Kawaii Box Unboxing Review + Giveaway!

OUR STORY
Our passion at Kawaii Box is to spread kawaii culture and the love for cute things all over the world! We are totally in love with everything kawaii, and believe that even a tiny dose of cuteness can provide a huge boost of positivity to our life. To bring that happiness to you, we carefully handpick the cutest kawaii things, and curate them into an exciting monthly box you’ll surely love! Kawaii-fy your life with exclusive items like kawaii squishies, kawaii stationery and super cute plushies. Directly from Tokyo to your door!

CUTEST KAWAII ITEMS
We carefully handpick kawaii things you'll surely love!

FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE
The shipping is absolutely FREE to every country worldwide!

HAPPINESS GUARANTEED
These kawaii things are guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

My Thoughts:

I'll admit that I have a weakness for all things cute and Kawaii! Nothing makes my day like an adorable plushie or a fun character item. Something about it allows me to reminisce to my childhood days and enjoy the positive energy of simpler times. Whether you're an adult, a teenager, or child, Kawaii Box is fun for all ages. Everyone can use a dose of Kawaii goodness in their life!

I was surprised how quickly my first Kawaii Box arrived upon shipping. After discovering the brand it was so exciting to see the fun pink box at my doorstep! Squeals of joy could be heard as I went through my items. I will attach a picture of each goodie from this month's box and a description.

Namakemono No Mikke Plushie-
Naturally, my eyes went right to this adorable Sloth plush! I'm a huge fan of sloths and this little baby was a perfect addition to my plushie collection. Plus, pink is one of my favorite colors. The Namakemono No Mikkie plush is soft, cuddly, detailed, and oh so Kawaii!

Kawaii Octopus Ink Pen-
This fun Octopus pen will keep you company and prepare you for anything during your daily activities. Who needs a basic pen when you can have one with a smiley, squishy buddy instead? This fine point pen is lightweight and perfect for Kawaii lovers everywhere!

Magical Unicorn Pencil Pouch- 
I'll admit, I lose my pens and pencils like no tomorrow, especially during the school and work year. This pencil pouch is perfect to store your Kawaii Octopus Ink Pen from your Kawaii Box, as well as other essentials. Plus, who doesn't love Unicorns? Looking at this pouch transports me to a peaceful relaxing wonderland of magic!

Koinobori Plush Charm-
Fun fact! Koinobori means "carp streamer" in Japanese. You can see these types of windsocks flown throughout Japan. They are viewed as a celebration of Children's Day. This holiday was created in the hopes that children will live happy and healthy lives. This is the perfect little good luck charm to hang off of your pencil pouch, purse, book bag, or any other fun places.

Never Stop Dreaming Notebook-
As a writer, I love having lined notebooks of this size around. They fit perfectly in my purse or handbag. Whenever I need to write down an appointment, deadline, inspiration, note, or list, it's easy to grab and use at a moment's notice. Plus, I can avoid lugging around heavier ones that are bulky and take up a ton of room. These are simple to store and carry. I love the Unicorn design and phrase "Never Stop Dreaming". The pages on the side have a matching design as well. It's a great addition with the Unicorn pouch and Octopus pen!

Rainbow Pon-de-Ring Squishy-
Another fun fact to share! Pon-de-Rings are a speciality item at the Japanese chain, Mister Donut. They are made by attaching dough balls together in a circle. This squishy is a fun way to feel like you're experiencing Mister Donut yourself. I enjoy sensory items such as these because they're soft and bounce back into place when you press down. The colors of this item are exquisite as well.

Fruity Eraser-
This eraser treat was so sweet! Mine was in the shape of a Dragonfruit and I was thrilled! It reminded me of a couple summers ago when I tried a Dragonfruit for the very first time. My coworker had brought it into work and split a piece with me and our students. It's certainly one of the coolest looking fruits. Unique just like we are as human beings!

Sumikko Gurashi Stickers-
It is said that Sumikko Gurashi are shy and represent the nature of others who may be shy as well. This sticker set is colorful, whimsical, and represents the very essence of Kawaii! I was impressed with how many were included. It's perfect for decorating. I'm going to put mine on greeting cards and thank you notes.

Yori Cook Mini Whiteboard-
Last but certainly not least we have the great, Yori Cook Mini Whiteboard. This is a wonderful addition to this months box which supplied items for organization, time management, and back to school essentials. On one side of the whiteboard is a larger area for drawing and writing. The other has days of the week for all your planning needs. Included is an erasable marker.

Above is the brochure included in the box. It goes over each item included which I find to be extremely handy in learning about the history and uses of each. There's also information about how you can win a free Kawaii Box and invite your friends!

The Giveaway:

Kawaii Box was kind enough to provide a giveaway for our lovely readers! I want to give a special thank you to them allowing me to review and share these fantastic items with my readers here at, New Age Mama! I know our lucky winner will love their box as much as I loved mine!

New age Mama Kawaii Box Giveaway

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How to turn your Mother's Day Card into a Gift with NoteCube

You're blinking faster and faster, your lip's quivering and before you know it you're getting teary. As you blink through the tears, you think to yourself how amazing it is that words on card can make you feel so damn emotional - it can be embarrassing, but ultimately, it'll feel fantastic and you won't forget it. After all, "tears come from the heart and not from the brain" (Leonardo da Vinci).

According to a recent study*, people may cry happy tears as a way of keeping themselves from getting too overwhelmed with good feelings, so if you've written something that made someone shed a few happy tears - that's pretty awesome! So let's find out what the best things to write in a card are and how you can turn them into an extremely thoughtful gift.

Here are 8 different things you could write about in a Mother's Day card:

1) MEMORIES Think of memories you've experienced with them that are packed with emotion - if you get emotional writing the memory, chances are they'll find it emotional too. Reminiscing can bring back so many good feelings.

2) INSIDE JOKES An inside joke is great evidence of a lasting bond. Try and think of some old ones, this will make them feel nostalgic and will unquestionably put a smile on their face (maybe even a few tears).

3) KIND WORDS Tell them what you appreciate most about them; how they always seem to cheer you up and are always willing to listen to your problems. Remind them of their best qualities; funny, wise, caring, helpful - they'll really appreciate it.

 4) POEM This is probably the hardest one to do but definitely worth it. It doesn't need to be long, or even that good, just make sure you put effort into it and they'll be able to recognise that.

 5) FUTURE PROMISES A future promise is always nice to hear and you can get really personal with these. Promising someone you'll forever be there for them is just wonderful.

 6) BUCKET LIST Write the things you want to experience with them; fly in a helicopter over New York? Go to the Everest base camp? Do a tandem bungee jump?

7) QUOTES Find their favourite quotes or ones you know they'll enjoy and put them on notes. Maybe even quote something they have said before - that could be fun!

8) LOVE This one is simple - just tell them how much you love and appreciate them. This is always wonderful to hear; at least one note should be dedicated to this.

How to turn your Mother's Day card into a gift

NoteCube is a box filled with beautiful notes that have been written for a special occasion, event or person - usually relating to a major event like Mother's Day, a wedding, birthday, celebration or anniversary. Notes are written on the website and once the last note has been submitted, they'll send them in a stylish keepsake box.

Using the 8 ideas above you could create a very special and sentimental gift for Mother's Day, you can do more than one note for each idea - they don't need to be long. Notes can be from many different contributors or just one person...it's basically a box full of happiness and joy! It was started by siblings James & Lauren Billingham (21 & 23) with the aim to offer a service and product that'll help people give a fantastically thoughtful gift. You can purchase one here.

Marcella Lico purchased a NoteCube for her Husband for their 20th Anniversary and had these lovely words to say; "Thank you for this amazing tool. It has made it so incredibly easy not only to share the link but for people to submit their notes. I know I've shed a few tears reading them that i can't wait to see Paul read all the beautiful words that have been sent. Again a huge thank you!" - Once she had received the NoteCube she told us; "He absolutely loved it and worked hard at trying to contain his emotions but in the end, failed miserably! It was incredibly touching watching him read note after note! Thank you so much for all your hard work and for helping me give him such a beautiful gift! There are truly no words!" Another lovely person purchased a NoteCube for their Mother's 50th Birthday, Sue had this to say about NoteCube; "My mum absolutely loved the NoteCube, haven't seen her smile and cry that much in a while! It's now sitting on her coffee table and I swear she opens it every day...thank you ".

Hopefully these ideas will help you, just remember to enjoy it - writing can be wonderful!

*The study on crying: http://news.yale.edu/2014/11/11/why-i-m-so-happy-i-could-cry-makes-sense

Stationery Studio - Review & #Giveaway

The Stationery Studio is the online leader in personalized stationery and gifts and often featured in media outlets like the TODAY SHOW, Good Housekeeping, USA TODAY, People magazine and much more. They also have a large celebrity fan base including Kim Kardashian West, Elizabeth Banks, Bethenny Frankel and Julie Bowen. I was super excited to get a chance to try out one of their stampers for myself. 

Whenever I send out a letter, card, or even a little promo item for one of my books, I normally use professional return address labels. But they can get expensive when you're sending out a ton of query letters to agents and publishers every day.  Plus, I never found exactly what I was looking for. Then I came across Stationery Studio.  They create custom stamps for all kinds of things. They offer dozens of beautiful designs, so there is something for everyone, and their prices are definitely the lowest I've seen.

For my review,  Stationery Studio created a beautiful stamp just for me. I decided on the Love My State Self Inking Stamper. Everyone knows I'm a proud Jersey Girl, and I love to show off my pride in my home state.  This stamper includes an image of the state of your choice with a little heart next to it.  Stationery Studio  added my address in beautiful calligraphy handwriting.  The stamp is a little larger than average address labels, making the design really stand out on the envelope. I was worried it would blotch or smear easily, but with their fast drying ink, that doesn't happen at all. The best part is, this one stamp will last ten times longer than a whole sheet of stickers. Of course, this is only one examples of the awesome stationary, office supplies, and party supplies available from Stationery Studio. Here are a few more items I love.

If you'd like to learn more about Stationery Studio and all they have to offer, be sure to visit their website or follow them via their social media.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a Love My State Self Inking Stamper with the state of their choice.To enter just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below. Open to the US only. Giveaway will end 8/15/15. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to the sponsor for offering this fantastic prize.

Entry-Form