It’s the family repair center, the workshop, and the MAN CAVE for dads across our nation. I’m talking about the garage, where Dad tinkers, hides out, and stores all of the things that aren’t allowed inside of the house. Dad, being the busy man that he is, may not have the time to keep the garage as tidy as the rest of the house and Mom lets it go without much complaint because it’s his space.
There comes a time, though, when the garage may get a little beyond unkempt. It starts with a work in progress, perhaps a project he started and walked away from when it was time for dinner or he was called upon for another task. He likely left his tools in place to attend to his family’s needs. Do this enough times and the garage has tools and projects all over. Tools get challenging to locate and debris is everywhere. Things are getting out of hand! Worse yet – where will he find the time to put any real effort around his other chores and obligations?
Enter Father’s Day and here you are racking your brain trying to come up with a great gift. You’re beyond drawing a picture of you and him these days for the fridge, but you still want to give him a sense of WOW. For some of us, that is no easy task. I’ll share my own dilemma with you, for example.
I don’t know about you, but my Dads are HARD to buy for. Mine are. I have two – my Dad and my Step-Dad, both worthy of all the love in the world. My step-dad will pretend to love everything I give him (whether he loves it or not) and I may never see it again except tucked somewhere to keep it safe, maybe in the garage (don’t laugh, I’m not kidding!). My Dad is brutally honest and will give me a “meh” and recently suggested that I cook him something from now on so he can continue buying what he wants when he wants it and NOT wait for me to give it to him for a holiday or special occasion. My dad would rather me do something than buy something.
So here’s the idea, and maybe it’s a bigger task for some than others, like this picture, which could take a year’s worth of holidays and special events to conquer:
If you can’t tackle it all, then maybe you can get it started in a productive way. Perhaps some sorting and tidying. Find a place for tools (that he can find, too) and put things away, even if it’s dedicated to a certain zone, leaving other areas for him. Get the garbage out of the way, too. Gather and launder the rags and place them in a container so he has a fresh supply to access (and stays out of the linen closet).
Now, if you can make a huge improvement, perhaps find a good picture or sign to hang on the wall. Present that to Dad and when he opens it, tell him you have just the place to hang that sign and lead him to his garage to reveal the real gift. What do you think?
Maid to Glow is at your service, and after the time you spent on Dad’s garage, this may be the perfect time for some extra assistance with your own home. We do single cleanings and offer discounts for regularly scheduled visits. How can we serve you?