“He has such a Knack for gift giving!”
Wouldn’t it be nice if the moms in your life said something like that about the thoughtful gifts that you give them year after year? There is an art to giving the right gift, at the right time, to the right person. You have to listen and observe and most of all know what products are out there to be gifted. The folks over at Knack have quickly mastered the art of curating a set of items that will delight the mom you give it to. So, if you want to hear her say “Oh my gooooood, I loooooove this” then take the accumulated knowledge you have learned about your mommas and pair it with the ease of creating a fully customizable set from Knack and have an amazing Mother’s Day. It really should not be this simple to nail gift giving.
The Perfect Coffee Break ($48.00)
When you can’t walk 3 blocks without buzzing by another coffee shop, it’s sometimes nice to get your caffeine fix at home, before the day starts. This gift lays the–ahem–groundwork for a great cup.
Wanderlust ($183)
For those with a passion for travel, this gift set easily takes her from sightseeing to shopping to an evening strolling a favorite avenue after dinner. The airy Rita Cotton Scarf in shades of blue and gray paired with the PVC Crossbody Bag creates a beautiful fashion statement. We’ve also included a couple of pamper items – Bohéme Amber, Vanilla and Musk Hand Cream and Herbivore Lip Conditioner. Send her off in style.
TLC Gift Set ($62.00)
The porcelain mug is cleverly designed with a faceted surface on either side of the handle, perfect for those who like to embrace their cuppa. We’ve included one of our best selling sweet treats, Cici’s Handmade Lemon Cookies, and a delicious flavor sachet of dried fruits and edible plant leaves that can be steeped to create a relaxing, nutritious drink.
Better Than Therapy ($110.50):
Rough day? Better talk to some wine about it. This is the gift set you turn to when you (or a girlfriend) have had “one of those weeks”–the kind that calls for dimming the lights, turning the tap to HOT, lighting a candle, and dipping into your stash of Chardonnay In A Can to enjoy in the bathtub. Yes, you read that correctly. You see, unlike bathtub gin, bathtub wine is really quite delicious and not at all scandalous (well, not very). Plus, it’s quite an intelligent choice when you consider how much safer you’ll feel without the risk of a slippery wineglass, right? Follow it up with a no-stress coloring session paired with an assortment of eight culinary inspired chocolates.
It’s Time For Some Spring Beer
Someday pretty soon you are going to get into your car after work and the thermometer is going to read 70 and you are going to roll down the windows and put on that fire Songs to Sing In The Car playlist and roll. When the warm weather starts to hit day after day here (Relevant Dad HQ is in New England) there is nothing better than getting home for work with the sun still high in the sky, the kids happy and playing outside and a cold beer to share with your significant other. Spring marks the end of stout and porter season and makes us think of some farmhouse ales, sours and saisons. Here are few that we have been loving or are on our must try list this spring.
Imperial Peach Gose – Southern Tier Brewing Co. 8.3% ABV
This gose will be available in April and it sounds amazing. This limited release is brewed with peaches, chamomile, cardamom and coriander. The few early testers on UnTappd have said it is tart which is perfect for us! “On the palate, the strong acidity is balanced by the inherent sweetness of the peaches and the herbal nature of the extra ingredients” We can’t wait to try this.
A Presentation Of Wild Things (American Wild Ale) – Common Roots Brewing Co. & Plan Bee Farm Brewery 4% ABV
This exciting collaboration from Common Roots and Plan Bee is on our spring must-try list this year. Reviewers have remarked that this all NY sources ingredient wild ale is “slightly tart” “crisp and light” and our favorite “soft and supple”. We love soft and supple.
Carina Peach Sour – Ecliptic Brewing 5.5% ABV
“Loaded with fresh peach flavor, Carina is a sour ale perfect for any time of year. The use of Pale malt makes for a crisp character, while lactobacillus gives Carina a tart and refreshing finish.” Imagine the warm spring setting sun and the taste of this not to sour and even a little sweet brew. read more…
Is The Impact From Draggin Bags The Ultimate Dad Bag?
When you are talking about the multifunctional Impact made by Draggin Bags we certainly think so. This fully funded Kickstarter backed bag is just about the most impressive and durable bag we have ever seen. Made from 500d Cordura (that is some strong stuff) and crafted to be nearly indestructible you can rest assured that this bag will be with you for a lifetime. The surface is coated with a water and dirt repellent coating which will leave your bad looking stylish long after the “unboxing” when you receive it. We can’t help but want 20 of these for everything from our tools, our fishing tackle to our toy cars and Lego accessories. You never know when these bags might come in handy. Fill one with the essentials and get out the door dad.
Why Wouldn’t You Use Swap.com?
We’ll be honest we had never shopped on Swap.com before we were gifted a credit from them earlier this spring. Boy, have we been missing out. This site is amazing for everyone but especially parents. We have all been there, you know sliding hanger after hanger at the local consignment shop just trying to find something in 4T that is actually worth buying. How often do you leave empty-handed? If you are like us, you get skunked nearly every time.
Swap.com is the site for you parents. It was so easy to find some fun new “used” clothing for the whole family. Yeah, I got some sweatpants and buddy I have hardly taken them off. “Have you washed those yet?” asked my wife last night. Anyways, Swap.com has the type of granular shopping filters that one can only dream of. Do you want something in 6-9mo, gently used, girls, from a group of hand-selected brands like Baby Gap, Hanna Anderson, and OshKosh? You can get that specific. They even have an extensive collection of never worn clothing. We all have those kids clothes that people have given us, you know, the 2T sundress when your girl would be in 2T in December.
Check out all the amazing brands and clothing that your whole family can shop. Where else can you get a toddler dress from Tea, a LulaRoe dress for your wife and a J.Crew Button-down shirt for under $100? Nowhere. Just click on over to Swap and take a look and see what you can find for your growing family today. Save money and shop like a boss.
Use these discount codes EARTHDAY40 and EARTHDAY20. (Good until 6/30/18)
You Should Pack Up + Go
Looking forward to your next vacation is essential to staying sane if you work a 9-5, or have kids, or work at all, or just being a human really. Once you have a couple of kids you find yourself dreaming of mini trips away from them. You at first feel super guilty about it but don’t. It is so important to have alone time with your significant other. (What a weird term significant other is right?) It’s important to have alone time with your kick ass and foxy other. That’s better.
Anyways, we are strong proponents of the weekend getaway, the three-day lover’s retreat, the backpack soiree, which is why we love Pack Up + Go. This unique travel service gives you a brief survey on where you live, your budget, your passions and places you have been. Then the magic happens. They take care of everything for you and the best part? They keep everything a surprise to you. You will get a packet in the mail a few weeks before your trip with some suggested items to pack, the forecast for your destination and where/when to be on your departure day.
“A few days before your trip, you receive an envelope in the mail, which you do NOT open just yet. This envelope contains directions to your accommodation, and your city guide. Since you don’t have time to do research on your destination, we do it for you! We’ll send you off with a curated list of recommendations for everything from cafes to nightlife to rainy day activities. We promise you won’t be bored wherever you go.”
Ummm, does this sound like a parents dream or what? If you check out the testimonials online everyone has glowing things to say about Pack Up + Go. Once we get the littlest out of diapers and formula and can actually afford this service we are sooooo there. If you take a trip through this site please let us know!
San Diego
Charleston S.C.
Miami FL
NOLA!
bloom coco lounger
We’d say owning this bloom coco lounger for your darling baby is keeping up with the Joneses but we heard that even the Joneses got their bouncer at a liquidation sale at the baby gear depot. How gorgeous is this modern lounger? Your baby will slumber in so much style and grace in this beauty. Sporting a baltic birch wood frame, no assembly required convenience and choice of padded cushion what’s not to envy.
Baby K’tan Weekender Bag
This is the big dog, bad boy, mother of all that is holy, shut the front door, check yo self, shut it down diaper bag of all diaper bags. When you need a bag that holds more than what you need for a simple trip to the grocery store THIS is the bag you need. Baby K’tan has long been one of the premier brands in the baby gear world and this weekender bag is no exception. Boasting (huge breath in) nine compartments, a wet bag for dirty diapers, a changing pad, wipes dispenser, a damn COOLER pocket for keeping things cold, binky pouch (gasp in) antibacterial nylon, secure velcro opening, laptop compartment and 100% cotton exterior, oh baby give daddy one of these. The only thing this beast doesn’t come with is a baby but you can work on that right guys? read more…
Huge Marvel Avengers Inflatable Plush Characters!
If you have a kid over 7 chances are you already are all abuzz about Marvel’s Infinity War coming out next month. Add to that the amazing new trailer that dropped and the fever pitch has hit a crescendo. Groupon has a deal out on these awesome new 30″ Marvel Avengers inflatable plush characters! Click the buy link below to capture this deal FAST! Don’t make the Hulk angry, these inflatables are super fun and your kids will love playing with them before the movie drops.
Netflix Parental Controls Update
Finally, Netflix has given us a more granular way to control what content we let out kids consume on their platform. This level of protection should be standard on all media platforms. Not only have then introduced PIN protection but will also display the rating levels before each program on their platform so we can better understand what our children are watching. As an added bonus adults can block individual programs from being streamed even if they are classified within an accepted rating class.
h/t Netflix Netflix Parental Controls Update
This IS The Droid You Are Looking For!
We’re back from Toy Fair NY and buddy we found him! R2D2!! Wait, is a R2D2 is a him right? Can a droid be a he or a she? It? Should we say we found…it? We live in confusing times people, the verbiage is key, so let’s just say we found the droid you are looking for.
The amazing littleBits is a tech startup from NYC that creates toys that empower kids to invent with easy to use electronic blocks. Hmm, what little droid is made up of tiny electronic blocks? Why R2 of course. Question, was Luke Skywalker the first S.T.E.M. icon?
This littleBits kit comes with everything that you child needs to create their very own R2 unit at home. Once they are done creating the droid continues to impress as it drives around your house in three different modes. Trust us, the force mode is the BEST! Check out the video below and smash that buy link. read more…
We don’t mourn in America anymore, but we should.
We don’t mourn in America anymore, we just don’t. When people say this is a time for mourning I don’t even know what they are talking about honestly. Maybe, if we had the time to, things might end up different the next time. Yeah, probably not. One burst of mass death leads into the next with such fervor here in America that we swell with outrage for a moment and then change the channel on the tv, in our minds, in our hearts because surely “that won’t happen here.” Won’t it though? Maybe not at scale but gun violence in America is far more than mass shootings. They are just sexy that’s all. That is why they take up so much real estate in our psyche. The deeper and far more insidious scourge is the hourly homicides and suicides that take place all over our communities. They hardly get a mention on the 5 o’clock news let alone make it to the ears of the rest of America. For every 100,000 Americans, statistics show that3.85 of them will be killed, or kill themselves with a firearm in a given year. That number is absolutely sickening. Outside of the areas of the world ravaged by drug wars and conflict America leads the pack in this stat. Something to be proud of? Nobody would say so, but when you shrug that number off and refresh Instagram instead you are in some way complicit. And look, I sit here sussing this out guilty as charged. It’s something that seems like an annoyance to think about because what can I possibly do from this desk to change a damn thing? The truth is probably not much. Not much by myself but, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead said that. So then Marge, where do we begin?
Everytown is a group of Americans who work together to end gun violence and build safer communities. Sure the bad guys have the NRA as a lobbyist but Everytown has mothers and fathers of children who have been murdered or taken their own lives and I want to be on their side. I want to have their backs when the legislation is written to help end this scourge.
When an organization’s goal is simply to half gun deaths in America in half by 2025 you have to support that. We can do so much more to save our children’s lives. It’s our duty as parents. In turn, it’s our duty as children to save our parents lives.
Suicidepreventionlifeline.org –
This organization is perhaps the one that we can all relate to the most. Mass shootings and homicides are a drop in the bucket compared to the 21,000 suicides by firearm in America each year. Statistically, you know someone or someone who knows someone who has or will commit suicide by firearm and that number we have the power to change the most. Please visit the participate section of the website and learn some way you can help. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/participate/
We don’t mourn in America much anymore. The energy that it takes to do it over and over again is too much for us to take, so we move on and ignore that reality punching us in the face over and over. It’s time to take back that emotion. It’s time to feel the pain we wrought, it’s time to bath in it and then it’s time use that devastation to create a positive change. You CAN do something about gun deaths in America. By yourself, in a group, in your community, in your America. Start mourning the people we have lost right now. read more…
The Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Bailout
Oh shit…Valentine’s Day is like right now. You’ve known that for weeks but you still haven’t picked up anything yet, have you? Thought so. Sure, you could overnight something on Amazon but she’ll see right through that. Besides, she may not even want stuff. Chances are she just wants some downtime to herself. Here are some last-minute ideas that could potentially save your ass this year.
Flowers from Urbanstems ($35+)
Sure, flowers die and it’s kinda cliche, but you should still get them anyway. If you don’t have a garden where you can pick your own, Urbanstems is a new startup that offers a selection of fresh, seasonal bouquets hand delivered within hours via bicycle in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and DC areas.
Breakfast in Bed (or Out)
The point is: don’t let her cook. Find an easy recipe on Yummly and let her stay in bed while you cook (tip: make sure you have some Nutella on hand. Moms love Nutella). The kids will probably want to help, too. If you’re the type of guy who can’t even make toast, then take her out to brunch or, better yet, pick up her favorite breakfast dish from her favorite restaurant and serve it to her in bed.
Make a Card
Any guy can swing by the corner drugstore the day before and pick from a limited/terrible selection of Hallmark cards. But don’t. Make your own. It doesn’t have to look nice. The most appreciated cards we’ve ever given our wives were made in Microsoft Word and printed on computer paper because the sentiment and words came 100% from the heart.
You Can’t Sleep More But You Can Sleep Better
I’m so tired. Why won’t she sleep? I got what…4 hours total last night? It’s okay if I curl up under my desk for a few right?
You give up a lot of yourself when you become a parent, but perhaps the thing you will miss the most is sleep. Oh, sleep sweet sleep where did you go? Listen, we don’t know how to help you sleep more once you have kids, it never gets better, at least not for years. So, in lieu of not having any advice on how to sleep more, we can offer you some products that will help you and your partner sleep better.
Moonlight Pajamas ($70) For the relevant mom, a super nice pair of pajamas that will make her feel like a starlet from the silver screen.
Vintage Pajama Set ($95) Relevant Mom swears by these J-Crew pajamas, ultimate style and comfort.
Summer Pajama Set ($23) Running up and down the stairs fulling bottles or grabbing lost lovies is hard work. No sweat dad, these summer pajamas will keep you cool in between winks. read more…
Everything Sucks!
Oh man, this mainline of nostalgia will surely be a hit for all of us older millennials. Are you excited for this new Netflix series?
The ANIA Line Is WILD!
We have tons of small figurines here at home, Peppa Pigs, Disney princesses, nearly everyone from Sesame Street and of course M. I. C. K. E. Y. – M. O.U. S. E.. When we got the new line of ANIA figurines from Tomy Toys the first thing my kiddo explained was “They are real daddy!” She meant that they are lifelike in appearance which is a commitment to their amazing design. Each figurine has one or two minimal movements that help create that spark of imagination that will propel your child into adventure with their new animals. These toys have three distinct lines, Ocean, Grasslands, Prehistoric and Arctic but if you are like our family you will totally have a T-Rex mixing it up with a red panda and a meerkat. We may have had a princess or two riding a polar bear at one point no big deal.
You can find these figurines at your local Toys R’ Us or online in a very family friendly price range. Get playing!
ANIA Get ready for a pack of animal fun with ANIA Animals, the all-new preschool line of articulated animals and playsets designed to inspire hours of nature-themed play and exploration. Highly-detailed ANIA Animals feature multiple points of articulation for realistic role play and feature animals from around the globe. Ages: 3 years and up.
Tully Trailer
Wake Me Up When They Invent a Babysitter Pod
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to begin our descent into Sydney. Please fasten your seatbelts and place your trays in the upright position. Local time is 8:42pm and a humid 27 degrees. Our flight crew wishes you a Happy New Year, and we hope you fly with us again in 2025.”
Screeech. You’ve landed. Time to relax those butt cheeks.
It was only this morning you booked this flight, and now you’re on the other side of the planet. Amazing. You’re nervous but excited to visit Australia for the first time. One week to explore the city and five weeks on a new design project. When that project match showed up in your feed you claimed it in two seconds. You’ve already earned 24,000 $design in the peerism economy.
Ping. “Need a room?”.
You hadn’t booked any accommodation yet. “Yes please”, you respond.
“Just out the front, number 420”.
You giggle, then follow the augmented directions leading to a sleek driverless hotel room. It’s about the size of a mini bus but without the seats, steering wheel and engine. A giant transparent panel stretching the length and height of the vehicle greets you on approach. The panel opens and you step inside.
Inside is everything you’d expected. On the left, a couch seat that folds into a queen-sized bed with the push of a button. To the right, a small kitchenette with electric stove, running water, sink, microwave and bar fridge. Behind that is the detachable bathroom module with toilet, shower and wash basin.
“Hi there, welcome home. Hungry?”
“I could go some pad thai and a beer thanks”, you respond.
“That’ll be here in 6 minutes. Want a quick tour of the city?”
“Nah early one tonight. Let’s checkout Bondi beach tomorrow”, you say.
Your room begins driving itself towards Bondi and a live map displays on one of the side panels. You sit back and relax with some Netflix on the other side panel. Exactly 6 minutes later, a drone lands on the roof and lowers your order through a compartment in the ceiling. If you need to order any package you simply ask the room and a drone arrives; it even does laundry!
Okay, this seems reallly cool but honestly just let me know when they invent the daycare pod and the babysitter pod. That is the future we deserve! Right parents? Babysitter at the touch of a button, Netflix on the way to a date night and then late night drone pizzas! Hip, hip horray to 2025!
Give Me All The Coffee Please
It is not a cliche to say that one’s coffee consumption skyrockets upon the arrival of a new baby and never really plateaus until they leave for college. Okay, maybe not college maybe just sleeping through the night but both milestones will seem eons away in those first months of parenthood. You know, come to think about it ones coffee consumptions really just increase with the child’s age, speaking as a father of a 3 year old and a 9 month old coffee may be the most important thing in my life. So, why not consume it in style? What’s that told adage? Work smarter not harder? Well, I say drink smarter not harder. No, that makes no sense. Drink smarter not hotte…nevermind I need a coffee to figure this tagline out. In the meantime check out our list of coffee items we are enjoying here at Relevant Dad.
Ember Ceramic Mug – $80 The number of times you will find a cold cup of coffee forgotten in the microwave will go from 5,000 to 0 with this mug that keeps your coffee at the exact temperature you want it from “this first sip to the last drop.”
La Colombe Coffee Flask – $30 Because give me one good reason not to have a coffee flask? Exactly.
Ten Cup Chemex – $48 With pour over coffee in vogue and quite frankly a better cup this Chemex is the way to go when you have the time. It’s way prettier than a Keurig and your taste buds will thank you.
Cafflano Portable Pourover Kit – $110 Speaking of pour over superiority this portable kit from Cafflano is just amazing. Impress your significant other on the picnic or family hike or just enjoy while watching soccer practice from the sidelines.
Trees Knees Coffee Maple – $14 Okay, so this one is a cheat but dammit it’s sooooo good. Drizzle on ice cream or pancakes just about anything that brings you comfort can take a dollop of this gem.
Sweatproof Earbuds Perfect Exercise – Hexnub
Not going to try and blow smoke here guys, it’s been awhile since we have exercised to the point of ruining a pair of headphones with sweat. In our 20’s it happened on more than one occasion, oh how we long for the days. Running around town shirtless looking like a slightly older Zac Efron (or not) waving to the passers-by while listening to Graduation on the awesome iPod Nano.
The time has come to get back into shape and we found our new favorite headphones from Hexnub. These sweatproof earbuds are perfect for exercise, connect wirelessly with Bluetooth and are actually comfortable to wear. The battery life is around 8 hours and the price is amazing for the quality of these earbuds. At the rate that we break or lose headphones, you bet we will have these bookmarked for repeat buying. It’s been a few weeks of playing with these guys on our commute, doing yard work and yes even on the elliptical while watching The Office on Netflix. The sound holds up in all settings and we could not be happier. Check them out below by clicking the BUY button and grab some for a gift this holiday season as well.
Keurig K575 Single Serve Programmable K-Cup Coffee Maker
Listen, we know that in a moment of weakness you thought it would be effective to smash up your coffee maker because your old buddy Seany might retweet your vertical video. Look, man, how about you take a step back and think about why Keurig pulled their advertising. If you are all about family like we are here at Relevant Dad, then pay your penance and then buy a new Keurig so that you don’t look like a complete fool at best or at worst a supporter of a horrible man who did horrible things to kids. We suggest the K575, it’s what we brew with here in the office and it will fit into that empty spot on your counter perfectly. It also makes a great gift so why don’t you buy one for your neighbor whose old Keurig is in the trash bin holding down their Ed Gillespie lawn sign.
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