There is a rule in my house that says we cannot buy any soap, no matter how cute and amazing. It’s circumstance, not anything against soap. For whatever reason, at Christmases and birthdays, The Beard and I have been the recipients of an inordinate number of soaps. Black soaps from Spain that my uncle maintained were good for pregnant women. Bear shaped soaps meant for the baby. Olive oil soaps from Greece, eco-friendly soaps with hollowed out centers to decrease waste, and even one clear soap in a bag with a toy goldfish in the middle. And then, you guessed it, I gave soapmaking a try.

And normally, this soap moratorium doesn’t weigh heavily on my mind. In fact, I can honestly say I hadn’t thought of it at all until, that is, I came across Soapylove. Soapylove, created by Debbie Chialtas, began as a hobby and evolved into a line of soaps, a shop and an Etsy shop, a magazine for soapmakers, and a book! But as cool as the Soapylove story is, the Soapylove soaps are even cooler!

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Uh oh, Father’s Day is imminent, and I know there are some of you out there in a panic because this Hallmarkish holiday has completely slipped your mind. Good thing I’m here to first remind you that dads and the dad-esque men in your life deserve a little recognition and then give you a couple of rad gift ideas that will totally blow your sister’s Outback gift card right out of the water.

So let’s do this thing, yeah? Because Father’s Day is just around the corner!

For the new dad and the dad-to-be:

The DJ Diaper Bag is designed with all the amenities of a great diaper bag while keeping a sophisticated style. While The Beard is happy enough carrying my gigantic Beatrix Potter themed hobo that I sewed myself, I know that there are some dude dads that are just not as comfortable with girlie gear. DJ bags are one way to get papa excited about lugging around dipes and wipes.

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A puzzle box is a container that can only be opened using some obscure and often unexpected form of manipulation. It can be as simple as pressing a hidden button on the side of the box or as complicated as turning the box in space so many times. Variations can be found all over the world — Costa Rica, Vietnam, Poland, and Turkey, to name a few countries — though Japanese puzzle boxes seem to be the most common. I like to give them as gifts because I’m mean like that.

The examples above all came from Amazon and can be had with a click. For the gift giver, puzzle boxes are a little bit of harmless sadism. For the gift recipient, they’re as fun as they can be frustrating, especially when there’s something like a gift card, a spot of cash, or a piece of jewelry hidden inside.

The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! Aaargh! No matter how hard I try, I cannot avoid the slow drag that leads toward December’s end and masses of money spent on others. Not that I mind buying holiday gifts, of course. It’s just the shopping and the shipping and the wrapping and the packing and the traveling. The hassle, really. I long for simpler times, when no one expected holiday gifts of me, and my crudely fashioned macaroni necklace was the biggest hit of Christmas.

In that spirit, here are some sweet holiday gifts from Atypyk that are playful and reasonably priced. It’s almost like you made them yourself, but you didn’t. You picked them out yourself, though, or you can tell people you did. They’re holiday gifts for the quirky and forgiving loved ones in your life, not those recipients expecting a boc from Nordstrom. I guess you could package any or all of these in an old Nordstrom box, thus confusing your recipients.

Why waste a whole plate on a slice when you could put your slice on a pizza slice plate? Less space, sure, but also less to wash.

Quench your flowers’ thirst in eco-friendly containers. Drink beer first, though. Or soda. You give a little to get a little to give a little with a six pack vase.

Bananas are good for your health, and no-slip bananas are no exception. Step one: Peel off bananas. Apply them to the bath floor, bathtub or shower stall. Step two: No slip-and-fall anymore.

Who hasn’t used a wine bottle as a rolling pin, in a pinch? I’ve done it plenty, and I actually own a rolling pin. Give bakers without rolling pins something chic in the form of a wine bottle rolling pin.

Lawn lovers who haven’t yet joined the landed gentry take heart! You, too, can care for and cry over your own little patch of green — or brown — like those of us who battle blight and bugs and the mysterious creeping death that comes a’calling every dang fall. Haffsteinn Juliusson’s Growing Ring lets you experience the trials and tribulations of lawn ownership in a tiny little take-it-with-you package.

Silver and soil, a little TLC, and some water are all it takes… a green thumb doesn’t hurt, though. And $179, which is how much your personal plot will cost you. Hey, it’s cheaper than real estate!

If you can believe it, it’s looking like The Beard and I have our Christmas shopping just about all wrapped up this year. I kid you not. It doesn’t hurt that we’re economizing by getting everyone the same thing holiday gifts year… hint: handmade by a friend of ours, which is all I’m saying. Those who don’t have DIY skills or a crafty friend, however, may need to actually shop for their holiday gifts, and I definitely recommend getting it over with early early early. Screw Black Friday. Who wants to get trampled? Not me, and not you, which is why I’m going to be recommending holiday gifts now then from here until the end of December. Here are four potential holiday gifts I’m digging on:

Zippers are used everywhere… in our clothes, on our bags, and now on our mugs? Ohay, so the zipper on these zipper mugs doesn’t actually open and close, it does keep your tea bag tag from falling into your cup. A holiday gift that prevents burnt fingers? Sign me up!

Simple and graceful lines make these koi pitchers seem so elegant, but when you pour, things get playful. The pitcher actually gurgles when you serve your favorite beverage and it’s one of those sounds people can’t get enough of. Of course, you can also use these fresh fish as vases or art objects instead of kitchenware.

A 1980s icon — writing that makes me feel so old — finds a new place on the dining room table! Classic Rubik’s Cubes become colorful salt and pepper grinders that have the same feel and make the same sound as the toy/puzzle they’re paying tribute to. A great holiday gift for the 80s enthusiast, no?

Forget the ugly Tupperware that’s been scratched and dinged by the dishwasher. These snap and shut bowls put a little art in your lunchbox, with designs by emerging artists Matte Stephens, Amy Ruppel, Emily Martin and Catalina Estrada. Yummy.

Did I mention that all of this stuff is $42 or less? The economy be damned, let’s get gifty!

I try to check out Megan Hobson’s Entertaining, Events & Beautiful Things at least once a week because it features a great mix of home decor, fashion, and *squee* wedding stuff. A few days ago, she posted that Le Papier Studio and Paloma’s Nest (maker of adorable ring bearer bowls) have put their heads together to create a lovely line of hanging custom silhouettes.

There are pre-fab silhouettes to choose from, but what fun is that? Especially when a custom silhouette ornament will only set you back $40. The deets:

Each ornament is crafted by hand by Paloma’s Nest utilizing fine pure white clay which has been fired and then finished with a special protective surface treatment. Silhouettes are hand painted to perfection with the finest black ceramic paint.

Don’t think that you have to use these hanging silhouettes as holiday ornaments. We’re planning on having one made of our daughter’s silhouette and it will be displayed in the hallway all year long. They could also make fun (albeit slightly pricey) gift tags, no?

Every now and then I highlight a shop here on the Home blog, though admittedly I haven’t done so for quite some time. Nothing, to tell you the truth, has caught my eye lately. Today’s seller of note, The Conran Shop, actually re-entered my field of consciousness when I found an advert I’d ripped out of the New York Times Style mag ages and ages ago. I loved the selection of products featured in the ad: multi-color headphones, a miniature electric guitar and amp, toy helicopters, retro iPod docks, and other stuff designed to add a little fun to life.

Here are a few things that just now caught my eye… Charles and Ray Eames succumbed to the charms of the elephant and in 1945 designed a toy version made of plywood. However, it never made it into mass production, until now! This adorable red one is plastic, but what can you do? And how about that spacey radio? Designed by Yves Malka & Pierre de Poucques, the Apollo AM/FM radio’s controls are integrated into the design, rather than relying on buttons and knobs. Have a blast watching your friends figure out how to turn it on! Then there is the cheerfyl Japanese moneybox, the magnetboard sheep with farmalicious magnets, and all of the gorgeous furniture sold by this store.

Seriously, go and have a look — it’s worth the time. Even if, like me, you can’t afford much, it is still fun to browser shop.

Father’s Day is just around the corner (almost) so why not get a jump on it? Consider this post fair warning for daughters, sons, and wives who routinely wait until the last minute to get dear old dad a little something on June 21. The nice thing about Father’s Day is that most dads are more than happy to receive gifts for the home or the garden or the grill, making shopping really super easy. Here are my five picks for fun Father’s Day gifts for 2009:

The Voodoo knife holder in red is every bit as sharp as it is… sharp? The set comes with a 8-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch bread knife, 8-inch carver, 5-inch utility, and 3-1/2-inch parer, so the man in your life will no doubt find plenty of uses for it.

The funky little Cubissimo alarm clock in black is cute, but manly enough for dad’s desk. It’s also versatile! It has different displays on each of its four sides: the day of the week, the time, the temperature and the date.

I think bacon bandages speak for themselves, na?

Novelty ties were always a big hit in my family — though whether said ties were actually ever worn was a whole other matter. This PI tie in sage strikes a balance between fun and functional, and is especially good for dads into math and science.

And for the new dad in your life, there’s the Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads, a fun book that ranges from tongue-in-cheek to practical. I actually bought this for The Beard, though I won’t be giving it to him until next month when Father’s Day actually rolls around. Shhh, no telling.

As a new mom myself, I feel compelled to remind everyone who reads Manolo for the Home to tell mom that she’s the best. And what better way to do just that than to buy her something beautiful and/or fun?*

Tracy Porter Vivre dinnerware can brighten up mom’s kitchen when you’re not around to brighten it yourself.

Of course mom’s not old! But she may still dig on these vintage magnetic kitchen timers. Everyone can use a little more time!

For (dis)organized moms, the What-Nots Chest of Drawers makes sure there’s a place for everything and mom can put everything in its place.

Nothing says “mom” like bunny slippers — make mom’s feet happy with heated herbal lavender bunny slippers

*Why, yes, I am fishing for gifts. Why do you ask?