Regular readers of my blog will know that there's not much I like more than a bit of 'virtual' shopping. I mean, apart from winning the lottery and then doing actual 'money is no object' shopping of course :-)
Anyway, with Fathers' day coming up (21st June, just in case you'd forgotten), I thought it might be a good time to do a spot of 'for the men' internet shopping, and share my finds with my lovely blog readers.
First up, a gift I bought my husband, for his birthday last week, that would be equally great as a Fathers' day gift:
The Wilkin & Sons website has lots of different preserves and sauces, that can be personalised with wording of your choice on the label. I bought my husband some Tomato Ketchup, which I personalised to say 'Daddy's Dip Dip' on the label (my husband and girls have ketchup with just about every meal, and it's known as dip dip in our house) and also some Hot Mango Sauce, which he also loves, and I had labelled 'Joe's Hot Stuff'. What bloke doesn't want the ego boost of being called 'hot stuff' every time he puts sauce on his burger?
Next up, something I actually am going to order for my hubby for Fathers' Day, so I'm hoping that I can trust him not to read this post! I have ordered from The Crafty Giraffe before - I ordered a gorgeous 'santa key' and wooden keepsake gift tags at Christmas, so I can definitely vouch for the quality of their products. This year, Daddy Rowberry will be getting a hammer and tools set for Fathers' Day, personalised with 'Daddy can fix it' which is a pretty commonly used phrase around this house!
I hosted a 'My Showcase' party recently as an afternoon tea for my local 'at home in the day' friends. It was a great excuse to have a natter and try lots of gorgeous beauty products, whilst the kids played in the garden.
While I didn't spend my £40 hosts voucher on anything for my husband at all (shame on me?), I did notice that they have some lovely products that even the least 'metriosexual' man would love!
I am sure that my husband, who is not at all interested in any kind of beauty products, would love this Gentleman's Tonic shave cream, and combined with a lovely shaving brush, I think this would make a beautiful gift for a man at any time of year. The products smell lovely and even better, if you host a party, you could get this, plus a little something lovely for yourself, for nothing! Check out my friend Clare's My Showcase Facebook page to book a party.
For the eco-friendly, outdoorsy Dad out there, how about a pack of these adorable fire-starters, handmade in Cambridge and available from Etsy, they would make a great gift, with an I.O.U. for a camping weekend with the kids.
Add in a hip flask, filled with a tot of his tipple of choice, and you've got the perfect gift for the adventure-Dad!
Whilst on the subject of handmade gifts, how about these cool t-shirts, for the Daddy that's a Star Wars fan? This set would be especially cute for a new father with a baby boy.
These are also available via Etsy, from a lovely shop called Blue Ivory Lane, which is another small UK based business. I always try to support small UK based businesses whenever I can; you can get something quirky, that's great quality and can often be personalised to suit your recipient, to make it that bit more special, and at the same time, you are supporting small businesses, which need all the help we can give them!
So that's it - I've covered foodie dads, DIY'ers, Metrosexuals, the outdoorsy types and the geeks. Who have I missed out? I think there's something for everyone in there, but let me know in the comments if you think I've missed anyone out and I'll make sure I cover them next time I go gift shopping!
