Mother Distracted
A Family Lifestyle Blog In Wales

Our Father’s Day Gift Guide

It’s Fathers Day on Sunday 21st June and as usual the hunt is on to give a special gift that your dad will appreciate – particularly if, like mine, he claims not to want anything and demands that you don’t go to too much trouble.  You know, of course, that if you were to ignore the day, there would be ructions.

Here are a few ideas for affordable gifts for men to suit varying budgets and levels of dad-fussiness.

Personal Grooming Gifts

Gillette and Braun have a great range of shaving products for your dad.  The Husband tried the Braun WaterFlex WF2s Blue Shaver Wet & Dry and was impressed with the close shave it gave, even in the shower.

It has a contour adaptive swivel head and is fully waterproof. It also has an Optiblade foil, which Braun says is their “most advanced foil with ergonomically sized holes that cut hair deeper than ever before”.

The shaver has a rechargeable Li-Ion battery which fully recharges in one hour for 45 minutes of cordless shaving and an LED display to show how much battery is left. There’s even a convenient 5-minute quick charge function for fast and easy shaving.

He tried the shaver with some new products from The Real Shaving Co. – their 3 step system of products including the Daily Face Scrub, the Sensitive Shave Cream (or Sensitive Shave Gel) and the Sensitive Anti-Ageing Moisturiser.  I had a lovely morning teasing him about his newfound metrosexual tendencies, but he liked the products and the combined effect of the Braun Shaver and his new 3 step routine gave him a face far softer than mine!

The Face Scrub has gentle exfoliating beads with added almond oil and cocoa butter whilst the Sensitive Shave Cream contains Allantoin to soothe the skin.  The Sensitive Anti-Ageing Moisturiser has an advanced soothing formula with Q10.  The products retail at £3.99 for the Face Scrub and the Shave Cream (or Shave Gel) and £4.99 for the Moisturiser and are available from Boots.com.

Sweet Treats & Boozy Gifts

How about some Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Chocolates – one of a range of chocolate collections from the Irish chocolatier?  This tempting collection contains 18 chocolate mini desserts including Creme Brûlée, Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Infusion, Passion Fruit Posset, Banoffee Pie and Hazelnut Torte.

There is also the Lily O’Brien’s Ultimate Chocolate Collection (£5.00) which includes 16 Chocolates such as Double Chocolate Truffle, Simply Chocolate, Le Crunch Chocolat, Sticky Toffee, Hazelnut O’Brien, Caramel Macchiato, Death By Chocolate, Zesty Orange Chocolate, Lemon Meringue Pie and Praline Perfection. Indulgence overload!

Pocket money options include the Lily O’Brien’s Dark Chocolate Stem Ginger Batons, dark chocolate infused with real pieces of stem ginger in a handy re-sealable snacking pouch, Lily O’Brien’s Milk Chocolate Creamy Caramels with Sea Salt Discs Sharing Pouch, or the Lily O’Brien’s Le Crunch Chocolat Pouch, buttery crispy crumbs of caramelised French biscuits mixed with creamy milk chocolate.  Lily O’Brien’s chocolates are available in selected supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

Or what about a dram of luxury single malt whisky?

We tried Laphroaig Select. It has a deep smoky taste but a surprising gentle sweetness. We also tried The Ardmore Legacy.  The whisky is a great introduction to peated single malt whisky, having a full-bodied and smooth taste that is dry, spicy and has notes of creamy vanilla, smoky charcoal and savoury spices.

If wine is more to your dad’s taste, why not try Lindeman’s, Australia’s number one heritage wine brand. Available at all good supermarkets nationwide including ASDA, Morrison’s, Waitrose, OCADO and off-licenses, the brand’s Bin Range has been spruced up with the new Lindeman’s logo and a nod to Dr Henry Lindeman’s philosophy that “the one purpose of wine is to bring happiness”. He sounds an eminently sensible chap.

There is the Lindeman’s Bin 95, Sauvignon Blanc, with fruity tones of green apples, which complement fresh flavours, like salads, making it a perfect choice for barbecues. Then there is the Lindeman’s Bin 35 Rose, a soft, fruity wine or Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay, a medium variety ideal for a celebratory family lunch, or on a sunny evening – if he doesn’t want to share. We tried the Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz which has berry plum flavours and a touch of spice, a perfect complement to a roast or just for easy drinking with bread, cheese and olives.

For further information about Lindeman’s and the rest of its Bin Series, just visit www.lindemans.com.

Fun Foodie Gifts

Food gifts are always a great choice, especially if your dad loves to share.  For something really unusual, how about a fathers day gift from The Manly Man Company® – delicious beef jerky bouquets and flowers made from maple candied bacon. They even offer bacon roses covered in chocolate!

After so much indulgence why not give Dad this V neck compression ToneTee T-Shirt?  It’s a control base layer which has body-shaping qualities.  It’s made from 360-degree high tech fabric which targets key problem areas which will help Dad look visibly slimmer and more athletic looking.

The Husband found it surprisingly comfortable and it did seem to have a slimming effect on what Caitlin and Ieuan refer to as the “daddy podge”.

Well, we girls have to get our own back, don’t we?

Father’s Day Gifts He Will Never Forget

I can’t believe it’s Father’s Day in a couple of weeks time. June 19th is rushing towards us so it’s time to start thinking gifts. Father’s Day is a great time to celebrate what a fantastic dad he is by giving him a gift from the kids he will always remember.

Here are some great Father’s Day gifts you could consider.

A trip to a brewery or winery

Dads love relaxing with a glass of wine, or a pint of lager, after a long hard day at work. So to get him something he will enjoy, why not arrange for him to go to a brewery or winery for the day?

He will get to understand more about how his favourite drink is made and might be able to try some new wine or beer that he might love. It’s a full day out so why don’t you arrange for a sitter for the kids and go with your other half.

If you can’t afford to send him to a brewery, why not buy a beer brewing kit so he can make his own beer at home! It will be a lot of fun, and he can get guests to try it as well.

A driving experience

If dad is a fan of driving, you could arrange for him to go on a driving experience. These typically take place at a track in a supercar such as an Audi or a Lamborghini. For something even more unique, you could buy him a tank driving experience where he gets to drive a tank. It will be an incredible experience he will never forget, and you will have to take your camera to get some shots of him driving the tank!

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Paintballing day

If dad loves adventure, you could arrange for him to go on a paintballing day with his friends. You could team up with your mum friends and buy the gift from all the kids. Paintballing is a lot of fun (but can be painful!) and will be a day he never forgets. You should get a few paintballs included in the cost.

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A spa day

Dads can get stressed out with work and home life, so a great Father’s Day gift he would never forget would be a spa day. You could book him a treatment so he could enjoy a back massage or an Indian head massage. He can also take the time to swim in the pool and get some exercise in his life. You could go with him or let him go for a lovely day on his own at the spa.

A hot air balloon ride

For something unique he will never forget, you could get him a hot air balloon ride from the kids. He can experience views of the city he would never have seen before. You could go up there with him, or send a friend with him if you’re scared of heights. It’s something a person should do at least once in their lifetime as the views are incredible.

File:Colorful hot air balloon ZK-OAK landing at Lift Off Levin.jpg
Image Credit

If you’re still struggling for ideas, try these 35 inspiring gifts for dad – you’ll be sure to find something he’ll love.

And if gadgets and gizmos are more his thing, here are some great tech gifts.

If you’re strapped for cash, you could stay at home and have a picnic in the garden as a family. He will still love spending time with you all!

Some Great Gift Ideas For The Men In Your Life

Whether the man in your life’s birthday is approaching, or you want to buy Christmas gifts for your male relations early, here are some gift ideas to help you out.

Pro BBQ Tools
Most men love preparing food on a barbecue, so why not buy them the professional tools to make the job easier? There are all kinds of interesting barbecue tools, from skewers to tenderisers. It doesn’t matter that winter is approaching. The tools will be in use as soon as the winter is over, and the first signs of spring are in the air! They’re pretty cheap to buy at this time of the year too, so you can find yourself a bargain that your husband will love. What’s not to like about that?

A Personalised Dock

There are loads of great docks that are used to play music or store your phone. They help to keep your phone or iPod safe, and you don’t have to rush around the house in the morning trying to look for it. But don’t buy a boring, generic dock, you can buy a personalised one instead. There are lots of different types of personalised wooden gifts that you can buy if you don’t want to buy a dock. You could buy them a personalised chopping board if they like to cook a lot. Or you could buy a knife rack.

A Leather Wallet

Every man needs a strong leather wallet to keep their cash and cards in. If they haven’t replaced their old wallet for years, it might be a good idea for you to buy them a new one. It’s something that is useful and stylish – if you pick the right one that is. When looking for a gift for someone who’s hard to buy for, choosing something that will offer them a solution to a problem they have is always a good idea. They’ll definitely get lots of use out of the wallet, so it won’t be one of those gifts that sits forgotten in a drawer.

A Sports Car Experience

Even if the man in your life can’t afford to buy his own sports car, he might still dream of driving around a track in one. If he daydreams about crossing the finish line as the checkered flag waves at the Grand Prix, why not buy him a sports car experience? This is a once in a lifetime chance for him to drive a sports car around one of the country’s leading race tracks. Imagine how much they’d love the chance to drive a Lamborghini! It’s the kind of gift that they’ll never forget, so it’s something to consider.

gifts for men-christmas-motherdistracted.co.uk

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A Portable Camera

If he likes to cycle or take part in other extreme sports, you should buy him a portable camera like a GoPro. These are very small cameras that can be attached to what you’re wearing and monitor what you do. They create some pretty interesting video footage when you’re taking part in extreme sports. The latest GoPro cameras are now able to shoot footage in 4K, making them incredibly advanced for their size and their price.

*PR collaboration

Father’s Day Gifts From Morrisons

Let’s be honest.  Whilst it would be great to have the time to shop for that unique and personalised Father’s Day gift, in reality, it’s a quick dash to the shops the day before for a bottle of plonk and a card (or in my dad’s case, his passion, chocolate ginger).

Whilst Caitlin was in ballet practising for her Grade 1 in July and the Husband was happily ensconced in the nearest pub, The Plum Tree, Ieuan and I snuck off to our local Morrisons to see if we could come up with some gifts Mat would like.

Our Morrison’s Father’s Day Haul

We had hoped to get our hands on a large Dad cookie (£5) which are baked fresh and personalised in-store but the Cardiff Bay store was very quiet and we were told that it would take anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes to prepare.  Since we were short of time we decided to try something else.

Now that’s a cookie.

There was a small section dedicated to Father’s Day gifts but it contained everything we needed, or at least the necessary prompts – confectionery, alcohol, mugs and glasses, cards and shaving gear nestled next to DVDs and books.

Ignoring Ieuan’s assertion that “he urgently needed to look at the toys”,  I selected the following gifts – just right for sharing of course.

 

Thornton’s Milk Chocolate Beer Mug – £3

 

Maynard’s Wine Gums – £2
Superman Mug & Coaster Set – £4

 

Father’s Day Glass – £2.50
Selection of World Lagers – £5

 

Iron Maiden Beer & Glass – £5

I found the prices to be very reasonable and there is certainly something for every budget. I would say though that, at least in the Cardiff Bay store, stocks were quite low so you may need to visit sooner rather than later.  We have secreted our purchases at home to share between Mat and my dad (no, not the Iron Maiden beer). And, if we have time, we’ll be back for a cookie!

Note though, that not all of these are available online so you may need to visit in person and employ your usual strategies to combat demands from your children. My favourite is “mummy hasn’t got her hearing aids in so she can’t hear you I’m afraid”.  Works a treat.

Dad a Whizz in the kitchen? Oxo Good Grips have Father’s Day Covered

I have to be quite honest here.  The Husband refers to me as “The Queen of the Reheat”.  (Memories of “The Potato of Doom” have never quite left me I’m afraid). This means that the kitchen is, by and large, his domain and he is quite happy to receive kitchen-related gifts.  I did think of a Marco Pierre-White style bandana but on the basis this may give him ideas of culinary supremacy, I have found a few more appropriate presents from the OXO Good Grips range which would suit for Father’s Day presents from the kids.

OXO Bladed Meat Tenderiser

For those dads that enjoy a good steak or a family BBQ in the summer sun, OXO’s Bladed Meat Tenderiser can help make the taste and tenderness of the meat even more enjoyable. With the cost of a steak main course being generally in the range of £23 per main course, creating restaurant-tender steak at home is very useful! This sharp 50-blade tool creates pockets which reduce both marinating and cooking times allowing the meat to retain its natural juices. Dish-washable safe so, Oxo say, “dad doesn’t have to spend too much time cleaning up after”. Hmm. If only. £16

OXO Clean Cut Pizza Wheel

Maybe dad prefers a pizza? We tried the stylish OXO Clean Cut Pizza Wheel, a handheld device designed to cut easily through thick and thin based pizza’s. With a red blade guard to protect hands and soft, non-slip grip, it allows easy control for pizza slicing. £10.

We found this great to use and extremely easy to clean as it just comes apart.  We eat pizza at least once a week. Ieuan always demands Ham & Pineapple pizza from which he painstakingly removes each piece of ham and pineapple and leaves them on the side of his plate for Caitlin.  Go figure.

Please note:  reheating all my own work

OXO Twist Top Water Bottle

The OXO Twist Top Water Bottle is ‘perfect for those active and sporty dads that are always on the go’. This bottle boasts a 710ml capacity and a large opening for easy filling, cleaning and adding ice.

Oh bless – I’ve told him it’s full of vodka tonic

When it’s not in use, the twist-open lid will keep the straw clean and free from spillages. It’s a great chunky bottle whose lid cleverly conceals the straw when not in use.  It’s leakproof and spill-proof and frankly, belongs in my kit bag for Pilates and my other sports. You can’t afford to get dehydrated when crushing that candy now, can you? £10

For more information, please visit www.oxouk.com or call 0114 242 7295.

Dad & Me & Dear Dad – Beautiful Journals For A Father’s Day Gift

It’s rare that I open a package for review and find the contents bring a tear to my eye but these two journals “Dad & Me” and “Dear Dad – from you to me.  A Journal of a Lifetime” did just that.

Dad & Me is an award-winning fun and interactive journal to inspire any father and child to have a great time getting to know each other better. The journal is designed so that they can write, draw and doodle in tandem, then share and learn about each other along the way.

It is a great way to encourage children to enjoy writing and drawing. Inside, each page either side of the book has the same prompt – for example “Being Healthy” and then a space for both dad and child to draw what their idea of being healthy is.  Other prompts include things like “My Spare Time”, “Holidays” and even “Falling In Love”!

This innovative journal will not only create intimate and enjoyable family moments, it will help father and child to share memories, experiences, hopes and fears. The spaces to draw and fun activity prompts make Dad & Me easy to use and ideal for a wide age range.

Dear Dad from you to me is an equally beautifully designed award-winning journal to inspire any father to tell his story, and to reinforce that unique father-child bond. Once completed by dad, the journal can be returned to the child filled with precious memories and dreams – a really lovely keepsake.

Dear Dad contains over 60 carefully designed fun and inspiring prompts and questions which will encourage dad to open up about his life – his childhood, career, life at home, becoming a father and much more. For example, “What did you think when first saw me?” and “Did you have an idol when you were young?  Tell me who and why”. The answers to the questions contained in Dear Dad would be interesting for the whole family I think!

Dear Dad is available in two designs, ‘Sketch’ (seen here) and ‘Tree’. There are also 3 other titles available, Dear Mum, Dear Grandma and Dear Grandad and these can also be personalised at www.fromyoutome.com.

Dad & Me retails at £14.99 and Dear Dad from you to me is £12.99, both available from www.fromyoutome.com.  Tel: +44 (0)1225 866225 or email hello@fromyoutome.com.

PR samples were received for this post.

Father’s Day Gift Guide – Gadgets & Gizmos

Father’s Day is one of the most important events because this is when fathers from different parts of the world are celebrated; this day is spent celebrating male parenting and fatherhood in general.

There are a lot of ways on how you can pay tribute to your father on this day, but giving them gifts is one of the best options you have. With the number of gifts available in the world today, you won’t have any problems choosing a gift for your father. However, the wide variety of options available is also one of the reasons why choosing the perfect one can be challenging. 

If you’re buying a gift for Father’s Day, you’ll likely see yourself clueless on how to choose. Fortunately, this article can help narrow down your options, especially if your dad is into gadgets and gizmos. 

If your dad is a self-proclaimed techy who loves to measure wireless signals, rely on different apps every single day, and stay up-to-date with the latest news on tech, here are a selection of gifts which will make him happy:

If your dad is techy, geeky or IT mad, here are a selection of gifts which will make him happy.

CoPilot GPS – the award winning sat nav app.





This app was voted by Which? as the ‘only best sat nav app’ in 2014 and it has some very useful key features to take the stress out of those daily commutes and weekend family trips to help make driving an enjoyable experience. For instance:-

Calculate Fuel Costs – calculate your estimated fuel costs for a trip before you leave, so you’re well prepared for the journey ahead. If your dad loves to travel with the family, this app can do wonders. With this app, your dad won’t have to worry about running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. This app can also help your dad properly budget his fuel expenses, saving money in the long run!

Google Local Search – search the internet to find your favourite nearby stores, local businesses or services to navigate to, call or check out the user reviews. With this app, your dad doesn’t have to waste time and money from going around in circles just to find what they’re looking for. 

Find My Car – CoPilot works offline, so you won’t have to worry about racking up mammoth data roaming bills.

Voice Command – CoPilot now responds to voice commands for hands-free control. Just say, “CoPilot, take me home,” or “CoPilot, take me to work,” and the app will do just that.

CommuteMe – This takes the hassle out of the daily drive by intelligently learning a driver’s preferred route to and from work. It then automatically scans the route for traffic to avoid delays and provide an accurate arrival time. If a driver starts to prefer a new route, CommuteMe recognizes the change and proactively adapts. This is one of the best gifts you can give to your dad, especially if the family lives far away from your dad’s place of work. 

The app is also very easy to gift by simply going to iTunes and searching for CoPilot GPS. Once you have selected the appropriate version of the app, scroll down and you’ll find ‘’gift the app’’ you can then send the code to an email address with a personalised note to your dad.

CoPilot is available on IOS, Windows Phone 8 and Android!

CoPilot GPS has recently partnered with leading Road Safety Charity, Brake about safer use of mobile technology when travelling by car.

The app is usually priced at £19.99 for UK maps and £33.99 for EU maps (which is also available in HD for £34.99) and available on iOS, Android and Windows.

Further information is available at copilotgps.com

TabletTV (from £64.99)



TabletTV is a simple device which lets you watch Freeview TV channels via your tablet anytime, anyplace and for free. If your dad is often busy at work, and no longer have the time to go out and enjoy watching movies, this device is a perfect gift for them. TabletTV is a portable device, which means that your dad can watch their favourite shows and movies whenever they want to. 

There is no reliance on 3G, 4G or WI-FI, all you need is a TV signal, tablet and the free TabletTV app (available to download from the App Store). You can even record live TV and watch it later on – ideal for keeping the little ones quiet during long car journeys or flights.

TabletTV allows you to:-

– watch live television absolutely free on your tablet in most European Countries* without any cables, satellite or internet

– one-touch-recording so you can record and catch up on your favourite shows whenever you like

– a home network feature allowing you to easily flick between the TV and internet, so you can join in conversations on social media without interrupting your viewing

It comes in two tuner models: the mains tuner enabling your tablet to act as an extra screen and a portable tuner, which easily slips into a coat pocket or bag while you are out and about.

TabletTV is available to buy via the TabletTV website on Amazon.co.uk – no subscription required.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet From £89.

If your dad likes apps, entertainment and surfing the web, he’ll love one of Amazon’s Fire tablets. The Fire HD 8 offers dads the perfect gateway to millions of songs, movies, TV shows, books, apps and games, it even has front and rear-facing cameras – ideal for Skype or a cheeky selfie with the kids.

 

If dad likes to relax with a good book, the Kindle Paperwhite now comes with a 6″ high-resolution screen, a backlight and is waterproof as well as plenty of offers on-demand access to over three million books, magazines and newspapers. With a touchscreen display that reads like real paper and built-in Wi-Fi that means dad can download books in 60 seconds, Kindle is super simple to use and the perfect gift for any dad who loves to read.

Monster Superstar Backfloat High Definition Bluetooth Speakers RRP £11.95

From pioneering audio brand, Monster, the Superstar BackFloat is engineered to keep pumping out high-performance Pure Monster Sound, even whilst floating on water! It can be used at the pool, in the shower or just use it as a speaker. It’s available in Black/ Neon Blue and Black/Neon Green.

Or there’s the iSport Bluetooth Wireless Superslim™ in-ear with Bluetooth
RRP £129.95 – super slim, low profile wireless in-ear headphones which feature a comfortable easy-to-wear patented sport clip which stays in your ear promising a perfect and comfortable fit. It gives total noise isolation with the exceptional wireless sound quality which will keep the user focused on the most intense workouts and extreme outdoor sports.

Monster products are available from www.shopmonsterproducts.co.uk and selected retailers nationwide.

One For All’s new Smart Zapper 

 

This will turn dad’s smartphone into a universal remote control. It is an advanced ‘bridge’ that sits on the coffee table and translates Bluetooth Smart signals into Infrared.  It will convert his tablet or smartphone into a universal remote control for all his home cinema equipment. Just use it in conjunction with the free Nevo iOS or Android app and full zapper functionality can be configured on his smartphone or tablet in under three minutes! Stockists: www.oneforall.co.uk or Amazon. The Nevo app is free from the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store (search for Nevo under ‘Universal Electronics’).

TomTom Golfer 

If your dad is golf mad then the TomTom Golfer could revolutionize the time that he spends on the course. It will help him to plan his game and quickly make informed decisions using the full-screen graphics of hazard and green distances. It has one-button control and easy to navigate through menus. The TomTom Golfer comes pre-loaded with course data from over 34,000 different courses and is available from American Golf, Direct Golf, John Lewis and Argos.

TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio GPS Sports Watch – £209.99





The TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio GPS Sports Watch is equipped with a built-in heart monitor so there is no need to wear a bulky chest strap. He can track progress against goals and know that he’s in the right heart rate training zone whatever he wants to achieve. There are five different intensity levels from ‘easy’ to ‘fat burn’ to keep dads of every level challenged! With different colour straps to choose from including red/grey and turquoise/red, dads can ensure their gear is always as fashionable as they are. Available from Sweatshop, Runners Need, Up & Running, John Lewis and Amazon.

So there you have it.  Gifts to suit the techiest of dads! I’m not letting the Husband see this.