Do you have trouble finding the right gift for the men in your life?  I do!

Sometimes they make it easy on you by clipping a picture out of a magazine, or whining about how they can’t play the new Mario Brothers game unless they get the new gaming console, et cetera.

I would say my dad is one of the hardest men to shop for, and it’s because he’s such an awesome guy.  He always taught me that if you want what you already have, you’ll never be unsatisfied.  My best memories with my dad include jumping on the trampoline together for hours, camping, learning to water-ski and doing crossword puzzles together.  My dad always gave me excellent quality time- that’s something that’s hard to box up and wrap with ribbon.  And, you know, if I didn’t get my dad anything for his birthday or Christmas, he probably wouldn’t care, as long as we still got to spend time together.

But I love giving gifts!  It makes me feel special when I get a gift, so I want to do the same with the people I love.  Even if it’s something small.

Lately, Jer-Bear (that’s what I call my dad) has been re-organizing our finished attic space to be a gym/lounge.  My niece has been trying to claim it for her clubhouse as well- and I’m sure he’ll be generous with her as he was with me when it comes to space and attention.  But, bottom line- it’s his gym.

So, I thought I’d make it official and embroider some towels for him.  It’s kind of like planting a flag, you know.

The towels are functional and fun.  They’re also a little tongue-and-cheek, since my dad would probably just as soon use an old towel with any one of our names on it in his gym- but I’m making these special for him!

If you want to embroider towels, check out this video- we’ll get you started!

Oh, and I finally found a sweet-treat that my dad will eat.  He loves this Jack Daniel’s Pecan Pie.  I love making everything, including food, decorative- check out the birthday design .  Recipe here.

I hope this helps inspire you in your quest to Man-Gift in the New Year.  Share your man-gifting ideas in the comments- we could all use them!