Christmas Gift Ideas for Dad

One of the best ways to make a gift, for any occasion, special is by personalizing it. Now, I don’t mean by just adding a monogram to it – anyone can do that. What I mean is to really keep the interests and personality of your Dad in mind.

Think about the things that are important to your Dad, things like

• the whole family;
• you and your brothers and sisters;
• things you and your Dad do together;
• his grandkids;
• a sport or hobby, such as golf, baseball, football, fishing, flying, bicycling, riding.

Now, my guess is that you have some photos of your father that fit under more than one of the categories above. How about using one of those photos to create a special notepad for him. Maybe one with whimsical quotes about fishing with the photo of the two of you on it. How delighted would he be? Or how about a notepad with cute football quotes on it and a photo of the whole family playing football in the backyard?

Maybe Dad is very proud of his work. Perhaps a notepad personalized with his picture and business address/phone with a clever quote or saying about his profession would be the ideal gift.

Many Dads are really connected to their pets. How about notes with photos of Fido and funny captions.

Many of these items can be “homemade” which, of course, is another great way to make a gift special. But if you are busy, like so many of us, then check out the wonderful gifts and gift ideas available from Mimi’s Memos Gift Shop.

How to Make a Christmas Gift Special

One of the best ways to make a gift, for any occasion, special is by personalizing it. Now, I don’t mean by just adding a monogram to it – anyone can do that. What I mean is to really keep the interests and personality of the receiver in mind.

Okay, you want an example, right?

So, let’s say you want to give a gift to your grandmother. Not just any gift. One that is special. One that is personal. One that she will cherish and use. One that will remind her, every time she uses it, how special you think she is. So let’s think about what grandmothers like. No, not old stuff. No, not a blanket to put on her lap. No, not some new knitting needles.

What do grandmothers really like, almost better than anything else? Grandchildren, of course!

I don’t mean tie all of her grandchildren up in bows and send them to her. But, almost as good. Have some notes made just for her with pictures of her grandchildren on them. Even better, find pictures of her grandchildren doing something with Grandma. Every note will bring back a special memory. And because all grandmas love to show off their grandchildren, she’ll use them often, showing them off to her friends by sending notes written on them (remember in this age of instant messaging and cell phones, some grandmas still write) to her friends. And she’ll remember you every time she uses one and remember how thoughtful you are!

Okay, so now you’ve taken care of grandma’s gift. But what about the rest of your gift list? This idea works just as well for fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.

And, I have some ideas for the other people on your list, the ones for whom you have no picture – say your boss, a teacher, a mentor, your dentist.

At Mimi’s Memos Gift Shop, we have lots of wonderful gift ideas. Come visit us. Make Christmas, or any gift giving occasion, special.

Unique Father’s Day Gifts

So what is Father’s Day? It is a day to honor and remember fathers. In the United States, the idea of Father’s Day was conceived by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, WA, while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children by himself on a rural farm. However, it appears that as long as 4,000 years ago a young boy named Elmusu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life so he honored him by carving a Father’s Day message on a card made out of clay. No one knows what happened to Elmusu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries across the world.

President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day with a presidential proclamation in 1966, but the holiday was not really made permanent until 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a presidential resolution that made the third Sunday in June officially Father’s Day in the United States.

The number one gift for fathers in the US is a tie, not typically considered one of the more thoughtful or unique gifts. Nothing beats the uniqueness and thoughtfulness of personalized gifts. And why not? Personalized gifts are made from the sincerity and creativity of one person for another person. If you have the artistic knack and the time to create personalized gifts for the people close to your heart, how wonderful that is. However, if you lack the time or creativity required to make a personalized gift, what can you do?

There are many gift shops that will personalize a gift for you – such as engraving a key chain, or putting a name or picture on a coffee mug or t-shirt. But what if you want something truly unique. What better way to make someone feel special than to reconnect them with past memories and feelings through personal photos. And how do you do that? Easy!

Mimi’s Memos is a company that creates personalized notecards and memos to keep family memories alive! How do we do that? We use personal pictures from you that will remind your loved one of special memories or special people. Let’s use your father as an example. Perhaps you have pictures of your family on special occasions or outings; or pictures from a favored trip; or playing with his children, grandchildren or golf buddies; or of his pets; or of him catching the one that almost got away; well, let’s just say photos depicting anytime or place that is important to him, that bring back memories he cherishes. Mimi’s Memos will use your photos and add cute little “bubble captions” or quotes and then print them on notepads or memos. These notes/memos come in a variety of styles and prices, and are very affordable.

So for this Father’s Day, check out Mimi’s Memos, everything in the store can be personalized for that someone special in your life – father, brother, uncle, etc. Make this a truly special Father’s Day for someone you cherish and respect, give Dad a gift he will cherish and that he can share with friends and family!

Father’s Day – History, Facts About Fathers, Worldwide Celebration Dates and More

About 4,000 years ago a young boy named Elmusu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life by carving a Father’s Day message on a card made out of clay. No one knows what happened to Elmusu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries across the world.

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children by himself on a rural farm.

Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia is believed to have conducted the first Father’s Day service in 1908 at the Central Church of Fairmont.

President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day with a presidential proclamation in 1966, but the holiday was not really made permanent until 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a presidential resolution that made the third Sunday in June officially Father’s Day in the United States.

Facts about Fathers
There is an estimated 64.3 million fathers in the US. US Census: Unpublished data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation

The number of single fathers is 2.3 million, up from 393,000 in 1970. Currently, among single parents living with their children, 18 percent are men. US Census

Stay-at-home dads number an estimated 140,00 in 2008. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 234,000 children. Among these stay-at-home dads, 54 percent had two or more children US Census: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

The world’s youngest father is a 6 yr old from China.

Les Colley (92 yrs 10 months) was the world’s oldest dad.

Among 11.3 million preschoolers in the US whose mothers are employed, 25% are regularly cared for by their father during their mother’s working hours. This amounted to 2.9 million children. US Census: Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005

In 2008 there were 1.8 million single fathers in the US. Currently, among single parents living with their children, 16 percent are men – eight percent were raising three or more children younger than 18, while about 51 percent were divorced, 25 percent were never married, 19 percent were separated and 5 percent were widowed. US Census: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

53% of children younger than 6 ate breakfast and 71% ate dinner with their father every day in 2006. The corresponding percentages who ate with their mother were 58 percent and 80 percent. (The percentages of children who ate breakfast with their mother or father, respectively, were not significantly different from each another.) US Census: A Child’s Day: 2006

36% of children younger than 6 had 15 or more outings with their father in the last month, as of 2006. Children ages 3 to 5 were read to by their fathers an average of 6 times in the past week, as of 2006. US Census: A Child’s Day: 2006

50 percent of all Father’s Day cards are purchased for dads. Nearly 20 percent of Father’s Day cards are purchased for husbands. Other categories include grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, and someone special.

While Mother’s Day was the biggest holiday for phone calls in 2006, Father’s Day was the busiest for COLLECT calls. (The overall busiest day of the year in 2006 for phone calls was the Monday after Thanksgiving. However, since cell phone usage is increasing, the “collect” calls are expected to decline.

Father’s Day is the fourth-largest card-sending holiday in the United States, with 110 million cards exchanged annually.

Worldwide Father’s Day observances in order of calendar date.

March 14 (24 Esfand) – Iran
March 19 – Belgium (St Joseph ‘s day), Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain
May 8 – South Korea (Parents’ Day)
Ascension Day – Germany (Herrentag; drinking day, no celebration of Fatherhood)
First Sunday of June – Lithuania
June 5 (Constitution Day) – Denmark
Second Sunday of June – Austria, Ecuador, Belgium (secular celebration)
June 17 – El Salvador, Guatemala
Third Sunday of June – Argentina, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Zimbabwe
June 23 – Nicaragua, Poland, Uganda
July 30 – Vietnam
Second Sunday of July – Uruguay
Last Sunday of July – Dominican Republic
Second Sunday of August – Brazil
August 8 – Taiwan
First Sunday of September – Australia, New Zealand
New Moon of September (Bhadra as per Lunar Calendar) September 11 – Nepal
First Sunday of October – Luxembourg
Second Sunday of November - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden
December 5 – Thailand

As “nontraditional” family structures become more common, any nurturing man – a “big brother,” a brother-in-law, an uncle, a neighbor or perhaps another special man who is “like a father” – is likely to be honored on Father’s Day.

How to say “father” in different languages:

Afrikaans: vader
Albanian: baba; ate
Arabic: babba; yebba; abbi (classical)
Bolognese: peder
Bosnian: otac
Brazilian Portuguese: pai
Cree (Canada): -papa
Croatian: otac
Czech: tata, otec
Dakota (USA): ate
Dutch: vader; papa; pappie
East African: baba
English: father; dad; daddy; pop; poppa; papa
Esperanto: patro
Estonian: isa
Filipino: tatay, itay, tay; ama
Finnish: isa
French: papa
German: banketi, Papi
Hebrew: abba(h)
Hindi: Papa; Pita-ji
Hungarian: apa; apu; papa; edesapa
Icelandic: pabbi; fadir
Indonesian: bapa; ayah; pak
Irish: athair; daidi
Italian: babbo
Japanese: otosan, papa
Judeo-Spanish: padre; baba; babu
Kobon (New Guinea): bap
Kurdish Kurmanji: bav
Ladin: pere
Latin: pater; papa; atta
Latvian: tevs
Lithuanian: tevas; pradininkas; protevis
Malay: bapa
Malay: bapa
Maltese: missier
Mandarin Chinese: baba
Maori: haakoro; kohake
Modern Greek: babbas
Moravian: tata
Nepali: buwa
Norwegian: pappa; far
Persian/Farsi: pedar, pitar; simply Baabaa
Polish: tata; ojciec
Portuguese: pai
Quechua (Ecuador): tata; churiyaqe
Romani: dad
Romanian: tata; parinte; taica
Russian: papa
Samoan: tama
Sanskrit: tatah; janak
Sardinian (Limba Sarda Unificada): babu
Sicilian: patri
Slovak: otec
Slovenian: oee
Spanish: papa; viejo; tata
Swahili: baba; mzazi
Swedish: pappa
Swiss German: Vatter
Turkish: baba
Turkmen: dade; kaka
Urdu: Abbu; Abbu-ji; Abbu-jan; bap
Venetian: pare; popa; ‘opa; pupa; papa
Welsh: tad
Yiddish: tatti; tay; foter; tateh

How to wish a “Happy Father’s Day” in some of the more common languages.

Spanish – Dia de padres feliz

Russian – Счастливый день отцов

Portugese – Dia de pais feliz

Italian- Giorno di padri felice

German – Glucklicher Vatertag

French – Jour de peres heureux

Dutch – De gelukkige Dag van Vaders

Nine out of 10 Americans say they look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards because cards allow them to keep in touch with friends and family and make them feel they are important to someone else.

Although e-mail, text messaging and phone calls are valued by Americans for helping them communicate with family and friends, the majority of Americans say they prefer the old-fashioned handwritten card or letter to make someone feel truly special.

No matter what day you celebrate or what language you speak, the point is to make Father’s Day special for the man you are honoring. What better way to make someone feel special than to reconnect them with past memories and feelings through personal photos. And how do you do that? Easy! Check out Mimi’s Memos Personalized For You, they can be personalized for anyone – father, brother, uncle, etc. Make this a truly special Father’s Day for someone you cherish and respect.

For more gift ideas

Mother’s Day – Gift Ideas, Facts & Trivia

Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world as a day to pay tribute and thank their mothers and grandmothers for all their love and support. This year Mother’s Day in the U.S. is May 10.

Celebration Dates in 2009 for Moms in Other Countries Around the World

• February 8 – Norway
• March 3 – Georgia
• March 8 – Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Laos, Macedonia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine. The date coincides with the International Women’s Day.
• March 21 (first day of spring) – Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia
• March 22 – Ireland, Nigeria, United Kingdom
• March 25 – Slovenia
• April 7 – Armenia
• May 3 (first Sunday in May) – Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain
• May 8 – South Korea, Albania (Parents’ Day)
• May 10 – Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Slovakia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Uruguay, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Venezuela, Zimbabwe. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico
• May 31 (last Sunday in May) – Algeria, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia, France(France is the last Sunday in May except if it coincides with Pentecost day [50th day after lent] , in which case it is shifted to the first Sunday in June)
• May 26 – Poland
• May 27 – Bolivia
• May 30 – Nicaragua
• June 14 (second Sunday in June) – Luxembourg
• June 28 (last Sunday in June) – Kenya
• August 12 – Thailand (Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara’s birthday)
• August 15 – Costa Rica, Antwerp (Belgium)
• October 12 (second Monday in October) – Malawi
• October 14 – Belarus
• October 18 (third Sunday in October) – Argentina
• November 29 (last Sunday in November) – Russia
• December 8 – Panama
• December 22 – Indonesia

The modern version of Mother’s Day began in the 1600s in England. Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Small gifts were given, and a special dessert called a simnel cake was served.

Some historians claim that Mother’s Day originated from ancient spring festivals dedicated to maternal goddesses, such as the Greek goddess Rhea, and the Roman mother goddess, Cybele.

In the United States, Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (famous for writing the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”). But it was a woman who was never a mother herself who led the campaign for national recognition of Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis held a ceremony in 1907 in Grafton, West Virginia, to honor her mother, who had died two years earlier. Jarvis’ mother had tried to establish Mother’s Friendship Days as a way of dealing with the aftermath of the Civil War.

There is a tradition of gifting flowers, cards and others gift to mothers on the Mother’s Day. There are many ways to make a mom feel special this Mother’s Day.

• If you’re able to, visit Mom in person.
• If you’ve already bought a card to send, tuck a personal letter inside of it this year.
• Send a contribution in Mom’s name to a cause that she supports or supported.
• Patch up a quarrel before it’s too late.
• Help a friend who’s a Mom by taking care of her kids one day or evening next week, so she can have some time to do whatever she wants.
• Plant some flowers or a tree where they’ll bring beauty to the world and pleasure to those who see them.
• Make a meal for your Mom or for another Mom. Just be sure to clean up ALL the dishes, including those you cooked in — and wipe that splash off the wall, too! (I’m a Mom, too, so I know…..)

Trivia about Mothers…

• As of March 2007 data, there were 80.5 million moms in the U.S.
• A record number of babies were born in the U.S. in 2007.
• The youngest mother on record was Lina Medina, who delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima, Peru in 1939, at the age of 5 years and 7 months.
• The oldest woman on record for giving first-time birth is Randeep Ramesh of India who was 70 years old.
• The odds of a woman delivering twins is 1-in-32. August is the most popular month in which to have a baby.
• Women 45 or older have a 17% chance of giving birth to twins.
• In the U.S., 25.1 is the average age of a woman giving birth for the first time.
• Most popular month for having babies in the US is August, and most popular weekday is Tuesday. (source: US Census Bureau)
• Daughters keep in closer contact with their mothers than do sons. (Pew Research)
• There are more phone calls made on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year. (Pew Research)
• The number of people calling their moms on Mother’s Day has declined in recent years due to e-mail and other electronic means of communication.
• While nearly 80 percent of Americans will buy a card for mom this year, 83 percent of the cards will be purchased by daughters. (American Greetings)
• Mother’s Day is the third-largest card-sending holiday. (Hallmark)
• Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants.
• Nine out of 10 Americans say they look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards because cards allow them to keep in touch with friends and family and make them feel they are important to someone else.
• Although e-mail, text messaging and phone calls are valued by Americans for helping them communicate with family and friends, the majority of Americans say they prefer the old-fashioned handwritten card or letter to make someone feel truly special.

For other gift ideas visit: Mimi’s Memos Store

What Makes A Great Gift Great?

Not the price, not the size, not the quantity, not the color. Giving a gift that is personal is the key!

Consider this. You would not likely choose the latest, greatest hip-hop CD for your 85 year-old granny. In the same way, you probably would not be tempted to zero in on a fancy barbecue grill as a gift for a teenaged girl; while her dad may love it, she most likely won’t!

The point I’m trying to make is that all good gifts are personal. That doesn’t mean they have to be monogrammed or engraved or even labeled with the recipient’s name. It does mean that good gifts have been selected with the recipient in mind.

There are many benefits to giving gifts that touch the recipient in a personal way. The most valuable benefit is that your gift will make the recipient feel “special!”. He/she will know that you took time, care and extra thought in providing their personal gift. What a wonderful way to show someone how special they are to you!

You can also know that your personal gift will stand out and be remembered and cherished for a long time. In knowing this, you can share in the joy of gift giving by imagining the surprise and delight of the recipient.

There are many personal gifts available at affordable prices. Below are just a few ideas.

Mimi’s Memos – Custom Designed For You- are delightful items with a sense of nostalgia. Custom memos created for your mother, sister, children, father or friends – for all the people in your life that you count as “special”! And they don’t just have to be people. How cute would it be to have memos of your pets with captions? http://mimismemos.com/mimeor.html

Dog Breed Car Mats – Bring your best friend along for the ride and protect your cars interior with our fun Dog Breed Car Mats.  We personalize both mats with any name, up to 10 characters. 100% polyester… http:// www.personalcreations.com/dog_breed_car_mats-products-1061X-3-417-41703.html

Always Blooming Personalized Picture Frame – This Always Blooming Personalized Picture frames makes a great gift to Mom or Grandma and can be personalized with any title and up to 12 names… http://giftsforyounow.com/Search.aspx?Keyword=always+blooming

Father’s Day Personalized Photo Coffee Mug – A picture is certainly worth a thousand words!  Upload any photo and we’ll capture your photo on our exclusive Photo Message Coffee Mug just for him! http://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Photo-Message-Coffee-Mugs-Loving-Him-Design-i20114.item?productid=5461&storeid=20&categoryid=1044&did=14292

Lunch Cooler – It’s the perfect lunch cooler to take to school, work, to the soccer met or for your walk in the park.  This great little tote will keep your food cool and your style too! Embroider the cooler for free with up to three… http://www.eyecandygift.com/lunch-cooler-pr-400.html

Quartets Quote Notes – With subjects for hobbyists, sports fans (sports fanatics will like them, too!), relatives, team builders, etc., these notes have quotes, thoughts, or sentiments that can be used to inspire or motivate, or just to put a smile on someone’s face. They make unique, thoughtful gifts! http://mimismemos.com/quote-it-notes.html

Have fun shopping for great gifts!