Gifts For Father's Day + DIY Wall Hanging

Commercial holidays always accentuate the duality that exists inside of me. I love giving gifts — in particular, I’m driven to find the perfect, thoughtful gift and I’m always anxious to give it. And yet, when the whole country is buying a gift at the same time, something inside of me wants to buck the system and declare to myself that I will find another day of the year to show my love for those close to me. I never follow through on that. Thus, I am giving it my best shot to find another meaningful Father’s Day gift. Maybe you are too.

The Gift of Time
If you are figuring out a gift for your man (for the kids, of course) the first place to start is to be honest about what he would value most—free time or family time. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that the father of your children may be most honored to receive the afternoon to sit on the back porch and read a new book that you pick out for him or maybe he’d appreciate a pass to go fishing for a few hours. If he’s most energized and appreciative of time away from the kids, don’t make him feel bad for it. Thank him for the many hours he spends with the kids and send him off to refresh on his own! If, however, he looks forward to playtime or adventuring with kids, then create an opportunity for it. Thinking ahead is the key to this gift! Pick an activity and get prepared for it—a family game of volleyball in the backyard, a bike trip or an afternoon at the movie theater.

Ask the Kids
I always ask our children if they have any gift ideas, and they are on the young side, so most often, their suggestions are not so helpful, but every now and then they have something that surprises me! Like last year, my oldest son flippantly suggested, “A ring?” This coming from my aggressive, athletic, farting, stereotypical male offspring! It hit a nerve because Chris had lost his wedding band years back in the ocean and we replaced it with a super cheap one and I happened to know he envied my brother’s tungsten wedding band, so Gabe and I were off the mall and found a very special father’s day gift—and one that he was proud to say he picked out!

Acknowledge What He Does
Find a way to express that what Dad does and the sacrifices he makes, do not go unnoticed. For some, this is the most meaningful part of celebrating Father’s Day—to feel respected & acknowledged. Even if you have to sit down and make a list of all that he does or did (hours kicking a soccer ball, making breakfast on Saturdays, less time spent on his hobby or sweet text messages sent to his children). It will make you so thankful for the kind of Dad he is and it will make him feel truly honored to have you notice.

The List
So, if that hasn’t sparked any grand gift ideas, here are some from my personal archives. This list includes both the “boring” things and the more creative things that I’ve given to my Dad or that my children have given to my husband. I don’t like relying on the classics, because I love the challenge of being more creative, but let’s face it, sometimes they want the boring things.



* Tickets to see their fave team or band * New outfit *Pictures of my kids in Chris’ clothes/shoes holding signs with cute phrases like “I’ve got big shoes to fill” * Book * Wallet * Photo books filled with pics and all the funny quotes that come out of little mouths * canvas painted with the lyrics to a favorite song * Grill * 6-pack of bottles refilled with favorite snacks/candies * Create a scavenger hunt, giving clues like new swim trunks, bottles of water, sunscreen and end up at a water park * hold an ice cream tasting contest—hand out homemade ballots for everyone to guess the ingredients or the flavors of 6-8 varieties * Personalized bracelet with kids names (this is my most popular piece in my Etsy shop) * clean out his car and stash a new cd, snacks, bottles of water, air fresheners and notes in places where he will find them * cut his favorite dessert bar into letters to spell D-A-D and wrap them in a candy box * Wall hangings for his office with the kids profiles—see directions below * fishing gear * A box of K-cups with messages from the kids that he can read each day * His “favorite things” basket—fave mag subscription, fave personal care items, fave drink, fave new movie * Sports gear

Child Profile Wall Hanging DIY! What you need: Piece of Wood or Canvas, spray painted the color you desire, transfer paper, Black acrylic paint marker, a printed picture of your kid(s) that shows the profile of their face or body (like above photo).

Place the photo on top of the transfer paper on top of surface and begin tracing the outline. Fill in the image with the black acrylic marker. When finished, you can spray with a seal or lacquer to protect the paint. ♥, Erin