PR / UNPAID AD - Finding That Perfect Pillow With The Fine Bedding Company*

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know just how important sleep is to me. Amongst other things I have ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia, and sleep issues are a major part of my chronic illness experience.

As well as pain and muscle cramps and spasms that can affect the quality of my sleep, I suffer from bouts of severe insomnia, and then periods of extreme tiredness when I can literally sleep for 18 hours straight, and then still feel exhausted and like something the cat dragged in! I never feel truly rested and I always feel tired even when I'm struggling to sleep!

Whilst not everyone experiences the sleep issues that I do, I can pretty much guarantee that most of you that are reading this post either don't get enough sleep, or you have the occasional sleepless night - that's modern life for you I guess, If you do struggle with your sleep though , I've posted about a lot of things in the past that help me, such as adopting a proper night time routine, avoiding screen time before bed, and partaking in more restful activities before bed such drinking herbal teas, and meditation, but there is something else that you can do, and whilst it seems like such as an obvious, more often than not it's probably a bit of an afterthought. 

Due to the old chronic illness thing I spend quite a lot of time in bed, and it really is my sanctuary and safe space. It sounds obvious but it is so important that your bed itself is welcoming and conducive to sleep, and as well as the bed itself, that starts with your bedding, your comforter or duvet, and your pillows!

If you're having trouble sleeping, or you're waking up and feel headachy, stiff or tired, one of the things that could be affecting your sleep are your pillows! Whether you choose feather or down, fibre fill or memory foam, if it isn't the right type of pillow for you build and your sleeping position, you're opening yourself up to sleepless nights and a world of pain.

For as long as I can remember I've used proper feather and down pillows, (not the same ones obviously, unlike a lot of people, I do try and replace mine every few years or so :), and whilst the constant plumping, and loose feathers can be a pain, up until recently I'd always been fairly happy with them.

Within the last 12 -18 months or so though all of that changed. I bought new allegedly firm, feather and down pillows in that period, and for some reason I felt as though these ones weren't giving enough support, I was waking up with an even stiffer neck than usual, and no matter how much I thumped and plumped them, they kept ending up floppy and flat, and they just didn't feel firm enough.

One day though after a not so great nights sleep, I received an email on behalf of The Fine Bedding Company that was potentially the answer to my prayers.

If you an unfamiliar with them, The Fine Bedding Company are a 4th generation owned, UK based bedding company, that have been producing and retailing, down, feather and innovative fibre bedding for over 100 years. Their top company priorities are sustainability and comfort, and their UK factory works on an eco friendly, zero waste philosophy using only ethically sourced materials. They do a whole range of different bedding products including duvets, pillow and mattress protectors, toppers and enhancers, linens and pillow cases, and of course pillows.

I kindly given the chance to try out a pillow of my choice from the extensive range on their website, but with more than 20 pillows in their range, how earth do you choose one? Well The Fine Bedding Company  make everything simple, and their website features amongst other things a handy guide to help you choose your perfect pillow!

I'm predominantly a side sleeper. so according to their guide I needed a firmer, more high profile pillow, that offered extra support to my head and my neck, and that would help to align my spine. I also wanted to try a firmer pillow so the pillow that was recommended to me was the Dual Support Memory Foam Pillow.

With their first class heritage and quality, a 14 day return policy, and free delivery on all orders over £50, it's no surprise that The Fine Bedding Company supply a whole host of 4 and 5 start hotels, everything about my experience was first class! 

My pillow came via courier service and it came wrapped and then packaged in a good quality reusable storage bag with rubber logo zip fastening and rope handles - great for storing bedding, or even clothes or soft toys. Alongside my lovely pillow the bag also contained a care and a information leaflet to help you to get the best out of your pillow.

Thanks to the winter light these pictures don't really show this pillow off in it's best light but with this particular pillow you really do get the best of both worlds, it's basically two pillows in one, with one side being  made from "ultra fresh microbial treated" temperature controlled memory foam for ultimate support

That piece of memory foam then slips inside a zipped cotton pillowcase, which features an attached, fixed section of sustainable smart fill, soft breathable, light as down microfibres, which is machine washable at 40℃, so you have one side for support or structure, and one side for cloud like snuggly comfort.

Now I like height and support so I normally sleep on two pillows, but to give this pillow a good work out I started off by trying it on it's own, so I cleared all of the rest of the pillows off my bed to ensure that I was just sleeping on this one!

Given the lack of height I was expecting to struggle a little bit, but by lying with my head directly on the foam side I found that it offered more than enough support for both my head and my neck, that being said though I did miss my usual height, so after that little week long experiment I switched out and I've been using this particular pillow on top on one of my usual feather and down pillows, and I all I can say is wow!

I didn't really expect to much of a difference but by using predominantly the memory side (my favourite side by far) up over, I felt supported, and I seemed to less better,  I didn't seem to toss and turn so much, there was no middle of the night pillow plumping, and although I still experience a bit of stiffness in the morning I've definitely been waking up with less neck pain and fewer headaches.

I'm a fairly hot sleeper, and I was a little bit worried, even though that it was designed to be temperature controlled, that the memory foam would retain heat, and I would be too hot, but I needn't have worried, I still experienced that fabulous cool side of the pillow feeling, and I didn't experience any strange rubber or plastic smells, even when the pillow was fresh out of the bag! 

I've been using this pillow since just before Christmas (as you can see from the picture above ;) and I have to say that I'm a total convert to the world of memory foam, and even though I'm still to manage it, I'm definitely going to be picking up a least one more matching pillow for the other side of my bed.

The Fine Bedding Company Dual Support Memory Foam Pillow retails at £47 and it available directly from The Fine Bedding Company as well as from selected retails.

If memory foam isn't for you though don't worry, The Fine Bedding Company stock a while variety of different pillows including traditional feather and down, vegan friendly fill, as well as duvets, mattress toppers, sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers, in other words pretty much everything that you would need for the perfect nights sleep, bar the bed that is ;)

Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope that your dreams are as sweet as all the chocolate that I've consumed over the last week and a bit was ;) Thanks for reading xx 

*Press Sample / Unpaid Advertisement / Non Affiliate Links

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Turning Your Garden Into Your Own Private Sanctuary*

Every now and then you get an email that arrives at just the right time. After several years of neglect (cheers COVID!) this week we eventually managed to get someone local out to start transforming our all be it, very small garden space into our own personal safe space. 

Like so many modern ish houses, we don't have a lot of garden space, but we do have a nice conservatory and improving the view from it is our main priority. Stage one involved some serious hedge trimming, and some tree and bush removal, and hopefully in the Spring we'll be able to get the main raised bed sorted out and by then we'll hopefully be well on the way to creating our own little outdoor sanctuary.

With all that's happened over the past two years, it is pretty normal to still feel pretty stressed and overwhelmed with life, and as Covid-19 seems to rear its ugly head again, many more people have found themselves dealing with trauma. Even though a lot of the restrictions on travel, and social distancing have now been relaxed, a lot of people are are still really conscious that a third wave is just around the corner, and as a result it's still difficult for a lot of people to concentrate on their own self care and well being.

While not everyone is comfortable with visiting a spa or a wellness centre these days, there are other things that you can do to to practice a bit of self care in the safety of your own home. From cozy movie nights, to creating your own spa experience in your own bathroom, or even turning your garden a safe and private space, there are lots of things we can do to to help us switch off and relax.

Use Your Green Fingers To Create A Mindfulness Garden

I've got to admit that when it comes to gardening, I didn't inherit my mams green fingers. She knows the names of plants and everything she plants be it bulbs, seeds or random cuttings grows. That said I actually did get a GCSE in Agricultural and Horticultural Science, so I do know how it all works, and one project that we did as class was to create a sensory garden. If you love gardening, you should consider using your skills to create mindfulness or sensory gardens. The good thing about gardens like is that you don't need a huge amount of space, you could plant some pots or some tubs or even some hanging baskets with a mixture of scented plants such as lavender, lots of brightly coloured flowers, and even a few pots of herbs for scent and taste. You do need a bit of gardening equipment and a few skills but even the task of planting and weeding can help your to focus and relax. Creating a sensory type garden can be a great way to create an area where you can relax, focus and meditate. If you don't have the skills or if you have a larger space, then you can either buy ready planted tubs, or you can so what me and Mummy Lou are going to do and speak to a professional landscaper who can help bring you vision to life.

Create a Covered Area

One of the best ways to enjoy your garden throughout the year is to do what me and Mummy Lou have done and invest in a covered area. If you've got the space, and the finances you could go for a conservatory, summer house, or even a luxury cabin or shed. If you don't have that sort of money, or like so many modern houses, the space, then you could just add a removable or permanent awning, or a small gazebo to extend your indoor space, outside, and to create more space for entertaining and socialising no matter what the weather.

Use Sound To Relax and Unwind

There are plenty of tools that you can use to create the right atmosphere in your garden, but sound is certainly one of the best ones to use. Again depending on finances, you could install an outdoor sound system, or you could just use a cheap bluetooth speaker - or if you would prefer a more natural or relaxing sound then you could try a singing bowl or my mams favourite, wind chimes! Thanks to the healing power of sound, sound therapy is possibly one of the most important therapies offered as part of today’s wellness therapies. Using sound in your personal indoor or outdoor spa can help you relax more quickly and promote a sense of calm and serenity.

Invest In A Luxury Feature

Each garden is unique and it should reflect your personal preferences. However, adding a luxury feature to your garden does not only elevate the atmosphere in your personal outdoor spa space but it can also increase the overall value of your home. Again dependent on space, and cash flow, some options could include a hot tub, jacuzzi, swimming pool, fire pit, bar, or even a water feature such as a fountain, or a statue with trickling water which can also help create a relaxing environment through sound.

Use Light To Create The Right Atmosphere And Increase Security

To enjoy a moment of relaxation and self-care, you will need the right atmosphere, and how can your garden’s atmosphere be complete without the right lighting?! Make sure you use outdoor lighting to your advantage to create a dreamy ambience and a powerful led floodlight to increase security. Obviously a lot of lights do need to be installed by a professional electrician but solar lights have really improved in the last few years and you can now find solar lights to suit most budgets, you can get lamp posts, lights that change colour, net lights for fences and even solar light wind chimes. Something else to consider to add interest, and light effects to your garden, as well as making it look bigger is to add a mirror to a wall or a fence, to create reflection, and depth.

Obviously a lot of these suggestions are dependant on the space that your have and the amount of money that you have to play with but have a little search online, and there is lots of advice on how to make over even the smallest garden on a budget so there really is no reason not to create your own perfect outdoor space. Alas we're going to have to wait till next year now to get ours sorted but already it looks better than it did last week, and do you know what? If and when it snows every single garden will look the same, and who doesn't like watching the snow fall when you're warm and cozy indoors, if that it's relaxing I don;t know what it x 

*Collaborative / Partnered Post 

My Last Box - Unboxing Papergang - Box No. 47 - January 2020 Edition - Floral Boho*

I've been debating for about whether or not to publish this post, but since I've got quite a bit of time on my hands at the moment I've decided to go ahead and finish it, because it pretty sums both why I love the concept of Papergang but why at the same time I decided to cancel my subscription .

As I mentioned in my December unboxing post (read it here if you haven't already) I already decided that January's box was going to be last, and even though Papergang offered me a discount to continue my subscription my mind was already made up. My original plan was to cancel my subscription with December's box but the sneak peeks drew me in, and I knew that January's box would be the perfect way to tie up all the loose end and bring my Papergang experience to a close.

As you probably already know, I'm a huge fan of floral prints and the "Boho Floral" design of January's box was right up my street.

The box was designed by photo artist, Siobhan O'Dwyer, who create designs, prints and artwork from photographs.The box itself featured a gorgeous vibrant, cheery, almost flower meadow style, photograph style print.

Tear back the perforated strip and the contents was revealed. Bar a couple of escapees, the bulk of the contents were wrapped in a sheet of pale blue tissue paper.

The first item in the box as per usual was the little information booklet which as well as listing the contents also gave you so more information on the the box designer Siobhan O'Dwyer including her background, her work, and the inspiration for her designs and for this particular box.

A5 Linen Notebook

The first official item in the box, was probably the most beautiful thing in it in my opinion, and it's no surprise that they've used in a lot of images of it in their promotions over the last few months. It's a gorgeous, chunky, A5 linen notebook.

With a smooth, fabric feeling front and back cover, this notebook featured a beautiful almost photograph like print of a wildflower meadow featuring all kinds of flowers including sunflowers, daisies and poppies, with added butterflies. The colours are really bright and vibrant, and they all work beautifully against the turquoise, blue sky designs, which is only slightly disturbed by the word 'NOTES' embossed on the front in copper foil.

The inside of the notebook was lined in contrasting light blue, with a light blue ribbon page market, and lined pages which printed on FSC certified paper and card stock.

I was so, so pleased to receive, I love the colours and the floral design and it actually reminds me a little bit of a photograph I took last summer on the North East coast at place near Hartlepool called Seaton Carew.

This notebook definitely falls into the category of something that is almost too pretty to use but I will use it eventually though, when I can find a use for it that justifies its beauty. This particular notebook was exclusive to this box but similar linen notebooks retail at around £12.95 on Ohh Deer.

A6 Notebook

This next item was officially described as another notebook, but let's not beat around the bush here, it's really another to do list! On a bright blue, sea, sky and floral meadow design background, this pad featured a lighter section which contained days of the week for you to circle off, a section to write a checklist, and a blank section for notes.

Again the quality and the environmental credentials are superb, and the size makes it perfect for your hand bag, but lets face it, it's another organiser / planner. As I've said before I love the concept of Papergang but in the time that I was subscribed I received some sort of to do list pad or organiser in nearly every other box, and that is one of the main reasons why I finally made the decision to cancel. Similar products retail at around £4.50 on Ohh Deer.

A5 Art Print 

Next up an A5 print. Printed using eco toners and vegetable inks, this gorgeous print makes me really miss the seaside. it featured a gorgeous costal scene featuring the ocean, cliffs and rock formations, wild flowers and a rainbow. It could easily be Cornwall but I think it more likely to be somewhere in sunny California where Siobhan O'Dwyer's located.

Although the card wasn't that thick the quality it excellent, and I've already put it on the noticeboard in my office, to try and make me think sunny and positive thoughts, when I'm stuck inside, and to remind me that this whole situation will get better and there will plenty of opportunities to go outside and pick flowers, or walk along the beach, in the future.

It's hard to find something similar on Ohh Deer but their A5 prints generally retail at around £4.95.

Greeting Card

Next up a greetings card, and to be honest since I can't go out at the moment this couldn't have came at a better time. Printed on FSC certified card stock, this birthday card featured a lovely, pastel floral design featuring roses, peonies, and daisies on a pale blue background, with the words "Happy Birthday" embossed in gold foil on the front. The card was blank inside for your own message, and it came with a natural, brown envelope.

Despite a rise in digital communication, I personally think that we will always need cards, I love this particular one, and I've already got a recipient in mind for it. Again this card was exclusive to the January box, but Ohh Deer have a whole range of greetings cards available on their website for every person, and for every occasion you could think of, starting at around £2.50.

Gold Triangle Paperclips

The eagle eyed readers amongst you may have already spotted some of these escapees in one of my earlier pictures, but if you didn't the next item in the box was a lovely floral box which contained 18 gold tone, triangle shaped, paperclips. Paperclips are one of those things that you can always find a use for, even if it is reshaping them and turning them into Christmas hooks ;) These are particular nice ones and unlike some other novelty shaped ones that I've tried, they do actually work. These triangle shaped ones were exclusive to the January box but similar boxes on Ohh Deer retail at around £3.95.

Universal Calendar Card 

The final thing as per usual in the box was the universal calendar card, which featured a floral design in different shades of blue.

Looking back over the Papergang boxes that I've had this one was by far my favourite. I love flowers, and in particular I love daisies, so I fell in love with the wildflower meadow design on sight. The standout item for me was definitely the notebook, but I'll definitely use all of the contents, and even eventually the to do list.

As I said though that is one of the main reasons why the January box was my last box. Since I subscribed to Papergang last May there has simply been too much repetition, and I now have enough planners, organisers and to do lists to keep me organised for the next couple of years at least.

As much as I love the concept, and I've always been so impressed with the quality of the products that I've received, I can't justify continuing my subscription at the moment. I'm going to continue keeping an eye on the contents of the boxes, and who knows I might subscribe again in the future if the variety improves but alas it's goodbye for now.

To the best of my knowledge Papergang boxes are still shipping so if you fancy making your own mind up though, and trying Papergang for yourself then have a little look at their website to find out more x

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Papergang - Box No. 45 - November 2019 Edition - Hygge*

I don't know about where you are the moment but I'm debating on whether or not to start building an ark. I can't remember when we last had a day without rain. I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I would definitely prefer cosying up and watching the snow fall to having to go out in that horrid rain that wets you! So that's why I am totally on board with the snowy, wintry festive, cosy, Hygge theme of November's Papergang box.

From what I gather this November's box is the last one that will feature the cut out cardboard sleeve, December's box will apparently feature  new and more environmentally sound packaging that will reduce Papergang's cardboard usage by up to 60%. As much as I love the cut out design I can see why they're making changes, and I can't wait to see the new design.

The outer sleeve on November's box features a very wintry, almost festive, alpine like village scene with wooden houses, fir trees, mountains and lots of snow. The reverse side of the sleeve features a cut out and make reindeer model, and underneath the sleeve as per usual, is the original brown cardboard box.

When you open the box the first thing that you see is a "Merry Christmas or whatever." Christmas gift catalogue from Ohh Deer. They have some lovely Christmas cards, some really nice decorations and a whole loads of really unusual and quirky gift ideas from cactus socks to hatching dragon candles, and politician dog toys, for the person in your life that thinks they have everything.

The contents of November's box came wrapped in a sheet of white tissue paper, I always reuse my tissue paper but in this case, it was all ripped when it arrived which was a real shame, as a nice wintry white, would be ideal for Christmas, never mind x

As per usual the box contained an information booklet which lists the box contents, and talks a little bit more about the artist and designer of box, who in this case is Kong-Yew Wong, and their career, methods, and inspirations.

6 x Christmas Cards 

Something I think we're getting out of the habit of in this country, is sending Christmas cards. I know I don't send as many as I used to, and to be honest I think it's a real shame. Nowadays it's all about emails and messages, yes messaging is practical, and quick but it is a little bit impersonal. Personally I love receiving a hand written card, I think it's such a nice feeling to know that somebody has taken a minute of two out of their day, to think about about you x 

November's box contained 6 small Christmas cards, and envelopes, in 3 different designs, all embracing the same cosy, wintry, Hygge theme as the outer box sleeve. two cards featured a skiing Santa design, with words, "Be Merry" embossed in gold foil, the box also contains two cards with a snow globe design featuring a wooden house, and snow covered trees, and the words "Be Cosy". The final two cards featured the words"Be Jolly" again in an embossed gold foil, and a seal / sea lion, and Christmas presents design.

Printed in the UK onto FSC certified card stock, the cards are blank inside for your own message and they each come with a rustic, manilla style brown envelope. These aren't the biggest Christmas cards out there but they are super cute, and the designs are lovely so they would be great for work colleague, school friends, or you could even use them as gift tags, on large presents, and given the small size they would also be quite cheap to post.

These Christmas cards are exclusive to this box but as I say Ohh Deer has a huge range of Christmas cards, ranging from traditional, to funny, to cute, so you should find a card to suit most people in your life.

A5 To Do List

Seriously another organiser / To Do list? As cute as this one as with it's icy, washed out aqua colour way, and pretty alpine village design, I really don't need another planner style pad. Since I got my first Papergang box way back in May, every other box seems to have included something to help you get organised. I'm really starting to think that Papergang are trying to tell me something.

Don't get me wrong it's a nice pad, it's made in a factory when 95% of the waste is recycled, the design is sweet, and the quality is there, I just would have preferred a plain notebook, or even a proper 2020 diary.

Again this specific design is exclusive to Papergang, but there are a wide range of To Do lists, organiser pads, and planners, for sale on Ohh Deer at various price points ranging from £5.95 to around £7.95.

1 x Sheet Gift Wrap

Have you started your wrapping yet? Have you even bought any Christmas presents yet? I've definitely started my shopping, and I'm actually going to do some wrapping this afternoon go me - If you haven't done anything yet, don't worry I'm sure you'll manage what ever you need to do in the next four weeks. Now I always try to theme, or at least go with some sort of colour scheme, for at least some of my wrapping and whilst this next item doesn't exactly work with this years planner, I'm going to use this for a couple of special presents.

November's box came with a large sheet of gift wrap. Featuring the same design as the outer box, this sheet of gift wrap is printed using eco toners, and vegetable based inks onto a 100$ recycled paper. It features the same winter design as the box sleeve featuring a snowy white background with Scandinavian style wooden houses, snow laden trees, snowmen, skiing santas, and reindeer's.

This a nice sheet of good quality gift wrap - it's nice and thick and it's much better quality then you would find on the average roll or even on a standalone sheet. The is fun and festive but at the same time classy enough, that you could give it to someone of any age or gender. Ohh Deer sell a lot of gift wrap starting at around £1.75 a sheet but they don't seem to have anything else quite like this. 

3 x Gift Tags 

To coordinate with the sheet of gift wrap, November's Hygge themed box contained 3 matching gift tags - A pale aqua coloured tag featuring a snowman and some fir trees and the words "Be Merry", a white tag, featuring a snow covered house and the words "Be Jolly", and finally a charcoal, grey tag featuring a reindeer, and the words "Be Cosy". Again the quality is excellent, and the gold foil embossed text, gives a simple design, a more luxurious feel.  There are a couple of similar tag sets on Ohh Deer that sell for around 95p for 3.

Coaster 

When it's cold outside all you want to do is snuggle up under a blanket with a warm drink and a cat, so to avoid spillages and stains, the November Papergang box contains a useful and practical drinks coaster.

This cork backed coaster features the same snow covered village, fir trees, reindeer, and snowman design as the outer box, with the words "Stay Cosy" in the middle. Whilst it doesn't seem to be coated in a resin or a plastic, the coaster has a matte finish so your mug should stay put.

Everyone needs a coaster, so this is a nice addition that works really well with wintry, cosy theme. There are a large range of coasters available on the Ohh Deer website starting at around £2.95

Gold Washi Tape

You should know be now that I love anything stationery wise that sticks, so I was really pleased that November's box contained another roll of washi tape. I love me some washi tape, and this roll of gold sticky tape will be idea for a bit of festive crafting.

Washi tape is basically tearable and depending on the surface, re positional, paper tape. This tape is in a gorgeous gold tone, and it has a slightly textured finish.

This particular colour isn't available on Ohh Deer but a similar roll in a copper tone retails at around £2.50.

Universal Calendar Card 

Finally the ever present universal calendar card. This time it features two blue tones, a pale aqua and a deeper, more teal blue, and a star, snowman, and reindeer design.

Right, what do I think about this box? well I like it, I love the design and the concept. Given that Christmas is on its way the majority of the contents is really useful, and I definitely be using the cards, wrap, tags, and washi tape over the next few weeks but really? another planner? I'm probably one of the most disorganised people on planet earth and I'm all for being organised but even I don't need quite as many planners and organisers, as Papergang seem to have sent out to subscribers over the last 6 months or so.

As much as I love the concept, this constant repetition is really making wonder about whether or not I can continue to justify my subscription. I love the idea of the next months Groovy Kawai theme, but after that we'll see x Let me know your thoughts, and if you fancy trying Papergang for yourself and getting your hands on December's Groovy Kawaii themed box then please click this link to find out more x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Papergang Box - No 41 - July 2019 Edition - In Bloom*

If I was ever to let you have a look inside my wardrobe and even just in my bedroom, then you'd probably learn a few things about me. The first thing that you'd probably notice is that I'm not the tidiest or most organised of people, but then you'd probably notice that I have a bit of a thing for florals. I love subtle, cute girly florals, and I love gaudy, bright, retro floral prints. Whether they're real ones in a vase, in a print on a dress or even on a cushion, flowers just make me happy, and that's why July's Papergang box with its "In Bloom" theme is right up my garden path.

July's box is designed and curated by illustrator Chloe Hall, who is famous for her calming print and patterns that are inspired by nature. She is the perfect fit for the July box which is about flowers, botanicals and floral prints.

The usual brown cardboard box, is surrounded as per usual by a themed, cut out, Papergang sleeve, which sets the tone for the entire box. This time it features a floral design in shades of pink, peach, greens and neutral tones. In the past we've had book marks and even a cut out whale but this time the back of the box features some cut out and use pretty floral gift tags.

The contents of the box like last month, is wrapped in bright blue tissue paper, a sheet of tissue is always useful for gift wrapping and so on, but I can't help feeling that the bright blue isn't exactly in keeping with the colour tones, and theme of the box.

The first thing that you always get in the Papergang box is the usual information booklet that tells you a little bit about the contents and it also features a Q&A with illustrator and designer, Chloe Hall who talks about her work and her inspirations, it's a nice addition but as per usual the rest of the contents is way more exciting.

A5 Letter Set

The first item in the box is a letter set which includes 10 sheets of writing paper, and 10 matching envelopes, both featuring the same floral bright and pastel floral design as the outer box sleeve. Both the sheets of writing paper and the envelopes are printed in the UK onto FSC certified paper stock.

The paper is a nice quality and I love the floral design. Like most people I've got out of the habit of writing letters which is a real shame. Letters can have way more of an impact and meaning that just a text message or a phone call, you can keep a letter and keep a memory. There is always someone that we need to say thank you to or even to just say hello, so why not write them a letter instead of sending a Whatsapp or writing on their Facebook wall, it's definitely something that I want to try and do more of. There is no value put against any of the items in this box, and I can't find anything similar on the Ohh Deer website.

A6 Notebook 

Next up a small A6, lined,  paperback notebook, which again features the floral box pattern, it has the word "notes" embossed on the front in gold foil. Again it's printed in the UK, this time using eco friendly toners and vegetable based inks.

Although I find A6 and small notebooks a little bit too small for blog planning, they are really useful for notes and reminders. So many people (me included) use their phones for making notes and setting reminders now, but I love the whole idea of using a pen and paper. This notebook is perfect for when you're on the go and you could probably fit it in a large pocket or even a tiny handbag. 

Again no price is given on this, but similar sized notebooks retail on Ohh Deer at around £5.95 for a pack of three.

Document Holder

The next item is a canvas feel, fabric, zip up pouch, that features the same floral design as the rest of the items in the box only in slightly brighter, more vibrant colours. Officially called a document holder, it would be great as an extra large pencil case, or as a cheery way to store receipts and paperwork. Since beauty is my thing though I'll probably use it as a make up or a toiletry bag. It's not the biggest of bags when it comes to documents but the entire contents of the box easily fits inside. As with everything else in the July edition there is no value given.

Sticker Sheet 

As I mentioned in my previous Papergang post (read it here if you haven't already) I love stickers, not quite as much as I love florals, but I do love stickers, so I was really pleased to receive a lovely sheet of coordinating floral stickers in this months box. It's the same size sheet as the ocean themed stickers in last months box, so it isn't the biggest sheet, but it contains 13 lovely stickers that will work perfectly alongside the writing set. There isn't any value placed on this sticker sheet but Ohh Deer sell similar packs of 3 sticker sheets for around £4.95.

Bullet Pen

Notebooks and writing sets are all well and good but paper isn't much use without a pen. Officially described as a bullet pen, this is a long skinny curved pen that almost resembles a chopstick. It's navy blue, and gold in colour and the Ohh Deer logo is embossed on the side. It has a twist mechanism and it writes in blue ink. 

Universal Calendar Card 

The final item in the box as per usual in the universal calendar card. Like all of the items it features the same floral design, but this tome in washed out, almost pixelated shades of pink, dark leaves and green numbers. 

I love florals and I loved this box. Again I love the way that the theme carries through the whole box, and that every item is coordinated and works so well together. As I said earlier there were no values given for any item in this months box so it's really hard to say whether or not the box was worth the money. Being a stationery addict I love the whole concept of Papergang but I've got to be honest and say that I'm not 100% sure that it represents real value for money, and whether I could get similar or equally nice things elsewhere. As I say I do love the box, and I like the ones that I've had so far, so I'm going to stick with it for now but I don't think that I'm going to end up being a long term subscriber, and I think that I'll probably be cancelling sooner rather than later. If you're interested in finding out more about Papergang please check out their website here, and don't forget to let me know what you think about this box in the comments x

*Post Contains Affiliate Links