My Husband’s Favorite Things ~ Father’s Day Gift Ideas (she: Kathleen)

Hello! My name is Kathleen and I blog on Fearlessly Creative Mammas with my oldest daughter. We are kind of new to blogging, but I love it and I’m so happy Mariel asked me share some of my husband’s favorite things on Or So She Says. I love reading her blog when I see it in my inbox or on Facebook. She is so fun!

My husband’s name is Nick and we have three children, all grown and out of the house, and three really cute grandchildren. Nick is an avid outdoorsman and loves to spend time with our family while pursuing outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, golfing or camping. He is also a Project Manager for a construction company and travels a lot for work, so anything that can make it so he has to take less stuff with him is always a plus. It is cold in Idaho in the winter, so if he can do some of the things he likes indoors when it’s cold, he tries that too. He is a lot of fun to be around and keeps us laughing much of the time. And to brag a little more, he is one of the smartest people I know and has passed that and his sense of humor to our three kids.

 

I asked him to tell me about some of his favorite gifts he has ever received and below is a summary of some of them. He is pretty gracious about any gifts he receives, so it was fun to find out what he thought were the best ones. I hope something on his list will help you to find a gift for the dads in your life.

1. The Family Guy (not the show) – One of Nick’s favorite gifts that he has ever received, and it was actually for both of us, was a calendar that our daughter made with all of the birthdays, anniversaries and pictures of our family and closest friends. We were moving to China for a year and we were able to see the faces of those we love each day. It was really a fantastic gift. She was able to upload the photos, arrange them as she wanted and add the text to the correct dates, all from the comfort of her home. Then she just had to pick it up.  Really, a wonderful gift. You can get them at places like Walmart, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Walgreens. There are loads of options.

2. The Fisherman – Nick loves, loves, loves to fish. I’m not sure it matters what kind of fish, he just loves to do it. He has been fishing in a lot of different places and he always smiles about it, even if he doesn’t catch anything. When you’re doing what you love, how can it not be a fun time. Right?! He has a lot of different kinds of fishing poles so that he can fish where ever he wants. He says one of the best fishing poles, that won’t cost you a small fortune, is the Shakespeare Uglystick. That is a funny name to me, so I remembered it. You can also get some fishing tackle to go along with the pole, if you know what your husband will be fishing for in your area.

3. The Gamer – Nick is not a big gamer, but as I said, it is cold in Idaho in the winter and he needs something to do inside that is outdoor related. We don’t love the snow sports. That could be because I truly hate the cold and so he just spends the time indoors with me. He’s a pretty nice guy that way. Nick love hunting and golfing, so I found him some Wii games where he can hunt and golf. I’m not sure they make you any better at the sport because I can Wii bowl like a pro, but get me in an actual bowling alley and it is quite comical. Two games that we got Nick that he really loves are Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Cabela’s Big Game Hunter.

4. The Master Chef – Nick is a fabulous cook. I really love it when he cooks, except for the mess, but the mess is well worth it. For my birthday each year I ask him to make me carne asada on the grill and I am in hog heaven with that meal. Even though it is cold here in the winter, we grill all year long. I think a lot of things just taste better on the grill. The only way I eat asparagus is when Nick cooks it on the grill. If your husband like to grill, a good set of grilling tools is a great thing to have. They are just easier to cook with than the regular kitchen tools. Home Depot has a great assortment of tools in a very wide price range, to fit any budget. (I sound like a TV commercial here, but it’s true.)

5. The Fan – There are some people who love to watch sports as much as to participate in sports.  My husband is that man. He loves to watch Nascar, football, baseball, basketball and hockey. If you have this husband, why not get him some tickets to his favorite sport or team?! Our family got tickets to the Daytona 500 one year and you would have thought Nick had hit the lottery!  He absolutely loved being right there, watching the action live. If your husband love Nascar it is safe to say he will be the car tinkering type, the best mechanics creeper will have him safe and actively fixing little thing under there. You can go to the sport of your choosing’s homepage and get the schedules to the whole season, sometimes a year in advance. Then you can select the game or race you want to watch and get your tickets. Conversely, the other night we were watching a news program and they had a story about saving money to watch sporting events live. They said if you wait until the last minute, you can sometime get tickets for a third of the cost online. You would have to be flexible for that one though because sometimes the games do sell out. Below are the sites with the schedules, in case you don’t know where to find them.

http://nascar.com  (car racing)

http://mlb.com  (baseball)

http://nba.com  (basketball)

http://nfl.com  (football)

http://nhl.com  (ice hockey)

6. The Hunter, Camper, Hiker or Fisherman – Nothing beats a great knife or multi-tool when you are out in the wilderness and really need one. You can use it for so many things and they don’t take up too much space. If you’re flying though, make sure it goes in your checked luggage. Also, if you’re on a boat, make sure you put it in your pocket when you aren’t using it and not on top of your cooler. Nick has lost several knives while fishing in a boat for just this reason. I’m thinking of fashioning a necklace for him to put the knife around his neck. Seriously.  His favorite knife is a Buck knife. They are really great knives and have a “4 ever warranty”.  We put this to the test not too long ago. The tip of Nick’s knife broke off and we sent the knife back to the company for repair. They replaced the blade, free of charge. Plus they sent him a coupon for 25% off his next purchase!

Nick’s favorite multi-tool is the Leatherman, for much the same reason as the Buck knife. They have a lifetime warranty and have proven to us on two occasions that they mean it. These both cost a little more than the inexpensive brands, but if he has a problem with them, the manufacturer stands behind them.

7. The Travel Reader – Nick doesn’t take a lot of time to read when he is at home, but he likes to read when he is on a plane. He reads the big, heavy books like Steven King and Dean Koontz, so they are inconvenient to carry.  A few years ago we got him a Kindle and it is so much easier and lighter for him to take a good book on the plane. Plus, he also has a spare book and his Scriptures without adding any weight! In fact, we took our Kindles to China with us and were able to purchase new books while we were there that we would have had to wait until we returned to the States to buy!