Boys n' Toys

Why is buying for men so DIFFICULT!?!?

When I get a present for someone, especially family, I want it to mean something but I also want them to need or want it. So unless my dad asks for tools I prefer not to get them because my thinking is why would I get him something to make him work?

This year is unusually hard for me. Maybe it’s cause I know he is doing so very much and HAS done so very much for me that I really want this to be special. I thought maybe I would get him some cool grilling tools because he loves to grill and cook for the family but again I thought well then maybe he will feel like “Oh great something I have to work to use”.

This year I asked my mom what she thought my father would like and her response; “I don’t know honey”.
I became so desperate I even asked my father and do you know what he says? “I want my daughter home for Christmas”. GAHHH!!! Yes that was sweet but completely useless considering I am flying back to PA for Christmas. Not even my other siblings know what they are getting him, so I am on my own.

MEN! I will tell you exactly why they are so difficult to buy for; because they always just buy what they want or need when they want or need it. They never think “oh I’ll have to ask for that on my birthday or Christmas.” No they just buy it willy-nilly.

My fiancé is like that too. For instance he has wanted a new watch for almost 2 years now and I thought for Christmas I would get him a really nice watch. I can’t afford the watch he wants but I can still get a nice watch for a couple hundred. I mean he has waited this long already so you would think that would be a safe bet. Nope, he went and bought the watch 2 weeks ago, Bastard. I thought about buying him a poker set but he bought one … or so I thought he did until I found out it was a friends and by that time it was too late to order the one I wanted. I’ve tried movies, which after getting about 3 of those he said he hates getting movies for presents because he won’t watch them more than once. He is not a big music person he just goes on iTunes and downloads random songs he likes. Basically the only thing I have found that I can get him and he loves every time is clothes from Express. I just get bored buying the same thing for him every Birthday and Christmas. I finally did figure out a great gift I know he really wants and won’t be expecting but I can’t tell you because he reads my blog and is always trying to find out what I get him. So it’s not like I can’t tell him not to read it because he will do it anyways, but I promise to let you know after he gets itJ.

For my dad I FINALLY decided I’m getting him cufflinks. I thought about getting these cute ones from Cheeky Frills on Etsy .
But I thought maybe they were too boring or cliché if you know what I mean. So then I found these cute Superman cufflinks from Cool Cufflinks on Etsy as well (I have an Etsy addiction if you haven’t been able to tell already).
When my oldest sister was really littler her friend had told my dad he looked like superman and ever since then my dad has been our Superman. We use to get him Superman everything and he loved it. So I thought these would be a cute tribute to that. But I kept going back to the round ones. But I liked the Superman idea. I felt like the Superman cufflinks were to childish I guess. So I was torn because I wanted to do something to kind of say that he is my Superman. Then BAM it hit me. A lot of these Etsy sellers do custom work and are super great about it. So I asked if I could get one cufflink that said “Father of the Bride 5.21.11” and the other will say “Forever My Superman”. I love it, I almost cried when I thought of it … I could just be over emotional but still I really am in love with my idea. So I ordered them, the seller said it was no problems and best of all she is going to make them today and send them tomorrow so I get them before Christmas next week!

I know people usually give gifts like this at the rehearsal dinner but I really didn’t want to give them to him then because we are getting one big joint present for each of our parents. I’m really excited to see how they turn out because I already have ideas for the groomsmen … or at least my brother :-)