Ideas for blokes - for all those men in the family!

[ja9]

I ALWAYS find them the hardest by a mile...

hits in the past have been designer pj bottoms, butchers block for the kitchen, err that's about it.

save me from cds and jumpers!

errr... guessing you want something more imaginative than toiletries and DVDs then? I'll be watching this one with interest too I always struggle with blokes pressies. BIL is into mountain biking, so got him a book of trails in Europe. Thing is there's no way of knowing what they've already got to go with these hobbies - he probably already has all the guide books he needs!

I'm watching this thread too. Otherwise my DH will be getting Dan Brown's new book and a shirt from Joe Browns that I like with his single malt ....all pretty predictable.

DH has bought his brother a book called How to make a tornado.

See, now, my DH has asked for some very exciting things for Christmas.

He wants a pair of golf shoes (which he will buy himself and give to me to give to him) and some more golf balls, because he only has about three hundred and he's concerned his stocks are too low.

And the latest Terry Pratchett, if there is one, which he will get round to reading in 6 years' time.

It's a soul-destroying task, trying to buy him presents.

Ipod case? I crocheted a nice one for DH's birthday. A good knife? DH is always hangering after a really nice bread knife.

DH has just said:

good pair of binoculars
a leatherman
cufflinks (quirky/trendy/classic depending on taste)
swiss army knife
experience day out (racing track days, hot air ballooning etc.)
something gadget-y if need new ipod, camera etc.
digital photo frame
[i am loathe to put this next one emoticon] devault cordless hammer drill (it's the next best thing in tools apparently) [how come no DIY jobs get finished in the christie house then emoticon]
concert tickets (obv only if fave band on tour, not some random band)
cinema pass tickets for a year (or shorter depending on how much you want to spend)
magazine subscription (altho' few and far between for blokes)
Play station portable
decent pen (if office based)
maglite torch

ahh, bless him, last year he got hankies off DS, CDs, DVDs, aftershave and wine. Is he trying to tell me I need to rethink my conservative present buying?!!

I bought a fab book last year for DH called 'how to get things really flat' which describes ironing techniques and how to do housework. Was really interesting.

Oh come on ladies, we all know they really want a train set or meccano. And I'm happy to go with that!

oh, I remember I also got him 2 ties!!! - but to be fair, there were swish fancy ones from a London tailor that he used to buy stuff from before we upped sticks and moved back home to the back of beyond, so he was very chuffed to have decent quality ties for work again!

DeWALT. Not vault. And it's awesome.

Last year I brought dh a vegetable garden - lots of different seeds, some compost and a gardening book. He loved it but still hasn't planted it
This year I'm getting him a battery shaver so he has no excuses when we're camping and the girls are getting him one welly boot each stuffed with chocs...
Gadgety stuff and car stuff generally go down well as well...

ahh, DeWALT. I shall consider myself told . Now I have no excuse for not being able to find it on amazon.

Watching this thread with interest. Why are men so bloody hard to buy presents for?

I got DH a metal detector for his birthday. He was genuinely excited. We have been together 15 years and I think this is the only present that he has genuinely liked. Sigh.

kate EVERY time DH uses his cordless hammer drill/screwdriver combined thing I bought him 5 years ago he says "this is the BEST christmas pressie you have EVERY bought me"

I have tried so hard every year and nothing beats that F$%^&ing thing

Pop Charts is the ideal present for any person aged between 30 and 50 or so, for whom you have to buy a present, under a tenner.

I bought Dh an organ lesson last year (fnarr).

The Real Cottage Bread Book is fabbo - dh now makes bagels (occasionally). He also has got into making jam - a top quality maslin pan was a good present, also the River Cottage Preserves book.

Lego. They all love Lego.

YYY- definitely Lego. Especially the Star Wars ones- the more complicated, the better.

Hmmm. A new idea for dh's gift list.

WELL, MY DAD THIS YEAR IS GETTING A POSH CHEESE BOARD WITH ROCKING KNIFE THINGY (?), A SELECTION OF CHEESES AND CRACKERS, AND A NICE BOTTLE OF PORT. ALSO, I HAVE GOT HIM A PUFFIN KEYRING (HE LIKES THEM, I KNOW HE WONT USE IT, BUT HAVE GOT IT FOR THE FUN FACTOR), AND A STIG SOAP ON A ROPE.

I got DH a remote control car 2 xmases ago. Spent abou £70 on it and it was a bit of a risk.

Turns out his best mate had one too so they ended up having grand prix's in the park.

Now he uses it with ds too.

Crackfox, liking the metal detector idea

One year I got him a carving knife set secondhand. Every sunday he sharpens it with pride.

I also got him tickets to see Peter Kay that went down well.

But thats only 3 successes out of years and years of crap results

i will probably buy this for dh this year.
the best present he says he has ever received (as far a usefulness goes) is the sony ereader. dh reads ALOT and works abroad so it keeps his luggage weight down considerably.
if he likes cars - car magazine subscription.
remote control aeroplane
stunt kite

I've got DH a laptop.

Dad - a years subscription to Navy News.

Brother - Paco Rabbane 1 million.

I don't think I've ever been so organised, I usually really struggle with ideas for the men and they end up with books.

My brother in law is the most difficult to buy for. He has enough money to buy himself whatever he needs AND he has expensive tastes. We have very little money and bad taste

I usually end up with something comical/jokey.

A few years ago it was a pop-up Karma Sutra book.

This year, I'm thinking of something like these

I need something else to go with it though.

This looks quite a good (if naffly titled!) company

Private eye subscription goes down very well with my Dad

My dad is the worst. No hobbies, no sports, no music, no films, has all garden and DIY equipment known to man and buys all his clothes from charity shops and likes it that way. I buy him aftershave, funny and interesting books and collections of weird ales I can find.

The biggest success though was a weather station - he is obsessed with it, has a little book that he daily writes it all down in! (And best of all - I reviewed it for MN and won a washing machine! ) My BIL and DP then wanted one. It's definitely a 'man thing'...