It’s time for another holiday gift guide and today we’re focusing on young men. I’ll be selecting a thoughtful gift for my son and son-in-law from this list, and I think you may find some good ideas for the young men on your list, too. This year my daughter and son-in-law helped curate this list of gifts for young men.
For His Feet
While it may not sound very exciting, I find that the young men on my list do indeed appreciate the gift of socks. Ha! A subscription to the Sock Fancy crew socks would be a fun gift. He'll get a different pair of fun socks each month. I didn't select any socks from Bomba, but they're my (and my son's) favorite for activewear. You could pick him up a pair while you're shopping for those great Bombas men's Gripper Slippers. But I also love the other shoes we've listed here.
L.L.Bean
Men’s Leather Double-Sole Slippers
Amazon
Sock Fancy – Surprise Pair of Socks Subscription: Crew Socks
Bombas
Bombas Men’s Gripper Slipper
Nordstrom
Vans U Era Low-Top Sneaker
Let's Get Him Dressed!
We gathered a few clothing items that young men uniquely appreciate. All of my kids like shopping at Madewell, and we've got a couple of great pieces from there on the list. But Vuori is also understandably popular with the young adult set.
Vuori
Vuori Elevate Kore Short
Taylor Stitch
The Heavy Bag Tee in Honey
Nordstrom
The North Face Heritage Patch Crewneck Sweatshirt
Madewell
Ribbed Wool Beanie
Madewell
Cableknit Fisherman Sweater
Madewell
Boiled Wool Chore Jacket
Just for the Fun of It
Here we've collected gifts that he'll enjoy...just for the fun of it. These are things he'd love to buy himself, but he hasn't quite pulled the trigger yet. We have two options for a "personal fireplace," which evidently is all the rage (I'm not sure that's how the younger generation would word that, hahaha!). And I know my son-in-law loves those smart bulbs (and they may or may not have played a part in impressing my daughter when they first dated). And I bet both my son and son-in-law would like those vintage star vessel vehicle prints for hanging in a game room, office or elsewhere (if he can talk his wife into it!).
FLÎKR fire
FLÎKR Fire – The Original Rubbing Alcohol Personal Fireplace
Amazon
Vintage Star Vessels Vehicles Patent Prints
Amazon
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance BR30 LED Smart Bulbs
Nordstrom
Skule 28-Liter Water Repellent Backpack
Amazon
Radiate Portable Campfire: The Original Go-Anywhere Campfire
Amazon
Pizza Caddy Insulated Food Delivery Bag
Walmart
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
Self Care
Most of the young men I know take pride and pleasure in keeping themselves well groomed and modern. So we've collected items here from beard balms to cologne. But he also might appreciate a puffy blanket for watching movies or a sunrise alarm clock for a gentle wake-up.
Amazon
Beard Balm Variety Pack
Amazon
Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock
Etsy
Personalized Self-care Box for Men
Taylor Stitch
The Original Puffy Blanket in Navy Aloha
Nordstrom
Jo Malone London™ Cologne Collection Set
Sierra
Welly Assorted Variety Flex Bravery Badges Fabric Bandages
Sierra
NAISSANCE Work It Out Massage Oil
Getting the Job Done
And this last collection of items will help him get those pesky maintenance jobs done. Whether he's tinkering on the car or polishing his leather accessories, these are the little things that will make the process go faster and more effectively. I especially love the plant water monitor and the digital tire pressure gauge.
Amazon
XLUX Soil Moisture Meter, Plant Water Monitor
Amazon
Digital Tire Pressure Gauge
Taylor Stitch
The Leather Care Kit
Taylor Stitch
The Minimalist Wallet in Brown
Nordstrom
Skule 28-Liter Water Repellent Backpack
Uncommon Goods
Bicycle Repair Kit
Amazon
Wine Saver Pump with Vacuum Bottle Stoppers
Walmart
Bellaven Chef Apron
Walmart
Armor All Complete Car Care Holiday Gift Pack (5 Pieces)
Walmart
Foxwell NT301 OBD2 Scanner Check Engine Light
Walmart
EverStart Maxx 15 Amp Battery Charger and Maintainer
Blessed for My Day
One of the greatest gifts we can give our young adult children is their autonomy. And that gift sometimes feels like a really expensive one, doesn’t it? Surely it would be easier just to wrap up a well-intentioned gift that would help them to navigate their lives the way we think they should go. Maybe an accounting ledger for that budget we keep telling them to create, an automotive tool that would help them be more regular with car maintenance or a healthy recipe book. And truthfully, sometimes our kids don’t make it easy to give them that autonomy. They keep coming back asking for advice or help or assurance, which of course is normal and even rewarding.
But the Bible teaches us throughout its text that adults must live responsible, autonomous lives. We need to be dependent on God, not on the advice or comfort or bank accounts of other people. And when it comes time to make hard decisions, we must look to God’s Word for counsel and wisdom more than we listen to the opinions of others. Of course if we’re married we also must learn to lean into, protect and build that sacred relationship first and foremost. How are you doing at helping your adult children live autonomous lives with healthy boundaries? That’s something to think and pray about today.
Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ~ Genesis 2:23-24
I needed these ideas for young men — my son never tells me anything he wants or needs — but he will like the tire gauge in his stocking, the new Crew game for game night, and maybe another pair of Vuori shorts or the northface sweatshirt.
Perfect. If he’s anything like my young men he absolutely will like those.
Hi Kay, I really enjoy your blog and Instagram posts. I live in Louisville just down the road from Cinncy, so your choices really reflect what’s most useful for me. One question, do you play Bridge?
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Shirley
Hi Shirley. No I don’t. I’ve wanted to learn, but never have.