Just like last year around Christmas, we decided we should also do birthday boxes for each other. Our birthdays are right after each other, March 5th (Isabelle) and March 6th (Candyce). On Wednesday we got together to exchange gifts and we wanted to share it with all of you.

We figured out last year that it’s fun to make boxes like this. It’s actually a lot more fun looking for stuff and knowing the other is getting amazing things than actually getting the boxes yourself. We made Christmas boxes last year. If you want to see that unboxing click here. Now on to what we gave each other for our birthdays!

Candyce

It’s always fun giving people presents, but it was also a lot of fun to see what Isabelle would give me. It helps a lot that we know each other pretty well and what the other already has, haha. The only thing we actually make before everything is a list of books we want. Goodies and other items aren’t something we make a wishlist for. We set a budget, but we have come to find that we’re not good at sticking to it, haha.

I’ll start off with the books. We decided that we wanted to use a big part of the budget we set on books. She got me three books:

Dangerous Girls – Abigail Haas Isabelle recently wrote a How I Met My Book about this one and that made me very curious. I figured if I put this on my wishlist she would buy it! I was right, haha. Another book I hope to get too very soon!

It Only Happens in the Movies – Holly Bourne This book caught my eye awhile ago. A few times that we’ve been in a bookstore together I’ve picked this book up, but still hadn’t bought it. She figured after me grabbing it constantly, I needed it on my shelves.

Romeo & What’s Her Name – Shani Petroff Last year I read her book My New Crush Gave to Me and it was really cute. This was another book that’s been on my wishlist for awhile. It’s not that long, but I think it’s a perfect book when I need something sweet.

The first things I saw when I opened up my box were these two candles. They look and smell AMAZING!!! I don’t think I will ever want to burn them, because just look how pretty they are. I love the candle for Illuminae, because this is the first piece of something from this fandom that I have.

Next is The Little Mermaid Tea. The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney princess. The tea smells amazing and I will have to try some soon. I will let you all know when I do.

I kind of had a feeling I was going to get these bookmarks. Isabelle posted a picture in our book group awhile back and I knew she had ordered goodies and I love Riverdale as well. I was right and these are so cute!! Archie is already being used in my copy of Nevermoor, haha. Isabelle got an extra bookmark, in this case Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and gave it to me as well. As I’m typing this post, I just realized I forgot to take a picture of that bookmark. Oops!

Next, I got three lip balms. From some of my favorite things. Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices and Hogwarts. They all smell and look amazing.

I also got some really pretty bookmarks for books I don’t have any goodies for yet. These are all so pretty and will definitely be used for Bookstagram pictures!

The last thing I got were these bookmarks! Which, once again, are amazing! I love them and could stare at them for quite awhile.

I loved everything I got in my birthday box!! Isabelle did an amazing job once again!! It’s kind of a disappointment there aren’t more occasions we can make boxes for each other, haha. It’s just so much fun!

Isabelle

First up are these amazing books! I gave Candyce such a hard task as I put a ton of amazing books on my wishlist and most of them were books I knew she would want me to read haha. I’m super happy with the choices she made <3

Follow Me Back – A.V. Geiger I always thought this books had a super interesting synopsis but after Candyce read it and loved it I knew I had to get it so I but it on my list. I actually already read it haha, I stayed up until the middle of the night because I just couldn’t put it down and I CANNOT wait until we get the sequel.

A Promise of Fire – Amanda Bouchet I’ve had this book on a couple of wishlists lately and I’m so happy I finally got it! This is another book that I know Candyce loves so I’m really excited to pick it up (hopefully soon haha).

The School for Good and Evil: Quest for Glory – Soman Chainani I absolutely loved the first three books in this series and I was so excited when there was a new book announced. It’s set within the same world and it’s also about the same characters but there’s a new story arc. I’m super excited to pick this one up, these books are my favourite middle grade reads and I can’t wait to visit this world again.

Candyce knows me so well haha, just get me some Harry Potter stuff and you’re golden 😉 apart from my big bookish candle collection I’ve also got quite the tote bag collection, I’m super happy I got to add another one to it! ‘I solemnly swear I’m up to no good’ is one of my favorite things from Harry Potter and I love that I got it on the tote and on the door hanger <3 and look at that amazing bookmark! I love it so so much. I do think I need to somehow expand my Harry Potter shelf haha, it is overflowing!

I’m a big fan of The Raven Boys series and some other bookish friends finally decided to (continue to) read the books. Candyce knows how much I love this series and got me some amazing goodies. I adore magnetic bookmarks and I love this set of Blue and her boys. The other bookmark is from one of my favourite Etsy shops; Zwitsenseitlich (I hope I typed that correct…) I think I’ve got almost all of their bookmarks now haha. And then I also got that super cute button! Can’t wait to wear it on my jeans jacket. Got quite some cute buttons I need to wear now 😀

Lastly I’ve got 2 amazing goodies that might tie for my favourites out of the bunch. First up is a lovely Cath candle, as you all know Fangirl is one of my favourite books of all time and I relate to Cath like crazy. The candle looks beautiful and smells DELICIOUS! I can’t stop sniffing it haha. And then the last items, you guys might’ve realised I’m a Riverdale fangirl and Candyce found me these adorable buttons! I love the drawings on them so so much, they look amazing. I’m super happy with them and can’t stop smiling over this wonderful box of bday goodies!

So that’s what we gave each other this year! We will be doing this again for Christmas and we already can’t wait to start shopping for that. Do you collect bookish goodies? What are your favorite items to collect?