I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
You all know by now that I LOVE showcasing small businesses on my blog, so a small business that features many local small businesses is just right up my alley! Delicious Food Delivered was kind enough to send me their New England Advent Calendar to try and I’m so excited to share about this company with you all. | This post contains affiliate links and a review of a gifted product, though all opinions expressed are my own |
Delicious Food Delivered is a small business that offers carefully curated advent calendars for 42 states and 5 regions of the United States. They even have fun themed boxes like Route 66! They were kind enough to send me their New England Advent Calendar and the first thing that grabbed my attention when I received it was how HUGE it was - seriously, it is SO BIG.
Each little numbered door for the New England Advent Calendar contains a carefully chosen treat from the New England area. I am so excited to open this with my family each night and see what local treat we get to enjoy! And I am especially looking forward to discovering new-to-us small businesses and trying what they have to offer.
These advent calendars would be the perfect gift for any family or hard-to-buy for person. It would also be a great gift for a kid away at college or a friend that moved out of the area - you could give them one for where they’re from, or one for where they are now so they can learn more about their new location!
Delicious Food Delivered Advent Calendars are amazing and sell out quick every year - most varieties sell out by the first week in November so if you‘d like to get one don’t delay. (And if the one you had your eye on is already sold out this year make sure to put a reminder on your calendar for next year to buy early!)
Want to see what’s inside the New England Advent Calendar? You’re in luck - I’ll be opening mine early (wooo!) every night on my Stories on Instagram. Just follow @birchlandinghome to get a sneak peak of all the amazing things included in this year’s calendar!
I received this item for review from Delicious Food Delivered but all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information.
As you know by now, I love sharing about companies and products we love on the blog and our Instagram - and most especially those made right here in New England! Next in our series of interviews from New England Makers, we have Carrie Meier from Wolfeboro Candle Company!
Wolfeboro Candle Company is best known for their New Hampshire-inspired wooden wick soy candles. Each scent is developed by Carrie to capture the essence of New Hampshire's diverse regions, and each candle is hand-poured and made by her right here in New Hampshire. Recently Carrie has expanded to offer scented soy wax melts in addition to candles, and will be expanding the candle line in the future.
Tell me a little about yourself and your business.
Carrie Meier: I'm a wife, new mom, and creative person living in rural New Hampshire.
How did you start Wolfeboro Candle Company? Had you been making candles for a while or was this a new leap for you?
CM: I started Wolfeboro Candle Co in Spring 2016. At the time, I owned a small gift shop in downtown Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted for the store (locally made wood wick soy candles), so my supportive husband suggested I start making them myself. I had never made candles before, but I've been a creative person most of my life and decided I would give it a try. We ordered supplies, wax, and a variety of containers and fragrances to mess with. After lots of reading, and trial and error, I figured out the best technique for me and the best temperatures for different stages of the candle making process. Next came figuring out the branding side of it - what do we call ourselves? What fragrances/blends, and fragrance names will work best for the image we want to create? Being also on the retail side of the business, I came up with the names and fragrances that I thought would sell best not only in our store, but for potentially other stores in the future.
What does a typical day look like for you?
CM: Well a typical day doesn't doesn't necessarily involve making candles (we aren't to that demand - yet!), but I also try to make large batches at a time as the set up, warm up, and clean up processes can add up doing lots of small batches. In addition to making candles, I have also recently been setting up a new website, updating my Etsy site, creating our new wax melts, and testing out new containers and fragrances for a new line of candles.
What is your favorite part about owning your own company? And least favorite part?
CM: I love being able to be creative, with the additional reward of selling a product and having feedback from people who use what I have made. I suppose if there is a downside to this project, it's moving all the 50 pound boxes of wax around!
A custom-branded candle - Wolfeboro Candle Company also offers custom scent and label options for buisnesses, wedding favors, and more!
What has been the most exciting moment for Wolfeboro Candle Company since you started?
CM: I think the most exciting moments are obtaining new retailers, coming up with new products, and receiving positive feedback. Positive reviews from customers never get old!
What advice do you have for people just starting out?
CM: Ask yourself - what are your goals? If you want to have a side business that is more about an enjoyable hobby that you can profit from, rather than just a job and business, then stick with what you can see yourself doing over and over again but still enjoy. I say that candle making is both an art and a science, which is what makes it enjoyable for me, in addition to coming up with new ideas and having the ability to add on new products when I'm able to.
What is your long-term goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
CM: I'd like to continue growing the business and make our way into more retailers both in New Hampshire and in neighboring states. I'm working on a new candle line with a slightly new look, different sizes and fragrances, and that are not based on our state of New Hampshire in order to reach a larger audience.
Do you own a New England-based business and would like to be featured in an upcoming interview? Or would you be interested in having me style, review, and feature one of your products? Please drop me a note.
