Mommy Blog, Tips & Ideas
Father’s Day Ideas
Six Frugal Ideas for a Special Father
May 22nd
Father’s Day will soon be here. You know you’d like to get him something nice, but maybe an expensive gift isn’t in the budget. These six frugal ideas for a special father are sure to make the father in your family feel loved and appreciated.
1. Let the children make him a T-shirt with their handprints on it. The craft is very simple and your children will love the opportunity to create something special just for Dad. Find fabric paints in Dad’s favorite colors and purchase a 100% cotton T-shirt for each child to decorate. Put the fabric paint on a disposable plate and then have the children place their hands on the shirt. Follow washing instructions after the paint has dried. You may want to have the children sign and date the shirt so Dad can see how much the children have grown.
2. Let Dad know you support his dreams by opening up a “dream fund” for him. You don’t have to fill the entire fund up immediately, but you can add a little here and there every year to help him make his dream item a reality. Maybe you could save change in a jar for him to add to his dream fund or put aside as little as $5.00 a month. Before long there will be a good sized amount in the account and he’ll be well on his way to getting that dream tool or new big screen TV.
3. Many newspapers will run special advertisements for major holidays, and that would include Father’s Day. Purchase a small ad in your local newspaper to let Dad know how much he means to you and how much you love him. Just remember to put his name on the ad or someone else might think the ad’s for them!
4. Gasoline prices change every day. Why not give Dad a gift card specifically for his next fill up? Not only is this gift practical, it will also let him keep that much money in his pocket for the week. He can either put the money into his dream fund or splurge and eat out with the guys at the office one day during the week.
5. If the Dad in your family is like most men, he most likely loves to grill. Why not purchase an inexpensive white barbecue apron and decorate it yourself? You can dye it any color and then use fabric paints to write “Kiss the Cook” or “Never Trust a Skinny Cook.” He’ll be sure to use the apron the next time he grills.
6. Plan an outing for everyone in the family to enjoy on Father’s Day. This might be something as simple as a picnic in the park to something more elaborate like planning an entire day going fishing with him. Whatever his favorite activity is – golfing, bicycling, playing card games, or just watching TV – do that activity with him. The time spent with him will mean more than any cheesy tie you could ever buy him.
Don’t forget to feed Dad on his special day. Many restaurants have special prices for Dads. If you can’t afford an entire meal out, why not treat him to his favorite ice cream? Perhaps these six frugal ideas for a special Father’s Day have sparked some creative ideas of your own. Remember, whatever you choose to do with Dad on his day, as long as you let him know how much you love him, he’ll probably be happy.
Five Delicious Recipes for a Special Father’s Day BBQ
May 14th
You know how much your dad loves to barbecue. Why not use one of these five delicious recipes for a special Father’s Day barbecue and give him the day off? Of course, just because it’s “his” day, that doesn’t mean he’ll let you at his grill.
Grilled hamburgers are always a hit, but you may want to incorporate another of Dad’s favorites – blue cheese. While you’re preparing the two pounds of ground beef (preferably ground chuck), add ¾ teaspoon onion powder, 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons horseradish (optional), salt and pepper to taste. Mix this thoroughly and then form into patties. Grill the burgers over hot heat until they reach a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Fix the burgers with your favorite fixings and enjoy!
Steaks are another grilling favorite and nothing could be better than a great grilled rib eye steak for Father’s Day. Mix together ¼ cup steak sauce and ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Add one clove or minced garlic and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Combine this thoroughly and then pour into a zip top bag that holds the steaks. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Then grill for four to five minutes on each side.
Perhaps your dad prefers seafood. Why not grill up some spicy barbecue shrimp? The recipe is simple: ½ cup butter, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 pounds of unshelled shrimp, ½ cup dry sherry, and cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Toss the shrimp in the mixture and then prepare your grill. Be very careful when grilling the shrimp; you may need a fish tray or use skewers to keep the shrimp from falling through the grill. Cook for about four minutes on each side.
Barbecued ribs are another favorite. You’ll need six pounds of ribs, 1 1/3 cup ketchup, ¾ cup water, ¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 small onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together except the ribs, and cook for ten minutes. Brush the ribs with sauce and cook the ribs over medium hot coals for about an hour.
Don’t forget about dessert! Why not prepare grilled pound cake with berries and ice cream. You’ll need one pound cake – already prepared or home-made, ice cream, and whatever kind of berries your dad likes most. Slice the pound cake and then heat each slice on a clean, hot grill for a couple of minutes or until you can see grill marks on each side of the cake. Remove the cake from the grill, then top each piece with a scoop of Dad’s favorite ice cream. Top it all off with ½ cup of fresh berries per slice.
Father’s Day comes but once a year. Try one or more of these five recipes for a special Father’s Day BBQ. With food like this, your dad may ask you to prepare the same feast next year.
Family Golf Outing for Father’s Day
May 14th
There are so many Dads that love to play golf and maybe they do play with their friends. Wouldn’t it be great to turn his hobby into a Father’s Day outing for the whole family? These ideas will show you how to do just that.
Maybe the rest of the family has never played golf before. Don’t let that dissuade you from learning this fascinating game. Sure, you’re unlikely to be able to even keep up with Dad in score, but the point is to share Father’s Day doing something he enjoys.
What is your goal in planning the family golf outing for Father’s Day? Is your goal to learn enough about golf so that someone from the family can share this sport with Dad on a regular basis? Or do you merely want to encourage Dad’s love of the game by finding out what he loves about it so much?
There’s no reason to believe that you’re going to become the next star golfer, but it could happen. Some people are naturally gifted, and this might be the case with someone in your family. Most likely, however, you’ll all be pretty bad at the sport. Don’t feel bad about how bad you are – at least Dad will look like an expert compared to you, no matter how well he actually plays.
Start out slow. You may want to find a miniature golf course to try out first before heading to the full-sized course. Let Dad show you how to properly hold a golf club, the stance, and how to swing the club. Be sure to pay attention so you’ll do your best, but try not to get too stressed out about missing the cup on the first try.
After you’ve gotten the hang of the miniature golf course, maybe taking a couple of weekends before Father’s Day to do it, you’re probably ready to actually hit the greens of a regular golf course. Dad will probably want to play an abbreviated game to start with, which is usually 9 holes rather than the full 18.
Of course, depending upon how many people are in the family, you may need to check into renting the equipment everyone needs. Most golf pro shops have equipment to rent, so you won’t have to worry about spending hundreds of dollars for each person to have their own set of clubs. You’ll also want to rent a golf cart to make getting around the course easier.
Remember to take along plenty of water and possibly a snack of fruit. This will keep the golfing party hydrated and less likely to get angry from being hungry. If everyone else is ready to call it a day but Dad is still growing strong, try to keep from being grumpy. Let him finish up his game and go along happily with him.
If you plan a family golf outing for your father, he’ll appreciate your effort in learning to play and spend the day doing something he enjoys. Don’t forget to give him some extra tees or a sleeve of golf balls before you leave for your outing. And remember, the important thing is to have fun with Dad on Father’s Day.
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