I usually shy away from gift guides because I never find anything on the list that applies. I do not want to get my dad a tie or stupid mug. No offense, but you can only have so many. I know that Brian doesn’t care to get a hammer with his name on it. Not that these aren’t nice ideas, but the men in my life are more challenging haha! Plus, I really do love giving gifts. I am always spending WAY too much time trying to find the “right” thing. I do like to find things that are thoughtful and outside of the box. Then pair them with a tried and true favorite just in case the thought ends up well, “corny.”

One of my favorite things was getting Brian a mini accordion photo album last year. So I did a little photo shoot of Siena in different onsies. They said things like “Daddy is my Prince,” “Hug Life",” and something about Donuts haha! Brian travels so much I thought this was a great way to make him smile while he travels. It fits in his backpack without taking up too much space. I got it from my favorite photo site, Mpix.com.

I also like this travel stub diary from Uncommon Goods. Brian and I both love travel and have so many wonderful memories. He loves to see the stamps on his passport. This travel stub diary is a great way to keep all those small momentos that you can’t let go of. Like ticket from Disney, or the plane ticket from your longest flight ever! Mine was Hawaii so far, 11 hours! I would pair this with something practical like one of those new travel wallets that have come out. The kind that protect people from picking up credit card numbers and etc.

This year I was in Williams Sonoma and grabbed a trio of hot dog condiments for my dad. He LOVES Rutts Hutt here in Jersey. These sauces looked similar to one of the ones Rutts Hutt is famous for. I am going to pair this with some off beat Root Beer Bottles in a BBQ basket made just for him. I know sometimes grilling tools strikes me as silly for Fathers Day as well. However, these items will be new to him and he will have fun trying them out.

If you have been following me for some time now, you probably know I love Etsy. My husband jokes that I keep that company running. There are so many great finds on Etsy that you won’t find in the mall. They inspire you to be thoughtful. Most of the time they surprise the person because it is something that is not on their radar. However, it becomes their new favorite thing. Siena and Brian have a tradition of listening to records and dancing around the basement when he gets home from work. For his birthday we got him this neat wooden record stand. For Christmas, I found a leather bracelet that I was able to get engraved with her birthdate in roman numerals. Below are a couple of my Etsy favorites a long with some fun out of the box ideas.

Okay so here are your safe bets. The items that the guys usually could use more of. Things to pair with that not so everyday gift you may have chosen from above. These are some things that I found Brian has come to love and use all the time! Whatever you do make sure it comes from your heart. Because it makes you think about them and memories that are personal to you. Make sure you say I love you and thank you for all you do for our family!