Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Simple Father’s Day Game For the Non-Crafty Mamas

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#spon: I am in a partnership with Intel. Through this partnership I gain access to content, product, or other forms of value.

Whenever a holiday is approaching, I always feel a special tug in my heart for the non-crafty mamas like me. Spend 30 seconds or so online and you’ll see at least one handmade idea that you feel pressure to create for the event.  Let me be your measure of sanity amidst all of those DIY ideas.

No, you do not have to make a cake shaped like a tie and frosted with an intricate argyle pattern.

No, you do not have to create a 100 page scrapbook of every moment your husband has ever had with his children.

No, you don’t have to create one of those cute little coupon booklets for chores and such that everyone will do for dad. Ok, that’s not necessarily too hard on the crafty front, but think it through, sisters! Do you need MORE chores added to your To Do list?

So in this age where everything worth doing must be Instagram and Pinterest-worthy, what does the non-crafty mama do for her husband on Father’s Day?

I found something! It’s a very simple Father’s Day game modeled after The Newlywed Game. It comes with cute printables and the recommendation that you have everything laminated.

No, you don’t have to laminate it. I promise. 🙂

All I did was pull up the printable information on my Intel AIO computer and print it. Nope, not even in color! 🙂 My Intel AIO had the cute stuff on the screen printed out with just a few taps from my finger. Simple! intel father's day 1

I also used my Intel AIO to play game show music for us while we answered the questions about Tim and while he wrote his answers down. The device is so easy to move all over the house and plopping it down on the floor next to us was easy. There are no cords to move, and you don’t even need a mouse. 🙂 We went with Jeopardy music while we contemplated deep questions, like what animal dad would be if he could be anything.

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It was a fun game and gave s all plenty of laughs. And best of all, it didn’t stress me out one little bit. I let technology do the work for me, using my Intel AIO to find something EASY, make it even easier, and set it to music. 🙂

I hope this helps you let go of those pins you saved earlier with a bunch of stuff you don’t actually want to do. You’re welcome! 🙂

Sweet Memories: On Powerhouse Smiles and Rockstar Dads (Sweepstakes!)

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What a weekend I had, friends. I spent all day Saturday and a bit of Sunday morning down in Alabama with 2 of my 3 siblings helping to clean out as much of my dad’s house as we could. He lives in a 3,000 square foot home and I’m not convinced that he’s ever gotten rid of anything other than obvious garbage since he moved there in 1993.

So, yeah, there was a lot of stuff.

We were doing this because my dad needs to downsize for many different reasons, the most sobering of which is that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. We aren’t at the place yet where he isn’t remembering who we are, but we are aware that we will be there one day. There’s just no other way to say this: it sucks.

Sweet Memories

But as we sorted through coffee mugs and Christmas ornaments that should have been sold at a garage sale (or in some cases just thrown out) 15 years ago, we also uncovered some things that brightened our spirits and made us all smile. And let me tell you, the moments when my father was laughing so hard because he was REMEMBERING hilarious moments were the best. I seriously wouldn’t trade hearing his laugh for anything (other than a cure for dementia. I’d totally trade it for that).

This is the find that made him laugh for the longest time:

sweet memories 1

Ok, so this looks like a pile of dusty trash, right? Well, it is that. But it also has a story behind it. These are the plastic rings that went around new gallons of milk. You had to take off one plastic piece for the top to come off. And BOTH of my brothers were notorious for flicking the plastic rings up above the fridge and onto the very top of the kitchen cabinets. Why? Because it was fun, I guess. And also because it kept them from having to take 6 steps over to the garbage can. Notice that the girls in the family did not partake in this foolishness.

This cabinet is WAY too high for my father to safely reach, and so, here are the remnants of several years of plastic rings from when one of the boys was the first to open the gallon of milk. It gave dad such a good laugh that it made me sort of glad that they did this, after all.

I was also delighted to uncover lots of cards just like these from my dad:

sweet memories 2

When I was young my father traveled a lot for his job. He was a professional musician in a band. He missed a lot of important days, but he always made sure to have a card with a special message in there for me. And in fact, by the time I was 7, he traded in his music career for back-breaking yet steady work as a sheet metal mechanic, and much of the reason that he did that was so that he would see his kids every day. I know he would make the same choice again if he could because he loves his children just that much. But I still think of my daddy as a singer (and he actually does still play with his band!). I mean, check out my awesome dad, folks (he’s the singer):

Truly, you guys, my dad is a rock star. In my heart, on the stage, everywhere and all the time. And the smiles he has put on thousands of peoples faces over the years can’t be erased by time or disease.

Oral-B Power Dad’s Smile Everyday Sweepstakes

Speaking of smiles, I want to encourage everyone to take a moment to enter the AWESOME sweepstakes that Oral-B is currently hosting in honor of all the great dads out there. There will be over $1,000 in prizes, and to enter, just share a photo of your Dad on Twitter or Instagram using #oralbsweeps. You’ve got until 6/15 to get your entry in, but go ahead and do it now while its fresh on your mind! Here’s my entry: http://instagram.com/p/oyytSGQU4V/. You could win the Oral-B Black ProfessionalCare 1000 Rechargeable Toothbrush, the Braun Series 7760 shaver and a $250 Target gift card! Enter now, friends. I’m totally wanting to win the Oral-B ProfessionalCare 1000 toothbrush, as it removes 5x more plaque along the gumline than a manual toothbrush. These gums of mine have a favorite hobby, which is bleeding, so I’d love to be able to seriously attack  the plaque that hangs out near them! And don’t worry, I won’t leave dad out in the cold. He’ll be all over the Braun shaver to keep his beard nice and trim.

I’d love to hear about some sweet memories you have with your father as we get geared up for Father’s Day this weekend! Here’s some inspiration for you, straight from my dad!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

My Favorite Gifts for the Tech-Loving Dad at Best Buy

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I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 
My husband is REALLY hard to shop for. He’s not interested in clothes, cologne or chocolate, and he’s most definitely not interested in a tie (his least favorite thing to wear at work, so much so that his co-workers take notice whenever he does wear one…). Pretty much any gift that you would typically associate with Father’s Day isn’t going to work for Tim.
Tim wants electronic gadgets. Pretty much all the time. And more often than not, he doesn’t even ask for them because he assumes that they are at a price point that just isn’t feasible.
Well friends, thank goodness for !

Best Buy has a with really good gift suggestions for all price points, including under $100 (and even under $50!) for the gizmo guru, which is definitely Tim. They also have gift ideas for other personality types, such as the entertainer, the fitness fanatic, and the memory maker. Here are some of my top picks for Tim and for other tech geek dads you might be shopping for this Father’s Day!

The splurge: SoundTrue Headphones. Tim likes to listen to podcasts while he takes care of the dishes after dinner. I’ve got to support this wonderful habit of his (both the enrichment activity AND the dish washing!) so a really nice set of headphones makes sense!

Just for Fun: Breaking Bad Complete Series Blu-Ray. Tim has started this series and said it ROCKS.

From the Kids: WowWee MIP Robot. Because the only thing Tim would love more than playing with his own robot, is playing with his own robot AND with his kids at the same time.

In addition to having great gift suggestions, Best Buy also offers on qualified orders, and a so you can shop without worrying that you might not be getting the best deal.

What gift ideas do you have for the dad in your life this Father’s Day? I’d love to hear!