11 Clutter-Free Gifts for Dads & Husbands

Clutter-free Gifts for Rookie Dads

1. Consumable food. A subscription to a monthly beer, coffee, or meat club will bring something fun in the mail each month. Eat, drink, and be done with it! I always buy bulk candy for my husband’s stocking.
2. Concert tickets. Use Pollstar.com to find what’s coming soon. Print a picture of the band and wrap it up.
3. Hotel night to spend with you. Plan a reservation for a date when you’ll be comfortable leaving baby with grandparents overnight.
4. Gym membership. He’s less likely than you are to take it as a hint.
5. Class or a single session of learning something new. Tae Kwon Do or drums are a longer commitment. Rock climbing could be a one-shot deal.
6. Arrange to fix something broken. His bike or that g*d* garage door lock. Tie a bow around it and reveal it at the right moment.
7. A humorous plaque. Put his claim to fame on something around the house, such as “Rick Ross: Winner of Least Used Snowboard in 2009 Award” attached to his gear. Or “Rick’s Throne” affixed to the toilet.
8. Entertainment. Use the iTunes store to buy a full season of a favorite cable show.
9. Tickets for a sporting event. Basketball, hockey, local college soccer games, whatever makes him happy.
10. Xbox LIVE Membership for the year provides more geeking out time.
11. Premium subscriptions to a favorite website like ESPN, Financial Times, or upgrades for LinkedIn (for the laid-off) and Flickr (for the social photographer).

Worth the Clutter? If you already have an XBox or Wii, splurge on Beatles Rock Band. This is about the clutter-iest recommendation we could make, but it’s just so much fun! And you can play together.

Want more ideas? Cloud 9 Living has assembled a whole directory of experience-based gifts, from hot air balloon outings to golf lessons with a PGA pro. Their Water and Snow Experiences category has plenty of inspiring options. If you decide to purchase an experience through Cloud 9 Living, use promo code Rookie09 for 10% off through December 31st.

Photo credit: abbyladybug on flickr.