Gifts for the Y Chromosomes

If your house is within 40 miles of a Khol’s, you’ve likely been bombed by their leaflet propaganda and may believe the fathers in your life need, at an amazing 15% or more savings, a large stack of pastel polo shirts. But my Y is not a summer, as you can see. Much more of an autumn. The boy, however, can wear any palette, which the is the only way in which he is flexible.

If the men around you are big carnivores and not so big on the business casual, they may need a Mangrate (via Adam Carolla for the best deal), to be the crowning glory of all the other cook-out items you’ve gifted over the years. I hear grilling out is big. (My Y is a V, for vegetarian, and we don’t own a grill, so I wouldn’t know about that.)
But, if you need some suggestions for the dad who is less Mike Brady and more Mike Birbiglia, I’ve got you covered.


Atomic Clock

We recently bought one of these atomic clocks and my Y is tickled. It has a sleek modern look and it keeps the correct time—what more do you want in a clock? We just verified the time yesterday to see if it was accurate and it was right-on. Right on! 

 Parting Scoop

Don’t even try to pick out yard tools for your Y, unless he’s already told you exactly what he wants, in which case you don’t need this list. My Y likes kitchen gadgets much better than yard tools, though, and he’s been asking for one of these for a while. Me, I’ll just use a flat spoon. I’m old school like that. But he likes a unitasker and he’s already broken the cookie dough scoop thinking it was for ice cream. This is a much better choice. The kids can get involved by picking out their (and his) favorite flavor of ice cream and making sundaes!


Poketo’s Desk It

I love simple organization solutions. Even in the digital age with gadgets to our ears and in our hands, many of us still find the need to write things down, and these sleek calendar post ups are just the thing. They have one set with the week days (just my speed) and one set with graph squares on them (for the engineer brains). These note pads are the perfect size to use as a wrist pad in front of your key board as well, should you need that kind of thing.

Brass Number Bookmarks
Say bye-bye to those colored sticky flags. These brass clips are elegant and reusable and would make for a nice grad gift too, assuming those grads have jobs for which organizing paper would be necessary.


Key Fobs from the Kiddos
If Y is a nerd or the kids need gifts they can buy with their own funds, these key chains are just the thing. Not only are they nerdtastic and practical, but they serve the purpose of keeping kids entertained during long lines and unexpected waits.
For the younger bunch, lego brick led lights in multiple colors.

Then, for the child of the eighties there is the Rubik’s Cube light and chain—very geek chic. And finally, for the anglophile, the entire collection of Dr. Who themed key fobs. The tardis even opens up to secretly store money or candy or other important stuffs.



The Old Standard
What Y, or X for that matter, does not love duct tape? Even better, this is the brand of tape used by Adam and Jamie and friends on that really cool show about myths (or so the non endorsement goes) and a box set of that show would be another cool gift for Y and family to share. Supposedly, Nashua 357 is the best stuff out there. I haven’t had to lift a car or shoot a cannon yet with my duct tape, but it’s good to know I’d have that option with this stuff.

Or, just go to Marshall’s and after an hour of not finding the exact right thing, buy whatever is in your cart.