Holiday Gift Ideas & Traditions Blog

It takes two people to bring a child into the world - a Mother and a Father.  Just as important and rewarding is the role of a Mother, the role of the Father is equally important and rewarding.

In this day and age, more and more children are growing up with one parent.  The divorce rate is steadily increasing, and, unfortunately, many children do not have the support of two parents in one home on a day-to-day basis. 

I was one of these individuals who grew up without my Father in my daily life since the time I was 2 years old.  In addition, we were also separated by long distance and I was unable to get to know my Father completely and emotionally. 

My Mother, the pillar of love and strength raised me to the best of her ability and did a fantastic job.  I turned out to be a good person, and I am so thankful for her and her sacrifices.  I love her to pieces! Truly, it must have been difficult to raise a child on her own.  She had the role of both Mother and Father and it wasn’t an easy road at times.

But I wonder?  What would it have been like to be raised with two parents in the home?  Would I be the same person as I am today or would I have been different?  Perhaps more secure in my thoughts, opinions and self-esteem?  I cannot say and will never know.

However, as a Mother of two young children, both blessed with having their Father around on a daily basis, I do see how important the Father’s role is to the children.  They need the love and support of both parents, there is no doubt.  My children have double the love, support and attention and they are very well-rounded and happy toddlers.  As time passes and the road of life continues on, I will enjoy seeing the difference in my children and the positiveness they will derive by having two parents in their lives.

One should not underestimate the role of a Father.  It is unfortunate that divorce and other life-altering events and circumstances separate children from the two most important people in their lives who brought them into this wonderful world.  Sometimes these situations and events cannot be undone or rectified.  However, sometimes they can and if at all possible, think of your children first and foremost! 

Often the Father is in the children’s life but their role is downplayed and is not treated as equally as the role of a Mother.  It is unfair to the children and to the Father.  No matter the situation, allow your children to get to know their Father and spend time with him.  Don’t let personal feelings get in the way as it is not your feelings that are being torn apart, but your children’s feelings and thoughts.

For those that were blessed with having a Father in your life, celebrate your Dad, the wonderful man in your life on Father’s Day!  Near or far, Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets has a diverse selection of gift baskets perfect for him!

Each year on the third Sunday of June, families and individuals in the United States and Canada celebrate the special man in their lives - their fathers!  These strong, masculine, hard-working individuals who have had a big part of our upbringing need a special day too. The question is, “When did this wonderful holiday begin?”The strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington.  Mrs. Dodd had a very high opinion and respect for her father.  Her father, William Smart, a veteran of the Civil War, raised six children without their mother after his wife died young while giving birth to their sixth child.  His selflessness and devotion to her and her siblings was unwavering.

With appreciation and high regard for her father and after listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day, in 1909 Mrs. Dodd approached her minister and others in Spokane to request a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5.  This date was her father’s birthday and Sonora wanted a special day to remember her father. June 5th was too soon for the minister to prepare the service so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th.

Spokane first celebrated its first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.  From that time on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

In early celebrations, people wore flowers as a traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day.  Mrs. Dodd chose the red rose to honor a father still living, while a white flower honored a deceased dad.

Soon, states and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare the special day an annual Father’s Day.  President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea in 1916, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event.  Quoting President Coolidge, the event was to “establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measures of their obligations.”

Since then, Father’s Day is held on the third Sunday in June throughout the USA and Canada, and fathers are recognized and honored by their families on this special day.  President Lyndon Johnson, in 1966, put the official stamp on a celebration that had already been going on for almost half a century and signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day.

Everyone has a father and some of you may be fathers.  In other situations, some are single moms who are both “mother and father” to a child. In any case, fathers impact children’s lives in more ways than we will ever know.

Little boys like to imitate their fathers or, as they say, “walk with Daddy’s big shoes on.”  Little girls look up to their fathers for approval and it is said that the love the love a father shows his daughter reflects the type of man she will marry.

June 19th, 2005 is Father’s Day and a special day to celebrate your special Dad.  How will you show your appreciation and love to the wonderful man in your life?  Cook a special dinner for him with all of his favorite dishes, bring him to his favorite restaurant, or be creative and make him a special gift.

If the miles separate you from your father this special day, send a greeting card, flowers, or a gift basket that is perfectly suited to him!

Give your dad a hug and show him your love this Father’s Day!

Having a difficult time thinking of the perfect Father’s Day Gift? We all know that Dads and men in general, for that matter, are infamously difficult to buy gifts for. So this year, stop the neck tie trend and give Dad a gift he can really use and enjoy - electronics, power tools or a hobby related item.

What man doesn’t love electronics? Considering the rate at which technology evolves these days, it is likely that Dad doesn’t have the latest and greatest techno gadget. Visit your local Best Buy, go online to Amazon.com or buy Consumer Reports magazine to get a good overview of the most popular electronic items that are on the market today.  One idea to consider is a digital camera. Prices on cameras have decreased significantly in the last few years. You can now get a 7 pixel camera for under $200 with all the gee-wiz gadgets you can imagine including movement auto-face focus, zero time delay,  and red-eye edit capabilities right on the camera. Dad will love capturing family moments, taking pictures of the kids or photographing his latest carpentry creation. One of the most popular electronic picks is a Universal Remote. Logitech has a computer programmable remote that can control all those electronic gadgets in the cabinet such as the DVR, DVD player, CD player, HD television, stereo receiver and more. You can get a great version of the Universal Logitech remote control at Wal-mart for around $100. More expensive options are also available at places like Best Buy. It is easy to program using downloadable data via a computer, and can perform multiple functions with the push of one button. If your coffee table is covered with five remotes, it may turn out that you’ll love this gift for Dad as much as he will. Finally, for an inexpensive gadget option, consider a computer flash drive. These portable data devices are about the size of a small lighter and hold ridiculous amounts of data. When Dad wants to take data from his computer to the office or to another computer in the house, this small device will make the job infinitely easier.

Do you have one of those Dads that spend more time in the garage tinkering than in the house? Well wander out to his garage or tool shed and take a look around. Even if Dad has tons of tools, he probably doesn’t have the latest gadget or maybe he needs one of his old tools replaced. Some newer items to consider are laser levels or specialty pliers. If you simply don’t know what Dad needs or if you are running short on time, just get him a gift card to his favorite home improvement store like Menards or Home Depot. When he gets to pick out his gift, you can be 100% sure that he’ll like it!

Lastly, consider Dad’s hobbies for gift inspiration. Does he like golfing, drinking beer, watching NASCAR or something else? Giving a gift that is in line with one of his hobbies will likely be a hit. If Dad is a big sports fanatic, consider giving him tickets to a local basketball, football or baseball game. Make this gift even better by offering to take him to the game yourself so that you can spend some quality time together. If Dad is a golfer, you could take him golfing, give him a golf improvement book or a new golf club. Fishermen are easy to buy for because new lures and gadgets are coming out every year. Finally if Dad mostly likes to sit around watching TV and drinking beer, give him a food or beverage gift. Many online gift basket companies such as Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets sell gourmet food baskets, cookie bouquets, beer gift baskets, grilling gifts and other gifts themed for Father’s Day. Just do a quick search on the web to find a suitable gourmet gift.

No matter what you end up buying Dad this year, he’ll love that you took the time to pick out something tailored to his needs. Now get up and get shopping!

According to the US Census Bureau, there are just over 66 million Fathers in the United States.  Of these, 26.4 million are raising their children with their spouse and 2.3 million are single Fathers raising their children on their own.

Today nearly 100,000 men are stay at home Dads.

According to Hallmark Research, Father’s Day is the 4th largest holiday for the sale of greeting cards.  Nearly 95 million Father’s Day cards will be purchased this year. Children (sons and daughters) purchase 50% of greeting cards sold during Fathers Day while 20% are purchased by wives for their husbands who are Dads.  The other 30% of Father’s Day greeting cards are purchased for other men such as Grandfathers, Uncles, Brothers, Sons or other significant male others.

According to the US Census Bureau, just 73% of Americans will celebrate Father’s Day in some way.  Of course, neckties are the most popular Father’s Day gift.  But more and more people are buying items based on Dad’s interests such as power tools, sporting goods and electronics.