Welcome to the Gifts for Blokes blog.
This blog is an extension of the Gifts for Blokes Online Store and is where you can find product reviews, articles and a fun photo gallery of customers using products purchased from Gifts for Blokes.
We hope that over time the content that you find here will grow and expand into what will be an interesting and fun blog to visit.
Gifts for Blokes is an online store based in Australia with gifts for men of all ages and for all occasions.
Shop online at www.giftsforblokes.com.au and find men's gifts the easy way.
Reducing Loneliness In Older Men
Posted on 1 March 2012 | Comments Off
Loneliness unfortunately is inevitable when it comes to ageing particularly if someone is located quite a distance from their family and friends and/or if they have lost a partner in life. Loneliness can often lead to illness and depression if ignored and for this reason it is important that we try and encourage our seniors to be active and involved in the local community.
While younger family members may not be as keen to visit their older relations, it is important for all involved that the effort is made. Regular contact should be encouraged to enable seniors to feel involved in life. If the contact is irregular then often the loneliness that occurs between visits can be harder for them to face so maintaining contact in between visits whether by phone or even by mail is quite important.
Pets are a great way for older men to maintain a connection with something – it does not replace human contact but it can ease some of the loneliness that they would have otherwise felt. It also gives them a sense of responsibility which as they age, seems to decrease, particularly after retirement and beyond.
Senior citizen’s centres often undertake regular outings taking into account the limited mobility and age of the members involved. Although quite often seniors may need a bit of encouragement to attend these activities, particularly if they are unfamiliar with the other people in the group.
It is important that we are aware of the seniors in our community and our family. It does not take a lot to connect with someone – even a simple act such as sharing a cup of coffee can make all the difference, particularly in their eyes.
The 80s Party
Posted on 28 February 2012 | Comments Off
For those of us of an age, we remember the 80s with fondness and quite possibly some embarrassment – particularly when it comes to reminiscing over the photographic evidence of the era. Think stonewash jeans, shoulder pads, fluorescent tshirts, legwarmers, mullets and perms…need we say more?
It is these fashion statements which make hosting an 80s party so much fun – and of course you can’t go past the iconic 80s music. This was a great period for Australia as Australian artists really came into their own; in 1987 the first ARIA music awards were held creating a much talked about event in the music industry.
Popular artists at the time include Nick Cave, Olivia Newton John, Hoodoo Gurus, Little River Band and Air Supply. International charts at the time featured Culture Club, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Paula Abdul, Bon Jovi, Tears For Fears and Dire Straits. And of course who can forget Stock, Aitken & Waterman and Milli Vanilli? These artists alone are an awesome track to any successful 80s party.
Grab your nachos, sushi, devilled eggs, artichoke dips, chicken wings and salmon; you are good to go.
To make it even easier, we recommend a Host Your Own 80s Party pack. Included in the box are quizzes, decorating ideas, recipes, invitations, a games guide, a “pin the mobile on the yuppie” poster game as well as your very own 80s music CD.
There is only one more thing you need to complete the event – your camera. Thank goodness Facebook wasn’t around in the 80s!
Men Helping To End Violence
Posted on 23 February 2012 | Comments Off
As at today, around one in three girls and women over the age of 15 years have reported being physically and/or sexually abused at some point in their lives.
Many of these women experience violence regularly and domestic violence – that which occurs within the home – accounts for the majority of homeless women and children in Australia.
A recent report from the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV) reveals that whilst many men do not tolerate violence against women, there are still a significant number who condone, justify or excuse this violence.
A majority of men stated they would intervene to prevent a situation; however the responses given were not always effective or beneficial.
Thankfully, well designed and suitably targeted education and other intervention programs are having a profound effect on behaviours and attitudes towards violence against women, and providing men with the skills necessary to prevent these situations occurring.
What’s really heart-warming is that more and more men are joining together in a bid to end violence against women in Australia. This can only go towards appropriating a kind of supportive peer pressure that will hopefully cause men to rethink their behaviours in certain situations, but also provide a network of friends and supporters to whom they can turn to when they feel like they’re losing it.
Organisations such as White Ribbon actively encourage men to join together to help stop this violence, and also provide useful tools and resources that assist you in providing the support your mates may very well need.
What are you doing to help end violence?
Star Wars
Posted on 21 February 2012 | Comments Off
The iconic Star Wars movies have been with us now for three decades and people still love them dearly. Not only that, they still collect all kinds of memorabilia connected to the movie. At giftsforblokes.com.au, we take a walk back in time with our collection of Star Wars merchandise.
For example, for the man who has just about everything, the golf stick covers, in both Yoda and Chewbacca styles, are cool gifts for sure. The dark one himself is also represented here in the form of Darth Vader and that menacing helmet would be enough to put any opponents off their game.
One of the coolest little gadgets, that every computer geek would just love, is a Yoda that protects the computer from the dark forces. It has a motion sensor inside and when someone comes within a couple of metres, he utters one of several favourite phrases such as ‘a disturbance in the Force there is’ or ‘still much to learn you have’. It sits near the computer, lightsaber at the ready, to protect your computer from invaders. This one made it to the top ten list of gifts for dads last Christmas!
Staying with the Yoda theme, who wouldn’t love a nodding Yoda to sit on top of the screen? It moves every time it feels a disturbance but it has a sticky pad to ensure it stays put. Of course, where there is a light side, there has to be a dark one, so try a nodding Darth Vader instead. Either way, the Force will be felt throughout the day!
All these, and the other great selection of goodies offered on site gives every gift buyer the chance to get something memorable for their loved one.
Finally, let me ask you – what is R2D2 short for? Because he has small legs!
May the force be with you.
How Not To Talk Like An Arse
Posted on 16 February 2012 | Comments Off
As if there aren’t enough words in the English language already, without having more implemented on an almost daily basis. Many new, and mostly made-up words have made their way into our vocabularies; mispronunciations of common words are creeping in and becoming an accepted part of our language.
Buzzwords are popping up all over the place, and while we’re on the subject, whatever happened to “buzzword” as a buzzword?
A considerable number of people are using these new words, making up their own mid-conversation or resorting to greetings and farewells from other languages in a bid to make themselves look worldly and important. Sadly, they are, in fact, looking like knobs.
Richard Wilson, in all his hilarity, comes to the rescue with 101 words not to use anytime soon and shows you how not to talk like an arse with his new book ”How Not To Talk Like An Arse“.
He rants about the raping and pillaging of the English language for appearance’s sake, and gives the users of such dialect a written seeing to as well.
Don’t want to come across as a twit at your next social gathering? Get your copy now!
Who’s the Best Man?
Posted on 14 February 2012 | Comments Off
No matter how many times men are invited to weddings, and this could be in a leading role or just as a guest, it is important to look for a site which offers wedding essentials for the groom and best man. Most weddings these days give out gifts to all the attendant groomsmen and bridesmaids so it is vital to find a site offering a wide range of affordable gifts. On giftsforblokes.com.au we have a whole array of goodies from the fun and frivolous to the downright romantic.
One great gift for the bloke of the day would be the ‘I do’ neoprene stubby holder which has a recordable message facility. Imagine giving this to the groom and watching the surprise when the message starts automatically as a drink is placed inside! Of course, blokes being blokes, this message could be a little on the naughty side!
A similar gift is the ‘I do – whatever she says’ stubby which is self explanatory. The cool thing about these stubby holders is that the message can be recorded as many times as necessary so this one is bound to raise a laugh or two if handled just right.
And then there are the socks and jocks, each clearly labelled with the bloke’s role for the big day. You know - just in case the bucks night was so big that they can’t think clearly yet.
There are cufflinks and hip flasks or stainless steel pilsners that can be engraved with a special message and these are suitable for both groom and attendants too.
We’ve got your men covered when it comes to gifts for the wedding party. Come in and have a look around.
LEGO Reigns
Posted on 9 February 2012 | Comments Off
LEGO – derived from the Danish words leg godt, meaning “play well” – has been a source of entertainment and play for children the world over since pre-World War II.
The enjoyment of these small plastic bricks is not restricted to children, with adults, also known as “big kids”, in their thousands setting up Lego meets, monthly groups and even annual conventions.
Recently, Melbourne held the latest of these exhibitions; Brickvention, where many of the exhibitors are adults who have spent far too much time creating scenes using standard Lego sets, from Lego City, Lego Star Wars, the Harry Potter and Indiana Jones sets and an immense variety of sets and constructions that have been released over the last half a century and more.
Others went to much effort to design, create and construct remote controlled contraptions that tore down (Lego) buildings, or replicated famous landmarks like a working Luna Park, Parkes space observation centre and the Melbourne Town Hall.
Renowned events, such as the recent Royal Wedding, complete with to-scale Buckingham Palace were also featured, and a quarter-of-a-million piece replica of the space shuttle was on view.
The sell-out exhibition, with over 10, 000 people through its doors only goes to show that the popularity of the product has grown immensely since its inception in the early 1940s.
It is an obsession for some, and a mere source if enjoyment or boredom buster for others. Whatever your involvement with Lego, it has become a cult. But a nice one.
If the sheer interest of the world in Lego is enough to peak your interest, then The Cult Of Lego will satisfy that curiosity even further. It will take you on a fascinating journey through the story, and history, of Lego, its fans, the creations, models and sets as well as more than a few interesting and obscure – and quite possibly pointless! – facts about Lego.
What do you want to know?
Gifts For Your Valentine’s Bloke
Posted on 31 January 2012 | Comments Off
Valentine’s Day seems to roll around very quickly once the New Year hangover has worn off! There is barely enough time to relax from the Australia Day weekend before you have to start thinking about what gift you will buy that special bloke in your life. What might we recommend, you say?
Have a look at our new Romantic Gifts section. It’s got everything you need from jewellery to books to notes of love.
We love The 2 Book. If you believe life was meant to be shared, here are priceless stories, ideas, insights, questions and adventures that will touch your heart and lift your relationship to new heights.
We also love the With Love notes. Each box contains 30 individual (one for each day of the month) pop open notes of love that you can tuck into his lunch, under his pillow or in the pocket of his work pants. Use your imagination and let him know how much you care.
Our Blokes Boxes are a perfect Valentine’s gift for your guy and will have them instantly wishing that the gift they got you was a) more expensive and b) bigger! Pizza Nite will have them creating their own pizza masterpiece in no time at all. Or how about the Chunky Hot Choc Box complete with decadent hot chocolate, mug and chocolate coated strawberries (to share of course!)?
Let’s face it – regardless of how long you may have been married, sometimes men need a little help in the “marriage” department. Stuff Every Husband Needs To Know is a great gift to give either your husband or husband to be and will guarantee that next Valentine’s Day will be even more perfect than this one!
Or to show just how much you really don’t mind how often he plays golf (despite anything said to the contrary in the past), try one of our Golf Gifts. From a Yoda Driver Cover to Novelty Golf Balls – he will be off to the golf club before you can say “I Love You”.
And the most important tip of all - know that a bloke will be happy with whatever gift you give them as long as there is beer or food involved as part of the gift giving process!
What Would You Like To Know?
Posted on 26 January 2012 | Comments Off
Over the last couple of years we have brought you information on:
- The fabulous, useful and downright fun products we have in our store, new stuff, specials and deals;
- Amazing and equally useful cooking tips and information, many of which involved beer or barbeques, and in some cases, both;
- Information on your health and looking after yourself (some of which included barbeques, beer or both) and a comprehensive guide to health and resources for blokes;
- Tips of etiquette and how to behave under certain circumstances; and
- Fashion tips, faux pas and how tos.
So, that’s what we’ve given you.
Now it’s your turn to tell us what you want to read?
Are there any topics of interest? More specifics in a certain area of your life?
What do you want?
Manicures For Men
Posted on 23 January 2012 | Comments Off
Pencil. Toothpick. Envelope. Stanley knife. Teeth. All perfectly suitable implements for a man to clean and trim his nails. Well, not really. Besides the fact that using these are pretty uncouth, none of them are actually that effective. If you know a guy whose nails are in need of some serious TLC, a male manicure could be just what the beautician ordered.
This doesn’t mean that he has to visit a pink salon surrounded by chicks gaggling about issues with their boyfriends (in fact, there are many guy salons set up now complete with beer and all-sport televisions). Instead you can just get him a manicure set and let him do it himself.
One of those handy little grooming packs is the way to go for a guy who’s trying to cut back and clean up – literally. Seeing as we all have nails that grow and continuously trap random bits of dirt, you can be sure it’s going to get a pretty good workout.
To the rescue from Gifts For Blokes is this four piece manicure set consisting of nail clippers, file and nail cleaning tool, scissors and tweezers.
At just $24.95, it’s a no brainer kind of present. You’ll save him having to hunt around for a biro pen or paper scissors and you can rest assured of what won’t be lurking at the tip of that pencil.
And check out some free tips on men’s manicures here – you’ll be glad he did!