His Favorite Things

Father’s Day is around the corner (Sunday, June 21), so I rounded up a list a Thomas’s favorite things in a neat and tidy Father’s Day Gift Guide to give you some ideas for your partner or dad. I have included a handful of Black-owned businesses into the mix as well, indicated with an asterisk*. Feel free to recommend more in the comments!

Are the guys in your life difficult to shop for? With Father’s Day in just a couple of weeks, I started to think about what we’d gift to Thomas and the dads in our life. It got me thinking about Thomas’s favorite things that he uses regularly (often daily!), and thought I’d share them with you. Practical gifts with a sense of style… and few yummy things, too!

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Plants + Planters

Thomas LOVES gardening. Grounded Plants* has both plants and planters, and I LOVE this Peridot Geode planter from Tal and Bert*. He’s also obsessed with his tiller   And if he likes indoor DIY projects, this zero VOC paint company with stick-on swatches is another biz to check out: Clare Paint*.

Look at him go!

Costa Del Mar Sunglasses

T’s favorite sunglasses that he wears ALL of the time! He wears the Copra style.

Drink Cold Things

Yetis keep everything c-o-l-d, which makes this the best beer koozie around. It’s great for sparkling water and beer alike, especially on hot summer days! Or if your man is the sophisticated type, perhaps he would like a clean wine set instead!? (Hey, maybe he will share 😉 ) OR maybe he is a bourbon man! Buy some Uncle Nearest* for him to try and pair it with small batch simple syrups and grenadines from this all natural craft mixer shop*.

Oculus Virtual Reality Headset

This was a midwinter purchase that was sort of for the whole family. I rolled my eyes when it arrived, but it’s actually really cool! If you don’t know what virtual reality is, it’s kind of like an IMAX that you wear on your face. The screen is 360 degrees so you can see above, below, even behind. You feel like you’re really where ever the video is. Our favorite videos to “do” are haunted houses (SO real and scary) and rollercoasters (your stomach will drop like it’s the real thing.) But there are also SO many cool “movies” to watch – like animals in the wild (you will feel like the real Tiger King) and beautiful landscapes as documentaries.

Books!

If you’re guy is more of a reader than a video game fan, this book store* was recommended as one of many Black-owned shops to support.

Gift Card to Golf Galaxy

If your partner is anything like mine, he loves golf with all his heart. I can never pick out what he needs (new gloves, balls, etc.), so I get him a gift card and he always loves it.

Lululemon T-shirts

Yes, these are insanely expensive t-shirts, but Thomas LOVES his and says it’s the most comfortable t-shirt he’s ever worn in his 37 years. He only has two and does his laundry every other day so they are always clean. They make a great gift! He also has a pair of the ABC pants and loves those, too. Or perhaps he’s more of a dress-up kind of guy? Odin Leather Goods* has everything from beautiful belts to wallets to messenger bags – Father’s Day gifts galore.

For The Pet Lover

Maybe he is a dog dad and you’re looking for the perfect gift for his pet to give him. Thomas loves Mr. Gus. This shop called Trill Paws* has the cutest little tags, collars, toys and more.

Counterman

I find that most guys fall into one of two camps:

• They have a routine they REALLY like and are super loyal to, OR
• They really don’t care or think about what they use (most men, right!?)

If your man is in the first camp, he’s the perfect guy to introduce to Counterman because it’s a high-end product line that was designed specifically for men’s skin that is typically thicker and oiler. If he’s in the second camp, he’ll use whatever you put in the shower or on the counter. Again, ideal candidate. Either way, you both win because he’s using safer products which is really the end goal here. And I won’t tell if you steal some of his products. 😉

Last year I bought Thomas the whole Counterman Collection, and he’s been obsessed ever since! There are products for shaving and beards, body, and face. And there’s a sampler in a pretty gift box to get him started. Thomas also uses some of the Countermatch line for anti-aging (the night cream and eye cream) because men need those benefits, too!

Good Food!!

Every year my dad asks for mixed nuts, so I think he’d love some creative snacks. These two* popcorn* shops can ship to your door and have some super creative flavors like PB&J and loaded baked potato. This Nashville cookie company – HiFi Cookies* – looks incredible. Pretzels and potato chips?! Talk about a perfect salty sweet combo. And this online vegan bakery* has everything from donuts to cookies.

New Apple Airpods

Guess who put his old Airpods through the wash. Womp womp. He got the latest updated Apple Airpods – the noise cancelling ones – and they are awesome. The shape fits better than the originals, and the noise cancelling is superb. (Perfect for when he’s watching The Last Dance on Netflix in bed 🙂 )

The Big Green Egg

You have one lucky dad if this is what you gift for Father’s Day because this is not a cheap grill + smoker! But of all the gifts Thomas has ever received, this is his all time favorite toy. He got it for a combo birthday and Christmas gift 2 years ago, and he uses every weekend – especially in the summer! He loves to smoke ribs, pork, and chicken, and sometimes we grill pizzas. FYI, his is the large size.

What are you gifting the dads in your life?