Whether a treat for yourself or a gift for someone else, a well considered subscription is a fail-safe Christmas present idea: it truly is the gift that keeps on giving!
But with so many options to choose from, which subscriptions will you choose to enhance and improve your life in 2020? We’ve narrowed down the extensive selection to our top six well-being subscriptions– we hope you enjoy them as much as we have!
- Bloombox (https://bloomboxclub.com/)
Research has proven that having plants in your home can improve your mood, relieve stress and anxiety and prolong attention span. Add to this the documented boost to air quality[1] and it swiftly becomes clear that plants are not just for the garden. Established by Dr Katie Cooper in 2015 after witnessing the positive, life affirming effects of plants on her patients, Bloombox offer a plant subscription on a monthly or quarterly basis. Bloombox set themselves apart from other subscription services in that the plants they choose have been selected for “their rarity and quirkiness, as well as prettiness”, so you can be assured that the plants you receive will be ones to cherish, and certainly not a specimen you could have picked up at the local garden centre. We love Bloombox especially for their careful eye in picking stunning pots to compliment the plants they choose, and their dedication to using easily recyclable packing. And, with the NASA studies on indoor pollution[2] recommending one plant per 100 square feet of floor space to clean the air, what are you waiting for?
2. Rare Birds Book Club (https://rarebirdsbookclub.com/)
I love books. Reading genuinely enhances my wellbeing, giving me the mental space to absorb myself in another world, escaping any day to day drudgery. There are many book subscription offerings available, but the Rare Birds Book Club really fits my brief. I suppose you might say it is a kind of no-frills book service, but it truly works. You simply choose one book from an option of two (they send you the synopsis), and the book you choose is neatly wrapped and posted through your front door at the beginning of the month (letterbox size guaranteed, so no having to collect from the Post Office). There is also an online bookclub on which you can discuss the novel – you can simply dip into this when you have time – and you end up with a bookshelf happily full of interesting and varied literature. What more could you want? At just £10 a month it really is a bit of a steal. Great work, Rare Birds Book Club.
3. Authentic House (https://www.authentichouse.co.uk/)
Sustainable, eco-friendly subscription boxes have truly come into their own. This is absolutely their time, and I imagine, for many companies of this ilk, it will be their busiest Christmas to date. There are quite a few companies offering eco-boxes, but one of my favourites, and one that stands out from the crowd, is Authentic House. Theirs was the first eco-friendly subscription box to trade in the UK, and, as such, they have both the experience and customer base to source fabulous products for their boxes at the best prices. The majority of their products are sourced directly from UK makers – this could be anything from a single craftsperson to a sustainable brand. On top of this, their service is personalised – when you sign up you can share product like and dislikes – so you receive a box of goods tailored to your needs, and Authentic House benefit from minimising waste and not sending unwanted products. A win all round!
Prices start from just £14 a month for a small box.
4. Abel and Cole (https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/)
Okay, so fruit and vegetables are maybe not the most indulgent or exciting present, but perhaps, for 2020, a resolution to buy less single use plastic could be fulfilled by a subscription for a weekly fresh food box from organic food delivery service Abel and Cole. Their commitment to sustainability is impressive – for example, none of their produce is air-freighted and they pledge that all their packaging will be completely recyclable or fully compostable by 2025. They have also introduced a totally packaging free fruit and vegetable box, arriving in just a cardboard box (which they will take away and recycle for you too, if you wish!). So, whilst other subscriptions may perhaps be more interesting, subscribing to Abel and Cole in 2020 would be a great way to tick the box on one of your sustainable New Year’s resolutions at least!
5. Yumbles Cake Club (https://www.yumbles.com/)
What is it that the healthy eating experts say – eat well 80% of the time? Well then, this treat is for the remaining 20% of your day – Yumbles’ wonderful cake club. As a cake enthusiast, there are quite a few cake subscriptions that I have pondered on over the years, but Yumbles stood out because they didn’t just send a single, lonely slice of cake (that I worry may well be pretty dry by the time it reaches me) – oh no – Yumbles send an entire, feeds six, whole, fresh, delicious cake to your door. My father was the lucky recipient of four wonderful Yumbles cakes earlier this year – it was a well suited Father’s Day gift for a man who loves cake. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve heard him more animated than explaining with delight which cake had arrived on his doorstep that month. He did save me a slice of one of the cakes (only one, mind) and I can confirm it was totally delicious. I think this subscription might become a regular gift purchase of mine: the ultimate self-care boost.
A four month & four cake subscription costs £58.50 at time of writing. Worth every penny.
6. Birchbox (https://www.birchbox.co.uk/)
I have a real love of beauty advent calendars: the miniature products you can pamper and indulge with, when you probably wouldn’t splash out on a full-size version of the product for yourself. Well the great news for me is that I don’t have to wait all year for this joy; for a very reasonable £10 a month (plus P&P), Birchbox will deliver their beauty box through my door twelve times a year. Each box contains five beauty items (normally a mix of sample size and full size), and you can personalise your box according to your needs and also taste – you can even change the delivery box design! Birchbox is a relatively inexpensive way to treat yourself throughout the year and indulge a little. In the words of L’Oréal, “because you’re worth it”, right?
Sarah Barnett – November 2019
[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FB%3AWATE.0000038896.55713.5b
[2] https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930073077.pdf
sarah-barnett.com 