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You are here: Home / STYLE / Practical gifts for fussy fathers

Practical gifts for fussy fathers

May 30, 2017 by Molly 21 Comments

Father’s Day gifts. Always a tough one, isn’t it? Do you go with the age-old tried and tested bottle of posh beer? Do you ramp it up a notch with a voucher for a “dad experience”? Or do you choose to ignore the day altogether and opt for an ostrich approach?

For us, Father’s Day this year is going to be a big deal. Not that the NLM has declared it so, but because I think, more than ever, he deserves it. As a secondary school teacher leading a department this is always his busiest and most stressful time of the year. Exams, coursework, piles and piles and piles of paperwork… he is stretched to his limit. Yet he still mucks in 50/50 with everything house, kid and parenting related and manages, most days, to do it all with a resigned grin of exhaustion. Oh, and he also makes me laugh. All the time. So I think he deserves a bit of celebration.

This year I’ve been looking at practical Father’s Day gifts, rather than the usual gift bought in haste on the family food shop at the local supermarket. I want to get him something he’ll actually use – something that will last longer than the 2 minutes he could down bottle of beer in after a particularly stressful week. But I still want there to be an element of luxury (a present is a bit boring if it’s something you’d buy for yourself anyway, after all). So here are my useful and luxuriously practical present ideas for dads, inspired by a browse around Amara…

First up, it’s a pair of posh slippers. There’s something rather indulgent about a fancy pair of slippers don’t you think? My own slippers are beloved Uggs and they’ve lasted me for YEARS, so I know the NLM would be over the moon with his very own pair. Not to be used to take the bins out, obviously…

Next, it’s a beautiful new case for the iPad. This is something I know he’d love, seeing as his current iPad case is a scuffed faux leather version with frayed edges and a suspect ketchup stain left-over from a toddler tantrum. This one is actually a laptop cover but could easily work for his iPad too. Double points. Maybe I’ll steal it for my laptop… Did I say that out loud?

My man is a beardy one and, since he’s got no hair on his actual head these days, often secretly enjoys a bit of a beard pamper session. This beard grooming kit has everything he’d need to turn his beard into a dapper gentlemen’s thing of beauty. (NOTE: if he read that last sentence he’d laugh at me “Ruddy ‘ell – ‘dapper gentman’? You loser!”).

I also found this cool wooden iPhone 7 case on Amara. It would stop his iPhone getting any more scuffs and scratches, plus I know he’d like how unique it is.

And finally, because I am SO over tidying up random cables and chargers strewn around our shared office space, I love this wash bag which doubles up as a cable tidy bag. Talk about practical – on holiday it would mean all his bottles and smellies are kept together and at home it means no more lost chargers. Double win.

I’m not suggesting the NLM is going to get this whole bounty of presents for Father’s Day, but I know he’d be super chuffed with even one of these, a lie-in and a roast dinner at our local pub, accompanied (obviously) with the obligatory handmade Father’s Day cards from the girls.

What are your plans for Father’s Day this year?

 

 

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Thanks to Amara for working with me on this post. For more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page. 

 

Filed Under: Beauty, STYLE Tagged With: Amara products, Father's Day, gifts for dads, practical presents for dads, presents for dads

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Comments

  1. Katie Albury says

    June 25, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    These were brilliant gift ideas Molly! My husband would have loved them all, especially the slippers, will have to keep them in mind for his birthday! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:56 am

      I want the slippers for me!

      Reply
  2. Jade Ring - Raising the Rings says

    June 1, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    Fab gift guide lovely! Some really good ideas in there, although I think I would probably end up wearing the slippers haha. Amara have some gorgeous bits x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      They really do!

      Reply
  3. Devon Mama says

    May 31, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    Beautiful selection of goodies from Amara. Their products are SO good, I could happily buy half the site! How lucky is NLM to even get one of these things, I know the cable tidy/wash bag would go down well in our household although I’d fight him for the slippers.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      I totally want the slippers for me too!

      Reply
  4. Ali Clifford says

    May 31, 2017 at 10:00 am

    ooh what a lovely bunch of pressies!
    Lucky fella… good choices there…was he as thoughtful on Mother’s Day?!!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Ha – I didn’t do too badly!

      Reply
  5. Jenny Eaves says

    May 31, 2017 at 8:02 am

    Loads of great ideas for Father’s Day gifts! I haven’t even got round to thinking about Father’s Day yet. I’m still annoyed that it falls on my birthday this year!! 🙂 x

    Reply
  6. Candy Pop says

    May 30, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    Great gifts, love the slippers. I never know what to get my dad. I usually end up buying him a plant! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      You can’t go wrong with a plant though!

      Reply
  7. Alice says

    May 30, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Um mmmm, if I buy those slippers for Dad, is it OK to sneak a pair for me, too?! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      OF COURSE!

      Reply
  8. Michelle Twin Mum says

    May 30, 2017 at 4:18 pm

    You’ve picked some fab gifts there Molly. I’m stumped with my Dad and my hubby. I need to get it sorted soon, I’ll look on Amara. Thanks, mich x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:03 pm

      There are so many ideas on Amara – defo recommend it!

      Reply
  9. Lauren - Dilan and Me says

    May 30, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Is it bad that I’d quite like a few of these for myself?! Desperate for some proper slippers! Will check out the website – June is full of birthdays as well as Father’s Day for us!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 1, 2017 at 8:03 pm

      I want them all for myself too! (Apart from the beard kit, ha!)

      Reply
  10. Talya says

    May 30, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    I do love Amara they have some amazing gifts as you’ve clearly shown in this post!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 30, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      They really do – and really unique too!

      Reply
  11. Lori says

    May 30, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    Trust my birthday to fall on father’s day this year! there’s a toss up on who gets to choose what to do lol. Love the idea of some stylish slippers, can’t go wrong there really. x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      May 30, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Ooh you could both choose and double the presents!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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If you feel bad about your body you’re less like If you feel bad about your body you’re less likely to do nice things for it, including moving in a way that feels good and eating in a way that feels good. (FYI health is about more than just exercise and nutrition, but let’s get deeper into the exercise thing for a second...)
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Research shows kids who have low body image are less likely to get involved with sports and more likely to skip PE. 
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Want kids to move more? Stop teaching them that one type of body is better than another - because if their body doesn’t look like your version of a healthy / beautiful / successful body not only will they be more likely to feel shame over their body, they’ll be less likely to engage with the very behaviours you want them to do more of (or be more likely to engage with them in an UNhealthy way - compulsive exercise is dangerous).
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Instead:
💕Try talking about the intrinsic benefits of exercise over the extrinsic ones (ie. how it makes you FEEL instead of how it makes you LOOK).
✨Create opportunities for movement where ALL children feel welcome. 
💕Show children diverse representation so they can see sporting heroes with a range of body types and know that movement is for EVERYbody. 
✨Take a zero tolerance approach to appearance based bullying, body shaming and comments that perpetuate weight stigma (including even the hint that fat = bad). 
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(If you’re a teacher or youth leader interested in knowing more about this topic, a #BodyHappyKids workshop will help - follow the link in my bio 🥰❤️)
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[Image description: A multicoloured slide with an overlaid screenshot of tweet by Molly which reads ‘If your intention is to “get kids healthy” then you need to be aware of how weight bias, weight stigma and poor body image are active barriers to health. The end.]
Sharing this outfit pic with you because it’s a Sharing this outfit pic with you because it’s a crying shame only the piles of laundry got to see it, quite frankly. Finally, a pair of pre-loved jeans bought online that are true to size, consistent with the rest of the brand’s sizing and actually fit! 🎉 
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PS heads up - I’ll be doing a Q&A about body image and kids in my Stories on Friday. The Q sticker is up in my Stories now if you’d like to submit a Q! 💕 #BodyHappyKids
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[Image description: Molly is standing in front of the mirror looking very pleased with the fact her new jeans bought from Depop fit her. She is wearing pink patterned jeans with cherubs on them, a pink check jumper and pink trainers. There are piles of laundry on the bed behind her.]
Another photo of us on a walk, because it’s been Another photo of us on a walk, because it’s been our main form of entertainment this year. Anyone else? 
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I honestly now get excited about putting my boots on and being outdoors, even in the rain. I’m going to start hugging trees next and going on wild camping weekends that involve doing a poo behind a tree and making my own fire. Joke.... maybe. 
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Just another reminder that all movement is valid, exercise doesn’t need to have to be about burning calories or even tracking steps in order for it to be “worth it”. Hope everyone’s had a great weekend ❤️
#BodyHappyMum #JoyfulMovement
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Image description: Molly and her two daughters stand on a bridge in the countryside. They are all wearing hiking boots and outdoor clothes and smiling.
My body is good and excellent and my body only bel My body is good and excellent and my body only belongs to me ✨ (Words by Effie May, age 6 💕) #BodyHappyMum
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Image description: A close up of Molly’s bare skin as she hugs herself. It’s dark and part of her body is illuminated by light. She has her eyes closed and is smiling.
“Mummy I wrote a letter to myself,” she said. “Mummy I wrote a letter to myself,” she said. And my heart swelled. Maybe I’m doing an OK job after all 🤞❤️💕 #BodyHappyKids 
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I could leave this caption here but I need to make something clear: if you think it’s great that my daughter - a thin, white, nondisabled, cisgender kid - feels good in her body but you’re not here for the self-love of any kid who doesn’t look like her.... then you’ve missed the point.
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ALL bodies are good bodies, and without this important piece of the puzzle ALL children will be at risk of doubting their body. And what happens when they doubt their body? Well... hating our body doesn’t make us treat it with love, and the same is true of kids. 
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Great, now we’ve cleared that up, can we take a moment to appreciate the incredible phonetic spelling on show here?! 
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Image description: Effie, age 6, stands against a white wardrobe holding up a letter she has written to herself. It is spelled phonetically and reads “My body is good and excellent and my body only belongs to me.”
I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I ha I used to struggle to buy stuff for myself if I had any spare cash - not just treats, but basics like pants and tights that fit properly. I’d tell myself I didn’t need it, didn’t deserve it, couldn’t justify the expense. There’s still that little voice (the habit of putting everyone else’s needs first and my own last dies hard it seems) but I’m leaning into exploring why it still sometimes rears its head, instead of always listening to it. 
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I’m trying to buy as much as I can from pre-loved places or small businesses these days, which is why I’m very happy to share with you some of my latest finds: a star dress from Depop (£5), earrings from @kelzojewellery by @ourtransitionallife (£12) and the comfiest tights I’ve ever owned in Raspberry Pie by @snagtights (£6.99) 💕💕💕
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Have you found any great small brands lately? Shout them out in the comments so we can all support in the run up to Christmas. ⬇️⚡️
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Image description: Molly is smiling and sticking out her tongue to the camera. Her hair is freshly dyed a light shade of pink. She’s wearing a pink t’shirt underneath a black and white star patterned slip dress, with bright pink tights and black and pink earrings decorated with a boob design.
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