Never Buy Another Father's Day Card

In K's family, cards and gifts are expected for every birthday, Father's/Mother's Day, and Christmas. And given the size of his family, that's a lot of cards that I'm pretty sure get immediately tossed once the signature has been read and the gift card (if there is one) has been safely stowed away. At least that's what I always do since I'm an unsentimental minimalist. :)

Can you believe I had to buy 6 cards for just the month of June? Thank goodness for 2 for $1 deals at the dollar store.

So, I love this idea that I saw on Martha Stewart’s site, originally for Mother's Day but totally applicable for fathers. Not only does it do away with the hassle of storing a huge stack of cards (or the guilt of throwing them away, in my case), but it also encourages people to create meaningful messages that will last through the years.

Buy a Father's Day Journal!
Instead of getting yet another disposable card for your unsentimental gamer, write all your heartfelt thoughts in a nice notebook that will be viewed year after year. I originally thought of getting a really nice, leather-bound sketchbook for K's new Father's Day tradition, but honestly that's not his style. Instead, I found this awesome Zelda-inspired lasercut journal on Etsy from an Austin-based store called PigseyArt. (The artist has a ton of other designs, both geeky and not, and you can customize the color to your liking!)

I know, spiral-bound isn't as sturdy, but at least you can rip out pages if you mess up. ;)

As for what to fill the notebook with, here are some ideas I came up with:

1. While the kids are still young and growing, trace their handprints and timestamp it with their age.
2. Draw a picture of Daddy, the family, Daddy's favorite things, Daddy dressed as a superhero, etc.
3. Write down your favorite memories with Dad from that year.
4. Paste a favorite photo.
5. Make a list of the special things the kids could have only learned from Dad (e.g. I'm pretty sure I never taught my son to laugh when he poots).
6. Tell Dad all the reasons why you love him or are thankful for him.

For more ideas, check out these great 53 Writing Prompts about Father’s Day.

As for the rest of K’s gift, I’ll be mixing up a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream with his grandma’s electric ice cream maker, the perfect summer treat. And K himself admitted that he’s already spent a good chunk of money on the latest DC HeroClix: War of Light series (aka Green Lantern stuff), so we both agreed that there's no need to get him anything more.

At the risk of ruining the surprise for K, I hope got this post out in time for you to find the perfect journal. :) Have a happy Father's Day!

Question:
What kind of cool Father's Day gifts have you gotten for your loved one in the past?