Daily Loaf

Father’s Day will be here sooner then you realize (June 21st) and picking up the perfect gift can be a little difficult, maybe even more so then for Mother’s Day in some cases.If your father is anything like mine, there doesn’t seem to be much that I haven’t gotten him. I have done the watch route, the tie, the Brooks Brothers gift card, the sports memorabilia and now that I am *cough* a smidge older than my teens and early 20’s, the ideas seem less and less original.

So why not try some fun, new green products for dad? Even though some of them are Father’s Day staples, you can explain (and impress) him about how it is organic and reasons to go eco-friendly. What better time then the beginning of the summer to try out some of these new products.
Some gift ideas that I thought of and came across include:

Beer: Dads like beer. Most guys like beer. There are a few exceptions, like J.D. on Scrubs who would rather have his appletini, or some guys that just don’t like to drink period. But in many cases, you can’t go wrong with a fun, simple organic beer. Dad might be a little taken a back by the new purchase if it is not his regular beer, but also find it intriguing to try something new. Ones to check out are Samuel Smith’s Organic line or Pinkus Organic Pilsner, each of which can be found at most bigger beer stores like Total Wine. If you aren’t sure what kind of beer dad likes, take him to Datz’s Deli in South Tampa and have him “sample” a few of their organic beers they have on hand. That way, you can see if he is a Hefeweisen guy, a lager guy, etc. Plus, it will be a fun outing to hang and have a good brewski with pops.

For the Candy Man: Not that I should be outwardly promoting candy and desserts to the masses, but it is a yummy treat to have now and again. Even I have trouble resisting the care packages that come into my office filled with treats and for a special holiday like Father’s Day; candy is a hit. Try getting dad some yummy candy or brownies from Allison’s Gourmet. Some of their delicious organic treats include peanut butter swirl brownies, butterscotch pecan cookies and organic vanilla caramels. You can get their delicious organic brownies, for example, as part of a monthly club. The gift that keeps on giving each year! If dad isn’t a huge treat person, they also have organic coffees and teas available for delivery.

Fruit Basket: If dad is really trying to be healthy then tempting him with chocolates might be a little mean.  Try getting him a fruit basket for Father’s Day instead! Cherry Moon Farms has a few different organic fruit basket options to chose from that display all of their freshest summer eats. They even throw in a balloon and some extra fruit in most of the orders. Really, no complaints there with free extras! Plus, dad might not feel as guilty munching on some naval oranges or fuji apples. But I say to each his own! Get dad what you think would be best!

Dad’s trying to get on track: If the fruit idea intrigues you because dad likes to stay healthy, try getting him a new stainless steel water bottle. As you may have read in articles posted in the green community section of Creative Loafing, plastic water bottles can omit dangerous toxins when mixed with heat and other factors. The new health rage now is getting a stainless steel water bottle. One of the cool ones I have seen is the Klean Kanteen. One of the reasons I like this company is that you can chose your own cap! Some people like the twisty, while some like the rapid flow version. You can pick one out of three different types which is a nice bonus. If you don’t want to order one, you can find these new stainless steel water bottles at most sports stores in your neighborhood.

Gift Memberships: The Nature Conservatory has a couple of different gift memberships specifically geared towards donating in dad’s name. They range anywhere from donating money in his name to planting trees in Brazil as part of a “Plant a Million trees campaign” to protecting acres of the Appalachians. They also have free e-cards representing fun wildlife shots to send dad instead of a paper card. This website is pretty cool and definitely worth checking out.

The Classic Man: The classic dad has rows upon rows of “World’s Best Dad” memorabilia. It is a tad cheesy but also fun and something that dad can show off a little at the office or wear around when mowing the lawn. Cafe Press has a couple of different organic Father’s Day shirts on their website that are fun and add little slogan twists to make their line a little different. (This is such a Seinfeld moment. “My son got me the World’s Best Dad Shirt!”) He will love it! If dad isn’t into “World’s best” shirts,though,  Cafe Press offers an array of organic t-shirts with other fun slogans. It is also worth mentioning to get dad some organic socks as well to go nicely with a matching organic shirt.

The Reader: As previously mentioned in my organic Mother’s Day post and worth mentioning again here is getting dad a subscription to a digital magazine online. It is a fun, new way to read your favorite magazine without having any extra paper waste. For my digitial magazine needs, I have turned to Zinio as they always have a good deal online and a wide array of magazine choices.

My personal fave: Make dad an organic breakfast! There is nothing like waking up on a special day to someone slaving over a stove for you (just kidding). He will love the thoughtful idea and especially be impressed when you tell him you used natural or organic products to make his meal. He will feel extra special. If dad does not live nearby, don’t fret. Do what I do and use the “IOU” card and tell him next time you see him you will make him a nice meal. He will appreciate it and probably call you out on it next time you do see each other!

Lastly, I would like to mention some of these ideas you can make yourself in home gift baskets. This will cut down on shipping costs for yourself as well as create a fun, personalized project for you to show your dad how much you appreciate him!

I hope this helps with a few ideas for Father’s Day gifts! I know getting presents for people can be pretty hard, but hang in there. If you want you can leave your own ideas here to help out anyone else in need of a little help. Happy Father’s Day everyone, and Happy Green shopping or crafting!

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