Happy Early Mother’s Day to all the Moms and their Moms and their Moms… Though it’s right around the corner, sometimes us kids get a little caught up in life and may need a bit of help in finding the coolest of the cool Mother’s Day Gifts! That’s where online shops like Uncommon Goods become a HUGE help, especially if you think your Mom has everything…and then you find out that she doesn’t!
These days, specialty online retailers seem to come and go like the wind… the ordinary ones at least. In the days before Al Gored invented the internet, people either made their own unique items, knew hippies who made cool things or they had their ear to the ground of a few esoteric artisan shops. That all changed in August of 1999, when Uncommon Goods launched their amazing and one-of-a-kind site.
Based in good ole Brooklyn, Uncommon Goods has been selling some of the most clever and creative goods you’ll ever see. In fact, they’ve been one of our go-to for special holiday gifts for some time. Artichoke’s brother being one of the many benefactors with a bike chain bottle opener and a duct tape wallet. This online shop truly have something for everyone and their prices are reasonable considering the high quality and uniqueness of their items. So, we were pretty stoked when they asked us to pick some items to review for Mother’s Day!
Newsflash: Uncommon Goods’ Founder and CEO, David Bolotsky has been vegetarian since the age of 11. The company is “vegetarian” too!
Many of the products offered are crafted by artisans or small manufacturers who are passionate about what they create. Uncommon Goods is diligent about selling items that are sourced from environmentally friendly, socially responsible artists or . They’ve also set up a worthy cause called Better To Give, where they’ll donate $1 to any non-profit of your choice (so far they’ve donated over $1,000,000.)
We recently received their wonderful Soup and Sandwich Ceramic Tray Duo set which will get much use over the years. Before trying it out for ourselves, we agreed to serve Mama Mac’s lunch (tomato soup and vegan grilled cheese) on the set, after striking a deal for her to go vegan for a week (with the incentive that Carlo would cook all of her meals). The set, which is oven, microwave and dishwasher safe is sturdy and clean looking, and contrasts nicely with whatever you decide to serve. I think a good guacamole and chips snack just may be in the cards sometime soon!
The Storyline Soap Sampler Gift Set may be about the most clever thing we’ve seen in some time. Created by Jonathan Savoie & Madeline Novak, these fragrant soaps, which are cruelty-free and 99% organic, come wrapped in their own individual book pages! A win, for those who admire repurposing materials that would most likely be tossed out or forgotten. So far, Artie has been bogarting the soaps, noting that his favorite of the lot is White Rabbit, which has a sweet jasmine scent that doesn’t overpower. This set would also make for a great graduation or Father’s Day gift.
Another very clever item of note is the Define Bottle. Designer Carter Kostler redefined cool, with this portable water bottle and infuser that has a compartment to add fresh fruit. The parts are screwable and interchangeable based on your use and need. It even comes with a strainer attachment for the center! Macaroon says she may want to try to make some iced tea with this. For sure, this one is a winner. We see this being a hit at our next vegan Meetup potluck!
Uncommon Goods is the ideal site for gift giving or to simply treat yourself (which we like to do!). It’s comforting to shop at a site that’s socially responsible, accessible, treats their employees well and sells awesome and well-made goodies. We simply love Uncommon Goods!
Remember, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th! You have just a few days to place your order!!! You can shop by Mothers Day Gifts or by Gifts For Mom and see what they have in store for Mom! Then come back here and tell us in the comments what you got her! We’ll keep it a secret…at least until Sunday!