Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's day is a tricky one. Men are so different. We used to take my father out for lunch as he was away working a lot, we lived in London and it was really nice to spend some time together. Also I find with men if they want something they usually get it themselves. My husband has a horror of more stuff being bought into the house having spent the last couple of years sorting through his late father's hoarded belongings and acquiring two children and the plastic tat that inevitably comes with them. For our anniversary I tend to take him out for supper.

Father's Day though is different. Taking a hugely pregnant wife and two small children anywhere to eat isn't that relaxing and though I'm pretty sure he'd love it if I sent him to the pub for the afternoon I'm not sure that really counts. Of course I'm hoping Ned will create something at pre-school for his dad (I had a beautiful earring dish made) but in case that doesn't happen I have a few back-ups.

Accessories  - I love these skull cufflinks from The Great Frog (all their cufflinks are pretty awesome). I'm also always on the hunt for a vintage silver belt buckle for him but I think I need to go to America to track one of these down. These Gaucho belts look great and go with everything - Joe has the Neopolitan which has lasted for years and he wears it most days.

Blue Bowl - my go-to place for unusual presents. You can even email Florence to ask her advice if you are stuck. Lovely cufflinks, very cool old school razor and razor blades (much better for the environment than disposables), she's even got a full collection of vintage James Bond books at the moment.

Kitchen, food and drink - most men I know like food and/or cooking. Last year we got Joe this carving board as he's the one who does the carving and we didn't have one. Nice and useful and a bit manly doesn't take up a lot of space and didn't break the bank. I really like Sous Chef as I always seem to find something a bit unusual on there. If in doubt you could make up a little hamper of stuff - beer, and a few foodie bits that they'd like, maybe something for the BBQ (though it's like December here as I look out of the window). The bacon curing kit, chipotle sauce, smoked chili mayo, and liquid smoke all look good (Joe would like the chestnut spread and the refried black beans too).

Music - one thing neither of us can get enough of is vinyl. We both love it and don't mind giving it house room, an individual record doesn't take up that much space even if our whole collection is getting slightly excessive. Vinyl is becoming so popular now that a lot of classic favourites from our youth are getting reprinted so it's great to look out for those. I love a good few hours spent looking through records in a second hand shop but there's something amazing about listening to a favourite album on vinyl.

Photographic - one thing Joe loves is pictures of the boys because he never prints them off himself. For his first Father's Day we got him a photocube with lots of pictures of Ned in (it has since been updated to include some of Jim too). Santa always brings him a photographic phone cover (Mr Nutcase lasted much better than the one from Snapfish) and we also printed small wallet size pictures of me and the boys so he can gaze at us when he feels like it. He's forever breaking his glasses case so I'm always on the lookout for someone who does those but yet to find one that looks good.

Spa treatment -  something my husband would never book for himself and which falls under the Father's Day gifts that involve no parenting a nice massage is something worth thinking about. Joe's had about 2 massages in his life and loved them both (we were away and because I was getting one he wanted one too). Also he spends quite a lot of time either sitting at a desk or with a hefty four year old on his shoulders and bags on each arm and a scooter dangling off a shoulder and with a third child on the way I need him to not fall apart. We have a great spa near us in West London which we can walk to but you should be able to google a good one near you - if you live in London you could even get someone to come to you though you'll be in charge of making sure the children are quiet!

Tickets - clutter free and nice to have something to look forward too. I also go for non-child friendly options. Joe is a very good hands-on dad so a night off guilt-free is a good present. For Christmas the boys got Joe a pair of tickets to see Star Wars at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. Not being a Star Wars fan I looked after the boys and Joe went with my brother-in-law (his friend from when they were teenagers) and they sat in comfy chairs and drank beer. The Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square isn't very glamorous but it does loads of old movies - one of our best dates was going to see Rear Window here. Concert tickets are also great - I tend to keep an eye out every couple of months to see whats coming up that would make a good father's day/birthday/christmas present.