“That's all I wanted
Something special, something sacred”
- George Michael, Father Figure (1987)
We’re never going to be parents, but I do know what my husband Abe likes. Maybe his Gen X tastes are similar to whatever father figure you’re shopping for?
$50-$100
Recycled Rubber Terrazzo Placemats — Abe and I have an inside joke about Terrazzo flooring (he loves it, I don’t). So when it was time to replace our weathered IKEA mats, I got these, thinking the design wouldn’t be so bad in a smaller dose. I was right, but so was he — turns out, I enjoy looking at the tiny patterns every single day.
God of War Ragnarok — I actually played this video game alongside Abe, but he is the one who introduced it to me. It revolves around the story of a father and son, making it perfect for next Sunday’s celebration. But it’s also disturbingly violent. It took me a while to get used to it, but eventually, I did. It’s addictive and we beat the game in about a month or so.
Velva Sheen T-Shirts — Yes, they’re just simple T-shirts, but also, they’re absolutely not. They’re “premium, 4-way stretch Japanese selvedge denim.” What does that mean? I don’t know! But they look so good on Abe and come in all sorts of beautiful colors, beyond a plain white, black, or grey.
Over $100
Nutribullet — I got Abe one of these during the pandemic and it kinda changed his attitude in the kitchen into: “I can make my own meals, thank you very much.” (He now cooks for himself pretty much every single night). We used to have a high-powered Blendtec that we never used because it was so large/cumbersome and hard to clean. In a city where smoothies cost $20, this appliance has already saved us so much money. There’s something about being able scoop straight out of the blending cup that is very satisfying. Kind of like eating out of the peanut butter jar or an ice cream container? Maybe one day, when it inevitably breaks I’ll upgrade to The Beast Blender which I’ve heard a lot about. But for now, this old classic will do.
Nike “Montreal Bagel” Sneakers — In the days before celiac, I ordered St-Viateur bagels online and they were really great to have in my freezer whenever I wanted a taste of Montreal1. So of course, I gasped the first time I saw those tiny sesame seeds on Abe’s feet. Sometimes, when we go into a high-end fashion store, the employees notice and he has to model for them. I swear Abe walks out a little taller from that shoe cred.
Flamingo Estate Farmers Market Box — If you’re in Los Angeles, this is what I vlogged about recently. IMHO, it’s a lot nicer/more useful than sending flowers and super impressive in presentation. If your person is vegetarian (like mine) and you want their reaction to be “OH WOW OMG THIS IS TOO MUCH YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE!!!” order this.
Under $40
Cookie & Kate’s Fresh Mint Dressing — I made this using the above produce, which Abe said made one of the best salads he ever ate. I actually subbed molasses in my version (reduce it by half), maybe that’s why (he does love a gingerbread cookie). You can see the steps (and the Nutribullet blender) in the May vlog video, also.
Saxx Boxer Briefs — I believe this is really the only underwear brand that Abe has ever raved about (and he has tried a lot of them). And I guess for good reason; they dub themselves “Life Changing Underwear.” But at $35 per pair, that really adds up. A lot of their prints are not his vibe, so he stocks up on solid colors only (he prefers the “Super Soft” style) whenever they go on sale.
P.S. I’ve started an “Abe-inspired store” that I’ll be updating more regularly with more menswear and suggestions.
P.P.S. This is what I do with all the boxer briefs Abe doesn’t wear.
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Now I order SuperBloom Bakery gluten-free bread and bagels instead - you can get a discount using my code “LYNN” at checkout.