I got a Father’s Day gift for your dad. But why am I buying stuff for your dad? It’s not what you think! We’re just good friends.
Actually, I’ve been meaning to make little surprises for you guys for years, but it’s kind of labor intensive, and expensive, and I suck at errands, and there’s a lot of reality TV between me and my grand ideas. You understand. I finally got my act together because Sandisk slotRadio offered to foot the bill for my theme-gifts project, as long as they got to pick the themes. Of course, they threw in some slotRadios too. Sweet.
They picked Father’s Day, so I made a Lazy Sunday Kit, which contains restful things. Would you like to know what’s in it? Yes:
The Aforementioned slotRadio
It’s like a walkman, but instead of CDs or tapes, you put in a little memory card that comes preloaded with music you didn’t have to download. This one comes with 1,000 Billboard songs, but you can buy other cards if you like. Also, there’s room for you to upload your own mixes if you want to hear something that’s not on the card.
A One-Year Subscription to The Week Magazine
I’ve told you about this epic magazine before on The Morning News. Here’s what I said:
The Week is a news digest for the impatient and globally curious. Say you had a genius friend who read three-dozen of the world’s best newspapers every day. Then say that friend agreed to write a summary for you featuring all the best stuff he found on every subject.
That’s The Week—excerpts from the top columns, news articles, business deals, real estate, gossip, and even TV listings. Best of all, it’s slim enough to fold in half and read during one good, long soak in the tub. You’ll emerge wrinkled, but utterly prepared for the most arduous cocktail party.
Warning! This will be shipped to whatever address the winner provides. So you’ll need to think really hard about how much your dad means to you.
Oxo No-Spill Travel Mug
A travel mug with an agreeable clicky button on the top that opens and closes the cup when you press it. You could practically throw the thing in a bag and it wouldn’t spill. Genius. Now dad can read his magazine anywhere he wants.
The Perfect Cube Silicone Ice Cube Trays
These make excellent, perfectly cubular ice cubes. I’m including these instead of a bottle of bourbon, because I technically have no idea who you are. You could be like sixteen, and Bam! You’re corrupted. Suddenly I’m a corruptor. Anyway, please use these perfect ice cubes in the tasty beverage of your choice — cocktail or otherwise. Kids, stay away from drugs.
Now, isn’t that a nice present? I think so too. I spent a lot of time agonizing at the mall today. Anyway, if you want it, or your dad does, here’s the deal. First you have to live in the continental U.S. or Canada. If you do, please leave a comment below about the ideal Father’s Day gift. Be sure to include your email address in the field provided (so I can reach you if you win) by June 12, 2009 at 12 a.m. EST. Just one comment, please. I have to delete duplicates for fairness. Random.org will decide who wins, and I’ll contact the lucky via email. I’ll also tell you who won here.
So, ready? Best Father’s Day Gift on record? Aaaand go!
Mighty Girl 
Meats. Meats to grill. Prime, delcious meats.
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i would love to give my dad that magazine subscription. in fact, if i don’t win i may have to order it anyway. it is right up his ally. i work in the media and he is more up to date on things than i am. but the perfect gift for my dad would be his very own airplane. he is a retired pilot and is most at home when in the sky.
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my dad loves music, enjoys a good cocktail and knows how to read. hence, perfect gift. would i really give it to him? yep.
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best fathers day gift was ride on a sailboat, at least that was the most clever from me…
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I am still trying to figure out the best Father’s Day present for my baby daddy (baby is 1.5). We don’t do gifts generally (although I did manage to arrange a Steelers Super Bowl victory for his last birthday), but I am in search of a knock your socks off, thoughtfully crafted gift. I am not sure my offering of a pair of vintage Wayfarers will be that gift, but your prize package could definitely sweeten the deal.
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hmmmm … my kids’ dad is getting portraits of the kids in their “My Dad Rocks” t-shirts for his new office at work. Not exactly exciting … so I got him a Mr. Beer so he can dip his toe into the fine art of homebrewery. I love when I can one up my two-year-old.
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Excellent selections! My dad enjoys that magazine, and those mugs are perfect (I have two — one for tea, one for coffee). He’s a gadget guy and I know he’d listen to music on the Sansa. As always, you have great taste!
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Whenever I ask my dad what he wants for Father’s Day, he says “Peace and Quiet!” However he usually ends up with an In-N-Out gift card, which he seems to love just as much.
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Ideally I would fly my dad to San Francisco to hang out with his latest grandchild.
As for my baby daddy, I’m still kinda stumped on that one. First Father’s Day is alot of pressure. This would help 🙂
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Retirement itself would be the ideal Father’s Day gift for my step dad. Extravagant, I know. But take a look at just a few of his accomplishments:
1. Offers renowned insight, like to-be-scribed-in-the-great-book-of-fatherly-insight insight, things that sound stunningly simple but get to the true heart of things. “Be Aware of the Life Around You” (caps necessary, for gravity) is notoriously his (it’s now been inscribed on a plaque on the family mantel.) Also, my brother recently tweeted, “My step dad was so right.” For clarification, minutes later he tweeted what he’d heard at the age of 9: “‘You will be waiting on women for the rest of your life.'”
Which brings me to 2. That man has some patience, not of the sing-songy Guns N Roses “All we need is a little pay-ay-cience” type but that born from years of struggle, of having 5 children around, knowing that things will not go as he planned.
3. He’s a maker of things. Go carts made from scraps of wood and old baby buggy wheels that were powered by the push of a broom handle and kid steam. Recently, he made me a wooden step stool – a *step* stool from my *step* dad. Otherwise, it would just be a stool.
4. He brought up 5 children. He sent 3 of us to college, fully funded. There’s not a lot of extra money laying around.
Whoa. Didn’t know I had that much appreciation in me. I think I just wrote part of my Father’s Day card.
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Ideal Father’s Day Gift? I think my husband would want to fight at Rachadamnern Stadium just one time. He loves Muay Thai. And after that some snorkling/scuba in Indonesia or Australia. A Father’s Day weekend event: bruises and bubbles.
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My dad is the consummate host – so the radio and the ice cube trays would be ideal, he’s also quite the air traveler, hence the mug and magazine…
So, yes please!
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My husband has stayed home with our children, now aged 2 and 3, while I work. He is amazing. Best gift for him: a day of riding bike without the kiddie trailer and adult conversations.
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The best father’s day gift i got for my dad was a framed picture of him and my daughter. He absolutely adores my daughter, they do everything together. Since he’s on the computer a lot I got him a mousepad with a picture of my daughter on it. He says so far the pictures of the two of them, and the mousepad has been his favorite father’s day gift. Oh, and I also threw in a barnes & noble giftcard.
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Great gifts! The perfect gift for my dad would be a trip to Disney World with his 3 grandkids. He is as much a kid as they and that is his dream trip!
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This is my first father’s day without my dad, but I would love to give my brother the slotradio.
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I would love to take my father on a big trip. Somewhere new and interesting for him. Like a cruise to Alaska. Or a couple of weeks on the beach in the Philippines. He would love that. And he would never treat himself to such extravagance.
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My dad would be allll over that Oxo travel mug – he has a pet peeve about leaky bottles (probably a result of my hoarding of said bottles) and a no-leak version would totally make his day. Pick me, random.org!
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Best father’s day gift?
Accomplishing something Dad is proud to tell everyone about.
Also, a DVD of “Taken” once it comes out, and a Louis L’Amour novel.
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My son was born a week after Father’s Day three years ago. I am not sure that I have been able to live up to that since then, but…
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My husband and I just had our first child after many years of painful and expensive fertility treatments–his best gift is our beautiful son, Owen. He still wants presents though!
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My fav. gift to give my dad is tickets to a reading or a show to enjoy together. Usually I’m still the youngest person in the audience – and he’s usually one of only a few men – but we have a great time!
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The best gift my dad ever received was a brick engraved with his name and the details of his service to the USMC. The personalized brick is now among the many on the path at the Marine Corps Memorial here in DC. It was the only gift I can think of that that ever reduced him to tears in the presence of our family, and remains a cherished, happy memory for all of us ♥ Nothing can top that, but a day off from mom’s Honey-Do List, a cold beer or three, a sunny day, a good book and the beckoning hammock come in a close second, I’m sure.
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While we’ve grown up from the soap-on-a-rope days (which he professed to love!), I’ve enjoyed getting him the Great Professors lectures on DVD from The Teaching Company (I think that’s it.) I’ve also given him checks towards the pool he desperately wants, but mom refuses to allow him to put in. Devious kids we are, even grown.
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I was searching for the next best tool for my husband and Dad when I found The Nail Jack. There has never been another tool like it…. it’s one of a kind. Just perfect for my 2 handy men to show off and add to their weekend warrior tool belts. I might add I found it just won Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award for 2009. But what really excites me about this gift idea is that it is “green”. This tool allows you to remove fasteners from wood that would otherwise be burned or wind up in a land fill. I know they are both going to love it and I am happy there will be one in my house to play with too!!
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Best Father’s Day gift? It happened last year–an actual live baby girl, healthy and sweet-smelling. That gift is soon to turn one year old.
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My dad lives clear across the country; the perfect gift for him would be a visit with his grandkids.
My husband is a stay-at-home dad; the perfect gift for him might also be to ship the kids across-country. 😉
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My dad’s idea of the perfect gift would probably be lunch with Bing Crosby, followed by an afternoon riding the range with John Wayne. I think he’ll have to settle for a card and uninterrupted nap!
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For the father who has everything: Framed pictures of my brother and me. Teenage years captured in black and white. Check.
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A perfect father’s day gift for my husband would be an afternoon golfing with his son!
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My husband would like nothing more for Father’s Day than a fresh bottle of Vintage 30-Year Bourbon. The end.
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My Dad would just like for his car to run right (that’s a direct quote), but fat chance of me being able to make that happen!
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My Dad would love a carton of cigarettes and a twelve pack of beer. Not kidding…he would love me forever. Well he loves me anyway but seriously I would be put back in the will and have a chance to inherit 100 beer steins. Happy Fathers day to all you wacky Dad’s out there!
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Best father’s day gift: dinner with my Dad. Just spending time with him with great food!
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My dad would love getting all of us together in one place for uninterrupted grilling and card-playing. Especially if we could work it so he won. Kids, grilling, bragging rights, wine.
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I flew home one year as a complete surprise for my dad. he loved it!
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If I had millions, I’d build my dad his dream summer house on this plot of land he’s had for years but can’t afford to build on…
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It’s been 15 years, and I still don’t really ever know what to get my stepdad, for any occasion. Birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day, it doesn’t matter, I’m always clueless. So, it’ll probably just be another book.
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My father passed away when I was young, but I luckily have several men who helped to raise me. I think that they would all prefer a phone call or email than a present, though they might reconsider if it was something like this gift pack.
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Nothing brings a twinkle to my dad’s eye quite like a bottle of booze. Drambuie for Christmas–after dinner drinks in the winter are so nice. Tequila for his birthday in March, so that we can celebrate the coming of spring with blender drinks. And a bottle of tasty gin for Father’s day to celebrate the coming of summer. He’s been getting the same round of things from me for years, and no matter how many times it happens, he’s genuinely thrilled and surprised. Must be all that booze…
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The best fathers day gift would be if I could find a new job and stop mooching off him!
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I think the best present I could give my dad would be to teach him how to use the computer. I’ve tried in the past, but between his impatience and mine, it hasn’t worked out. Maybe this year I can do it.
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Because my dad is one who actually follows through on his purchasing whims without waiting for us to buy him gifts, he’s a hard nut to crack. So each year, I do some sleuth work (usually via my step mother) to see what the major project is. Then I get an appropriate magazine subscription for that subject.
We’ve been doing log home mags for several years now, but since he’s done building it, this year we’ve moved to model trains. Go figure.
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It’s hard to please my dad or buy anything for him. I’d just take him out to dinner.
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Best Father’s Day gift for my dad? Alone time.
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The ideal Father’s Day gift is exactly the same as my ideal Mother’s Day gift – spending the day as a family. We are taking our two children on a steam engine and a riverboat cruise since our 2 year old son is really into trains and boats right now.
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Dads should get two father’s day gifts if they get up with the baby in the middle of the night. Bonus three gifts if he lets you sleep-in in the morning too!
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The best gift for my dad would be a climate-controlled wine cellar for his wine. That is all I can think of right now.
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Could this be for my hubby? He would love all of these things!
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Ideally…I would love to take my dad have the best round of golf in his life at Augusta. Maybe someday I can bring him there (when I’m a millionaire…), but the golfing thing? that’s up to him.
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