A Mindful Gift Guide // Uncommon Goods

1. Alphabet Block Set  (handcrafted in Michigan), available here  //  2. Slate Cheese Boards with Soap Stone Chalk (handcrafted in New York), available here  //  3. Bad Dog Tumblers (handcrafted in New Jersey and Minnesota), available here  //  4. Organic Sleeping Fox Pillow (handcrafted in Massachusetts), available here  //  5. Shosh Bud Vase (handcrafted in Texas), available here  //  6. Sweet Dreams pillow cases (handcrafted in Massachusetts), available here  //  7. Mixtape Glasses Set (handcrafted in Louisiana and Maryland), available here  //  8. Mustachifier Pacifier, available here  //  9. Vintage Shoe Form Bookends (handcrafted in Michigan), available here  //  10. Hexagon Stained Glass Bracelet (handcrafted in New York), available here

Recently, a company called Uncommon Goods sent me a few seriously fantastic gifts (#s 1, 6, and 8 above).  The wooden alphabet blocks, which were handcrafted in Michigan from local basswood and printed with non-toxic inks, have such a cute, timeless design, and I can't wait for baby to play with them (see them here).  Equally adorable is the 'Mustachifier' pacifier they sent, which should make for some pretty hilarious photo opps once baby arrives (see it here).  The last item was a gift for us - a set of cotton 'Sweet Dreams' pillowcases hand-printed with water-based inks in Massachusetts (see it here) that truly transformed our bedding.

The gifts themselves were amazing, but learning more about how and where they were made, as well as more about the company itself, is what really turned me into a fan.  Headquartered in Brooklyn, Uncommon Goods has a mindful mission: to use their business to impact the world in a positive way (which alone is enough to make me want to support a company).  They focus on products that are made here in the USA, half of what they sell is made by hand, and over a third incorporates recycled or upcycled materials.  And the goodies they carry are stylish and modern and really, really rad.

With the holidays coming up, I thought I'd put together an early (mindful) gift guide featuring some of my favorite Uncommon Goods products (as seen above).  I don't usually do gift guides until mid-November, but because they carry such a wide array of items that are great for gifting any time of the year, I figured why wait?  If you are one of those early holiday shoppers, they do have a section devoted to unique Christmas gifts here.  I also love all of the personalized gift options they offer (almost 90 products!), which you can check out here.  You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Which of the items is your favorite?  Is buying handcrafted items an important factor for you when gift shopping?