Fab ideas for Father's Day

Are you looking for some Father's Day gift inspiration? Well, so am I! I don't know why but I always find dads so hard to buy for but I've put together a few suggestions which will hopefully give you a some new ideas...

* The classics - What dad doesn't love / need socks, aftershave, slippers, PJ's or any other typical 'dad' type gifts? They're the kind of gifts that always come in useful... 

Don't forget a framed photo of yourself, and possibly any siblings too if you're feeling generous and want to share the limelight. Just to remind dad how wonderful you are, every dad has a special photo of you on their desk or tucked in their wallet. Might as well make it a good one! 

You could even have one made as a canvas to hang up at home - try taking a look through old photos and see if you can create a collage or bring an old memory back to life in a new way.

I even painted a portrait of my dad and myself as a baby, based on an old photo - although if you're not that good with a pencil or brush, why not frame a piece of artwork you did when you were young?

* A good read / new music - I used to pick out a new book by my Dad's favourite author or a celebrity figure he liked and a new CD was always a winner too, but nowadays (God, how old does that make me sound?!), an iTunes voucher is actually a really good and useful gift idea. Sure, it's not the most exciting thing to open, but it can be out to very good use on something that he will actually want and enjoy. 

Sometimes, I think us women worry too much about whether an idea is considered thoughtful or special enough.

* A hamper - Think of all the things your dad enjoys. What nibbles he likes, what tipple he sips. There's plenty of hampers out there you can buy (like this chocolate hamper we got last year) but you could easily put your own together. Just buy a wicker style hamper and fill it with things he might like - you could even include some of the aforementioned classics.

* Gadgets - Some dads like gadgets, be it a new power tool, something for the kitchen or something techy.

If your dad is into DIY, a power tool or measuring tool could be just the ticket, or if he likes cooking, perhaps take a look at a stand for his tablet that can be attached to the bottom of a kitchen cupboard so he can follow recipes without getting his tablet grubby (this is something I bought my Dad last year).

* Experience days - Sometimes, buying for Dad can be really difficult and if they have everything they need already, are hard to by for or, like my Dad, tell you they don't want anything and to save your money, then taking them somewhere different or buying them an experience day is a great idea.

If none of my other suggestions tickle your fancy, then perhaps think about what they enjoy, or what they would love to do given the chance, and see if an experience day voucher can make their Father's Day.

You could look at a brewery tour, skydiving, sports car racing or a day out and you could even book the experience for them in advance as long as you know a date they'll be free.

I've done this before for hubs' birthday and bought tickets from somewhere like Into The Blue for go-kart racing and my brother-in-law has bought driving experience days for my father-in-law before, which he's absolutely loved.

In fact, if you buy an experience day through Into The Blue between now and Father's Day, you could win one of 10 experiences to enjoy yourself in their prize drawer - just enter a personalised message to your voucher when you check out. Not bad, eh?

* Personalised cards - I love making cards but rarely have the time these days so tend to rely on Moonpig to help me make a personalised card when special occasions come around.

I remember Ethan's first card to my father-in-law on the first Father's Day after he was born (Ethan was just six weeks old); it was styled like a movie poster for The Godfather but titled The Grandfather and we uploaded a photo in he place of Marlon Brando. The card made me laugh so much, we also bought it in a mug! My dad still has his first and personalised Father's Day card on display in his kitchen and each year, Ethan has made one at nursery for Stephen which is always extra special.

What have I bought my Dad, you ask? Well, that would be telling and he's probably the biggest fan of my blog (hi Dad!) so I won't tell you but all I will say is my Dad is very tricksy to buy for so I've stuck with a classic. In the past, I've bought him albums of people I know he likes, DVD's in an attempt to get him into a TV series or film (with limited success!) and I've also made gifts, such as photo albums and picture frames.

Of course, I can't tell you what Ethan has got for his Daddy either, but again, we've thought about what he likes and have found a couple of quirky things that he won't have seen or thought of for himself but we know he will like.

Really, it's not what you spend but the thought that goes into it. Knowing what your dad likes and what will make him smile on Father's Day is the key - and showing him why you think he's the bee's knees so make sure you do something special for your dad or father figure. 

If they're anything like mine, or Ethan's, they deserve it.