The way that I approach this is pretty simple. I try to prey on mans basic instincts. Those are food, booze, gambling, his ego and the stuff you do when the kids go to bed. If you focus on getting one or more of the right things that fall into one of those categories, you really can’t go wrong. I usually combine a couple of them to really surprise him.

One of the best ideas I think I ever came up with for a birthday present was to buy a sexy piece of lingerie for myself. I just waited to showcase it until his birthday. After he had opened his other birthday gifts, I hinted that I had something special for him that I would show him later. I could tell that it completely occupied his mind for the rest of the night. Telling him that he had a surprise coming later was a good move. It made the anticipation all that much more exciting. Later that night I wore it for him. He had a grin on his face a mile wide.

My guy likes to smoke cigars and drink Scotch. That makes life a lot easier when I need a last minute gift. I usually look around online for ideas about what kind of cigars or Single Malt Scotch I could buy for him. There is a local tobacconist about a half an hour from me that makes good recommendations. I had my hubby make a list of cigars he wanted to try. I have been using that list to shop for him for years. I will also look for other people’s recommendations for cheap premium cigars online. Believe it or not, most of the ones I come across are actually my husband’s favorites. I think he has probably tried just about every kind of Scotch that I could buy locally. Ordering that stuff online is a little pricey.

As far as his ego goes, I try to buy him things that you might see in a GQ magazine. Little things like a nice gold plated money clip or a Bulova watch make nice gifts. I try to stick to things that I know other guys think are cool that will also look good on him. He is a big fan of trying different colognes also. That also makes my job a lot easier. When I am at the mall, I will sample some of the men’s fragrances so that I know which ones to pick from later. I try not to just buy him clothes. It turns out that he likes to pick out his own because he knows which style looks best on him. I don’t necessarily agree with him. I figure it is better that he thinks he looks great rather than having me tell him to wear something different.

I guess maybe I’m just lucky to have a guy who is so easy to buy for. You really can’t go wrong so long as you are sticking with the basic instinct theme that I suggested in the opening paragraph. Men can be easy to buy for. Put a little thought into that before the next time you head to the mall and you are sure to find the best gift for your husband.

Ever thought of getting dad a decent gas grill to replace that worn out one that he uses all the time? The family meals could use a little sprucing up. He’s probably tired of washing and trying to burn off those stuck on hunks of the previous meal from the racks.

You could always resort to getting him a Worlds Greatest Dad cap. These are more meaningful when coming from a child who is on the verge of being considered a full grown adult. If it comes from a young child then he’ll know that mom is the one who actually chose the gift. It really doesn’t matter though. Every dad enjoys a little pat on the back.

 
Dads love to fish. It gives them a good reason to get away from the girls and enjoy some good peaceful silence on the lake. Pick up some of the latest Bass Pro Shops gear to have dad ready for the boat. Fishing gear has been a favorite Father’s Day gift among dads for a hundred years.

How is your father’s bar looking? You can get him a case of some rare European full flavored beer. Does he prefer hard liquor? Pick out a top shelf bottle of single malt Scotch or some other whiskey. If he has never tasted it, buy him a fifth of Grey Goose or another superior vodka. That stuff is unbelievably yummy.

It is smart to schedule some alone time with a parent once in a while so you can talk about private matters that the two of you have in common. Check to see if you can find any shows that will be happening in your area over the coming months that the two of you could attend together. It could be a special bonding moment for the two of you.

Have you shopped at either Lowe’s or Home Depot yet? You are bound to find something different for him there if you do enough browsing. There are plenty of manly tools to pick from and a million ideas for sprucing up the outside of the home.

Think about how your father spends his lunch hour. Maybe you could come up with a good idea here. What does he do? Is there anything you could get him to replace something old he is currently using?

Think about dad’s work environment. Is he a white collar worker or the opposite? Does he need anything that would be beneficial to him around the office. How organized is he? How about a new pair of steel toe boots or a nice pair of work gloves.

Have you ever considered getting your father a fruit tree? If he has the room for it on his property, they are a different gift idea that will remind him how much he is loved at various times over a number of years.

A berry plant also makes a decent present. As guys get older, they tend to begin appreciating these types of things more. There are many different berry plants, bushes and shrubs you have to choose from. Popular ones include the strawberry, black raspberry, blackberry and blueberry.

The best thing you could do in that situation is get them some kind of accessory to complement their hobby or habit of drinking wine. There are plenty of nice classy accessories to choose from. Take your pick.

• Wine tasting set – If you’re friends are into wine tasting, you can get a kit that includes everything they need for holding their own wine tasting party. You get bottle sleeves to slip the wine bottles into so nobody can tell what the brand or variety is. You also get a wine tasting guide along with scorecards for keeping track of each one.
• Leather wine carrier or wine picnic tote – These things are perfect for people who like to travel with their wine. You can pack some to go along with you on a picnic. Some of them hold glasses or even a cutting board for cheese and a knife.
• Riedel Crystal wine glasses – The Riel crystal wine glass from Austria is considered top of the line to wine enthusiasts. Believe it or not, it does make a difference which kind of glass you use when you are wine tasting. These are perfectly designed to help you bring out the nose on the wine. They are pricey for glasses but an educated wine connoisseur would appreciate the high quality gift.
• Wine chiller – There are these little single bottle wine appliances that will bring the temperature of a bottle down quickly to the perfect temperature for drinking. You could always use a refrigerator, but these things are much better at doing it quickly. Also, they look really cool.
• High quality cork screw – There are all different types of these things on the market. One of the more popular high quality ones is the Rabbit. Every wine lover should own one. The next time you are at someone’s house sharing a bottle of wine, pay attention. See if they need a corkscrew upgrade.
• Build your own Wine gift basket – If you want to make your own gift basket there are a few things you should consider. Hopefully you know what kind of wines they like. Wine connoisseurs tend to be pretty finicky. If you can find out what variety of grape they prefer, such as Cabernet, Red Zinfandel, Bordeaux, Chardonnay or Riesling, it would be a good start. Then visit a decent wine boutique and ask for a professional opinion. Tell them what you are doing and ask for some guidance. Also ask the person, what kinds of hors d’oeuvres he would pair with the wine. For instance, dark chocolate pairs well with heavy dry red wines like merlot. Add a few creative pairing snacks to the basket as well.

Coming up with an appropriate wedding gift idea can sometimes be a bit challenging.   For the most part we like to give cash as a wedding gift.  What couple can’t use cash right?  Well, there are some out there.  Many people are getting married for the second time.  They might be better off financially than you are.  This makes giving them a cash gift a little awkward.  In such an instance, you might want to go a different route and try to pick out something nice and appropriate for the occasion.  Good luck.

·        Photo frames are a very practical but nice wedding gift choice. The new couple will have plenty of great photos that they will want to display around their home. If you are getting them multiple frames think about getting ones that match each other. Don’t just buy a lot of different ones with different colors. Get ones that are similar to one another but in different sizes.

·        You could get newlyweds a quilt or blanket that has something special embroidered on it. You could have a special saying or bible verse put on it also. You see lots of these at peoples homes. They are both charming and thoughtful.

·        Want to give something that could become a family heirloom? Give a set of silver dinnerware or a silver serving set to the new couple. They will be able to enjoy your gift on holidays and special occasions for a long time to come.  A great place online to look at dinnerware and glasswase is Tiffany.

·        If they are settling into a new home, you could find things that they will be able to use in it. Things like kitchen appliances or a gas grill would be appreciated.

·        A different kind of present you probably haven’t heard of before is giving a Bed and Breakfast gift card. This is a great idea for couples where one of the people is a workaholic. This gives them that little nudge they need to take a little time off.

·        A little out of the ordinary idea is to get the happy couple a personalized Christmas ornament of some kind. Then every year when they decorate the Christmas tree together they can share a little flashback of that special day.

·        One gift I thought was really neat was a personalized door knocker for the house’s main entry door. Get one that has their last name engraved on it. They can display it proudly every time somebody comes by.

·        Get something that the couple can use when they relax together. One idea would be getting a set of chairs for a couple who likes to spend time sitting around a fire pit in their backyard. Another idea would be a nice bar mixing set.

·        If the couple is going on a honeymoon, try to find out when and where. Then you can call ahead to their destination and have a bottle of champagne waiting for them on ice upon arrival. This is an incredibly thoughtful way of reminding them how much you care and love them.

·        How about having a painting made for the lucky couple? You can find a photograph that you had previously taken, and give it to a professional artist to have it put on canvas. That is the one of a kind gift that will really be cherished.

·        If you are a close friend or family member that happens to have a bunch of photos of the two love birds, you could make a collage for them to proudly display somewhere in their home.

·        Browsing around the commonly known wedding gift stores like All Things Remembered can give you some inspiration to find something nice. Once you start looking at the more traditional things you are bound to have some unique ideas pop into your head.