the mommy avenger

HOKAs were at the top of my list for women this year and they are for men, too! You can’t beat a pair of shoes that makes you feel like you can conquer anything and then have your feet feel fantastic once those feats are accomplished. HOKAs are just simply the best, in my opinion. After testing lots of various shoe brands over the years and the HOKAs, there is no doubt who the winner is. There are many varieties of them to best suit your needs–trail runners, walking, running, hiking or for just going to the gym. For walking and running, we really love the Gaviota 5. I love the colors they come in for starters–you can go neutral or have more fun picking brighter colors. No matter which style you choose, you can be confident that your feet are getting the best support–they actually cradle your feet– for every activity you can think to put them through.

Every guy needs a great pair of shades, especially if they are from ROKA. Their glasses are made for being active and on the go–whether that is running a marathon, rock climbing or playing volleyball on the beach. There is a style that will suit everyone you know. We are so impressed with their quality and comfort and, of course, their style. These glasses look amazing on! Not only do they specialize in sunglasses, but you can also get prescription glasses made, too ( I know where my next pair of glasses are being ordered from!). These glasses stay put, they are made for endurance and movement and you can feel them doing their job while you wear them. Seriously, they stay put while doing burpees! There are so many styles to choose from, it may be hard to narrow it down. Some of my favorites are Phantom, the Barton 2.0 and the TL-1. But there are great online tools to help you virtually try on the glasses so you can be confident you are getting a great pair that will suit you best. I especially love that these glasses are made in the USA in Austin, Texas. They have an impressive list of fans, including Tim Kennedy. Once you give them a try, you won’t want to go back to other brands, trust me.

Shoes are super important. We spend so much time in them, you want them to be very comfortable, yet really nice looking, too. Some versatility is great. Being able to wear them in nicer settings, to work, and out is always a plus. When you can get a pair of shoes that allows for all of that to happen at once, you clearly have a pair of Rothy’s on your feet. Available in a wide array of colors and patterns, these shoes can be worn with or without socks, year round. They look and feel fantastic. I highly recommend gifting your favorite guy a pair of Rothy’s RS01 Sneakers this holiday season. My favorite guy loves them in the Olive and Obsidian Black colors. They can be worn with very casual attire, yet they are very well tailored. Wearing them upgrades your look instantly. They also have great options in loafers and boots!Would you guess they are good for the environment, too? That’s right, the signature material used in Rothy’sincredible shoes is made up of used water bottles! Unbelievable! The other unbelievable thing about these shoes is that when they get dirty, you can toss them in the washing machine and have them come out looking and smelling brand new! Whether you want a pair of shoes for everyday wear or for dressier occasions, there is something for everyone.

I love the latest tech offering from Garmin for fitness enthusiasts. The Venu 3 is the latest and greatest fitness tracker and I am here for it. This watch is my favorite of all I have tried, and I have been really pleased with Garmin products overall. With all the details well thought out, this smartwatch is a far superior option. Long lasting battery life, comfort, and it tracks everything you would ever want. I love the app that you can use with it, as well, because there are so many great features you can use to track your sleep, health, fitness goals and you can even compete with other users. A great feature to use within families! It’s very intuitive and user friendly, which is a must! It’s even got features that set it apart from any other smartwatch I’ve seen–for example, if you utilize a wheelchair, it can track your pushes and how you move in it and even offer built in workouts–an extraordinary feature! Honestly, this watch is like having your own personal trainer at your fingertips. Encouragement, coaching and tips are offered at all the right moments to maximize your health. A fantastic gift for anyone this year!

I was recently introduced to the DUER brand and I am here to tell you, I am impressed. They have amazing clothing! Who doesn’t need a great denim jacket in their wardrobe? Their Stay Dry Denim Jacket is unlike any we’ve tried before–uber comfortable and stretchy and it is water resistant. An absolute essential for your favorite guy! We are also really big fans of their performance stretch button down shirts–great to wear to the office or out for a date night. But, here’s the key, it doesn’t feel restrictive like a normal dress shirt, it’s stretchy and comfortable and looks fantastic no matter how you style it.

Give him some great new colognes this Christmas for an absolute steal. Such a great price, in fact, that you can pick up several varieties.  FragranceNet is the perfect place to find every spectacular fragrance you could ever want! Buy full sized bottles like Ermenegildo Zegna XXX Verdigris, gift sets like the Calvin Klein Variety which includes four intoxicating fragrances and the Bvlgari Variety five piece set. These are great ways to try several scents and find your favorite. You can also load up on miniature sizes of colognes for stockings, too. You can find so many different well loved brands here, be sure to check them out!

I love giving personal gifts. I was recently introduced to MemoryStitch and I can’t rave about them enough! I’m sure your favorite guy has a stack of well-loved t-shirts from trips, college, sporting events and concerts that create a patchwork of incredible memories if all put together. That’s exactly what MemoryStitch thought when they made it possible for us to create one of kind patchwork t-shirt quilt made from those same t-shirts. This is the greatest gift idea and so simple to do. Simply visit their site, select the size of your blanket and begin the process. All you need to do on your end is select the correct number of t-shirts for the size you are creating. You can cut them to size, or for a small fee, let them do the work. Select the stitching and backing for your blanket. You ship it to them and that is where your efforts end. Before you know it, your t-shirts will be returned and transformed into a very special gift that will be cherished for years to come. I love that you can create something so meaningful and memorable so easily. The end product is absolutely wonderful! I got to try this out for myself and couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. Try it out yourself and get 40% off your order by using code mommyavenger40 good though December 31, 2023. 

If your favorite guy has to get dressed up on the regular, check out this innovative brand, &Collar, for the best dress clothes he could ask for. Wrinkle free and ready to go, their clothes are absolutely incredible! I love their Pacific dress shirt for particularly hot climates. My son has to wear dress shirts every day in 100 degrees and more and these stand the test of the heat. He stays cool and dry, even though the sun is trying to melt him. Here’s the cool thing, these shirts are made from recycled plastic, about 15 plastic bottles to be exact. So wear these shirts knowing they are great for the environment and even better at keeping you comfortable.

I have had a lot of experience with their white dress shirts, but was recently introduced to their other shirts that are perfect for the office. They have polos that look fantastic on and wash up perfectly. Or they have long sleeve shirts to change up your look that will take you to the office, church and special occasions and keep you looking incredible. Don’t forget they have great ties, pants, and shoes, too! When shopping at &Collar, be sure to use the code MOMMYAVENGER at checkout for 15% off your order for first time customers.

We love the layered look for cool weather months and Orvis has a great sustainable option that looks fantastic. The RT7 Quilted vest is made of all recycled materials. 100% recycled polyester for the shell and the inside is made up of recycled bottles and crushed oyster shells! That is amazing to me. The vest looks great on and feels even better. The hardest decision you will have to make it how many to get–there are many colors to choose from!

A long time favorite gift is anything from MissionBelt. The innovative design of these belts get rave reviews from everyone I know who has tried them on. We love these no holes belts that can adjust to be most comfortable. They can even be trimmed if they are too big! For Christmas, I love gifting the premium set, as there are 3 beautiful belts inside that allow for a variety of ensembles. There are so many great designs to pick from, depending on what he’s wearing. Is he a fan of Western wear, likes the look of a tactical belt, or love a specific sports team? They’ve got him covered! You can find several great gifts for him that will have him wanting to leave his old belts in the past. Check them out!

Looking to upgrade his wallet game? Yeah, we think it’s about time to ditch the bulky wallets that leave him feeling unbalanced and overloaded and trade it in for an ultra sleek and high tech version. Check out Ekster for a variety of great looking and efficient wallets with a small profile that can sync up to your phone and allow it to be tracked. No more wondering where he put his wallet if he has a tracker in his Ekster–your wallet will play a cool tune to help you locate it. New, just in time for the holidays, is the Eclipse wallet–it absorbs the light all day to glow at night! I also love their laptop sleeves (juniper green is a gorgeous color) and their brand new GRID backpack for your favorite guy commuting to the office. Be sure to check out their site–lots of great deals and exclusives for the holidays!

Gerber tools are always a sure-fire win for gifts. For the dad that loves to tools and gadgets, I recommend the brand new tool that has arrived just in time for Christmas, the Dual-Force. This multi-tool has twice the strength and force as previous tools and he will find a million and one reasons to use it all the time. This tool is the best–ultimate set of pliers, center-axis bit driver, plain edge knife blade, fine/coarse file, saw, and additional bit storage. He will be taking this tool with him everywhere he goes, ready for any job imaginable–which is great because they come with a limited lifetime warranty which Gerber offers on all their products!

^{*products were received to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own*}