The girls and kiddies can’t have all the fun… Without further ado, here is the dad’s Christmas gift guide. If you have a hubby or partner who is near impossible to buy for, you might find some inspiration in the below.
Full disclosure as always; all these gadgets and gizmos were #gifted to us to try out, but rest assured the reviews are all fair and 100% honest.
For the man who looks after himself
Thicker hair: Mane UK
Mane UK, I am told, are pioneers in the world of hair, so why not get something from their range for your loved one this year?
This brand originally starting as a Harley Street in-clinic range for those undergoing hair transplants, but the brand quickly became a cult favourite due to the products’ abilities to instantly transform fine or thinning hair.
We, or rather my husband, (ok I have had a sneaky try too) tried their Thickening Shampoo and Thickening Conditioner. The shampoo and conditioner promise to promote growth, bolster thickness and strengthen the hair. Obviously, it’s hard to tell over just a couple of tries, but we both really like the way it makes our hair feel and look so far.
This dynamic duo comes at an affordable price too of just £5 each, so are well within a stocking filler budget. You can grab your bottles here.
Give the gift of confidence: A Sons Christmas gift card
It seems thicker hair is a common worry for men. Sons is a men’s haircare start-up, whose products are tried, tested and loved by guys. They offer a range of subscription products, from their luxurious thickening shampoo, to the full works box which is clinically proven to fight hair loss.
Sons recognise that a guys’ hair can impact their confidence, and that taking care of male grooming needn’t be fussy or expensive. As such, a gift card to the Sons subscription service could well be the perfect gift for the man in your life at Christmas.
A gift card from Sons makes a great stocking filler for all men and is a great last-minute gift too if you have run out of time. With a range of subscription models to suit the individual, from a monthly delivery of Sons argan oil and saw palmetto shampoo, to the full works to tackle hair loss, there is something for every man this Christmas.
To get your loved one a gift card to Sons, check them out here. Christmas gift cards will be available to buy exclusively from Sons and a voucher for one month can be purchased for £22.00 and for three months at £65.00.
Make him smell divine: Solid Cologne
Here is an aftershave with a difference. Solid Cologne is a solid wax-based cologne/aftershave. It is made with natural wax and skin friendly cologne, which is applied directly on to the skin. Solid Cologne was mainly created for those who travel, but I think it’ great for anyone who wants to smell great on the go.
I have to say, I love how this is made from bee’s wax and how cute the tin is that it comes in. What a space saver too.
The scents are subtle, but refreshing. We tried Alexander, which is a sweet, rich and sophisticated scent. The cologne begins with fresh grapefruit, leading to the heart of aromatic bay leaf and jasmine. The woody base includes patchouli, oak moss and ambergris. In short, it’s lush!!
If you want to put this solid cologne in your loved one’s stocking, then check them out here. Alexander costs £17.99, which is a bargain compared to some of the spray aftershaves out there from the larger retailers.
For the man who wants to focus on wellbeing
Mindshine: the gift of happiness
If Headspace and Calm and the other meditation aps are like working on your biceps, then Mindshine is the entire multigym and the personal trainer-built in. Through their app, they use neuroscience and psychology to give their users the tools to face hard times (which couldn’t be more needed right now for so many!)
At Mindshine, they believe that the answer is mental fitness. The app is a collection of over a year’s worth of exercises from the worlds of positive psychology, leadership coaching and mindfulness to help users work on and feel better about all areas of their life.
I could write about it more below but for ease, here’s a little film explaining Mindshine in 100 seconds:
You can sign up to the app here.
Dry January days: Three sprit drinks
If you and your man love to indulge in the odd tipple (or three) but hate the after effects of the hangover or want to do Dry January, then Three Spirit Drinks are just what you need.
These are delicious drinks that are completely alcohol free, totally healthy and designed by plant scientists and bartenders.
These drinks combine plants used for centuries in ceremonies and potions to stimulate the palate, mind and body. Alchemy is at the heart of everything this brand does; from the plants they combine in their drinks, to the blending of minds and different expertise of the people who make them…. and flipping ‘ekk do they taste good!!
Now, forget your standard ‘off the shelf booze free bottle’ you might get at the supermarket that just tastes like sugary fruit juice, these taste fabulous and then look great too in your drinks cabinet. They really do feel like a treat!
We tried their selection pack ‘The Collection’. My favourite out of the three had to be the Social Elixir, which you can find here. Ingredients include lion’s mane mushroom, yerba mate and damiana (who even knows what they are, but whatever the case, it tastes fab!)
Check out their website for a range of flavours, bottles tend to RRP at £24.99 and also take a look at their inspiring cocktail recipes too.
For the man who loves his car
For a great smelling ride: Carfume
Carfume is the perfect stocking filler or secret Santa pressie for the man who spends a little too much time in his car. These Carfume fragrances are inspired by oil-based perfumes and aftershaves including Creed, Oud and Savage.
Not only do they smell awesome (just like a man’s aftershave), but they look great too. Very stylish and not at all like one of those flimsy little cardboard air-fresheners or ones you plug into your heater on the dash. Also, their mood-boosting premium fragrances last up to four weeks. Once the smell goes, you can easily buy refills online too, so you may wish to buy both the Carfume and indeed a few refills too.
You can get these cute little smellies from just £11.99 here.
For the man who loves his fitness
Give your man a boost: Revvies Energy Strips
I had never come across these before, but these sugar-free, vegan and gluten-free Revvies Energy Strips get to work in just 5-10 minutes and give you that instant boost you need when doing a big workout.
The energy strips, which contain either 40mg or 100mg of caffeine in each serving are roughly equivalent to either a cup of tea or coffee respectively. They are easy to carry out on a run and simple to eat. So simple, in fact, that the strips dissolve on your tongue and take effect in 5-10 minutes. I’m told they are also not as hard on the stomach as caffeine pills or gels.
You can get 10 packs of five strips from Amazon in two flavours for just £25. Or find out more about them here.
For the man who spends more time with the dog that he does with you
Clean dogs make for happy dog owners: Mud Daddy
Here’s the perfect gift to keep both your ‘man and his dog’ happy…
Mud Daddy is an innovative and 100% portable solution for cleaning your dog on the go. This device uses 90% less water than a traditional hosepipe and is a must-have accessory for pet/dog owners especially in the winter months. This is such a simple, but effective device and really does work.
I have to say I was surprised at the pressure that this created and how well it cleaned. I recon you could also use it for a number of other things too, not just pet washing. Like removing cobwebs on the house, removing dirt from patios and cleaning shoes too. It’s so smart. Definitely a winner. Here’s a video of it in action.
Mud Daddy can be purchased via Amazon for just under £40.
For the man who likes to cook
Be a kitchen pro: Anysharp sharpener
We loved trying out this little gadget. The Anysharp Pro is a fantastic knife sharpener. It turns blunt knives to super sharp, slicing machines. It’s got a cool suction mechanism on it so you can stick it onto your work surface. Then all you need to do is grab a knife and gently pull it through the blades 2-3 times and within seconds and you’ll have sharp knives once again. It works like a dream.
This is a great gift for the man who has everything – I’m sure we all know someone like that.
The Anysharp Pro also has a ten-year warranty too which is pretty impressive. It’s available in a range of colours (we got the cream one) so suit most styles of kitchen. The Anysharp Pro costs from £16.50 from Amazon.
For your green-fingered man
Healthy plants all year long: Water from a Crystal.
These clever hand-blown glass crystals are the perfect way to consistently water your plants all year long, without you having to worry about them. Not only do they look pretty, but they’re a smart buy too.
Simply fill the crystal with water and place it in your flower pot with the cork stopper facing down. It will drip water into your plants soil over the course of three to four days. Genius, especially if you intend to go away on holiday (unlikely given lockdown, but we can always dream!)
Water From A Crystal can be purchased for £14.99 from Waterstones.
For the man who likes to be intellectually stimulated
Play Sudoku with a loved one: TASUDOKU
If your man likes playing sudoku or doing puzzles, but doesn’t like playing alone, then this is the perfect gift. This is a multiplayer and interactive Sudoku-based board game.
TASUDOKU is a game suitable for all ages, interests and abilities, but can be played strategically whether individually or competitively.
James and I played this after a few glasses of vino one lockdown evening, and it was a good crack. Challenging, but fun!
It RRPs at £29.99 and you can purchase it here.
Well there you have it.. a list of unusual but thoughtful gifts for the man in your life. Hope it gives you some inspo!
PitterPatterPither 