5 Great Tips For Making Your Dad Smile On Father’s Day

Father's Day gifts are typically practical items - lawn care equipment, ties, golf balls, a new tennis racquet - stuff he can use.

Rarely do you get something sentimental for dad - it just doesn't fit the day, and it usually doesn't fit the dad.

But it doesn't have to be this way. You can let dad maintain his stoic masculine front, but at the same time get him a gift that will simply melt his heart.

How? Create a photo gift for him online. Now, that doesn't mean you plaster your picture all over a set of coffee cups, or a throw blanket, or a pillowcase. No, for dad you're going to have to work a bit harder than that (and wouldn't dad want you to work a bit harder anyway?).

Tip number one: find a photo sharing site that let's you create gifts quickly and easily. Search the term "easy photo sharing" on your favorite Internet search engine. A couple will pop up near the top, but be sure to check them out before you start. Look for these qualities in the site you choose:

• Allows you to upload 300 photos all at once without downloading special software. Otherwise, you'll waste a lot of time browsing your photos in one at a time.

• Gives you a nice variety of Keepsakes to choose from - but not too many. You don't want to feel like you're at a card store at the mall when you're trying to create a gift online. If you do, it generally means they have membership requirements, and will try to "up sell" you every step of the way.

• Makes it really easy to do everything you need to do. After all, you want to create a nice gift in a reasonable amount of time. Look for a site will fill you album automatically. This will allow you to spend more time picking the right photos and less time creating the album.

Once you've found the right website, then start thinking about what kind of gift is appropriate for your dad.

Tip number two: One of the best is a photo album. You can create one very quickly using photos he'll enjoy looking at - grandkids, some of his golf outings with buddies, a backyard project he's proud of.

With dads, it's often the time they spend in an activity with you that matters most to them. If he took you camping as a kid, and you dig up a bunch of photos from those days and put them in a photo album, you're almost guaranteed to get him misty eyed. You might also want to pick photos that span a range of emotions - funny, sentimental, nostalgic. You know you're dad best, so give this part of it some thought.

Tip number three: Another really good idea is a story book. This is a little more involved than a photo album as it means writing a story or two about the photos you select. The up side is that he's more likely to pull the story book out and read it over and over again, reminiscing about the stories you've shared.

Tip number four: Calendars are always appreciated. Since it's a custom calendar you can start it in any month and build it around any theme you want - fishing, tennis, backpacking, camping, motorcycles. Or you can give it a more sentimental theme. What grandpa doesn't like to have pictures of his grandkids all around him, all year long?

Tip number five: you can create a nice set of greeting cards for him. Think about how much easier it would be for him to have cards on hand that he could use for a variety of occasions - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. You can theme the cards however you want - the cards you come up with are really only limited by your imagination.

Whatever Keepsake you decide to create for your dad, he's sure to appreciate it. And even if he's the type who doesn't show emotion, you can bet that he'll be touched by your thoughtfulness.

And there's no way a photo gift filled with pictures of his friends and family will get tucked away in the closet. You'll sure to see your gift to him out on his coffee table all year long!