Birthday Gift For Dad 2011

When you first see a Sno Wovel, it is natural to think, “What the heck is that?” It looks like a big antique bicycle wheel with a shovel attached. And that is basically what it is. But it doesn’t take much longer to realize how amazingly useful this can be.

When my wife and I first saw one of these, we both thought:

“I need to get one of those for my Dad!”

The Sno Wovel is a hand powered tool for shoveling snow. However, unlike a traditional snow shovel, you don’t have to worry about throwing out your back by repeatedly lifting and throwing snow. Most of the weight and effort is transferred to the built in wheel. While there is still some effort involved, it is MUCH easier than shoveling snow the old way.

Click here to see the Sno Wovel in action.

According to the manufacturer, the Sno Wovel clears snow 3x faster than snow shoveling with half the effort and less risk of injury

I ordered one of these for my Dad last year and he absolutely loved it. He actually was looking forward to the next snow storm. Then he excitedly went out to shovel the driveway with the Sno Wovel. My mom stood back and video taped the whole thing for later posting on YouTube. It didn’t take long before my Dad had a crowd of curious neighbors at the bottom of the drive way. They were there to “supervise”, of course.

My Dad reported that the Sno Wovel made shoveling the driveway not only easier but also fun. I never thought I’d here my Dad say that. He said it wasn’t entirely effortless. He did feel some soreness at the end of the day. But he said that was probably because it used a new set of muscles. All in all, he is very happy with his gift. I’m sure some of his neighbors will be asking for a Sno Wovel next year.

The Alligator Lopper from Black & Decker just might be your Dad’s new best friend.

This should be at the top of your birthday gift for Dad list this year.

I first encountered the Alligator last winter while I was helping my father-in-law clean up after a big storm. There were big tree branches down all over the place. We also had to trim up some damaged tree limbs. After doing what we could with a pair of shears and a chain saw, we kept saying “There has got to be a better way!”

Well we found a better way. The Black & Decker Alligator Lopper. It is a combination chainsaw and power shears. The Alligator made it effortless to reduce a pile of thick branches down to something we could easily get in the yard waste bin. It only took a few minutes. We also took down some other damaged branches and a hedge.

I was having so much fun with this power toy that I didn’t want to stop. My father-in-law started making jokes that I was reducing everything down to toothpicks.

Here is the description from Amazon:

The Alligator Lopper Makes Cutting a Breeze

Take a big bite out of fallen trees, tree limbs and brush with the Alligator Lopper — a revolutionary cutting tool that provides chainsaw-like cutting performance in an un-intimidating tool. With its scissor-like action, the Alligator Lopper’s rugged metal jaws clamp onto logs, thick branches, tree limbs, and vines — and then saw right through them. Once limbs and branches are on the ground, the Alligator Lopper is perfect for chopping them up into manageable pieces to throw away or chuck into your fireplace.

This amazing saw boasts a rugged 4.5 amp motor for fast, powerful chomping through wood — plus a heavy-duty cutting bar and chain to really chew through dense branches and logs. This model also features auto chain tensioning to keep the tool in top cutting form. Just loosen the bar retainer bolts with the included wrench and the bar automatically takes out the slack and adjusts the chain’s tension perfectly.

The Alligator Lopper’s jaws offer the ultimate in controlled cutting. The rugged metal guards that cover the jaws protect you from the cutting chain, and they immediately snap back over the blades once the cut is complete. The Alligator Lopper’s jaws also mean that there’s no skipping around at the start of a cut. Unlike traditional chainsaws, the lopper cuts side-to-side instead of from top to bottom. This sideways cutting action prevents the cutting chain from burying itself in the dirt as the chain completes its cut.

The Alligator Lopper also makes it much faster and easier to cut logs, because you’ll never need to prop them up on saw horses or on other any other brace. Just grab the logs in the Alligator Lopper’s jaws and cut right through them.

Key Technical Specs:

• Power: 4.5 amps
• Bar length: 6 inches
• Jaw capacity: 4 inches

Applications
The Alligator Lopper is ideal for tree pruning, clearing brush, storm clean-up, cutting firewood and more, and it’s a great alternative to chainsaws, manual loppers, handsaws and clippers.

After the first time I saw one of these, I knew I had to have one. The Sodastream Soda Maker appeals to me on many different levels. Since I drink a lot of soda and seltzer water, this saves me a lot of money at the grocery store. I don’t have to haul countless bottles and packs of cans from the store to my house. I also never have to worry about running out of soda.

I really enjoy the fact I make can fresh sparkling water whenever feel like it. If I want something with a little flavor, I either add my own ingredients or use one of Sodastream’s many different flavor syrups.

If your Dad enjoys soda or sparkling water, he will certainly love this gift. I use mine nearly every day. If he is at all health conscious, he’ll enjoy the fact that he can still enjoy a delicious cold fizzy beverage whenever he wants. It makes crisp, clean, sparkling water and he can add a twist of lime or a splash of fruit juice for flavor.

Amazon.com Product Description

With the SodaStream Jet Starter Kit, you’ve got everything you need to turn tap water into sparkling water in 30 seconds–saving you money as well as helping you stay environmentally friendly. This black/silver SodaStream Jet soda maker comes with two BPA-free plastic 1-liter bottles and one CO2 cylinder that will make up to 60 liters of sparkling water. With no batteries or electricity, you can use your soda maker in your kitchen, outdoors on your patio or deck, or on your boat or R.V.

In addition to making fizzy water, SodaStream also offers more than 25 regular, diet, energy and caffeine-free flavors of syrup (sold separately). Each 500ml soda mix bottle makes the equivalent of 12 liters of soda (about 33 cans). And with over 25 flavors, the possibilities for creative beverages are limited only by your imagination. How about a Creamsicle (Orange and Cream Soda), or a Japanese Beetle (Ginger Ale and Lemon-Lime)? The regular soda mixes contain no high fructose corn syrup, while the diet soda mixes contain no aspartame.

The benefits of the SodaStream drinks maker, compared to ready made bottled drinks:

• Provides an endless supply of sparkling water, freshly made from tap water in just a few seconds.
• No more need to buy, carry or store large quantities of heavy and bulky bottles.
• A wide variety of flavors are produced by SodaStream.
• The ability to make sparkling water as strong or as weak as one likes, makes the machine an ideal solution for the family’s entire sparkling beverage needs.

This is one of those Birthday gift for Dad ideas that falls into the category of:

Helps Dad do something he doesn’t enjoy doing in an easier and faster way.

Nobody likes to go out on a cold, snowy morning and shovel the driveway. If you were like most of us, you probably got A LOT of snow last year. Your Dad remembers it too. You know its coming again. Better to be prepared this year.

This year, help your Dad clear the driveway in record time. A Toro Electric Snow Thrower will save hours of back breaking work this winter and make him the envy of everyone on the block.

Why electric? After reading through numerous reviews, I learned that many people have trouble with gas powered snow throwers during the winter. The gas engines can be very difficult to start up in cold weather. So after careful review, I selected a high capacity electric motor. The last thing I want is engine trouble when I need to clear a heavy snow fall.

This one can clear up to a foot of snow 18″ wide in one pass. Can you do that with a shovel?

Product Features

Amazon.com Product Description

Product Description

34″ Slate & Marble Surround Fire pit with copper Accents

Product Features