Un-Boring Valentine's Gifts for Men from All Over the Web

Hi, folks!  Jonathan here with a few possibly helpful suggestions for what to get your/a man for Valentine's Day, besides the obvious (insert tasteless-but-true joke here).  The prices on these vary wildly, so you can find ideas whether you're looking to really knock someone's socks off with manly jewelry, or just to tug on the toe of the sock a little with some thoughtful slow-melting ice (but, oddly, there are no socks on the list*).

1. Bespoke Post

A great option, especially for someone whose tastes you're not super-comfortable guessing.  Unlike most subscription boxes, you get to see the contents before ordering, so the gift-to-pleased-recipient ratio is one-to-one. 

*This month's Bespoke Post selection actually is an array of socks.  

2. Aeropress

The smallest, cheapest, best, and most fun coffee maker out there.  The coffee is smooth, the press is easy to clean, and ejecting the “puck” of compressed grounds is as satisfying as the coffee itself.  Well, almost. 

3. Proof Sunglasses

Who knew wooden sunglass frames were lighter than metal?  Maybe everyone but me, but the lightweight comfiness was a pleasant surprise to me.

4. Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen

Class up the joint with this perfect-for-a-pocket fountain pen.  Cartridges eliminate the mess of tradition ink refills/need to learn how to refill a fountain pen.  Available in a variety of materials (plastic, aluminum), and colors, including clear plastic. 

5. Dollar Shave Club Subscription

Is it an offensive stereotype that many men forget to replenish their essentials?  Yes.  Is it a relief to get quality blades delivered without having to remember to reorder them?  …Yes.  Worth the extra couple of bucks to go with the mid-range or upper-level razors (I'm a 4X man, myself).  Also worth the few minutes to watch their insane/hilarious/insanely hilarious commercials.   

6. Large Ice Cube Tray

Less surface area = slower melting = less watered down drinks.  Well known for its benefits in cocktails, the large ice cube is also great in iced coffee. 

7. Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited Subscription

Like Netflix for Marvel Comics, the subscription allows access to tens of thousands of back issues, and updates more than weekly.  If your gift-worthy friend/relative/mate doesn’t mind perpetually being six-to-eight months behind publication, everything Marvel publishes eventually ends up available, and if you’re looking to relive some childhood memories, or catch up on classic stories you may have missed (possibly because you weren’t born yet), a year subscription can pay for itself in a lazy Saturday. 

8. Custom Converse

To add a personal touch to a classic, Converse’s website allows for the creation of a completely customized Chuck.  And if your soon-to-be-grateful recipient is already the owner of, say, six pairs of Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and you can sneak a peek at the size, you can sleep easy that it’ll be a perfect fit. 

9. Edward Mirrell Jewelry

For manly, manly jewelry, there’s nowhere better.  Rings, bracelets, cufflinks, key chains and more feature unusual and manly materials like titanium and cable for a unique and low-key accent piece. 

PopSugar Must Have: Special Edition, Summer Fun 2013

Wow, that was a mouthful. Anyway, I got back into town today and this box had arrived along with my accumulated mail! Thanks, mail carrier! I was disciplined and waited until Jonathan and I went through all of the regular mail before ripping this thing apart and fawning over everything. Here it is!

1. Sachin + Babi Sarong 

2. S'Well (stainless steel, double-walled, insulated) Bottle

3. Henri Bendel Candle

4. Starbucks Refreshers (not shown in pamphlet, probably considered a bonus item)

5.Vitabath Sugar Scrub

6. Truffle Pouch

7. House of Harlow 1960 Sunglasses

A good haul. PopSugar has nailed it again, in my opinion. The bottle keeps beverages hot or cold. The sarong is very pretty in person. It's very delicate, and anyone with sizing concerns should be able to use it as a scarf. (That said, I'm a dress size 8 with gigantic obstacles up top, and I was able to wear it as a longer-than-knee-length halter dress, so it's not excessively teeny-tiny.) The clear pouch is for holding your essentials so you can switch from purse to purse quickly. I've been wanting to switch to that system for a while now, but have been too lazy to come up with an inner-purse pouch, so this worked out great.

PopSugar Must Have: January

PopSugar Must Have is a lifestyle subscription box. Subscriptions cost $31.67 to $35/month, depending on plan.

 1. Timebomb watch by Remix, 2. Lip balm by Epicuren, 3. Three ThinkThin bars, 4. Hot Chocolate on a stick by Popbar, 5. Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits

 6. Stability ball by Merrithew

 A closer look at the watch, which I received in black...

 ...but traded with a lovely fellow subscriber to get the pink!

 

It's massive on my wrist, but that makes it more adorable, if I may say.

 This box also came with a $15 voucher to use at Casetagram, a site where you can customize phone and tablet cases.

I had the same initial reaction a lot of others had to the significant amount of food in the box. I was really excited to try the hot chocolate on a stick, after the delicious-ness that was the hot chocolate on a stick from Ticket Kitchen in last month's Hammock Pack. It was also amazing.

 I was skeptical about the marshmallows, because I don't eat a lot of processed foods, but they were kind of too adorable. They're in the same kind of plastic shaker that powdered Parmesan cheese comes in, and they taste exactly like Lucky Charms marshmallows. 

I wasn't particularly excited to see the ThinkThin bars upon opening the box, but they were pretty good, and came in handy, as I'm a person who frequently forgets to eat. The coconut one was my favorite. It tasted like Mounds.

I've wanted a stability ball for a while, but had no place to put it, so getting one in the mail was exciting, but still has not solved my problem. I will figure this one out.

 The lip balm feels great on. A lot of people around ye olde internets have been complaining that it smells like Vick's, but I think it smells like henna. Not that that's the best smell ever, but it doesn't bother me quite as much. Also, remember henna? During that massive purge of my parents' house last spring, I threw out the remnants of my henna tattoo supplies. Oh, 90s.

I think the watch is cute. I've seen feedback to the contrary from people who are outraged to see this in the box, because they only ever wear neutral-colored business casual attire. My life is not like their lives, I suppose. Big world out there? I get it if it's just not someone's style, but I think it's reasonable for PopSugar to assume that most people wear casual clothing at some point. You can't get angry about that. At the end of the day, PopSugar Must Have is a grab bag. Nobody's going to be thrilled with all of it. That's no reason to send them hate mail. You just have to decide if you're satisfied enough to keep giving them 35 of your dollars. I am. I can't wait till next month!

Barkbox: January

Here's what we got:

Egon loves all of these! When we first gave him the Barkworthies curly bully stick, he sat and chewed it for over two hours straight. He's run around with the Weenut and Elton the Octopus for a couple days now, and so far both have stood up to serious chewing and fetching. Two days doesn't sound like much, but he's destroyed other toys in less than five minutes, so I'll take this as a good sign. Egon's really enjoying the Yumzies, which are training treat size, but they're a little too chewy (read:time-consuming) to use for actual training sessions, so we'll use these as small standalone rewards or for "find" games. They're perfectly sized for stuffing in the Weenut, so there you go.

BarkBox starts at $17/month, and contents vary based on dog size.

Update: This was Elton after a week and a half:

At least now we know.

PopSugar Must Have: Luxury Edition for Him, Holiday 2012

 

1. GoSwype cloth by GoSwype
2. Touch-Screen Digital Luggage Scale by Heys, from Neiman Marcus
3. Wallet by J. Fold
4. Shave Cream and Aftershave Set in Wild Watermint Gin by Blind Barber
5. Shoelaces in Isolar Silver by Stolen Riches
6. Silicone Big Ice Trays by Casabella
7. Cufflink Knotz by Wurkin Stiffs
8. Beef Jerky by Slant Shack
9. Bacon Chocolate Bar by Vosges
10. Shot Flask by Stone Cask
11. Razor, blades, and two months of replacement blades by mail by Dollar Shave Club

BarkBox: December

1. Holiday Feast Treats by Bocce's Bakery.
2. Oatmeal Shampoo by Fresh Dog.
3. Holiday Moose toy by Simply Fido.
4. Red Velvet Cake Mix by Puppy Cake.

BarkBox starts at $17/month. By some gift from the Groupon gods, we're currently getting it for $10.
 This was a simple, straight-forward box. Egon loves the toy and the treats. We haven't had a chance to try out the shampoo or the cake mix. Puppy party, anyone? I thought the contents of the box were very nice this month. I love BarkBox because it saves me money and trips to the pet store, while allowing Egon to try a vast array of treats and toys that we would never have the time or energy to seek out on our own. (And even if we had the time or energy, would we want to order unfamiliar food or toys that he may or may not like? I will answer that rhetorical question for you. No.) This month fit the bill. Happy.

PopSugar Must Have: Luxury Edition, Holiday 2012

1. Clutch by JewelMint 
2. Niki Cuff in Brass by Heather Belle
3. Mini Chocolate Bar Library by Vosges
4. Savon De Marseille Liquid Hand Soap in Mediterranean Sea by Compagnie de Provence
5. Scented Candle in Stella (Blood Orange) by Tocca
6. After Bath Moisturizer in Orange Blossom by Epicuren
7. Lip and Nail Duet  in Drops of Brandy and Glamorous Life by Deborah Lippmann