Okay, we know - we didn’t post specific gifts for moms and Mother’s Day just rolled on by. (Happy Mother’s Day by the way…)

We were too busy being feted by our own offspring - presents included some delightful tropical flowers, courtesy of Dad, and an absolutely gorgeous and priceless handmade jewelry box made as only a 4-year old can.

Now it’s Dad’s turn, and we have to post something, because let’s face it, shopping for Dad is always a little harder. Most of what’s out there is so boring - no matter how glamorous the tie is, it’s another tie. So we tried to scope out gifts for traveling dudes, gifts with a little pizzazz…

These leather golf club covers from Pellavera give daddy some extra style on the course. Forzieri, $425

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We had an opportunity to visit New York’s Scholastic Store in Soho recently. As a bookstore specializing in children’s reading, it’s a great destination for visitors and New Yorkers alike. Here’s the 411:

Pros: We’re enamored with the fact that it’s a bookstore, period! In a technological world, it’s nice to see kids reading a book every now and then and Scholastic, a household name in children’s books, has a nice bricks-and-mortar place. The store features reading fare for babies right on up to 12-year olds. And it’s not just straight books - there are dozens of science kits, princess accoutrements from Melissa and Doug, and other story-related paraphernalia.

We like the huge rubbery dinosaur that graces the 6200-square foot floor, providing ample seating for kids who want to read on the spot. There’s also a Magic School Bus area, complete with running TV shows on a built in TV. The store often holds events and readings in its activity loft, reached by stairs and therefore perhaps not so convenient for the stroller-set…

Cons: Speaking of the stroller-set, if you’re visiting this store with a stroller, head for the Mercer Street entrance. The Broadway entrance forces you to navigate stairs - trust us, you don’t want to deal with them.

The biggest drawback here, though, was the restrooms. Did we say restrooms? We meant restroom - as in one. Yes, one, marked “Employees” and fairly screaming “public toilet”. By the time we emerged from holding daughter gingerly over the toilet and changing son’s diaper, there was a long line of people, grumpily commenting on the folly of having one toilet in a large store catering to children.

The Scholastic Store, 557 Broadway bet. Prince & Spring (stroller entrance at 130 Mercer St.) 212.343.6166

Looking for great travel gifts for the upcoming holiday season? Look no further: we’ve dedicated this week’s roundup to gifts for travelers young and well, not so young:

• Over at Mighty Goods they scoped out a cool Nap Sac Travel Blanket, a travel blanket and inflatable pillow that come in a nifty sac - which then doubles as the pillow case. $28
  
• This funky iPod case at Horchow (right) comes with built-in speakers, making it great for trips. $95
• Busy travelers may find MobiMate’s WorldMate useful: software that goes on your phone and syncs up with your Outlook to organize your travel itinerary. It also gives you hotel listings, flight info, currency conversions and other travel-related information; there are several editions, each with varied features. Professional edition, $74.95
• Travel books for little ones abound: two good choices are Going on a Plane, which tells little travelers what to expect when they’re airbound, and Lisa’s Airplane Ride, the adventures of a stuffed dog traveling solo from Paris to New York. $4.95/$9.95 at Amazon
  

• Tech-savvy kids can create their own vacation memories with this camcorder from Hammacher Schlemmer (left), which includes cool editing features and TV and iPod cables to view your budding director’s work. $159.95