As a Dadfluencer who’s worked hard to tell a fatherhood story that stands on its own, Father’s Day is a time of year where a lot of people reach out to see what a Dad like me would like to see when I wake up Sunday morning.
Now I’m not an easy guy to shop for—as a “Buy it for Life”-type, I’ve scaled down to owning things I actually use.
But it’s not impossible. There are still things I use up. There are things I need to upgrade as my needs and understanding of the things I need continue to evolve. So this list isn’t just what’s new or what’s hot—it’s a take on what can help your Dad be even better than he is today without needing to go bankrupt in the process.
Even Dads Need a Little Leg-Up Sometimes ($)
SprezzaBox (starting at $25 USD/month)
If you’re in a last-minute bind, one thing to consider is a subscription service—the gift that keeps on giving, and right to your Dad’s front door!
One such service I got to try is SprezzaBox, offering men’s grooming tools and fashion accessories so they can stay on top of their game every month!
Watches, tie clips, money clips and more, SprezzaBox offers the accents that really make an outfit stand out. They say that the devil’s in the details, and they’re also the things that make people take notice.
So help Dad be the man he wants to be—sign him up for a SprezzaBox today!
You Really Appreciate Dad and All His Dad Jokes ($$)
Sauza Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila ($44 CAD)
One thing I discovered while down in Mexico was how much I enjoy a good tequila sunrise. Sure, there are some great beers on the market, and whiskey and bourbon are more refined, but tequila sunrise was my answer on a vacation where none of those were options.
But I’m also a grown-ass man—the cheap tequila from my twenties won’t cut it. I’m not here to party; I’m here to enjoy what I put in my body, and Sauza’s looking to quench that thirst with their Hornitos Black Barrel premium tequila!
Sauza Hornitos Black Barrel tequila is the most premium Hornitos available at the LCBO, going through a triple ageing process to build a creamy, complex mouthfeel. It’s just as delicious today as when Sauza founder Don Francisco Javier Sauza introduced it in 1950 to commemorate Mexican Independence Day—you sip it, not shoot it, and can even use it as a substitute for whiskey in your cocktails! There’s a reason it’s the most highly awarded tequila of 2016!
The LEGO Architecture Skyline Collection—Paris ($70 CAD)
One thing we’ve been big on lately is keeping fewer toys around the house so our boys could be more focused in their play.
And it makes a big difference! When you cut down on all the distractions, kids use their imaginations in a far richer way, relying on what’s in their heads for fun instead of the multitude of things that’re in the room.
But one toy that never gets kicked to the curb is LEGO, which really lives up to its promise of fun for all kids from ages 4 to 99!
They let me check out the Parisian set from the LEGO Architecture Skyline Collection, featuring a number of the landmarks I’d visited in my two trips there in 2005 and 2011! And at nearly 700 pieces, building it’s no small feat! That’s why it’s for enthusiasts 12 and older!
Or a five-year-old with his Daddy’s help, of course.
So if you’re looking for a gift that’ll tie into one of Dad’s special memories, try LEGO’s Architecture Collection out!
A Goat from Plan International Canada’s Gifts of Hope ($75 CAD)
But not all gifts are material.
This Father’s Day, Plan International Canada’s looking for Dads to stand up to their GOAT status by buying a goat for some children who could really use one.
The Greatest of All Time—or the GOAT for short—is someone who dos what it takes to make the world a better place. And what better gift is there than an ethical one that transforms the lives of children and families around the world?
The goat you give provides children with things like nutritious milk, education, health care and a whole lot more—if your Dad doesn’t need stuff, why not give people who need it with one of over fifty gifts in Plan International Canada’s Gifts of Hope collection?
For more details, make sure to check out Plangifts.com!
Dad’s Low-Key Your Favourite Parent, But You’re Not About To Let Mama Know ($$$)
The GoPro Hero 7 Black ($530 CAD)
If you’ve ever shot events in Toronto, you’ll know that our spaces are incredibly small, and you need a pretty wide lens to capture everything going on.
While on vacation in Mexico, I got talking to some photographers about my plans to buy a Canon EF 11-24 f/4L USM lens, when one of them came up with an excellent idea—to buy a GoPro Hero 7 Black instead!
I’ve wanted to get my hands on a GoPro for a while, interested in the possibilities available from taking it all the places my other gear just couldn’t go.
But I’m no extreme athlete. Or nature photographer. Or live any of a number of lifestyles that come to mind when I think of the people who could use a GoPro in their lives. The GoPro’s come a long way from where it started, though, crossing over into a space deserving of inclusion in a professional photographer’s kit.
So if you want to push the boundaries of what you can accomplish with your photography, I think the GoPro Hero 7 Black is the way to go!
The Miracle 10 Men’s Starter Collection ($143 CAD)
I get it. For 99.99% of us, skin maintenance is some soap, your razor blade and some aftershave. And that temptation’s even stronger as a Black man, since “Black don’t crack” and it’s just so much easier not to have to think about it.
But anything goes south if you don’t take proper care of it, and like it or not, that includes those rugged good looks of yours.
Now while I’m not a complete novice when it comes to skincare—I’ve toured my share of The Body Shops over the years—I’ve got lots to learn beyond exfoliation alone. Which is why when Miracle 10 dropped me a line to offer a gift of their Men’s Starter Collection, I said “yes” so I could learn a thing or two about how to do this right.
What’s in the Boxes?
The starter collection includes:
- M10 for Men Wash: A foaming, hydrating cleanser that deeply cleans the pores, removing oil and skin debris. It softens the beard for shaving and leaves skin supple and primed for further treatment. It removes dull, flaky surface cells without irritating the skin and deep cleans without drying the skin.
- M10 for Men Shave: Softens hair, so the razor glides along the skin and doesn’t drag. Shave holds more moisture to the beard, lifting hairs for a clean, comfortable shave.
- M10 for Men Tone: A calming and clarifying solution leaving the skin feeling fresh and hydrated. Aloe and Witch Hazel Extract soothe and moisturise sensitive skin, while Chamomile Extract works to clear unwanted bacteria and oils without irritation or inflammation. Menthol cools the skin and soothes any razor burn that might occur from shaving.
- M10 for Men Scrub: A powerful conditioning product that deep cleans and exfoliates, dissolves dead skin cells, and enhances grooming once or twice a week to leave skin feeling remarkably refreshed and clean.
It’s never too late to upgrade your skincare regimen game! You want to try something different? Give Miracle 10 a go!
The Samsung Galaxy Watch ($400 CAD)
You hear Apple Watch this and iPhone hat, but as an Android user with a Google Pixel 2 XL, I’ve gotta say it—Samsung’s Galaxy Watch is pretty sweet!
Up until recently, I trucked by with a Samsung Gear S2, thinking it had what it takes to keep up with my life, but then I discovered the Galaxy Watch and it is so much better.
The things I love most about this smartwatch are how well it blends into my everyday life:
- Its long-lasting battery means I can use it to track my sleep, a metric that syncs up solidly with my daily steps and my heart rate
- The notifications are more responsive, letting me take care of more without even needing to look at my phone
- And with a standard-sized watch band, I can customise it however I like, with whatever colour, fabric and style suits my needs!
No matter how old Dad is, a smartwatch could be the perfect complement to his life—he’s just gotta find the features that fit!
So don’t visit Dad empty-handed this Father’s Day—go get him a gift that really counts! He doesn’t need to know how last-minute it was!
Good luck shopping out there, and until the next, I remain,
