Hey, hey, hey! Just got back from a fun week in Alaska… just me and the man. It was SO nice. SO pretty. SO relaxing. I’m ready to go back already! I’m working on a couple blog posts, to tell you all about it. But before I do, I better get crackin’ on this Father’s Day business. Eeeek! It totally snuck up on me… like Mother’s Day, my anniversary, 2014, and practically everything, these days.
So, between my husband’s favorite things and a few goodies I found on my own, I present to you some Father’s Day gift ideas… Mariel’s Picks 2014. After you check these out, scroll to the end of the post for links to past gift ideas for men. There’s lots of them!
Oh, and guess what… Pinterest featured my Gift Ideas for Men board in their newsletter. Sweet! Be sure to check it out and follow me there too, to see all my latest picks and keep my round-ups handy for future use.
Alright, first up… minimalist shoes. They’ve kinda been the rage lately… ya know, going back to our roots of running barefoot. Relying on our body to develop the foot and calf muscles that will properly align us. Barefoot runners and those who wear minimalist shoes rave about their increase in running capabilities, relief from knee and back pain, improved posture, and so on. I love them for crossfit workouts because the lower profile gives me more stability during quick movements. There’s lots of great articles about making the switch, such as this one and this one. Anyway, so Dan’s favorite shoes, although he is not a runner, are his minimalist ones. He thinks they’re super comfortable, light weight, and thinks they look better than traditional running shoes with jeans. He’s currently wearing some New Balance minimalist shoes, but there are tons of different ones available on Amazon (plus, they can ship fast enough to get them to you before the big day!)
So, I’m obsessed with Zulily, you know that. And, not too long ago, they featured Under Armour. I love their stuff, for myself, so I decided to order a couple things for the man, thinking he would like them too. It’s really hard to make it onto Dan’s favorites list, but Under Armour totally made it. He keeps asking me to watch Zulily for him, for the next Under Armour feature, so he can get great deals on more items. He loves their basketball shorts, sweat pants, t-shirts… and now he just ordered some shoes, a jacket… I’m tellin ya, good stuff. Super comfy, fits awesome, and no sweaty-pit nastiness. Of course, you can also find their products on Amazon and at most sporting good stores (Dick’s, Sports Authority.) And, if you’re thinking Father’s Day (as in, this one coming up), you’ll want to avoid Zulily, as they ship horrendously slow.
Do you have a man that loves adventure? What about adventure AND a good book? If so, this book is for him, especially if he loved Unbroken. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage is the true account of a 1914 Antarctic expedition gone incredibly wrong. It’s a powerful story of endurance and gets tons and tons of amazing reviews. I’m thinking Dan would love this!
Speaking of adventure, for just $13 dollars, you can give Mr. Outdoorsman a little tool that can see him through a survival situation. The Friendly Swede Grenade is 12 important survival items packed in one little ‘grenade,’ to be kept on hand in case of emergency. It would be great to have one of these in all cars, camping/hunting equipment, emergency 72 hour kits, etc. I also love that it’s a cheap enough price that the kids can give it to their dad. Those kinds of gifts are hard to find!
Does your man have some favorite snacks?? We all do, right? The kind that we hoard and get super possessive over. For me, it’s my fancy chocolate… keep your filthy hands off it. For Dan, it’s his pop. Nobody touches his pop stash. Well, they try and it makes him absolutely crazy. He has tried every possible hiding place in the house and the kids find it. And really, he could use a more supportive pop-Nazi-wife to guard the goods, but he’s just not finding it here. I’m all about running out of pop and not having it around. But, it never lasts long enough. So, if the man likes pop, let him like pop. I’ll go munch on my Dove chocolate bar.
A little more healthy than Coke, and a major favorite with Dan is the Izze Sparkling Juice. Pretty good stuff, my friends. He’ll pick up a huge pack at Costco and hide it in the laundry room, with towels over it. An Izze with a bag of pistachios, and he’s having a good time. You can also find Izze 24 packs on Amazon.
A lot of the men in my life love riding bikes, street or mountain. This award winning and customer favorite Topeak Alien 26 Function Bicycle Tool has everything needed to keep bikes in great shape. It would make a great gift! If your budget is a lot heavier and you are thinking of getting them a new bike, make sure to take a look at the recent and best mountain bike ratings. You want to have the most bang for your buck and unless you are already an expert, do your research.
Dan just bought his dream car, a ’67 Chevelle. He is in HEAVEN. Well, almost. It’s been in the shop ever since we got it. But, one of these days we’ll get it back and he’ll be sporting a perma-grin 24/7. I have a feeling he’s going to baby that car and would love to have a stash of the best EVER car cleaning and polishing products. This Liquid Glass has nearly 300 five star reviews, a clear winner in the automotive section. It’s added to my shopping cart already. This would be perfect to combine with some microfiber cleaning cloths.
So… did that help with Father’s Day gift ideas? It helped me! If you need more ideas, be sure to check out my Gifts for Men section on the blog. All the ideas from previous years can be found there. And, of course most of them are saved right here on my Gifts for Men Pinterest Board.