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However, note this: while moms “get” more on Mom’s Day per capita, spending on moms in 2009 was expected to be down 10% while spending for dads only will dip about 5%. 
Americans are expected to spend an average of $90.89 on gifts for dad, down slightly from $94.54 last year. … Highlights from NRF’s 2009 Father’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey include: Consumers will spend the most ($1.9 billion) on a special outing such as a dinner or even a sporting event. … Discount stores and department stores will be going head to head this Father’s Day as 33.9 percent of Americans plan on shopping at discounters and 33.7 percent will shop at department stores.
Category Archives: Gifts
Woe is us! Fathers Day spending down in 2009.
June 4, 2009 – 9:01 am
Parking Lot Rules – new parenting book by Tom Sturges
June 2, 2009 – 2:10 pm
While some of the tips are just plain practical (4 times to wash hands) and seem a little out of place compared to the more emotional issues he faces, such as how to communicate your love to a sixteen year old boy without embarrassing him. Other advice, such as the importance of thank you notes, also seems like filler though I can tell from other parts of the book that social conventions are important to the author. I tend to share his views on the importance of teaching basic social habits like saying “please” and “thank you,” but you might be surprised to see this advice sandwiched in between other more sentimental issues.
Two great Father’s Day gifts for Divorced Dads
June 2, 2009 – 1:55 pm
We have plenty of other gift ideas for dads in general, but here are two good gifts for divorced dads, probably from friends or family interested in supporting dads’ relationships with kids who may not even be in the same city. … Vidtel, using broadband (cable or DSL) connections, finally makes good on that promise. 
Because it’s broadband, rather than POTS (plain old telephone service), the picture quality and voice are as good as any online connection using Skype or one of the many online video chat services. … The ease of use of the Vidtel system also makes this a good choice for older grandparents who may not be able to use computer videoconferencing. 
The second is the etendi BRIDGE,, available at etendi.com.
New Dadlabs book out in time for Fathers Day
June 2, 2009 – 1:04 pm
Our friends at DadLabs.com are at it again with a new book that tries to put in prose what they do so well in video. … It has many practical tips on subjects like picking a baby name and how to change a diaper, just as you will find on DadLabs TV, but much of the value of this book is the ability to laugh at the early stages of parenthood, just as your pregnant partner is taking it so seriously. There is a time for soulful feelings about incipient fatherhood, but also a time for having a beer and making some crude jokes using all the new vocabulary you’ve just learned in Childbirth class.
Five top point and click cameras for Fathers Day 2009
May 28, 2009 – 9:26 am
$400 Most portable: Sony DSC-T700 Cyber-shot – Tiny and flat with 4GB of internal memory but only a 4X zoom. $400 Most brand conscious: Leica C-LUX 3 – It’s a Leica, and very good, but the price shows it. … That will determine the quality of the photo since all cameras are now made so you can blow up photos to larger sizes.
Buddy Talk
May 15, 2009 – 4:13 pm
My nine year-old daughter has written a review of the new Buddy Talk, a new conversation starter toy from www.aroundthetablegames.com . … Pepsi , a book that asks people to make choices between two things to get them to talk about what kind of person they are.
… Around the Table Games has other variations on this theme for families and kids needing new topics to talk from. Her (very short) review: Buddy Talk is fun to play by yourself or with your friends.
ZipBin mini bin/play surface
March 5, 2009 – 4:47 pm
My son (not pictured here) loves his ZipBin Mini Speedway from Neat Oh . … These very affordable toys are a good find for little kids who collect lots of little items like dolls, cars, or farm animals. … And, the Zip Bin comes with 2 cars (or other item) so the child feels like he’s getting a toy, and not just a storage bin.
A few more gift ideas for Dad for Valentines Day
February 5, 2009 – 10:41 am
There’s even a place in San Francisco that gives indoor parachuting lessons , where you can give him the sensation of jumping and flying without risking his life in the process. … Even if it’s just one bar of Valrhona for $4, chocolate says decadence, but studies also show it does everything from fighting tooth decay to (mildly) elevating mood levels. … Even if he’s not the literary type, you can still find a book that says more than “hey, I found this in the discount aisle,” but that really shows your interest.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Funny Face out on DVD
January 26, 2009 – 11:03 am
She has seen all her movies except for Breakfast at Tiffany’s , which we continue to think is just a little mature for her. … Though there are scenes of people smoking, most of it is pretty tame, though it is the kind of love story little girls love. She has bought three books on Audrey Hepburn with her own money, very quickly realizing that they all use the same photos and have very little new to say.
11 Birthdays – a good book for 8+ girls
January 2, 2009 – 7:13 pm
It is the story of a girl named Amanda who always has her birthday with a boy named Leo. … I think this book is for ages nine and up. I think that Wendy Mass is a great writer and I think she should write other books too!