ETA: This contest is now over. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
What did one Face Mug say to the other?
We’re not really sure, but we bet you’ve got a good idea. Leave your caption for this mug shot in the comments below, and enter for a chance to win a $36 gift card or a pair of 2 mugs. We’ll pick the best entry to display on the Face Mug page!
Feel free to enter on our Facebook page, or by Twitter as well!
We’ll pick our winner next Friday, 1/28, late afternoon.
I don’t know about you, but until last week I was a Scorpio.
Last week’s news suggested that not only have all our signs changed, but now we have to welcome a new constellation into our midst. I’m not even sure how to pronounce this new Ophiuchus sign. But luckily our sassy horoscope tiles will help you settle into your new sign, and get to know your new personality.
Since I got bumped from Scorpio to Libra, I thought I should get to know myself a little better. Turns out I’m now manipulative, self-indulgent and absolutely fabulous. Phew! I was worried there for a second.
Anyone else experiencing a crisis of identity? Our horoscope tiles are here to help.
We just tried out our brand new geography glasses, by mixing up a local Brooklyn treat in a New York City glass.
You can make your own egg cream with just a few simple steps, or share your local drink recipe below for a chance to win a $25 UncommonGoods gift card.
Step One: Ingredients
Gather together milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup. And a special New York City glass to mix them in!
Note: Many Brooklynites insist that an egg cream just isn’t worth drinking without the original Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup. I’m making do with Bosco’s, so if you’re a native New Yorker reading this post, please forgive me!
Step 2: The Syrup
Drizzle a layer of chocolate syrup into your glass.
Step 3: The Milk
Cover the first layer of syrup with a generous splash of milk.
Step 4: The Seltzer
Fill the rest of your glass with seltzer.
Tip: Keep your drink from fizzing over by pouring the seltzer over a spoon.
Step 5: The Egg Cream
Stir and enjoy!
Now it’s your turn! If you’ve got a drink recipe from your area, whether it’s southern sweet tea or Long Island Iced Tea, share it with us for a chance to win a $25 gift card. Need some inspiration? Check out our geography glasses, featuring scenic sites from across the lower 48 and Hawai’i.
Leave a comment to enter by Friday at 5 pm ET. And as always, you can increase your chances to win by tweeting @uncommongoods or posting on our Facebook wall. We’ll announce the winner around happy hour on Friday!
The Random Acts of Kindness Kit is a game with no winners. Just pull a card out of the deck, follow its suggestion, and do something nice for a fellow human being. Then pass the card on to a friend or stranger and suggest they do the same. You can track how far your act of kindness spreads, by registering your deck online with the Boom Boom Revolution.
What better way to start off 2011? Norma tries out a card from the deck, and winds up meeting a new friend.
1. Product Name: RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS KIT (Boom Boom Cards)
2. Research Question: What does it take to be kind to someone just for a moment and how does that affect them?
3. Hypothesis: The Random Acts of Kindness Kit offers the opportunity for me to make a difference in a person’s life, just by being kind to them or by showing my appreciation for what s/he did for me. I hope to also encourage environmental awareness and reach out to others.
4. Experiment: After following the instructions to register my deck of Boom Boom
Cards, in order to trace my impact, I had to decide which act of kindness or philanthropy I wanted to do first. I was so enthusiastic I wanted to do all of them right away, but I realized that would defeat the purpose. I chose to start small and buy a stranger a cup of coffee.
5. Results: It wasn’t as easy I thought it would be. I became shy for the first time in my life. Standing in line at Starbucks, I looked around and set my sights on a mom with toddler in tow.
But when I got to the register I chickened out. Why couldn’t I do it? Was I afraid she would think I was strange, or did I think it was a silly gesture? I had to regroup and try again.
My next few visits to various coffee vendors were also unsuccessful. I found myself seeking the perfect person and judging the outcome. What did I want to accomplish by committing a random act of kindness?
I wanted to be kind for a moment to someone unsuspecting, with no judgment of deserving, for no reason at all.
One chilly morning as I headed to UncommonGoods to start my day, I dropped by my friendly neighborhood bagel shop. I poured my hazelnut morning fix and was paying for my toasted everything bagel with vegetable cream cheese when I heard a booming Brooklynite voice behind me.
“Hey whaddo I owe you?” he said, as he held up the unmistakable blue and white New York Greek coffee cup.
I paid for it! As he tried to figure out if I was trying to pick him up, I handed him the Boom Boom Card and asked him to read the card and pass it on. His other burly friends giggled like little school girls and encircled him they read it together and I heard him say “Ah…hey that’s cool” and another one said, “You give it way and then you can see where it goes.”
Success!
6. Conclusion: Buying this stranger a cup of coffee was uneventful and low key. He didn’t grovel and I doubt if I drastically changed his life. But he is going to keep it in mind for a few days. I saw him stick that card in the pocket of his coat and one morning as he is about to purchase his own cup of joe, he might reach in and pull it out. My hope is that he will remember and want to do the same for the commuter lass in front of him.
I thought I wanted to do this for someone else, but in the long run I realize I did it because it made me feel good.
So how many of you have bought a grow your own gift, like this Bonsai Forest, for yourself or a friend?
Just last week, Lauren sent me a pic of an UncommonGoods orchid she sent to her grandmother as a gift. Her grandmother has kept it growing three whole years!
Let us know how your plants are growing. And if your plant needs a little help recovering from the holidays (anyone else forget to water their houseplants before leaving on vacation?), don’t hesitate to ask for some gardening tips!
It’s that time of the year! Time to make your New Year’s resolutions. Learn a new language. Eat dinner with your family more often. Plant a garden. Whatever it is that you want to achieve in 2011– it’s time to set your goals.
And UncommonGoods is here to help!
Studies show that if you affirm your resolution in public, you’ll have an easier time making it stick. So leave a comment below and let us know what you’re planning to achieve in the coming year.
And how about a little extra something to help you start your New Year off right? We’ve got an Uncommon Good in mind for one of you, to help you keep your resolutions and achieve your goals.
Want to start composting? Find inner balance? Start writing that novel? We’ve got just the gift to help one or more of you get started!
Leave a comment below to enter to win. And as always, you can increase your chances by leaving a comment on Facebook or tweeting @uncommongoods.
We’ll announce the winner(s) in Tuesday’s email newsletter. So sign up now, if you’re not already getting our updates.
Happy New Year and may all your goals and dreams be realized!
1. Product name: Crocheted Headphones
2. Background research: Music is a major part of my life. I listen to it all day long- at work, on the bus, on the train, at home, everywhere. But I have two major problems: 1- I have tiny ears and 2- I’m always cold.
These don’t sound like applicable problems when considering the enjoyment of music but believe me, they are. I love my iPod and iPhone as much as the next person, but those non adjustable giant white earbuds- erg! They will not stay in my tiny ears for love nor money. Plus when the winter months roll around –and especially now that I live in the UK (where the winters are unbelievable) I always end up wearing earmuffs over my earbuds. It seems a bit redundant.
3. Hypothesis: If I use these beautiful Crocheted Headphones then I will be able to listen to my music, stay warm, and stop worrying about them not fitting properly.
4. Experiment: I chose the yellow headphones. Yellow is definitely my favorite color and this yellow is just the right shade. I can’t wait to wear these headphones in the blustery cold weather of Wales, England, and whatever trips I happen to take. With the hours of listening I will be able to see if these headphones live up to my expectations.
5. Results: These headphones are very straightforward- no instructions needed. The adjustable headband is super handy- they adjust like any other headphones by pulling or pushing on either end. They are comfortable and warm- though if you have larger ears than I do (which isn’t hard) they may not cover your whole ear and give the beloved ear warming effect to the full extent.
The only downside I found is the sound quality. They aren’t as clear or as loud as earbuds- you have to turn your music up louder to hear it at the same level. Once you do that though, no prob. These headphones are a stylish way to warm up in the cold (even if that cold is just heavily air-conditioned public transport). In fact, I even wear them as earmuffs without plugging them in sometimes- I just tuck the cord into my coat pocket and I’m good to go.
6. The bottom line is these headphones are great. They come in super cute colors, they keep you warm, they’re adjustable, and they do the job they’re intended for. What more could you want? I love my new headphones!
– Brenda Barrett
Gift wrapping at the UncommonGoods warehouse
Stacey and Jessica, tying up ribbons in the warehouse
There’s still time to order gifts before Christmas. Check out our holiday shipping schedule.