Father’s Day is on September 2nd so this month we’re celebrating the Dads in our life along with our top literary picks for him…and our best dad jokes…this one is a classic!
Best Buys for the Hipster Dad this Father’s Day
All Dads are pretty cool. But there are some that have their finger on the pulse when it comes to music, television and movies. Some are super snappy dressers or total foodies. Some are artists at heart who would rather sit down with a good book than watch a footy game, and some might even have a few tattoos! Sound familiar? Maybe your dad is a hipster!
Because of their modern, ironic taste and awareness of street cred, they can be super hard to buy for. But fear not, we’re here to help you figure out what to buy the Hipster Dad this Father’s Day.
…and if it’s you who’s the Hipster Dad then feel free to forward this list on to your family…we’ve got your back!
The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz
Every hipster dad needs this book in his collection. It showcases behind-the-scenes images of all of Wes Andersons’ films along with plenty of artwork. Trust us, he won’t be able to put this one down. Wes Anderson is the most influential comedic voice from the past two decades of American cinema. A true auteur, his intimate involvement in each of his films – Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom – includes scriptwriting, set design, soundtrack selections and unit photography. Anderson’s visual artistry, inimitable tone and idiosyncratic characterisations make each of his films instantly recognisable as “Andersonian.”The Wes Anderson Collection is the first in-depth overview of Anderson’s work, guiding readers through the life and career of one of the most talked-about contemporary filmmakers.
Dads Are the Original Hipsters by Brad Getty
They drank whiskey before you did. They wore skinny jeans before you did. They had mustaches before you did. Admit it, they were hip before you were! Based on the blog of the same name, this book celebrates dads as the original hipsters. With vintage photos of real dads back in the day paired with captions that at once tip a cap to dad and make fun of modern hipsters, this is the perfect gift for dads, and those who love to tease them.
I was an Awesomer Kid by Brad Getty
Face it: You were awesome when you were a kid. You feared nothing. You spoke your mind. You tried new things. You had imagination. Now you play by the rules, dress appropriately and choose politeness over self-expression. Well, life’s too short for that and this book proves it. Vintage photographs of real kids doing awesome stuff -wearing footie pj’s, eating sugar cereal, napping and showing off – accompany witty captions that poke fun at the doldrums of adult life and remind us to unleash our inner kid. With a hilarious dose of 80s and 90s nostalgia, just enough snark and an ultimately uplifting message, I Was an Awesomer Kid is a great gift for all who are young at heart …or wish they still were!
The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan
When the coolest bar in NYC creates a book about how to make the best cocktails, you *have* to buy it for the best man in your life. Beautifully illustrated, beautifully designed, and beautifully crafted, this is the ultimate bar book by NYC’s most meticulous bartender. Now, Jim Meehan, PDT’s innovative operator and mixmaster, is offering all 304 cocktail recipes available at PDT plus behind-the-scenes secrets. From his bar design, tools, and equipment to his techniques, food, and spirits, it’s all here.
Stuff Hipsters Hate : A Field Guide to the Passionate Opinions of the Indifferent by Brenna Ehrlich
From the dive bars of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg to the dirty alleys of San Francisco’s Mission, the urban hipster has redefined American cool with a sighing disdain for everything mainstream. Hipsters are easily identified by their worn-out shoes, fixies and PBR tallboys, but until now no one had investigated beyond the hipster look to the even more hilarious hipster psyche. With personally researched articles, revealing illustrations and helpful charts and graphs, Stuff Hipsters Hate exposes the bottomless well of impassioned scorn that motivates the ever-apathetic hipster, including: buying you a drink, texting back in a timely fashion, high heels, muscles, being asked about their tattoos, full-time jobs, knowing their bank balance and enthusiasm.
Bullet Journal by Shelby Mustang
If your Dad is a Hipster Dad then he’ll be all over Bullet journalling. It’s the analog system for the digital age and boy oh boy is it life changing. Bullet Journal (or BuJo for short) was created by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer living in Brooklyn, NY. In a nutshell, it’s a to do list planner and it is perfect for the dad that loves to jot down his ideas and plan his work schedule. A good way to look at the Bullet Journal is as a framework (told you it was perfect for the Hipster Dad). There’s a whole world of bullet journaling over on Instagram but be sure to check out the blog here.
Happy Father’s Day Hipster Dad!
What I’ve learned about parenting as a stay-at-home Dad
After leaving a job he hated and a manager he didn’t get along with, Glen Henry went to work for an equally demanding boss: his kids. Now he’s documenting what he’s learned.
#tuesdaychat
Our household loves a good dad joke…what’s the best one you’ve heard? Our latest fav is: Don’t trust atoms. They make up everything!
The Festival of Dad
In the lead up to Father’s Day on September 2nd, we’re bringing you ‘The Festival of Dad’ and will be sharing our top literary picks for all dad’s along with our best dad jokes.
Happy Weekend!
Hello Weekend, we’ve been waiting for you! We hope you have a few days of relaxing and recharging planned…see you Monday!
The best board games to play this Winter
For some, the idea of playing a board game is met with thrill as the excitement of taking on an opponent is just too strong to pass up. For others, it dredges up dark memories of many a Christmas Day afternoon where monopoly got a little out of hand.
It seems the world of board games is springing back into life as there seem to be more and more games available to play and what’s more, they aren’t all competitive…in fact some of our favourites promote collaboration amongst players.
Here are our top five picks.
Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together playing to their characters’ strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. For example the Operation Specialist can build research stations which are needed to find cures for the diseases. The Scientist needs only 4 cards of a particular disease to cure it instead of the normal 5. But the diseases are out-breaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also towards cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose. As skilled members of a disease-fighting team you must keep four deadly diseases at bay while discovering their cures. You and your teammates will travel across the globe treating infections while finding resources for cures. The clock is ticking as outbreaks and epidemics fuel the spreading plagues and you must work as a team to succeed. Can you find all four cures in time? The fate of humanity is in your hands!
If you’re interested in board games that keep you thinking and reward strategic planning with a victory, then we highly recommend you consider Power Grid. The objective in Power Grid is to be the person who can supply power to the most cities in the network when the game ends. And the end of the game is triggered by the players. Keeping an eye on the other players, their progression, their city network, their power plants, and their resources is key to doing well in the game.
Players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then bid against each other to purchase the power plants that they use to power their cities. However, as plants are purchased, newer, more efficient plants become available, so by merely purchasing, you’re potentially allowing others access to superior equipment. Players must also acquire the raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) needed to power their plants (except for the ‘renewable’ windfarm/ solar plants, which obviously require no fuel), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.
Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle is a cooperative deck building game for 2 to 4 players that, depending on which game you’re playing, could take 30 minutes, or well over 90 minutes.
Players are taken on a journey through the seven films adapted from the books. They span the years of Harry Potter learning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, meanwhile encountering the likes of various villains and one particular villain who-should-not-be-named. Players achieve their goals through some pretty standard deck building mechanisms and combating villains with spells, items, and companions along the way. It is a wonderful introduction to cooperative games and deck building for new gamers.
Think you have what it takes to make Mars habitable? Well well have we found the game for you!
In the 2400s, mankind begins to terraform the planet Mars. Giant corporations, sponsored by the World Government on Earth, initiate huge projects to raise the temperature, the oxygen level, and the ocean coverage until the environment is habitable. In Terraforming Mars, you play one of those corporations and work together in the terraforming process, but compete for getting victory points that are awarded not only for your contribution to the terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and doing other commendable things.
The Settlers of Catan is a highly rated board game that has won several awards and members of the Booko online community highly recommend. Between 3 and 4 people can play the base edition, but a 5 to 6 player expansion is also available if you want to play with more people. You can use multiple strategies to win, and there are lots of variations to the rules. Picture yourself in the era of discoveries and after a long voyage of great deprivation, your ships have finally reached the coast of an uncharted island. Its name shall be Catan! But you are not the only discoverer. Other fearless seafarers have also landed on the shores of Catan and the race to settle the island begins!
Enjoy!
Seven ways games reward the brain
Tim Chatfield is a gaming theorist and in his #tedtalk he explores what we want, what we get and how we may use our hard-wired desire for gamer’s reward to change the way we learn.
#tuesdaychat
The popularity of playing board games seems to be making a resurgence. There are so many to choose from. What are your top three board games to play?
Monday Inspo
On Thursday we’ll be sharing our fav board games to play…ones that spark both collaboration and a little competition. But today, we have some wise words to ponder.
