I received complimentary product and additional compensation from UncommonGoods in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

There is something to be said about gift registries.

They take all the guesswork out of gift-giving with their simple, straightforward, categorized by department, 49-and-a-half-page lists. There’s no standing in the housewears department sweating over color or size. There’s no gaping-mouth-syndrome at the enormous bottle wall that’s been installed at Babies-R-Us since you had your first child. Wedding and Baby registries are like simple math equations for the giving illiterate that make it possible to arrive at said function with a win under that BBB bow and paper wrapping.

Then there’s every other life occasion that requires a gift.

A family birthday. Your parents anniversary. A housewarming party. Baby number 2-3-or-4. Retirement. These celebrations don’t automatically equal a gift registry. Most of the time these adult people already have everything they need, and when asked what they want, you’re met with a polite smile and a just-your-presence-at-my-XYandZ-function-is-gift-enough. 

I know this very stressful rock-and-hard-place situation well. I’m sure you do too.

UncommonGoods takes the crazy out of creative gift giving.

I was given the opportunity to select and review $70 worth of product from UncommonGoods‘ collection of housewarming gifts. What I found was an incredible selection of practical, unique, and creative gifts in every price range, sure to make an impression at those less-than-straightforward gift-giving events. Products can conveniently be filtered by rating, price, occasion, and type of recipient, creating a smartly targeted list (much like those registries we talked about earlier) to help you bring the right gift to the right event.

More than just cool gifts.

UncommonGoods takes pride in their unique designs and handcrafted gifts but the heart of their company is driven by a passion to make a positive impact on the world. Half of what they sell is made by hand, providing support and a platform for artists and designers. What might be more impressive is that the lowest paid seasonal warehouse worker starts at 50% above minimum wage. One-third of their entire collection incorporates recycled and/or up cycled materials, and $1 from every purchase is donated to a not-for-profit partner organization. In the last fifteen years they’ve donated a million dollars to charities across the globe.

I’m very excited to share my UncommonGoods experience with you today, as well as include you in on an amazing giveaway they are offering to commenters on this post. Keep reading for product reviews and giveaway details.

Cooking Guidelines Apron | $25

Cooking inevitably gets messy, and anybody who’s not wearing their scrubs to prep dinner needs an apron from time-to-time. What I love about the Cooking Guidelines Apron is that useful information is found along the bottom, oriented for the wearer to read.

Unsurprisingly, I’ve learned much from my apron-like the amount of time it takes to boil three different types of eggs and how to defrost various weights of poultry. What I’ve found the most helpful are the liquid and weight conversions that have always caused me to lose my recipe when I have to switch to Google on my phone.

I was very impressed with the thickness of the canvas and size of the apron. I was able to wrap the straps around my nine-month pregnant self twice with full and complete coverage.

Gift Ideas
This apron would be fabulous for both the outdoor grill lover or at-home chef and could easily work as a birthday, anniversary, retirement, or housewarming gift for either gender.

Prep & Serve | Colander Strainer | $17

Out of the six mixing bowls I received for my wedding only two remain. The Prep & Serve bowl was an easy add to my review list out of sheer practicality, but also because I’ve learned much since being a young (often unrealistic) bride. Function absolutely trumps everything now.

I love that this bowl not only presents well, but ALSO acts as a strainer, holds multiple portions of food, AND is dishwasher safe. I made a simple pasta salad, rinsing and draining all my vegetables first, noting that the lip at the edge of the strainer actually works the way it’s designed to, and was pleasantly surprised to find the ditalini pasta AND salad dressing fit nicely inside with room to mix.  Wins all around.

Gift Ideas
Throw this bowl in with standard kitchen utensils or towels as a gift for a new bride, or with a fancy food prep kit for a new home, or foodie’s birthday party.

Coffee Towel | $14

I will admit this is the least practical item I ordered. It’s made of a very thin cotton and I would never use it to dry my dishes. Also I love it more than words.

Coffee is my morning language and this towel is just so stinking pretty. I actually dragged out my iron to press it (which has happened approximately three times in its entire life) and pinned it to the wall over my coffee area. It makes me smile every time I walk by.

Gift Ideas
This is just one of those really cool pieces that add an extra sparkle of creativity to a gift. Include it inside a wide mouth coffee mug with packaged beans or use it to wrap up a coffee-lovers gift.

Ticket Stub Diary | $12

Mike and I have kept every card, ticket, and playbill from our years together and have been looking for an easy, inexpensive, and creative way to keep them organized. I’ve always loved the idea of scrapbooking, but time and expense you have to invest is just not my thing. I was so excited to find the Ticket Stub Diary carried in UncommonGoods’ line of journals and stationary. It is extremely affordable and exactly what we needed to start preserving some of our most cherished memories.

Gift Ideas
The Ticket Stub Diary is just one of several really cool memory books UncommonGoods carries including My Life Story-So Far, Expecting You-A Keepsake Pregnancy Journal, What I Love About You-By Me Book, and the customizable Family Cookbook. They are incredibly affordable and the gift ideas are endless. They really could be used for any gift-giving occasion with huge success!

More information on the Ticket Stub Diary can be found by clicking here (and if you’re looking for some bookends to guard your memory books take a look at what UncommonGoods has here).

UncommonGoods invites you to explore their online gift collection.

The lovely folks at UncommonGoods have graciously offered to give one lucky reader a $25 gift card. To enter your name for a chance to win, head over to their website and leave a comment on this post with the item you’d most like to give (or get) from one of their collections.

Please keep the following contest rules in mind:

• One comment/entry per person living in the continental United States only (please and thanks!)
• Contest ends Saturday, September 5, at 7AM CST.
• Winner will be chosen by random.org, announced on Facebook, and notified by email on the 5th. He/she will have until Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 9PM CST to claim their prize.
• UncommonGoods is responsible for the fulfillment and delivery of the $25 gift card. A valid email address is required for the winner to receive their prize.

Thanks and good luck!