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March 30, 2012

Target






I could spend hours upon hours shopping at my local Target store. The stores I always find are nice and clean with friendly employees ready to make your shopping experience great. While walking through Target today, I noticed that there are plenty of great gifts for guys right under my nose at this store. They also have a great men's gift finder available online.

You can shop for gifts by price to stay in a budget or you can shop by his interest and search for clothing (apparal and accessories), cooking and dining, electronics and gadgets, health and fitness, movies, books, games, personal grooming, sports, recreation, or travel. You can also combine these two search methods and search for both a genre of gifts in a certain price range. What a great idea! You can find the perfect gift. From here, you can either order it online or stop into your local Target and see if it's in stock.

March 29, 2012

Barbers



All of the places I have ever gone to get my hair cut and colored is centered towards women. You don't typically find many places that specialize towards men's hair care anymore. There used to be barbers around that would do straight razor shaves with shaving soap, lotions, and shaving cream with hot towels, and men's haircuts.

There has been a large decline in the number of barbers around. Going to a barber for a man can be compared to the equivalent of a woman getting a facial. It's a relaxing experience that's centered towards men. I suggest finding a great barber in your area (you might have to look hard, there's not a ton around anymore!) and check it out. Buy a gift certificate and make an appointment for a man that you're looking to give a gift to. He will have a great experience and appreciate the thought.

March 28, 2012

Cobalt Wedding Bands


Today my class got cancelled, so that means I got to sleep in and watch a few episodes of Gossip Girl on Netflix. What a life! This is my ultimate way to relax. Add the bubble bath that I took this morning and you have the best day I've had in weeks. I love being able to just do nothing once in awhile.

I'm meeting my future sister-in-law after lunch for some wedding planning. I'm one of her bridesmaids but also doing a lot of her wedding planning. We're going to walk around a couple of local vendors and try to book their wedding reception. We're also going to pick out the wedding bands. She wants to get them soon so that it's another thing she can cross of her long to do list. She has a band already for her engagement ring but we're looking at a ring for her future husband.

She wants to go with a cobalt wedding band for him. They're very trendy because of their great qualities. These rings are very brightly colored (brighter than platinum!) and at a fraction of the cost of platinum. She likes this because she's getting a quality ring for a great price. With the huge cost of a wedding, she appreciates this! These rings are also scratch-resistant, so they're extremely durable. Cobalt rings are hypoallergenic so they're perfect for anybody with sensitive skin.

March 27, 2012

Forever 21



Forever 21 is one of my favorite stores. I love going there to get sundresses, shoes, handbags, and so much more. They have a great selection of clothes for women. They have fantastic prices and carry the hottest trends!
I found out recently that they carry clothes for men, as well. The store that I (regularly) visit only carries women's attire. I went online this morning to order this adorable sundress that I am getting for a wedding this summer.
I did some looking around and found out that they have great clothing options for men. They have a huge selection and amazing prices to match. It looks like I came across this just in time. There are new Spring arrivals on the site and I can't wait to order them in and give them as gifts.
Forever 21 for Men carried tops, bottoms, outerwear, suits, accessories, and shoes.

March 26, 2012

Men's Wedding Bands


I love the huge amount of men's wedding bands on the market right now. They used to not be as prominent as women's bands and it used to be quite hard to come by quality rings for men. They've been blowing up in the jewelry market! There's now many more options and knowledge out there about men's wedding bands.

I'm going to share some of the best men's wedding bands on the market right now. They have a great selections of rings made out of tungsten, titanium, platinum, palladium, white gold, and more.

I like titanium because it's a grayish metal metal that's strong and lightweight, and hypoallergenic. Tungsten is the hardest metal in the world used for jewelry. It it very heavy and is almost scratch-proof. Palladium is a pure white metal. It's also hypoallergenic, and inexpensive.

No matter what you're looking for, there's a perfect ring material made for you. There is such a great selection available and you don't need to break your bank to get what you'd like.

March 25, 2012

Fun Bow ties


Bow ties are a huge up and coming fashion trend that are taking over. Bow ties are not only for the business world anymore. I'm seeing more men wearing bow ties.
These particular bow tie on tumblr so I'm sorry for not having a direct link to where these are available. There is a way to tie two bow ties together to create this awesome effect. Here's a link to a picture on how to tie a bow tie!
This would make a great gift to a guy you know. This could go to an uncle, husband, father, grandfather, or any other special man in your life. This trend is really ageless so a man of any age would appreciate it, whether or not they're in the business world.


March 24, 2012

Massages in Huntington Beach



How many guys do you know would go and treat themselves to a massage? It's not something they typically think of doing. I also know (from experience) that they love getting spoiled and being able to get a massage.
I have a great gift idea for you all: a massage in Huntington Beach. This makes an outstanding gift that will be used and much appreciated (like I said, I know from experience). Whether it's an anniversary gift, a Valentine's Day gift, a Christmas gift, or a random "Thank You" or "I appreciate you" gift, this can be given on any occasion.
CloudMover has an excellant menu of services and it can sometimes be hard to choose! Don't worry, they're ALL fantastic and with a gift certificate, the receiver of the gift can choose the kind of massage he wants. To make things even easier, you can purchase the gift certificate online!

March 23, 2012

iPad


I made the mistake of asking Alex what he would like for his birthday coming up in June. I still have plenty of time but I like to think about what I will be getting, and in this case, saving up! He told me that he would really like an iPad. He has an iPhone and loves it. He is turning into quite the Apple product lover.
The iPad 3 is the newest version of the iPad. It was released this month and is a huge hit! I had the opportunity to "play" around on one a few days ago and it was great. (Maybe if I get this for him, he'll let me use it sometimes!).
It's currently available in 3 sizes. By sizes, I mean storage and memory size. There is a 16 GB model, as well as one with 32 GB and 64 GB. You can put music on this from your iTunes much like an iPod and iPhone. There's also a ton of great apps available to download on there, with many free apps as well as some great ones that you can pay for.
I'm think I'm going to get him this. He deserves it for all the hard work he does. I can't wait!

March 20, 2012

Grilling Gloves

Spring is here! It sure feels amazing outside. I would take this wonderful weather all year long. Now that the weather has finally turned around, we are grilling almost every night. Last night we grilled pork chops, the night before that we hand hamburgers, and Saturday evening we grilled some chicken. It's starting to be quite a hobby of ours and we are trying some fun, new recipes.
I found these great grilling gloves. They protect your hands from the intense heat of the grill. Have you ever been burned? It hurts and is not good for your skin! These are heavy duty and made of leather. The shipping is free and these can be personalized to say what you would like them to. These grilling gloves make a great gift for any man in your life that enjoys grilling.

March 19, 2012

Tungsten Wedding Bands for Men


Men can be hard to shop for sometimes! I'm glad I found this great site where they have a huge selection of tungsten wedding bands for men. Tungsten is my favorite material for wedding bands. It's durable, masculine, modern, and scratch proof. These rings will last a lifetime. What more could you look for in a men's wedding band? So many men live such busy lives that it's important they have jewelry that will stand up and hold.
These rings start at just $99 so you won't break your bank. There are roughly 94 different rings to choose from right now that are made of tungsten, so whatever his style is, you can find the perfect ring for him. Tungsten rings have a lifetime warranty so you can feel confident in your purchase.

March 18, 2012

The Way To A Man's Heart....



....is through his stomach. You've all heard that one before, right? It's so true. Especially with this delicious and amazing Snicker's Cake. This will be a huge hit and he'll sure think he's getting the best present in the world when he's eating it. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs and thought I would share it.

This makes two 8 x 8 cakes or two 4 x 8 loaves.

Ingredients:

16 whole crackers

Pudding

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

6 cups cold whole milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cups dark chocolate, chopped

3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Caramel sauce

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons water

4 tablespoon butter

¼ c heavy cream

Ganache pouring sauce

2/3 cups dark chocolate

1 tablespoons heavy cream

4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

4-5 tablespoons water, warm

12-14 mini Snickers, chopped

Instructions:

To make pudding

1. Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt and milk in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously. Transfer mixture to a heat proof bowl and place over (not on) simmering water for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pudding is ready when mixture coats the back of the spoon.

2. Add vanilla to mixture. Split mixture in half and add chocolate to one half and whisk to combine. Add peanut butter to remaining half and whisk to combine.

To make caramel sauce

1. Place sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat and stir the until sugar has dissolved. Dissolve any crystals forming on the side with a wet pastry brush.

2. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high.

3. At this point do not stir the mixture directly. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute or so.

4. Once the mixture starts to turn a light golden shade, add the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

To make ganache pouring sauce

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Set aside and let sauce cool to warm.

To assemble

1. Create a foil sling by placing a piece foil in the pan with a 1 inch overhang on each side.

2. Place graham crackers side-by-side until bottom of pan is covered. Spread a thin layer of chocolate pudding on top. Place second layer of graham cracker on top of chocolate pudding. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter pudding on top. Continue alternating layers with chocolate and peanut butter pudding while separating each pudding layer with a graham cracker layer.

3. Pour cooled caramel sauce on top and set aside to set. Pour cooled ganache sauce on top and add chopped Snickers on top. Finish with caramel and chocolate drizzle.

Place cake in refrigerator or freezer for at least 8 hours to set or overnight. (Freezer will create a pudding texture closer to ice cream).

March 17, 2012

Blue Print Stand



Spring is here! It's such a busy time of the year, but I love it. How are you all celebrating St. Patrick's Day today? Are you wearing green? Drinking green beer?
I have the day off from work today, so I'm trying to get some of my shopping done for some of the events coming up. My dad's birthday is in April, my boyfriend's birthday is in June, and Father's Day is in June as well. I'm trying to get some of the shopping done online so I don't have to run out to the stores. Right now I'm still looking for ideas.
I found some great blue print stands. My dad is an architect and would love all of these great storage solutions for blue prints! He loves the brand "Brookside Design" and when I found that there is a great selection of products from that brand on this site I was thrilled. They're much cheaper than on other sites. These storage solutions and stands will help is office to be organized and de-cluttered. He's an extremely talented architect but occasionally his office can become overwhelming and cluttered with blue prints. I can't wait to see his face when he opens his present!

March 16, 2012

Men's Flip Flop


The whether is heating up and summer is just around the corner. Are you ready?
I love these flip flops for men. It's s style that's been around since 1986 and is handmade in Hawaii. You can pick one of the many colors they have this style available in to match his style They have brick, buff, grey, oak, olive, oxblood, red, stone and white available for purchase in sizes 6-16! What a great selection!
These are quality sandals for men made of leather and feature a pro rubber outsole. They are extremely comfortable with their fantastic arch support, a heel cup, and an outer contour for proper alignment.
There is nothing that compares to these great sandals. You can't go wrong with something hand-made!

March 15, 2012

Manly Men's Jewelry

I was searching for a gift for my dad. I wanted to get him something he would love. He does so much for me so I looked at some mens jewelry and found this perfect piece. I love the black titanium bracelet and I was so excited to show him. He doesn't wear much jewelry but I think he will like this alot.

This bracelet is a great gift for any guy, even if he doesn't wear alot of jewelry. It's very unique and it's a 'manly' piece of jewelry. The black makes it stand out more, but it's also very simple and really nice on.

March 14, 2012

Cobalt Rings



There is nothing that I don't love about cobalt rings. That's why they make perfect gifts for men. These rings are extremely durable, so they can withstand the rough and tough lifestyle that a lot of men lead! Cobalt is a scratch-resistant material so there's no need to worry about them getting ruined. These rings are also whiter than platinum at a fraction of the cost. They are also hypo-allergenic, which is perfect for anybody with skin allergies or sensitive skin.
Good luck choosing the one you want! There's so many that I love, I don't know how to choose. Luckily, they have them separated into benchmark cobalt chrome and heavy stone cobalt chrome to help decided.
These rings will last a lifetime. If you want a ring that he'll love with a lifetime warranty, look no further! You won't find rings with better quality than these.

March 13, 2012

The Hunger Games



The Hunger Games is huge right now! It's blowing up the radio, the magazines, papers, and so much more. Everybody seems to be talking about this book series because it's so good. I have yet to read the book but I've heard nothing but fantastic things about it. As soon as I get a little bit of downtime, I will be buying the book and probably finishing it quite quickly!
If you don't know much about it, this book is actually the first of a trilogy and the movie that associates with the first book is coming out to movie theaters on March 23, 2012. That's just a few weeks away!
This book makes a great gift. It's good for all ages and it can also be followed up with a date to see the movie when it comes out in the theaters.

March 11, 2012

Personalization



Giving something personal as a gift really shows somebody that they are important and that you care. It's a great way to make somebody feel special in that the item is just theirs and nobody else's.
I'm going to give a few personalized gifts to some of the great men in my life. For father's day, I would like to give my dad a gift of a travel toiletry bag (the one pictured above) with his initials customized on the bag. I think he will love this gift because he travels a lot and it will hold all of his toiletries perfectly! They also have duffel bags on this site that can be personalized as well. These gifts compliment eachother perfectly for a traveler.
I'm going to get personalized guitar picks for my brother. He loves playing the guitar and will use this all the time. I can't wait to see his face when he sees them! You can add a picture on one side and a message on the other.
There's so many ways to personalize items. Get creative and show some of the great guys in your life just how special they are!

March 10, 2012

Videogames






Do you know many men that don't like videogames? It's pretty hard to come across a guy that doesn't enjoy turning on his gaming system, big screen TV, and spending a couple of hours playing sports or trying to take over the world. Videogames and came consoles along with game accessories make great gifts for men.

There are so many different systems out there that it can be a little confusing! Wii is a gaming system from Nintendo that offers interactive play. Playstation is on their third gaming system (often called the PS3). XBox is another gaming system. A "Kinect" system can be added to this to make the play interactive.

There are so many great games available for these systems that it can sometimes be hard to choose!

March 9, 2012

Colorblocking for Men





Color blocking is a super cute fashion trend. If you don't know what it is, it's a trend that came back this past fall, but is sticking around. It involves wearing blocks of different colors at the same time, such as a bright yellow shirt with a pink purse, a purple belt and orange heels. It's a fun trend and that's why I believe it's sticking around.

But why just for women? With this color block scarf for men, they can get in on the trend as well. I love when men wear scarfs. It's a fun fashion accessory that it's overdone or looks like "too much" (which is the biggest mistake people make in fashion, accessories should accentuate you, not overtake you).

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy this gorgeous spring whether is coming our way!




March 8, 2012

Organizing Blueprint Storage

My husband is the most unorganized person ever. He has his business at home and all of his stuff is just laying around. I came across this blueprint storage and I got these storage document boxes for him to try out.

I helped him organize everything out and surprisingly, his office looks really nice. It's easy for him to find everything now and I can actually find things now. So far it's helped out real nice and I feel like is business is running more smoothly. Normally, I hear three times a day on how he can't find anything. Lately, if he can't find anything, it's just because he's not looking around and taking time to check all of the storage boxes.

March 7, 2012

iPhone 4S

I love apple products! I know in the computer world that can be risky to announce out loud, much like it would be to announce my political views. I just needed to get that out there, however, because it's true. I have a MacBook that I do my blogging and homework on, as well as an iPhone, which I love. I used to have an iPod Touch, but don't really need it with my iPhone since it plays music much like an iPod.
Electronics make great gifts. I'm planning on getting my brother the iPhone 4s (the 'S' stands for Siri). This is the latest and greatest iPhone and has unbeatable technology. You can use your voice to send messages, make phone calls, perform internet searches, and so much more. It also has an 8 megapixel camera which takes great pictures at a high resolution. It's easy to use and is a great device!

March 6, 2012

Men's Wedding Bands

Add Image
Hello everyone! I hope your week is going great so far. It's gorgeous out here today, I hope you all get a chance to enjoy this beautiful weather if it permits in your area. It's a fresh breath of Spring in the air.
I came across a great place for men's wedding bands. Pricing and selection are very important to me, so I was more than happy to see that this great site meets both of those criteria. Their selection is so great that you will have trouble choosing just one. Good luck! They carry wedding rings for men made out of titanium, tungsten, palladium, black diamond, and so much more. They have a great link on the site as well that is labeled "Which wedding band is best for me?". This is a very useful tool in describing the properties and qualities of each of these fantastic materials. Check it out!

March 5, 2012

PlayStation Vita


The PlayStation Vita is finally here and available for purchase. This is the handheld PlayStation that was designed after the PSP (PlayStation Portable) was out for awhile. The PlayStation Vita has a touch screen, dual analog sticks, a from and rear digital camera, a 5 inch LED display, tons of apps available, a rear multi-touch pad, WiFi and 3G networks, a built in microphone and stereo speakers, free PlayStation Network access, and an ARM Cortex-A9 core processor.
Doesn't this sound like a great gift for a guy? It has the latest and greatest technology and is portable for easy transport. They start at around $249 and can be found pretty much anywhere that PlayStation products are sold.

March 3, 2012

Recipe



I've said it before--the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! I am going to share this delicious recipe with you and it's guaranteed to make his day.
You will need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a 16 oz package of angel hair pasta or spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

Directions: Put oil in frying pan and turn on the stove so it can head. Crack eggs and put them in a bowl along with milk and whisk. Put grated mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs on plate. Dip chicken in egg and milk mixture and then cover it in bread crumb mixture. Do this with each chicken breast and put each one in the frying pan (about 3 minutes on each side). Place each chicken breast in a baking dish (I use a 9 x 13 glass one) and pour spaghetti sauce in the dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees). Serve over angel hair pasta and enjoy!

March 2, 2012

Personalized Man Cave Sign



Every man needs a man cave. That, or, every woman needs a man to have a man cave! A place where sports can always be playing on the TV, the guys can hang out, and it can be decorated in whatever decor he desires.
This personalized "man cave" sign makes a great housewarming gift. This comes customized with your name or nickname on the top. This is made of real wood and is handcrafted and custom painted. It also comes with a hardwire so hanging it is easy! It measures 18" by 14" and is 1.5" thick.
So bring your own beer! The game is always on! Guarantee a great time in the man cave and get this customized man cave sign for a humorous and creative way to designate your man cave.

March 1, 2012

Cobalt Rings Info



Cobalt is a material for jewelry that's been gaining quite a bit of popularity lately. It's not something I've seen a lot of in the past, but it's making a huge wave, and I'm on board! I'm going to share some information on cobalt rings with you, so you can see, too, what's so great about it!
Cobalt is a one-of-a-kind material with great properties. It's an alloy and it's also hypoallergenic and scratch resistant. What guy do you know that wouldn't like that? It's great! An alloy, by the way, is a new metal made when two or more metals are combined. The cobalt for these rings is a combination of chromium and cobalt. Chromium is used in making stainless steel, so the alloy that is made for these rings has the best properties of both! The color of cobalt is whiter and brighter than platinum without the added expense.