{Xristos Anesti!  Christ is Risen!  Today is the last day that we use this Paschal greeting as we prepare for the Ascension of Christ tomorrow.  A blessed feast to all of you!}Father's Day is right around the corner!We don't really go all out on holidays, both DH and I prefer simple gifts made by the kids and a nice day spent making memories. This year, I think we'll head over to one of the local springs for a picnic and some canoeing.  It's been awhile since we've done that and it will be a nice break from the hot summer heat.I always try to find gift ideas that don't require too much preparation or extra "stuff".  This helps make the project fun for both the kids and myself.  Almost all of the projects listed in this post can be done very quickly and are sure to make any father smile!Every year, we make a "#1 Baba Hands Down" t-shirt for him.  It's become a tradition.  The little hands are growing bigger and every couple of years there's another little set of hands to add.  We get a t-shirt, a paint pen and a bottle of paint.I write the words (Ace may do it this year) #1 BABA HANDS DOWN on the shirt and then we paint all of their hands and let them stamp their hand prints in between the words.   Darling Hubby loves them and bless his heart, he acts completely surprised every year.  ;)I love looking at these old shirts and seeing  how big their hands have grown and watching the number of hands go from one to two to three.  <3 (Sorry for the wrinkles, these are straight out of DH's pajama drawer, lol)Awhile back, we made him a hat rack.  I was (very) pregnant with Lucky and Ace was only three!  This was a quick, easy and inexpensive project.I bought an unfinished wooden rack from the craft store, painted it and wrote the words Babako's Hat Rack on it with a paint pen.  It was sort of a selfish gift on my part, I would have done anything to get his hats from off the apron hooks in my kitchen, lol.   It only sort of worked but he loved it and that is all that matters!My boys call my dad, Pop-Pop, the same nickname I used to call my grandfather.  I heard everyone else calling him Pop, and so it stuck and carried on for yet another generation.  So, a couple of years ago we made a "World's Best Pop" package for him.  I tied curly ribbon around all kinds of "pop" themed items like Blow Pops, Popcorn, Soda Pop, Pop Rocks, Freeze Pops, etc.  Then we printed out a certificate that said "World's Best Pop" and the boys signed their names on it.  He still has the frame on his office wall and the boys beam with pride every time they see it.  Unfortunately, I don't have a photo but you can go here to download some "Best Pop" printables.

 Here is a roundup of some terrific DIY Father's Day Gift Ideas that I thought were really fun:1. Family Portrait Plate from Mermag2. Shrinky Dink Tie Tack from Oh Happy Day3. Homemade Jar of BBQ Sauce from Special Events4. Swiss Army Key Ring from Instructables (a lot easier than it looks!)5. Father's Day Breakfast by Hubby Made Me6. Daddy's Stache Jars from Artsy Fartsy Mama7. Color Your Own T-Shirt from The Blue Basket Etsy Shop8. Memory Frame from East Coast Mommy9. Hand-Stamped Belts from Craftaholics Anonymous