Let’s be real. Dads are hard to buy for, right? But I’m convinced with some thought and planning, you can find a great gift for any dad!
I’m going to give you a few examples for the tough-to-buy-for men in my life:
- Alan, my husband and co-parent
- Keith, my dad
- Rick, my stepdad
These men are HARD to buy for by any standard. Alan is the easiest of the three, probably because I see him every day, so I get more inspiration for his gifts, but the others – they are tough cookies! But if I can come up with great ideas for these dads, I know you will be able to come up with great ideas for your dads as well! Here are a few of my best gifts for the dads in my life to hopefully give you some inspiration!
Alan, my husband, and Shelly’s dad:
Alan turned 40 in July 2020. I’m sure just about all of you found your pandemic birthday(s) to be lackluster. I was determined to make sure his 40th was something special. He’s really into music. Like really into music. So, I made a Google Sheet (yes – I love spreadsheets), put a list of every year he’s been alive in column A, and invited all of his friends and family to purchase a vinyl album from that year. They mailed them to my sister’s house so Alan wouldn’t be tipped off by the many similarly sized boxes.
It. Was. Epic. I wrote the names of everyone who participated on the card, all 23 names. I think he loved the gift, but as he read the names, I think the idea that everyone was actually celebrating his big day with him was what really meant the world to him. Ever since then, sounds of this special day fill our home.
Keith, my dad:
My dad is an adrenaline junkie. He likes to take his car to the racetrack. He races down the ski slopes, even though he is almost 60. He even likes to scuba dive with sharks. SHARKS!
So, one year, when I was young and broke, I decided to get him the gift of skydiving. But I couldn’t afford to actually go skydiving just yet. So, I made a huge craft project with 10-20 spots. Each year, I’d give him money, which he could put in the spots. When they were all full, we had enough to go skydiving. I honestly don’t remember how long it took. Many years. But then, one day, we had enough! We drove out to a remote landing strip, took off in a tiny plane…and jumped.
The years of anticipation were totally worth the couple of minutes of freefall. It’s a memory my dad and I have relived over and over.
Rick, my stepdad:
This one is going to sound so cheesy, and I guess it is. The best gift I got my stepdad was a nice, quilled Father’s Day card. Rick really loves nice cards. And I think sending him a Father’s Day card made him feel like he was really included in the family.
He’s a tech-savvy, lake-life-loving guy and through the years we’ve bought a drone lens, a hammock, and a super-absorbent towel, but it’s the card that wins the prize here.
These may not be the best gifts for the dad in your life. But think about who they are and what they love. Do they support a specific cause? Look at gifts that give back to an associated organization. Are they into travel? How about a travel safe? I just discovered them this year – and it’s a game changer for beach getaways! Whatever gift you give the dad in your life, make sure it’s personal to them – and it’s sure to be a hit!
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