2013 Father’s Day Gift Guide: Gear

Here’s a grab bag of Father’s Day gift ideas that fit the “gear” category, from shoes and shirts to belts and bags, and even products to get him into shape. And for more great suggestions, be sure to check out the other categories in our annual gift guide.

Golf by James Warren

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For the dad who loves to golf, or just likes to wear golf shirts, check out Golf by James Warren, a clothing collection that utilizes Europe’s best fabrics with a distinctive American style. We tried out the polo shirts and were impressed. The shirts are made in Italy using 100% cotton and the traditional designs are complimented by very distinctive features that set them apart from your traditional polo shirt. Check out the website for more shirts, sweaters and jackets that “defy traditional boundaries.”

Premium belts and more from Maono

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MAONO.com is on a mission to create beautiful, high-quality clothing and then selling online to remove the middle man and make their products more affordable. We checked out a black leather belt featuring a rectangular pin buckle that would make for a great gift and offers a classic and elegant design that’s perfect for everyday use. The belt is made in Italy with impeccable craftsmanship, and it offers a great example of the quality and design of this brand. If you’re looking for gifts like accessories or clothing that are classic but stylish, and if you want to stay within your budget, then you should definitely check out MAONO.com.

Tommy Bahama hybrid swim trunks

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These hybrid swim trunks from Tommy Bahama are perfect for dads who love boating or the water in general. The Hybrid of Paradise 11″ Swim Trunks are unique because you can wear them as swim trunks or regular shorts. They look like a cross between regular clothe shorts and a bathing suit, but the cotton/polyester blended material is very comfortable while also being appropriate for the water. All of the interior pockets are mesh like you would find in a bathing suit, but it has the standard external pockets you would expect from a pair of cargo shorts. The only surprise is that it doesn’t have the mesh underwear portion you would expect from a bathing suit, so that makes them look even more like shorts along with the zipper in the front. The shorts also come in a wide variety of colors. We liked the royal blue pair we had with the yellow logo on the side. With the quick dry fabric these shorts are perfect for boating and beach outings, particularly when you’ll be going back and forth between the water and the bar!

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2013 Father’s Day Gift Guide: Grooming Products

Our first roundup of Father’s Day gift ideas involves a traditional area with grooming products. Of course, we’re hoping you’ll do better than that cheap aftershave you bought dad when you were a kid. And for more great suggestions, be sure to check out the other categories in our Father’s Day gift guide.

Philips Norelco Click & Style

Here’s one for the dad who appreciates that modern grooming habits go well beyond his face. That might be an awkward subject for some dads, but for the right guy, this handy shaver can be a great gift. With the new Philips Norelco Click & Style, men can get a super-flexible electric shaver that can handle all their grooming needs with one convenient tool. The Click & Style is a complete all-in-one system equipped with three attachments that are easy to click on and off for shaving, facial styling, or bodygrooming with a single product. We tested all of them and the ease of use was impressive. The two-headed shaver with ComfortCut blades gives guys the close shave that they would expect from Norelco products. For guys who want some stubble or more growth instead of the all-clean look, they can snap on the beard styler with 5 lengths for the perfect stubble or a neatly trimmed beard. Finally, the skin-friendly bodygroom shaver gives a man the flexibility for a close and comfortable shave or a trim on all areas below the neck. The Philips Norelco Click & Style also features 100% waterproof technology so men can trim, style and shave wherever they want in wet or dry settings.

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Portable USB Shaver from ShaveTech

Here’s a great gift men that travel a lot or need a shaver they can keep in their briefcase. This portable electric shaver from ShaveTech is one of the more unique and interesting products we’ve reviewed in a while. It’s a USB shaver, so it’s ideal for traveling as you can charge it anywhere in or out of the US if you have access to a computer or other USB port. When not charging, the ShaveTech USB port flips up directly into the razor itself. The shaver is no bigger than a typical smart phone so it will fit anywhere from your pocket to your briefcase. The sleek and simple design makes it very easy to use. The top slides on and off revealing the foil shaver head, and the shave with this super-light unit is nice and comfortable.

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Product Review: Philips Norelco Click & Style

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With the new Philips Norelco Click & Style, you can get a super-flexible electric shaver that can handle all your grooming needs. If you’re smart about your grooming habits, or have a girlfriend or spouse that speaks her mind, you understand that in today’s world a simple daily shave usually won’t cut. With the new Click & Style, regardless of your preferences (or her preferences!), you’ll have one handy tool that can help you take care of business.

The Click & Style is a complete all-in-one system equipped with three attachments that are easy to click on and off for shaving, facial styling, or bodygrooming with a single product. We tested all of them and the ease of use was impressive. The two-headed shaver with ComfortCut blades gives you the close shave that you can expect from Norelco products. If you’re into some stubble or more growth instead of the all-clean look, you can snap on the beard styler with 5 lengths for the perfect stubble or a neatly trimmed beard. Finally, the skin-friendly bodygroom shaver gives you the flexibility for a close and comfortable shave or a trim on all areas below the neck. The “skin-friendly” feature is critical – we’ve tested beard trimmers in the past that are a real problem if used directly on the skin!

The Philips Norelco Click & Style also features 100% waterproof technology so you can trim, style and shave wherever you want in wet or dry settings. So if you shave in the shower, you can use this there as well.

If you travel a lot, you’ll appreciate the convenience of having one tool that addresses all your grooming needs even more. Our only quibble with this unit is that it doesn’t come with a carrying case.

With Father’s Day around the corner, this can be a great gift for the right dad who can appreciate such a powerful grooming tool.

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Casual Shoes from Oliberté

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Oliberté was founded in 2009 “with the concept of building premium outdoor leather shoes by quality crafts people resulting in creating sustainable jobs.” This idea is very simple and powerful: Trade not aid. Check out the website and you’ll see the wide variety of casual shoes and other leather products available from this brand made in Ethiopia.

They sent us a pair of the Narivo in Brown-Yellow Pullup casual men’s loafer to try out and we were very impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. The brown shoe is pictured above and you can see that it would be perfect with jeans or slacks and for all sorts of casual settings. The high quality leather is very soft, and the classic design also has a modern twist with the lighter colored soles. This pair comes in grey, tan and green as well.

Here are the specs for this pair that retails for $130:

• Traditional stitch-down stitching around base
• Premium brown/yellow pullup leather upper
• 100% goat leather dark brown lining
• Vegetable tanned leather midsole
• Natural crepe rubber outsole with wedge
• 3mm dark brown round leather cord laces

If you browse the website you’ll also see a wide variety of beautiful leather bags as well. When it comes to quality and design, we’re confident you’ll be happy with products from Oliberté, and with Father’s Day coming up soon, you can find some excellent gift ideas as well.

  

2013 Mother’s Day Gift Guide

The key to shopping for your mom, wife or anyone else on your Mother’s Day list is to put some thought into the gift. Even if you’re just getting flowers, you should go the extra mile with a card that makes it seem like more than just a routine gift.

We’ve put together some product suggestions below, but you’ll see many of them involve the kitchen, which is great for a woman who enjoys preparing food but obviously isn’t so good for a woman who sees it as a chore.

There are tons of Mother’s Day gift guides out there along with this one, so browse several of them and you’ll hit on an idea that works for you.

T-Fal ActiFry

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Now that healthy living has become a bigger priority in most households, it’s nice to see products like the T-Fal ActiFry come along that allow you to enjoy foods like French fries and wings without feeling guilty about it. The ActiFry can cook vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood and dessert using a patented heat pulsing action that evenly cooks the food at a constant 338˚ F while an aluminum paddle stirs the food. Most dishes require little to no oil, with one of the biggest selling points being that you can make crispy and delicious homemade fries with only a teaspoon of oil. Though the removable non-stick pan isn’t big enough for creating large family meals, it’s still great for cooking up quick snacks or dinner for two. The ActiFry is a beast of a machine that takes up a ton of counter space, but it feels every bit as durable. It also dissembles fairly easily and is dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze, and the machine stays cool to the touch throughout the cooking process. That might not sound like a big deal, but for mothers with nosy kids, it’s almost as important as the healthier dishes it produces.

T-Fal Ice Cream Maker

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Artisanal ice cream may be the latest crave with foodies, but there’s no point in paying per scoop at your favorite shop when you can make whatever gourmet concoction your heart (and taste buds) desire in the comfort of your own home. The T-fal Ice Cream Maker is incredibly affordable and easy to use, and although it comes with a handful of suggested recipes, you can pretty much make anything you might find in a cookbook (we suggest the one by Ohio local Jeni Britton), on Pinterest or anywhere else on the internet. Though most people will instantly notice how rich and smooth it makes ice cream (and with very few ingredients, too), the machine can also produce gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt. And the best part is that since you’re in full control of what goes into the mixture, health-conscious folks can still make delicious ice cream without worry about what they’re putting into their bodies.

KRUPS Egg Express

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If we’ve learned anything from watching reality cooking shows over the years, it’s that being able to cook a perfect egg is the sign of a good chef. But even with lots of practice, it can still prove difficult to do, which is why the Egg Express from KRUPS is our new favorite toy in the kitchen. In addition to being relatively small in size (making it easy to store), the Egg Express performs two simple tasks. It can boil up to seven eggs – either soft, medium or hard boiled – or poach two eggs in the removable plastic trays, all within a matter of minutes. This little guy produced some of the best eggs to come out of our kitchen, and it’s a real time-saver too, thanks to a power indicator light and bell sound that indicates the end of cooking. That means that instead of hovering over the oven, you can get other stuff done while the Egg Express takes care of business. Unless you don’t like eggs, this is something that every household needs.

KRUPS Universal Grill and Panini Maker

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For quick, indoor grilling, it’s hard to beat George Foreman’s line of electric grills, but for those who want something a little sleeker that still won’t break the bank, the KRUPS Universal Grill and Panini Maker is a pretty good substitute. Though it’s better used to make Italian-style sandwiches and bruschetta, the grill can cook a variety of things, including hamburgers, chicken, fish and steaks. The top and bottom grilling plates make cooking twice as fast; the machine’s floating hinge system automatically adjusts to a food’s thickness for even grilling; and there’s even a regulator light that switches off when the proper cooking temperature has been reached, so you don’t have to second guess yourself whether the food’s ready or not. Additionally, the chrome finish adds a nice touch of class and the safety locking latch on the handle allows for convenient upright storage, perfect for any mother whose kitchen isn’t as spacious as she’d like.

Cricut Mini

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We featured Cricut’s flagship die-cutting machine, the Expression 2, in last year’s holiday gift guide, but for those looking for a cheaper alternative, the Cricut Mini fits the bill. It may be noticeably smaller (although that helps with storage issues) and require an internet connection to work, but this budget version does just about everything its big brother can, cutting up to 8.5 x 12-inch paper, cardstock, vinyl, fabric and more. In addition to access to Cricut’s vast online image library, the Mini can also use any of the physical Cricut cartridges by linking them to your Cricut Craft Room digital account. The size limitations aren’t ideal for veteran arts and crafts enthusiasts, but the Mini provides a great introduction to the world of die-cutting, and that includes Cricut’s newest line of iron-on products. Available in two styles and a variety of colors, the iron-on material opens up a whole other avenue of customizability by allowing users to create the kind of DIY fashion and home décor projects that most mothers only wish they could accomplish before now.

Spa Day Gift Certificate

Day at the Spa

We include this every year because it’s such a great gift that so many women will appreciate. Moms in particular will appreciate time to themselves where they don’t have to worry about kids or their spouse. Make sure to find a spot that’s convenient for her, and find out if she has a favorite place, or focus on a new place that she hasn’t tried yet. This one is always a winner.

Perfume

Image ALT text goes here.If you’re shopping for your wife, you can be a little adventurous here and look for something new and trendy that she may not have tried yet. L.I.L.Y. by Stella McCartney is one of the hot, new perfumes on the market, and anything from designer Stella McCartney should go over well. You can also browse her online site for other ideas, which includes everything from jackets, to handbags, to boots and more.