The Netherlands are a country where talented and creative designers flourish in a good number. Sadly, most of their design products do not cross the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, most of the Dutch products are exported when a dedicated retailer wishes to carry them and import the goods directly from The Netherlands. This is the case of the UK retailer Dutch by Design. And it is good to know that Dutch by Design will ship their orders internationally.

I was looking for cool and unique design products for Father’s Day when I thought of revisiting Dutch by Design online store. I like what I see. They have affordable stuff that will impress and please your dad. My favorite gift ideas are:

+ Back in Time Radio/Alarm Clock $40 USD
+ Cheese Board $16.50 USD
+ Sandwich Bread Board $16.50 USD

More Gift Ideas for Everyone and All occasions

+ Tree Watercan $20 USD
+ Love Birds Salt & Pepper Set $21 USD

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+ The first idea is city landmark buildings or construction. You can choose between the John Hancock Building in Chicago, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York. City Sculptures $38 USD each at Chiasso

+ Go green with these modern solar powered led house numbers. it makes it easy for visitors to find your home at night without requiring any electrical wiring. $28 USD per number at Chiasso

The second group will enhance his BBQ collection or help him have a better time at the cottage.

For a dad who love grilling

1. Miniature Steak Thermometers set of 4 $22 USD at Smith & Hawken
2. Magnetic Grill Light $25 USD at Smith & Hawken

3. To save his back, get him a Forged Iron Wood Cart $149 USD

For a custom gift

4.  Give him a puzzle with the cover page of The New York Times for any date from 1888 to 2008.  Select the date you are born or the date a big event dear to him has happened. The New York Times Puzzle $45.99 USD at PersonalizationMall.com

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Doing a BBQ is a typical Father’s Day celebrations. Since your dad probably already owned all the barbecue gadgets already, turn your attention to the bar.

Pottery Barn introduced a collection of Galvanized Metal Serving Pieces that feel masculine and cute at the same time. A clear sealant was applied for a lasting good look and to deliver a rich patina. Sadly, the large Party Bucket with Bottle Opener and the 6-Bottle Drink Caddy are not longer available.

Bar Carts

I like the Craft style of the Teak console table. I used a console table as a bar/cooking station. Its versatility makes it indispensable.

For smaller space, opt for a synthetic rattan bar cart. It is made of Viro, a premium synthetic designed to withstand extreme weather conditions without wear. As you can see , you can pack a lot of cans, bottles and glasses on the Capri bar cart.

SOURCING:
+ Galvanized Metal Serving Pieces $24 – $69 USD
+ Galvanized Metal Tray $49 USD
+ Acrylic Drink Dispenser $49 – $69 USD
+ Santina Teak Console Table regular $699 on sale at $559 USD
+ Capri Bar Cart $799 USD

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The red metal egg-cup buckets come handy because it let your guests eat their eggs the way they like. As a bonus, the written time simplifies the food service. They are sold in a set of 6 with 2 egg cups per cooking time.

They shout fun in a good way. They could be the starting point of your Father’s Day celebrations.

SOURCING:
+ 3 4 and 5 minutes egg cup buckets £15 or $23.91 USD per set of 6

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Robin and Patches (the owner’s cat) of Lookability produced these cute flipbooks. When flipped properly, this book shows the joys of a primitive animation technique.

The Father-Daughter Robot Dance is so a propos with yesterday’s post. It also demonstrates that the robot theme applies as much to a girl than a boy. Remember it for a kid birthday.

You can read the story behind the making of these two flipbooks on Robin’s blog also called Lookability.

It is late to give that to your dad for Father’s Day but I think these flipbooks were cute gift ideas. I forgot to tell you that Sharman Yarnell interviewed me last week about Father’s Day gift ideas for her radio show Showtime on CJAD 800 AM in Montreal.

Want did you get you dad and what do you do for Happy Father’s Day?

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Father-Daughter Robot Dance Flipbook by Lookability on etsy – price: $9 USD
Buy online: Cave Man Father’s Day Flipbook by Lookability on etsy – price: $9 USD

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More and more men cook at home and organize parties. Obviously, they are looking for a different aesthetics. If your dad is one of those men, read this.

After the fact, the housewares list I gathered would also make perfect wedding gifts. Tell me what your think?

Flower Vases for Centerpieces

The first product is the Lichen’s new eweTUBE Felt vase made from 100% merino wool felt. This kit comes flat-packed, with two glass tubes. The eweTUBE vase looks great with easy to get flowers like spider mums and gerberas.

Grab a few vases. Be creative on how you display them on your table. Spread the bases sitting upright with one vase on each felt base; stack a few to create a long line. When the base rests on the side, the two tubes fit into a base.

Graphic Design Plates

I came to enjoy more and more patterned dining plates. I am getting bored with the all white dinnerware set. I can understand professional chefs who make elaborate food presentation for using them.

At home, most of us serve our food in a simpler manner. Patterned or illustrated plates look warmer and more charming. Two qualities naturally associated with at home entertaining. I encourage brides and brooms-to-be to think about that fact before making completing your wedding registry.

The Buds pattern designed by APM Design, shown here in honeydew, is available in 6 colors. This set would not be ready for Father’s Day since it is made for order. Allow 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.

Wine Tasting

The Gemini wine decanter features a unique dispenser which individuals use for pouring their glass of wine.It holds a whole 750 ml bottle of wine. I select it because it is a conversation piece.

Gemini acts as a wine aerator and decanter. Aeration enhances the taste of most young wines. Trust me, anyone can taste the difference, not just wine connoisseurs. If you do not like that model or want something less expensive, several types of wine aerators exist on the market.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: eweTUBE Felt vase at UMA – price: $38 USD
Buy online: Buds dinnerware by APM Design at Supermarket – price: $300 USD for 8 dining plates
Buy online: Gemini Wine Decanter at Wine Enthusiast – price: $179.95 USD

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I  found great stuff on Etsy, which encourage me to spread the word. On the last couple days, I spot these Magnetic Chalkboard Coasters. I did not check who made it until this morning.

I glad I did because the esty seller and I live in the small city. Purpose Design creates these magnetic coasters in black chalkboard and in the green old school chalkboard. The cool thing is that you can store them on the fridge or your message center when you do not use them as coasters.

Travel Spice Kits

Purpose Design also sells framed magnetic spice kits. Her spice kits in a cool hand brushed aluminum tin makes a great idea for Father’s Day. They are ideal to take along traveling, on camping or hiking trips, or for the boat or the cottage.

Purpose Design sells their kits by flavor: everyday herbs and spices, Italian spices, Mexican spices, Indian spices, Southeast Asian spices, Thai spices and even a Chai Tea kit.

Personalized Party Favors

For baby showers, wedding showers or bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, the lid label can be personalized. The custom wedding favor spice kits is the perfect gift to or from a foodie. See her etsy shop for details.

Signature Hostess Gifts

Why not get a personalized set to become your signature hostess gift? If you opt for a signature hostess gift, change the gift every season and keep a journal. You want to avoid giving the same gift twice to the same host.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: small spice kits by purpose design [etsy] – price: $15 USD
Buy online: magnetic coasters by purpose design [etsy] – price: $15 USD for a pack of 4
Via: purpose design :: blackboard magnetic coasters [black . white . bliss]

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A fun party theme idea for this Father’s Day is to host a father and kids baseball game.

Why not make a communal Father’s Day party where brothers, friends, colleagues and neighbors reunite to celebrate together?It allows everyone to have a playful and active day outside.

Food and Drink

These adorable icing baseball cookies caught my eyes last week. They are the creations of a San Diego mom named Lori. She took occasional cooking classes. It shows that Lori worked in the catering business while in college. Her blog, The Recipe Girl is about her adventures in her kitchen and her passion for cooking.

Your guests will be impressed to each have their own cookies. You can also divide the batches of cookies by family name.

Refreshments are important when you play outside. Make sure you have plenty.

The Hokka-Ido stool by Koziol is a stool that becomes an ice bucket if you turn it over. You can buy a tray to convert it to a table. Therefore, the Hokka-Ido is an efficient portable solution for a picnic or a BBQ. You already know that I like the design of the Koziol products.

Planning the Games

Beside the big fathers and kids softball game, plan ahead other kid activities. Coordinate the activities by age group. Hire a babysitter to watch over the youngest kids.

The vintage Baseball pinball game is fun to play. After the party, use it to decorate the playroom. If you are lucky, you can find original in flea market. My friend own a similar game that belonged to his parents.

Organize a batting session during the game for the ones that are to young to play. Several toys companies make such devices. I am showing you the ESPN Jr. Better Batter Baseball trainer from Fisher-Price. That model automatically loads the ball. Make sure to get extra balls if you want the kids to play for a while.

Overall the ESPN Jr. Better Batter Baseball trainer has good reviews. Some parents complained having some issues with the Velcro but several parents find innovative solutions to solve the problems. So read the comments on Toys R Us before you make your purchase.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

A gadget that is totally adorable is the digital picture frame. They are widely available these days. Select a model that can play videos so you can upload memories from the game.

The kids can each write a sweet word to their father and have it embroidered on a CupKozy. This is a special CupKozy Father’s Day edition.

You can recycle these party ideas from the little league Baseball parties. If soccer or football is your father’s game, it is simple to adapt the concept.

How are you planning to celebrate Father’s Day this year?

>>> Sourcing:
Recipe: Baseball Cookies [The Recipe Girl]
Buy online: ESPN Jr. Better Batter Baseball trainer [Toys R Us] – price: $42.99 USD
Buy online: Custom Embroidered Father’s Day CupKozy [cupkozy on etsy] – price: $8 USD
Buy online: Take Me Out to the Pinball Game [The Land of Nod] – price: $39 USD
Buy online: We Want a Pitcher, Not a Belly Itcher [The Land of Nod] – price: $24 unframed, $79 framed USD
Buy online: Digital Picture Frame 10 inch [Digital Framez] – price: $190.36 CAD
Shop: Koziol Hokka-Ido stool / bucket [Ma Zone Home Decor] – price: $95 CAD
Shop: Koziol Hokka-Ido table tray [Ma Zone Home Decor] – price: $30 CAD

RELATED POSTS:
+ Bring Happiness in Your Kitchen with Koziol
+ First Birthday Party Ideas for a Girl

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I love cookbooks. It seems I never have enough. With so many books, which one to choose.

Save time and start with the 2008 finalists of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards? After all, they examined the latest publications for us.

James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards is said to be the highest honors for food and beverage professionals working in America. The awards reward excellence in 13 book categories.

I am showing you four books from the Entertaining category. These inexpensive books will each be appreciated as an hostess gift.

Canadian Nominee

A Canadian is nominated this year in the Entertaining cookbook category. I introduced Dish Entertains last year.

The author of Dish Entertains is Trish Magwood, the owner of dish cooking studio located in Toronto. Trish is completing against two cookbooks:

• Great Bar Food at Home by Kate Heyhoe
• Welcome to Michael’s: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! by Michael McCarthy

You can also grab a copy of the 2007 entertaining book winner by a talented couple. The Jamisons won last year with The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining. That would make a great gift for Father’s Day.

About the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards Ceremony

The Awards Ceremony and Gala reception will take place at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 8, 2008.

This 2008 black tie event will be hosted by the Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall and the award-winning chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author Bobby Flay. If you would like to assist to this party, tickets for the general public are $450 each.

SOURCING:
+ 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception – price: $450 USD per ticket
+ Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood – price: $28.32 CAD
+ Great Bar Food at Home by Kate Heyhoe- price: $12.21 USD
+ Welcome to Michael’s: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! by Michael McCarthy- price: $26.40 USD
+ The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining by Cheryl and Bill Jamison- price: $16.47 USD

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Picnic Drinkware

The red and aqua outdoor tumblers, hi-ball glasses, wine glasses and jugs by John Lewis remind me of the hip nautical palette I showed you two weeks ago. I enjoy these gender-neutral festive hues for summer.

Picnic Blankets / Rugs

For lunches on the grass or free summer concerts in the park, a picnic rug comes handy.

I have never seen picnic blankets as fashionable as the John Lewis Ascot Picnic Rug. Very British style!

But dads may prefer the more masculine brown or navy John Lewis Picnic Rug in a Bag. The look is also more casual.

Food Cooking and Carrying

If your dad likes going to the games, here is something to impress his pals. He will be thrilled to receive a Tailgater Grill and Cooler. You can join an optional trolley.

For a vintage look, go for the red tin picnic basket. Discover inside a removable willow tray filled with a painted flask, 2 ceramic plates, 2 mugs, cutlery for 2 including 2 embroidered napkins. It is a no-brainer picnic kit for dad. And mom too! We know that with their busy schedule, parents appreciate things that simplify their life. A picnic basket for 2 will give your parents a chance for a romantic get together.

SOURCING:
+ John Lewis Aqua Acrylic Picnicware – price: 1.50 – £10
+ John Lewis Red Acrylic Jug – price: £10
+ Blyton Vintage Picnic Basket for 2 at Picnic Fun – price: $160 USD
+ Vulcan Tailgater Grill and Cooler – price: $145 USD
+ John Lewis Ascot Picnic Rug – price: £50
+ John Lewis Picnic Rug in a Bag – price: £35

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Summer is almost here so it is time to complete your outdoor entertaining kits. A Sunday afternoon at the beach, the park or the cottage with friends and family feels like heaven.

If the weather allowed, why not plan an outdoor party for Mother’s Day? After all, a day at the beach or the cottage encompasses joy, laughs and sharing a meal together.

A few outdoor entertaining accessories will make the day feels more special. I gather some cool stuff from Macy’s and Pottery Barn that your mother can reuse all summer long.

Gift Ideas

The Garden Party Lanterns at the top come with a 5 oz. bag of famous key lime cooler cookies.

Another solution for lighting that you can put on a table and hang is the colored tapered glass Pressick Lantern. Do not forget to buy the lantern stake sold separately if you want to hang the Pressick Lanterns. If you do not like these styles, there are 7 more models of candlelight lanterns and 3 string light lanterns at Pottery Barn.

The retro look of Acrylic Drink Dispenser captivates the imagination. These clear, blue, orange and green vessels are so useful for serving iced teas, cucumber mint water, punches and more. It is a must.

The BBQ Chipwood Baskets carry on the old restaurant style. Instead of complex barbecue equipment, travel light with a few stainless steel bucket-shaped charcoal grills.

If Mother’s Day is not sunny do not worry, you will be ahead for Father’s Day. When you plan an outdoor event, implement a plan B and think about how you will inform your guests about it.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Byrd Cookie Company Garden Party Lanterns with Cookies at Macy’s – on sale at $14.99 USD
Buy online: Pressick Lantern at Pottery Barn – price: $24-$34 USD
Buy online: Acrylic Drink Dispenser at Pottery Barn – price: $59 USD
Buy online: BBQ Chipwood Baskets at Pottery Barn – price: $12 USD
Buy online: Portable BBQ Grill at Pottery Barn – price: $39 USD

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The newest trends towards men-only baby shower party and the even more popular parent baby shower party has contributed to the popularity of the dad diaper bag in the wish list.

Modern dads take care of their babies. But& men do not want to be seen with a female design diaper bag. So why not give a truly masculine diaper bag to the father to be.

I came across these dad diaper bags that are on sale. Available in camouflage or black color, this stylish shoulder diaper bag comes with a super comfy strap that goes across the chest with a padded back for extra comfort.

A padded changing pad, two handy clips for keys and a cell phone holder adds practicality to this bag. The Dude Shoulder Diaper Bag is currently on sale at wrapables.com for $39.95, a $20 savings.

A Brand from Two Dads

If you are looking for something even better, then check out the DadGear product lines. DadGear is born out of the mind of two dads to be who realized that the diaper bag market felt short of father expectations.

DadGear worked hard to ensure that their products don’t look like diaper bags because this is not what men want. Their collection looks like normal backpacks, messenger bags and sport bags on the inside. The difference is in the inside. The bag interior is cleverly made for carrying around all the baby gear with lots of easy access features.

I found a video on dadlabs.com that let’s you experience the fantastic features of DadGear messenger bags. Take a look; you will see what is so great about these man diaper bags. The Billboard messenger bag series is eco-friendly too. Recycled highway billboards become the bag material so each one is unique.

Women looking for the DadGear clever design diaper bags can find a female line at DaisyGear.com; so we do not have to be jealous. The line is more of hard core styles than on the pretty side. When you are wearing cool jeans or going to meet your snowboard buddies, these are the kind of diaper bags, a mother should bring.

Going back to the Father’s Day gift ideas, the most innovative products are certainly the DadGear Diaper Vest and the Cargo Jacket. Take all of the functionality of their diaper bags and incorporate them into a stylish fleece piece of clothing and these are what you get. The Vest and Cargo Jacket are perfect for the short trip and for older babies.

I am just starting the gifts section on my blog. I will give you more gifts ideas for the celebrated person, the hostess and the party favors. So come back to see what I dig up.

Link: Dude Shoulder Diaper Bag at wrapables.com
Link: Store listing for the DadGear collection – click on International for Canadian listing
Link: Video on the Billboard messenger diaper bag on dadlabs.com
Link: Web site of DaisyGear – the female side of DadGear

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