I have found that a lot of Americans dislike “Hallmark” holidays like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day because they see them as money-making schemes created to give consumers a reason to make purchases that they otherwise might not.  In contrast, my family has always made a big deal out of these holidays.  We always send cards and gifts and make phonecalls and plan weekends surrounding these holidays so that we can celebrate them properly.  It may seem silly, but I really think this is a great tradition.
These holidays always remind me to give thanks.  It’s not everyday that …read more

Happy Father’s Day! Though today’s holiday typical involves fathers of the human variety, what’s to stop dads of pets from celebrating a bit too?

True, they won’t get any sweet handmade cards with stray blobs of glue and glitter from Fluffy or Fido, but they can get one in their email inbox instead!
SloppyKissCards.com is all about pet e-cards, from dogs and cats to pretty much everything in between, including ferrets, chinchillas, and even horses. You can even choose specifically what breed you want featured on the card, and several of the categories let you upload your own pet photos to use.
Of …read more

Since my father was a farmer, he couldn’t take Father’s day off.  However, he enjoyed taking a picnic lunch, after the milking was done and we were home from church, and going for a Sunday drive with Mother and us  four children.  He had some of his favorite back roads to explore and often would stop where we children could run and play after we ate.
 One of Father’s favorite picnic spots was found at the top of a cliff overlooking the Hudson River and the mid-Hudson bridge across the river from Poughkeepsie.  (We lived in a farming town 15 miles …read more

Why not make a scrapbook dedicated to Dad for Father’s Day?  You may not have it made for a gift today, but why not start one?  It can take many forms.

For the dad of young children in the family.
For grandfather…his life, achievements, and hobbies
For uncles who play a special role in your children’s lives.
For someone who has like a dad or grandfather in your family’s life.

What do you include?

Photos of special events
Photos, journal entries and memories
Photos of an unfolding life
Contributions from various family members

This can be a fun family project that recalls fond times and hard times and draws families …read more

Is your dad the type of dad who dons his Father’s Day tie immediately?  If he is, then he could use one of these great aprons to protect it,  with dad-approved prints, from the Jazzy Gemini’s Shop at Etsy.

Father’s Day Motorcycle BBQ Apron
$20
This apron fits both large and small dads. It features two front pockets, including a drink holder.

Father’s Day Flaming BBQ Apron
$20
This apron features a flame print with a classic-car hot rod pocket midriff. There’s a drink holder to the side. This apron also fits dads big and small.
Image credit: Jazzy Gemini’s Shopat Etsy.com

It’s berry season! I have several different types of berries in my garden all ready to be picked, or about ready to be picked. From blueberries, to strawberries, and raspberries, I love berry season.
I think my love of berries goes back to my childhood when I used to go out with my dad and pick raspberries, strawberries, and even mulberries straight off the vine, plant, and tree. We had a great time picking, and usually ate more than we got in the pale. The berries that made it into the pale were eventually made into equally delicious desserts including pie, …read more

I’m a terrible gift-giver and even worse card-sender. It’s not that I don’t love and care for the people who I should give them to. I do. I just can’t seem to think far enough in advance to buy a card and get it in the mail in time. Case and point – my niece’s birthday was last Friday and the card went into the mail Monday. If it weren’t for the check that I enclosed I could have probably gotten away with an e-card. I managed to send one to my father in time for his birthday earlier this …read more

Father’s Day is becoming more and more commercialized and heavily promoted. Everywhere someone looks, there are signs that say “Remember Dad” or big displays of Father’s Day cards. I usually don’t think twice about things like this, but someone mentioned wanting to have a party for a dad who recently lost his own father, only to discover that he really wasn’t in the mood for a celebration.
So what to do in this case? I’d ask. Turns out this recently bereaved dad wanted to go visit the cemetary and leave flowers for his father. Maybe another dad would enjoy passing something …read more

I never manage to think far enough ahead of time to get my husband a Father’s Day card from our pets, and truth be told he gets plenty of attention from the kids (and he’d probably just roll his eyes anyway)!

Petside.com has created a cute solution: free downloadable, printable cards from the pets for dad!
The PDF files, which include dogs or cats, download right to your computer, and from there you print it, fold it and you’re done! Each card contains a sweet greeting as well.
No ideas on how to get the pets to actually sign it — that’s entirely …read more

If you love the whole medieval period and have been thinking about checking out Medieval Times, this weekend is a good time to go because Dads are free with another adult admission from June 19th to 21st. Families that really want to spoil their dad can buy the $30 Father’s Day package, which includes a photo, a beer stein, a commemorative scroll and a knights cheering flag.
It is a nice place to visit and a bit less overwhelming than a Renaissance Fair, so it is nice for families with small children. We’re already doing a cookout, or I think I’d …read more