Hello Everyone!I want to start off by thanking you for your patience last week with the sign ups. Unfortunately, the sign ups occurred at the same time that Instagram decided to have major issues. We worked as quickly as we could to fix any problems and tried to respond to any questions or comments you may have had.
Now on to receiving your partners!!
Please read this entire post before you email caraboxexchange (at) gmail (dot) com with questions. Rules have changed, so read this post entirely.
The Spring 2014 theme & important dates can be foundhere. Please go read this thoroughly before you email with any questions.The reason I moved this swap primarily to Instagram was to try and help the ladies involved to interact on a more regular basis. Talking to your partner 2-3 times over a 3 month period is not acceptable. You need to be regularly interacting with each other on a weekly basis. You are free to communicate through email as well. It is through email that you can exchange mailing addresses and write longer emails or questions to get to know each other!
***This swap is for ladies who frequently use Instagram. If either of your partners do not post to Instagram at least once every three days, email us immediately. This is not to be rude, but the premise of this swap is to really get to know each other by using the Instagram platform. If you only signed up for Instagram to participate, but are not posting at least once every three days, you will have to be removed from the swap. Do not hesitate to email us - you are not "annoying us"! We want to hear from you so we can get you a new partner. Ladies who wait to inform us of issues, usually never receive a box.
You have until this Wednesday, 11:59pm EST to find both of your partners on Instagram, "friend" them & introduce yourself. It is your responsibility if you are private to also accept your partners' "friend requests". You must get in contact withboth of your partners. Do not just wait to hear from the person sending to you. If you try to get in contact with both partners and are unsuccessful by the deadline, email us between 12am EST Thursday morning and 2pm EST Thursday afternoon. Do not email us if you haven't made an effort to get in touch with both partners.
All of these rules are mandatory. Failure to follow all of them will result in your exclusion from future exchanges. This is not to be mean or harsh, but to make sure that everyone has the best experience possible from participating. If you feel that either of your partners is not or did not follow these rules, please let me know.
1// Signing Up
- First, you need to click the link at the bottom of this post to sign up. Remember: having an Instagram account is a requirement to participate.
- Go on to Instagram & post the Cara Box Image (first image in this post). Tag @caraboxexchange & add #carabox and #YourDecade + CaraBox . You can get creative in what you write if you want to - i.e., "I'm so excited to participate in #carabox with @caraboxexchange! #20sCaraBox".
- Once you post a comment on the "Verify" image, you will be verified on the sign up list and added to the pairings. This allows me to make sure all women participating have a legitimate Instagram account & are an active user.
2// Matches
- Matches will come out 1 week after sign ups open for each exchange. They will be posted through a post on Wifessionals. There will be instructions and a link in the post.
- You must locate both of your partners on Instagram, follow them & introduce yourself within 72 hours of receiving your matches. Immediately following the 72 hour limit, any girl who has not heard from her partner must email caraboxexchange (at) gmail (dot) com and will be re-matched and the girls who did not respond will be dropped from the swap.
- If either of your partners becomes unresponsive, send an email immediately! This can be anything from them not posting for a week to them not really interacting with you during the swap. The sooner you let me know, the greater chance there is that I can re-pair you with a new partner!
- $20 minimum. They need to be at least $20, but if you want to spend more, feel free!
- Include 5+ items per box. Who wants to open a box with one item? Get creative! Not everything has to be purchased. Get on Pinterest...find something awesome to make!!
- Must follow the theme. Do not go off and create your own theme.
- Items must be new. Unless you are crafting something on your own, all items should be brand new and purchased specifically for your partner. I have seen old, dusty or used items sent before and that is not acceptable. You wouldn't want to receive things like that, so please don't send them.
- Include a letter of encouragement. After getting to know the woman you are sending to and finding out about her life, make the effort to include a note of encouragement. This is not optional. It's great to get items that put a smile on your face, but kind words will last in your heart forever.
- Get a tracking number. If you do not get a tracking number and your partner never receives a box, I will not be able to verify you actually sent a box and you cannot participate in future exchanges. (I am in no way personally responsible for anything that occurs after I send you your swap partner. I also cannot be held accountable for lost or damaged packages)
- Must mail package by the end of the second month. If the swap sign up was September, you must mail by October 31st. This will give you about 6 weeks to get to know your partners. By mailing at the end of the second month, your partner should receive their box within the first week of the third month.
4// Receiving Your Box & Linking Up
- REQUIRED - Take a photo of your box & post to Instagram.
- You must take a photo of your box and post it to Instagram, including:
- #carabox
- @caraboxexchange
- and tag your partner as well
- This is required and must be completed after you receive your box.
- OPTIONAL - Create a Reveal Post & link your post to the main Reveal post featured on Wifessionals in the middle of the third month. There will always be a Reveal post on Wifessionals in the middle of the third month (if the exchange sign up was September, the Reveal post will go up mid-November). You can go to the linky and submit the link to your personal reveal post. The linky will stay open until the next exchange starts. This is now optional, but it a great way to show off your box or drive traffic to your blog.
