I leave the gift buying to my wife but she doesn’t let me off the hook completely. I thought this year I would get ahead of the game and have a list ready and figured I would help you at the same time with this quick shopping holiday gift guide!

I was sent the products in this guide for placement.

The guide will fill any needs for the kids, your wife’s stocking, and some great wines. I already used one of the bottles of wine and scored major points with the Mrs. I cooked dinner while she was out and we drank the bottle which led to dessert!

So here you are, me saving you! Go shop!

All items are linked to where you can purchase them to make things easy (you know that I DIDN’T TO THIS). Have fun and shop while I’m watching the game

This gift guide was a collaborative effort between 7 blogs. Please support them for MORE holiday fun.

• Visit for everything from a  travel and beauty blog visit Tools2Tiaras.
• Check out the lifestyle and travel blog Champagne Living.
• Kids, a new house & a new business, learn how Controlled Confusion keeps it all together
• From a men’s lifestyle and sports blog  visit Garage Rant.
• For a young couple’s view on life you’ll want to read Home Food Fun.
• Fore a man’s perspective on retirement check out Cars Bars and Pars.
• Savings With Denise a lifestyle blog for readers looking for perfect products

Products in our gift guide have been sponsored.

My wife is in charge of getting all the gifts and cards, but when I’m trying to score points, I’ll add my two cents and sometimes I come up with a great idea. When it comes to buying for my wife, I’d love to get it over quick with a gift card, but I know she’s thinking I didn’t put any thought in it! I’m here to make your life easy and for you to score points with the Mrs.

We are once again collaborating with six of our favorite bloggers to create ONE gift guide that will make your fall perfect and we included guys this time so you can put things on YOUR list. Like something for your balls to make them soft!

Click on the rectangle in the lower right-hand corner of the gift guide for a FULL PAGE view.

Visit the other participating bloggers in our gift guide at:

• Tools2Tiaras
• ChampagneLiving
• SavingsWithDenise
• ControlledConfusion
• HomeFoodFun
• CarsBarsAndPars

We all know that sports are good for our physical health, but did you know that team sports can have huge benefits for your mental health too, particularly if you’re a man?

Whether you’re feeling a little stressed out about work, you’re feeling lonely, or you’ve got a dose of the blues, but playing with a team can dramatically improve your mental health. Here’s how:

It Connects You with Others

A lot of men are very reserved; they find it hard to open up to people, which means if they’re having a tough time they’re more likely than women to bottle it all up inside. However, if they have played as part of a team for a while, they will have built bonds with their teammates, which means they’re more likely to open up, seek advice and reach out when they’re experiencing mental health problems like loneliness and depression.

Sports Releases Endorphins

This is one that anyone, male or female can benefit from but it’s a biggie – when you get physically active, your body releases endorphins, which are basically feel-good chemicals that can help to make you feel calmer, happier and a lot more relaxed than you were before you started running around batting and throwing.

It Improves Concentration

Many mental health problems cause your concentration levels to plummet, and that isn’t good if you have a job to hold down and a million other things to do. Not only that, but poor concentration levels and mental skills, in general, can lead to illnesses like Alzheimer’s in later life. Luckily, playing sports doesn’t just strengthen your body and build your muscles – it does the same for your brain too. That’s why you should think about sending your teens to, for example, a soccer camp like the one here, as well as playing team sports yourself. It will help them with their studies and  you to have a healthier brain and stronger career.

It Increases Motivation

When men are feeling low, they can find it difficult to get up and moving (as can women). However, research has shown that men who have team sports to go to are more likely to get up and moving, even when they’re stressed or depressed and don’t feel like it because they don’t want to let the rest of the team down. So, playing a team sport is a great way to ensure that mental health problems don’t totally pull you under.

It Boost Confidence

Due to the way we have always treated men in society, stressing the importance of strength, both physical and mental and how they should be the breadwinners, men have a lot of pressure on them, and it can cause them to feel pretty inadequate. Luckily, playing team sports can alleviate some of that inadequacy by making them feel good about their body and their discipline in turning up every week to play their very best.

If you aren’t already playing team sports, now might be the perfect time for you to get started. It is so beneficial, as you can see, in so many ways.

I love watching Forged In Fire, it’s so cool to see the art of making knives and swords. I’d love to be able to make my own sword or knives but I don’t have the tools nor the time. It will remain on my list but until we are able to make our own, here is what you need to know!

The ultimate steel for sword has always been Damascus steel and even the history holds records of it. Damascus has been used considerably in the history because of its brilliant features which no other form of steel bore. Even after the new era, damascus has been able to retain its importance in the market with various variations. It is now used for knives and also for engagement rings. They have unique patterns which distinguish them from all other steel swords and knives. To facilitate better learning, here we present to you some valuable information which will help you know better about damascus steel.

History of Damascus swords

Ordinary steel never deemed fit for swords because it would turn brittle. However, damascus was made of a different material which made it better than any of its counterparts. Damascus was strong and flexible and it had unique patterns which could cut an armoured soldier in two halves without too much effort. Such swords were used by Muslim warriors in the 11th and 12th century when they fought a war against crusaders. These swords were crafted by the brilliant bladesmiths of damascus which gave it its name. They were making such swords from 300 AD but till 1700, the world was unknown to this crafted metal.

Basic information about Damascus

• Damascus steel swords have unique patterns which are neither lasered nor rippled, but inherited from the ingots which formed the blade for the steel. Till date, there are only two methods to obtain such designs on the sword.

• Damascus steel is made from Wootz steel which has different properties from the general steel. This steel was originally found in Southern India from where it was sent to Damascus to be mastered by the brilliant bladesmiths for muslim warriors.

• Around the 1700s, Damascus steel blade production stopped for numerous reasons unknown to us. However, a theory explains that wootz was made from impurities which made it so strong and uniquely patterned and as it was imported from India, it was starting to deplete. To prevent complete depletion, the manufacturing of such steel blade stopped.

• Pattern welding is used to manufacture damascus steel rings and knives. To give the rippled effect, different sheets of steel is put together with different levels of carbon content. It also assisted in producing different shades on the steel. Pattern welded does not bear the same strength as Wootz steel swords, but it bears remarkable resemblance with the ancient wootz damascus steel swords and patterns.

• Vikings and Japanese blacksmiths also made their own versions of patterned and rippled damascus swords as they variated pattern welded method. Apart from swords, steel gun barrels were also made from damascus steel. However, smokeless powder and laminated damascus did not go hand in hand which led to gun barrel explodes.

• Many attempts were made in order to replicate the damascus steel, or at least it’s might but nothing worked until a discovery was made. For many centuries it was believed, that only Wootz steel made damascus but another component by the name carbon nanotubes had the same importance in its existence.

Damascus has increased its usability as it is no longer used for only sword making. Highly useful knives for hunting and for display are made from damascus as well. It offers strength and durability which is why it is used for making engagement rings too. If you find this above mentioned information useful, share this article with those who might be benefitted with it.