Men are hard to shop for, especially once they become daddies. I feel like we can’t buy them power tools, electronics, or men’s grooming products because they would probably know more about those products than us. I’ve always had a hard time shopping for the hubs so I just don’t. Instead, I give him an experience- a picnic with the kids, a little family field trip somewhere. I’m sure many of you are probably as stumped as I am when trying to find dad that perfect birthday gift.  Please enjoy this guest post by Heather Nixon, a yoga lover and proud French bulldog owner who will share great gifting ideas for dad!

Birthday Gifts for the Dad Who Has Everything
If your dad’s birthday is coming up, you likely know what it’s like to struggle with coming up with a gift idea for him. If you feel like you exhausted all of your ideas on Father’s Day, or if you feel like you just never have a sense of what he might like for a gift, check out some of these ideas to get you thinking.

For the Modern Dad
Is your dad up-to-date on the latest trends? Is he the type who loves gadgets, cares about how he looks, or enjoys working on home redesign projects? Consider shopping for some nice accessories or stylish home products. If you can’t afford the type of gifts that he might like, think small. There are lots of great little things that can add a stylish touch around the house or to his wardrobe:
– Shop for some little decorative touches that would suit his home design scheme. Look for modern stuff like a nice piece of art that he could add to his office or some unique bookends.
–  Small gifts for the dad who loves to look stylish might include an old-fashioned shaving kit, fancy but subtle cologne or aftershave, a nice watch, bow ties in interesting patterns and colors, sunglasses, or cufflinks.
– Shop for a gourmet kitchen. If his love of style extends to the plate, shop for little interesting items to inspire new, trendy recipes like infused oils, interesting spice rubs, cookbooks, unique kitchen tools like an olive pitter or an egg slicer, a stylish wine bottle opener, etc.

For the Travel Bug
If your dad loves to travel and has been doing it for a while, he likely has plenty of travel necessities. However, for any avid traveler, there is a wide variety of practical and unique items that make great gifts, including the gift of an experience:
– If you’re financially able, try and send him on a trip. If you’re an only child, make it for the two of you. Go to a city you’ve never been to before and partake in activities you both enjoy. For example, if you’ve both never been to the Pacific Northwest and happen to be foodies, take a trip to Portland, Oregon and eat and drink your way around town.

Alternatively, you could simply get him a trip to the mountains for a fly fishing excursion. If you have siblings, you could all pull some money together and send him on a trip to somewhere he’s never been before.
– For a more DIY and sentimental gift, gather up some photos from some of his earliest travels. Get together with your mom, or anyone you know was present during said travels, and put together a photo album and add some funny and descriptive captions. He will love flipping through and reliving old memories.
– Other gift ideas for the travel lover could include a travel book about his next destination, new noise-cancelling headphones for those loud plane rides, funny luggage tags, and a pocket umbrella.

For the Guy who Love to Learn
For the dad who enjoys constantly learning and who appreciates finding new ways to experience new things, you have a lot of options available to you at a variety of prices:
– Head to your favorite local book store and check out a new section that you normally don’t visit. Ask a salesperson for help choosing a book in a new subject that would be good for a beginner or that offers an interesting and fresh perspective. Alternatively, if you are a specialist or an enthusiast in a certain area, buy a book for him that will help him learn about that subject. Shoot for books that you can use together. For example, choose a woodworking guide and learn to make new crafts together.
– Buy an interesting antique item. Whether it’s a rare and unusual book, an odd tool, or an interesting collection of old felt college flags, you and your dad might find some unique object that will reveal a whole interesting history that you’d never before considered.
– Come up with a book club list for two. If you find that you’re both always saying that you wish you could make more time to read, start reading together. Put together a stack of books, two copies of each, of books that each of you have been wanting to read. You’ll each read things you might not normally pick up, and you’ll have the fun of being able to talk about your reading lists.

Shopping for your dad doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Have some fun while choosing a gift for him, and he’s that much more likely to really love that you put some extra thought into his interests and personality.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this guest post by Heather. Happy Friday!