“Tale as old as time, tune as old has song…gifts for men are strange, why won’t they just change…shopping for them feels so wrong.”

Okay.

So maybe I don’t have a future in writing spoof lyrics for classic Disney songs. But! The fact of the matter is that men are HARD to buy gifts for. If they want it, they just go ahead and buy it without dropping any hints, and, regardless of how hard we try to categorize their clothes, they will still wear the *nice* shirts to do dirty chores in and then say, “What??” with genuine confusion when we get exasperated.

I don’t suppose all of that gets us out of having to buy them something anyway, though. Hmph.

Kidding, y’all! (Mostly). I actually like finding things for Shaun, but it is true that men are wild cards, at best, when it comes to gifts.

So!

To help put all of us out of our collective misery, I’ve compiled a list of useful and/or stylish items that might just fill that gift-shaped void the man in your life doesn’t even know he has. M-e-r-r-y C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s!

MEN'S GUIDE

Let’s start with the fun stuff, shall we?

Below is a list of my husband’s/boys’ favorite games. Chances are your man will like them too!

Risk

If your guy hasn’t gotten into Settlers of Catan yet, you need to hook. him. up.

Killer Bunnies is good, zany fun. Plus, it has a million expansion packs to add to the madness (think: birthday, Father’s Day, next year’s Christmas!)

Dominion is another favorite among the males at our house.

As is Acquire

This chess set is labeled as “junior” because it’s a bit smaller than your standard board, but it gets rave reviews for the handmade quality and craftsmanship.

Moving on to other forms of entertainment, I know that DVDs are totally passé these days, but if you’ve got an old school guy, then a physical copy of A Quiet Place would be a great option. I am NOT one for horror movies, but this fits more into the suspense/sci-fi category, and the sweet family dynamic is so refreshing. This is one of Shaun’s faves.

Oh! And we can’t forget books!

This complete works of Sherlock Holmes set would make for a great gift for a detective story lover.

This Leather-Bound Classics of 5 books by Mark Twain would be another fun one to gift.

And All the Light We Cannot See is one I recommend for all men, but especially WWII enthusiasts.

In the non-fiction category, this one caught my eye.

As did this one for a chuckle

Of course, in Shaun’s case, he’s unlikely to actually READ any of the above books, since he’s all about that audio book life and prefers to listen. These blue tooth ear buds are a bit pricey but come with great reviews.

Or you could go with these much cheaper (but still highly praised) wired versions.

I don’t know too many men who wouldn’t love to be presented with this big box o’ snacks. Sure, it’s way more expensive than it should be, but if you’re willing to shell out 70 cents a snack to have them picked/packaged and curated for you (as opposed to having to buy a box of pop tarts, granola bars, chips, etc. and pull out a few), then this just might be worth the extra dough.

A good leather toiletry bag is such a classic gift–especially if you’ve got a guy in your life that travels a fair bit.

And I don’t even know what half of this stuff does, but chances are, your guy does or is willing to pretend his does to look cool.

Got a guy who likes to keep his car clean? Then, he needs this cordless vac.

Oh, and the handy men (sounds better when it’s not a compound word) in your life might just *need* one of these wristbands to keep all of their nails close at hand (har har).

Beards are all the rage these days, and while I looooove me a good beard (I’ve literally never seen Shaun without his, since I won’t let him shave it), methinks it would take a pretty robust version to need all of the items in this kit. Still. If you’ve got a guy into beard culture, this is the setup for him!

Speaking of, I haven’t gone back to check, but I’m 99% sure I’ve put this ingenious creation on a past year’s gift list. But no matter. Since I can’t guarantee you’ll look at past lists, I’m including it again. If you are the one who cleans the bathroom sink, this beard bib will change your life.

I saw my father-in-law (who is a very handy guy) wearing this shirt recently, and it made me smile.

DUDE. You guys! Forget the men. *I* want one of these breakfast sandwich makers. I thought it might be too gimmicky to actually work, but the reviews are surprisingly solid.

This little organizer bag is another good one for the guy who travels or just has a lot of tech gear to wrangle.

Oh, and this wooden puzzle box is both entertaining and attractive enough to leave out. Win-win!

Apparently, the Yeti craze is still going because the reviews on this version are stellar (comes in a ton of color options)

I’ve got back issues, so Shaun bought me a similar massager to this one for my birthday. I think it was a bit pricier, but the reviews for this one make it sounds like it gets the job done!

What man doesn’t need a pair of quality work gloves?

Or a great pair of merino wool socks??

I think this leather satchel is just beautiful. If you’ve got a style guy, he’ll agree.

This Amazon basics hoodie comes in quite a few colors and gets bomb reviews.

Again with the beard paraphernalia. I should have grouped my items. But this little trimmer can actually serve quite a few purposes (comes with quite a few attachment options) and gets great reviews.

Have a man who insists on wearing sock with sandals? (Worst pitch ever, Abbie) Then, he needs these, since they’re about the only version that is socially acceptable to be worn with (black!) socks. (Oh, and they get awesome reviews for comfort).

Okay. So, this is kind of ingenious and would make a great stocking stuffer.

Not too many men are interested in carrying a lunchbox with them once they’re grown. But this insulated Carhartt option would be great for the man who packs his lunch but still wants to look manly.

This gym bag (with a specific opening for shoes!) gets good reviews for convenience/durability.

And, speaking of the gym, I recommend Brooks brand running shoes every year now. They are the only tennis shoes I will buy for myself anymore, and I’ve started buying them for Shaun and my two oldest boys as well. Yes, they are pricier than some, but they also last forever and legit feel like you’re walking on clouds. I like purchasing more expensive items like this for birthdays + Christmas, etc., since it provides an occasion for splurging a bit on something they need anyway.


Speaking of the gym again, if you’ve got a guy who lifts, these magnetic mounts make ideal additions to your phone when you’re using metal weight machines. Just pop it on the machine you’re using, and–tada–you don’t have to worry about where you set your phone down. Also, makes for a great, hands-free option in the car.

And again, for the exerciser. He needs one of these for his protein powders + BCAAs. Trust me.

This made me laugh. That is all.

Well, there you have it, folks! I hope  you find at least one thing on this list to help solve your man-gift conundrums. My book post is following close behind, since we’re creeping ever closely to Christmas, and the mercy of Amazon Prime can only extend so far.

One Comment

  1. I’ve already ordered the grill cleaning thingy for my husband. Looks handy!\
    And I had previously gotten him a magnetic wrist band and he likes it a lot! Even if he just attaches it to whatever he is working on, it keeps everything together.
    Thanks for sharing this fun list!

I love hearing from you guys!