daddy-o!

well, i’m sure everyone has already figured out, purchased and wrapped their father’s day gifts, but just in case…

*only a few of these items would need to be shipped, in which case there is still time for overnight, with many online vendors offering free or discounted shipping for father’s day

**any of the outings or experiential gifts listed below can be "given" on father's day with a nicely printed sheet giving the details of the gift, even if it's not happening on that day

for the reader

• magazine subscription - give a copy of the chosen magazine with a note inside informing of the subscription – check out mental floss, details, scientific american and harper’s for something different than average newsstand fare
• books - aside from the bestseller list or your dad’s personal interests, check out “not exactly what I was planning,” a clever book of six word memoirs, and “home game,” a funny memoir about fatherhood and a janet maslin pick
• books-on-tape for traveling and commuting
• chip-in gift: kindle, new york times weekender subscription

for the outdoorsman

• hammock, garden kneeler, small trees for inside or out, planters with seed packets and planting accessories, sports equipment, picnic basket
• chip-in gifts: potting bench, telescope - there are supposed to be meteor showers july 28th-30th and august 12th of this year
  
  

for the music lover

• CD's, itunes gift cards
• LP saver USB turntable – converts old records into CDs or MP3s so you can listen to them on CDs or ipods - how awesome is that?
• sirius satellite radio subscription - excellent deals and free shipping right now, especially for existing customers
• chip-in gifts: ipod, bose stereo, dock or headphones

for the sentimentalist

• put together a photo project quickly and easily and receive in time for father’s day, a photo tumbler which starbucks has in stores now
• frame a series of three photographs - you could do a series with one photo of your dad as a kid, one of him when you were a kid, and one of him now, or do the series idea with any funny or sweet progression of images your dad would appreciate
• ipod playlist of songs that remind you of your childhood with your family
• a handwritten poem or letter
• some father-child together time –theater, concert or sports tickets , sports outing (golfing, batting cage, rock climbing), once-in-a-lifetime experiential gifts, featured by city here

for the beach bum

• merrell sandals (famously comfortable shoes), kite, solarshade, extra special beach chair, beach chair with sunshade – i have a chair like this and as a beachlover who also stays out of the sun, it’s phenomenal

for the cook

• weber’s “way to grill” cookbook - basic recipes and techniques as well as twists on classics like barbecued meatloaf
• grill tools, grill light, roasting pan, knife set, belgian waffle maker, electric carving knife
• arrange for an outing to his favorite food store and together, gather the ingredients for his most famous dish – then cook it together so he can fill you in on his tips and you can follow in his footsteps
• spices - companies like penzey's sell them in various sizes and variety packs
• chip-in gift: grill, cooking classes at a cooking school or favorite restaurant
  

for the connoisseur

• wine refrigerator, decanter, vacuum sealer or opener set
• monthly wine deliveries, monthly cheese deliveries, omaha steaks, tequila of the month club, scotch of the month club -- note: you can subscribe to these services for as little as three months - doesn't have to be a full year
• there are also clubs for BBQ sauces, hot sauces, dog treats, lobster, neckties, pasta and coffee, among many others
• arrange an outing to a winery where you can tour and then make your own wine

for the overworked

• massage (sports, reflexology, etc), other spa service (hydrosoaks, steam treatments, etc)
• chip-in gift - gym membership, multiple massage gift certificate

for the one who doesn't treat himself

• briefcase, wallet, umbrella, netflix subscription , the art of shaving , gift certificate for car detailing, robe, slippers, camera

for the handyman

• addition to a tool set he has been building, drill set, tool box or caddy

and for the father who has everything, and likes to give more than to receive… consider a loan in his honor to kiva. it’s a micro-lending organization which succinctly defines its mission this way: “kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.” if there was ever a living example of “teaching a man to fish,” this is it, and it’s a wonderful way to honor many of the lessons your father taught you. best of all, as each loan gets repaid, he can reloan the money to another person in need. mitchell and i did this in my grandfather’s memory when he passed away, and we have since reloaned the same money three times, thereby helping four people in need.

or, make a donation of any size in his honor with the fruit tree planting foundation, a non-profit which plants edible, fruitful trees in needy populations and improves the surrounding environment.

however you celebrate, let your father, grandfather, stepfather, and any other father figure you love knows how his special brand of fatherhood has shaped you. telescopes and radios aside, that's what they want most.