Guys Need Valentines Too: What To Get Your Husband on February 14

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and while there’s always a lot of focus on flowers, jewelry and all the girly stuff, the husbands and dads in our lives deserve to be spoiled too. So let’s talk Man Gifts.

Dads are not typically the easiest people to shop for. In my experience, dad gift requests fall into one of three categories. (1) They say they don’t want anything at all. (2) What they really want is too expensive to make for a good surprise. Like, my husband really wants a new racing Stand Up Paddleboard, but “Hey, I just spent 1800 bucks you didn’t know about. Love you!” doesn’t scream romance. (3) The thing they want is so technical you could never pick it out. This includes things like sniper-grade GPS-based golf gadgets or just about anything that could be classified as a tool. I don’t speak those languages.

For most people, Valentine’s Day is more about fun surprises than major gifts anyway. So I’ve compiled a list of fun, unexpected gifts that won’t break the bank, including a few that might be cute coming from the kid(s).

Make Him a Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Forget, fancy multi-course dinners. Sometimes there’s nothing more romantic or satisfying than comfort food. I made this recipe for Shawn when he got home from a work trip and it blew his mind. He’s since requested it several times and made it for me on special occasions (no complaints here). You just can’t imagine the melty, cheesy, Buffalo goodness that is this sandwich. I suggest using sourdough bread. Check out the recipe here.

Draft Magazine Subscription/Make Your Own Six-Pack

If your guy loves beer, this is the gift that keeps on giving. Draft Magazine has great ideas for new craft beers to try, beer-related festivals, great beer bars and restaurants, guy-friendly recipes and fun travel suggestions. As any beverage expert will tell you, beer is the new wine, with an exploding variety of choices, flavors, price points and menu-pairing options. But there’s still time for your husband to feel like an early adopter with a subscription to this slickly-produced yet still under-the-radar magazine. You might want to throw in a make-your-own-six pack of craft beers, which you can put together at Total Wine, Publix or locally at Royal Palm Village Wine & Tapas in Atlantic Beach.

Concert Tickets

If you and your hubs are anything like me and mine, you don’t go to concerts often enough. Valentine’s Day is a great time to change that. There are some amazing shows coming up at the Florida Theatre, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.

Bourbon

If your hubs isn’t a beer drinker, chances are, he’s a Bourbon drinker. Be the coolest wife ever and surprise him with a bottle. Buffalo Trace is more unexpected than Maker’s Mark or Knob Creek.

A Sentimental Graphic Poster

I’ll take any excuse to peruse etsy.com, but this is really a perfect occasion. There are so many cute (but not too cutesy) graphic posters that would look great in a frame in his home office or hung near his side of the bed. I have a serious pet peeve with the term “Man Cave,” (like, why no Woman Cave, because our room is supposed to be the kitchen? Don’t get me started) but if he has one of those, it could go in there too. Here are a few that I love:

Just plain sweet. Everyday I Love You from Wisteria Paper.

For the fisherman. You’re The Only Fish In The Sea For Me from StayGoldMedia. Or maybe You Anchor Me from NanLawson.

Handmade Gifts

Receiving homemade creations from your kids is a rite of passage as a dad and if you play your cards right, you and your kids could make dad something he might actually use. Doing Dishes in Avondale has everything from plates to mugs to trophies and piggy banks. Let your kid pick something out, then go to town painting. The results may not be pretty, but your little ones will be proud of their work – and so will dad.

Sexy Pics of You

Don’t underestimate the power of a boudoir shoot. A few JMB ladies have recently taken it all off for one of our favorite photogs – Christina Karst. To say their husbands were surprised and over the moon is an understatement. Remind your hubs that you are still the sexy lady he married.

So what is your favorite husband or dad getting this Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry, I won’t tell.