Father's Day Gift Ideas with Tips from a Dad

Father's Day is just around the corner and when you need Father's Day gift ideas, who better to ask than a dad.

Jason Avant is the publisher of the blog, DadCentric; the husband to HipMamaB; and dad to Lucas, 3, with another baby set to make his or her arrival in the Fall. Jason is also a full-time human resources consultant. And did I mention he's my writing partner? He clearly has his own work-life balance juggle to manage.

I asked Jason to offer his tips on the best Father's Day gift ideas. Here's his top five list, snark included:

• The iPod Nano: The essential post-work, pre-home workout companion. It's size really is what makes it great; easily stashed in your briefcase or laptop bag pocket, it's perfect to wear during visits to the gym or during a run. I used to scoff at the Multi-iPod Households, but no more. Beth has her Shuffle, I have my Nano, we share a standard iPod. Yes, the amount of money we've spent on digital music players could house and feed a family of ten in Ethiopia for one year, but Dad can turn up the volume to drown out his nagging conscience.

• The Flip: Using flash memory technology, this little camera can shoot and store up to 60 minutes of MPEG videos. And the expensive one only costs $150. A small price to pay for capturing those family moments that Dads cherish - the dog drinking out of the toilet, the neighborhood kid skateboarding off the roof of his house, the occasional Bigfoot sighting...

• The iPhone. Does everything. For the price, it had better. You may want to hold off on buying one: Apple is releasing the iPhone 2.0 over the holidays and it promises to transform into a giant gun-toting robot that will attack and destroy anything that threatens your home, or the planet Earth.

• The "Jack Sack": Also known by its real name - the Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag, by a company called Galaxy Army Navy. This is the bag featured on the TV show "24". Whenever government agent Jack Bauer goes on an op, he always brings along this trusty bag. And for good reason - it's durable, has a ton of pockets, holds a 15" laptop with plenty of room to spare, and unlike the $500 wrenches that the government favors, it's actually really inexpensive ($15 on Amazon!). Interrogation kit sold separately.

• B120Wraith: Finally, to ensure that there is a "life" portion of work-life balance, Dad needs to be able to get from the office to the home as quickly and effeciently as possible. For that, I recommend the B120Wraith  Of course, if a $75,000 motorcycle is out of your price range, a crock pot makes a great gift. (Editor's Note: I thought he was kidding but Jason actually loves crockpots.  Mayble he'll enlighten us in a future guest post.)

Thanks, Jason!

Dads - What's on your list of Father's Day dream gifts?

Preschool Graduation Gifts: No Toys Allowed

My oldest son, Nol, is graduating from preschool this week. Besides wiping tears from my eyes at some point in the days preceding this milestone, I'm also pulling together a special gift for him from Mom and Dad.

Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have been discussing what present, if any, we should get for him. I mean, really, does he need a gift to mark the his preschool graduation? In the end, we decided that it is an important event. We are the epitome of proud parents and we Nol to know it. But he's five, so we need to keep the gift -- and the occasion -- in check.

We decided that for our little guy, preschool graduation gifts shouldn't include toys. While showing Nol we're excited for him and proud of all that he's learned, we also want to continue to encourage his insatiable curiosity and love of learning. We decided that despite the no-toy rule, we wanted the gift to include something fun and have an element of specialness.

So, come Wednesday, Nol will be opening a package that includes:

Love of Learning Factor: Three books with his favorite characters, including Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories by Virginia Lee Burton, Mercy Watson Fights Crime and The Ralph Mouse Collection. If you're in need of book ideas for the preschool/early reader age set, these books are fantastic and age appropriate for five-year-old kids.

Fun and Specialness Factor: Three tickets to watch his beloved Francisco Giants play ball on a special date with Mom and Dad. Since his little brother, Q., was born, time just with mom and dad has been hard to come by for Nol. Truth be told, we miss spending time alone with him too. So Nol will get a little "certificate" that explains Q. will be spending a day with his grandparents while we take Nol up to the city for a full day of fun. I can already see the smile on his face. And ours.

Any parents of preschool grads out there - how you are you celebrating the occasion?