Growing up in a Ghanaian family has always meant one thing: being practical. My mom always kept me grounded and showed me how to make a dollar or in our case a cedi stretch to its maximum potential. Living with my grandparents for part of my life gave me a bit of a splurge period. I was grandaddy’s girl. Riding around in his Rolls Royce – yes they have Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz in Ghana – on Sundays to church. Celebratory holidays never really meant huge gifts in my family. Aside from birthdays and Christmas, most holidays were just spent with family, cherishing our times together. Father’s Day and Mother’s Day were not extremely special days. My mom has always been content with breakfast in bed, perfume, a day off of mommy duty or a cute shirt to update her wardrobe. You might say that extravagance hasn’t been really a thing my parents expect on those days.
I am a product of a broken home but I’m proud to say that I was raised by my wonderful step-father, who made me a part of his family. As the only girl among three boys, I have always been the one to initiate giving presents to our parents. Being the oldest also meant I was responsible for rallying my little brothers together for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day presents. As I get older, I feel as though my gift giving needs to elevate in price and extravagance because I am in the position to afford more expensive gifts. It wasn’t until I talked to my mom today seeking her advice on what to give my dad that I got to thinking, I mean really thinking, about what exactly to get my dad. Daddy has always been a practical guy. He is very techie and is one of the guys advertisers call “early adapters.” He snatches up the newly released gadgets that he passes down to the kids once the new and improved ones come out. I do love those types of hand-me-downs. We’ve always given him the expected tie, cufflinks, coffee gift cards to Starbucks and restaurant gift cards for Father’s. This year however, I aim to give him something a bit unexpected that he will appreciate at the same time.
What do you give the guy that has it all? My dad is quiet, enjoys soccer, very patriotic to both Ghana and the Unite States, is a scientist, enjoys documentaries, very technologically in tune and enjoys a fine glass of beer on the weekends.
He’s got the nice watches but my dad is a fun guy who enjoys switching it up on the weekends. Watches don’t have to be so serious to be sophisticated and grown-up. One thing my dad loves are vintage watches so I know he will love the new Fossil Decker Watches. The vintage revived Decker Watch has a preppy navy and white striped nylon field strap. This is the watch that will look good whether in the chemistry lab, computer lab or fixing my little brothers Acura that seems to breakdown more often than Lindsey Lohan. My dad usually dresses down on the weekends and opts for denim and an Ghanaian print shirt. He would really love this watch. It looks a lot more expensive than it really is. At just $105, this watch is for the guy who works hard and plays hard. I am in love with the entire Fossil Utility collection of watches, luggage and bags as well as other small accessories perfect for the outdoorsman or the rugged guy who likes to throw caution to the wind and go rock climbing, mountain biking or any other extreme sport.
BLACKSOCKS, takes socks to the next level with beautifully crafted socks made of Peruvian wool perfect for dad all year round. From silk cashmere socks to classic dress socks to ski socks and everything in between, dad will never have to worry about shopping for socks again with this sockscription service. Choose the number of deliveries you want your dad to receive, whether one time only or periodically and viola! BLACKSOCKS delivery of high end socks, that are a favorite of former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, a loyal customer, to your dad. If socks aren’t his thing, they also have undershirt and underwear subscriptions. This can be a great idea for a significant other as well.
Logitech Harmony 900 Rechargeable Remote with Color Touch Screen would probably light up my dad’s eyes like a little kid set loose in the halls of FAO Schwartz. My dad has so many gadgets in the house with each having its own remote control. He does have some universal remotes that control most of the major appliances in the house but why not upgrade his remote to a bragworthy one like the Logitech Harmony 900. It’s the perfect gift he will most likely use every single day.
My dad is on the World Cup Soccer mania and there is nothing better than having some sort of commemorative gift for the occasion. He’s supporting the United States and Ghana and since he already has a Ghanaian Black Stars jersey, I figure getting him the Havaianas World Cup Team USA Flip Flops would be the perfect gift for him to wear when supporting the US during their matches, which he watches from home.
My dad will appreciate getting some grooming products that will ease his skin care routine. Grant for Men skin care collection by skin care guru Elizabeth Grant is a favorite of Orlando Bloom, Beck, Will Smith and Penn Badgley. For decades the world’s leading ladies have been devotees of the entire Elizabeth Grant Skincare collection. Now, after more than half a century of skin-perfection, Elizabeth Grant introduces GRANT FOR MEN. The line uses the power of Elizabeth Grant’s proprietary formula, Torricellumn to moisturize, soothe, and even the most rugged skin. The concentrated formulas are specially made for a man with birch sap (what’s more manly than that?) to tone the skin, and vitamins A, C, & E to protect and prevent aging.
I also plan on buying my dad a case of Foster’s or Magic Hat Number 9, his favorite burgers and a day in front of the television watching World Cup games and screaming our asses off. Quality time is a must because my three little brothers don’t like soccer so this World Cup is the ultimate father daughter bonding experience.
