Uncommon Wedding Gifts

It's T-6 weeks until my wedding and I'm going to confess right now to being completely and utterly big day-absorbed. I spend every waking hour running through guest list spreadsheets, crafting decor DIYs and putting together table plans (a task more complex than advanced algebra). And then, when I finally fall exhausted into bed, my dreams are filled with huge frothy white dresses, collapsing cakes and numerous other potential wedding disasters...

So it's hardly surprising that my blog posts are soaking up a little of the Bridezilla craziness. Last week I blogged about the quest for wedding picture perfect skin, this week it's wedding presents. 

If brides bring you out in hives, don't stop reading just yet though. Although I'm twisting today's post to give it a nice nuptials slant, the real star of the show is an awesome online marketplace that sells much more than wedding gifts and that if you haven't heard about yet, you really should... Say hello to Uncommon Goods. 

Selling a carefully curated selection of gifts, jewellery, homeware and other unique trinkets, Uncommon Goods is a sort of virtual artisanal market which can be shopped from the comfort of your sofa, in your pyjamas with a glass of wine. 

Whether you're on the lookout for that perfect Birthday present or an anniversary gift; whether you're shopping for something to mark a new baby, a new job or a new home or even if you just want a way to show yourself how special you think you are, we guarantee you'll find something a little out of the ordinary in the Uncommon Goods Gift section. 

Because I have a severe case of wedding brain, I've handpicked a couple of beautiful pieces from the Uncommon Goods wedding section which I think are the ideal alternative to the traditional dull, domestic gifts. If you're at a loss of what to get the couple who have everything, here's a little gift inspo...

From This Day Forward Vase

£22

Scratch Map

£19.66

Thumbprint Alternative Guestbook

£66.55

Which should end up looking a little something like this...

Last but not least, a little hint to anyone who might be marrying me next month - I might just be a little obsessed with a couple of things in the handmade jewellery section like, I don't know, say the handwriting necklace... It's never too early to start planning anniversary gifts. Just saying.

Stocking Filler Fixers...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas fellow mice! The countdown is on and I for one can't bloody wait! 

In the Robbo Mouse household, Christmas starts when the tree is up! Laden with tartan ribbons, wooden carved hearts and stars, decorations we made when we were teeny tiny mice and that all important fairy in pride of place watching over us all. Something a little like this...

Well until that tree goes up, we'll have to start the festivities with a spot of present buying. Our gift traditions on Christmas Day always go the same way ... we all emerge from our childhood bedrooms, blurry eyed at around 10ish in our matching Xmas PJs (new ones purchased every year). We hang our stockings the night before so they're ready and waiting for us to snatch up the next morning. We then pile onto the foot of our dad's bed and take it in turns to open one gift at a time! Although I absolutely adore the tradition of stocking gifts, I do also find them the most difficult presents to buy. We have a strict budget of £20 so the knack of it is to splurge on one or two treats and fill the rest of the stocking with cheap and cheerful goodies like a Malteaser Reindeer or chocolate coins and not forgetting the obligatory clementine in the toe of your stocking along with a few shelled nuts! 

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought i'd share my top picks of the best stockings fillers around this year but before I do ... Hong Kong Mouse and Mini Mouse avert your beady eyes NOW please as Father Christmas might or might not have got you some of the following!!! 

OK so starting with the cheapest first at £3.49 and then accelerating to blow the budget what-the-hell it's Christmas options...

Hope & Greenwood Salt Caramel Fudge - £3.49 - when it comes to sweet treats there's nothing quite like salted caramel laced goodies. When you pair that with crumbling met-in-your-mouth fudge you're onto a winner i'd say! 

Essie nail varnish - £7.99 - everyone needs fancy nails at Christmas and when it comes to colour-popping varnishes Essie fights a good fight. Keep it bright, cheerful and fabulous - that's our Mice motto!  

 

 

Coconut Melt - £10 - lip-smackingly good balm that taste as good as it smells!

The White Company Winter mini candle - £10 - the smell of Christmas ... cinnamon, clove and orange!

Le Couvent des Minimes Set - £10 - a French beauty brand i've recently been introduced to and am now slightly obsessed with! This cute little set boasts four of the brands botanical best sellers - cologne, shower gel, soap bar and hand healer. Each product smells deliciously fresh and quite frankly I can't believe you get so much for such an affordable price tag.

 

 

L'Occitane hand and feet duo - £16 - quite possibly THE best hand and feet shea butter moisturiser a gal can own. This limited edition set is made for

Christmas stockings plus the perfect handbag size!

 

La Montana Winter Oranges candle - £35 - continuing the orange theme, this time a tad snazzier - Valencia oranges with cinnamon, clove and some red apple thrown in for good measure! Divine...

 

 

Melvita shower gel - £14 - and Bio Extraordinary Oil - £27.50 - nutty and luxurious this duo offers the perfect in-shower / after-shower silky soft skin solution...

 

And top of the Christmas pops is L'Occitane's Arlesienne Eau de Toilette - £39 - and the matching shower cream - £14 - maybe a tad expensive for a stocking filler but hey ho ho ho we just had to include because both smell so sensationally good!

Love Lust List...

February 14th is very nearly here again. Love it or hate it, get used to it because it ain't going away! 

Why is it that we seem to feel compelled to recognise this calendar date in one way or another? It's just like any other day except for one thing - it has this love stigma attached to it... which forces people into making alliances with one of two camps... 

Meet the Smug Sunshiners...

This camp is packed to the rafters with smiley, shiny, loved-up types! They have managed to bag themselves a sweetheart and they aren't afraid to celebrate the fact.

Cue the Sorry Singletons...

The dreary glum crowd who dread the stock Valentine's Day exchange, 'any love interests on the horizon? No? Don't worry it will happen when you least expect it. Be patient'

Regardless of which gang you fall into, my advice to EVERYONE this Valentine's Day is to celebrate by indulging yourself. I certainly intend to, now I just need to decide on which of the following deserves a place in my heart...

This little red Smythson book of love letters by famous authors?

Smythson Love Letters

£150

Buy here

This token of 24 carat love from Zoe and Morgan? 

Zoe & Morgan Love Lasso Ring

£99

Buy here

Power blush lushness from the love of my life Miu Miu?

Miu Miu Bauletto

£1,250

Buy here

Roses are red, violets are blue, Bling-a-ling Mawi do I choose you?

Pave Hexagon Foil Drop Earrings 

£310

Buy here

Hot to trot love heart Charlotte Olympia's?

Charlotte Olympia Delphine

£595

Buy here

After all, as Oscar Wilde so perfectly put it, "to love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance"...

Image via: www.pinterest.com