Growing up, Father’s Day was always about spending time with my dad. I remember showing up at his house in the morning as a teenager and asking, “What chores are we going to get done today, Dad?” He’d hand me a chainsaw and some safety glasses and say, “Let’s go cut some wood.” It was never about fancy gifts—it was about time together, doing something that felt like him, and we loved it.
Now, with my own family and husband, Father’s Day still centers around time—but how we spend it looks different. Jason’s the kind of dad who thrives on adventure, movement, and good company. Some years he plans the day himself; others, I surprise him. And this year, I’m stretching the celebration out again—giving him one small gift + one experience each month for the rest of the year.
It’s also a really fun way to connect all of us, as many of these gifts and experiences are for the whole family to enjoy together. Whether it’s a new piece of gear for a weekend hike, or a backyard campout under the stars, these moments become anchors in our year—memories built one month at a time.
Below, I’m sharing all the ideas I’ve prepped as well as some that I gave him through out the year last year — feel free to choose one of these experiences, all of them or use it for inspiration! And remember the gifts are just extra, the time spent is really where it’s at.
June:
Gift: Draft Top Can Opener
Experience: Backyard BBQ or picnic dinner celebration during Father’s Day week
Why it works:
In our family, Father’s Day isn’t just a one-day deal—it’s a week-long celebration. We stretch it out with little surprises, good food, and lots of hang time. One of Jason’s favorite low-key activities is to invite the neighborhood over for a backyard bbq.
That year, I gifted him the Draft Top—a genius little tool that removes the top of aluminum cans cleanly, turning any drink into a smooth-sipping experience (and making canned n/a beers feel just a bit more elevated). It’s the kind of gadget that instantly ups your hosting game and turns a regular beer into something a little more fun. For the kids this year, we are making rootbeer floats in the can for the kids with “Dad’s Rootbeer”. I’m so excited to surprise them with it and have a great kick off to our celebration week.
July:
Gift: Ciele GOCAP PYN One hundred – Lightweight Performance Hat
Experience: Big mountain mission under the summer sun
Why it works:
Jason is the kind of dad who thrives in the mountains—sweaty climbs, long ridgelines, wind burned cheeks and that gritty satisfaction of a long exploratory mission complete. This year, I’m sending both of us off into the mountains together for 48 hour big mountain traverse in an area neither of us has been before. We both LOVE discovering new routes and new places, as it’s actually part of our job (we put on adventure races here in Central Oregon and now Washington and New Zealand). So I’ve planned a big scouting mission for a race we plan to put on next year. My plan is to surprise him two weeks before with the hat, a map and some good snacks.
The Ciele GOCAP PYN OneHundred is perfect for this kind of adventure—offering protection from the sun, excellent airflow, and that signature athletic fit that actually stays on during windy summits or fast descents. It’s the kind of piece that says, “I see how hard you go—and I want you to be protected while doing it” – after all, always wearing sunscreen was part of our vows, so I’m just keeping it to it! Pair it with a long date weekend in the wild (or even a mapped-out route and the solo time to do it) and it becomes more than a gift—it becomes a memory.
AUGUST
Gift: Garmin inReach® Messenger
Experience: Solo 24-hour adventure in a new area
Why it fits:
Sometimes the best gift you can give is freedom—with a little peace of mind. In August, Jason is getting the Garmin inReach® Messenger, a compact satellite communicator that lets him stay connected even when he’s way off-grid. It was the green light for something he’s been craving and needing: a solo 24-hour remote bike packing adventure to a place he hasn’t explored before. Just him (and a few buddies if he chooses), a map, and a bit of headspace.
He’ll pack ultra light and will surely forget some things. But he will adapt. Having this on him will give me the piece of mind that he’s doing just fine though. It’s a gift for the whole family really, because yes having solo time is very crucial, but knowing that your other half is safe is a gift to the rest of the family. It’s also really fun for the boys to see where he is on the map! We love following eachother’s dots and rooting for one another while we are out adventuring and clearing our mind.
SEPTEMBER
Gift: ROKA Wind Down Glasses
Experience: Evening wind-down routine + tech-free bedtime reset
Why it fits:
After a full month of travel and late sunsets, September marks our return to rhythm—school routines, earlier bedtimes, and work getting back into full swing. To help Jason ease back into it, I’m giving him a pair of ROKA Wind Down Glasses—sleek, lightweight blue light blockers made for those screen-heavy evenings. Technically, I’m giving him these in June, but it’s his “September gift” and I’ll remind him of that when it comes.
They’ve become part of my nightly routine: putting phones away earlier, stretching, reading, and getting back into that sleep-well rhythm. At first he said that he thought they were gimicky, but now after seeing me be way more relaxed in the evenings, he’s all of a sudden stealing mine! It’s not a flashy gift, but it’s one that helps me feel better day to day, and for that, we each deserve our own pair!
OCTOBER
Gift: Solo Stove Campfire
Experience: One last fall camping trip (or backyard fire night)
Why it fits:
We try to stretch camping season as long as we can—and October is often our last hurrah before the snow hits. Last year, we gifted Jason the Solo Stove Campfire, and it’s quickly become a favorite. It’s compact enough to take anywhere, but powerful enough to keep us warm on chilly fall nights.
We took it on a quick one-nighter in early October last year—just us, some hot cocoa, some sausages and stars peeking through the trees. If you can’t sneak away, pull it out in the backyard for a fire night with the family. For us bonfires on the back deck with our bigger Solo Stove have become part of our seasonal rhythm: fall air, warm drinks, and that perfect smokeless glow. For us, there is nothing better.
NOVEMBER
Gift: Ride1Up Revv 1 E-Bike (already gifted!)
Experience: Solo romp in the high desert to scout routes + let it rip
Why it fits:
We gave Jason the Ride1Up Revv 1 just last week, and it’s been love at first sight + endless day dreaming about where he can go with it. It’s powerful, rugged, and ridiculously fun. They call it an ebike, but really its an electric dirt bike. The shock is massive, the seat is big and comfortable and the headlight is huge. We have not yet tested the range, but we are ordering an extra battery for our bigger remote exploratory days. For now, its a fun bike for the local dirt roads as well as an around town bike. So far it has lasted to 50 miles before we need to charge it again. As the summer months fill up with river trips, races and camping trips- come this fall, we will give him the gift of a reminder.
So for November, we’re setting aside a full day for him to take the bike out to the high desert—ride hard, scout routes for upcoming adventure races, and maybe find some new corners of the high desert to fall in love with. The bike is the gift, but the real magic is in that wide open day to ride wild.
***I’ll be doing a more indepth review of this after some more time with it!
DECEMBER
Gift: Roll8 Massager by Roll Recovery + Angelina’s Honey Avocado Mask + Acupuncture appointment at Aqua Terra Health
Experience: Intentional self-care day to close out the year
Why it fits:
After twelve months of movement, memories, and adventure, December is for restoration. This year, we’re gifting Jason a full self-care reset—starting with an acupuncture appointment at Aqua Terra Health (truly the best in Bend ), followed by a quiet afternoon at home. We get acupuncture almost every week from Brooke, but usually we come home and go straight to bed or are up and working for the rest of the day. This day will be different though, we will take the whole afternoon!
We will set the tone with a massage (by me!) using the Roll8 Massager—his favorite tool for deep tension release, but it’s always better if someone else does it. And while I’m rolling out his big quads and calves, – I’ll have him put my favorite over night mask on- luxurious honey avocado mask from Angelina’s Skin Care to give his winter skin a little love. Cozy, quiet, and deeply restorative. The perfect pause before the next big season.
Here’s to hoping you and your family have a beautiful time celebrating the father figure in your life. The one who pulls it all together with a moments notice, can cook anything from “nothing” and is a kid himself!