A Last-Minute Gift Guide: Father's Day

If you're a procrastinator like me, I hope you'll find this list of Father's Day gift ideas helpful as you try to find that perfect gift for good ol' Dad before Sunday. As I did on Mother's Day, this list is made up of things that I think my own dad would like to receive, or has been excited to receive in the past. And to give you a sense of what my dad is like, I have a disclaimer right off the bat: my dad is not a sports guy. He couldn't care less and I bet I'd still have my $20 if I told him "I'll give you $20 if you can tell me what sport Kevin Durant plays. LeBron James? Uhhhh Kobe?" But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree so don't ask me any sports questions that are unrelated to the NBA. Unless there was a scandal, then I probably know about it. My dad is into other things that a lot of other dads are into though, such as books, movies, music, current events, the outdoors and traveling. So as long as your dad does not live, breathe and eat sports they would probably enjoy some gifts in common. Alright, here is the list. Fingers crossed something is right on target.

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1. A subscription to The New Yorker. This is what my dad always asks for for Christmas, and if he doesn't get it, he'll shell out the $60 for an annual subscription as a present to himself. The New Yorker, Netflix and Costco are the only things my dad will financially commit to, so I put this at the top of Father's Day gift ideas.

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2. Concert tickets. One of the things my dad and I connect on is music (he may have gone to the same Blink-182 concert that I did when I was 15; hell no we did not go together or find each other while we were there), so tickets to a summer concert makes a lot of sense for a Father's Day gift. (And that was a fluke in his music taste I swear - he has a legit man-crush on Bob Dylan.) So... Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jimmy Buffett, Santana, Steve Miller Band, and my personal favorite, Rush, are all playing tours this summer along with many others. Even if your dad's favorite band only plays at casinos in the middle of nowhere now, he still may want to go. Just do a Google search and see what's up. And get 2 tickets, obviously.

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3. A well-made hat. Did I mention my dad is somewhat of an adventurer? When he came through Portland to visit me on the way home from an extended stay in Thailand, not only was he decked out in traditional Thai clothes but he would not take off his safari hat. He said that when he wore it he felt "like Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond." Yeah he said that, and he doesn't read this blog, so I can repeat it. :) If you consider getting your dad a hat for Father's Day, remember that it can be any kind of hat - baseball, fishing, hunting, golfing, safari - but make sure it's a good quality one that will last forever.

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4. A good TV series on DVD. Have you seen The Wire? Have you seen The Sopranos? Dad will be happy for a long time if he has one of these amazing shows in his possession (and you will too if you're still living at your parents' house). While these are officially the two "greatest shows ever created" according to their Wikipedia pages and people with good taste, I've heard there are some other good ones out there but I can't vouch for them because I haven't seen enough of them: Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Band of Brothers (a miniseries), Boardwalk Empire, Six Feet Under, and of course, Mad Men (which I have seen and can say that it's great). Go get your dad a good TV show on DVD and help keep Best Buy in business. Ahh memories...

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5. Something leather. Men just like leather, don't they? Especially worn-in, rugged, natural leather. So manly. This gift could be anything from a travel bag to a pair of moccasins to a watch with a leather strap. Find a leather item in your price range and go for it.

And that's all folks! I hope this Last Minute Gift Guide gives you some new ideas for Father's Day this year, and that you have a fantastic day with the fam on Sunday!

How do you plan on celebrating Father's Day this year?