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. 

Un-Boring Valentine's Day Gifts for Ladies from Etsy

I know. Some (probably the most well-adjusted) people don't do Valentine's Day gifts. And to that I say, "Good job!" If you're one of those people, this list can serve as birthday or holiday inspiration. For the rest of you suckers, you better get your shopping done before you run out of time. We've only got two weeks to get this sh*t together. Let's go!

Keep in mind that if I knew which lady we were shopping for here, these choices would be more specifically targeted. Instead, I aimed for that category of things almost all ladies enjoy: pretty.

  

 1. Linen Goldfish Clutch, JCarterHandmade, $49.

2. Chunky Knit Scarf, VitalTemptation, $70.

3. Rose Necklace, SimplyChacha, $18.

4. Blue Tree Swing, HoganTreeSwings, $74.

5. Tote Bag, rougeandwhimsy, $50.

 

 6. Lace Necklace, TopiaryDesigns, $30.

7. Neuron Necklace, NewtonAndTheApple, $44.21.

8. Mend My Black Heart Giclee Print, NanLawson, $10.

9. Dandelion Necklace, Ural Nature, $36.

 

 10. Maple Seed Helicopter Necklace, Honeybee, $50.

And now a few cards from which to choose:

1. I Hate Everyone But You, PageFiftyFive, $4.

2. Larry David, RestlessExpress, $5.

3. I Mustache You to be Mine, duvdesigns, $3.95.

4. I Still Love You, witsicle, $4.

5. Jesse Pinkman, TurtlesSoup, $3.85.

Relatively Low-Tech Gifts for Kids

1. Headphones bib from Quiet Doing, $10.

2. Danny the Dinosaur Rocker from RockABye, $139.99.

3. "Coach" Hopper Jalopy by Tree Hopper Toys, $15.99

4. Sling bookshelf by KidKraft from Amazon, $42.99.

5. Riley the Rabbit by Allen Ave., $19.95.

6. Dino Adventure Rig by Sprig Toys from Amazon, $25.19.

7. Wool felt salad set by EvaLauryn Gifts,  $39.

 8. Wooden Ferris Wheel from A Summer Afternoon, $65.

9. Sister (or Brother) Mouse in a Box by Maileg, from Huset, $26.75- $29.

 10. Little Game Checkerboard Scarf by Little Name,  $18.

10 Holiday Gifts for Geeks and Hipsters!

1. A bearded hat from Burly Beard's Etsy shop, $37-$55. 

2. Log pillow from Fred Flare, $18.

3. Dinosaur vs. Robot tee from Gnome Enterprises, $28.

4. Rubik's Cube Coasters from Think Geek, $19.99/set of six.

5. Hierarchy of Beards Poster from TopatoCo, $15.00.

6. Zombies Hate Stuff by Greg Stones, from Amazon, $9.95.

7. Cubeot Wooden Robot from A+R, $25-$390.

8. iPhone case from Red Bubble, $35.65-$40.77.

9. Timey Wimey print from Nan Lawson, $16.00.

10. Retro Safety Glasses from Restoration Hardware, $22.99.

Gross Zombie Eyeballs!

Different versions of this have been knocking around Pinterest for a few weeks, so I cannot take credit for this disgusting idea. But here they are! Zombie eyeballs! You hard boil eggs, crack the shells as though you're going to peel them, then dye them in their cracked shells. Remove from dye, let dry, then peel them for real. Nasty! These will be deviled eggs tomorrow.

 I didn't have any Easter-egg-coloring tablets on hand, so I found this recipe for egg dye using food coloring. But then I had the idea to make a big egg-dyeing bath, and I didn't have enough food coloring for that, so I improvised with some Wilton icing color, like you see here. I used Leaf Green, but Kelly Green would probably be equally repulsive.

Icing Color Egg Dye Bath

1/2 tsp gel icing color
8 tsp white vinegar
4 cups boiling water

Combine ingredients in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Stir until gel is fully integrated. Allow eggs to sit in dye ten minutes for full saturation.

I was able to dye seven to eight eggs at a time, which made my life a lot easier. I'm thinking of doing this with Easter eggs in the future. Can you imagine? You could mix four or five bowls of dye, and then your eggs could all be finished in ten minutes! I know, the joy of coloring Easter eggs is in the act of coloring them, but jeez. Sometimes there's a party and crap needs to get done.

Happy Halloweekend, everybody! I hope you have something spooky planned!