Birthday – The Goods

Happy Birthday to You, July Birthdays

July 2, 2012

There are so many ways to say Happy Birthday – cards, presents, and of course the classic, just saying Happy Birthday. But nothing says it quite like serenading someone with “Happy Birthday” whether in person, over the phone, or at a restaurant while their face turns bright red!

Serenade your friend with a July birthday with your own rendition of “Happy Birthday” and they will be entered to win a $100 UncommonGoods gift card! Rewrite the lyrics of “Happy Birthday” to describe the birthday boy or girl. Leave your new lyrics in a comment on Facebook and be sure to tag your friend. A winner will be chosen on July 31st.

Gift Guides

June Birthdays… now is your time!

June 1, 2012

You say it’s your birthday!? Then tell us about it on Twitter and Facebook.

Enter yourself and friends with June birthdays and this year their gift could be on us. Tag your friend in a comment on this photo on Facebook or Tweet at them with #UncommonBDay to enter them into our June Birthday Contest. Do both of those things for a double entry!

The winner will be contacted on June 30.

Gift Guides

Happy Birthday May Babies

May 1, 2012

Does someone you love have a birthday this month? Enter them to win a shopping spree at UncommonGoods. From now til May 31, you can tag your friend in this photo on our Facebook page and they’ll be entered to win. Leave a comment to let us know why your friend or family member is special to you, and why you hope they have a great birthday. Be sure to include their birthday! We’ll pick one lucky birthday girl or boy to receive a gift card to UncommonGoods.

And here’s the best part— you can enter as many times as you like. So if you, your mother, sister and best friend forever are all May babies, you can enter each time. If there’s no more space to tag a friend’s name, just leave a comment on the Facebook post.

You can also double your chances of winning a birthday prize for your favorite people by tweeting:

Hey @uncommongoods! Help me wish my friend @name a very happy birthday. http://unc.gd/JDvfrB

Is your birthday in May? You should enter yourself too. We know UncommonGoods shoppers are great when it comes to finding perfect gifts for the people they love, but we wouldn’t want you to forget yourself.

Treat yo self!

Congrats to our April winner: Dottie Filla Hibbeler, who was nominated by her sister Patty.

Patty says: My beautiful sister Dottie Filla Hibbeler would love an Uncommon Goods gift spree for her April 21st birthday. She is a wonderful gift giver and I’m sure if she won she would get me a cool Tocky alarm clock for nominating her. Right, Dot?

Gift Guides

Happy Birthday April Babies

March 30, 2012

Does someone you love have a birthday this month? Enter them to win a shopping spree at UncommonGoods. From now til April 30, you can tag your friend in this photo on our Facebook page and they’ll be entered to win. Leave a comment to let us know why your friend or family member is special to you, and why you hope they have a great birthday. Be sure to include their birthday! We’ll pick one lucky birthday girl or boy to receive a gift card to UncommonGoods.

And here’s the best part—for every 50 people you enter, we’ll add $50 to the grand prize, up to $250. So if your mother, sister and best friend forever are all April babies (and maybe you are too), you can enter each time.

You can also double your chances of winning a birthday prize for your favorite people by tweeting:

Hey @uncommongoods! Help me wish my friend @name a very happy birthday. http://unc.gd/Hs8uas

Is your birthday in April? You should enter yourself too. We know UncommonGoods shoppers are great when it comes to finding perfect gifts for the people they love, but we wouldn’t want you to forget yourself.

Treat yo self!

The Uncommon Life

Say What?

September 20, 2011

Friend coming up on a big birthday? Are you? Copywriter Nina Mozes offers tips for how to congratulate that special someone who’s entering the fourth decade of life.

Everyone thinks that 30th birthdays are touchy. But I did my research, and it turns out it’s bogus. In fact, turning 30 is kind of awesome (it’s 40, 50 and 60 that can be the real bummers).

I’m 25, and, as far as my older friends are concerned, still in diapers. But at 24, I plummeted into quarter-life crisis mode: “I’m 24, which means I’m almost 25, which means I’m almost 30, which means my window to be young and successful is rapidly closing.”

Roll your eyes at me, go ahead – but when US Open Tennis Champions, Lady GaGa and Mark Zuckerberg are your age, it’s easy to feel like an underachieving 20-something. (On the flip side, Lindsay Lohan and I share a birthday, which kind of puts it all in perspective.)

So while I still secretly hope to make millions and/or achieve unprecedented success in the next five years, I admit that strangely, I’m looking forward to turning 30.

Sure, turning 30 means that weddings are on the rise (and divorces), and baby showers are popping up – and I think we all agree that watching your selfish friends put someone else’s needs before theirs is a bizarre experience.

But here are the facts: maybe you have better hair and muscles in your 20s, but your self esteem is much lower, as is the preoccupation with figuring out your identity. So when you present your friend with a fun gift and card, don’t give them a “but look on the bright side” note, tell them straight up what they have to look forward to. Pull from the following examples:

1. You figured out what you wanted to do in life and can now spend time actually living your life.
2. You have more money now than you did in your twenties.
3a. For a guy: You now make enough money to successfully date women in their 20s.
3b. For a woman: Your sex drive is way better in this decade.
4. This is the decade where having it all together and having freedom will intersect the most. Before this, you were clueless. After this, you’ll have kids or aging parents.

And if you just can’t help yourself:

1. You can use the word “early” in front of “30s” when describing your age.
2. When people ID you, it will begin to feel like a compliment.
3. You can get away with more stuff, because people think you are now too old to be irresponsible.
4. You can start to say “When I was your age” and not sound like a total jerk.
5. You can justify technological purchases like the new iPad as necessities to pave the way for professional ladder climbing and keeping up with social media trends.
6. If you gain weight, you can blame it on a changing metabolism.
7. At least you’re not turning 40.

Game-changing gifts for a game-changing birthday:

Can’t bring yourself to the party? Bring the party to you.
Beer Making Kits

Accessorize to emphasize your youth.
Crocheted Bow Headphones

If your life is all business, try some stow-away desktop fun.
Desktop Bowling

Gift Guides

Wrapper’s Delight Debuts!

July 21, 2010

I’m excited to introduce a new feature to the blog: Wrapper’s Delight! Wrapper’s Delight will focus on creative gift wrapping ideas and techniques from both UG employees, and, hopefully, from our customers as well! If you would like to submit your own ideas for Wrapper’s Delight please email us at wrappers@uncommongoods.com with photos and instructions for your idea. Can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

And to kick things off, here’s a post from our very own wrap star/graphic designer – Jessica!

Wrapping Odd-Shaped Gifts

I just couldn’t resist buying Uncommon Good’s Tickle Monster Laughter Kit and the Dino Doll for my friend’s son’s first birthday. The Tickle Kit is sold in an easy to wrap, sturdy box. But the Dino Doll was just his big, green, bulbous self. How would I ever conceal him from from the other children during this outdoor garden party?

It doesn’t help that I waited until 30 minutes before Continue Reading…

Gift Guides

Gift Analysis: The Urban Foodie

June 29, 2010

If you’re brainstorming a birthday gift for a foodie, I strongly recommend squashing the urge to take them out to dinner. But they live for foie gras! I hear you. If they’re anything like my brother–a seasoned eater who fist-bumps up-and-coming chefs on a weekly basis (I’m looking at you, Marc Forgione)–chances are they’ve been there, tasted that. They’re the original picky eaters. How many times have they shooed away an entree, waving it back to a restaurant’s kitchen as you nervously twitch towards the water boy? If you’re quietly counting, they pass the taste test.

A foodie, not unlike a bargain hunter, lives for the thrill of discovery. Hand them what they didn’t hunt on a silver platter, and half the flavor’s gone–figuratively speaking. Unless you’re treating them to a five course tasting menu, here’s an idea for an unexpected gift: the Mobile Foodie Survival Kit. Your wallet–and five-star friend–will thank you.

This little pack gets so many things right: It’s portable, chic and chock full of organic spices. A case of bland chicken? Shake a leg with garlic powder! Wimpy hot wings? Tabasco to the rescue! Sandwich falls flat? Salt, pepper and basil–stat! How do they love you? Let them count the herbs, spices and ways you’ll make their day.

I gifted this at a pub gathering two weeks ago. Sitting at a sticky table of friends glued to the screen of a World Cup game, pints and painted faces cresting with anticipation, I tapped Chris on the shoulder and handed over the tin. His eyes scanned: Mobile. Foodie. Survival. And before he read another line his fingers broke into the tin like a third grade birthday boy. “Powdered ginger! Wasabi! Onion powder, ooh.” The tinkering continued, and I left, satisfied that my gift was cool enough to tear him from a high-stakes soccer game. Mission accomplished.

The Uncommon Life

Gift Lab #2: Simon & the Stormy Seas

May 18, 2010

1) Product Name: Stormy Seas

2) Background Research: I really enjoy simple, wooden toys. And thanks to my son Simon I have an excuse to slowly build my (I mean, his) collection. I saw this product and thought it would make a great gift for Simon’s upcoming birthday. He loves stacking things and balancing tall towers of blocks. My only concern is that he often yells at the blocks when they fall over. Would this game cause constant weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, or is it the perfect chance for him to finally get over his angst toward topsy inanimate objects?

3) Hypothesis: If I get this for my 3-year-old son, I will be the best dad ever.

4) Experiment: Wrap it up. Mix it in with the rest of his gifts. Unwrap. Play.

5) Results: Simon loves it. I love it. My wife loves it. My 6-month old son is indifferent.

We all had a lot of fun playing. The concept (just balance the differently shaped items on the boat) is so simple that we had no problem explaining the rules to him. It was just as easy for him as it was for us, and, yet, we oddly found that we tipped the boat almost as often as he did. I thought it would only be a game for parents and adults to play with kids, but I think it would do just as well at a dinner party or between my wife and I (though I worry I would lose badly if I challenged her).

I am also a fan of the materials used. The game is made from fast-growing bamboo, the printing inks for the rules and promo booklet are soy-based, and the paint is kid- and earth-friendly.

My only real qualm with the game is that the box is much too big. They are obviously a very environmentally focused company, but I think they could be a bit greener if they made the box only as big as it needed to be and save on cardboard and printing. It would also be easier to store in our little apartment.

Conclusion: This is a great game. I realize, of course, that some days hungry hungry hippos (which he also got for his birthday) will catch Simon’s eye. But for me, it is really important for him to have a simpler, non-plastic, less generic alternative to pull down from the shelf on game night. Stormy Seas fits the bill nicely.

About the researcher: Micah is a graphic designer and associate art director at UncommonGoods. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.

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