Guys can be hard to buy for, so this guide features a variety of practical and fun gifts for the men in your life.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I haven’t bought a single thing and I’m a little stressed about that. I’m one of those people who ends up at the mall December 23 frantically searching for gifts and vowing never to wait until the last minute to shop again. I’m hoping to knock out some shopping this week!
Today I’m sharing another gift guide, this time for the guys in your life. They can be hard to buy for sometimes, right? James and I are just doing stocking stuffers for each other for the second year in a row. We would rather spend our money on home improvements or trips than expensive gifts. This gift guide features ideas for every budget.
Milwaukee M18 Compact Drill Kit
My parents lent us this drill when we were tackling a few projects around the house and it quickly rose to the top of James’ Christmas list. It’s powerful, rechargeable and cordless. You can also opt to buy the drill without the kit for about $80 less.
Grilling Apron
This is something a lot of guys would never spend their own money on, but it comes in really handy if you know men who love to cook. I’m a big fan of the aprons from PCBHome, which feature fun plays on words. Williams-Sonoma is also running a sale on aprons, which you can pay a little extra to monogram. I plan on gifting a few of these this year!
Bose QC35 Wireless Headphones
If you’re looking at the price of these headphones and thinking, “Why would you spend that much on headphones?”, I totally get it. I’ve been using the same pair of beat up earbuds that came with my iPhone for two years. But, many of my friends and family members have much higher standards when it comes to headphones. And they all swear by Bose. These headphones are noise canceling and wireless. A great gift for music enthusiasts!
Sporting Event Tickets
I’ve said this before, but I think gifting experiences is the best way to go. It’s one of the most personal gifts you can give. And, it doesn’t have to be expensive! If you can afford to get your guy tickets to a NFL or NBA game, that’s great. But seeing a development team like the Mad Ants play can be a ton of fun. You can also snag relatively cheap balcony tickets for a few IU games in December and January.
Slippers
Slippers are another item I don’t think most guys would buy on their own but love getting as gifts. I bought James some fleece-lined moccasins a couple of years ago and he wears them nonstop around the house. There are so many varieties out there, but I always look for slippers with a thick sole so they can be worn outside for quick chores like taking the trash out.
Beer of the Month Club
Many of the guys I know are big craft beer enthusiasts. My dad, brother and husband love perusing liquor stores in different places to try and find new, unique brews to try. There’s a Beer of the Month Club that will ship recipients a variety of microbrews to try. I love this idea because you can choose how many shipments you want to gift and what kinds of beers you want included. Is there anything better than coming home from work to beer on your doorstep?
Stitch Fix
This is the perfect gift for a man who loves fashion or just needs a wardrobe update. Stitch Fix is an online styling service that sends you a box of five hand-picked items based on the preferences you indicate in your profile (you can read more in my review from a fix last year). You pay a small styling fee, which can be used toward any of the items in the box you keep. It’s so much fun to see what stylists pick out and I’ve always kept at least one item from each box. James hasn’t tried the men’s services from Stitch Fix, but I’ve heard good things from friends!
Professional Massage
Who doesn’t have this on their Christmas list? Most people I know spend so much time focusing on their careers, families and friends that they don’t take enough time to focus on themselves. A gift card for a professional massage is a present that everyone appreciates.
Zip Lining Tour
This is another experience that would be so fun to gift to the adventurous guys in your life. You’ll have to research the options available in your area, but I know Explore Brown County offers tours for those in South-Central Indiana. Many of these businesses are seasonal, so the recipient of this experience may have to wait a few months before cashing in.
Leather Boots
Men’s boots have come so far over the past few years when it comes to style! I live in leather boots every winter and snagged James a pair at the outlet mall last year that he loves. I especially love this pair from Bass because they’re stylish and practical. You can’t go wrong with L.L. Bean’s classic boots, either.
What gifts do you get for the guys in your life? Tell me in the comments!