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Monuments, landmarks, and building in a manageable size
Like most people, I have a dirty little secret: I collect tacky souvenirs from monuments and buildings when I travel.
Like collections of snow globes, one monument alone is a tasteless souvenir. But put together a FULL CITY of monuments and you make a statement. My wife could never understand this mania, or “neurosis,” as she puts it, until a few years ago when the San Francisco International Airport featured a full concourse exhibit of souvenir monuments from around the world. There, in plenty of glory, were miniature reproductions of every major edifice in the world. Suddenly, my puny collection gained stature and value, rather then just being the goofy past-time of a middle-aged traveler. Some day, I could bequeath my collection to the Museum of Modern Art or even the Met!
As a former New Yorker, when I saw these, I knew I had to have them. The cars are cute too, but I’d skip them for a PanAm building, miniature Whitney, or a Columbus Circle. In fact, I’m getting two sets. I’m getting one set for my little boy to place between tracks of his train set (yes, the scale is a bit off), and one to go up on the shelf until I get a call from the mus
eum asking to take my collection on tour. They will make a perfect addition to my collection of stone, plaster, bronze and wood miniatures from cities I’ve visited around the world.
To read more about the history of this crazy hobby, check out this book: Souvenir Buildings Miniature Monuments: From the Collection of Ace Architects, which is a good book for dads and kids. My four-year-old son loves looking at the monuments. The book is divided mostly into major city-scapes, composed of mostly bronze and iron replicas of local landmarks and buildings. This is a fun book for both dads, kids, and budding architects.
Popularity: 1%
A gadget only a dad could love – Cuisipro ice cream “scooper”
Yeah, like you really need this, but after tonight’s meal where i was scooping ice cream out of a ice cube-cold vat, I’m thinking maybe, yes, I do. The Cuisipro® Ice Cream Scoop & Stack is basically a big ice cream syringe. You stick it straight into the ice cream, the ice cream fills the cylinder, and you push it out making a circular, but noo scoop-like serving of ice cream. Purists beware, the “scoop” does not look like your regular ball of ice cream, nor can you place it IN a cone. Rather, the round hunk of ice cream would more sit ON a cone, rather than in it.
Still, its a cool little toy and may find it’s way into our crowded kitchen gadget drawer one of these fine days. Christmas is only 295 days away!
This product is no longer featured on the Cuisipro site, so it may be on it’s way out, to be replaced by the Cuisipro Ice-Cream Sandwich Maker.
Popularity: 1%
I can’t guarantee it still won’t bore you silly
At first, I thought this was going to be a complicated “make your own Monopoly” set-up where you’d have to upload a bunch of photos and choose how they would be laid out on a board, before it created a custom-printed board for you. Actually, this is much different, and potentially more fun.
This Photo-opoly just provides you with the guts of a Monopoly board (playing pieces, deeds, specially titled “chance” cards). You supply the photos out of the shoebox, cut them to fit the boxes, and glue them on. It sounds like a big project, but promises to “unleash your creative genius” (if you have one lurking inside).
The Photo-opoly can be renamed around any theme you desire, but has to retain the “opoly” ending, likely for licensing reasons.
$30 from Photojojo.com .
Popularity: 1%
Baby Bonding Book for Dads
We love this idea so much we’re asking Jennifer and James to join our contributing authors on GreatDad.com. This book, and sentiment, would make a fine gift for new dads. In my experience, real close bonding with my kids didn’t happen for me until they were about three and a half. I felt guilty about it at first, but came to appreciate the changing roles of moms and dads as the baby grows up. The baby also wants mommy so desperately for a long time, that it’s normal for dad to sometimes feel a little bit outside looking in. Great Dads won’t resent that, but prepare themselves for the “age of dad,” around four to five, when dad becomes the king of fun around the house, if he wants that role. Still, any book that offers tips to bring you closer to the baby is good during those early days, especially since you’re setting the pattern (for you and your child) for a lifetime to come. The Baby Bonding Book for Dads: Building a Closer Connection With Your Baby by James Di Properzio, Jennifer Margulis
Popularity: unranked
