife gave me when my son was younger. The shirt has a collar, buttons up the front and a front pocket. She dipped my sons feet in paint and made footprints on the pocket. I enjoy wearing it. Not sure what I'd do with a plaster handprint.

You could put hand/foot prints on a hat, shirt, bbq apron, whatever he'd wear.

 

[MissMDS]

I used Zazzle and gave my husband mugs with a favorite pic of our sons for their first Fathers Day with us. He rotates between them nearly every day.

 

[coastal-boy]

I like the digital pic frame idea, though I'm not sure how practical it would be due to the cost (I feel bad spending that much when we have the rugrat and a lot of other extra expenses right now), Hubby's lifestyle and fact that his iphone and numbers computers basically give him the same capability.

Some of the moms in our playgroup said they were doing the plaster handprint thing as part of their gifts. What do you all think about that? Too girly?

I got both sets of parents an 8x10 that holds about 200 pics with a memory card(real number, not what the company touts) for $69 at WalMart plus $20 memory for Xmas last year. There were several smaller ones (6x4 range) that were in the $30-40 range. The memory price depends on the size you want..I bought one of the larger ones. You could do the whole thing for under $50 no problem (the cost of 2 boxes of diapers or two large containers of Similac). Funny thing about becoming a dad...I never had pictures previously.

 

[philos]

I have a shirt that my wife gave me when my son was younger. The shirt has a collar, buttons up the front and a front pocket. She dipped my sons feet in paint and made footprints on the pocket. I enjoy wearing it. Not sure what I'd do with a plaster handprint.

You could put hand/foot prints on a hat, shirt, bbq apron, whatever he'd wear.

My wife did this but used the wrong kind of paint. It came off when I washed it. Still one of my fav. Presents. Go with small foot prints where a logo would be on the shirt. A small framed pic that can go in the car is cool. A nice reminder of why we put up with long commutes and traffic-- the wonderful family waiting at home.

 

[SweetErika]

OK, well I mentioned Father's Day on the phone last night and asked him if he'd mind getting something we desperately needed anyway as part of his gift. He immediately guessed I was considering a good knife sharpener. It's kind of a fitting gift because he enjoys cooking and is prone to hand injuries (which are imminent, considering how dull most of our good knives are right now).

Any recommendations on the knife sharpener front? I'm looking to spend under $130 for something that will put a nice edge on a variety of quality knives and last a long time.

So, I think I'll get him that even though it's kind of expensive (though it's much cheaper than an ER visit! ) and then something more sentimental, like a picture of the little monster.

He also thinks he might be home that weekend, so if it's fairly nice, maybe we can go for a light hike as a family or do something else he enjoys. Baby's first hike would certainly make for a fun and memorable 1st Father's Day.

As for the other ideas, I'm filing those away for future gifts!

 

[bobinks2]

Any recommendations on the knife sharpener front? I'm looking to spend under $130 for something that will put a nice edge on a variety of quality knives and last a long time.

If he has power tools, more specifically a bench grinder, I'd recommend a paper wheel. (Do a google search on 'paper wheel sharpening'.) I have one on my grinder. It's easy to use. Your knives will be so sharp that you'll be able to shave hair off of your arm. I've tried most other types of knife sharpeners. Nothing else can sharpen like this. You can get them online for $40-50.

 

[SweetErika]

If he has power tools, more specifically a bench grinder, I'd recommend a paper wheel. (Do a google search on 'paper wheel sharpening'.) I have one on my grinder. It's easy to use. Your knives will be so sharp that you'll be able to shave hair off of your arm. I've tried most other types of knife sharpeners. Nothing else can sharpen like this. You can get them online for $40-50.

We don't have a bench grinder or buffer. I was thinking more along the lines of one of these, rather than something that requires guesswork and/or could ruin our knives if it's done by an unskilled hand.

I guess my question has to do with the gazillion different models of electric sharpeners, like what's the difference between the $40, $70 and $130 models, and do we really need the more expensive model if we're just using it to sharpen our kitchen knives periodically? I guess I'll do some more research and maybe start a thread devoted to this topic, if necessary.

 

[infinity706]

I wouldn't know about "quality" knife sharpeners, but you should be able to find one attached to a can opener if you look. That's what I've always used.

 

[fire_breeze]

We don't have a bench grinder or buffer. I was thinking more along the lines of one of these, rather than something that requires guesswork and/or could ruin our knives if it's done by an unskilled hand.

I guess my question has to do with the gazillion different models of electric sharpeners, like what's the difference between the $40, $70 and $130 models, and do we really need the more expensive model if we're just using it to sharpen our kitchen knives periodically? I guess I'll do some more research and maybe start a thread devoted to this topic, if necessary.

I was about to suggest a Diamond model

It really does depends on your knives. If you have good quality kitchen knives, then you do want to invest in a model that is reputable, and preferably one that is reviewed by chefs. That being said, many of the as-seen-on-TV models have spokespeople who are paid to endorse the products, but if I recall, Diamond models do not have a celebrity chef attached to them.

Bottom line, it depends on what sort of knives you have. You don't want to ruin good knives - most knife models will recommend the type of sharpener. What you can do is get a less expensive model, and professionally sharpen your knives once or twice a year.

Good luck