GIFT GUIDE - Southern Gentlemen & Other Menfolk

I’m not going to lie, y’all, I struggle every year offering gift suggestions to others for the men in my life.

Unlike a lot of women, men see something they like – and buy it on the spot. I’ll sleuth around for months trying eek out a clue as to what to gift my husband for birthday and Christmas, only to watch him receive a package a few days before either. He grabs that package and is just tickled with himself at his new acquisition. Well, you know I want to just nip that joy right in the bud (LOL – I’m kidding), but as a giver, I’d love the opportunity to watch that kind of happiness after I’ve surprised him with something. We now have a rule in the family - no buying for oneself within four weeks of a holiday or birthday.

There is NO guarantee that anything on this list will elicit the kind of joy I’m seeking in my own gift-giving scenario – however, I’ve done my research  in categories from sporting and luxury, to personal well-being and experiences to the altruistic. If not one of these, perhaps you’ll be inspired along the same lines. Happy hunting!

Seafood Feast - Crawfish, Gulf Shrimp, Louisiana Blue Crab…and a shell of a lot more! In keeping with the Magnolia Blue spirit, this is the perfect southern coastal-themed gift. If the idea of a low country boil or crawfish etouffee sounds delicious, your recipient might just love some fresh seafood from Louisiana Crawfish Co. – the menu of fresh seafood and fish, in what way you'd prefer to receive them, is VAST. This 30-year company is the No. 1 shipper of crawfish out of Louisiana, but you can also get your favorite guy some turtle, alligator a cajun meats if crawfish isn't his thing! 

Fast Lane – maybe you can afford a Ferrari 488 GTB with a bow on it, but that’s going to put a pretty large dent in the budget! You can save yourself a little pocket change, however, and give the fast track experience of being in a Ferrari, Lamborghini or other super charged wheels with The Xtreme Xperience - Exotic Car Driving Experiences From high-speed ride alongs to the supercar driving experience, you can choose your city (in areas all around the country), specific dates (typically twice a year per city) and your budget. Ride alongs begin at $69 and the driving experience base price is $238. Major cities in the south include Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Austin, Miami and more. 

A Babe and a Diamond – it’s not what you think! The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum is the stuff of baseball dreams no matter where you live or what team you root for. For baseball fanatics, it’s as close as you get to meeting the late legend himself and experiencing ‘the Babe’ and his personal life even more intimately. This museum is so precious to baseball fans, both men and women, from all over the country, that the location has been used for personal events, including wedding anniversaries! With COVID this year, museums around the country have suffered great losses – this ‘do-good’ gift of a membership might come with the promise of a future road trip to Baltimore. The gift of preservation, a possible trip, the online events and more are worth the base price of $50 ($40 for seniors/60+) to family membership of $70 (other memberships also available). For more info you can contact the museum at 410.727.1539.

Crooked River – no, it’s not a white water rafting trip, but you might need one of the knives by the same name on a trip like that! My husband and brother are huge fans of American-manufactured Benchmade knives, which can be used daily for things like cutting rope to tie something up, or down, on their SUV's, outdoor hunting or fishing, rescue or survival. These single blade knives are solid investment in quality – and run between $130 up to on up to around $700. The site is comprehensive and helps explain the uses and the options. In addition, they carry a lifetime free service to clean, oil, adjust and re-sharpen the knife to a factory razor sharp edge just by mailing it back to the company, postage paid and insured, along with the service forms.

Bourbon Bon Vivant – What southern gentleman doesn’t enjoy a slow sip of a delicious Woodford Reserve, Blanton’s or Dewars? This sophisticated helix decanter and glass set  from WhiskeyBall.com marries traditional and modern lines, perfect for the whiskey, scotch or bourbon aficionado. Gift this along with some large cube or ball ice cube trays (available on the same website) and a bottle of their favorite brown liquor, and he can relax Christmas day while everyone else is cleaning up wrapping paper remnants. Priced reasonably at $59.95.

Here Comes the Sun – hiking, boating, camping and other outdoor activities in the south's great weather can take us away from charging stations, but the outdoorsy guy in your life might dig this budget-friendly portable solar charger for his devices. The Hiluckey 25000mAh Solar Charger-Hi S025 has four solar panels, dual USB 2.1A output, its rugged construction is dust, shock and waterproof. Compatible with almost all 5V devices it’s on sale now $42.99.

Razor Sharp Art – even if he doesn’t have a Zoom meeting in the New Year, he’s going to enjoy shaving off that stubble with one of the fine, hand-tooled razors by Imperium Shaving, a small-business dedicated to the art of grooming who is proud to say many of their woodworkers are women. Founder and woodworker, Dan Janssen developed a proprietary coating that turned a beautiful wooden razor into an elegant, and most importantly durable, work of art. Their razors range from elegant wood and resin designs to even special stones, like turquoise and will be a handsome addition to their vanity. From their new retro Colorway Safety Razors to their Limited Editions, shaving just became the new cool thing to do. Gift sets and other options $20-$129+ for individual razors; more for sets.

Butter My Biscuits – You cannot stand between a southerner and their biscuits. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit in Charleston, knows precisely that - which is why they’ll mail them directly to you. But, you better ‘git’ on it, because they’re going like hot cakes, or biscuits, in this case. You can start with the Hot Little Combo Pack, Country Ham Biscuits or even their Biscuit of the Month Club! And, Lord, do not forget the pimento cheese! Prices vary; shipping additional. 

Wrap it Up - I don't know a single southerner who doesn't have at least one monogrammed item in their closet - and whether the man or men on your list are less formal than their daddies were, they still want to have some special go-to items. This close to Christmas, finding a place that will personalize your gifts is pretty challenging, but Mark & Graham is up to the task and if you order now, you can get this machine washable, acrylic Camo Print Blanket Scarf in three  masculine colors (gray, Navy and green). Personally, I'm enjoying this Navy version because it will play well with both a casual jackets and dressier wool coats. $49/$12 for monogramming.