With the world of subscription boxes exploding as it is you’d think that a box for self-care, specifically for mental health, would be easy to find stateside. But when Janelle Martel, creator of Caring Crate, went looking for something to soothe her mind as much as her body she was surprised to find that one did not exist. “I actually googled “mental health subscription box” because I wanted to order myself a treat – something I could look forward to each month that would be really beneficial to my overall well-being. When I couldn’t find one available in North America, I just couldn’t stop thinking about creating my own,” shares Janelle. As someone who has lived with anxiety her whole life she knew that she had to do something about it. And just like that Caring Crate was born. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.
Janelle’s journey hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies while trying to figure this whole subscription box thing out but the hard work she puts into it really shows through her item choices. “I’m really picky about the products I choose! Because a lot of my subscribers have mental health issues or chronic illness, I always want to ensure that the products are made with clean, non-toxic ingredients that will help improve well-being,” she says. She goes the extra mile to be sure she’s doing everything she can to make sure that her boxes are bringing joy to her subscribers and not just anything will do. Etsy shops and small businesses are where she looks for most of her items because the hand-made touch and variety of unique items is what she seeks to share. “It has been an adventure! I’ve experience a lot of different lows – from launching with a mere 20 subscribers to having my shipments being delayed because a product arrived late. It’s actually been a really good learning experience because I’ve realized that nothing will ever go right in business!”.
Although Janelle is touching so many lives already, all she can see are the lives she hasn’t touched yet. Her heart is just bursting at the seams with ideas for what the future will hold with Caring Crate. She wants to grow to the point of expansion so she can employ a team of people to back her up. A team made of people who have amazing abilities to share but may not be able to share them due to mental or chronic illness. Of course her dreams don’t stop there, “I’d also love to do more one-off boxes that are designed with a particular person in mind, such as calming anxiety or managing migraines. Eventually, I’d also love to expand to offering boxes for children, to help ensure that they have the tools to manage their mental health.”
So what’s her motto? “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” She’s a cold brew girl, served with agave and almond milk.
The Review
Caring Crate comes with a few different subscription options whether you just want to try it out, become a regular subscriber, or share it with someone you love. It’s $39.95 if you go month-to-month or if you want to send one as a gift, $115.59 for 3-Months, and $225 for 6- Months. Price-wise this is average for a subscription box service. My box was full of wonderful little surprises that I wouldn’t have thought to buy for myself but had a lot of fun trying out.
52 Lists for Happiness Journal $12:
This sweet little journal by author Moorea Seal was both beautiful to look at and a fun little way to give myself a 5-minute break. The lists are broken up by week and by season, so you have the option of starting with Week 1 or with whichever season you are in. How cute is the Spring season starting page? You can find it HERE on Amazon for under $12.
Turmeric Facial Scrub from Scrub Supply Co. $13.98 :
I have really sensitive skin so I always try face scrubs on the inside of my arm first and this one seemed fine. Unfortunately, that was not the case when I actually used it on my face. Everything seemed fine but about 3 minutes into it my face got a little itchy. Experience has told me that if it itches on my skin then it needs to come off. When I took it off my skin got blotchy, warm, and even got a tiny bit of rash. I’m not going to knock the product because it says it’s made with: turmeric, chickpea flour, cold pressed coconut oil, demerara cane sugar, and essential lemon oil, nothing that arose any suspicion on my end. I will say though that you need to be careful when you try any face wash and if you have sensitive skin then this may not be the one for you.
Wicked Good Perfume Etsy Shop: Sunshine Scent $12:
The smell of this perfume was absolutely delightful and I would highly recommend it. It’s made with notes of lemon, lemon verbena, sage, and green tea, and meant to awaken you. I don’t know how much it awakened me but the scent was refreshing and actually perked up my mood.
Lumiére de Sel Himalayan Salt USB Lamp $13.00:
I wasn’t sure how to feel about this one. I’ve heard some about the health benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps like promotes concentration, helps purify the air around you, reduces electromagnetic pollution, and is a natural ionizer. Now, I can’t really prove any of these things but I can tell you that it is both adorable and has a calming effect on my mood. Not too bright, no scent at all, and honestly looks cute on my night stand. Another thing is the color really doesn’t pop until you’ve plugged it in, then it’s a vibrant rose color. I would’ve never bought this for myself but I really enjoy it and I couldn’t find this exact model to ship stateside but I found a similar one on Amazon for $13 HERE.
Tout de Sweet Confections: Strawberry Cream Cotton Candy $4:
This little bucket ended up being one of sadness for me. For when I got my box my cotton candy had melted and turned into a little blob of hard sugar instead of the light, sweet spun cotton candy I was expecting. And to make matters worse? The company was out of cotton candy for shipping to US. But I couldn’t just let it go to waste so I tried it anyway and it was a sweet strawberry vanilla flavor. If you’d like to see what the shop currently has in-stock for US shipping you can check out the page HERE.
Over all I really enjoyed my “Sunshine in a Box” box. The items were thoughtfully chosen and crafted and, I think, did their job of putting a smile on my face. You can check out what Caring Crate has going on HERE and you can find them on their social media at these places:
Twitter: Twitter.com/caring_crate
Facebook: Facebook.com/caringcrate
Instagram: Instagram.com/caringcrate
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