My (Geeky) Father's Day Gift Roundup

Yes, Father's Day is Sunday, and so this is kinda last minute, but I thought I'd share a few items to consider for that fatherly figure in your life, whether it's your own dad, a man who has been like a dad to you, or the father of your kids. You may not have time to get them for this Father's Day, but hopefully these suggestions will spark some ideas for the geek dad in your life.

Darth Vader and Son - What would daily life be like if Darth Vader was parenting a 4-year old Luke? Adorable picture book for any geek dad to read with his Jedi (or Sith) wannabe child.

Tools - Oh, your geek dad may not be all that handy with a real screwdriver, but chances are he'll know just what to do with a Sonic Screwdriver. Instead of trying to decide which brand of tools to get him, you'll be faced with the harder decision of 10th Doctor or 11th Doctor? Choose wisely.

Power - For the dad who spends a lot of time in the car, yet also spends a lot of time on his electronic devices, this coffee cup charger is a must. Plug it into your car (in what used to be the cigarette lighter), pop the cup into a cup holder, and you've got two outlets and a USB charging port. He'll keep everything fully charged and never run out of battery life when on the phone with you!

Clothing, for when he has to look presentable - There are times when dad has to take off the Superman t-shirt and just be a super man, but he probably doesn't want to spend a lot of time caring for his good clothing. So when he has to put on the button up shirt and tie, he can be comfy in these Lee Motion Comfort flat-front pants. They're wrinkle-resistant, stain-resistant and even have wicking technology to keep your guy cool when the temperature rises. These pants are about as carefree as they come for the guy who'd rather spend his mornings checking his Zombie Farm on his iPhone instead of ironing his pants for work. (My husband will be sharing a review of these pants soon - will let you know what he thinks!)

Accessories, for when he has to look presentable - So his boss insists that bow ties aren't cool and requires a standard long tie for everyone. Unless his boss knows binary, only dad will know that his ThinkGeek tie is secretly making a statement while he conforms to dress code. For a slightly bolder statement, try these "more than meets the eye" Transformers cufflinks.

Clothing and accessories, for when he can just be his geeky self - Oh, there's too much to even link to in this category. Just browse through the ThinkGeek clothing section to find dad's particular geek obsession - there's sure to be something for whatever he likes. My current favorite? The Iron Man Power Bands, exact replicas of the ones from The Avengers. I also wouldn't mind seeing my husband in the Captain Jack Harkness replica coat.

Geek food/drink - For those long XBox Live gaming sessions, he'll need some caffeine to keep him going. One of the tastiest options I've tried is RootJack Pirate Root Beer. Not only is there 120mg of caffeine in each bottle, but also a full daily serving of Vitamin C. You know, to prevent scurvy.

So there you are, my suggestions for the best geek Father's Day gifts. Not exactly the lists you'll see everywhere else, but then the geek dad in your life isn't like the other dads, is he?

Chances are he'll love any of these gifts far more than a set of golf clubs...unless he's practicing his swing in preparation for a zombie uprising.

Disclosure: Any products linked to Amazon have my affiliate code in them, meaning if you buy anything through clicking that link I get a few cents for sending you their way. All other links have no affiliate connection, although ThinkGeek is welcome to contact me at any point for future promotions considering how much we love them. All opinions shared here are entirely my own.

Don't Be An Aunt Dot: Tips For Finding Your "So Right" Holiday Gifts

Now that it's November, I've shifted from ghosts and candy and pumpkins to full-on holiday preparations. I love watching for the sales ads and then planning my list for everyone in my family.

When it comes to gift-giving, I know I'm not the most original, but I also know I'm not the worst gift-giver. That title belonged to my great aunt Dot, the queen of strange and unwelcome gifts. She was so memorable she has her own category on my other blog - if there were awards for bad gifts, she'd have the Lifetime Achievement award.

Aunt Dot was the master at shopping every 90% off, final-clearance sale to stock up on gifts for everyone she knew. And then she'd present you with a large department store shopping bag for Christmas each year, forcing you to pull each small item out of it and show the whole room.

Although she passed away a few years ago her spirit lives on, and RadioShack and I would like to share a few tips on how to avoid the gifts that are so wrong, inspired by real Aunt Dot gifts from the past.

1. Consider your recipient's interests.

Nearly every Christmas Aunt Dot gave me a nutcracker in some form or another. Tall wooden nutcracker, nutcracker ornaments, dancing and singing nutcracker. But I hate nutcrackers. They creep me out almost as much as clowns. I gently told her this several times, but somehow the message didn't sink in. (And we won't even discuss the Santa figurines she gave to my Jewish husband!)

When shopping for gifts, remember to think about what that person is interested in. If you're not sure, ask your loved one directly or ask another friend or family member who might have a better idea. It doesn't take a lot of effort to know I'm a technology geek and would have loved an MP3 player or a gift card to purchase a new video game.

2. ...but remember that too much of a good thing can still be too much.

One year at Thanksgiving, my family had a bowl of mixed nuts on the table. Aunt Dot noticed that I liked to pick out the cashews. So what did I get that Christmas? A bag of cashews. And for Easter? A bag of cashews. And my birthday? You guessed it...cashews. That continued for over ten years - I'm officially sick of cashews.

Just because your best friend mentions she loves owls doesn't mean you should get her something with owls on it for every special occasion. Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut with your gift choices!

3. Practical gifts are good...just not too practical.

I love good practical gifts. The year my husband and I bought a house, my grandmother bought us a toolbox and several tools so we could handle minor projects in our new home. When my mom bought her first laptop computer, I gave her a wireless router so she could use her computer anywhere in her house.

But there's a limit to practical, and it's important not to cross that line. Like giving toilet paper as a gift. (With one roll removed from the pack, too.) Or cake mix. Or this...

Yes, that was one of my Aunt Dot Christmas 2006 gifts. I don't even know what to do with nonfat dry milk.

4. Some items should never be re-gifted.

Recycling and re-gifting are all the rage this year. In this economy, it's great to be frugal, and passing along gifts you don't want or shopping for gifts at a thrift store or used goods store can be a great way to save money.

There are some items, however, that are best given as new. Giving a couple wine glasses with the year 2001 written down the stem as a wedding gift for their 2003 wedding? So wrong. Same goes for stuffed animals from thrift stores that smell like they were pulled from the dumpster.

Aunt Dot may have had good intentions, but that stuffed bear wasn't going anywhere near my kid.

If you have a gift you don't want, consider a trade-in program like The Shack's Trade and Save program, where you can trade in your unwanted electronics for credit towards a new product purchase. Get rid of stuff you don't want, then buy the things you'll actually use - perfect!

5. Check your expiration dates.

When it comes to gifts that are so wrong, expired gifts are the worst. The majority of food gifts I received from Aunt Dot were expired or close to their expiration date. I once received chocolates that were so old they had turned white in some places, which was really disappointing after I was excited to get chocolate as a gift. (And cashews. Never forget the cashews.)

But expiration dates aren't just for food. Health and beauty products and even batteries have a set shelf life - make sure the gift recipient can use the product before it expires. And if you're buying a gift card or a gift from a daily deal site like Groupon, consider any limits placed on them and when they'll lose their value, if ever.

So Wrong...to So Right

Aunt Dot's heart was truly in the right place, but her execution was a little off. She thought of the bargain before considering the interests of the recipient. She got so caught up in buying several small, cheap items at the lowest possible price that she missed the opportunity to spend the same amount of money on one quality gift that we were sure to love.

It doesn't take a lot of effort to make sure you're a gift-giving hero during the holidays. Stores will offer a lot of bargains in the weeks leading up to December 25, but just because it's on sale doesn't mean it'll be the right gift.

Learn from Aunt Dot and make sure your gifts are so right this year. Because this:


Aunt Dot's Gift from Christina M on Vimeo.

is soooooo wrong. (And yes, that is the price tag you see hanging from the toy.)

Full disclosure: This article was written in coordination with RadioShack's "So Right, So Wrong" holiday campaign. I was compensated for my time and effort, and all opinions expressed here are my own. Stories shared above are 100% true - just be glad I didn't tell you about the time Aunt Dot gave my mom a mooing toy cow that poops candy.

BlogHer Swag: The Best of the Best

Now that the rush of BlogHer '11 is (looooooong!) over and I'm back into my daily routine, I've had some time to look through everything I brought back from the conference and think about which swag items have made the greatest impact on me. BlogHer wouldn't happen without the incredible sponsors for the conference, and those sponsors made sure to offer up some fun take-home items for us to remember them by.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the swag items and sponsors I liked the best from BlogHer '11:

Lee Jeans: I've been a fan of Lee jeans ever since they dared me to try their jeans a few years ago. I thought there was no way they'd be able to fit this curvy frame of mine, but oh how they proved me wrong! I've yet to find another brand of jeans that give me plenty of room in the hips and thighs while fitting my waist with only a small gap.

This year Lee was a sponsor for BlogHer and set up fittings to show other bloggers just how well they could look in a great pair of jeans. I was thrilled to try out their new skinny stretch jeans, and even more excited to go home with the pair I tried on.

Aren't they great? I love these jeans and have been wearing them as much as I can since I arrived home. They fit perfectly, they're not too tight in the legs, and the dark wash hasn't faded at all.

P&G House: The P&G House was back in the Expo hall this year, bigger and more eco-friendly than ever. It was easier to move around in the house, too. But what I liked best was that I could walk through it at my own pace, speak with experts in each area, and not have to fight a crowd for product samples. Instead, we filled out a survey at the end indicating which brands we'd like to receive samples from, and those samples were mailed to our house. As someone who had to fly this year, this was greatly appreciated. (The full-size bottle of Tide was great!)
The one item I was really surprised about from P&G? The new Braun ionic hairbrush. It's a battery powered brush that floods your hair with ions while you brush it, making it immediately smooth, shiny and frizz-free. I received one to try out, and I do really like the brush. It doesn't work on tangles as well as I'd like, but the frizz-factor is practically zero now!

Hershey's S'Mores Suite: It was late morning on Saturday when I found myself hungry and needing a break from the busy Expo hall. Kari and I wandered up to the Hershey's S'Mores Suite to grab a quick snack. Inside, it was relaxing - a sofa in front of a TV, s'mores supplies on the coffee table, and a "beach" view in the next room. We settled onto the sofa and roasted marshmallows, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and relaxed conversation. The s'mores were so delicious, too! OK, so I didn't get to bring any s'mores home with me (though I wanted to steal one of the s'mores maker kits), but I didn't go home empty handed. When we left, we were given insulated lunch bags that have already proven to be a very useful gift for carrying food to and from work.

Middle Sister Wines: I was handed a bottle of Middle Sister Wine at the Aiming Low party, and while my first thought was How am I going to get this home? my second thought was Is this good wine? Answers: wrap all of your clothing around it in your suitcase, and yes, it's a very good wine. I had the Drama Queen white wine - a perfect balance of crisp and sweet. This may be my new favorite wine, and totally worth smuggling back home in my suitcase.

TempurPedic: The travel pillow I received from TempurPedic last year was a lifesaver on my Amtrak ride from hell. This year I was able to get another travel pillow - good thing, too, since I accidentally left my old one in the Las Vegas airport. TempurPedic also sent me a cushioned sleep mask before the conference, which has been serving me dutifully as I sleep during the day. (I work third shift, so sleep masks are a must.) Now if only I could get them to replace my poke-y, worn out bed with one of those heavenly TempurPedic beds...

There were far more brands that I enjoyed talking with, but these were a handful of the standout ones for me. I handed out several business cards, though, and took in just as many, so I look forward to connecting with other companies and hopefully featuring more from them as the year goes on.

Gift Guides Make It Easy

I wanted to put together my own gift guide here this year, but after seeing so many of the great gift guides that others had put together, I decided I'd hold off until next year. Instead, I've been trying to review the best gift items I've come across lately, and leaving the gift guides to those more organized than me.

One in particular that I wanted to mention is the Mom Central 2008 Holiday Gift Guide. It has gift suggestions for nearly anyone you can think of, from infants to adults, men and women, and in all price ranges. I've browsed through it several times, and was pleasantly surprised to see a selection of products not only from major manufacturers, but also from mom-run small businesses.

They're also doing a daily giveaway, with different prize packages available each day. All you have to do to enter is register at Mom Central, visit each day's giveaway and comment.

Good luck with the holiday shopping!