This is the first Father's Day I've had to celebrate without you.
I feed the hole in my heart with your spirit.
I feed the hole in my spirit with your memory.
You are my Dad, my everything.
You are my family, you created my whole being.
Life is not the same without you here.
The nucleus is gone.
Our family is lost.
We're trying to find our way...
No matter where you are,
I celebrate you everyday Dad.
In Loving Memory of My Dad,
Payton
Take Dad on a Father's Day adventure that he'll never forget! Forget about giving him a shirt, a tie or a new coffee mug. Take him out to have some fun!
Does your Dad enjoy sports? Take him to ESPN Zone for a hands-on sports overload! He can watch all kinds of sports just about anywhere he goes in the "Zone" on any of their 150+ monitors. Does he have a favorite sport? He can play until his heart's content. Visit your local "Zone" or travel to a location of choice: Anaheim, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, New York, or Washington D.C. Bring a camera to capture Dad in his element.
Need a little more adventure for Father's Day? Take Dad skydiving! Now, that's exciting, right? You can find skydiving outfitters all over the U.S., so it's easy to stay local or to take a trip to a desired location. Make sure your Dad doesn't have any heart issues before investing in this adventure. If he has a clean bill of health, then go jump out of a plane together. I promise it will be an experience to remember. Most outfitters will video tape the jump for you as well (for a nominal fee, of course).
Would you prefer a water-based adventure instead of flying through the air? Take Dad to the rapids for some white water rafting! Rafting is one of those things (Do we call it a sport? I don't know.) anyway, it's one of those things can be really freakin' intense and scary and just when you think you can't take it anymore, the rapids break away to a calm, surreal stillness that you coast through quietly. Don't get too comfy though because there's another breaker around the bend! It's a real blast! Again, make sure that Dad doesn't have any heart issues before embarking on this adventure. Most outfitters will provide photos for purchase at the end of your ride.
If you read this and the first thought that came to your mind was, "That's great, my Dad hates sports and had a double by-pass two years ago, so none of these work for me." If that's the case, I suggest you go play golf. Oh come on, it's not a sport! Well, it might be if you actually walk the course, but it would better qualify as a sport if you ran the course instead. Think about it...extreme golf!
If all else fails, take him out to an outrageous dinner! Take him to a special place that you wouldn't normally dine and order one of everything on the menu. :o)
Happy Adventuring/Searching/Shopping,
Payton
I thought with Father's Day coming up and with graduations happening that it might be a good time to focus on what makes events like these really special. In your opinion, what makes a special event in your life more memorable? Is it the event itself, is it the people involved, is it the gifts you receive, is it the pictures/video you capture? What makes an event really memorable to you?
When I think back to special occasions in my life, I remember who was there and what we did together. Occasionally a specific gift will stand out in my mind, but more often than not, I remember the events of the day. I remember graduating from high school and college. They were both very exciting and special days for me. I remember who was there to celebrate with me, but I don't remember a single gift that I received. I have photos from both events that captured some of the memories and that's important to me. I enjoy receiving gifts (as most people do), but they're definitely not the focal point for me.
It's interesting to think about all the things I've experienced over the years. Obviously, some things are more pivotal than others and some things I've forgotten entirely until someone brings them up or if I come across photos to remind me. It's funny, I can always look at photos and remember where I was and what was going on, but I can't always remember everyone's names. It makes me sad, but time moves on and sometimes our friends do too. Perhaps I should catch up on years of scrapbooking and start recording people's names with their photos. Ha! Well, I can dream right?
I'd love to hear what makes life events more memorable, please comment and let us know!
Happy Searching/Shopping,
Payton
Summer's almost here, so why not get Dads, Grads and everyone else that you need to buy gifts for ready for the beach?!? You can create a gift basket, a gift bag, a stack of gift boxes or any other way you come up with to present all the cool stuff needed to go to the beach!
Picture this, purchase a cool beach bag or ice chest and fill it with the items listed below to suit the needs and tastes of the person you're buying for. In addition to gifting cool things for the beach, you could even throw in a gift card to a tanning salon or include a bottle of self-tanning lotion so whomever you're gifting to can get a jump start on a tan (not suggested for children).
For Dads:
6-pack sized ice chest
beach towel
bathing suit
beach hat
flip flops
sunscreen
water bottle
snacks
6 pack of beer
For Grads:
women's beach bag/men's beach bag
beach towel
women's swimsuit/men's swim trunks
women's beach hat/men's beach hat
women's flip flops/men's flip flops
sunscreen
water bottle
snacks
self tanning cream
For Kids:
kids beach bag
kids beach towel
girl's swimsuit/boy's swim trunks
girl's beach hat/boy's beach hat
girl's water shoes/boy's water shoes
sunscreen
water bottle
snacks
shovels
pails
sand castle molds
beach balls
bubbles
frisbee
Pick and choose from any of the items listed above and/or add some of your own. This is a fun and easy gift to put together for someone you really care about. Just think of all the use they can get out of it. If you pack it right, they'll be able to just grab it and go to the beach!
Happy Searching/Shopping,
Payton
Your Dad works hard, he deserves to be King of the house, right? Give him a gift he'll never forget! Swap out your boring old toilet with a fabulous King-sized throne that's actually a toilet! Imagine his surprise when he finds such a grand thing waiting for him. Father's Day will never be the same after you present him with this gift.
He may not fully appreciate the hand-painted porcelain, but I'm betting Mom will like it! For some strange reason, it has an ashtray (clearly it wasn't made in California). The throne back has a mounted candleholder and the candle is actually included.
The best part...when you flush, a bell rings and each time you lift the lid, it plays a l
ittle tune. Too bad there's no alarm that sounds off when he leaves the lid open!
If the Dad that you're gifting this great throne to has little ones who are potty training, you can gift little thrones to them too! Then Dad and the kids can have a throne potty party together. Who says potty training isn't fun?!?
Happy Searching/Shopping,
Payton
I don't know about you, but it seems to me that Dads get basically the same type of gifts year after year for Father's Day. Think about all the gifts you've given your Dad over the years...ties, t-shirts, baseball hats, coffee mugs, books, and golf accessories. Am I wrong? Does that more or less cover the list? I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with these gifts. I've given plenty of them myself over the years.
I thought I'd kick off some Father's Day gifts with something traditional, but perhaps not such a traditional gift. When was the last time you bought your Dad a fabulous pair of shoes?!? Have you ever bought a pair of shoes for your Dad? Is he fashionable or is he the kind of guy that wears the same pair of shoes all the time? This is your chance to contribute to his fashionable side or take him to the next level and introduce him to his second pair of shoes! How fun is that?!?
Let's move forward with shoes that might appeal to your Dad's individual style...
My Dad's a sporty and/or casual k
ind of guy:
My Dad's a fashionable kind of g
uy:
My Dad's a preppy kind of gu
y:
No matter what kind of guy your Dad is, I'm sure you can find him some really cool "kicks" for Father's Day. What kind of shoe would you buy for your Dad?
Happy Searching/Shopping,
Payton
