Men.  They are so hard to shop for. You can’t just pick up some jewelry or lip gloss.  On top of that, when most men see something they really want, they just BUY it.  We women sometimes do, but we are far savvier about playing the gift card.  Liza: Hmmmm, I’ll pass on that today, but I’ll be sure to tell Jay that I would love that under the tree….  Jay: That is too cool.  It’s a gadget.  I think I’ll buy it. I’d ask if you pitied me trying to find a gift each year except I know most of you are in the same boat.  So, here’s my list.  Consider it good for fathers, boyfriends and brothers as well.  I included all prices ranges.

BTW- that’s our theme this week: Lists of Gifts. Look for our Mother in Law top 10 and then Top 5’s on Wednesday for Girlfriends, Teachers, and Hostess gifts.

1) Patagonia Cashmere Hoody.  Decadent, soft, warm.  Perfect to wear to work, for drinks, or on the weekend.  Never pretentious and always dead-on perfect. He won’t buy this for himself, but he’ll wonder what he ever did without it.  $300.  Available in dark and light grey.  Buy a sweater fuzz razor to go with it to always keep it looking sharp.  Patagonia has great jackets and sweaters in the $100 range as well.

2) Shaving Set. Sometimes our modernization of a routine actually is for the worse.  Point in case: a man’s shave.  Once upon a time, men took the time to lather up with a badger bristle brush, some good shaving cream and then shave with a great blade.  If your man takes the time to try this old fashioned way of shaving again, I’ve been told he will be hooked– especially in the low humidity winter months when men are often plagued with dry chapped facial skin.  What better company to fit this need than Truefitt and Hill, est in 1805. So, tell you guy he needs some badger on his face and present him with this gift: the 1805 set for $130.  Other starter kits start as low as $69.  The samples for $9 on the website make great stocking stuffers.  For personal help and testimony to the power of the great shave, go buy yours at J Michaels 2525 West End Ave, 2nd floor.

3) Potato Cannon. What’s that you say?  Don’t know of the mighty potato cannon?  Neither did I until I married my man from Alabama and ever since, I have had a spectator seat watching all sorts of grown men turn into little boys when given the opportunity to launch a potato a couple hundred yards with the aid of some engineered PVC pipe.  To make your own basic model, the materials will cost you about $35 and much grief will follow.  You can surprise your guy with a classic standard potato cannon for just $55.  Clark Shell, owner of NeoSpud and recent graduate from Wake Forest has become a potato cannon guru.  I know he must be on some FBI watch list as his creations are oddly like the gadgets of the main bad dude from No Country for Old Men.  Seriously, you might get scared when you look at his website.  But all these “weapons” are for spuds and paintballs, nothing else.  His cannons make my husband belly laugh like nothing else.  Did I mention that some of his creations can be hooked up to propane tanks to get a huge launch?  I really feel like “You are so Nashville if you….have a farm to invite your friends to.”  If that is you, or you have a big back yard, get your guy a potato cannon and watch his face light up wondering if Santa Claus really does exist.  Basic Potato Cannons can be ordered by Dec 20th for Christmas.  More involved and pricey cannons- you know the really cool ones- need to be ordered by Dec 13th.  Contact Clark through his NeoSpud website or email him at sales@neospud.com

4) Hatch Show Print:  Known for hand-carved letter press posters, Hatch also has original pieces of art know as Mono-Prints.  I love these.  Guys seems to react even stronger to Hatch than women do.  I’m not sure why, but I think it’s all the hand carved bits to the letter press that intrigues them so much.  These mono-prints start at $110 and go as high as $1650.  You can get a good idea of what these look like online, but a trip down to Hatch, on lower Broad, will really show you their glory.

26"x40" $650.

5) Vinturi Wine Aerator: $39.95.  Never time to decant your wine? “Vinturi’s patent pending design speeds up this process with ease and convenience. Perfect aeration in the time it takes to pour a glass.  Pour your just opened bottle of wine through this into your glass and it will automatically decant the wine.”  Pretty cool, huh?  Adding a nifty patent pending gadget to wine drinking; what’s not to love?  Available online or at both Bed, Bath and Beyond and at J Michaels Clothiers.

6) Orvis double old fashioned crystal rocks glasses.  A great glass with substance.  I bet most of your plates and glasses are in your home because you love them.  Give him something that is inspired by him, but that you will also love $69.

7) Gift certificate to REI (Brentwood) or Abernathy Road (2nd Avenue).  Money to spend at these two stores will have your guy happy as can be.  Trust us.  $50, $150 $250.  He will be happy and it will get used before the New Year is upon us! www.rei.com

Stock Car racing. Not just a spectator sport.  How about giving him the gift of being able to DRIVE a real stock car for 8 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway?  Just $355.  If that is too much, he can go shotgun for 3 laps at 150 miles per hour for just $135.   Click here to find out more.

9) Dots gloves: women can be fashionably chic with fingerless gloves, but that look doesn’t do so well for most guys.  Let your guy enjoy a Titans game in Jan while still being able to stay connected to his iphone: dots gloves.  Cool Technology for a low price.  $25.  A great stocking stuffer at least. They are almost all sold out, but if your guy can wear a Medium, order today as I’m not sure if they will be around tomorrow!

10) Gift Certificate for Tina Adams and Rebecca Thompson to come clean out his side of the closet and pare it down.  Include money for 2 or 4 custom shirts and he will be set.  I know– closets……will he be happy to get this?  I bought this for my husband for Father’s Day and he was like “Um, OK.”  But, when they left he was thrilled and thankful.  With the exception of the Big Green Egg (ok, the only reason the BGE did not make this list is because I was trying to keep costs down and those are pricey!) the closet clean out was probably top dog in past gifts.  See this older post of ours for details about the service.  Custom shirts start at $150 + fabric but when bought in packs of 4, you get a $15 discount per shirt.

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