Best Gifts for Your Father on His Birthday
Above: In our family Dad’s birthday is celebrate together with a young family member, which makes it especially memorable, and DIY birthday crowns are always a part of the party!
My husband’s birthday is coming up, on the first night of Chanukah, and fortunately for my kids I take care of all the planning as special birthday parties are something I love to do for my family. I don’t think they quite realize how fortunate they are to have me at the helm devoting many hours to festive decorations, thoughtful gifts and in this case, an evening dedicated not just to Chanukah but also to two family birthdays! As with many aspects of life, when my kids have their own homes, and have to plan birthdays for their families, then they’ll realize that honoring a loved one on a special day takes time and effort, and planning ahead.
Is your father’s birthday coming up, and you realize now is the time to work on a plan of action? Not to worry, I’ve put together some ideas that will help you figure it all out, with your father’s likes and dislikes in mind. Hopefully your father has been in your life, and a great source of love and support, in which case no present or party can ever repay him for all the sacrifices he has made for you, so the main thing is to express your appreciation by honoring him on his birthday, in a way that shows you’ve given the occasion thought and careful consideration. If unfortunately your father did not raise you or you’ve been through some rough patches in your relationship, a birthday is a great excuse to put aside hurt feelings and honor him in the same way you would if things had been more ideal, after all without him you wouldn’t be here! Life is short, and truthfully we can never honor our parents enough. Whatever you choose, the main thing is to make your father feel loved and appreciated. So lets get to work and plan something special for Dad!
The Cake Comes First
No birthday is complete without a birthday cake! I love baking a cake and decorating it myself with fun paper decorations, and my second choice if I just didn’t have time to bake a cake would be to buy a cake and decorate it myself. Of course if your father lives far away, not to worry, you can always opt to order a delicious cake online, or call a bakery in his town and have them deliver the cake of your choice. Cake is a personal thing, so make sure to order a cake your father will enjoy, and if he isn’t eating cake for health reasons, maybe do him a favor and get a watermelon cake or something that is in the shape of a cake, but not actually cake? Honoring someone with cake that they can’t or should not eat is certainly not what I would call honorable! If you know your father won’t be tempted by the cake he can’t eat, you could always have two cakes, one for him and one for the rest of the crowd. Again, the main thing is to make it clear that you’ve really thought this out, got it?
Okay, now that you’ve taken care of the cake, that will be either baked by you or a sibling, or created from watermelon (which is amazing by the way) or delivered according to an order you’ve made, lets talk about the rest! (Note: Regarding dietary restrictions and keeping kosher, always double check and check again when ordering any food online, that it meets your requirements.)
Plan a Perfect Birthday Get Together
Birthdays don’t have to be celebrated at night, maybe a brunch or lunch might be even more special, enabling you to possibly eat outside or enjoy the surroundings. An evening celebration of course has a more formal feeling and can include things like candles and string lights and even a bonfire to make things festive.
Planning a tiny gathering of just friends and family, or a Zoom birthday get together for your father on his birthday is always a great idea. If your father likes surprises, why not invite an old friend from the past or someone he hasn’t seen in a long time. If you want to go all out, you could also plan a visit from a group of musicians or professional entertainment of some kind. Bringing all the people he cares about under the same roof is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give, and planning some activities and fun music will make it even more memorable and enjoyable.
If Dad loves barbeque and is generally the one standing at the grill, make sure this time you have someone else filling that role! If Dad loves watching or playing sports, you might like to include this in the party in some way. Extra touches like a slide show of family photos, or recorded messages from all his old friends will certainly be greatly appreciated, so put some effort into it, and you’ll be glad you did. You get the idea, invest in things that will show him how appreciated and loved he is.
A Thoughtful Gift
Fathers are often really hard to buy gifts for, and if the traditional tie/cuff links is actually what he does want, that is fine, but I think you can put your thinking cap on and figure out something a bit more personal. Make a list of all the things your father likes to do, or dreams of doing, and go from there. If he is handy and loves tools, get him the latest power tool that he would love to have, erhaps, he’d like a laser engraver? Check out this Boss Laser review to learn more about it. If he loves to garden, go to the garden store and buy some special bulbs, or some gorgeous plants. If he has mentioned an interest in exercise, gift him a few sessions with a personal trainer, and if he loves to cook, gift him a basket of great cooking tools, or a class at the local culinary institute. Tickets to a sporting or music/theater event are great, as are reservations at a special vacation destination, or restaurant he has been wanting to try. If your father appreciates wine, why not get him a special bottle, or two, and if you decide to share one of the bottles on his birthday, all the better! You could include a fun or fancy wine bottle opener with the gift or even a set of nice wine glasses. And of course, printing family photos and framing them is always a good one!
Flowers, A Plant Or Balloons?
Flowers are traditionally thought of as gifts for women, but many men love and appreciate fresh flowers as well, and a flower delivery is especially wonderful. If you are not sure whether he’d like cut flowers, why not give him a flowering plant such as an orchid, or simply a special houseplant that you know he will enjoy. It is nice to order or deliver something that adds a special touch to your father’s home on his birthday. Come to think of it, a huge bunch of helium balloons in festive colors might just be the thing your dad will love. Making someone feel like a kid again is also a great thing to do for them on their birthday, as birthdays are always nostalgic. Speaking of nostalgic, don’t forget birthday hats, and party blowers, that will surely get everyone smiling!
I hope this little list of ideas has been helpful, and again the main thing is to make a plan, and show Dad that you care on his special day. Whether you order cake online or are able to wish your father a happy birthday in person, make him feel appreciated and loved by doing something that was planned with HIM in mind. The best gift you can ever give is your love and attention, so mark the date on your calendar, plan ahead, and make this year’s birthday a true success.
