You may never admit it, but sometimes Father’s Day is a challenge. All the family’s attention is on you, and it’s not that you don’t love spending time with them. You do! What you dread is the moment when you have to open your gifts while everyone is watching. Inevitably there’s a novelty tie you’ll never wear or a personalized mug to join the five others collecting dust in your cupboard.
If it’s getting harder to hide behind the smile, then it’s time to come clean to your family. Tell them you’d rather spend time with them and help organize a family get-together. Then take over gift-giving duties because — let’s be honest — the only person who can get it right is you.
That’s right, you. Here are five ways you can treat yourself this Father’s Day without hurting anyone’s feelings.
A hardwood laptop stand
Help improve the feng shui of your home office by investing in a hardwood laptop stand from Grovemade. The curved stand rests roughly 4 inches higher than your desk and is handcrafted from beautiful American Black Walnut. Its minimalist design helps bring clarity to your workstation, and it’s angled just so to provide an ergonomic view of your screen. The stand works best when paired with other pieces from the Grovemade collection, but it’s a fantastic addition to any workspace on its own.
A black camo iPhone skin
If an iPhone X is out of the family budget, don’t despair. You can get the next best thing with the help from the designers at dbrand without any need for a new contract. They’ve created a line of iPhone 8 skins that totally transform an old and beat-up device into a brand-new smartphone.
Otherwise known as decals or wraps, iPhone 8 skins from dbrand cover up any existing scratches and scrapes with a curve-hugging, precision-cut accessory. While it clings to the device with the strength of 3M vinyl, the decal shows off your custom design. The black camo is their latest design, but if military-inspired textures aren’t your thing, there’s a whole catalogue of different looks to shop from, including dragon skin, mahogany, and carbon fiber iPhone skins.
A keyless bike lock
If anyone asked, you’d lie, but we’re among friends so be honest. The only reason why you haven’t taken your bike out for a spin this summer is that you’ve lost the key to its lock or forgotten the numbers of your combination. Don’t worry — it happens to the best of men, including fathers. Rather than buying another lock that you’ll forget, invest in a keyless bike lock from Latiss.
The Ellipse lock itself looks like any U-lock you can get from the cycling store, but when you take a closer look, you’ll notice it’s a smart item. That means it syncs with your iPhone and uses Bluetooth to talk with your smartphone. Whenever you come close enough, it unlocks automatically. It also comes equipped with a sensor that alerts you whenever someone attempts to steal your bike.
A stylish cord organizer
Do you travel a lot for work? Do you take as many holidays as possible with your family? Do you also like to keep things clean and organized? If you answered yes to any of these, a stylish cord organizer is a perfect splurge item. This accessory from BAGSMART eliminates frustrating cord tangles with its simple yet effective notches. It comes equipped with multiple pockets and elastic bands to keep each wire, USB drive, earphone, and wall charger separate. And at less than 10-inches long, it can fit into any carry-on luggage easily.
A tech-based subscription box
If you can’t decide on a gift because you like everything, then a subscription box can help you get a small taste of a lot of items — at a portion of the cost. Though many think subscription boxes typically cater to the gourmand or esthetician, there’s a whole world of subscription boxes out there. You can find a box like TekCrates that curates a monthly sampling of the latest trends and delivers it straight to your door. Or you can sign up for a nerdy subscription box that satisfies all your geek appetites, like Infinity Crates and Geek Gear. Whatever you choose, these boxes make spoiling yourself easier than ever.
So what if your family hasn’t exactly nailed their gifts in the past? It’s the thought that counts, right? But before they put any more thought into a bad gift this Father’s Day, take over the role. Spoil yourself this year. It’s the only way you’ll get what you want.