Acre75 Gathered Review Spring 2023

I love a small town romance and Acre75 Gathered is just that. ❤️ The quarterly lifestyle subscription box is like a love letter to small towns across Canada, sharing some of the best products from rural and small communities (population < 30,000) and donating part of the proceeds to rural mental health initiatives. The Spring edition is my first and it had me swooning from the get-go with its thoughtful design, and the products are even better. Here’s a look. I hope you like it as much as I do!

The illustration inside the front flap of the box made me smile. They nailed the small-town feel with the barn, the church and the picket fence and the playful style says we’re in for some fun. 😄

The tissue paper lining the Acre75 Gathered box is brilliant, printed to look like so many small town weeklies. I grew up in a small town in Ontario and our newspaper was very much part of the fabric of the community. (My best friend and I had regular column sharing high school news and I spent a summer in university working there as a reporter. Back then it was pasted up by hand, rather than laid-out on a computer. 🤯)

“If winter has the courage to turn into spring, who says I can’t bloom just the same?”
— srwpoetry

Each Acre75 Gathered box includes a product card with details about each item and a fun fact on the community where it was made. For example, did you know Goderich, Ontario is known as Canada’s prettiest town? More than 25% of the land there is dedicated to parkland. (I’ve never been, but now I want to!)

Almond Blossom Dish Soap · PUREBIO · Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, QC · “Designed with maximum degreasing agents, this dish soap is ultra concentrated so less is more. It is also moisturizing and is so gentle it can be used as hand soap! Biodegradable. Vegan. Scented with essential oils.”

Wool Sponges · Revolution Wool Company · Wallenstein, ON · “100% proudly grown, milled and made in Ontario! These wool sponges are 100% natural, non-toxic and biodegradable.”

I love how we’re seeing more and more concentrated products on the market. A little of this dish soap goes a long way and it cuts grease like a champ. And I feel much better about using wool sponges over plastic ones, not only because they’re better for the environment but because they’re nowhere near as gross, LOL.

“Wool’s anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties inhibit the growth of bacteria, mould and mildew. Extending its life span and staying naturally cleaner than any other sponge on the market.”

— Revolution Wool Company

Coconut & White Clay Mask · Apt. 6 Skin Co. · Stratford, ON · “This coconut & white clay face mask is enriched with powerful botanicals for a cleansing, yet gentle exfoliation. Suitable for all skin types.”

Vanilla Bath Bomb · Pure Glow Natural · Goderich, ON · “Drop this bath bomb into the warm water of your next bath and feel your stress melt away.”

I’ve tried a few products from Apt. 6 Skin Co (their shower steamers are wonderful) but this mask is a first. The powder formula means you have to add your own water to make a paste you can apply and that does take a couple of seconds longer than squeezing a wet product from a plastic tube but it’s just as effective and better for the planet. Like the mask, the bath bomb made my skin feel super soft (and pampered too). Vanilla isn’t my favourite scent but it wasn’t overpowering.

Smoked Salt Toffee Bark · RockCoast Confections · Saanichton, BC · “Mouthwatering English-style toffee with almonds, coated in ethically sourced 54% dark chocolate and RockCoast’s in-house smoked salt. Gluten-free. No artificial flavours or colours.”

Beyond delicious. Ridiculously tasty combination of flavours and textures. Gone too soon! (But not a stingy portion either.) 🤤

Wild@Heart Tea · Wild Canadian Tea Company · Eganville, ON · “Wild@Heart tea blends pair the finest curated black, oolong, green and chai teas with a variety of herbs that have been ethically wild harvested and grown in Northern Ontario.”

I haven’t tried this tea but crimson maple sounds delicious. The co. describes it as “East meets True North” and it’s made with pine needles, sweetgrass, sage, ceylon black tea, purple cornflower and organic maple syrup. 16 bags.

Sweet Field Notepad · Linden Paper Co. · Port Moody, BC · “Perfect for keeping track of all your notes and ideas.”

I’ve been following Linden Paper Co. on Instagram for ages and their stationery is so beautiful. I love this notepad. The bright floral border is so cherry and perfect for Spring.

Siwk|Spring Key Chain · Rosewolf Creations · Panmure Island, PEI · “Made by hand, each wood-burned key chain is 100% one-of-a-kind.”

We just had more snow here again yesterday but Spring will soon spring and the leaves will start to bud on the trees. Leaf it to Acre75 to find a keychain with such a Spring-y design. Each one handmade too.

The Spring Acre75 Gathered box has been so fun to unbox and enjoy. The attention to detail in the design and packaging is outstanding and the products I’ve tried are all top shelf. I love that the box is helping to highlight small businesses in small towns all across Canada, all of which I’d now love to visit (and shop!). Even better, part of the proceeds from the box go to rural mental health initiatives. How much do we love a co. that gives back? 👏👏👏

Acre75 Gathered is available by seasonal subscription for $97.95/box. Canadian shipping is included; US shipping is $19USD. The Spring 2023 box is sold out but subscriptions starting with the Summer box are available to order now. The Summer box ships in June.

Which product from the Spring box would you try first? Is there a particular product from a small town in Canada that you’d like to see?

Try Small Things – https://trysmallthings.com