Tag: the smile parcel

Our Final 2 Original Subscription Box Contents!

Hello!

I’m afraid, there’s a slight sad vibe to this blog post, as it’s time to reveal the contents of our final two original subscription boxes!

I want to say a big thank you again, to everyone who has purchased a subscription from us over the last 5 years …I hope you’re enjoying our new letterbox and ready-to-go ranges.

The theme for May was, Step Outside, which seemed to be the perfect theme, as restrictions were slowly starting to be eased and the prospect of getting outside more, with friends and family was becoming a reality.

For June, our final parcel, we chose the theme of, Smile – of course, I couldn’t really be anything else, could it?!

May Contents:

Bamboo Travel Mug & Bee Pencil –

As the restrictions slowly ease, this months theme seems to be a more appropriate theme than ever. So, while we’re getting used to enjoying being out and about and having more freedom – of course, we need a new travel mug! This bee design mug is made from sustainable bamboo, so it is both reusable and eco-friendly.

While we’re on the bee theme, we thought we’d pop in a cute pencil and eraser too!

Luggage Tag & Biscuit Tub –

I don’t think there has ever been a more appropriate luggage tag than this – “Adventure Awaits”! Most of us have forgotten what adventure feels like, not to mention holidays, so we’ve sent you this tag, so when we can go …you are ready!

And, while we’re having these adventures, the most essential item to pack – biscuits, and we’ve got the perfect tub to pop them in!

Keep On Going Sticker & Happiness Sign –

We’ve definitely all been through a very challenging period of time, and we all have our fingers tightly crossed that it will be coming to an end soon. There have inevitably been times when we have all struggled to keep on going, but we did it and we will continue to do so, we got this!

“Happiness Blooms From Within” – we thought this was such a lovely quote and an even cuter plaque…

 “You’ll Get There In The End” –

I know for some of us, the prospect of returning to any sort of “normal” is actually quite a terrifying thought, which is understandable after spending so much time in our own little bubbles. But, remember, just because you can meet people, socialise or travel, it doesn’t mean you have to, so take it at your own pace …you’ll get there in the end. Postcard by Katie Abey.

Smile Cards

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Zachary.

June Contents:

Rainbow Notebook –

For our final original subscription box, what better theme could there be, other than, of course, Smile.

All the contents have been chosen to simply share a smile, as this is part of our tagline, and your first item is a lovely rainbow notebook, with the quote “Spread a little happiness wherever you go…”.

Bee Glasses Case & Compact Mirror –

Summer is now just around the corner, so you need somewhere to keep those sunglasses safe. We loved the cute bee design of the case, along with the wording “Always Bee Yourself” – so very true! It’s always handy to have a little compact mirror somewhere at hand, and this pocket mirror fitted the brief perfectly – turn that frown upside down.

Spotty Socks & Button Badge –

Now, as I’m writing this, we are currently experiencing a heatwave, so wearing socks may not be your top priority, however, as this is the UK, I’m sure we won’t be far away from a sock day …and if you’re going to wear socks, make them spotty – life is too short for boring socks!

This button badge has been designed and made by the super talented Carli, over at Colour Your Life Club – the perfect accessory to anywhere needing a little spark of joy.

 “Go For It” –

Now, I have to admit, this postcard was chosen for this parcel, to be as much for me as for you! The Anteater of Ambition has been helping give us the push to step a little more into the unknown for The Smile Parcel, and make the decision to step away from our original subscription box, to enable us to create more ready-to-post, letterbox friendly, and mystery parcels. If you need a little push too, here’s your sign …Go for it! Postcard by Katie Abey.

Smile Cards

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Jimmy.

 

Karen x

A Fond Farewell To Our Original Subscription Box…

A huge thank you & a sad goodbye…

You may have noticed a change to our website recently, as after 5 lovely years, the time has come to say goodbye to our original The Smile Parcel subscription box.

We’ve been so lucky to build a fabulous loyal customer base, some of you have been receiving our parcels for 2 years or more and that’s something we are so grateful and overwhelmed by.

We’ve been thinking for a while about extending our range of ready-to-go parcels, both in the letterbox friendly version and full-size gifts, but sadly, to do this, it meant we needed to let something go.

There’s still a one-off purchase version of our parcel with surprise contents, which is the closest option to our subscription box – with the creation of our ‘Mystery Parcel’ – and the best thing about these, is that they are ready to post within a couple of days of ordering, so there’s no more waiting for our monthly shipping date.

Feel free to have a nosey around our website and browse through our letterbox gifts and select ranges.

I hope you will stay with us …and another big thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the last few years, your support means so much!

Karen x

April 2021 – Parcel Contents

Hello!

We’ve reached the last day of April …and so, it’s time to show you the contents of this month’s parcel, which this time had the theme of, Keep Growing.

The contents of the April parcels were bursting with Springtime!

April Contents:

“Life Is Like Riding A Bicycle…” –

The theme this month is, Keep Growing, and your first item is a lovely metal hanging sign, with the quote: “Life is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance, keep moving”. Sometimes, especially at the moment, it can be easy to feel a little “stuck” and lose our direction, but it’s important that no matter how tough it is, to push through …keep moving, keep going …and keep growing!

Lucky Message Bean, Pot & Instructions –

We have included a similar message bean previously and we loved them, so we thought we’d share them again. We’ve included an instruction sheet to give you a helping hand, along with probably the cutest little bucket pot we’ve ever seen!

“Be A Rainbow…” & Butterfly Clip –

“Be A Rainbow In Someone Else’s Cloud” – we loved the gift bag alone, so when we discovered the little resin rainbow inside, these were a must-have addition to your parcel this month. Rainbows have taken on a new meaning during the pandemic, and we’ve become used to seeing them to support the amazing work of the NHS and our key workers.

Butterflies have always been a symbol of growth, change, hope and life, due to their wonderful transformation, and this opaque butterfly comes with a clip, ready to pop anywhere as a decoration.

 “Learn To Rest” & Paper Sunflowers –

We’ve included another postcard by Katie Abey this month, along with 5 paper sunflowers! We decided to leave these lose in your parcel, so you can use them however you choose and get crafty – maybe add to a card and share a smile with someone who deserves one…

Smile Cards –

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant –

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Des!

Karen x

March 2021 – Parcel Contents

Hello!

We’re now reaching the end of March and Spring is finally here …and so, it’s time to show you the contents of this month’s parcel, which this time had the theme of, Inspiration.

The contents of the March parcels were all about sharing a little inspiration, to motivate the recipient and remind you that, you got this!

March Contents:

Daily Planner –

The theme this month is, Inspiration and, your first item is this fabulous daily planner, which is brand new from Carli, over at Colour Your Life Club. We loved the bright design and thought it was the perfect choice to help share a little inspiration and get organised!

Colouring Sheet & Pencils –

Now, you probably know that we love a colouring sheet at The Smile Parcel, so here’s a new design, created just for this parcel, to inspire you while you get the colouring pencils out and take some much-deserved me-time.

Talking of pencils, we’ve included a few to get you started.

Bookmark & Flying Bird Bracelet –

If colouring isn’t your go-to hobby of choice, maybe you like getting stuck into a good book instead. This cute bookmark has a lovely quote by Roald Dahl – go change the world!

Birds are a beautiful symbol of strength and freedom, so what better than to wear one on your wrist, as an inspirational reminder of what you’re capable of achieving.

 “You’re Amazing” –

This single sided postcard is one of our own first designs from The Smile Prints, so we wanted to include one in this parcel, for you.

You ARE Amazing – these badges aren’t given to just anyone you know?! 😉 These postcards are now available in hard copies as a pack of 10, to give to friends or leave for strangers to find, or you can download and print your own from: www.thesmileprints.com

Smile Cards

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Rodger.

 

Karen x

February 2021 – Parcel Contents

Hello!

It’s time to show you the contents of our February parcel and, this time they had the theme of, Kindness.

The contents of this parcel were all about encouraging the recipient to show a little kindness to themselves, as well as to others.

February Contents:

Wooden Heart –

Your February parcel is all about love and kindness …and that means being kind to yourself too! The first item in your parcel this month, is a rustic wooden hanging heart. We loved the simple, no frills design and thought it would be a perfect addition to any space needing a little bit of love!

Button Badge, Sticker & Shout Card –

We just mentioned above that showing kindness means being kind to yourself too. Life has become a very different kind of hectic at the moment, whether it be the challenges of working from home, or possibly the even bigger challenge of home schooling – the struggle is real!

 This sticker and button badge is a little reminder that kindness rules, whether that’s being kind to others, or to yourself.

If you do find yourself struggling to cope, we’ve also included a card for, Shout, a charity that we work closely with at The Smile Parcel.

Text: SHOUT to 85258 for free, 24/7, confidential support.

Smile At Strangers –

Now, for something brand new! At the beginning of January, we began a new venture, creating Smile Prints.

But, don’t worry, The Smile Parcel is staying just where it is, in fact, The Smile Prints has been created to help us to create more parcels, as all proceeds go straight to The Smile Parcel.

So, whether you’re looking to print your own postcards to send to friends, or add a print to your wall, you’ll receive your chosen print in 5 different sizes and you can print as many copies as you like! If you fancy a browse, you’ll find us here: www.thesmileprints.etsy.com

 “Pulling Each Other Through…” –

We loved this new postcard from Katie Abey – love is definitely helping us all to pull each other through at the moment, fingers crossed the kindness and love being shown across communities will continue long after the pandemic is a distant memory!

Smile Cards –

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant –

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Ronnie.

Karen x

Introducing …The Smile Prints

Hello – we’ve created something brand new!

Introducing …The Smile Prints

If you’re familiar with our parcels, you’ll know that we occasionally include colouring sheets along with the contents, as we like to give you an excuse to take a little time out for yourself, even if it’s just for a few moments.

We’ve also included two Smile Cards inside every monthly parcel since we began 4 years ago, one card has a short message for the recipient, and there’s one blank card, for them to write their own message or inspirational quote, to pass on to a friend, or maybe even leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find, to hopefully make their day a little brighter and make them smile.

So, we decided to design beautiful prints, and give you the opportunity to download your own, that you can even print out at home, whether you want to send a positive message on a postcard to a friend, leave a random act of kindness, do some mindfulness colouring, or add a framed smile print to your wall – we’ve got them all.

Every purchase from The Smile Prints will go towards continuing to create our parcels and will help us to reach a wider audience …and therefore, share more smiles – which means you’re pretty fabulous!

If you want to take a browse, you’ll find The Smile Prints here: https://www.thesmileprints.com which should (hopefully!) link you straight through to our new Etsy shop.

As always, thank you so much for your support.

Karen x

 

January 2021 – Parcel Contents

Hello Lovely!

It’s 23rd January already …and I’m just doing my first blog post of the year!

It’s time to show you the contents of our first monthly parcel of 2021 – which had the theme ‘Let’s Begin’.

With this parcel we wanted to try to share as much inspiration as we could, while attempting to take some positivity with us into the brand new year…

January Contents:

Macrame Rainbow –

Now, this year may be starting with a lot of the same uncertainties that we would have chosen to leave behind in 2020, but the difference this time, is that we are filled with hope that better things are to come.

Your first item is this bright and colourful rainbow – it’s a little hint of the positives from the year we left behind while at the same time, bringing the inspiration into this one.

Adventure Travel Mug –

Adventure and travel may be something that has currently been put on hold, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan for the future and set goals now. Travelling is something that lots of us possibly took for granted, and therefore, is something we can’t wait to begin doing again, when we’re allowed. Seeking adventure doesn’t have to mean travelling far and wide, it could simply mean exploring what is on your doorstep – at least you’ll be prepared with a hot cuppa!

Notebook –

We just mentioned setting goals. It’s a new year and in more normal times, we would be setting ourselves resolutions in January, but as we know, this year is a little different, so I think goals are a much better choice. They give us something to aim for and can be amended as the times we’re in change. This cute notebook is your official “goal setting” notebook! So, fill it up with future plans and tick them off as you go…

Be Your Own Hero –

This postcard from Katie Abey is an old favourite of ours and, currently, it is more important than ever – it’s time to be your own hero, go on, you got this!

Smile Cards –

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant –

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Sidney.

Karen x

December 2020 – Parcel Contents

Hello!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and were able to make the most out of what the current restrictions allow.

We’ve reached the end of December and will be seeing in a brand-new year tomorrow – we have our fingers tightly crossed that it will be an improvement on this one!

But while we’re waiting to find out, it’s time to do the parcel contents reveal for our December parcel, which of course, had the theme of, Christmas!

December Contents:

Lockdown Bauble –

I’m guessing you probably have your Christmas tree up by now, or if not, it will be going up very soon, so we wanted to include a bauble to add to your decorations. Of course, 2020 will be remembered for one thing, and for some it has created opportunities they never would have otherwise had, and for others, it has been devastating.

If you do like to add year memory baubles to your tree, here’s one to get you started.

Grey Stocking –

We’ve been told on good authority that Santa is immune to Covid-19 and will therefore be visiting as usual, thank goodness! So, it’s time to hang those stockings around the fireplace – especially as there’s no naughty list this year!!

Lucky Stars –

Now, if you received our September parcel, you will have seen these “Lucky Stars” before. We loved them so much, we have included some in our Christmas parcel too, this time with festive colours. Each of the 5 folded paper stars contains a hidden inspirational message, just for you. These have been carefully handmade by Ellesha from Craft Create Dream – you can find Ellesha over on Instagram or on her Facebook business page.

Love You To The Moon… –

This hanging heart isn’t specifically Christmas themed, but we loved the gold star design and thought it was a great addition to this month’s contents – and you can keep it on display all year round!

Colouring Sheet & Pencils –

As you may know, we like to include something “to do” in your December parcel, and I know lots of you do choose to save them to open on Christmas day – which we love. This little colouring sheet will give you a task while feeling sluggish after Christmas dinner – we’ve even added a few colouring pencils to help you get started!

Smile Cards

As always, there should be a couple of these little cards in your parcel, I’ve written one for you, and the blank one, is for you to write a short inspirational or positive message, and give to someone you know, or maybe, leave somewhere for a complete stranger to find.

Parcel Assistant

The Pom-Pom Parcel Assistant who helped (or hindered!) us with packing your parcel this month was, Reggie.

 

Karen x