Father’s Day Guide

Greetings mom’s of OKC! My name’s Michael and I’m not a mom. But… I do blog occasionally and I’m a native of Oklahoma City so I guess that technically qualifies me for this guest post here on the OKC Mom’s Blog.

I’m told that Father’s Day is just around the corner and that you ladies occasionally have a hard time deciding what to buy the dads in your lives. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. What follows is a short list of suggestions that are guaranteed to be well-received by the men you love. Not only that, but everything on this list should also up your husband’s DQ (not Dairy Queen… Dapper Quotient). Just because a man becomes a dad doesn’t mean he can’t still rock a little style from time to time. In other words, there are no fanny packs on this list.

However, if you don’t find something on this list that would be a good fit for the dad in your life, you can always go with a “World’s Greatest Dad” coffee mug or t-shirt. No dad can have too many of those in his repertoire.

Alright, let’s get started.

Every dad needs a good dad bag. If your kids are little, he can keep it stocked with some diapers, wipes, fruit snacks, Cheerios, an educational game or two, an iPad, and perhaps a spare tee for when junior decides to lose his lunch on the front of his old man’s shirt. Convinced? How about one of these stylish beauties from Herschel Supply? For your consideration, may I present the:

Little America Backpack ($99.99):

and (if you want something a bit smaller) the Little America Mid Volume Backpack ($89.99) is a great option:

Trust me… both of these classy beauties are way better than forcing dad to carry one of those pickle bottom bags around. What is a pickle bottom anyway?

Maybe the dad in your life is not a backback guy. No problem. Do you know what every dad has in common? A need to tell time. Is it nap time? Bed time? Bath time? School time? When you’re a dad, it’s always time for something and there’s usually not enough of it.

I know. I know. He has a smartphone that tells time. But trust me, (whether he acts like it or not) dad wants to put that stupid smartphone away when he’s at home with his family. You with me? Okay. This bad boy from Timex will not disappoint. It’s so cool, calling it a mere watch does it no justice. This is a timepiece ladies:

Timex Weekender ($35.96)


Before he was a dad, your husband probably used to sleep a lot more and cry a lot less. Now? It’s the other way around. While he’s probably not quite as sleep deprived as you, trust me… he still winces like a vampire springing forth from the crypt at high noon when he walks outside on a sunny day. Between his newfound sleep deprivation induced loathing er… uh… sensitivity to bright light and the fact that his fatherly emotions sometimes get the best of him, every dad needs a good pair of shades to hide behind from time to time. No point investing a small fortune when a pair like this will get the job done nicely:

80’s Collection Classic Retro Wayfarer Sunglasses ($6.95)

Simple. Classic but stylish. Dapper. What else do you need in a pair of sunglasses?

Side note… resist the urge to buy your husband sport sunglasses. Unless of course he plays a professional sport, professionally. Then by all means, sport sunglasses are appropriate. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with a good solid pair of tortoise shell wayfarers.

This next one is a personal favorite and I admit, it won’t be something most men are interested in… at least not consciously. But you’re his wife, help him understand. Every man has, at one time or another, been annoyed by some collar, lapel, or flap on his person that just won’t seem to stay put. The answer?

The Fashion Anchor ($14.99 for a 36 pack)

I got a pack of these in my stocking at Christmas a few years ago and they’ve been a staple in my wardrobe ever since. They’re basically just little dots of temporary glue, but they work wonders at holding anything in place that sometimes ends up looking out of place. I know you ladies can appreciate a fashion device that holds things in place.

None of those strike you as something the dad in your life would enjoy? It’s all good. At the end of the day, most dads don’t care about what they get for Father’s Day anyway. My favorite Father’s Day gift really was a coffee mug testifying to my status as the world’s greatest dad. Of course… it was handmade and included my daughter’s handprint so that probably had something to do with it.

Dads are pretty simple creatures. We just want to know we’re appreciated. Sure, we have it way easier than moms in most ways, but we still want to know that our contributions to the family are valued and appreciated.

Something as simple as a one page letter letting him know what you appreciate about him as a man, husband, and dad (the more specific the better) would probably make his day more than any of the items above.

And a nap. Yeah.

Take the kids out for the afternoon and let him have a nice leisurely Sunday afternoon nap. Big feels for that one.

Want to up your game to a whole new level? Gift him the nap AND retain the services of my man Kolby (405-471-1924) who will come do a bang up job on your lawn while dad snoozes. Well… maybe don’t schedule him during dad’s nap. Lawn mowers are loud.

Already have your Father’s Day gift picked out? Share it in the comments below.

BONUS: If you have a daughter (of if you are a daughter looking for a gift for your own dad) you should definitely consider picking up a copy of my book, “Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus and All Things Pink” for the dad in your life. It’s only $9.59 on Amazon and is guaranteed to produce warm fuzzies for all dads of daughters who flip through its pages.  Or enter on our GIVEAWAYS page for a chance to win one of three copies!!

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MichaelMitchell-150Michael Mitchell is a thirty-something father of two and husband to the lovely and talented Annaleise. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Michael is the Director of Admissions at Oklahoma Christian University where he also graduated with a Marketing degree in 2004. In the abundance of spare time afforded to him by the aforementioned roles, he recently published a book for dads of daughters called, “Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus and All Things Pink” based on his blog Life to Her Years. On the rare occasion he’s not changing a diaper, reading a book at bedtime, giving a bath, cleaning up or chasing after his very active daughter, he enjoys fighting street gangs for local charities and drinking strong coffee from a cup that’s half full. For a regular dose of parenting reflection from a dad’s perspective, bookmark his blog and follow him on Facebook.

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10 COMMENTS

  1. My sweet hard working guy works his tail off at two jobs to take care of our 8 month old daughter and his two step daughters every day!I couldn’t ask for a better guy to have in our lives! We love him very much!

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