Q: What is a woman’s favorite holiday w(h)ine?
A: “Guys are so hard to buy for!”
To help you tackle this very problem, may I present (pardon the pun) an extensive list of Christmas gift ideas for men. To ease your shopping experience, I’ve included links to many of these items. Yes, several are “affiliate links” which yield a tuppence or two for me, but hey, that’s how I’m paying Santa’s elves!
Ready? Let’s go!
What are the three best presents you’ve received to date?
Recently I posed the above question to some of Tony Bear’s college football officiating friends. Here are a few of their answers.
- Leather key fob stamped with “Pop”
- Coffee cup coaster hand-painted by a daughter
- Hand-written card from each child inviting him on a father-child outing
- A gun that shoots plastic bullets
- A collage of family photos
- (From a wife) A framed picture of a local newspaper article about an event I participated in
- A Porsche (FYI Tony Bear, don’t get your hopes up!)
According to that list, hand-made, personal gifts are likely winners.
I posed a similar question to my guy friends on Facebook.
I actually think more ladies than men answered the question. Either way, there are a ton of great ideas here.
Yeti travel cup
Interesting socks
Food-prep gizmos (cheese-making kit, bacon-making kit, whiskey-aging kit)
Good food (chocolate, exotic fruit basket, [raw] nuts, exotic game meat, a pumpkin pie)
Tools or supplies for a hobby (camping, beer or whiskey-making, hammocking, mushroom hunting)
Fancy beer basket (Talk to Tony Bear or Cody Brook about this option!)
Gift card from Home Depot, Cabela’s, or Dick’s Sporting Goods)
Merchandise from his favorite sports team
Telescope
Restaurant gift cards
Adult beverage(s) of choice: beer, wine, whiskey, etc..
Watch
Fancy Flashlight
Dress shirt and coordinating tie
Certificate for a back rub, massage, facial, or “sports” pedicure
Coupon for “other personal services,” from their sweetie, of course!
Wireless headphones for the gym
Newspaper or magazine subscription
Add money to a turnpike or EZ Pass
Certificate for a family (or couple) get-away
Gift card to an indoor shooting range
Gun (to use at the indoor shooting range)
Socks and underwear. Or both.
Lingerie (for you, not him)
The best answer was from our friend, Greg Brooks: “I would rather those I love receive whatever makes them happiest.” It’s like he read Tony Bear’s mind!
I also read tons of articles titled, “Best Guy Gifts” and found these cool items:
Lifestraw ($11.99)
Elite Hookey Ring Toss Game ($34.99)
11 in 1 Beer Opener Survival Tool ($12.99)
Magnetic Wristband to hold nuts and screws ($16.99)
Endurance: My Year in Space book ($11.56)
Breakfast Sandwich Maker ($24.99)
Hot Dog (and Bun) Toaster ($19.77)
Beer & Whiskey-flavored nuts ($39.95)
Corksicle Beer Chilling Sticks ($19.95)
Hot Sauce Sampler Pack ($34.99)
Reversible Belt ($24.00)
Favorite Gifts I’ve given (or plan to give) my guys:
Over the years, I’ve hit some homeruns with my guy gift ideas. Here are the best of my offerings:
- Books: ie. Just about anything by Stephen King, The Martian, books about war (ie. Unbroken) or personal development (ie. Unscripted)
- DVDs (and/or sets) of movies your guy has loved: ie. The Bourne Trilogy, Die Hard 5-Movie Collection
- DVD sets of television shows your guy has loved: MacGyver: The Complete Collection, Miami Vice, Breaking Bad
- Sock subscription: I recommend Soul Socks.
- Homemade Chex Mix in a tin: My mom used to make Chex Mix for Tony Bear every year.
- Homemade Sesame Candy in a tin: Our one daughter makes this for Tony every year. Send me an email if you want the recipe.
- Salsa Bag: This is a super easy gift for anyone who loves chips and salsa—a sturdy bag full of an assortment of salsas and tortilla chips. If you haven’t yet tasted Red Hot Blues Chips, try them ASAP. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll hear a heavenly choir when you take your first bite.
- CDs of bands your honey loved growing up or when you were dating. Or movie soundtracks like: “A Star Is Born” or “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- T-shirt Throw or Quilt: A few years back, Tony’s sister made him a quilt using his old beer t-shirts. He LOVES it! Or, you can have someone else make it, like MemoryStitch.
- A Slide Belt: This is a suggestion from Tony. He loves these belts so much he gave one to Junior-Man.
- A 5”x7” picture frame with 12 photos of you, you and him, the whole family, etc.. He can keep the frame on his desk at work and change the picture every month (I did this for my mother also.).
- Whiskey and all the trimmings: Every year I give Tony an updated copy of Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible. I’ve also given him whiskey items from Crate and Barrel: whiskey glasses, sphere ice molds, and stainless steel “ice cubes.” He gets even more excited when I gift him with whiskey. From Scotland.
- Reading Glasses: In the past I’ve bought Tony back-up reading glasses at Gabe’s. This year, though, I’ll shop at trendyglasses.net for a nicer pair or two for him.
- Introductory membership to a gym: Only give your honey this item if he won’t be offended. In 2017 on Valentine’s Day, I gave Tony a 2-month trial membership to a local gym that offers personal training. He loved this gift so much, he still goes a couple times a week.
- Omaha Steaks: My mother used to send us Omaha Steak variety packs and the items were super tasty.
- Wolferman’s English Muffins: Mom bought us gifts from here also! Wolferman English muffins are awe-mazing—big, soft, and available in wonderfully unusual flavors. Give them a try. If you haven’t broken up with bread yet.
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There you have it, my 2018 list of Christmas gift ideas for men. If you have some great ideas, please let us hear about them down in the comments! Be sure to come back next week for a list of Christmas gift ideas for women!
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