Gift Guides

Hands-On Gifts Do-It-Yourselfers Will Love to Get Their Hands On

November 12, 2015

It’s amazing how many dedicated Do-It-Yourselfers thrive in a world that places so much value in convenience and instant gratification. We’re not talking about people who save hundreds of recipe and craft ideas on Pinterest to revisit in the winter. (Though we’re all for that!) We’re talking about both novice and professional makers who create for the pure enjoyment of creating. It’s tough to prevent yourself from spiraling into a guilt trip when exchanging gifts with these DIY enthusiasts. You know that they probably spent hours getting their hands dirty to make you something special. How can you compete with that kind of laborious gesture? But just because you’re shopping for a gift instead of crafting from scratch, it doesn’t mean that you can’t show just as much love for your giftee. We’ve rounded up hands-on kits and accessories that will inspire and excite the thoughtful, crafty people on your holiday list.

Gift Guides

Best Secret Santa Ever: Gifts for Your Coworkers

November 10, 2015

One day very soon, you may arrive to work and find a fun diversion to your morning ritual: one of the women in Marketing approaches your desk and asks if you want to pick a name for your office’s annual Secret Santa. In the spirit of the season, you agree and reach your hand into a pile of small papers filled with names of your colleagues. Anticipation is rising as you wonder who will travel through your fingers, and who may have already picked your name. When you open your final selection, you learn that you picked that new guy in Accounting. And then you realize you know absolutely nothing about him.

The art of fulfilling your duties in an office Secret Santa can be complicated, whether or not you know your co-workers well. You might have to buy a gift that fits a particular price range, or you may have to recall every interaction you’ve had with your giftee in order to spark one good idea. On top of all of this, there’s the pressure of keeping your identity a secret until the final reveal. Since you might get a call from HR if you start snooping around your co-worker’s desk for hints, we’ve created this gift guide to inspire that perfect Secret Santa find instead. (As for how to keep your gift a secret, we can only suggest that you fess up if you end up picking your own name out of the hat.)

Gift Guides

Vintage-Inspired Gifts for the Classic Beauty

November 2, 2015

Do you know someone who always looks like she just walked off the set of Mad Men? She might be the spitting image of Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly, or possess the timeless grace of women like Iman or Amal Clooney. You swear that her Instagram account is recorded through a rose-colored lens. Finding a gift to suit such a regal personality isn’t easy. However, one thing we’re sure of is that true vintage appeal must incorporate an element of the uncommon, something that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. (As you might imagine, we consider that our specialty). In honor of the classic beauty in your life, we’ve rounded up our favorite finds that will stun her with elegance and panache.

Gift Guides

Fantastic Finds for the Family

October 28, 2015

Finding a gift for the whole family can be tricky, especially when each member of the group has a very different personality from the next. You could go with the standard “Happy Holidays to All of You from All of Us” fruitcake, but we think that one of these unique gifts might suite each of their individual tastes a little better. (While promoting family bonding, togetherness, and all that sweet stuff. Now that takes the cake!)

Dad takes it black, mom likes a little milk and sugar, and the kiddos stick to hot chocolate. Now each member of the family can enjoy their favorite drink in their own special mug. | Personalized Family Mugs

Gift Guides

STEM Gifts for Kids (Science. Technology. Engineering. Math.)

October 21, 2015

We encounter the principles of STEM every single day. From navigating our natural environment, to the devices that we incessantly tap our thumbs all over, we’re constantly interacting with feats of science, technology, engineering, and math. While we value the much-discussed professional benefits of STEM education, what gets us most excited about these studies is that they encourage kids to be curious about the world around them. Without curiosity and questioning, life would be rather boring! Unfortunately, the STEM world tends to get a bad rep for bordering on stuffy. Here at UncommonGoods, we know that diving into STEM education doesn’t have to be void of creativity. We’ve gathered our favorite educational gifts for kids of all ages to explore this holiday season and into the next school year. Let the experiments begin!

Gift Guides

Gift Lab: Grow Your Own Organic Cilantro

July 2, 2015

Product: Garden-in-a-Can: Grow Organic Cilantro & Citrus Juicer

Hypothesis:
I’ve been told cilantro is really hard to grow so I was skeptical. Could it really be that easy? Just pop the top, bury the seeds and water for a few weeks? And would lime juice help me win the guacamole competition? My answers were yes! and yes!

Research:
When I heard we would be doing a more gardener-novice-friendly grow kit, I jumped on the chance to test it out. If all goes well, I’d have fresh cilantro in the house for the Purchasing team guacamole competition in a few weeks! I also knew then that lime (and tons of it) would be my secret ingredient, so I employed the help of our new citrus juicer to get the best results!

Experiment:
So, I did just that! I opened up the can, gently buried all the seeds about an inch under the surface and then poured about 2 shot glasses of water in every day or two to keep it looking moist.

Gift Guides

Funny to Fantastic: Our Favorite Father’s Day Gifts

May 28, 2015

Father’s Day gifting has gone through some changes since it was officially designated a nationwide holiday in 1972. Twenty years ago, Dad might have been hoping for the latest tabletop “Screen Phone” from Rolodex. Now, according to Yahoo Finance, Dad just wants steak. Nothing against 90s technology or your dad’s favorite grilled foods, but we think you could do so much better on his special day! We’ve gathered our favorite gifts that will make your favorite guy laugh, smile, cheers, and high-five all while the grill is warming up.

From all of us at UncommonGoods, we wish you and your loved ones a Happy Father’s Day!

Funny Gifts (Dad Jokes, Anyone?)

Your dad might not know what “lol” or “rofl” means, but these gifts will be sure to make him burst out loud into embarrassing coughing, snorting, crying laughter.

It’s about time to pay your Dad back for all of those times he told you that you put your foot in your mouth. | Face Mug

No more searching around trying to figure out where your pops put his glasses! | Eye Glasses Holder

From chocolate stout to pumpkin ale, each Beer Soap is made from scratch with pure, traditional ingredients. Cheers to a “Hoppy” Father’s Day! | 6 Pack Beer Soap Set

You can fill it with sweet memories, or write in your best Mad Libs style jokes. We’ll let you decide. | What I Love About Dad By Me Book

Man Cave Must-Haves

Whether your dad’s domain is the basement, the garage, or just his own closet, these finds will give his man cave a well-earned upgrade.

Even if your Dad can’t jam like Jimmy Page, these coin guitar picks have been used by musicians for a century because of their unique tonal qualities. | Custom Repurposed Quarter Guitar Picks

Whether his buddies prefer Irish or Scotch, bourbon or moonshine, this homage to whiskey will be sure to become his favorite showpiece at game night. | The Many Varieties of Whiskey Wood Engraving

More than just a place to put his morning coffee, these state side tables will be sure to conjure up Dad’s best storytelling. | Barnwood State Side Tables

Because he might not ever get rid of his prized vinyl collection. | The LP Encyclopedic Print

Dad shouldn’t have to deal with those kernels that just couldn’t get it together. | The Popcorn Bowl with Kernel Sifter

Dad Deserves a Cold One

Your pops works hard, so if he’s the type who enjoys popping the top of a brewsky when it’s time to kick back, he’ll love these beer and booze accessories.

Dad’s proven that he’s a Renaissance man. Show him you appreciate everything he does with a 14th Century Beer Stein.

If Dad’s more of a DIYer than a pick-up-a-6-pack type, an Oktoberfest Ale Beer Brewing Kit is sure to make him smile. (Even though it’s only June!)

Once he gives the Oktoberfest a try, he might just become an all out brew-thusiast. Help him track his homemade craft beer creations with a Home Brew Journal.

Your proud papa always encouraged you to give everything you try your best shot. Now he can give his favorite beer a shot of his best whiskey. | Boiler Maker Set

If beer’s not Dad’s thing, but sipping a fine spirit is just his style, he might enjoy having a drink “on the rocks” in style. | Drink Chillers

Whether Dad prefers whiskey, whisky, scotch, or bourbon, he’ll have fun sampling them all and taking notes on the whole “experiment” with the help of a Whiskey Tasting Kit.

MVD: Most Valuable Dad

No one can replace the guy who first taught you how to catch, ride a bike, or play a fair game. These picks will let him know that he’s the ultimate MVP of your life.

Take me out to the board game! | Baseball Game

As a kid, you imagined that he could shoot a hole-in-one better than anyone else’s Dad. Even if you can beat him at his own game now, these cufflinks will keep him looking dapper all season long. | TPC Sawgrass Golf Ball Cufflinks

Whether he’s a devout runner or a loyal spectator, the Chicago Marathon Map will be sure to capture the energy he loves about any race. (Also available for New York and Boston!)

A nostalgic piece for any true baseball fan, no matter which team he’s rooting for! | Baseball Stadiums Tie

If he can’t be there to watch the game, this 3D tribute to his favorite stadium will make him feel like he always has home field advantage. | College Stadium Art

Gadgets for the Geeky Guy

When your father’s a fan of gizmos and tech toys it can be hard to beat him to the next new thing. Ensure he’s surprised with these uncommon geek-chic goods that are definitely different than the ones he’s already picked up at his favorite electronics store.

You’ve been gearing up to start looking for a great Father’s Day gift. Congratulations, you already found it! | Kinetic Gear Key Holder

Sometimes gadget geeks are also outdoorsy types. The Solar Powered Charger and Light is perfect for the tech-savvy dad on the go.

Does Dad love to tinker? Complete with 12 electronic and mechanical modules, 5 NASA lesson plans, and 10 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities, the Modular Space Science Kit might just be his dream gift.

Grill Master Favorites

He’s skilled with a spatula and quick with the ketchup, so show Dad you can’t wait to see what he cooks up next with one of these picks to help him kick off BBQ season.

A big backyard BBQ is always fun, but sometimes firing up a full-sized grill isn’t necessary. For those occasions, the Tabletop Party Grill is perfect!

Dad’s already a pro at searing, flipping, and cutting. This handy tool makes it even easier for him to man the grill. | Four in One Grill Utensil

A flame-kissed meal is just the beginning when it comes to outdoor family fun. Keep the backyard party rolling with Yard Dice.

The flavors in our Beer Jelly Set aren’t just for spreading on bread! Each can also be used as a delicious grilling glaze.

Mastering the grill also means minding what’s sizzling. Let dad enjoy keeping an eye on the feast-in-the-making without having to abandon his station to hunt down a bottle opener | Beer Opening Glass

Fantastic Gifts

The “#1 Dad” mug you got him when you were 12 still holds his daily morning coffee. Every crayon drawing and construction paper card you ever made him is stashed in his desk drawer. He calls you by your childhood nickname, even though you’re all grown up. (And you don’t mind.) If you’re looking to go all out on something great for your fantastic father, give one of these fantastic gifts a try.

Dad’s good at many things, and he’s not ashamed to say that napping is one of them. Help in do it in colorful comfort with a Do Good Hammock.

What better to symbolize how he’s been there for you through the years as you’ve grown than a Tree Ring Pen?

Maybe he likes a clean shave. Maybe he sports a champion dad ‘stache. Either way, he’ll dig this Deluxe Shave Set.

This bottle opener was once part of an airplane, making giving it the least cheesy way possible to say, “Dad, thanks for being the wind beneath my wings.” | Pan Am Boeing 707 Bottle Opener

Gift Guides

Gifts for Men: 14 Designs that the “Man Who Has Everything” Doesn’t Already Have

December 11, 2014

In a world with endless options, some of us suffer from some form of analysis paralysis. We over-think the pros and cons of our gifts, fearing buyer’s remorse or another oversight. This is especially true when we encounter those guys on our wishlists who appear to own every cool thing ever made. Whether he’s a modern-day Renaissance Man, or just a distinguished hoarder, he is completely immune to any fear of committing to a collection of very useful, fashionable, well made things. And why shouldn’t he? You only live once! But fear not! No one has it all and it’s not impossible to find him a gift he wouldn’t want to add to his collection. We’ve picked out 14 cool and unique items that will be sure to impress that special man who seemingly has everything.

1. Rain or shine, the guy who has it all should never find himself out of stock! Now if only he would remember to leave the toilet seat down. | Cloudy Day Toilet Paper Storage

2. Sticks and stones will break his bones, but they will also make for a very sophisticated drink dispenser. | Stone Drink Dispenser

3. Cheers to whiskey on the rocks that isn’t watered down! | Whiskey Wedge

4. He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he’ll prefer the Beer Opening Glass.

5. Whether he’s lusting after a cold one, or indulging in the gluttony of a third, these witty glasses will ensure that his bros won’t lose track of their brews at the next house party. | Seven Deadly Sins Pilsner Glasses

6. It would be wise to gift this companion before the next beer run! | Wise Beer Growler

7. He has the newest smart phone, but does he have a smart speaker? | Boombox Touch Speaker

8. From his beloved Vitamix to his people-pleasing pasta maker, we know he’s got his home cooking routine down to a science. Shake things up by introducing this uncontrolled variable to his foodie lab! | Foodie Dice

9. Help him suit up like a gentleman and a scholar. | Literary Cufflinks

10. He already has the iPad, but we doubt he has a bunch of those little wooden soccer guys lying around! iPad Foosball lets him transform his tablet into a Foosball table in no time.

11. If he’ a pizza fan, he’ll love it. If he’s a pizza fan and a cyclist, he’ll love it even more and burn off the extra calories during his next ride. Double win. | Fixie Pizza Cutter

12. Speaking of biking–really cool, super strong magnets first. Uh, we mean “safety first.” In this case, it’s actually both. | Magnetic Bike Lights

13. Why yes, that is a futuristic Laser Projection Keyboard with motion sensing technology that turns any flat surface into something that looks like it was pulled from a sci-fi film.

14. Good hygiene is one of the things the guy who has everything already has, so he’ll love this collection of high-end men’s toiletries. He’ll also love that they come in a real, upcycled US Army supply can, because that’s just cool. | Mens Military Field Grooming Set

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