Fodada Commitment and Free Dad's Shirt

Fodada is "a celebration of what a great dad can mean to a child... and hence what that relationship could mean to a dad." It is a company that sells tshirts and also works with many great causes and organizations like the American Heart Association, Autism Speaks, and more. They also have their own programs which raise money for worthy causes - one of which helps provide books for a library at a small school in the country Suriname, which previously had none. (Close to my heart - I am big on literacy and reading. Especially since my mother is a school librarian and reading specialist).

Well one of their other programs, the Dad and Me campaign, is "a crusade to bring fathers and their children closer together," having them commit to spending time together. By making this commitment, dads can get a free t-shirt. 

To get this free t-shirt, all you have to do is have your kid sign the commitment form, then have dad sign it. They are committing to spend 3-hours together every month: 1 hour doing something outdoors, 1-hour doing something educational (like going to a museum or library), and 1-hour doing something silly and fun. 

I printed the form off and stamped baby G's handprint on it (his signature!) and then had my husband sign it before I sent it off.

His shirt just came in the other day - and I think it's pretty awesome. :)

Although the free shirt is pretty cool, the commitment is even cooler. I love that this company (founded by a dad!) is always working for a cause - and getting dads and kids to commit to spending time together - especially committing to doing something outside and doing something educational! - is awesome!

And this makes a great Father's Day gift - a Super Dad t-shirt and a promise to spend time with the kids! :)

Let me note though, that my husband didn't need to sign a piece of paper to commit to spending time with his boy. He already spends every moment of his free time with G. :)

Two thumbs up to Fodada!

Unique Father's Day Ideas

Unique Father’s Day Ideas

My husband is celebrating his first Father’s Day this year, and I want to make it special and memorable for him. If you are at all like me, then you are having trouble coming up with something different and unique, and not the standard breakfast in bed or round of golf (though those are perfectly acceptable gift ideas!)

While looking for some unique Father’s Day gift and activity ideas, I stumbled upon some great ones that I hadn’t thought of. Some of these would be better for older children, but even if you have a little one like me (3 months old!), you can still strap on a carrier and head to a car show or the zoo for a few hours!

·      Baseball. The LA Dodgers are having a postgame Father’s Day catch and giving out Father’s Day Sports Bags. The Baltimore Orioles are giving out Father’s Day Fedoras and the Houston Astros are giving away Father’s Day Grill Sets. Check your local teams to see if they too are playing a game that day and doing anything special for dads.

·      Races. For a unique activity, look for local Father’s Day 5ks and races. Road Race Runner has a nice search feature to help you find races, from Kid’s Runs, to Fun Runs, to full on Marathons. There are at least five different race events within an hour’s drive from me on Father’s Day.

·      Zoos and Aquariums. Your area zoo or aquarium may have special events or deals for Father’s Day. For example: the San Diego Safari Park is having a Father’s Day Buffet (where dads will receive one complimentary alcoholic beverage) and the Milwaukee County Zoo admits all fathers for free on June 15. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has their annual Father’s Day picnic, and dads get in free the whole weekend at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

·      Cars. Head to an auto show. They are happening in abundance on Father’s Day across the country: Road Relics in Austin, LA Roadsters in Pomona… Monroe Washington, Fauquier Virginia, at the Transportation Museum in St. Louis. Usually free, and always fun! When I was a kid, I loved going to car shows because our family tradition was to eat chocolate dipped ice cream cones while we walked around the show.

·      Planes. Check out a local aviation event. Some smaller, local airports like Beach City Airport in Ohio and Columbia Airport in California have Father’s Day “Fly-Ins.” West End Wings in Pennsylvania and the Olympic Flight Museum in Washington are holding Father’s Day Air Shows.

·      Churches. Many churches also have Father’s Day events. Some churches may recognize the fathers during the service and some hold BBQs or Potlucks on Father’s Day. At the Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington Virginia, normally the men cook breakfast on Mother’s Day and the women cook breakfast on Father’s Day!

·      Camping. Kids camp for free at participating Kampgrounds of America (KOA) locations on Father’s Day weekend. At Jellystone Parks, dads get a free souvenir cup and some locations have Father’s Day crafts, activities, and events too! Plus, what dad wouldn’t enjoy a weekend of camping, fishing, swimming, hiking, golfing, and more?!

Hopefully this has helped give you some unique ideas for Father’s Day this year. So what are you waiting for? Get searching!

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Mommy Hot Spot, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

And although these events were for 2014, many of them are general, recurring events that are good any year, and not just for Father's Day!