Tag Heuer – Formula One inspired

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Men by Connecticut in Style

Whoa! Christmas Eve is in ten days. Ten. Are you ready? My kiddos are pretty easy and I will post a gift list that covers “toddlers to teens” later this week. But today, it is all about the guys. Sometimes, men are hard to buy for because I find that most guys are practical. If they need something during the 364 days between Christmas and Christmas Eve, they buy it for themselves – leaving us wondering what to get them. I’ve assembled a Top 10 Gift List that has something that every man will love. These ideas cover stocking stuffers to significant gifts and some things in between.

1. carbon 2 cobalt

For the man who wants to dress and look effortlessly cool, go to carbon 2 cobalt now (go on, click on the link. I’ll be right here when you come back). They are a solid and stylish line of men’s clothes but damn sexy in their ruggedness. My husband is very definitive about his clothes which is great in one sense because I think that he always looks well dressed. The drawback is that it’s tough to buy clothes for him because there are subtleties that he looks for. I got the carbon 2 cobalt brochure and put it next to our home computer where I knew he’d see it. The next day I asked him what was on his Christmas Wish List and he mentioned he really likes the clothes in the catalog because they’re not preppy (LOL!).

It was really hard to choose just one item from carbon 2 cobalt, but in the end I went with FIS (First Impression Sweater). It was a 3-way toss-up between the FIS, the Zenith Sweater (I actually like both colors) and the Peripheral Pullover. In the end, the contrast piping on the crewneck sold me. I also like the edge-out seaming, very masculine. All in all, lots of detail in the design that made this the win for me.

carbon 2 cobalt – First Impression Sweater, on sale for $79.00

2. Shaveology

For the man who shaves every day, the Shaveology Kit. They claim that their superior razor is perfectly balanced to reduce pressure on the skin, which helps to eliminate razor burn, skin irritation and ingrown hairs commonly associated with shaving. My husband doesn’t spend a lot of money on his razors, I think that it’s the kind of thing that he figures should just be disposable. The product’s reviews on Amazon are impressive and the price is great, so this is something else that will go under the tree. He has to do this every day and totally deserves the right tools for the job.

Shavelogoy $32.97 at Amazon

 

3. The Boys in the Boat

Books. This was painful. Choosing just one I mean. My husband is a music junkie, a history junkie and a political junkie. We have an eclectic library in our home. I picked the book that I loved the most this year. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. It’s so so good. Here’s a blog post that I wrote about the book several month ago. Do not be fooled by the tagline in the title, it sounds like the book is going to be dry and a simple account of what happened. It’s not. It is a story of the lives of the men, both inside and outside the boat. Ultimately, their lives outside the boat is what drove their behavior inside the boat.

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for comparable prices – about $9.50 for paperback.

4. Fitbit

Got an athlete to shop for, or maybe someone who wants to take the first steps to getting more fit? Get them the fitbit. They offer a wide product line depending on your needs and budget, the main takeaway is that these little devices track steps, distance, calories burned and so much more. One of the best features is that you can set goals for yourself and the fitbit will send you progress reports of how you are doing compared to your goal – if failing to meet your own fitness goals doesn’t get your butt in gear, I don’t know what will. Aside from all the obvious benefits that this little device provides, it is good-looking enough to wear with almost everything. This would also be a great gift for both of you, something you can do together!

 

fitbit products range from less than $100 to several hundred dollars

5. Graze

A man’s sure to be hungry after a workout right? Since I love getting my beauty-themed BirchBox in the mail every month – I figured my husband would like a monthly subscription to something too. He’s not one to buy snacks for himself although he eats the ones that we have at home. I think that getting a monthly surprise filled with healthy snacks will be perfect. There are a lot of good snack subscriptions to choose from, but I know that Kerry will like graze.com the most. Once you create an account, you get to personalize it and choose your favorite snack types (chocolate, nuts, fruit, etc.). Then, about every 30 days you get eight snacks in a box that you are sure to like. This is the type of gift that I would set up to be sent to his office so he can have a stash on hand.

A monthly subscription to graze $11.99

6. Smart Digital Meat Thermometer

Would it surprise you to know that out of all the married couples we are friends with, the person that cooks the most in their household is the man? I’d say for every 10 couples we know, 7 of the guys take the lead in food shopping and preparing meals for the family. Grilling is something that we do a lot of in the warmer weather, but I’d definitely use this thermometer now. We’re making prime rib for Christmas Dinner and this would come in so handy! I like the fact that you don’t have to wait to get a reading, they say it is instant. Cool. I mean hot.

Smart Digital Meat Thermometer fulfilled via Amazon $39.99

7.  A Weekend Getaway with the Guys

One of the best parts of my life includes getting away from it all. I don’t care what combination of people are with me: My family (kids in tow), a romantic weekend with my husband or a girl’s weekend – making the time to get off the grid and unplug from the demands of daily life is one of my favorite things to do. And, as much as I love and adore my family – having a girl’s weekend is especially “da bomb.” There’s nothing like the feeling of being totally carefree, hanging with great friends and being faced with only one tough decision every night – red or white? It takes a little encouraging, but I do push my hubby to take a long weekend to play golf with his friends. It’s something that they try to do every year, and the great thing is that they usually pick a new location to play. That’s a bonus for my husband who loves exploring different places and play on a golf course that he’s never been to.

8. A Timepiece

My husband owns a few wristwatches, they range from a basic Timex that I gave him for when he coaches baseball. He wanted a tough, reliable watch that wouldn’t break the bank if it got hit with a ball. The other watch I gave him as a gift for his birthday. It’s much finer than the Timex and he wears it daily. Next to his wedding band, a watch is something that he wears constantly, and I like the fact that I’ve been the one to give it to him. A watch, like a ring is a very personal gift. I think it is something that has to be shopped for together, unless the man in your life knows exactly what he wants. If not, and you want a place to start, here are some of the leading watch manufacturer’s: Casio, Tag Heuer, Citizen, Timex, Seiko, Titan, Patek Philippe, Oakley, Omega and Rolex.

9. Tickets to a Concert or Sporting Event

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

This is something that we definitely don’t do enough. I’m horrified to admit when the last time was that we went to a concert, so I won’t. We went to the city over Thanksgiving weekend to see The Lion King on Broadway, and it was a fabulous thing to experience as a family. Just to watch the faces of my children was priceless. I’d get my hubby tickets to see his favorite football, basketball or baseball team and get another ticket so he could take our son. It’s something that they’d both love and a great memory in the making. But, if you want in on the action (although I do enjoy pro sports) a concert is another pleaser. These take a little planning depending on who is on tour and when they play near where you live. You may not be able to go right away, but in that case it’s something to look forward to.

10. Gloves for talking and texting

We live in a digital era. I recently got a pair of gloves but didn’t know that they were made to allow me to text. It wasn’t until I was wearing them one day and I started texting and realized that the fingertip pads felt a little different. Needless to say, I was so happy that I can now keep my hands warm instead of pulling off my glove every time I need to text or talk. This is a nice choice and probably my favorite on this list because it is not the type of thing that they would get for themselves, but it is the type of thing that they will love! Those are the best kind of gifts.

 

The North Face “eTop Apex” Waterproof ClimateBlock Gloves via Nordstrom $45.00 (they come in several sizes and colors) – and P.S. there are many other brands to choose from at different price points. Timberland sells a similar pair for $24.99 via Amazon.

Happy Shopping!