The lesson we’ve learnt from the pandemic is that it is vital to take care of ourselves. Whether by doing sport or by meditating, cooking, painting… whatever brings you joy and happiness must be encouraged and rightly valued.
There are certain things we had to give up this year though, like meeting friends as much as we like (especially indoors), organising cultural activities or travelling the world. These sources of joy are the most difficult to compensate for.
But in case you really miss travelling, I’ve got something for you “to experience the wisdoms and rituals from all around the world from the comfort of your home”…
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON presents you MyHappyPlaceBox, a concept to escape your daily life, discover the world and be happy!

Happiness in a box!

Catherine* has an open enquiring mind and a positive spirit. She loves discovering the best that the world has to offer and to share her passion. This is how she launched MyHappyPlaceBox in 2018.
The concept she developed was to create boxes filled with “5 objects that represent the essence of a certain place”, which would bring a source of excitement, wonder and happiness to the lucky person opening it.
MyHappyPlaceBox already released several boxes either related to a certain destination (from Peru to Japan, Bali or Egypt, choice is large!) or theme (“kids” or the “land of dreams”).
The ritual will always be the same: one day you receive a box by the post and this one is just for YOU; you can’t resist and review all your priorities so that you MAKE TIME for YOURSELF to open the box; and you finally -excitedly- unwrap all the surprises awaiting inside, one by one, while sipping tea in the comfort of your home (at least that’s what I did, but I may have been inspired by the destination Catherine chose for me…).
Although you have not left your home, your mind is already far away, exploring new horizons… and most of all, you are taking good care of yourself, regenerating your inner self.
And that’s the core value of these treasure boxes … !

A bespoke response for women

MyHappyPlaceBox was created before lockdown, as Catherine felt there was something to be done for women to find the right work / family balance and happiness in their busy life.
As she says, “the lack of time and financial resources stop most of us from finding the right techniques, rituals and wisdoms that can truly transform our life and make us happy”.

This is how she designed these boxes: to create a breath of fresh air for women, a secret garden where they can relax, dream, learn, discover new places and their rituals, from the comfort of their homes.
It’s quite funny because I heard of MyHappyPlaceBox during lockdown, which appeared to me as the perfect concept since travelling was not an option any more! These boxes give us all the opportunity to virtually lay our suitcases down in a new country and learn about new cultures without worrying about safety or money.
This concept resonates even more now as the balance between private life and work is even harder to reach with the current pandemic, especially for women who need such evasions more than ever.

MyHappyPlaceBox to …Japan!

I had the utmost pleasure to open this box. It actually arrived on my birthday and I immediately felt in the perfect mood to get surprised!

The first impression is always important, right? Mine was to be impressed by the overall quality of the box: appealing design, personalised letter, excellent selection of qualitative “objects”.
I felt immediately and simultaneously intrigued and captivated by this box. What I appreciated the most was the specific order in which all surprises appeared. Everything was perfectly organised inside the box to lead you through the process of discovering a new culture, step by step…

I followed Catherine’s good advice and first created the perfect conditions to enjoy my box: I poured myself some Japanese tea, devoured (the last 2) excellent home-made macarons a lovely friend made for me**, and opened the magazine dedicated to Japan.
I have never been to Japan but with a husband fan of Japanese movies I have a certain knowledge of this country’s culture and habits. Nevertheless, throughout the various articles in the magazine I learnt new things and was really happy to go deeper in the description of Japanese rituals.
I loved all the objects inside the box: from the beautiful shawl with varying shades of blue, the gorgeous necklace with a red blossom design, the delicate fan design geisha print, the innovative plastic vase to the spectacular selenite crystal.
I found them of very good quality, perfectly representative of Japanese culture, quite complementary and inspired (coming out of clichés when evoking Japan).
Each item was given a precise description in the magazine, explaining the meaning, use and origin when appropriate. Additional relevant information about Japanese culture was  also provided and I felt deeply connected with this country during the few hours I devoted to my reading.

MyHappyPlaceBox: positive attitude!

The main assets of MyHappyPlaceBox are:
1. The ability for globe trotters to keep exploring new places without actually travelling. Nourishing your mind with new cultures brings happiness in itself especially for those particularly affected by the pandemic because of the sudden lack of adventure and discovery in their lives.
2. The positive mindset of its founder! Catherine craves for positiveness and her choices of destinations, articles and objects reflect her will to bring happiness in our lives via discovering new cultures or rituals that would help us cope with our daily challenges.

4 easy steps to happiness

Catherine has defined 4 easy steps for you to find the way to feel happy and fulfilled without moving from your home sweet home. 
1. You choose the subscription that suits you best (either for 1 month, a term, half a year or a full year)
2. You receive the box where you want to (it can be your home, or work for example)
3. You enjoy the box and all the surprises inside (the objects related to a country or a theme)
4. You become part of a community of positive women on Facebook & Instagram.
Just go online and opt for the best option for you.
You can also buy boxes individually in accordance with your affinities here.

*Catherine is the inspired founder of MyHappyPlaceBox.
**Check Nathalie_desta_sweet_follies on Instagram to discover her sweet inspirations!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found inspiration here. If you are planning to buy a box or more from MyHappyPlaceBox soon, please share your experience and opinion on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON’s blog!

To go further:
MyHappyPlaceBox website

This post is sponsored by MyHappyPlaceBox and all thoughts & opinions are my own.