Winter 2013 Cara Box Sign Up {Box Swap}

cara (car-rah) noun  :  beloved friend
It's that time! This is the week to sign up to be apart of the Winter installation of the Cara Box Exchange.
Cara Box was started as a monthly box swap among women. After a year, I learned a lot about what has worked and what has not as far as box exchanges. In order to ensure that women are truly getting to know each other, really connecting and encouraging, some changes have been incorporated into this exchange.
***Please be sure to read all of the rules stated below, as multiple things have been changed!
Cara Box sign ups will open at the beginning of these months:
September
December
March
June
******Cara Box will now be primarily based around Instagram***
This is a huge change. I used to pair women based on if they were bloggers or non-bloggers. If you were a blogger you were supposed to read your partner's blog and learn about their life. If you were a non-blogger you basically only had email to communicate.
As I've watched Instagram change and grow, I've realized I interact more with my blogging AND non-blogging friends though Instagram on a daily basis. Sometimes I don't have hours to sit down and read blogs, but I can check my Instagram feed a ton of times throughout the day. Instagram gives us the ability to share glimpses of our lives. It also provides a platform for us to interact through short, encouraging comments or even quick little "hello's".
Because of this, Cara Box will now be run primarily around Instagram. I believe that Instagram will be a complete game changer in this swap. Over the past year, there have been issues with partners going MIA or people losing contact through email. I had no control over getting ahold of women who had no social media or who suddenly stopped publishing blog posts. Some girls weren't receiving boxes and it left me feeling like there had to be a better way to do this.
So starting today, you must have an Instagram account to participate in this swap. I know that this may frustrate some ladies, but my biggest issue in the past has been with women who sign up and don't communicate regularly with their partners or who lack knowledge of technology. In order to make this swap as positive of an experience as it can be, this is a change I believe needs to be made. You need to be posting at least once a week as well.
You are no longer required to create a "reveal post" for your box if you are a blogger. I will still have an optional link up at the end of the exchange. It is a great way to find new blogs and also drive traffic to your site, but it is not a requirement.
You are now required to post a picture of your box on Instagram once you receive it. You must tag me (@wifessionals), your partner and include #carabox. This will allow every single participant to be able to show off their boxes and also see all of the other boxes around the world. I never wanted a reveal post to feel like "work", so this change will make things much easier and quicker for all participants.
Lastly, there are a few things you need to do once you decide to participate.

For this Cara Box, all women will be paired with other women who live in the same state as them. I will try my hardest to make sure you are matched this way, however, if no one else from your state signs up, I will pair you with the next closest state.
Once you click the link at the bottom of this post to sign up, go on to Instagram & post the Cara Box Image (first image in this post). Tag & follow @wifessionals & add #carabox. You can get creative in what you write if you want to - i.e., "I'm so excited to participate in #carabox with @wifessionals". Also, add the two letter state to #carabox in which you live.
So if you live in Georgia you would go onto Instagram and:

• Follow @wifessionals
• Post the first picture in this post and tag @wifessionals, adding #carabox and #GAcarabox

This is VERY important. Once you post, I will verify you on the sign up list and add your name to the pairings. I will also follow you back so I can see all of the posts throughout the swap! This allows me to make sure all women participating have a legitimate Instagram account & are an active user. By adding the #YourTwoLetterStateAbbreviation + carabox, it connects you to all the other women in your state who are participating.
You will have one week to sign up & post to Instagram, before matches are made and the pairings are posted on Wifessionals. Anyone can participate. Women from around the world are welcome to sign up! There will be some sort of theme for every exchange - anything from a season, to a color, to a topic (like fashion or childhood).
You will get paired up with two other women, follow each other's daily lives through Instagram, and build relationships with one another. Each exchange will last for three months. By the end of the second month, you will create a box or package, specifically for the woman you were paired to send to, and ship it off to her. Your other partner will do the same for you.
You can participate as much or as little as you choose. Need a pick me up this season? Come and join in! Don't have an extra dollar to spare right now? Come back whenever you want! Since you are re-paired each exchange, you can come and go as you please (:
Rules:
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 & follow @wifessionals & add #carabox. You can get creative in what you write if you want to - i.e., "I'm so excited to participate in #carabox with @wifessionals".
• Once you post I will verify you on the sign up list and add your name to the pairings. I will also follow you back so I can see all of the posts throughout the swap! 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. I will email everyone, notifying them about 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 me and will be re-matched and the girls who did not respond will be dropped from the month's swap.
• If either of your partners becomes unresponsive, tag me on Instagram 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!

3// Packages

• $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
• @wifessionals
• 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.

Have fun!
Grab A Button!
<br /><div class="Wifessionals-button" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;"><br /><a href="http://www.wifessionals.com/p/cara-box-exchange_4.html"><br /><img src="http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/q501/Wifessionals/CaraBoxButton_Black_zpsd13952de.png" alt="Cara Box" width="200" height="200" /><br /></a><br /></div><br />

Winter 2013 Theme: Shine

This box swap is all about encouraging and bringing out the best in each other. Along with being paired with other women in your state, the theme for this box is figuring out ways that your partner shines. By watching their day to day life on Instagram, are they a mama with a huge heart for their littles? Is she a career woman who thrives at work and is passionate about her job? Does she love her daily morning devotionals & sharing her thoughts with her followers?
Whatever ways your partner shines, put together a box that compliments those things about her. A bag of coffee to help her get through the sleepless night and midnight feedings. A luggage tag for her frequent business trips around the country. Beautiful stationary to record her thoughts and feelings. Discover all of the beautiful things about the woman she is and send her a package that celebrates her!
Important Dates:
November 26 - December 3: Sign up to participate in the swap
December 3, 12:00pm EST: Sign up closes
December 4: Matches posted up on Wifessionals
January 31: Last day to mail your boxes
February 17: Link up your Cara Box reveal post (if you are a blogger & wish to do so)
If you post additional pictures throughout the month or have any "blates", I would love to see them! Please use #carabox to tag any photos on instagram and twitter.
One last thing I want to stress, if either of your partners become unresponsive, tag me on Instagram. Do not wait until the date passes for people to ship their boxes to notify me of the situation. I can't re-pair you if I don't know what is going on (:
Click Here To Sign Up For The 2013 Winter Cara Box
Check out one of the sweetest ladies I know: