Getting the right Valentine’s gifts for him can be difficult. Most everyone knows what to get a woman for the most part. Todays marketing makes it pretty easy to have a nice list to pick from.
If its an actual gift like jewelry or just a simple gift like chocolate and flowers.
But many women find themselves in a blank stare when it comes to getting that special someone in their life a gift for valentines. Valentines day has forever been marketed to men for women but that has changed a lot in the last decade. I recently read an article on ManWifeDog Blog where she talks about Should Men Get Gifts On Valentine’s Day? where she discussed this very question.
“Great post check it out.”
I’m a man that likes to get gifts for any holiday where a gift is traditionally given.
So let me help make it easier for you to narrow it down to what he really wants and will even be surprised by.
1. If he has a beard as he should. I would suggest beard oils and beard butter!
Beard Butter is the best thing I have ever discovered for my beard hands down. The best kind I have come across is Maestro’s Beard Butter “Sprinted Blend”
As for beard oils my favorite right now is from the bearded brothers over at Dollar Beard Club. This one is pretty awesome because its a subscription so just about the time I usually run out the next bottle shows up in the mail in a very manly cool box.
My favorite oil from them is their Sandalwood Beard Oil
Beard Wax! Ok so I don’t use this stuff a lot. The times I do use it is for special occasions, dates, formal events, etc. What it does is keep your beard exactly how you want it for several hours.
Hungarian Beard Wax by Gold-Dachs this stuff smells amazing and holds your beard or mustache exactly the way you want it to look. sometimes I use it just on my mustache for only the smell.
2. Amazon Gift Cards! I like to pick out my own stuff so I love amazon gift cards and cash.
With an amazon gift card you can pretty much buy anything you want and if you have prime fast and sometimes free shipping. Amazon also makes a shopping list for the special guy in your life.
3. Under wear! Most of us guys neglect to buy new ones until we have to so why not get him what he needs?
Not just any under wear but underwear for men. Duluth Trading Co. Men’s Buck Naked Briefs. These are raved about and have insane customer reviews and thats saying a lot if a man will go back online and rate an underwear!
4. Huckberry.com! Pretty much anything from these guys.
They have a little of everything manly. CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR, EVERYDAY CARRY, WATCHES, OUTDOORS.
5. Guns Knives and Tools!
You can never go wrong with these the only issue is they will probably want to pick out their own.
I wish you a wonderful Valentines Day and I hope this helps make it extra awesome!
Check out another post! 
Ok, I admit it, that’s me. Yup I do it almost every year (you know you do it too). So with all the talk about Cyber Monday I decided to take a look online and see just how great these deals are. This is what I found.
First off, usually the best deals are on Amazon so thats where I looked first and wow, they are pretty amazing!
Just looking at the toys on sale alone brought out the inner kid in me. (yup, I ordered a few for myself)
Like this one wow!
TOYS 50% off
Cyber Monday Toys
Man Toys 25% off
Cyber Monday – Save $25 Off $100 Bosch Orders
Cyber Monday – Save $25 Off $125 Dremel Orders
Everyone Gifts 30% off
Shop Amazon Fashion – Cyber Monday Savings
Misc
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This post contains affiliate links.
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Just For Fun:
- Zach King Vines:
This guys is genius and we LOVE watching his creations. You can also find his longer creations at his FinalCutKing Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/FinalCutKing - Soul Pancake:
A fun and inspirational channel for both adults and kids where a very entertaining young kid shares his views on different things. - EvanTube:
This kid and his family are always up to something fun. Great toy reviews too! - JANGBRiCKS:
Lego Lovers Unite!! Who doesn’t love a good lego set? (as long as their not underfoot right?) - Seven Awesome Kids:
7 kids team up to create one fun YouTube Channel.
Animal Love:
- Houston Zoo Channel:
For the animal lovers out there, this channel features all sorts of cool, educational animal videos. - Talking Animals:
Our favorite talking animal video is: The Ultimate Dog Tease. “The maple kind…yeah?” - Animal Planet:
You just can’t go wrong with Animal Planet…can you? - BBC Earth Unplugged:
Our planet is MIND BLOWING and BBC Earth Unplugged helps you realize it. - Kyoot Animals:
The funny animal video mecca…you’re welcome…
Thought Provoking:
- Smarter Every Day:
Destin at Smarter Every Day never gets old. This guy explores the world using science and has fun doing it. This is a win win for everyone. - TedEd: Ted talks that are palatable for your kids.
- MindCrafter:
While it’s still in the works, we’re a fan of this channel because, well, our son made it. Not to brag but IT’S PURE GENIUS
Combine learning and MindCraft = Awesome Sauce. - Big Red Hat Kids:
Expand your kid’s mind by exploring the world through these cool videos. - It’s OK to be Smart:
A channel full of short length science videos that are ADDICTING… - History Channel:
Find a video that interests you both and dive in!
If you liked this post you’ll like:
Well, if you’re asking this question you probably should just shave. If you have to have someone talk you into having a beard then it’s probably just not for you.
“The beard chooses the man,
the man doesn’t choose the beard.”
BUT…
Maybe you’ve decided you want to try growing a beard and are getting to a point where you’re having doubts about your beard’s appearance, feel, smell, or attractiveness…
First off, this happens to everyone. Yes! Even the manliest of men have had doubts when starting to grow their beard to certain lengths, shapes, and most of all when the people around them do not like it.
My reaction to someone telling me I should shave…
So here are 5 reasons you should let it grow!
1. Because you are a man!
A tree grows bark because it was created to – it’s a part of the tree’s very nature. “Growing a beard is an affirmation of manliness and masculinity,” says Steve Wilson of beards.org. “The beard itself is a physical characteristic that separates men from the boys, girls, and women. In our culture that has downplayed good old-fashioned masculinity, growing a beard shows that you are not afraid of being a manly man.” We live a culture that has tried to feminize men for decades. Growing a beard is showing the powers that be “Hey I’m a man and you cant stop me!”
“If I am shaven, Then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” – Judges 16:17
2. Beards are good for you & your health!
- Asthma and Allergies Reduced – Facial hair actually helps by working as a filter and preventing allergens from settling.
- Prevents Skin Cancer – Researches have shown that beards block 95% of UV rays from the sun. UV rays can cause cancer – beards help block those rays…sounds like a no brainer to me. The thicker & fuller the beard…the manlier! *cough* I mean…the better!
- Insulation – Keep warm! When it’s cold your beard will keep you warmer which in turn can help fight off colds. For staying even warmer simply grow a bigger beard.
- Reduce the Chance of Infections – Have you ever had an ingrown hair?!?!? Ouch! Or scars or spotting from cutting yourself? Who needs that? Eliminate that worry and reduce your chance of infections!
- Skin Care – Who wants skin damage? Your beard helps to shield your skin from the sun which helps to avoid years of harmful damage which keeps it looking younger and smoother.
3. Attractiveness
In a study comprised of both men and women, faces with beards or stubble were consistently rated as more attractive than clean-shaven faces. Read more about this study. It’s no surprise that beards make you look better…it’s proven that woman are more attracted to beards. Science, YES SCIENCE, has proven that women find men with moderate stubble to full grown beards to be more attractive than your typical clean shaven man. Here is an actual study. It’s just a fact that men look better, stronger, tougher, and just down right more handsome with a beard.
4. You are WASTING 139 Days of your Life Shaving!
According to Dr. Herbert Mescon from Boston University, you’re throwing away (literally) a whopping 139 days of your life just because you shave! He figured out that if an average teenager begins shaving at the age of 15, then in his 55 years or so years of shaving, he will have spent an approximate 3,350 hours of his life shaving! This is a grand total of 139 full days! Then there is the thousands of dollars spent throughout a lifetime on shaving supplies such as razors, shaving creams, lotions etc. You have better ways to spend your time and money right? We hope so.
5. A Beard Demands Respect
I think we can agree that men sporting full beards have a certain air about them; a respectable, authoritative air. It’s not the look of a spring chick. It’s cultured and refined. It’s the look of a man who’s seen the world and has more than a few tales to tell about it. It’s the look of the well-traveled professor, of the doctor who’s saved more people than you’ve even met. And more importantly, it’s the look of The Most Interesting Man In The World… This style can be very intimidating in social situations, especially when paired with the right persona.
A man with a beard always seems to know where he’s going, always knows what he’s doing, and whenever questions arise he’s the one you turn to. It commands respect from both men and women, of all ages.You will also experience more success, albeit sometimes harder won, in your many aspects of life. You will learn to appreciate yourself more as a strong man, as a decision maker, as someone who makes their own way and their own destiny. You will find your decisions and actions further emboldened by your mindset, which cyclically increases your self-determination and discipline.In other words, it creates a strong alpha mentality.
A man who owns his beard also appears to own the world around him. He makes his decisions and sticks with them, he is not one to be second-guessed. To all who see it, a beard is a sign of strength and masculinity. It is a reminder of how nature intended man to be: powerful, confident, and self-assured. Because a man with a beard is a man to be feared.
So don’t let others deter you from being who you were meant to be. Let it grow! A common misconception is that growing a beard is lazy or easy and maintenace free. Not true! It takes work and care to grow a full healthy beard.
Good luck with your beardly endeavors and may the beard be ever in your favor.
]]>Beard Rules? Yes, there ARE beard rules and you should know them!
Here’s the first one…
In the beginning was the beard and the beard was… just kidding…
No, but seriously when you first start growing a beard there are things you just don’t know…rumors you’ve heard and things your just not sure about. So to make it easy for you and help you along here are a few beard rules and things you didn’t even know were things.
Rule #1 – You always talk about the beard.
It actually comes natural and sometimes you may even find yourself annoyed because you keep getting the same question from the non-bearded among us. But talking beards with the fellow bearded out there is usually fun and good conversation. The most common talk I experience is compliments from the bearded and non-bearded alike.
I try to always compliment a fellow bearded especially if you can tell that they are not quite past the entry level stage…but are trying. That simple head nod (with a manly self-beard-stroke) or the “Hey, nice beard bro!” can really go a long way and help get your fellow bearded brother to stick it out until he gets to the satisfying length he’s shooting for.
Rule #2 – Bearded Right of Way
When two beards cross paths, the shorter of the two beards always yields the right-of-way for the longer beard. I have had this happen to me so many times I have lost count. I have also stopped and allowed others to go before me if their beard was longer or even if I felt it was more epic than my own. (This IS a real thing and yes it happens quite often.)
Rule #3 – Shaving Prohibited
You DO. NOT. SHAVE. Period. End of story. You may TRIM your beard or groom your beard in any manner that suits your needs or just feels right to you. There is no wrong way to beard or wrong length. But not to beard? THAT is out of the question.
Rule #4 – Don’t Touch the Beard
Never under ANY circumstances do you touch the beard without permission. Grabbing, touching, running your fingers through it…fondling the beard…ALL UNACCEPTABLE. UNLESS the man who’s beard you are touching would be aloud to do these same thing to your hair without it be weird or inappropriate. If not, just don’t. Its weird. It’s a tad bit more intimate than most would think – until it happens to you and then both parties are usually shocked that the intimate moment just occurred and try to pretend it didn’t just happen.
]]>Screaming.
Breathlessness.
Sweat.
Flailing body parts.
Is it war?!?!
No…it’s just another night of wrestling in our house. Seriously, my wife says it sounds like a beast has been unleashed and is murdering our children simultaneously. Sound like chaos?
It is… The best kind.
Wrestling with your kids is a lost art and we need our own personal renaissance of this cultural past time. Think about it…I bet most of you can remember a time when you wrestled as a kid and if those memories don’t involve a merciless big brother, you most likely LOVED. EVERY. MINUTE. OF. IT.
Why?
Because…THIS.
(old footage ahead…excuse the bad quality)
Here’s 4 reasons YOU should wrestle with your kids:
Connection
Wrestling breaks down barriers while building connection between you and your kids. Life is busy and sometimes we only have a few hours a day to build a meaningful connection with our kids. Between school work, dinner, & chores sometimes more yelling and mandatory “to dos” are done than genuine connection building.
When you take time to wrestle with your child you break down any built up feelings of separation and you help your child feel close to you. There’s also an unspoken truth spoken to your children by wrestling: You are a part of something.
Think about it…how often do you find yourself wrestling with other grown men?! I personally JUST. DON’T. I would find it, well, uncomfortable. I don’t wrestle with anyone but my family. Wrestling with me is exclusive and there’s something to be said about that.
Exercise
Good GRIEF. Kids these days don’t hardly ever get outside!!! I remember the days when we’d all head out to the creek and fish for crawdads using pieces of hot dog or go riding our bikes through the neighborhood for hours…exploring, reading epic books, discovering and just being a kid.
Now kids spend the majority of their time staring at a screen. We live in a different time and our kids are experiencing life differently but they STILL NEED PHYSICAL EXERCISE! Exercise is an invaluable form of stress relief. What better way to get them to “get winded” than by playing and wrestling?
Matter of fact, it’s good for you! Instead of going to the gym every Monday, Wednesday, Friday – purposely wrestle with your kids for 20-30 minutes…you’ll get a good work out if you’re all in…especially when you have 4 kids like me.
Life Lessons
Through wrestling you have an opportunity to teach your children about life. What happens when dad is whooping everyone’s rear? Do they give up or do they band together to defeat dad? Will your child press through against resistance and a bigger, stronger foe or will they come back and try a different tactic? Wrestling helps your children simulate hard situations in a place that is safe and controlled (well, to some extent…). They can learn the power of pressing in and not giving up.
Is wrestling with your children really fair? No…because you can win every time…until they’re bigger anyway. But since it’s not fair, at some point, hopefully you’re going to let them win in some way shape or form. I don’t let mine win all the time because they do need to know that sometimes life isn’t fair but through this, children learn that wrestling together isn’t just about winning or someone being the alpha male…it’s about having fun together and considering other’s emotions and feelings. It’s the perfect opportunity to model thinking of those who have less power or ability and/or are disadvantaged for whatever reason. That’s a lesson every leader needs to learn.
Lastly, wrestling enables you to teach your child how to handle his/her emotions. When wrestling, sometimes tempers flare or a child can take things too far and hit too hard. This creates an opportunity for you to show your child how to calm themselves and play appropriately while handling his/her emotions in a healthy way.
It’s FUN
Wrestling is fun in and of itself but you can make it EPIC by adding some crazy masks or capes. Create your own character and let your kids battle it out with their arch nemesis. Don’t take yourself too seriously – let loose and have fun.
So, just do it…start connecting, teaching and best of all, build memories that will last a lifetime.
If you liked this post, you’ll probably wanna read this one:
“How to Initiate Wrestling with Your Children”
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Here are 5 Ways You Can Rock Back to School… (This post contains affiliate links of products we like)
1. Take Care of Your Wife
Alright men, lets be honest…most of us let our better half take care of most of the prep work involved in the start of a new school year. Am I right? (No? Ok, well man, kudos to you – you win Dad of the year! Take the following advice for YOURSELF)
Want some brownie points? Take my advise…Give your wife a:
“You Survived the Summer” present
My wife loves Etsy. You really can’t go too wrong with an Etsy Gift card or a unique gift from there. Or check out these gift ideas.
No present money left after school supplies? That’s ok…it’s nothing that an at home date won’t fix. Go to your local store and buy some of her favorite sweets – for my wife, it’s Blue Bell Ice Cream but it could be your wife’s favorite candy bar or candy. Write a heart felt note telling her how much you appreciate all the work she’s done to take care of your family…in your own handwriting. It doesn’t have to be poetry…just a few sentences expressing your love and appreciation.
Stumped? Check out LifeHack’s 10 Ideas for Writing a Letter of Love.
After the kids are asleep, put a table cloth or sheet over the kitchen table, light a candle and put on some music…bring your wife in and have a mini date. If you want to make those brownie points increase exponentially during dinner time, take on some of her normal duties – whatever they might be…do the dishes, put the kids to bed while she relaxes…you get the point. Rack up those brownie points!
2. Back-to-School Break Outs
Steal your kids away at night so they can tell you all about school. Moms might not like this one too much but its so impactful that she’ll go for it. Put your kids to bed as usual and then 10 mins later (hopefully before they really fall asleep) wake them up and take them on a special get away. We have a RaceTrack near our home with a frozen yogurt bar so sometimes I’ll take them to get something special. As we down our late night treat, ask them questions about how school is going.
Have trouble thinking of what to ask?
Sign Up to receive Bearded Nom Nom’s “10 After School Starter Questions” via email:
OR – Take your kids on a night safari BEFORE bed. Grab a flash light and investigate the yard, search for bugs – let them lead! If you find anything interesting, sit down and talk about it…look up any specimens you find on Google. Or just simply go for a night stroll – they’ll love it!
3. Home Invasion
Plan a Home Invasion!
After a few weeks or two everyone is settling into a routine and things might be getting a little bit boring, so why not shake it up a little? Try setting up one of the following for when the kids arrive home from school (if you can’t be there before they get home from school, have your wife or relative take your kids out while you setup):
Water Balloon War – Fill up some water balloons of two different colors (forget the old fashioned way, check THESE OUT) and put them in two different laundry baskets (bags or boxes can be used instead) and tell them to pick a side (color) and meet you in the backyard. Be there ready and waiting! Want to really make them laugh? Use paint or your wife’s makeup (be gentle, they don’t really like their makeup messed with) to put on some war paint! War it out and have a snack ready for afterward. They’ll never forget it!
Nerf Gun Battle – It’s Daddy vs EVERYONE! Same premise as the water balloon war but this time it’s nerf guns and there are only two teams – YOU vs everyone (mom included). To make it fair, we think Dad should get this bad boy: Nerf CS-18 N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike
Again, think ahead and have a snack waiting when everyone is done. It doesn’t have to be fancy – maybe just fruit snacks…or popcorn.
Scavenger Hunt – Plan out a scavenger hunt and have a treat for the whole family once the hunt is complete. This could be a family movie night or their favorite dessert. There are so many different ways to do scavenger hunts for different age levels – check out the ideas we’ve rounded up.
4. 1st Day of School Daddy Breakfast
I don’t know how things go down in your house but on hurried mornings in our house, a Daddy Breakfast staple is DONUTS! My kids love donuts and it’s a quick and easy buy in the mornings. Little effort – great reward! ESPECIALLY if I pick up some chocolate milk to go with breakfast! Yes, the bad for you kind. But hey, if you’re health conscious – good for you…maybe you could make your own healthier version of donuts by using one of these cool things or by following this healthy recipe without that thing.
You don’t have to do donuts – my kids love biscuits & gravy, eggs and bacon OR you could do pancakes like Mickey over at YourModernDad does and REALLY win them over.
5. Start an Adventure
You hear it all the time – Reading is good for your kids…well, that’s because, it is. While I admit, my wife does most of the reading to our kids and sometimes to me – it’s never too late for you to start an adventure through one of your favorite books with your kids. Just 10 minutes of reading before bed will help your kids establish a good bed time routine when they’re starting back to school.
Here are a few of our favorites:
- C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia
- My Father’s Dragon By Ruth Stiles Gannett
- The Boxcar Children By Gertrude Chandler Warner
I know you’re SUPERDad but don’t attempt to do all 5 hacks at once! Take it a week at a time and enjoy your kids – that’s what it’s all about!
Tell us what Dad Hack you’re going to try in the comments!
If you liked this post you will like these as well:
Be Ornery
This is by far the funnest. Are you a big brother? (or sister if you’re a woman reading this) Did you pick on your siblings or your friends? Or the girl you liked in 2nd grade? Think along those lines, but NICER! You’re the adult here, remember THAT!
1. The Hip Bump – While standing next to your kid, give them a hip bump and when they look at you act like nothing happened and then do it again until they’re playfully hip bumping back.
2. Pick Them Up! – If they’re still little, pick them up and swing them around and pitch them onto a couch or bed. I’ve yet to meet a kid that didn’t love being tossed around on a bed and then tickled! It’s a fun producing combination!
3. Tickle, tickle, tickle – not to the point of urination! Resist the temptation to tickle until they pee – it won’t end well and will defeat the reasons you should be wrestling. We established a code word and I suggest that you do too. When they can’t take any more they call out the code word. Ours is “ice cream.” If you push kids too far with the tickling you can actually do damage by making them feel that they are powerless and that you don’t care enough about them to stop when they are not enjoying it anymore. Watch for this because it can go from all fun and games to I feel betrayed in 2 seconds.
4. Love Taps – Tap them on the shoulder and then walk around the other way before they see you. Then when confronted, play slap/tap them on their shoulder or tummy until they’re ready to get you.
5. Snack Time! – One of our favorites: EAT THEM! Yes, proclaim loudly, “MAN, I’m SOOO hungry!” and then grab an arm or leg and pretend naw away – this is so fun and the kids love it. Then you can give them what is commonly known as a “raspberry” (aka zerbert) and it looks something like this:
WARNING: If your kids aren’t used to you being silly and this is a new thing for you, they might take it offensively and think you’re trying to be mean. Make sure to note their facial expressions and verbally, without sarcasm, tell them, “I’m playing with you…wanna get me back?” And then let them chase you! Remember, you’re the adult and you’re creating a safe place for them to wrestle that fosters trust & connection.
Be Prepared
6. Setup a Game of Hide and Seek – This is our favorite! Our kids get the giggles as soon as they head off to find their hiding spot. Make sure to set rules. Here are some of ours: No one goes outside to hide, everyone stays in the house. No scaring by the seeker or the hider (we found it made hard feelings). No hiding in appliances, no exceptions. You can’t hide together unless it’s a older sibling helping a younger sibling. NO CHEATING!
7. Chasing Game – You can be a monster, a lion or like in our house, a wolf and then you chase them and catch them! It’s that simple – make sure to be gracious and let them slip away from your grasp from time to time.
8. Airplane Rides – In our house it’s just Super Hero Flight Time! Lay on your back, bend your knees and pull them up to your chest. Let your little one put his/her chest on your feet evenly, grab their hands to keep them safe and steady and lift!
9. Play Tug-O-War – Yeah, you can probably beat them easily but you could do it blind folded or with one hand only! Make sure you have plenty of give space behind both sides so no one gets hurt.
10. PILLOW FIGHT!!! – A good ol’traditional pillow fight…BUT if you have young ones or old ones who just don’t know their own strength you can simply change it up a little bit. You can make it to where only the kids have pillows and they go after the adults – scared? Come on, you can take it! Once you capture all the pillows, the fight is over!
11. The Resistance – Want a good little arm work out? If you’re kids are old enough, you’ll get one with this. Hold your arms out in front of you with your palms facing each other. Have your child(ren) take turns putting their hands on the outside of your hands, trying to push your hands together as you push out. Switch it around and let them put their hands between your hands and let them push out as you push in.
12. Horse Back Rides – Or Dragon Rides…whatever you want to call them…get on all fours and let them climb aboard. Let them change gears by squeezing your shoulders or gently kicking your side (sounds painful I know…but this is where they can learn how to play gently…one of the great lessons that can be learned through wrestling)
13. Indoor Sled – This was one of my favorites growing up – get out a good and used blanket (because this can tear up a blanket). One child at a time let them sit down on a blanket that’s laid flat. Have them grab the back corners – you pick up the other side of the blanket and slowly pull them. Build up speed that’s appropriate for what your child can handle. This is best on hardwood floors.
Be Musical
14. Turn it UP! – Pick some fun, up beat music and BLARE IT! Get ready to dance – dance apart, dance together, have a dancing contest but most of all be silly…this can lead right into wrestling and more fun!
Be Straight Forward
15. Keep it Real – It’s a simple as, “Hey, wanna wrestle?” There ya go!
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll enjoy:
The Lost Art of Wrestling with Your Kids
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