Push Presents for Him #newdad #dad #giftforhim

So I mentioned at the beginning of the month that I am down with push presents when there's a new baby being born, and not just for mom.

When I was pregnant with my son, I wanted to do something to really celebrate my husband becoming a new dad and how our world had just changed in a 13-hour blink of an eye. I got him a really nice bottle of Port, put it in a canister and made sure it was in my hospital bag.

This time is no different, and I have some ideas and I'm pretty sure he knows that there's a nice bottle of scotch with his name on it for when our little love arrives.

Clockwise from top right...

While these gold rimmed cufflinks are a splurge, they are also really beautiful and perfect if your husband works in an office or bank and wears alot of french cuffs.

If you have more than one child, you might want to consider celebrating how your family has grown and include them in Dad's push present. This stacked hand stamped keychain is a great way to incorporate all of your children's names and birthdates into Dad's gift.

If the new Dad on your list is a bit of a geek, this scrabble tile magnet set is perfect.

And finally, if you just had (or know that you're having) a little girl, I love the idea of giving Dad a gift where baby girl can keep part of it as a keepsake. This necklace and stamped keychain combo is so very sweet!

Since our son was due right around Father's Day, I also had preselected my husband's first Father's Day gift. A pair of engraved cufflinks, and one of them has our sons initials on it. The other...it's blank...but not for long! Only 10 days until the due date!!

Father's Day #Printable and Interview #fathersday

Earlier this year, I was on the search for some really great Father's Day gifts for my husband. I found a few things here and there, but was feeling like something was just missing.

Then it donned on me that Owen is at the perfect age to do a Father's Day interview, so of course I made it into a printable.

I'm so excited to print it out with all of his answers, then pop it in a frame for my husbands office!

You can download the FREE printable here!

Bleach and DecoArt Dyed T-shirts for Father's Day

Every year for Father's Day, I try to do something fun and unique for my husband to show him how much we appreciate his love, support and encouragement. This year I decided that I wanted to make Mr. Men t-shirts for him, and....well...they didn't really turn out how I had envisioned.

Materials:
Tshirts
SoSoft fabric paint
Spray bottle
Bleach
Vinegar
Bucket

First, pick up some tshirts at Old Navy. I chose to get a black one, charcoal one and an aqua one. I loved the colours and thought that once the  SoSoft paint and bleach got on the fabric, that it would make for some really interesting colour combinations.

Next, I filled a small tupperware container with water and added in my SoSoft paint. It acted exactly as I had hoped, and dyed small areas of the tshirts. This will impact how to bleach saturates and transforms the fabric later.

Let dry.

Now, this is the step that I messed up on. If you are going to put a silhouette over an area of the tshirt before you spray the bleach, make sure that the design is on cardboard. I printed my images on regular paper, and sadly the bleach bled right through.

That being said, in a well ventilated area {I used the garage} carefully pour bleach into your spray bottle. Spray over the tshirt and watch the magic. Spray more on areas that you want to saturate and distort a little more.

I love the way that the bleach resisted on the areas that were first painted with the SoSoft paint. It gave almost a nebula effect to the shirts, which was a happy accident when I realized that the Mr. Men images didn't turn out so well.

After you are happy with your bleach saturation, dunk your shirts in a basin of vinegar and let sit for a few minutes. This will neutralize the bleach and the colour of your shirts will start to appear.

Toss in the washer, followed by the dryer and you're all set!

While the shirts didn't turn out as I had hoped, I am still really excited to give my Hubs his new nebula tee's on Father's Day!

 

 

BlogHer Sponsor Love: Elephoto

Still searching for the perfect Father's Day gift? Elephoto has you covered!!

Everything from canvas wraps to capture that perfect fishing trip to photo books to remember when he first became a dad, you will find it at Elephoto...and there's still time to order and get everything squared away for Father's Day!

I particularly love the personalized greeting cards...and think that my Hubs would be a ball of mush if he received a whole set of cards with pictures of him and our son from day one right up until present {the little guy turns 2 on Father's Day weekend...not sure I can top that gift for my husband!}

Check out all that Elephoto has in store to make this Father's Day extra special!

Sponsor Love: Epicure Selection with Amanda

The King of the Que…the Master of the Grill…

Whatever you call him, Father’s Day is coming up and we all know that Dad deserves a great steak.

What makes a great steak? The seasonings!

The Hot Off The Grill  Collection from EpicureSelections is the perfect package for bbq lovers. It features a Montreal Steak Rub (yum!), Smoky Bacon Topper (yes….I said bacon), Cheese, Chives & Bacon Dip, and a Burger Seasoning! Whether Dad likes to entertain the boys after golf, hang out with the family on a lazy hazy weekend or have the neighbours over to show off his new BBQ, this seasoning collection is sure to impress.

A few ideas to get your taste buds watering…

Loaded baked potatoes with the Cheese Chives & Bacon Dip

Steaks grilled to perfection with the Montreal Steak Rub

Flavourful burgers with the Burger Seasoning …stuffed with cheese, and grilled

Grilled chicken topped with the Smoky Bacon Topper and a slice of swiss cheese

Grab a cold one, and treat Dad this Father’s Day with the Hot Off The Grill Collection from Epicure! {link}

Special Post: 60'6"...a book review

You may have seen me on twitter talking with my friend Mike Arsenault (@MikeGArsenault) about his book ,60’ 6” Balls, Strikes and Baseball Mortality. Well…I finished it the other night and I have to say that I am impressed.

We’ve been talking about his book for months. Tonnes of anticipation, a great deal of ice cream, many…many home cooked meals. I finally had the chance to read his book.

First and foremost, I will totally admit that I was a little apprehensive to read and review it. It’s a lot of pressure reading something by a good friend, one that is an incredibly athlete and I wasn’t sure that I would like a book that was about baseball.

Thankfully, Mike adds some humour, intricate plot twists, and some juicy romance to keep readers entertained. It was incredibly to follow the main character, Gord, along in his journey to become a star left-handed pitcher…all the while battling challenges both on and off the field. 

And there’s even a character that you {if you’re a woman} will love to hate! Danny; the egotistical womanizer of a roommate. I definitely would be lying if I said that my jaw didn’t drop at a few parts in the book, but I think that’s what made me want to keep turning pages. I wanted to see who his next conquest was, and wanted to scoff at how high-and-mighty the character would get. 

While the book does go through ERA, RBI, stats, and other things that I’m super thankful Mike put crib notes at the bottom for, it’s full of a story. A story of hope, that will grip you and pull you in and take you on a journey. 

And for the guys…it’s a healthy dose of a male-testosterone-driven-baseball novel that would be perfect for Father’s Day ;)

Now available in e-book!!