*This post has been sponsored by UncommonGoods.com. 

The day after Halloween we woke up to Christmas decor on our street,  holiday music playing on the radio, and Santa Claus set up in our mall, already asking children if they’ve been naughty or nice. Is it just me, or is the Christmas season starting way early this year?? We are an impatient society. One day we will be putting up our trees and stringing our holiday lights in July.

One good thing about the Christmas season starting early this year is that it’s reminding me to get a start on my holiday shopping. I’m usually very last minute with the shopping, and it’s not because I can’t find the time, but more because I have no idea what to get people! Sure, my kids make lists for me. That’s easy! But what about friends and extended family? I never know what to get them. Adults seem to already have everything, you know? They are much harder to shop for than little kids.

If you, too, often have the I-don’t-know-what-to-get-them shopper’s block during the holiday season, then I’m going to do you a favor this year by introducing you to an online store that I found called UncommonGoods.  Founded in 1999, UncommonGoods began when owner Dave Bolotsky saw a need to connect makers and their creations with individuals looking for truly special goods –the kind of goods that are typically found at trade shows– without having to travel to trade shows! Dave created an online marketplace and ran his business out of his apartment in Manhattan. Since then the company has had tremendous growth and is now in a much larger facility in Brooklyn, NY. At UncommonGoods you are sure to find the perfect gift for that person who already has everything.

Like these Himalayan salt tequilla shot glasses. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for that friend who shoots tequila. Oh, don’t shake your head. We all have that friend (or family member!) Made from Himalayan sea salt, these shot glasses “give a salty twinge to the taste buds” — plus, salt is naturally antibacterial so you don’t have to worry about cleaning these shot glasses mid-party!

Okay, so on the off chance that you don’t have a tequila drinking friend, how about a beer lover? I like this idea of having a place to collect and display special beer caps. Made from Baltic birch plywood, these state-shaped display boards are perfect for those cap collectors who would rather not toss their caps into a junk drawer. Wouldn’t this be great in a game room or up on a man cave wall? You can get one made for any state.

And your best girl friends will love you for gifting them with these hand-made wine soap bars! (tequila, beer, wine…by now you must be thinking my friends are a bunch of alcoholics) Seriously, though, how nice are these all-natural vegan and gluten-free soaps, made from blends from popular red and white wines. Who wouldn’t love a little wine in their soap?!

And I’m a sucker for anything that is personalized. There’s just something about having my family members’ names in print that makes me extremely happy. Check out this cute family biking print, with everyone’s name printed above them. You can have a bike made in any size, for any family. See? There’s even one big enough for my family!

This personalized book of The Night Before Christmas makes a great gift for a child. The child’s name is placed throughout the book, along with up to 4 names of other family members or close friends, and even a family pet. I know Aiden would love to have his own personal Christmas book read to him during the holiday season!

Speaking of Aiden, I’m thinking this face plate would be ideal for getting my picky eater interested in eating his veggies and other food items that he flat out refuses to touch. If you present food to a child in a fun way, the chances of them actually eating it is higher! (I think that’s been proven in a study somewhere, but don’t quote me.)

Not only does UncommonGoods have a wide selection of specialty items, but they also tell you some interesting facts about the item. You can learn things like who made it, why they made it, or how they made it. I think it makes the item more interesting when you know where it comes from and how it came to be.

Like this kid entrepreneur, Max, who invented a fun way for kids to eat their cereal. See? Even Max knows that kids need to “play” with their food from time to time. (I’m sure Aiden would like to be friends with Max!)

As I read through the company’s story, UncommonGoods impressed me in many ways. First of all, they really care about our environment. They work with their artists to use sustainable or recycled materials whenever possible, choosing environmentally friendlier packing materials, and printing their catalog on recycled paper. Second, they created a program called Better to Give which allows their customers to choose a partner for UncommonGoods to donate $1 to with every order. And finally, they take good care of their employees by using an inverted pyramid model, and as a part of this business model, their lowest paid seasonal worker makes 100% more than minimum wage. I find that when a company has well-paid, happy employees, then more care goes into that company’s customer service which results in satisfied and happy customers!

So check out UncommonGoods.com this year and see all the “uncommon” gifts you will find for your hard-to-shop-for friends and family!