Dads:  carrying exhausted babies and fixing boo-boos since, well….forever.

Yay to the hairy men, the smelly guys, the giant (in comparison) shoes in the hallway, the underwear that never makes into the basket, and the proverbial toilet seat.  Up or down, we love the way your man-hands are so gentle with your children, and how you play in a way that is also slightly terrifying to watch.  You have the best roar, super-hero-like powers, and are clutch in the middle of the night when we just CAN’T.

A good Dad, a true partner-in-crime in this crazy game of child raising, is an infinitely lucky find.  And if you’ve got one (whether we’re talking about an amazing husband or your own supportive Dad), on Father’s Day they’ll probably be content with some appreciative words and a beer.  (Well, technically speaking, husbands want something else, too.)  But if you are in the mood to spoil the most important guy in your life with some cool men’s clothing and accessories, keep reading.  The Mom Edit team has spent the last week or so poking and prodding our guys to reveal a few gifts that they would actually appreciate.

Keep reading for a few gift ideas not just for hubs, but for your Dad as well.

Happy Father’s Day!!!

– The Mom Edit Team

Hey Gang – it’s Shana.  For those of you who don’t know, Mike is my husband.  Mike typically skews to the nerdy, techy end of the spectrum, or anything that lets him play – hard – with the boys.  Skateboards, for example, are huge in our fam.  Here are Mike’s top picks for Father’s Day:

1.  Protec Original City Light Helmet, $50

Since we moved downtown, Mike has been skateboarding to work.   He loves it.  But despite the, um, gentle reminders from friends and family that he really should be wearing a helmet….he refuses.  Until last week, when he crashed on his way home.  No major injuries – to hear him tell it, he did some sort of super-hero man twist and landed on his backpack, scraping only his shoulder….but it did serve as a good reminder that his 40+ year old self isn’t invincible.  Also, why so fast, 40-something-Mike?  STFD!!!!  (slow the fizz down)

Protec helmets are our favs.  They’re really well made, durable (my 8 year old has put his through it’s paces), and this model is a lighter weight version.  Still strong, but probably more comfortable for the morning commute.

2.  Amazon Echo, $179.99

Mike bought one of these a few months ago, and while I rolled my eyes initially, “Alexa, how do you spell ‘useless device’?”….the entire family is now obsessed.  We keep ours in the kitchen and it reads news briefs to Mike while he’s cooking dinner, it sets multiple timers for the various activities (reading time for Raines, various cook times that are all happening at once), tells us the weather reports, adds items to our shopping list (my fav – as we use products up I throw out a casual, “Alexa, add more strawberries to the shopping list”), and plays our Spotify playlists or Audible books on tape.  It even understand’s Pax’s, “Awexa, turn dis up a wittle more wouder!”

(side note – he did clearly say “little more louder” for the first time the other day.  I am SO sad.  MY BABY.)

3. Gents Baseball Hat, $48

I know all the cool kids (I’m talking ’bout you, Zack) are wearing flat brim hats, but frankly, Mike can’t pull them off.  It’s like he’s spent too much of his life working the brim fold, and everything else just looks strange. But this hat?  With the curved brim and complete lack of decoration?  It’s PERFECT.  Sexy, actually.

4.  Indo Balance Board, $199

A friend of ours has this crazy thing and Mike is obsessed.  Primarily because he thought he’d automatically be the God of All Indo Boards and was surprised to learn that it’s tricky.  This gift is SO good for a Dad who needs to keep his balance up if he wants to be able to challenge his crazy kids at skateboarding, skiing, etc. for years to come.

5. Miansai Bracelet, $95

Mike has this bracelet, and wears it allll the time.  Even to work, with a suit.  It looks really cool paired with a watch (his favs are here), and helps to dress up a basic tee for date night.  It’s that sexy.

6.  Arbor Access Bamboo Cruiser Skateboard, $199

For a guy that rides his skateboard to work, a cruiser board is high on his list.  He also wants – and this is really important – a cruiser board with a drop-through truck mount.  Apparently, if you are lower to the ground, you have more control and stability.  YES to both (with a helmet).

7. Red Jacket Phillies Tee, $38

I love when a brand nails the sports tee, and Red Jacket does a heck of a job.  These tees are slim fit, super soft, and have cool vintage designs.  Nordstrom carries a bunch, and a few additional styles are available at Amazon.  This is a fun gift to wrap up with some tickets (and if you’re local, I don’t need to tell you how fun Phillies games are).  This was our gift to Mike last year.

8. Spikeball, $59

There’s always some sort of beach game going on.  For years it was beach volleyball, then Smashball, and now Mike is totally intrigued by this Spikeball set.  And make no mistake – while the kids do get their turn to play, when I say ‘beach game’, I primarily mean adult men huffing and puffing as they fling themselves around on the sand.

1. Warby Parker Prescription Sunglasses, $95

Soooo . . . Zack just turned 30 and is finding that prescription sunglasses are pretty much standard at this point.  (Welcome to the club, Zack).  These are seriously cool sunglasses, though, not the ugly prescription glasses of the past.  They offer free home try-ons so you aren’t stuck with a pair you don’t like.

2. Caputo & Co. Leather Wrap Bracelet, $135

I find bracelets so sexy for some reason and have always been trying to get Zack to wear one. He’s just not the silver bracelet kind of guy (found that out after buying him one – whoops), but this one is right up his alley.  It’s a bit of a tougher look and the leather doesn’t scream man jewelry quite like silver.  Win-win for both of us.

3. Stainless Steel Bottle Koozie, $50 for 2

Trust me, you’ll want one too.  These bottle koozies actually keep your beer cold (the fabric ones don’t seem to work) and the cap is adjustable to fit different bottle sizes.  If, hypothetically, beer wasn’t allowed on a beach you were at, these koozies would make it much easier to hide them.   Hypothetically.

4. Herschel Supply Co. Backpack, $60

One of the best pieces of advice Shana gave me when I had Greenlea was to get Zack his own diaper bag (backpack). . . let him pack it, be in charge of it, etc.  It’s awesome to not have to worry about the diaper bag and whether we have everything we need.  This one zips up so everything inside is secure and it comes in super handy on trips.  For example, when you wear shoes that aren’t comfortable to walk in and have to buy new shoes and need somewhere to put your old shoes . . . this backpack is perfect for that.

5. Vans Rata Vulc SF Surf Shoe, $55

Zack, Mike and our brother Adam all love these shoes.  They’re the perfect non-sandal summer shoe.  Comfortable, lightweight, easy to slip on and off and he can throw them in the washing machine if they get dirty.  Zack has these in a bunch of different colors and they look awesome with pants that are rolled up slightly at the bottom (or with regular pants or shorts).

6. Nixon ‘Star Wars – The Sentry C3PO’ Watch, $250

Does this one really need an explanation?  Pretty much one of the coolest watches ever . . . based off of one of the coolest movie series ever.  According to Zack, “It’s a C3PO watch, what guy wouldn’t love it??”

7. Bocce Ball Set, $150

Bocce ball is a standard of Marquette . . . everyone plays it.  It’s a great game for the beach or at a BBQ (you can play with a drink in your hand), and it’s easy to include the kids if you want.  You don’t have to be an expert to win and you can pretty much make it harder or easier as you need.  This Light-Up Set would be awesome at night in the summertime.

8. Tie & Pocket Square Box Set, $20

Zack recently found these box sets on a trip to Philly and was like yessssss. The ties and pocket squares come in a bunch of different cool patterns that coordinate without matching perfectly.  It’s an easy way to take a suit or blazer to the next level . . . Chuck Bass, anyone??

Hi all, Amanda here and I’m proud to call that guy sporting a tambourine hat my hubs! Tony’s actually *really really* hard to shop for because he will only suggest books or some obscure road bike apparatus that he’d have to pick out himself. Or he just buys the things he wants – a major perk of being an adult with a job, yes, but terrible for people who need gift ideas! Though sometimes it works in my favor – he decided he needed a new drill when our 5 year old got an assembly-not-included swing set for her birthday last month, which is preeeetty close to Father’s Day, so bam! Present, solved. Here are some other goodies he’d love but would forget to ask for…

1.  Yoshihiro Cutlery Hammered Damascus Chef Knife: Tony has a thing for knives, especially really sharp Japanese-made knives that have 5-star Amazon reviews. This one is unique because it’s well-priced for being the fancy kind of blade where the 16 layers of hammered steel makes a gorgeous pattern and helps you cut through anything like buttah. The slightly smaller size makes it more versatile, too.

2. Vineyard Haven Classic Double Hammock: Any time we’ve been on vacation somewhere that has hammocks, or pretty much anytime he sees a hammock, he says how nice it would be to have one to chill out in with a book. (He forgets we haven’t had the luxury of reading that segues into napping since, oh, 2011?) Soon though: the little one can reach the snack cabinet now so she’s basically self-sufficient. Good news, because there’s room for two in this cool navy striped hammock, and purchases support high-paying artisan jobs in rural Thailand.

3. Ice Mule Backpack Cooler: Backpack coolers are so much easier to carry than traditional box ones on the long walk from the parking lot to the beach while wrestling two crazy little gingers. This feather-light one packs down to a tiny size after lunch so you can just throw it into your beach bag and go. More cool features? Leak proof and keeps ice frozen for 24 hours (!)

4. Milwaukee 18-Volt Drill: Ok, so the full product name is “Milwaukee 2691-22 18-Volt Compact Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit” if you’re detail-oriented. (Which I’ve claimed to be in every job interview, ever. Shh!) Tony’s the kind of shopper who does a TON of research before buying boring technical things, I’m talking like Consumer Reports site membership, evaluate-every-review level of commitment in order to make the most optimal purchase. All I know is this drill is lightweight, powerful and beautifully survived the swing set building marathon that ate last weekend. Quote from Tony: “It has a long battery life, is comfortable to hold, and powerful. Like me. Also, it kicks ass but I shouldn’t say things like that on the Internet.”

5. Icebreaker Everyday 1/2 Zip Top: He has a similar one that he loves as a base layer on early morning (why?) or fall bike rides, formerly skiing and now sledding days, basically any time you’d need a lightweight wicking layer that keeps you comfortably warm and dry even when it gets sweaty. My favorite part is it doesn’t get that lingering stink that some synthetic workout shirts hold onto. It comes in a handful of guy-friendly neutrals and isn’t ridiculously spendy like some technical wool clothing can get.

And Now…Ideas For YOUR Dad….

1.  Fitbit’s ‘Blaze’ Smart Fitness Watch

When your dad has better style than you, you let him loose on Nordstroms’ Father’s Day Gift List and see what he comes up with. Fitbit’s ‘Blaze’ Smart Fitness Watch was his first pick. ‘Sleek and Sporty’ the blaze watch has all the trappings of a good fitness watch and more, including a vibrating alarm clock, accompanying app, and personal fitness coach.

Hey guys! It’s Gwen..Gift-giving holidays are always tough with this guy here – when I say he wants NOTHING he wants nothing, so what’s a daughter to do? My sister and I have been known to wear him down and get some requests like, “golfballs, thanks!” over the years *rolling my eyes* but now I’m making the executive gift-giving decisions and I hope you like ’em, Dad!

1. Toscano Sport Shirt – Gary’s super cute in his go-to golf polos but they’re not always the most flattering. He’s a big comfort-is-key, creature of habit type of guy and I love him for it ..but not enough to let those shirts fly forever. As a retired teacher, he’s no stranger to a good button-down so I think this is the perfect one to force him into (I mean…give to him as a gift with lots of love). At first glance, this pattern just looks like your standard check but it’s really more of a subtle blue and white diamond print…I dig it.

2. Dr. Dennis Gross Sun Protection Towelettes – Ok..I know sunscreen is kind-of a lack luster gift BUT bear with me. These things are a god-send. If I had a dollar for every time my dad checked up on my sunscreen situation (“Did you put on sunscreen? Did you bring sunscreen? How about a hat?”) I’d be a millionaire but now that I’m older and oh-so-much wiser I really appreciate his concern for my fair skin and realize how dangerous every burn can be. These sunscreen towelettes are actually life-changing. Throw them in your car, all of your bags and you’ll never be caught unprotected from the sun. They wipe on so easily and smell great, too. I really think he’ll like this one and pop them right into his golf bag. Done.

3. Nike Men’s Dri-FIT Flat Front Golf Shorts – Anyone catch on to my theme here yet? I like to call it, “Lemme lemme upgrade ya…Dad”. Like I said, he’s a creature of habit and his tried-and-true Dockers shorts have seen better days. Limited sagging/wrinkling is pretty key with shorts like these and this pair looks like they’d fit really well. He’ll be happy with the color, too. Tan = life..gotta love him.

4. UGG Men’s Hunley Loafer – If the guy you’re shopping for is all about the comfort, you have to go UGG. These shoes have come such a long way from just cold weather boots and I’d say they’re a fierce contender to a lot of other men’s footwear options. My dad is in the car a lot so these will be great for driving and hey look, they’re TAN! (already working on my selling points for when he’s doing his opening).

5. Gertrude Hawk Chocolates – Ooooh yeah. Realistically, I should only get him these and just call it a day. Gertrude Hawk Chocolates started in my home-area but now they’ve become pretty popular around PA. If you haven’t heard of them/haven’t tried. DO IT ..or don’t because you might get sucked in and never, ever stop. My dad loves the Milk Chocolate Covered Jordan Crackers. Yum.

6. Anker iPhone Battery Case – Raise your hand if you know a Baby Boomer who can’t quite do the whole cell phone thing. Dad, if you’re reading this I’m sorry but you KNOW it’s true. Love you. With this charging case he’ll be constantly plugged-in and not have to worry about whether or not he charged his phone. This one’s another great pick for long days on the golf course, too.