Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Remember when I published a blog post every day during launch week? It was a delight. It was also content I’d been working on for weeks. This means I got to the end of this past weekend and realized ‘oh, right — I should probably have something to post this week too’? Welcome to my very un-fancy quick guide to Father’s Day gifts.

The babies are sleeping. KPW’s downstairs working. I’m upstairs, letting my face potions sink in, while casually perusing the Gap toddler sale pages. Pausing my hunting for twin clearance clothes for fall (spoiler: it’s friends & family so everything is 40% off and the code GOGAP will get you an additional 10% off – I just got AGW the cutest embroidered dress and a few polos in the next size up for WPW) to share some ideas for anyone hunting for a gift for a d-a-d this week..

Remember, this isn’t a fancy gift guide with a pretty graphic. Think of it as a quick brain dump to idea-share some things that might be a good fit. To keep me organized and on track, I’m going to break the ideas down by love language.

Acts of Service

This is KPW’s love language so while it isn’t mine, I try to always start here when brainstorming for him.

• KPW is getting a car detail from us (shhhhhh). There are tons of great local businesses that will do on-site inside-outside car detailing. Search in your local networks. RDU friends, I had a great first experience with Spiffy and have a few other recommendations that have been passed along by other area friends.
• We aren’t very big DIYers around here, so hiring someone to tackle a project that has been hanging on the todo list for a long time is always an appreciated gift – everything from hanging pictures to power-washing the deck.
• KPW wanting ‘green juice’ was a never-ending joke in our house so I finally bought him a Vitamix and learned how to make* our now favorite spinach-filled drink. (*this is how this is an act of service gift) While I fully admit it’s crazy to spend this much on a blender, I still can’t believe how amazing it is and how well it works. We use it multiple times a week.

Quality Time

Quality time during quarantine might be at max capacity or it might be something that has been sorely missed so here is a mixed bag of ideas.

• Might I recommend a monogrammed coffee mug (ha), some fancy coffee and the promise of an in-person/virtual coffee date?
• My quick research shows that there are even great virtual class options including everything from making homemade pasta to craft cocktails. If and when the COVID is better under control, perhaps an in person class? We’ve tried wine & cheese pairing and cocktail making and loved both.
• A subscription service for something that involves spending time together is alwasy fun — steak of the month club (check with your local butcher), wine club (we did this one and loved it), etc.

Gifts

Clearly this love language is the ‘easiest’ to come up with examples for (perhaps because it’s my mine). My tip is to consider the gift recipient’s favorite hobbies and interests cross-referenced with practical things they might need. Golf? Reading? Bourbon? Sports?

• I could probably write an entire post on the ongoing effort to simply but completely stock our bar cart. KPW picked out these glasses when we were engaged and loves them for everything from old fashions to yogurt parfaits.
• My best friend KG grabbed her dad a book that he had been wanting and added in a donation to a local charity.
• KPW’s air pods might be top-5 favorite gifts that he didn’t know he needed for daily enjoying of everything from podcasts and work conference calls. The newer versions are noise-canceling and I’m betting KPW upgrades when his current pair no longer holds a charge.

Physical Touch

Thinking about the physical side of physical touch….

• With the stay-at-home orders in place, our local gyms are still not open. It’s been around for forever but we love our TRX and it’s ‘home-workout’ friendly.
• While spending $100 on pants is something KPW would NEVER do, I picked up a pair of Lululemon joggers for him on his first ‘unofficial’ father’s day when I was pregnant. He wore them while we were in the hospital with the babies and he begrudgingly agrees they were worth the splurge. Three years later and they still look brand new.
• Apparently this neck massager is the best thing you need but don’t know you need according to my friend Blair.

Words of Affirmation

Filling up someone’s tank with words of affirmation, if it is their love language is easy and fun.

• So many good ides floating around and one of the sweetest I’ve seen is grabbing a journal that you can use to do interviews with your kids or pets. You can add hand prints and repeat year after year.
• Sticky notes around the house are always a good idea. Think unexpected places like the toothbrush drawer and his shoes. If your kiddos are old enough they can 100% participate in the writing and hiding.
• We’ve given the granddads photos of the grandkids the last few years because it’s what they always ask for. Both our dads love getting updated pics for their wallets and/or walls. MPix is one of my favorite online places to get photos printed. Add a few photos into a hand-written note!

I’m hoping one of these ideas at least points you in the right direction for a gift for your #1 Dad. If you have any suggestions for home run gifts from past Father’s Days, share them in the comments below.

xo,

KNW