Father’s Day With cabletiesandmore.com

Every Father's Day, I wonder what Dad will appreciate. Usually I go the route of cooking dinner and handing over a homemade card, since he is a hard man to buy for. But retired now and with time on his hands, projects around the house and yard abound. There are countless protectors, gizmos and tools that I know he (and other Dads) would love, from electricians, musicians or stay-at-home care-givers (And of course it's nice to give to a great Dad any day, maybe I'll buy a few things and slowly siphon them off to him).

For all boating, truck/motorcycle, four-wheeler driving Fathers, a Roll-A-Ramp is a lightweight way to make loading easier and quicker. My dad is a photographer, and sometimes has a booth in local markets or events. Hauling equipment in and out of the back of his truck is backbreaking (I know, I've helped!), but with a ramp that compacts into a spiral for quick mobility and storage, that job will be far faster and less strenuous. In the case of bikers, Roll-A-Ramp lets you load your vehicle for storage instantly, and if he is a water-faring man, a ramp that won't take up much space and can quickly be slapped down onto a dock will be the guys best friend.

For someone who works with wires, installs television cables, security systems, is an electrician or works with tools, the wrist magnet is an inexpensive and unique gift, guaranteed to make his life easier. It simply wraps around his wrist, and any bits, screws or connectors will stick to it, letting him easily work without juggling precarious small pieces.

Heat guns are a great tool with insanely broad uses, and I know my Dad is in need to a new one. From drying or stripping paint, welding and bending plastics or dent repairs, heat guns can be heavy duty, mini and even cordless. My Dad is an avid outdoors man, and as any camper knows, when it rains it pours. Joining tarps together using a heat tool is something I have seen him do many times, so this may be the way for me to go this weekend.

An inexpensive idea which I know many a father would appreciate is beefing up his tool box. Bits are always rolling away into oblivion, never to be seen again, so various hex nut drivers, bits and bit holders will get him on his feet. In fact, throwing a packet of cable ties along with them into a container (plus a new CD or a can of his favorite beer creates a thoughtful little gift basket.

But maybe Dad doesn't need to be reminded of the toil of his working week, or prompted to fix up whatever needs fixing in the house. Nothing says 'go on, relax' quite like accessories to a home theater. Be it some LED lighting to jazz things up, a mounting kit for his flat screen or HDMI cables to maximize his viewing possibilities, he'll get to unwind in luxury, thanks to his darling kiddo. I would throw in a bag of popcorn, for bonus points.

So regardless of the gift, from a card made with love to a new feature for his shed, spoil your Dad this weekend. Now I just have to retrace my steps through all these ideas and figure out what I'm going to do. Maybe I will even manage to out-shine my sister.