PRESENTS FOR MEN thread

[NorksAreMessy]

PLEASE list ideas and inspiration here.

I find myself falling back on books, food and booze, CDs (not so much any more, everyone has an iPod), DVDs and tools (ooo-errr, missus)

I would really love some inspired ideas, big and little.

In return I can offer you a little present I made for DH a few years ago. Lots of little whisky miniatures, some shot glasses, some home made score cards. I took all the labels off the whiskeys and he had to taste and guess what they were. Very successful. But I have done that one now :(

I like a good browse at the mens' stuff in TKMaxx. They have lots of outdoorsy sporty gadgets. Things like waterproof pouches for ipods, mini first aid kits and wash kits, bike tool kits and so on. I like their selection of wallets and belts, they have some really good fleeces (some of which I buy for myself, I don't like the ladies styles). Good choice of bags for work, laptops, rucksacks as well.

Something I discovered in Home Bargains, by the mens toiletries, are microfibre towels. They are each in a plastic pouch, are 60x120cms size and are marketed as gym or swimming towels. I bought two each for DH and I to take on holiday, and can say that they pack very small, are incredibly absorbent and quick to dry. Best of all they are really cheap at something like £1.99 each!!! The only downside is they only come in blue. Would be good for camping, youth hostelling, surfers/watersports as well. (I'm thinking about stocking gifts)

Another thing that might be handy is a folding shovel, to keep in the car, handy if you get snowed in at a work car park for example. DH will be taking his in the car this winter instead of a garden spade! I think Argos have some.

If you're really stuck, ask if there is anything he would really like. He doesn't have to have a surprise all the time.

Great suggestions girly. i do like presents that are properly USEFUl instead of just 'gifts' for the sake of it.
And thank you for another reason to go into TKMaxx :)

Last Christmas I got DP a wide flask thingie, so he can take hot meals to work -soup, stew, meatballs etc. This year I've no idea beyond books and some new work shirts....

Oh I just remembered, also got him a head torch and a really nice proper compass, as he was going through an outdoorsy faze at the time.

Maybe you could get him an 'experience' - rally driving, or flight in a glider?

Ah, I'm getting DH a little speaker for his iPhone. Our friend has one, and it sounded really good. + it's only ~£15.

Ive got mine tickets to see Roy Chubby Brown (he has a strange sense of humour) at Stoke Regent Theatre which were £48.00 for 2.

A desk top calender from the boys which has pictures of them on every month.
A stoke shirt, stoke nice warm adidas top for when he goes the matches in the winter.
A new leather wallet, as i accidently washed his other one.
A Ben Shermen polo shirt, some slippers. Some Homer Simpson boxer shorts.

Erm he did ask not for me to spend much this year, Think i have got a bit carried away as will also get him some Choccies and sweet type things too.

Ooh i will say i got my partner a driving experience for his 30th and i was very dissapointed. He was queing up for hours just to do a lap in a couple of sports cars.
I cried when we got home because i knew he had been so exited about it but even though he said he enjoyed it i could see the dissapointment in his face.

It cost me over £200 so was not cheap.

Excuse my bad spelling, my son is hitting me with a plastic saucepan as i type.

Also lurking on this thread I want to get dp something really special this year as he's been wonderful since dd was born. I normally always buy him silly boxer shorts each year and a book plus usually cardigan/jumper but need something extra special I think.

Li'l Black Book

I've had tonnes of booking for these this year if you have something similar local and you are brave enough

Manshape is desperate for a Planer Thicknesser and a cordless impact driver or a cordless reciprocating saw.

I doubt we can afford them though.

Last year i got him this and he was landed with it and has used it lots - it's gone up by £40 though since i bought it!!

Are SIGG water bottles worth the money does anyone know, Dh could do with a couple of new bottles to take when he plays golf. Plastic ones get smelly and leaky eventually, and I have found that you can get sports style drinking caps separately for SIGG bottles which would be ideal as DH couldn't be faffing with the original one every time he wanted a slurp!

I bought DH a pen knife once, he takes it everywhere. It's v useful -has a corkscrew for all wine related emergencies!

Could have done with that last night Cheeseandbiscuits, after turning up to the school's cheese and wine night (that I had so carefully organised) to discover that there wasn't a corkscrew anywhere in the building

bawbag noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. poor man has to look at stretch marks and enormous norkage in real life. No way is he getting a book that the DCs will inherit one day.

Yep, we've had a couple of Sigg water bottles (I think we've lost them though!), and we liked them. They didn't seem to get smelly, I'd just sterilise them with a tablet if they did. I didn't know that about the sports top though, I might just need to get another one!

pmsl @ NorksAreMessy

My DH would love me to do one, he even offered to take the photos himself, which was very nice of him eh but as the way he holds a camera makes me want to slap him then I politely declined...

...well that and points you mentioned

furry animal hoodie is all i've got for dh so far.

Him and my dad are so awkward to buy for

mmmm, cosy!

They are ALL difficult to buy for which I why I started this thread. My Mum I could buy a present for every day of the year and not run out of things, my Dad is IMPOSSIBLE. he always says 'don't bother' and I wish i could just not bother, but I love him and want to make him happy.
Last year I gave him an antique scientific thingymabob

I am getting dh fishing clothes for his birthday and an air rifle/pistol for Xmas.

Plus the usual:-

chocs
alcohol
pajamas
socks
slippers
fishing bits n bobs
camping bits n bobs
new jumper

I am also going to book us a spa day to attend together inbetween his birthday and mine.

Great to hear that Achtung, I saw the sports caps on Amazon. DH has been known to guzzle two 750ml bottles during one 18 hole golf round, and I know the ordinary caps would just annoy him after a while. That's two stocking fillers sorted!

This year I'm going to take a leaf out of DH's book and shop in the manner than he does every year.
I will go in the first shop I find, pick up the first thing I see, not checking for sizes, go home wrap it up and then on Christmas day looked stunned or that he didn't like it

Christmas Puding Vodka.

Takes 5 minutes to make. Recipe here

*Pudding