Sometimes winter can seem really long when the skies are gray and its really cold. I know I can’t wait to enjoy some of that summer warmth again…I miss it! To show someone you are thinking of them or to brighten up their day consider giving them a Box of Sunshine! Basically you can take anything in the color yellow and add it to this box. Cut out a few paper sunbeams, print out a little note and you have a Box of Sunshine!
The above picture is a box that my sister sent to me using items that she found at a specialty candy store, but I was thinking that it would be great to use items that I coupon shop for to make these boxes a little more thrifty priced! I am the Happy Money Saver you know… 🙂 So each week when I am out couponing and saving money at the stores I remember to get items in yellow whenever possible. Here is a picture of a few thrifty priced items I have been collecting that would work well for a box of sunshine:
- Carmex – got for free coupon shopping
- Zone Bar – got for free coupon shopping
- Lemon Drops and Yellow Gummy Bears- inexpensive at Winco in the bulk section
- Crunch n Munch
- Bath & Body Works Kitchen Lemon hand soap, got on sale for $2.50
- Yellow package seeds for the gardener
- Cascade Ice drink – $1.00
- Betty Crocker Lemon Cake mix or lemon frosting
- Melt Em’s- got for free at Real Deals (local freebie)
- you could also go to the dollar store and find some great fun yellow things!
- Got any other ideas? Feel free to leave a comment below 🙂
A Box of Sunshine would make a great neighbor gift, a birthday gift, or a gift for someone feeling a little blue. Want to thank a special cashier who patiently takes your coupons? This would be an excellent way. I mean really, who wouldn’t love to get a box of sunshine??
I have created a few FREE printables for you my dear readers. Just save them to your computer and print them out! Enjoy!
You Are My Sunshine printable download
Sending you a little box of Sunshine printable download
You Brighten my Life with your Friendship printable download
If you are new to Happy Money Saver, come join the fun by following me on Facebook. Plus here are a few of my most popular articles and series:
- So I Married A Couponer – a fun story series about an average man trying to deal with being married to an extreme coupon shopper. His story must be told.
- How to Find the Best Deals on Toilet Paper – I worked my tail off to research that question…what is the BEST VALUE on toilet paper? I think you will like this!
- The Coupon Box Method – How I Organize my Coupons – Yep, I am a coupon shopper and this is how I organize!.
- Cold Lunches in a Day – I created a simple way for me to make sure my kids get a healthy cold lunch everyday – check it out.
- How to Make Brown Sugar from Scratch – yep, I do it and you can too! Plus I also have quite a few other frugal recipes you might like to see..
- Fashion Boards on a Budget – I refuse to pay $90 for a pair of shoes – so I am putting together complete cute, trendy outfits that won’t break the budget!
Hope you enjoy!
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Bridget says
Thank you SO much for sharing these adorable printables! I am so excited to use them to help out some friends having hard times. You are so talented!
Happy.MoneySaver says
Thank you! You sound like a great friend!
Kaia says
How about some sun stickers?
Shelley says
I love this idea! Having a bit of trouble sticking with the all yellow theme… ( to many awesome things to use!) I am thinking of changing it up a bit… Possibly a box (or bag?) of spring and sunshine, or just spring… Let’s me use a variety of bright colors… Have a friend getting out of the hospital who could use this… Thanks so much for the idea!!
Happy.MoneySaver says
You’re welcome! I think receiving any of those ideas would be amazing! 🙂
Bethany Niccum says
Thank you so much! I was searching for ideas to send my son who has recently moved away for school. I am going to be on the look out from now on for yellow items. I am thinking to start collecting items in different colors like: red “A box of Love”, blue “A box for a rainy day”, green ” A box of Abundance”. Getting more excited as the ideas are flooding- thanks for the inspiration!
Tracy says
I sent my friend a box of cheer after she lost her father. I lined the box with yellow tissue paper and wrapped the box in yellow wrapping paper. Most of my items I purchased I got from the dollar store. Like Yoo-Hoo, lemon heads, jolly time popcorn, cheese crackers, golden grahams, Grow a Happy Face, Smiley- faced buttermints, juicy fruit gum, Lays Stax, Crunch n’ Munch and Lemonade drink mix. I love this idea and your friends will too!
Kim O says
I just did this for a friend of mine who lost her father unexpectedly in July. He died on a Wednesday and she has hated Wednesdays ever since. I’m mailing her box of sunshine out to arrive next Wednesday so she can add some joy back to her Wednesdays. I included baking ingredients for a dessert her dad used to love my mom to make at potlucks along with the recipe card because she had asked me a while back for the recipe. I hope it will bring back good memories. Thanks for the great idea. I’m going to start looking for more yellow items so I can do this for more people more often!
amelia says
did your sister go to powells candy shop in san luis obispo?
Joyce says
I loved your Box of Sunshine!! So I packed one up for my daughter who is in Washington and often needs a bit of sunshine amongst all the gray skies!!
Felicia Steele says
I’m so glad I found this site. Thank you, your tips and your followers have great tips too. I have a Big Sunshine and She has 2 Lil’ Sunshines of her own (Marissa & Heather). Have a Good Day!!!
Mari says
My SONshine – 1LT Colin, 744th EOD is in Afghanistan and I will send one of these care boxes to him. Just a wonderful idea and my favorite color is yellow too. I drive a yellow Mustang. We always sang the song “You are my Sunshine (only SONshine) while riding in the yellow Mustang while he was growing up, Pray for ALL our military sons to come home safely. They are our true heroes! I send a box every 2 weeks which makes these
wonderful men know how much we care & appreciate their service so far from home!
God Bless You SONshine! God Bless America ! Mom xoxo
Shawna says
Nilla Wafers, splenda packets, Lemon-aid packets, Lemon tootsie rolls & a yellow hair band. Even pasta is a strange shade of yellow.
I can’t wait to mail out my little box of sunshine to my nephew & his wife. Along with some of your idea’s from above.
Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek says
I was the happy recipient of a box of sunshine (with your printable) this week and I love it! I’m still not sure who sent it to me though!
Karrie says
Oooh, that is so coo! Somebody must love you…and be thinking about you.
Cheryl says
I just received a box of sunshine this week from my sisters! They had seen it on pinterest. It brightened my whole week! Thank you for sharing.
Erin T says
This is such a great idea. I’ve always called my daughter “my sunshine!” She is a senior in high school this year and it looks like she is going out of state for school…that is a hard one to bite off let me tell you! This will be a perfect care package for her…no matter how big she thinks she is…there is still going to be some home-sickness in there. This might just help from the sunshine state of California!
Leigh-Anne says
Thank you so much for this awesome idea!! I cant wait to give a box of sunshine to someone special!!
kim says
Do you know where to find a box like that? I want to send this to my sister but would lover her to open it and see all the goodies inside and not have to dump out the contents to see it. Do you know what I mean? lol
Karrie says
Hi Kim, this box was one I got from the silhouette company when they mailed me some items. But its the size of 12x12x3 I think..which is the size of a pizza box. There is this 12x12x6 inch box set on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026HY010/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0026HY010&linkCode=as2&tag=fistofcoup-20 or you can get some pizza boxes here too: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SSFBR8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003SSFBR8&linkCode=as2&tag=fistofcoup-20 Maybe just cover the next pizza box you get with wrapping paper and add your items to save money too!
kim says
Thank you! Great idea.
Nancy says
Sending the box of sunshine to my daughter in college. She’s suffering from spring fever and a little homesick. I used several items you suggested and also found yellow paper soap in a yellow plastic container for $1 at Pier 1. Also found a yellow duck soap on a rope.
Laura V says
I’m excited to make one of these. I saw this a couple of months ago and I have picked up a few items. I’ve had a friend just have an unexpected surgery so I need to gather some more sunshine to put into a box for her. Thanks so much for this fantastic idea!
other yellow ideas
pencils/marker/highlighter
bookmark(if they read)
burn them a CD with uplifting songs on a yellow disk (include You are My Sunshine or Pocket Full of Sunshine:) )
A lemon(if they like it in their tea)
Yellow Post-It’s (everyone has to jot down notes)
Yellow M&Ms (buy by the color at candy stores)
Many many items you could do. I’m hoping to have mine ready by the end of the week!
Becky says
I just had a lady come into Target who was making one of these! Thanks so much for the printouts and ideas! I am so going to do this!
regina says
where did your sister get the punched out paper suns? so cute!
Laura V says
It looks like a cut out from a Cricut is my guess. 🙂
Karrie says
She used her Silhouette machine but you could just hand cut out some suns too! 🙂