Father's Day at Aldi and What Fred Said about his Dad!

This Father's Day, Aldi is a one stop shop for buying what you need to make a special day for your dad. From buying ingredients to cook dad's favourite food to buying gifts that he will love. Here are some ideas for what to buy him this Father's Day.

Aldi stock a great range of alcoholic drinks in store including ales, beers, lager, cider, spirits and wines, which represent excellent value. Whatever your dad's favourite tipple, you will find a selection of drinks, many of which are award winners.  Ian would love the gold medal winning Highland Black 8 year old Scotch Whisky, which is just £12.99 for a 70cl bottle. Or perhaps a selection of the bottled beers and ales, which start at just 90p a bottle.

Aldi are passionate about producing top quality chocolate made from the finest ingredients. The Moser Roth range has a selection of bars of chocolate, truffles and chocolate assortments. This includes a range of award-winning 125g bars - each bar combining the finest smooth dark chocolate with an intriguing flavour. Choose from Mint, Chilli or Orange and Almond at £1.19 each.

Aldi's Specialbuys this week include some ideal gifts that would make excellent Father's Day gifts to suit a range of budgets:

Specialbuys available from 18th June

Fire Pit £19.99

The easy way to enjoy crackling flames outdoors.  This firepit is made using robust black powder-coated steel with folding legs for easy storage. It includes a mesh cover, log grate and tool. A lovely addition to the garden on summer evenings.

810W Hammer Drill  £14.99

Ideal for drilling wood, metal, plastic and concrete, this hammer drill is good for DIY loving dads.

It includes adjustable side handle and depth stop.

Fruit and Vegetable Plants £2.99 each

Growing your own is easy with these established plants in big 4 litre pots. Choose from 8 varieties. Any dad who enjoys gardening will love to nurture these plants and harvest their crops.

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Just for fun,  Aldi have come up with a list of questions for kids to answer about their dads. I asked 6 year old Freddy the following questions about his dad!


What Fred Said about his Dad for Father's Day:

1.       What makes your dad happy?

I do!

2.       What is the funniest thing about your dad?

He tells jokes.

3.       What is something your dad always says to you?

I love you.

4.       What is your dad really good at?

Looking after me.

5.       What does your dad do as a job?

He pays for things. (?? He is actually a data centre engineer!)

6.       What is your dad’s worst habit?

Going to work because I don't like being without you.

7.       What is your dad’s favourite tea?

Pizza.

8.       What would you like to say to your dad?

I love you.

9.       What are you going to do with your dad on Father’s day?

I can't say because it's a surprise!

10.     Why are you proud of your dad?

I don't know but I am.

Last Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas - Roberts Bakery, Wilkinson Sword and Beech's Fine Chocolates

If you are yet to buy a present for your dad this Father's Day don't panic! Here are some ideas for some last minute gifts that won't cost too much, but will be gratefully received.

Breakfast in Bed

Why not show him how much you care and treat dad to breakfast in bed for Father's Day? Perhaps you could make him a voucher (or print out the one below) and present dad with it so he can redeem it whenever he fancies an indulgent lie in with his choice of breakfast served to him in bed.

For Ian's Father Day Breakfast, we'll be making him a Quorn Bacon Butty using Roberts Bakery Soft and Fluffy Thick White Bread and tomato sauce. Served with a mug of black coffee, this is the perfect brekkie for dad!

Keep an eye on the Roberts Bakery Facebook page for their ultimate Father's Day Bacon Butty Guide!

Wilkinson Sword

Practical gifts can be much appreciated, which is why toiletries are always a good idea for dad. You can buy them in supermarkets so can be picked up easily wherever you are. They are a great idea for the dad who has everything.

Wilkinson Sword's Hydro 5 razor gives dad a revolutionary shave care system with its five ultra glide blades, hydrating gel reservoir and flip trimmer. It gives a high performance shave with the benefit of added skin care.

How about the new Wilkinson Sword travel kit, which includes a Hydro 5 Razor, travel cap and mini can of Protect shaving foam? It's a great idea with the summer holidays and festival season approaching. This kit is a Tesco exclusive, but Hydro 5 can be found nationwide. Wilkinson Sword products are currently included in an up to half price special offer with the Hydro 5 Groomer at £7.49 and the Razor at £4.19. Pair them with dad's favourite aftershave for a brilliant gift idea.

Find out the latest new on the Wilkinson Sword Men UK Facebook page.

Beech's Chocolate

If your dad has a sweet tooth or is a bit of a chocoholic, then you can treat him to some quality chocolates. Both Ian and my dad enjoy darker, richer blends of chocolate, savouring a few squares a night.

Beech's Fine Chocolates have a range of delicious, top quality 60g bars that are perfect for Father's Day. They are grown up chocolates for the more discerning palate with their range of interesting varieties.

The range includes:

White Chocolate

Milk Chocolate

Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate with Natural Ginger

Dark Chocolate with Lime and Chilli

Milk Chocolate with Anglesey Sea Salt

The Dark Chocolate with Natural Ginger is 55% cocoa solids. It is smooth and dark with a subtle hit of gingery warmth. It is delicious.  The 55% Dark Chocolate with Lime and Chilli is a really inventive flavour, with a citrus tang and a hit of heat. Ian really liked this one...it's a proper manly flavour! The chocolates are delicious on their own or would be excellent ingredinets in a recipe. (Watch this space for a recipe in the near future using a sample of Beech's Fine Chocolates that I was sent to try!)

Beech's have been making fine British chocolates since 1920 using the finest, natural ingredients. The packaging is really attractive, bearing the Beech's crest. The dark chocolate varieties are suitable for vegans, while the rest are vegetarian friendly. Beech's have an extensive and impressive range of vegan friendly chocolate creams, chocolate Brazils and chocolate thins

Beech's currently have a competition online where you can win a holiday or a hamper of chocolate simply by signing up to their newsletter. Just by entering you receive a 10% discount code to use against your first order.

The bars are £1.50 EACH or 3 for £4.00 or 12 for £12.00 with FREE DELIVERY on orders over £12.00.

Visit Beech's Fine Chocolates for more information.


We received these samples for the purpose of this review.

Father's Day Gift Guide - featuring Scruffs Hardwear and Truprint

Scruffs Hardwear

Scruffs make menswear that works just as hard as dad does. With durable materials and stylish designs, dad will enjoy wearing the workwear to show that he is #scruffsenough for anything, whether at home or at play. I received a sample of the Scruffs range to try out.

The Scruffs authentic vintage T-shirt is made from thick 100% cotton and is comfortable to wear. It is well made with good stitchwork and has branded label detailing on the sleeve and at the bottom of the shirt. It is available in sizes up to XXL and comes in grey or blue. At £11.95 it is a great price for a quality men's T-shirt.

The Scruffs Boxers are firm fitting and stylish, made using tough, durable polycotton. They have a Scruffs logo printed waistband.  A two pair pack of large boxers are £10.75.

Other gift ideas from Scruffs include a handy bottle opener belt for £11.95 and a water resistant and shockproof sports watch for £19.95. These would all make practical Father's Day gifts for a hardworking dad.

You can view the entire range of Scruffs workwear, safetywear and accessories at Scruffs.com.

Truprint

I have been busy making Father's Day mug and coaster gift sets for my dad, FIL and Ian with Truprint. I have also created a lovely notebook to give to Ian, featuring photographs of myself and all five of our children. At just £5.99, the notebooks come with plain or lined paper and can be personalised using a range of patterns and layouts.

When I give someone a notebook, I think it is really lovely to write a note on the first page. For Father's Day, each of the children can write a personalised message or draw a picture inside for dad to treasure.

Find this and other Father's Day gift ideas online at Truprint plus find details of an exclusive discount code valid until June 15th 2015.

Father's Day Gift Ideas #TruprintDads

Father's Day this year falls on June 21st, giving us all a few weeks to come up with the perfect gifts to give as we celebrate the men in our lives and everything that they do for us. This year, with my own lovely dad, my father-in-law and Ian to get gifts for, Kizzy and I decided to get creative and make them some personalised pressies.

We decided that it would be a nice idea to make each dad a personalised mug with a matching pair of coasters, and then filling the mug with something to match their personalities. This gift could then be wrapped in cellophane and finished with a ribbon to create a beautiful, bespoke present that will be treasured.

The first job was to create collages to go onto the mugs and coasters. For my dad and my FIL I used old family and personal photos to create images that would bring back happy memories. For Ian, Kizzy created something arty, celebrating the things that her dad loves (including all five of his kids!) I used Picmonkey to do the photo editing. Making the images first gives you much more creative freedom to design the perfect collage using overlays, clip art and filters.

Once we had the designs, we used Truprint to create the photogifts we wanted. (Truprint currently have a great Father's Day promotion, details of which are at the bottom of this post!) The mugs and coasters are easy to make online by uploading the images onto the site and editing them and adding text. With the mugs you can choose the colour of the inside of the cup and have a choice of font for the text. The coasters come in a pack of six, so by uploading three designs, I made a pair of coasters to match each mug.

Once ordered the photo gifts were delivered to my door within a few days, ready to have the finishing touches applied.

Depending on the dad's tastes, the mug can be filled with all manner of small gifts. We decided on using retro sweets, sachets of hot drinks and character socks and a keyring for our three presents. But you could use stationary products, a new tie, a miniature bottle of brandy with some sachets of coffee, some packs of seeds or some bars of dad's favourite chocolates. Another idea is to make dad some promise vouchers, either by hand or on the computer, to be exchanged for things such as bringing him breakfast in bed, washing his car or letting him take control of the TV for one day! 

You can really have fun making this gift, from creating the collages to putting the finished gifts together. I like presents that look good, show thought and are functional after the big day.

The price of the photo gifts that we ordered from Truprint are:

Photo mugs 11 oz from £7.99

Coasters x 6 £14.99

6 x 4 photo prints from 5p

Another quick and easy idea for a Father's Day Gift is to buy a cheap photo frame and buy prints to go in it. It's very simple to do and the photo prints cost just pennies making it a very reasonable gift. This is an excellent present idea for grandads, who you possibly don't get to see very often. It's a nice touch to include a declaration that you promise to send updated photographs four times a year to replace the photographs so they can always have some up to date pictures of the grandchildren hanging on their wall.

You can find the mugs and coasters plus other fantastic Father's Day gift ideas on the Truprint website. Last day for ordering for Father's Day is June 15th.

Truprint have a special Father's Day offer saving you up to £30 off your order.

Code LOVEMYDAD gives £10 discount on order £20-£49.99 and £30 discount on orders £50 or more!

Minimum spend does not include P&P charges

Offer is valid until midnight 15th June 2015.

Offer is valid for single use during the promotional period and to customers residing in the UK on Truprint.co.uk only.

P&P charges will apply

Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or on pre-paid prints.

Please allow an additional 1-2 delivery days during this promotional period.

I received credit to make my Father's Day mugs and coasters.

Happy 81st Birthday Daddy

My dad was born on November 9th 1932, making today his 81st birthday.  He has been married to my mum for almost sixty years and their relationship is still so full of love that it is an inspiration to me in my own marriage.  My dad is a sensitive soul who feels deeply and keeps memories alive in his heart and in his mind. He is so utterly loved and cherished by me and the kids. We are honoured to have him in our lives.

As a child I saw my dad as the biggest, strongest, tallest man in the world.  He was a larger than life character, and although my childhood wasn't always easy I always sought my dad's affection and was a real daddy's girl.  

Nowadays, my relationship with my dad is the best it's ever been.  I love his fortnightly visits where I get to take care of him and spoil him.  He suffers with terrible arthritis in his legs, which he blames on years playing football and marching on parade in the Coldstream Guards.  I do what I can to help, even if that means just being able to put a blanket over his knees or order him arthritis remedies over the internet!  It's the very least I can do for the man who has loved me for the past 44 and a half years.

My girls love my dad so much.  They love fussing over him.  Their loving and caring natures make me so proud of them.  I'm so glad they have got such a close relationship with their grandparents.

My son named his first child after his great grandad, giving him Stanley as his middle name.  As I gave Joe my dad's name too, it has become a nice tradition in our family - singlehandedly bringing back the name Stanley! 

Freddy is not the easiest child.  He takes a while to get close to people and is far more comfortable with females, but my dad is unperturbed.  He continues to build a relationship with his grandson.  It is heartwarming to see them doing something together and it always makes my dad so happy when he has a breakthrough with Fred. As Freddy gets older, he is much more receptive to my dad's jokey nature!  Last week Freddy made my Dad a flag and let him take it home with him.  My Dad treasures it!

So Dad...have a wonderful birthday today and remember just how loved and cherished you are by us all - Ian, the grandkids and me!  Thank you for being so wonderful :)

Happy Father's Day

Three generations of fathers.  The three men in the world I love the most.  I am blessed to have you in my life.  

My Daddy

My Husband Ian

My Son Joe (now 24 and soon to be a daddy!)

I love you all. 

Happy Father's Day.

xxx

Five Things I Want You to Know About Your Father

Your Father Saved Me.
I was lost inside myself and he rescued me.  He knew everything and never judged me. He waited until I was ready to be saved and was there.

Your Father is Strong
I know it appears that I wear the trousers in this relationship, but it isn't because your dad is in any way weaker than me.  We are a team.  We work together to our strengths.  Your dad is strong enough to recognise that I am the control freak and he allows me to take charge.  That is a sign of real strength.

Your Father Loves You All Unconditionally
We have never once used the word "step" to prefix any relationship in our family.  Regardless of biology you are all equal in your dad's eyes.  Even in our most private moments he has never once shown any preference over any child.  You are all his and he is so proud of that.  He is honoured to be your dad.

Your Father Knows Me
I am complicated.  Living with me is not always easy but your father accepts that as a part of me.  He knows me better than anyone.  Never doubt our relationship.  Don't think that he doesn't understand me or holds anything against me.  If I get down and take it out on him, he knows I don't mean what I say.  He doesn't retaliate.  He is calm.  He is my rock.  I am tethered to him and he reels me in when I am ready.

Your Father Is So Proud of You
Your dad comes from an undemonstrative family.  He never felt that his mother was proud of him, although in hindsight he is sure she must have been in her own way.  He never, ever wants you to feel that he is disappointed in you in any way.  Every achievement big or small swells his heart with pride.  He never compares you against each other...he loves your uniqueness and the qualities that make each of you so special.  Joe, he loves how you are thriving in the workplace.  He always said that would be where you shone. He loves that he is your hero and your role model.  Megan, your dad loves how you prove everyone wrong .   You sailed through school a year ahead of yourself in spite of all the so-called experts saying you wouldn't cope out of your peer group. You are so strong but he loves that you still need him.  Ella, your dad loves that you have followed in his love of music.  Your guitar playing is a gift that is so special.  Your tenacity and natural talent amazes him. Kizzy, your dad thinks you are a star.  He loves how you jump into things with both feet and meet challenges head on.  He is so pleased with your attitude to learning and how you've turned your school experience around.  You make him laugh.  Freddy, your dad thinks you are a trooper.  You have stormed through everything you have come up against since you were born.  You make him smile with your antics.  You are a joy to him.

Never, ever doubt your father for a moment.  He will always be there for us all....this I know without question.  We are his life and the reason behind everything he does.  We are truly blessed to have him.

This post is for the Friday Carnival at Notes From Home.

The Gallery...Dads

With Father's Day on June 19th, Tara has quite fittingly dedicated this week's Gallery to "Dads".  So I am dedicating my entry to my husband Ian.

He is the most dedicated, committed, caring, patient, understanding and resourceful parent I have ever come across.  He puts me to shame at times!  He is a wonderful dad to our five kids.

 Joe at 22 aspires to be like his Dad and is following  his career path.  

Megan at 19 knows that if she phones her Daddy at 2am from university because she has a problem,  he will be there in a shot to help her.  

15 year old Ella shares her Dad's passion for music and they play their guitars together which fills me with pride. 

Kizzy is 8 and  is Daddy's little ray of sunshine who makes him laugh. 

 Little Freddy is Daddy's little man who runs to the door with his arms flung open wide when he hears his Dad come home from work.

Go check out other entries at Sticky Fingers and help celebrate all the other wonderful Dads out there!!