Be Kind by Ellen Spring 2021 review: Be kind to your body & the earth

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Sustainable living is simple, fun, & fashionable thanks to the Be Kind by Ellen subscription box.

Ellen DeGeneres was my childhood hero. I loved her mission of sharing kindness with the world through our gifts. Her way of sharing that kindness was through comedy & her philanthropy. She inspired me to always think about ways that I could use my own passions, such as writing & running, to help the world around me. 

Ellen’s Be Kind box is a fantastic way to take care of yourself & the world around you. When I saw the advertisement online, I could not resist purchasing my own subscription that night. Every season, a new box filled with socially-conscious products are released. Every item in the box makes a positive impact in the world, whether it be for the environment or for another important cause, such as women’s health. And all of the items will help you feel better about yourself, too. It’s an opportunity to treat yourself with something special, & to feel good about it because you’re helping the world around you as well.

A different box is delivered each season of the year, & each box costs $54.99, but the items inside add up to over a $200 value! When you sign up for an annual subscription, you save 10% off of all four boxes. I personally signed up for the annual subscription, & now that I have received my first box, I could not be happier that I did. 

I received my first box last week (watch the unboxing video here!), & after a week of using these products, I can confidently say that I adore each & every one of them. They each fit seamlessly into my lifestyle but help me to take better care of myself, & I feel good about using each of them because I know they are helping the world in some way. 

The Spring Box was themed around the idea of setting new intentions for the year. Now is the time to think about the causes that mean the most to us, & setting positive intentions of how we can contribute meaningfully to them. It is the time to think about what things most touch our hearts & convict us to act, & then set up for our life the tenets, & the actions behind them, that will aid us in helping those movements grow & make a meaningful difference in our world.

The Be Kind by Ellen Spring Box was dedicated to giving back to brands that are doing their part to help our planet, & the creatures that call it home, to thrive. Keep reading to learn more about these amazing brands & the products they have created that have now become a part of my regular routine.

SAMARA Shoulder Bag

SAMARA is committed to making luxury fashion items that are both simple & elegant from vegan sources. All of SAMARA’s products are eco-friendly & affordable, so everyone can enjoy being fashionable while helping the planet. And SAMARA’s products are as eye-appealing as they are innovative – this brand is leading the way in the use of apple-based leather & recycled ocean plastics to create their products. My favorite part of this brand is that they are committed to giving back to the community as well. The Soular Backpack is an initiative founded by SAMARA CEO Salima Visram. This initiative provides solar light to students in East Africa, which eliminates the need for kerosene lamps that emit harmful & dangerous fumes, as well as helps students to study safely at home. 

Personally, I love this bag. I don’t normally use a purse; I have always been more of a backpack lover. But sometimes I need something a little more fashionable & small for an afternoon or evening out, & this bag is perfect for that. It’s simple but elegant, a fashionable choice that carries everything I need without being overly bulky or attract too much attention. And, of course, I can feel good about using it, because I know it is made from sustainable materials & is helping the world in more ways than one.

The SAMARA shoulder bag in the Be Kind by Ellen box was designed exclusively for this subscription. However, you can find a similar bag in a range of available in four different colors here.

Alt Linen Kitchen Towel Set

I have always wanted to switch to reusable, cotton towels. They are better for the environment, & they have to be more cost-effective. The initial investment is more expensive, but after years of buying endless rolls of paper towels, I know I would have spent less if I had just bought a set of reusable linens. The problem is, they get dirty, & as terrible as it sounds, I didn’t feel like dealing with that. I felt like they would get stained to the point that I would not be able to get them clean in the wash (I have seen my paper towels after I use them, & I am often grateful I am just going to throw them away rather than try to wash them). No one wants to use a stained towel – as privileged as it may sound, it just feels dirty, even after it’s been in the wash. I like the feeling of a clean towel to dry my hands. 

Alt Linen is the solution to all of my problems. They have created beautiful, white, reusable cotton towels & napkins to replace paper products. The best part is that you only pay for them once, & then you can replace them for free when they are worn! That’s right: You can send your used linens back to Alt Linen, & they will send you new ones for free. All you have to do is pay for shipping. There is now no reason not to use reusable kitchen towels. It’s more cost-effective, beneficial for the environment, &, thanks to Alt Linen, it’s actually more convenient, too.

You can purchase your own set of Alt Linen towels here.

Fill it Forward Water Bottle & Refill Tracking Stickers

Fill it Forward has created an entire community committed to making the world a better place just by drinking their water! With the Fill it Forward app, you can contribute to meaningful causes with every bottle of water you drink. Here’s how it works: You put a refill tracker sticker on your reusable water bottle. Then, every time you refill your water bottle, you scan the sticker with the app. According to the Fill it Forward website, with each scan, funding is donated to charitable partners that “specialize in creating sustainable solutions that help bring clean water & nutritious food to people in need.”

And the sticker does good for you, too! By scanning the sticker every time you refill your water bottle, you can keep track of how much water you are drinking, which can help you to stay hydrated. 

The Be Kind by Ellen box came with the sticker & a lightweight, leak-proof reusable water bottle. Eliminating plastic water bottles also helps the environment, so this product is good for the world in so many ways. The Be Kind by Ellen Fill it Forward water bottle has positive affirmations written on it, so it’s good for your mental as well as your physical health. I love drinking my water while I repeat the mantras to myself. It helps my body to feel better, & it rejuvenates my mind as well so I’m ready to take on the rest of my day. 

Aceology Ice Globe Facial Massagers

I am not good at giving myself self-care, & I don’t think I am alone in this. That’s why I created the Sunshine Box – to give people more self-care & joy. And that’s why I am loving these Aceology ice globe facial massagers. They are an easy way to give myself a little more self-care in my life. 

Aceology creates vegan & cruelty-free products that help you take care of your skin. They make a variety of masks for all different benefits, including detoxification & skin illumination. And I can tell you first-hand, their facial massagers are so soothing & relaxing. They help to reduce face redness & puffiness, & they shrink your pores, which means less acne. They can also help with sinus, headaches, & muscle tension. Using these facial massagers literally brings a spa-like experience at home to you.

Starfish Project 14K Gold-Plated Bracelet

The last item in my box was a beautiful, gold-plated bracelet from the Starfish Project. The Starfish Project helps women who have been exploited and/or trafficked find freedom. Through vocational training, holistic care programs, & skill training, the Starfish Project gives these women the tools, skills & confidence they need to secure their independence. Additionally, all of the jewelry they make is quality-controlled, plated sustainably, & made by hand. 

I love my new bracelet. It’s simple but elegant, a perfect piece to wear every day or for a fancy occasion. And every time I look at it, I think about the women this bracelet is helping, & it helps me to feel more empowered to take on my day as well.

A Final Note

Last but not least, I would like to touch briefly on the design of the box. Ashely Price, a Black female artist based in Houston, designed the beautiful art on the front of the box. Ashley left her corporate job seven years ago to create PinkLoMein. According to her website, Ashely says she is committed to reflecting “everyday people with a focus on women empowerment & positive affirmations” in her artwork. For the Be Kind box, Ashely said she wanted to represent “empowerment & simply feeling good about yourself.” The quotes in the women’s hair were meant to encourage recipients to be bold, brave, grateful, & most importantly, kind.

I absolutely loved my Be Kind box. It brightened my day when I received it in the mail, & the products I received have brightened every day since. If you are passionate about helping our planet & bettering the world around us, I strongly suggest subscribing to your own box. It’s good for you, & for the environment.

As I said in my unboxing video, take care of your body & take care of the earth: They are the only places you have to live.