Michelle Goth

Fifteen percent of dads say they want a change of pace this year; no gifts at all. Racks of novelty ties and socks, last-minute gift cards and grilling tools often mark Father’s Day. But in 2025, American dads hope for something a little different.

Most dads don’t desire anything extravagant. What they want most this Father’s Day is to spend time with their children, nearly 60% of them, in fact. Others rank a special meal, a practical gift or a day of relaxation high on their list.

The data suggests a shift in what Father’s Day looks like, and who the modern dad really is. Today’s celebrations go beyond golf and gadgets to reflect a broader, more personal definition of fatherhood. Now, families honor dads in meaningful new ways.

Dads are more involved than ever

Dads are spending more time than ever on child care and interactive activities with their children. Dr. Will Courtney, psychiatrist and founding editor of the International Journal of Men’s Health, agrees. “Today’s dads are definitely more involved with parenting. In fact, the time fathers spend with their kids has increased by over 250% since the 1960s. This is good for both kids and dads, as kids with involved fathers do better in just about every way that we can measure.”

Dads’ increased involvement in parenting looks different for each family but is often focused on play. Ashlyn Ayres Ellington, an Atlanta-based licensed therapist, adds, “I like to say that moms are often the CEOs of family logistics, while dads are the VPs of adventure and play.” As the role of fathers expands and evolves, so do the ways modern dads prefer to celebrate Father’s Day, a shift in emphasis to connection, presence and ease.

Quality time is the favored gift

Nearly 1 quarter of survey respondents over 65 indicated that they would prefer not to receive a gift for Father’s Day. For those who did want a gift, 28% said they would prefer a simple, heartfelt gift such as a greeting card or something handmade.

Paul Zalenski, a father of two and co-founder of the parenting initiative Fathercraft, says, “Last year, my daughters surprised me with what they called a ‘Dadventure Passport.’ It was a simple, handmade booklet with 12 envelopes. Each envelope was labeled with a different mini-adventure. For instance, the first envelope was ‘Pancake Picnic in the Backyard,’ another was ‘Build a Fort and Watch a Movie’ and so on.”

Regarding the ideal gift for Father’s Day, Ellington says, “The essential truth about dads is they never want additional ties. They want to feel seen. Most fathers express their concerns to me about performing well in their duties, and they desire their children to remember shared time together.”

For the fathers who do prefer a physical gift, almost 20% would appreciate a gift card to a store of their choosing, which shows a desire for flexibility and personal choice in their gift. Other commonly requested gifts include their favorite alcohol or beer, tools or gadgets.

More than a meal

If food is the way to a man’s heart, it might also be the way to his ideal Father’s Day. It’s found that 44% of fathers prefer their primary activity for Father’s Day to be a homemade meal, and 36% want to visit a restaurant on their special day. Good food is definitely on the menu for a successful Father’s Day celebration.

Kyle Sobko, an Ontario-based father and CEO of SonderCare, says, “Meaningful gifts or experiences to me revolve around time together. I prefer things that create connection, like time outdoors or a calm early morning with a thoughtful breakfast.”

The good news? You don’t need a five-course meal to impress your dad; consider a homemade breakfast, lunch at his favorite restaurant or a meal at home. Grilling is a Father’s Day tradition, and some recipes will surely satisfy.

For a budget-friendly dinner at home, marinate a cut of lean steak for kabobs. A savory marinade can make affordable cuts of steak like sirloin tender, juicy and flavorful. Layer the marinated steak with bell peppers and onions for a tasty grilled meal. If budget isn’t a consideration, grill a tomahawk steak for Father’s Day. This impressive, bone-in ribeye steak is known for its rich flavor, making it a favorite for grilling enthusiasts.

Grill the side dishes for your meal to add flavor and char to basic vegetables. Add your dad’s favorite vegetables to an aluminum pan with olive oil and seasonings, or make grilled corn on the cob. Even bread is more delicious on the grill. Baste slices of bread with butter and garlic, then grill until lightly charred.

Focus on emotional connection for Father’s Day

If the data is any indication, the modern American dad isn’t looking for fanfare. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Ehab Youssef suggests, “I know that what people often crave most is to feel seen and appreciated, and that’s especially true for dads, who often don’t express that need directly. From both my roles as a father and a son, I believe a truly meaningful Father’s Day gift centers around emotional connection.”

With the role of fathers evolving, it seems that modern dads value experiences, a good meal and meaningful time with loved ones over conventional gifts for Father’s Day. From hands-on parenting to new preferences in celebration, today’s fathers are embracing a more intentional, involved role in family life. However you choose to honor the dads in your life this year, the most important gift may simply be to recognize who they are and all they do.

Michelle Goth is a professionally trained cook and cookbook author dedicated to celebrating Midwestern cooking traditions. She shares easy recipes for family dinners and holidays at Blackberry Babe.

By KIM COOK, Associated Press

Home decor’s got a split personality this year: Call it “city glow” and “cottage flow.”

At the two international design fairs that I attended — Maison et Objet in France, Ambiente in Germany — acres of exhibition booths were full of Art Deco furnishings, island-vibe rattan seating and lighting, and lots of emphasis on sustainably produced materials.

But a couple of aesthetics drawing crowds were especially interesting.

Capturing the ‘city glow’

One was an exuberant urban vibe I’m nicknaming “city glow.” It’s full of highlighter-hued throw pillows, edgy surrealism, street art and hefty, Brutalist-style furniture — lots of sharp-cornered steel or concrete consoles and lamps that loomed over rooms — as well as rugs and wallcoverings covered in graffiti-style motifs or swaths of vibrant color.

Gretchen Rivera, an interior designer in Washington, D.C., sees it as a look that resonates especially with “younger generations who grew up with digital influences. There’s surrealist art, energetic colors and playful, almost toy-like design.”

Interior designer Anton Liakhov in Nice, France, agrees: “For a generation clamoring for creativity and self-expression, it’s loud and in-your-face.”

For surface colors, look at Benjamin Moore’s spicy orange Bryce Canyon or the bubblegum-pink Springtime Bloom. Daydream Apothecary has a whole collection of neon wall paints for intrepid decorators.

Sisters Ana and Lola Sánchez use art as a bold form of self-expression at their luxe brand Oliver Gal, in South Florida. It’s known for its handcrafted, statement-making pieces — including large acrylic gummy bears, graphic surfboards and wall art inspired by fashion, pop culture and modern surrealism. The result is a vibrant, edgy aesthetic.

A new collection, Rococo Pop, introduces rococo-inspired frames in high-gloss acrylics paired with playful graphic imagery. “We wanted to take the opulence of 18th century rococo,” notes Ana Sánchez, “and give it a cheeky, pop-art punch.”

“These frames are like little rebels in ballgowns — elegant, over-the-top and totally unexpected,” adds Lola Sánchez.

The style, her sister says, “celebrates contrast. Old World charm meets modern mischief.”

Following the ‘cottage flow’

The other impressive decor style at the design fairs was very different from the urban look. I’m calling this one “cottage flow,” and Liakhov describes it as evoking a “peaceful sanctuary, where you can play around with textures that are anchored in, and in tune with, nature.”

Think nubby woolen throws in mossy hues. Softly burnished wooden tables. Vintage quilts, and dishware. Gingham and garden florals. Landscape prints. Imagery of birds and woodland animals on textiles and wallcoverings.

Etsy’s 2025 spring/summer trend report showed that searches for “French cottage decor” were up over 26,000% compared to 2024.

“I see people embracing a slower pace to life where they can,” says New York-based interior and decor designer Kathy Kuo about the country cottage style.

“The past two decades or so were dominated by a glorification of fast-paced ‘hustle culture’ — trends like cottagecore and coastal grandmother are evidence that the pendulum’s swinging toward taking pleasure in simpler, more nature-adjacent things in life, whether or not you actually live in a country cottage,” she says.

Paint colors are also reflecting the trend. A calming sage green called Quietude is HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams’ color of the year. Little-Greene’s collection has names like Rolling Fog, Tea with Florence and Hammock.

Mixing the styles

Watching design show visitors excitedly discovering new finds among the aisles, I thought THIS is what’s fun about home decorating: You can think as creatively as you like when it comes to your own home.

You’re all about high-octane city nightlife? Come this way.

Scottish crofts, Scandi cabins and cozy porches more your thing? Right over here.

And if you want to mix these two aesthetics? Go for it. There’s space to blend elements of both, says Kuo.

“Design trends are so fluid. I absolutely see the potential to merge these into each other,” she says. “Many city dwellers love time in nature and have an affinity for a more rustic look, while still feeling called to honor their urban environment in their home. I see plenty of modern interior design motifs that are sleek and urban on the surface, but in the details, they’re infused with organic textures and biophilic elements.”

“Really, the best designs are the ones that are personal, rather than perfect,” she adds.

You could display an array of contemporary glass bowls on a curvy walnut credenza. Mix botanical patterns in vibrant, unexpected colors. Soften room elements like a sleek table and industrial-style lamp with boucle or velvet cushions and a fluffy rug. Pair polished concrete floors with vintage-inspired wallcovering.

If you don’t want to mix elements in one space, consider using sliding partitions from one room to another. You’ll create a little style “journey.”

If the recent international design fairs are any indication, you’re going to find loads of fun home decor in stores over the coming months. Get ready to flow

New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The Associated Press. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.

The special needs bicycle for Max Davidson has not arrived but the smile on his face says he knows it’s coming.

“I like to put my feet on the pedals,” said Max, 7, and one of 100 children in Southeast Michigan invited to Bike Day at Corewell Health’s Center for Children’s Rehabilitation in Royal Oak, where a team of experts worked to fit them for a no-cost custom, adaptable bicycle.

The bicycles are not something you can buy at any store.

They range in price from $1,300 to $5,000 and can be adapted to meet the needs of a variety of riders, and ages.

Some can even be pedaled by hand.

Such technology comes at a cost but thankfully covered by the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Corewell Health Foundation, not to mention the community that supports them.

“When we round up to donate coins at a Speedway gas station or contribute to a Dairy Queen Children’s Network fundraiser that money pays for these bicycles,” said Charlotte Alex, director of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Corewell Health Children’s. “I would be remiss if I did not stress we are also incredibly grateful to our expert and caring vendors, our dedicated volunteers and the extraordinary generosity of the people of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. It’s you who make these adaptive bicycles possible.”

While a few pennies in a jar doesn’t seem like a big contribution, it adds up and every bike purchased makes a huge difference in people’s lives.

“They offer a fun and dynamic opportunity for exercise, socialization and family togetherness,” said Ryan Barto, Corewell Health bike day coordinator and senior pediatric occupational therapist. “The physical benefits, including improved strength and coordination, are numerous.”

Bike Day has also become a tradition for parents of children with special needs like Max, who was born with hemimegalencephaly, a rare neurological disorder that causes seizures and is drug resistant.

Before the age of one Max had to undergo a hemispherectomy, which involved removing the right side of his brain, which was causing the seizures. Since then, he has been in therapy to help the left side of his brain to take over the duties of the right side.

What’s been a great help is the bicycle.

“I notice his back is straighter and his gait is strong after he rides his bike,” said Kelly Davidson, while watching Max and his sister Eleanor playing in the driveway of their Shelby Township home. “It’s just a wonderful program. It gives kids an opportunity to get a bike they’re able to ride.”

Max concurred.

“I like going fast,” he said of the bicycle he will receive in July.

Delta Airlines and Tubby’s Sub Shops are also sponsors of Bike Day.

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Let the year’s biggest fashion party begin! A rainy Met Gala got underway Monday with a tuxedoed choir and a trend true to the menswear theme: Emma Chamberlain and other women in pinstripe gowns.

Chamberlain and Zuri Hall were among those who wore sleek, sexy gowns that play on men’s suiting in pinstripes and other details.

“I expect this to be a frequent thing tonight, women wanting to maintain a traditionally feminine dress silhouette while still respecting the theme,” said William Dingle, director of style for blackmenswear.com, a cultural impact agency that focuses on uplifting Black men.

The suggested dress code, “Tailored for You,” is inspired by Black dandyism. Teyana Taylor went for a stunning Zoot Suit look with a red, feather-adorned top hat and a huge matching cape dripping with flowers and bling.

The Zoot was popularized in Harlem in the 1940s.

Colman Domingo, one of the evening’s hosts, wore a pleated, gold adorned cape over a gray and black suit, his jacket a pearled windowpane design with a huge dotted black flower. His look, including his cape and a dotted black scarf at his neck, evoked the late André Leon Talley, the fashion icon who made history as a rare Black editor at Vogue.

Domingo arrived with Vogue’s Anna Wintour, dressed in a baby blue coat over a shimmery white gown. Fellow co-chair Lewis Hamilton donned a jaunty ivory tuxedo with a cropped jacket and matching beret.

Pharrell Williams, another co-host, was demure in a double-breasted, beaded evening jacket and dark trousers. He kept his dark shades on while posing for the cameras. Williams walked with his wife, Helen Lasichanh, in a black bodysuit and matching jacket.

Pharrell’s jacket consists of 15,000 pearls and took 400 hours to construct, his representative said.

Monica L. Miller, whose book inspired the evening, wore a bejeweled cropped cape over a dress adorned with cowrie shells by Grace Wales Bonner. It’s a direct connection to a piece in the gala’s companion Metropolitan Museum of Art spring exhibit that Miller guest curated.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pharrell Williams has high hopes for the Met Gala, the first to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme.

“I want it to feel like the most epic night of power, a reflection of Black resiliency in a world that continues to be colonized, by which I mean policies and legislation that are nothing short of that,” he recently told Vogue.

“It’s our turn.”

Indeed. And welcome to the first Monday in May.

How to watch the 2025 Met Gala

Vogue will livestream the gala starting at 6 p.m. Eastern on Vogue.com, its YouTube channel and across its other digital platforms. Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony and Ego Nwodim will host the stream. Emma Chamberlain will also do interviews on the carpet.

The Associated Press will stream the gala carpet on delay beginning at 6:30 p.m. The feeds will be available on YouTube and APNews.com.

E! will begin live coverage at 6 p.m. on TV. The livestream will be available on Peacock, E! Online and YouTube, along with the network’s other social media feeds.

The only thing worse than the need for community food pantries is having a pantry and not being able to store perishable goods.

That’s what makes the food pantry grant for a new refrigeration unit offered by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan in collaboration with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), Blue Cross Complete of Michigan and the BCBSM Foundation such a blessing.

“Last year we served 75,665 people and because of the refrigeration unit we were able to store milk between pantry days for emergency food,” said Sue Ostosh, executive director of Harvest Time Christian Fellowship Church’s pantry and among the organizations that have received the grant that’s now open for new applicants.

Emergency food as Ostosh explained is a term that pantries use for people who are in a crisis situation.

“They have no food in the house. No food in the cupboards. Their children are hungry and they don’t know what to do,” Ostosh said. “We probably serve three to five families in this situation every week.”

Harvest Time in Warren is one of 179 organizations in 54 counties that have received a grant to help people facing food insecurity, which includes about 14% of people in Michigan or one in seven Michiganders, according to a report by Feeding America. Older adults, seniors over the age of 60, are also at risk with a food insecurity rate of 6.5%.

According to the BCBSM, the situation is even worse for children, with nearly one in six lacking enough to eat and more than 20 counties having 20% or more kids without reliable access to healthy food.

“When families have consistent access to fresh, nutritious foods like milk, cheese and yogurt it supports their health, development and well being,” said Amiee Vondrasek, health and wellness senior manager for the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, in a news release. “Through this grant program, we’re proud to partner with organizations across Michigan to ensure food pantries are equipped to provide the dairy foods their communities want and need, especially for children and seniors facing food insecurity.”

Todd Anderson concurred.

“Access to fresh produce is critically important for growing children and families who are making ends meet with fewer resources,” said the market president for Blue Cross Complete. “Having these basic needs met creates a positive shift in a person’s overall health and wellbeing. It helps bring them out of survival mode, and that ripples out and allows whole communities to thrive.”

The refrigeration units cost $7,000.

In addition to the refrigeration unit, food pantry grantees will also receive personalized technical assistance to enhance pantry operations and $250 in dairy match funding to purchase additional eligible dairy products for their pantry.

“Food pantries play a vital role in providing individuals and families with access to nutritious food and BCBSM and the BCBSM Foundation are proud to offer resources to help expand their reach and impact,” said Tiffany Albert, senior vice president of community relations for BCBSM. “By investing in food pantries, we can address the immediate need of our communities and equip pantries with the necessary resources, tools and support to serve those in need for years to come.”

Ostosh, whose pantry in Warren serves families in Macomb and parts of Oakland and Wayne counties, said she appreciates what BCBSM is doing.

She just wishes more companies were doing it.

“I could use another refrigerator,” she said. “Even a walk-in cooler or freezer would be great.”

Grant applications are due June 22. They must be submitted using the online application.

For more information and to apply visit the Food Pantry Grant Program site at milkmeansmore.org/dairy-in-the-community/food-pantry-grant-program/

Harvest Time Christian Fellowship Church food pantry is 8204 East 9 Mile Rd., in Warren.