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string(9995) "There are moments in life that change the temperature of everything.
A diagnosis.
A surgery date.
The long stretch of recovery at home.
They are rarely loud. They don’t always come with the right language. But they require care; real, practical, human care.
That’s why we’re proud to welcome TONIC London to We are The Helpful.
TONIC designs modern medical and recovery wear for people navigating treatment, surgery and healing - clothing created to restore comfort, dignity and autonomy at a time when those things are often quietly taken away.
And that matters so much more than we usually acknowledge.
Why we invited TONIC into The Helpful Collective
At We are The Helpful, we don’t list products. We curate support.
We exist to make it easier to show up well when life happens - whether that’s illness, surgery, grief, new motherhood, burnout, recovery or simply a season that feels heavier than usual.
Our community has told us, time and time again, that recovery is one of the hardest moments to navigate. Not just for the person going through it, but for the people who love them.
You want to help.
You want to make it easier.
You want to take the discomfort away.
You don’t want to say the wrong thing.
And yet so much of what exists for medical treatment and recovery still centres on the clinical side, not the human one. Traditional hospital gowns. Standard issue slings. One-size-fits-none solutions. Exposing, uncomfortable, impersonal.
TONIC changes that.
They design recovery wear for surgery, chemotherapy, treatment and at-home healing that actually responds to the lived experience of patients and the practical needs of clinicians.
It’s dignity by design, and that’s why they belong here.
Meet the Founder: Sophie Kinross
TONIC was founded by Sophie Kinross - someone who understands recovery from both sides of the bed.
Four years ago, Sophie had shoulder surgery. It was the height of summer. The Euros were on. The heat was unbearable, but not as unbearable as the sling she was given. It was itchy. Scratchy. Plastic. It cut into her neck. It felt like it was actively working against her.
As she complained (loudly and frequently), she discovered she wasn’t alone. Friends and strangers echoed the same frustration: patient wear was failing people. “One size fits all” meant it fit no one. It was undignified, uncomfortable, and completely disconnected from what real recovery actually feels like.
Then a friend with breast cancer told her she left hospital with surgical drains tucked into two Sainsbury’s plastic bags, and as you could imagine, that moment stayed with her.
There had to be a better way.
So Sophie created TONIC, modern recovery wear designed not just to cover people, but to care for them. And then, on the eve of launch, life changed again.
Sophie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began chemotherapy. Overnight, she went from founder to patient. In a full-circle moment, she found herself wearing the very chemotherapy tracksuits they had designed, in the wards they were made for.
That experience gave her fierce clarity; TONIC isn’t just about design. It’s about empathy.
About dignity. About helping someone feel human again when everything feels uncertain.
And that lived experience is woven into every piece they create.
What makes TONIC London different
Designed with clinicians and patients
TONIC works alongside medical professionals and people who have navigated treatment themselves - ensuring every garment functions within real clinical environments.
Functional, thoughtful detail
Easy access for ports and drains. Considered fastenings. Soft fabrics that don’t irritate already sensitive skin. Pieces that support independence rather than restrict it.
Modern medical apparel that feels like you
Not shapeless. Not institutional. Calm, elevated, wearable pieces that restore a sense of self - whether you’re in a hospital ward or recovering at home.
This is recovery clothing that recognises the emotional and human side of treatment, not just the clinical one.
Who this is for
A gift from TONIC London is especially helpful for:
- Surgery and post-operative recovery
- Chemotherapy and ongoing treatment
- Hospital stays and outpatient appointments
- At-home recovery where comfort and ease matter
- Thoughtful recovery gifts when words feel insufficient
- Life in hospital, the home and being out in the world
It’s for the woman navigating treatment. And it’s for the friend who wants to show up in a way that genuinely helps by bringing a sense of confidence, comfort, ease and style.
The kind of gift that lingers
When we asked Sophie about the most helpful gift she’s received, her answer said everything about the power of practical support.
During chemotherapy, friends left food (and bread and carrots for her guinea pigs) on her doorstep each week. A quiet reminder of love that didn’t require her to socialise, or ask for anything in return.
Sophie also recalls that just at Christmas, just after her diagnosis, her oldest friends sent a Fortnum & Mason hamper filled with sausage dog and disco ball decorations “so we didn’t have to go into the attic.” A simple, powerful gesture that truly saw Sophie in the moment, and will stay with her forever.
It’s proof that support doesn’t have to be all-encompassing to be meaningful; sometimes it’s carrots for the guinea pigs, and sometimes it’s clothing that doesn’t make an already hard day harder.
TONIC & We are The Helpful: beautiful alignment
When asked why TONIC joined We are The Helpful’s Partnership Collective, Sophie put it simply: "Recovery is hard. It tests the body, strains the spirit, and often strips away comfort, dignity and control. People in recovery deserve better. We Are The Helpful understands this and curates the most thoughtful and impactful gifts on the market."
That alignment matters.
We are building a gifting platform rooted in research, listening and lived experience, curating support that helps women (and the people who love them) navigate real life with more ease and dignity.
TONIC is exactly that.
Why this matters
Recovery is not a niche moment. It is a common and deeply human one.
And when life shifts into treatment, surgery or healing, what someone wears - how supported they feel - can change their entire experience of it.
Support doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. It can be intentional. Practical. Designed with empathy.
That’s why we’re proud to welcome TONIC London to We are The Helpful.
Helpful gifting.
Real life.
Dignity by design.
Explore TONIC London on We are The Helpful
Helpful Q+A About Recovery Wear & Recovery Gifting
When someone is navigating surgery or treatment, it can be really hard to know how to show up and support them.
There's often so many questions, so here are a few we’re often asked.
What is recovery wear, and why does it matter?
Recovery wear is clothing designed specifically for surgery, chemotherapy and medical treatment.
Unlike standard hospital gowns, it prioritises comfort, dignity and practical access for care. When someone feels exposed or vulnerable, what they wear can quietly restore a sense of autonomy, and that matters more than people realise.
Is recovery clothing a thoughtful gift for someone having surgery?
Yes, especially when chosen well.
Flowers are kind. But comfort is useful. Modern recovery wear shows you’ve thought about what will actually make their day easier, not just prettier.
It’s practical care, delivered gently.
What makes TONIC London different from traditional hospital wear?
TONIC London designs recovery clothing alongside clinicians and patients.
That means soft fabrics, considered access points for treatment, and pieces that work in real hospital environments while still feeling like you, not a hospital number.
It’s dignity by design.
What should I gift someone going through chemotherapy?
Think ease. Think comfort. Think energy preservation.
Chemotherapy can be physically and emotionally draining. The most meaningful gifts are the ones that reduce friction; recovery clothing, nourishing food support, calm home comforts, practical support.
The best gifts during treatment don’t demand anything in return.
How can I support someone recovering from surgery?
You don’t need perfect words.
Offer something practical. Lighten something small. Choose comfort over cliché.
Recovery is often lonelier than people expect. Consistent, useful support beats grand gestures every time.
Where can I find modern recovery wear in the UK?
Modern medical and recovery clothing in the UK is available through specialist brands like TONIC London, and via We are The Helpful who have curated some key pieces.
We focus on thoughtful support for illness, surgery and recovery so you don’t have to search blindly when someone you love needs help.
"
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string(9995) "There are moments in life that change the temperature of everything.
A diagnosis.
A surgery date.
The long stretch of recovery at home.
They are rarely loud. They don’t always come with the right language. But they require care; real, practical, human care.
That’s why we’re proud to welcome TONIC London to We are The Helpful.
TONIC designs modern medical and recovery wear for people navigating treatment, surgery and healing - clothing created to restore comfort, dignity and autonomy at a time when those things are often quietly taken away.
And that matters so much more than we usually acknowledge.
Why we invited TONIC into The Helpful Collective
At We are The Helpful, we don’t list products. We curate support.
We exist to make it easier to show up well when life happens - whether that’s illness, surgery, grief, new motherhood, burnout, recovery or simply a season that feels heavier than usual.
Our community has told us, time and time again, that recovery is one of the hardest moments to navigate. Not just for the person going through it, but for the people who love them.
You want to help.
You want to make it easier.
You want to take the discomfort away.
You don’t want to say the wrong thing.
And yet so much of what exists for medical treatment and recovery still centres on the clinical side, not the human one. Traditional hospital gowns. Standard issue slings. One-size-fits-none solutions. Exposing, uncomfortable, impersonal.
TONIC changes that.
They design recovery wear for surgery, chemotherapy, treatment and at-home healing that actually responds to the lived experience of patients and the practical needs of clinicians.
It’s dignity by design, and that’s why they belong here.
Meet the Founder: Sophie Kinross
TONIC was founded by Sophie Kinross - someone who understands recovery from both sides of the bed.
Four years ago, Sophie had shoulder surgery. It was the height of summer. The Euros were on. The heat was unbearable, but not as unbearable as the sling she was given. It was itchy. Scratchy. Plastic. It cut into her neck. It felt like it was actively working against her.
As she complained (loudly and frequently), she discovered she wasn’t alone. Friends and strangers echoed the same frustration: patient wear was failing people. “One size fits all” meant it fit no one. It was undignified, uncomfortable, and completely disconnected from what real recovery actually feels like.
Then a friend with breast cancer told her she left hospital with surgical drains tucked into two Sainsbury’s plastic bags, and as you could imagine, that moment stayed with her.
There had to be a better way.
So Sophie created TONIC, modern recovery wear designed not just to cover people, but to care for them. And then, on the eve of launch, life changed again.
Sophie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and began chemotherapy. Overnight, she went from founder to patient. In a full-circle moment, she found herself wearing the very chemotherapy tracksuits they had designed, in the wards they were made for.
That experience gave her fierce clarity; TONIC isn’t just about design. It’s about empathy.
About dignity. About helping someone feel human again when everything feels uncertain.
And that lived experience is woven into every piece they create.
What makes TONIC London different
Designed with clinicians and patients
TONIC works alongside medical professionals and people who have navigated treatment themselves - ensuring every garment functions within real clinical environments.
Functional, thoughtful detail
Easy access for ports and drains. Considered fastenings. Soft fabrics that don’t irritate already sensitive skin. Pieces that support independence rather than restrict it.
Modern medical apparel that feels like you
Not shapeless. Not institutional. Calm, elevated, wearable pieces that restore a sense of self - whether you’re in a hospital ward or recovering at home.
This is recovery clothing that recognises the emotional and human side of treatment, not just the clinical one.
Who this is for
A gift from TONIC London is especially helpful for:
- Surgery and post-operative recovery
- Chemotherapy and ongoing treatment
- Hospital stays and outpatient appointments
- At-home recovery where comfort and ease matter
- Thoughtful recovery gifts when words feel insufficient
- Life in hospital, the home and being out in the world
It’s for the woman navigating treatment. And it’s for the friend who wants to show up in a way that genuinely helps by bringing a sense of confidence, comfort, ease and style.
The kind of gift that lingers
When we asked Sophie about the most helpful gift she’s received, her answer said everything about the power of practical support.
During chemotherapy, friends left food (and bread and carrots for her guinea pigs) on her doorstep each week. A quiet reminder of love that didn’t require her to socialise, or ask for anything in return.
Sophie also recalls that just at Christmas, just after her diagnosis, her oldest friends sent a Fortnum & Mason hamper filled with sausage dog and disco ball decorations “so we didn’t have to go into the attic.” A simple, powerful gesture that truly saw Sophie in the moment, and will stay with her forever.
It’s proof that support doesn’t have to be all-encompassing to be meaningful; sometimes it’s carrots for the guinea pigs, and sometimes it’s clothing that doesn’t make an already hard day harder.
TONIC & We are The Helpful: beautiful alignment
When asked why TONIC joined We are The Helpful’s Partnership Collective, Sophie put it simply: "Recovery is hard. It tests the body, strains the spirit, and often strips away comfort, dignity and control. People in recovery deserve better. We Are The Helpful understands this and curates the most thoughtful and impactful gifts on the market."
That alignment matters.
We are building a gifting platform rooted in research, listening and lived experience, curating support that helps women (and the people who love them) navigate real life with more ease and dignity.
TONIC is exactly that.
Why this matters
Recovery is not a niche moment. It is a common and deeply human one.
And when life shifts into treatment, surgery or healing, what someone wears - how supported they feel - can change their entire experience of it.
Support doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. It can be intentional. Practical. Designed with empathy.
That’s why we’re proud to welcome TONIC London to We are The Helpful.
Helpful gifting.
Real life.
Dignity by design.
Explore TONIC London on We are The Helpful
Helpful Q+A About Recovery Wear & Recovery Gifting
When someone is navigating surgery or treatment, it can be really hard to know how to show up and support them.
There's often so many questions, so here are a few we’re often asked.
What is recovery wear, and why does it matter?
Recovery wear is clothing designed specifically for surgery, chemotherapy and medical treatment.
Unlike standard hospital gowns, it prioritises comfort, dignity and practical access for care. When someone feels exposed or vulnerable, what they wear can quietly restore a sense of autonomy, and that matters more than people realise.
Is recovery clothing a thoughtful gift for someone having surgery?
Yes, especially when chosen well.
Flowers are kind. But comfort is useful. Modern recovery wear shows you’ve thought about what will actually make their day easier, not just prettier.
It’s practical care, delivered gently.
What makes TONIC London different from traditional hospital wear?
TONIC London designs recovery clothing alongside clinicians and patients.
That means soft fabrics, considered access points for treatment, and pieces that work in real hospital environments while still feeling like you, not a hospital number.
It’s dignity by design.
What should I gift someone going through chemotherapy?
Think ease. Think comfort. Think energy preservation.
Chemotherapy can be physically and emotionally draining. The most meaningful gifts are the ones that reduce friction; recovery clothing, nourishing food support, calm home comforts, practical support.
The best gifts during treatment don’t demand anything in return.
How can I support someone recovering from surgery?
You don’t need perfect words.
Offer something practical. Lighten something small. Choose comfort over cliché.
Recovery is often lonelier than people expect. Consistent, useful support beats grand gestures every time.
Where can I find modern recovery wear in the UK?
Modern medical and recovery clothing in the UK is available through specialist brands like TONIC London, and via We are The Helpful who have curated some key pieces.
We focus on thoughtful support for illness, surgery and recovery so you don’t have to search blindly when someone you love needs help.
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string(76) "“Things Will Calm Down Soon” - And Other Crazy Stories We Tell Ourselves"
["description"]=>
string(6638) "“Things will calm down soon.”
I’ve said it more times than I can count over the past three years. You probably have too.
Soon I’ll rest.
Soon I’ll ask for help.
Soon I’ll properly show up.
Soon I’ll take care of my body, my friendships, my nervous system, my actual needs.
It sounds reasonable. Sensible. Responsible.
But after years of listening to women talk honestly about their lives, I can tell you this with complete confidence: 'Soon' is the story we tell ourselves so we can survive the now.
The Shape-Shifting Nature of “Soon”
Because here’s what actually happens - “soon” becomes:
- after the baby phase
- after this work deadline
- after the health scare
- after peri settles
- after grief gets “easier”
- after the house move
- after the kids are older
- after life feels lighter
And yet life doesn’t really lighten. It just changes shape. Different pressures.
Different emotions.
Different forms of tired.
But the load? Still there.
What I’ve Learned From Listening to Women
This is the part I’m completely obsessed with.
I didn’t just sit down one day and dream up a gifting platform. Instead, I sat down with women and listened to them; on the bus, at the nursery gates, in group chats and DMs, across social, in surveys, interviews and focus groups, through academic research (and more than once while making a new best friend in a pub bathroom at midnight...).
I asked:
- What actually helped when life hit?
- What didn’t?
- What did you silently wish someone would do for you?
- What made you feel genuinely seen and supported?
- What made the difference?
- What left the biggest impact?
And the answer, over and over, is this: support, gifts and helpful gestures matter most while life is still happening, not once it’s “calmed down", and not only on the days the calendar tells us we have to (looking at you, Christmas and Birthday).
It's not the grand gesture later.
Not the “let me know if you need anything”.
But the practical injection of support and love in real time. Like:
- Food arriving.
- Help being organised.
A decision being taken off their plate.
- Permission for true self care.
Someone thinking one step ahead for them.
The Quiet Lie We’ve Normalised
Here’s one of the most damaging cultural stories women have absorbed: needing support means you’re not coping well enough.
So we tell ourselves:
“I’m fine.”
“It’s just a busy patch.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Others have it harder.”
“It’ll settle soon.”
And the months stack up, the exhaustion becomes normal and the weight becomes invisible - even to us.
But coping is not the same as being supported. And surviving is not the same as being held.
What Actually Helps (According to Real Women)
When you strip away trends, aesthetics and “nice ideas”, what women consistently say they need is this:
- less stuff, more relief
- fewer questions, more action
- less performance, more permission
- fewer pretty gestures, more practical ones
- less “thinking of you”, more “I’ve organised this for you”
- Less fake, more real
- Less thinking and juggling.
And it’s this sentiment that has shaped We are The Helpful and our ‘She Needs’ gifting philosophy.
Helpful Gifting Isn’t About the Gift
Helpful gifting is not about the object. It’s about the moment someone realises: “I don’t have to carry this one alone”.
It’s about:
- meals arriving when cooking feels impossible
- support stepping in before burnout takes over
- someone anticipating a need you don’t yet have words for
- a small but meaningful reduction in emotional and mental load
- a self care ritual and permission to enjoy it
- products and services designed for specific moments in life - not a a 'one size fits all' approach
- nourishment and self care that looks after you while you’re too busy looking after everyone else
It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t perform. It quietly holds you when you need it.
Why This Matters So Much to Me
Because I tell myself the story too.
“When things calm down…”
“When this settles…”
“When I get through this next chapter…” “I can’t complain or ask for help because others have it worse…”
And yet everything I research, build and witness reminds me:
This is the chapter.
This is the season.
This is when support matters.
Not later. Now.
A Gentle Question
Who in your inner circle is currently telling themselves: “Things will calm down soon…”, and what would actually help them today - not after life behaves itself?
Because life rarely does.
Why We Are The Helpful Exists
I didn’t create We are The Helpful to compete with traditional gifting or add to the already very noisy retail category.
I created it to solve one deeply human problem: we want to show up for the people we love. but we’re often not sure how to do that in genuinely helpful ways.
Everything here exists to make that easier:
- when the moment feels awkward
- when the need feels blurry
- when words feel insufficient
- when you want to ease the weight, not add to it
- When you want to take care of them because they’re too busy caring for everyone else
- When you want to send something, but don't even know where to start looking
It’s not just about making things look nice. It’s about making them feel less alone and more supported.
So, if you’ve been waiting for things to “calm down” before resting, receiving, asking, helping, or showing up differently - here’s your gentle truth: they probably won’t, and you’re allowed support anyway.
Always.
Kate x
Founder, We are The Helpful
I listen to what women need - and am building this gifting platform from their answers.
"
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string(6638) "“Things will calm down soon.”
I’ve said it more times than I can count over the past three years. You probably have too.
Soon I’ll rest.
Soon I’ll ask for help.
Soon I’ll properly show up.
Soon I’ll take care of my body, my friendships, my nervous system, my actual needs.
It sounds reasonable. Sensible. Responsible.
But after years of listening to women talk honestly about their lives, I can tell you this with complete confidence: 'Soon' is the story we tell ourselves so we can survive the now.
The Shape-Shifting Nature of “Soon”
Because here’s what actually happens - “soon” becomes:
- after the baby phase
- after this work deadline
- after the health scare
- after peri settles
- after grief gets “easier”
- after the house move
- after the kids are older
- after life feels lighter
And yet life doesn’t really lighten. It just changes shape. Different pressures.
Different emotions.
Different forms of tired.
But the load? Still there.
What I’ve Learned From Listening to Women
This is the part I’m completely obsessed with.
I didn’t just sit down one day and dream up a gifting platform. Instead, I sat down with women and listened to them; on the bus, at the nursery gates, in group chats and DMs, across social, in surveys, interviews and focus groups, through academic research (and more than once while making a new best friend in a pub bathroom at midnight...).
I asked:
- What actually helped when life hit?
- What didn’t?
- What did you silently wish someone would do for you?
- What made you feel genuinely seen and supported?
- What made the difference?
- What left the biggest impact?
And the answer, over and over, is this: support, gifts and helpful gestures matter most while life is still happening, not once it’s “calmed down", and not only on the days the calendar tells us we have to (looking at you, Christmas and Birthday).
It's not the grand gesture later.
Not the “let me know if you need anything”.
But the practical injection of support and love in real time. Like:
- Food arriving.
- Help being organised.
A decision being taken off their plate.
- Permission for true self care.
Someone thinking one step ahead for them.
The Quiet Lie We’ve Normalised
Here’s one of the most damaging cultural stories women have absorbed: needing support means you’re not coping well enough.
So we tell ourselves:
“I’m fine.”
“It’s just a busy patch.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Others have it harder.”
“It’ll settle soon.”
And the months stack up, the exhaustion becomes normal and the weight becomes invisible - even to us.
But coping is not the same as being supported. And surviving is not the same as being held.
What Actually Helps (According to Real Women)
When you strip away trends, aesthetics and “nice ideas”, what women consistently say they need is this:
- less stuff, more relief
- fewer questions, more action
- less performance, more permission
- fewer pretty gestures, more practical ones
- less “thinking of you”, more “I’ve organised this for you”
- Less fake, more real
- Less thinking and juggling.
And it’s this sentiment that has shaped We are The Helpful and our ‘She Needs’ gifting philosophy.
Helpful Gifting Isn’t About the Gift
Helpful gifting is not about the object. It’s about the moment someone realises: “I don’t have to carry this one alone”.
It’s about:
- meals arriving when cooking feels impossible
- support stepping in before burnout takes over
- someone anticipating a need you don’t yet have words for
- a small but meaningful reduction in emotional and mental load
- a self care ritual and permission to enjoy it
- products and services designed for specific moments in life - not a a 'one size fits all' approach
- nourishment and self care that looks after you while you’re too busy looking after everyone else
It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t perform. It quietly holds you when you need it.
Why This Matters So Much to Me
Because I tell myself the story too.
“When things calm down…”
“When this settles…”
“When I get through this next chapter…” “I can’t complain or ask for help because others have it worse…”
And yet everything I research, build and witness reminds me:
This is the chapter.
This is the season.
This is when support matters.
Not later. Now.
A Gentle Question
Who in your inner circle is currently telling themselves: “Things will calm down soon…”, and what would actually help them today - not after life behaves itself?
Because life rarely does.
Why We Are The Helpful Exists
I didn’t create We are The Helpful to compete with traditional gifting or add to the already very noisy retail category.
I created it to solve one deeply human problem: we want to show up for the people we love. but we’re often not sure how to do that in genuinely helpful ways.
Everything here exists to make that easier:
- when the moment feels awkward
- when the need feels blurry
- when words feel insufficient
- when you want to ease the weight, not add to it
- When you want to take care of them because they’re too busy caring for everyone else
- When you want to send something, but don't even know where to start looking
It’s not just about making things look nice. It’s about making them feel less alone and more supported.
So, if you’ve been waiting for things to “calm down” before resting, receiving, asking, helping, or showing up differently - here’s your gentle truth: they probably won’t, and you’re allowed support anyway.
Always.
Kate x
Founder, We are The Helpful
I listen to what women need - and am building this gifting platform from their answers.
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That’s exactly how I felt when I first spoke with Arati Nar, the founder of Anara Skincare.
Why We’re Excited to Welcome Anara into our Brand Collective
When I research and curate for We are The Helpful, I’m not just looking for great products (that’s a given), I’m looking for brands with soul.
The kind built by people who have lived the need they now serve. Founders who understand that when life happens - in all its heartbreaks, hormones, and hope - we need more than “nice things” and “stuff”.
We need care that meets us where we’re at. And Arati gets it. Completely.
After losing her husband and entering perimenopause, she couldn’t find anything that felt right for her newly sensitive skin (and self). So, like many incredible female founders, she created it - slowly, intentionally, and with a depth of empathy and understanding you can’t fake.
When I went through my own period of deep grief recently, I was genuinely surprised by how helpful self-care and ritual became (and how grateful I was to be gifted some beautiful products). The small, grounding gestures like washing your face slowly, taking time with your skin, breathing, became something more than routine. They were moments of calm when the rest of life felt unbearable. Pockets of time to prioritise self care amongst the all-consuming heartbreak.
And talking to Arati, we connected instantly on that truth; that sometimes, caring for ourselves in these quiet, tactile ways is one of the few things that helps us keep going.
The Heart and Brains Behind the Brand
What Arati’s built is truly beautiful: skincare that’s gentle enough for every hormonal season (and let’s be honest, there are many…), yet powerful enough to make you feel confident and cared for.
Her five multi-use products are designed for the eyes, face, and neck, are safe during pregnancy, grounding through stress, balancing through menopause and comforting when everything just feels a bit too much.
And while still a young brand, Anara has already received 22 industry awards - a quiet but powerful nod to the integrity, quality and care that sits behind every formulation. Proof, really, that when something is made with heart and intention, it can be felt.
Anara is proof that luxury and honesty can coexist; skincare that doesn’t overwhelm you with rules or empty promises, just the kind that quietly works, deeply comforts and helps you feel like yourself again.
For the Self + The Sisterhood
When Arati and I first spoke, I knew instantly she belonged in our Collective - the kind of founder who creates from empathy and a deep understanding for what’s needed.
The kind who understands that true self-care and sisterhood aren’t separate things, they’re deeply linked. Because yes, we gift to others. But we also need to gift to ourselves - the moments of calm, the rituals that rebuild us, the skincare that helps us feel at home in our skin again.
That’s what Anara does so beautifully. It’s a gift of confidence and comfort; for yourself, or someone who really needs a moment of both.
Why This Means So Much
At We are The Helpful, we’re obsessed with finding brands like this - the ones that can’t be copied or imitated, because they were born from real life experience.
And Anara Skincare is one of those rare finds we’re genuinely so excited to share with you.
Because when life changes (as it always does), having something that understands, supports, and gently steadies you - that’s the kind of helpful we’re here for.
The Ritual, the Gift, the Saving Grace
And because we’re big believers in the power of ritual, we’re so happy to now have Anara’s beautiful gift sets available on We are The Helpful.
They bring her full ritual experience together - thoughtful, grounding and designed to help you or someone you love carve out small, steady moments of care.
And the best part? You’ll save up to 20% compared to purchasing the full-sized products individually (thank you, Arati - we love a founder who makes helpful gifting even more helpful).
Explore Anara Skincare - For the Self. For the Sisterhood. For every season of womanhood.
Kate x
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That’s exactly how I felt when I first spoke with Arati Nar, the founder of Anara Skincare.
Why We’re Excited to Welcome Anara into our Brand Collective
When I research and curate for We are The Helpful, I’m not just looking for great products (that’s a given), I’m looking for brands with soul.
The kind built by people who have lived the need they now serve. Founders who understand that when life happens - in all its heartbreaks, hormones, and hope - we need more than “nice things” and “stuff”.
We need care that meets us where we’re at. And Arati gets it. Completely.
After losing her husband and entering perimenopause, she couldn’t find anything that felt right for her newly sensitive skin (and self). So, like many incredible female founders, she created it - slowly, intentionally, and with a depth of empathy and understanding you can’t fake.
When I went through my own period of deep grief recently, I was genuinely surprised by how helpful self-care and ritual became (and how grateful I was to be gifted some beautiful products). The small, grounding gestures like washing your face slowly, taking time with your skin, breathing, became something more than routine. They were moments of calm when the rest of life felt unbearable. Pockets of time to prioritise self care amongst the all-consuming heartbreak.
And talking to Arati, we connected instantly on that truth; that sometimes, caring for ourselves in these quiet, tactile ways is one of the few things that helps us keep going.
The Heart and Brains Behind the Brand
What Arati’s built is truly beautiful: skincare that’s gentle enough for every hormonal season (and let’s be honest, there are many…), yet powerful enough to make you feel confident and cared for.
Her five multi-use products are designed for the eyes, face, and neck, are safe during pregnancy, grounding through stress, balancing through menopause and comforting when everything just feels a bit too much.
And while still a young brand, Anara has already received 22 industry awards - a quiet but powerful nod to the integrity, quality and care that sits behind every formulation. Proof, really, that when something is made with heart and intention, it can be felt.
Anara is proof that luxury and honesty can coexist; skincare that doesn’t overwhelm you with rules or empty promises, just the kind that quietly works, deeply comforts and helps you feel like yourself again.
For the Self + The Sisterhood
When Arati and I first spoke, I knew instantly she belonged in our Collective - the kind of founder who creates from empathy and a deep understanding for what’s needed.
The kind who understands that true self-care and sisterhood aren’t separate things, they’re deeply linked. Because yes, we gift to others. But we also need to gift to ourselves - the moments of calm, the rituals that rebuild us, the skincare that helps us feel at home in our skin again.
That’s what Anara does so beautifully. It’s a gift of confidence and comfort; for yourself, or someone who really needs a moment of both.
Why This Means So Much
At We are The Helpful, we’re obsessed with finding brands like this - the ones that can’t be copied or imitated, because they were born from real life experience.
And Anara Skincare is one of those rare finds we’re genuinely so excited to share with you.
Because when life changes (as it always does), having something that understands, supports, and gently steadies you - that’s the kind of helpful we’re here for.
The Ritual, the Gift, the Saving Grace
And because we’re big believers in the power of ritual, we’re so happy to now have Anara’s beautiful gift sets available on We are The Helpful.
They bring her full ritual experience together - thoughtful, grounding and designed to help you or someone you love carve out small, steady moments of care.
And the best part? You’ll save up to 20% compared to purchasing the full-sized products individually (thank you, Arati - we love a founder who makes helpful gifting even more helpful).
Explore Anara Skincare - For the Self. For the Sisterhood. For every season of womanhood.
Kate x
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string(5111) "Here's a Helpful Gift PSA I had to share: after my second baby, my skin broke out all around my chin and somehow looked both oily and dull (I’m a true overachiever…) It turns out, that’s not just bad luck - it’s hormones. And honestly, postpartum hormones are no joke.
To make sense of it (and to make sure I’m pointing you to what actually helps), I spoke with Hilary Metcalfe, the creative brain and formulator behind The Sabi. Hilary’s insights below shaped this piece and the simple, supportive approach we love The Sabi for.
When you give birth, your body goes through one of the most dramatic rebalancing acts it’ll ever perform. Hormones rise, crash and shift for up to 18 months after birth - with intense waves around weeks 3–6, months 3–5, and again near 6–9 months when many women notice breakouts, pigmentation or that lacklustre “grey glow” that no highlighter can fix. Your skin becomes an early warning system that things are out of balance - your body saying: Hey, I’m working hard here. Help me out.
Why postpartum skin feels dull, reactive and unpredictable
Postpartum, detox pathways slow down (liver, gut, lymph). Add nutrient depletion (think magnesium, B vitamins, zinc) and a sleep deficit, and skin starts showing the stress: breakouts, dullness, sensitivity, inflammation.
How postpartum skin can shift over time
- 0–6 weeks: Sharp drop in oestrogen and progesterone. Skin may feel dehydrated, dull, and sensitive.
- 6–12 weeks: Hormones begin to stabilise (slowly). Chin and jawline acne, pigmentation, and dryness are common (definitely felt this one).
- 3–6 months: Sleep deprivation and mineral depletion peak. Breakouts and signs of adrenal fatigue may appear on the skin.
- 6–12 months: Menstruation may return, triggering more hormonal shifts. Renewed sensitivity and changes in texture or tone.
Hilary’s take: calm the chaos, don’t overload it
“Postpartum skin issues often stem from inflammation - cortisol spikes from poor sleep, slowed detox from hormonal chaos, and nutrient depletion. The job is to calm the nervous system and rebuild, not throw more actives at already stressed skin.”
That’s why the Nurtured Mothers Set has become my go-to postpartum gift for friends (and why I bought it for myself) - it’s not a “pamper box”; it’s a recovery ritual.
Why it helps:
- Clean, gentle formulas (no hormone disruptors or harsh chemicals)
- Prebiotics to restore the skin’s microbiome
- Adaptogens to ease internal stress and calm flare-ups
- Botanicals like fermented seaweed, calendula, and sage to brighten, soothe, and support balance
They don’t force your skin to behave. They give it the tools to heal itself.
Keep it simple, nourishing, doable
From Hilary’s playbook for the PP period:
- Sleep support: Bank a 70-90 min nap when nights are broken; consider magnesium glycinate before bed or a warm bath with magnesium salts.
- Hydrate with benefits: Mama Recover is a nutritive infusion to support hormones, mood, inner calm - and skin - from the inside out.
- Simplify your routine: Fewer actives, zero endocrine disruptors, calming ingredients. The Sabi’s range is built for this season.
- Micro-rituals: A gentle tea, a spritz of Revive Mist, one deep diaphragmatic breath. Small, sensory, consistent.
Skin, confidence, and coming home to yourself
“When a woman brews a tea, massages her face, or takes five minutes to breathe, it’s not vanity - it’s nervous system care. Skin is a window to vitality. When we partner with our bodies, confidence returns from the inside out.”
This is why The Sabi isn’t just skincare. It’s support. And the Nurtured Mothers Set is, truly, the most helpful gift for this season - a small ritual of repair, calm, and coming back to yourself.
The herbata that helps your nervous system reset
Each infusion is a therapeutic dose and a reset ritual:
- Oat straw - classic nervine to calm
- Tulsi - adaptogen for cortisol balance + clarity
- Nettle & moringa - mineral-dense rebuilders
- Vervain - lifts low mood, eases gut tension
Layer with: Omega-3s (inflammation/brain), magnesium (sleep/nervous system), and your breath (fastest free reset via vagal activation).
Where to find it
Explore The Sabi Nurtured Mothers Set via We are The Helpful - helpful gifting for postpartum that actually supports recovery and does what it says; nurtures the Mother.
Kate x
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To make sense of it (and to make sure I’m pointing you to what actually helps), I spoke with Hilary Metcalfe, the creative brain and formulator behind The Sabi. Hilary’s insights below shaped this piece and the simple, supportive approach we love The Sabi for.
When you give birth, your body goes through one of the most dramatic rebalancing acts it’ll ever perform. Hormones rise, crash and shift for up to 18 months after birth - with intense waves around weeks 3–6, months 3–5, and again near 6–9 months when many women notice breakouts, pigmentation or that lacklustre “grey glow” that no highlighter can fix. Your skin becomes an early warning system that things are out of balance - your body saying: Hey, I’m working hard here. Help me out.
Why postpartum skin feels dull, reactive and unpredictable
Postpartum, detox pathways slow down (liver, gut, lymph). Add nutrient depletion (think magnesium, B vitamins, zinc) and a sleep deficit, and skin starts showing the stress: breakouts, dullness, sensitivity, inflammation.
How postpartum skin can shift over time
- 0–6 weeks: Sharp drop in oestrogen and progesterone. Skin may feel dehydrated, dull, and sensitive.
- 6–12 weeks: Hormones begin to stabilise (slowly). Chin and jawline acne, pigmentation, and dryness are common (definitely felt this one).
- 3–6 months: Sleep deprivation and mineral depletion peak. Breakouts and signs of adrenal fatigue may appear on the skin.
- 6–12 months: Menstruation may return, triggering more hormonal shifts. Renewed sensitivity and changes in texture or tone.
Hilary’s take: calm the chaos, don’t overload it
“Postpartum skin issues often stem from inflammation - cortisol spikes from poor sleep, slowed detox from hormonal chaos, and nutrient depletion. The job is to calm the nervous system and rebuild, not throw more actives at already stressed skin.”
That’s why the Nurtured Mothers Set has become my go-to postpartum gift for friends (and why I bought it for myself) - it’s not a “pamper box”; it’s a recovery ritual.
Why it helps:
- Clean, gentle formulas (no hormone disruptors or harsh chemicals)
- Prebiotics to restore the skin’s microbiome
- Adaptogens to ease internal stress and calm flare-ups
- Botanicals like fermented seaweed, calendula, and sage to brighten, soothe, and support balance
They don’t force your skin to behave. They give it the tools to heal itself.
Keep it simple, nourishing, doable
From Hilary’s playbook for the PP period:
- Sleep support: Bank a 70-90 min nap when nights are broken; consider magnesium glycinate before bed or a warm bath with magnesium salts.
- Hydrate with benefits: Mama Recover is a nutritive infusion to support hormones, mood, inner calm - and skin - from the inside out.
- Simplify your routine: Fewer actives, zero endocrine disruptors, calming ingredients. The Sabi’s range is built for this season.
- Micro-rituals: A gentle tea, a spritz of Revive Mist, one deep diaphragmatic breath. Small, sensory, consistent.
Skin, confidence, and coming home to yourself
“When a woman brews a tea, massages her face, or takes five minutes to breathe, it’s not vanity - it’s nervous system care. Skin is a window to vitality. When we partner with our bodies, confidence returns from the inside out.”
This is why The Sabi isn’t just skincare. It’s support. And the Nurtured Mothers Set is, truly, the most helpful gift for this season - a small ritual of repair, calm, and coming back to yourself.
The herbata that helps your nervous system reset
Each infusion is a therapeutic dose and a reset ritual:
- Oat straw - classic nervine to calm
- Tulsi - adaptogen for cortisol balance + clarity
- Nettle & moringa - mineral-dense rebuilders
- Vervain - lifts low mood, eases gut tension
Layer with: Omega-3s (inflammation/brain), magnesium (sleep/nervous system), and your breath (fastest free reset via vagal activation).
Where to find it
Explore The Sabi Nurtured Mothers Set via We are The Helpful - helpful gifting for postpartum that actually supports recovery and does what it says; nurtures the Mother.
Kate x
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string(63) "Grounding Rituals for Calm & Connection - A Gentle Habits Guide"
["description"]=>
string(6650) "Gentle Habits have just dropped some beautiful new colour-ways in their incense holders and Positive Outcomes Journal (we love anything peach - so were immediately onboard), and it has inspired us to dive into the power of ritual for Calm and Connection and share the love.
In a world that often moves faster than we do, the chance to pause, reflect, and reconnect becomes not just a luxury - but a necessity. Cultivating moments of stillness through ritual, journaling and sensory grounding isn’t only beautiful, it’s deeply helpful. Perfect for self-care, gifting for both the Self & Sisterhood or “get well soon” intentions - gifts that prompt positive ritual are big on our list, especially as we enter the colder, darker and busier months of the year.
Why ritual, journaling & sensory connection matter
Rituals anchor us: they mark transitions, give structure, offer comfort. Using objects (like a beautiful holder) and repeated actions (lighting incense, opening a journal) signals to our nervous system: this matters, this is calm, this is just for me.
When paired with meaningful journaling, you’re engaging in both reflection and forward motion - noticing what’s been, and inviting what’s ahead.
The power of journaling
A growing body of research shows that journaling isn’t just “nice to do” - it can improve mood, reduce distress and support mental health.
- Regular reflective writing has been linked to improved emotional regulation and better physical health outcomes.
- Specifically in the UK context, journaling empowers self-understanding and deeper connection with internal experience.
- Gratitude journaling (writing down things you’re thankful for) can boost optimism, enhance sleep and help shift away from negative mood patterns.
Grounding through the senses
When we engage colour, scent, texture, we slow the brain’s “default” mode and invite presence. Objects like the new Gentle Habits glass holders become more than décor, they become cues for calm. A simple ritual of lighting a stick of incense, noting its smoke, hearing the crackle, seeing the soft hues of the holder, invites full body and mind into the moment.
Connecting to the 7 types of rest
True rest isn’t just sleep. According to Dr Saundra Dalton‑Smith’s framework of the “seven types of rest”, to feel fully renewed we need to address multiple dimensions of rest: physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social and spiritual.
Here’s how your ritual (and the new Gentle Habits pieces) can touch multiple types:
- Physical rest: slowing movement, maybe stretching, focusing on the breath as you light and settle.
- Mental rest: the act of journaling gives the mind a place to off-load, sort, reflect.
- Sensory rest: dimming the lights, quieting the space and noticing the calming sensory elements of the holder and the incense.
- Creative rest: choosing what to write, what to reflect on, opening space for insight, inspiration or intuition.
- Spiritual rest: reconnecting to purpose, feeling the ground underneath you, noticing what you hope to achieve, acknowledging your worth, connecting to self.
- Emotional rest: giving yourself permission to feel, express in your journal, to be authentic. To get it out.
- Social rest: if gifting this for yourself or for a friend, it’s a way of saying “you deserve this moment”, nourishing the connection, feeling good about yourself through the act of giving, or receiving.
By weaving these layers, you’re not just “taking a break” - you’re renewing. You’re letting your inner system know: you matter. Your calm matters. Your reflection matters.
How to use your Gentle Habits pieces as anchor points
Step 1: Create the space
Grab a pen, get on some comfy clothing, choose a corner in your home, maybe by a window, maybe in a calm part of your bedroom. Place your Gentle Habits glass holder on a surface you will return to.
Step 2: Engage the senses
Light your incense (your preferred ritual scent). Notice: the smell, the colour, the smoke trailing upwards. Pause and breathe. Let the day soften. Lower your shoulders. Become mindful of the breath.
Step 3: Open your Positive Outcomes Journal Use prompts such as:
- The Gentle Habits I create for myself today…
- The Positive Outcomes I hope to achieve…
- My feel-good moments…
Write for 5 minutes (or more if you can - whatever you can do is perfect). Let whatever wants to come, come.
Step 4: Reflect & close
Close the journal. Take one final inhale, hold for a moment, then exhale slowly. Acknowledge the ritual you’ve created. You’ve done something tangible for your well-being.
Why this makes a meaningful gift (for yourself or someone in your inner circle)
These items speak beyond function, they speak to ritual, connection, presence.
- A gift of self care: A beautifully designed journal plus sensory ritual invite the recipient into slow, meaningful time to connect with thoughts, feeling and shifting towards positivity.
- Get well soon gifting: When someone is recovering, disconnected or tired, giving the chance to pause and reflect says: we see you; you deserve calm.
- The psychology of gift giving: Gifting this to a friend is creating a shared language of care and calm. It’s a powerful bid for connection and demonstration of thoughtfulness.
Because you’re not just sending items; you’re offering a moment, a habit, a memory.
Final invitation
Choose five minutes today, or tomorrow morning. Light one incense stick. Notice the soft glow of the holder. Open your journal.
Create your Gentle Habits ritual.
Because your calm matters. Your connection matters.
And one moment of presence ripples into the rest of the week.
Shop Connection Edit today x
"
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string(6650) "Gentle Habits have just dropped some beautiful new colour-ways in their incense holders and Positive Outcomes Journal (we love anything peach - so were immediately onboard), and it has inspired us to dive into the power of ritual for Calm and Connection and share the love.
In a world that often moves faster than we do, the chance to pause, reflect, and reconnect becomes not just a luxury - but a necessity. Cultivating moments of stillness through ritual, journaling and sensory grounding isn’t only beautiful, it’s deeply helpful. Perfect for self-care, gifting for both the Self & Sisterhood or “get well soon” intentions - gifts that prompt positive ritual are big on our list, especially as we enter the colder, darker and busier months of the year.
Why ritual, journaling & sensory connection matter
Rituals anchor us: they mark transitions, give structure, offer comfort. Using objects (like a beautiful holder) and repeated actions (lighting incense, opening a journal) signals to our nervous system: this matters, this is calm, this is just for me.
When paired with meaningful journaling, you’re engaging in both reflection and forward motion - noticing what’s been, and inviting what’s ahead.
The power of journaling
A growing body of research shows that journaling isn’t just “nice to do” - it can improve mood, reduce distress and support mental health.
- Regular reflective writing has been linked to improved emotional regulation and better physical health outcomes.
- Specifically in the UK context, journaling empowers self-understanding and deeper connection with internal experience.
- Gratitude journaling (writing down things you’re thankful for) can boost optimism, enhance sleep and help shift away from negative mood patterns.
Grounding through the senses
When we engage colour, scent, texture, we slow the brain’s “default” mode and invite presence. Objects like the new Gentle Habits glass holders become more than décor, they become cues for calm. A simple ritual of lighting a stick of incense, noting its smoke, hearing the crackle, seeing the soft hues of the holder, invites full body and mind into the moment.
Connecting to the 7 types of rest
True rest isn’t just sleep. According to Dr Saundra Dalton‑Smith’s framework of the “seven types of rest”, to feel fully renewed we need to address multiple dimensions of rest: physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social and spiritual.
Here’s how your ritual (and the new Gentle Habits pieces) can touch multiple types:
- Physical rest: slowing movement, maybe stretching, focusing on the breath as you light and settle.
- Mental rest: the act of journaling gives the mind a place to off-load, sort, reflect.
- Sensory rest: dimming the lights, quieting the space and noticing the calming sensory elements of the holder and the incense.
- Creative rest: choosing what to write, what to reflect on, opening space for insight, inspiration or intuition.
- Spiritual rest: reconnecting to purpose, feeling the ground underneath you, noticing what you hope to achieve, acknowledging your worth, connecting to self.
- Emotional rest: giving yourself permission to feel, express in your journal, to be authentic. To get it out.
- Social rest: if gifting this for yourself or for a friend, it’s a way of saying “you deserve this moment”, nourishing the connection, feeling good about yourself through the act of giving, or receiving.
By weaving these layers, you’re not just “taking a break” - you’re renewing. You’re letting your inner system know: you matter. Your calm matters. Your reflection matters.
How to use your Gentle Habits pieces as anchor points
Step 1: Create the space
Grab a pen, get on some comfy clothing, choose a corner in your home, maybe by a window, maybe in a calm part of your bedroom. Place your Gentle Habits glass holder on a surface you will return to.
Step 2: Engage the senses
Light your incense (your preferred ritual scent). Notice: the smell, the colour, the smoke trailing upwards. Pause and breathe. Let the day soften. Lower your shoulders. Become mindful of the breath.
Step 3: Open your Positive Outcomes Journal Use prompts such as:
- The Gentle Habits I create for myself today…
- The Positive Outcomes I hope to achieve…
- My feel-good moments…
Write for 5 minutes (or more if you can - whatever you can do is perfect). Let whatever wants to come, come.
Step 4: Reflect & close
Close the journal. Take one final inhale, hold for a moment, then exhale slowly. Acknowledge the ritual you’ve created. You’ve done something tangible for your well-being.
Why this makes a meaningful gift (for yourself or someone in your inner circle)
These items speak beyond function, they speak to ritual, connection, presence.
- A gift of self care: A beautifully designed journal plus sensory ritual invite the recipient into slow, meaningful time to connect with thoughts, feeling and shifting towards positivity.
- Get well soon gifting: When someone is recovering, disconnected or tired, giving the chance to pause and reflect says: we see you; you deserve calm.
- The psychology of gift giving: Gifting this to a friend is creating a shared language of care and calm. It’s a powerful bid for connection and demonstration of thoughtfulness.
Because you’re not just sending items; you’re offering a moment, a habit, a memory.
Final invitation
Choose five minutes today, or tomorrow morning. Light one incense stick. Notice the soft glow of the holder. Open your journal.
Create your Gentle Habits ritual.
Because your calm matters. Your connection matters.
And one moment of presence ripples into the rest of the week.
Shop Connection Edit today x
"
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That’s what Gentle Habits is all about. And we’re so proud to finally bring this Australian cult favourite to women across the UK.
For the women who give so much, may these gentle habits guide you home to yourself.
Why We Love Gentle Habits
Born on the Australian coastline, Gentle Habits creates sensory rituals that invite calm, clarity, and care into your every day. Their philosophy is simple: your habits are your home. And the little moments - lighting incense, journalling, connecting - can shape how you move through the world.
From their signature This Is Incense range (if you know you know..) to their beautifully designed holders, Positive Outcomes Journal, and Connection Cards, each product is a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and return to what matters.
They’re grounding tools for the modern woman - the one juggling work, family, friendships, and the endless invisible load.
Our Cult Favourites (and Yours)
If you’re new to Gentle Habits, start here:
- This Is Incense – Byron Bay, Yamba, or Bondi Beach: Each scent feels like a little holiday for your nervous system. Soft, natural, and never overpowering, just pure good vibes.
- Ceramic Holders: Simple, sculptural, and designed to turn even your kitchen bench into a calm space.
- Positive Outcomes Journal: A beautiful companion for your thoughts, gratitude, and gentle self-reflection.
- Connection Cards: Created to deepen connection with yourself, your partner, your friends, your family. Thoughtful questions that lead to real conversations.
Gentle Habits, Now in the UK
Until now, Gentle Habits was one of those brands you had to beg friends to bring back from Australia. (We know, we’ve done it.) But no more.
We’re so proud to be one of the first UK stockists of Gentle Habits, sharing their incredible products with women who crave more presence, peace, and purpose in their everyday.
Our stock sells fast, so if you’ve had your eye on that This Is Incense scent or the Positive Outcomes Journal, now’s the moment.
We can’t wait to become your go-to destination when you need a gentle habit in your life.
Kate x
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That’s what Gentle Habits is all about. And we’re so proud to finally bring this Australian cult favourite to women across the UK.
For the women who give so much, may these gentle habits guide you home to yourself.
Why We Love Gentle Habits
Born on the Australian coastline, Gentle Habits creates sensory rituals that invite calm, clarity, and care into your every day. Their philosophy is simple: your habits are your home. And the little moments - lighting incense, journalling, connecting - can shape how you move through the world.
From their signature This Is Incense range (if you know you know..) to their beautifully designed holders, Positive Outcomes Journal, and Connection Cards, each product is a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and return to what matters.
They’re grounding tools for the modern woman - the one juggling work, family, friendships, and the endless invisible load.
Our Cult Favourites (and Yours)
If you’re new to Gentle Habits, start here:
- This Is Incense – Byron Bay, Yamba, or Bondi Beach: Each scent feels like a little holiday for your nervous system. Soft, natural, and never overpowering, just pure good vibes.
- Ceramic Holders: Simple, sculptural, and designed to turn even your kitchen bench into a calm space.
- Positive Outcomes Journal: A beautiful companion for your thoughts, gratitude, and gentle self-reflection.
- Connection Cards: Created to deepen connection with yourself, your partner, your friends, your family. Thoughtful questions that lead to real conversations.
Gentle Habits, Now in the UK
Until now, Gentle Habits was one of those brands you had to beg friends to bring back from Australia. (We know, we’ve done it.) But no more.
We’re so proud to be one of the first UK stockists of Gentle Habits, sharing their incredible products with women who crave more presence, peace, and purpose in their everyday.
Our stock sells fast, so if you’ve had your eye on that This Is Incense scent or the Positive Outcomes Journal, now’s the moment.
We can’t wait to become your go-to destination when you need a gentle habit in your life.
Kate x
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Even in the chaos, the caring, the juggling, the everything-all-at-once, we still deserve to pause, breathe, and soften for a moment.
At We Are The Helpful, we’ve built our philosophy around that very idea. Because when life feels heavy, the most helpful gift isn’t another thing to manage. It’s something that helps you come home to yourself.
The Science Backs It Up
It’s not just intuition, there’s real evidence behind why small daily rituals make such a difference.
Research from the University of Warwick found that brief, consistent moments of self-care, like journaling, breathing exercises, or short mindful breaks, significantly lower stress hormones and improve emotional regulation.
The Mental Health Foundation echoes this, describing self-care as “a vital foundation for resilience and mental wellbeing,” especially for women balancing multiple roles.
Psychologists call this idea micro-restoration - the power of short, repeated acts of care that help us refill before we run dry. Five minutes. Small rituals. Done daily.
That’s the kind of care that steadies us, rebuilds us, and helps us show up again - for ourselves and for the people who need us.
Why We See Self-Care As One Of The Stars Helpful Gifting
When someone you love is tired, overwhelmed, grieving, or simply stretched thin, a self-care gift isn’t indulgent. It’s permission.
It’s a reminder that she’s not just the person who gives, she’s also someone who deserves to receive.
Our Self-Care Collection was created for exactly these moments.
You’ll find calming rituals, gentle scents, journals for reflection, and small pieces designed to fit into real life; not the picture-perfect version of it.
Think of it as a way to say: “I see you. You’ve been carrying a lot. This is for you.”
It’s help, wrapped beautifully.
The Ripple Effect
The magic of self-care is that it doesn’t stop with the person who receives it. When we feel nourished and grounded, we have more capacity for everyone else. We show up better; calmer, kinder, more connected.
That’s why at We Are The Helpful, we see self-care not as selfish, but as a form of helpful gifting.
It’s a love language, a quiet form of support that says: You matter too.
If someone you love is in a season that feels heavy, like the sleeplessness of new motherhood, the fog of recovery or the ache of loss, sometimes the most helpful thing you can give is a moment that brings them back to themselves.
And that’s what our collections are built around: small rituals that calm the mind, nourish the body, and remind her that she’s not alone. From soothing scents and grounding journals to food that takes one thing off her plate, every gift we curate has a simple purpose - to help, not add.
Gifts that ease, never overwhelm.
Gestures that remind her she matters.
Take a quiet moment to browse, and find something that feels just right for where she’s at. Each piece is mindfully curated, beautifully made and chosen with care.
Explore the Self-Care Collection
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Even in the chaos, the caring, the juggling, the everything-all-at-once, we still deserve to pause, breathe, and soften for a moment.
At We Are The Helpful, we’ve built our philosophy around that very idea. Because when life feels heavy, the most helpful gift isn’t another thing to manage. It’s something that helps you come home to yourself.
The Science Backs It Up
It’s not just intuition, there’s real evidence behind why small daily rituals make such a difference.
Research from the University of Warwick found that brief, consistent moments of self-care, like journaling, breathing exercises, or short mindful breaks, significantly lower stress hormones and improve emotional regulation.
The Mental Health Foundation echoes this, describing self-care as “a vital foundation for resilience and mental wellbeing,” especially for women balancing multiple roles.
Psychologists call this idea micro-restoration - the power of short, repeated acts of care that help us refill before we run dry. Five minutes. Small rituals. Done daily.
That’s the kind of care that steadies us, rebuilds us, and helps us show up again - for ourselves and for the people who need us.
Why We See Self-Care As One Of The Stars Helpful Gifting
When someone you love is tired, overwhelmed, grieving, or simply stretched thin, a self-care gift isn’t indulgent. It’s permission.
It’s a reminder that she’s not just the person who gives, she’s also someone who deserves to receive.
Our Self-Care Collection was created for exactly these moments.
You’ll find calming rituals, gentle scents, journals for reflection, and small pieces designed to fit into real life; not the picture-perfect version of it.
Think of it as a way to say: “I see you. You’ve been carrying a lot. This is for you.”
It’s help, wrapped beautifully.
The Ripple Effect
The magic of self-care is that it doesn’t stop with the person who receives it. When we feel nourished and grounded, we have more capacity for everyone else. We show up better; calmer, kinder, more connected.
That’s why at We Are The Helpful, we see self-care not as selfish, but as a form of helpful gifting.
It’s a love language, a quiet form of support that says: You matter too.
If someone you love is in a season that feels heavy, like the sleeplessness of new motherhood, the fog of recovery or the ache of loss, sometimes the most helpful thing you can give is a moment that brings them back to themselves.
And that’s what our collections are built around: small rituals that calm the mind, nourish the body, and remind her that she’s not alone. From soothing scents and grounding journals to food that takes one thing off her plate, every gift we curate has a simple purpose - to help, not add.
Gifts that ease, never overwhelm.
Gestures that remind her she matters.
Take a quiet moment to browse, and find something that feels just right for where she’s at. Each piece is mindfully curated, beautifully made and chosen with care.
Explore the Self-Care Collection
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string(33) "The Powerful Magic of Old Friends"
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string(6220) "There’s something about old friends that hits different, isn’t there? The ones who’ve seen your questionable fringe era. Peplum tops and pencil skirts. Heartbreaks. Celebrations. The messy middle years. The whole evolution of you - unfiltered, uncurated and through decades of hilarious fashion choices.
They’ve been there through the moves, the kids, the 3 a.m. texts, the “I can’t do this” days. And somehow, no matter how much time or distance stretches between you, they’re still a part of your foundation. The one who knows how you take your coffee, when to talk and when to just… not talk.
Old friendships are the rare kind of wealth that can’t be bought, bottled, or replaced. And in this mid-life chaos, they might just be the most important thing we’ve got.
Why Old Friends Are So Different
You know that feeling when someone walks into your house, ignores the pile of washing on the sofa, makes their own cuppa, and starts unloading the dishwasher while asking how you really are? That’s the kind of friendship we’re talking about.
They see the real stuff.
They’ve held your crying baby, poured your wine, seen your unwashed hair and still think you’re the most wonderful human on the planet.
They’re the ones who show up - no performance, no pretence - just presence. They’ll read bedtime stories, play hide-and-seek, and fall asleep on the sofa with you halfway through a movie you’ve both seen ten times.
You skip the small talk and go straight for the jugular: the big feelings, the quiet fears, the truth under the surface. Or you sit in silence, together, and that’s enough.
It’s not glamorous. But it’s real. And it feeds your soul in a way no “networking connection” or school-gate chat ever will.
The Science Bit (Because Feelings Deserve Data)
Turns out, friendship isn’t just good for your heart - it literally protects it.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development (the longest-running study on happiness ever) found that the quality of our close relationships is the number one predictor of long-term health and happiness. Not money. Not status. Not clean eating. Connection.
People with strong social ties have lower blood pressure, less inflammation, better immune function and live longer. Basically, friendship is a wellness trend that actually works.
And yet, midlife is the friendship danger zone. Between the juggle of work, family, health, and the never-ending WhatsApp groups, even the strongest connections can fade into the background noise.
So how do we hold onto them?
How to Keep the Good Ones Close (Even When You’re Busy, Tired and Just Trying to Survive)
1. Drop the perfection: Your house doesn’t need to be spotless. Your life doesn’t need to be “together.” Real friends want the real you. Invite them into the mess, it’s where the magic is.
2. Make it micro: You don’t need a three-hour catch-up and matching diaries. A two-minute voice note. A shared meme. A “thinking of you” text. It all counts. Connection is cumulative.
3. Keep rituals: A monthly coffee. A Friday night FaceTime. The same incense lit when you chat. Tiny rituals make big roots.
4. Be the first to reach out: Stop waiting for the perfect time - it doesn’t exist. Be brave enough to go first. Say, “Hey, I miss you,” even if it’s been months (or years). The right people never make you feel silly for trying.
5. Give meaningfully: When words fail, gestures speak. A gift that helps - something that says “I see you” - can bridge silence and truly support.
That’s why we built We Are The Helpful: for these exact moments. The inner-circle moments. The ones not for the masses, but for the people who’ve seen our real lives - the exhaustion, the heartbreak, the comeback. The ones who’ve earned the front-row seat and are always there to cheer you on.
When Time or Life Gets in the Way
It’s easy to think old friendships should be effortless. But even the best ones need care. Life shifts - jobs, cities, marriages, kids, menopause, grief.
Sometimes there’s silence. Sometimes there’s distance. But the real ones? They’re still there. Beneath the noise. Waiting for that text, that cup of tea, that reconnection.
And when you do find your way back, it’s like muscle memory - the conversation picks up mid-sentence, the laughter sounds the same, and suddenly it’s all still there.
Because it is still there. Always has been.
The Truth About the Inner Circle
We talk a lot about love in romantic terms, but the quiet, consistent love of friendship? That’s the glue that holds us together when life unravels.
Old friends are the witnesses - to who we were, who we’ve become, and who we’re still figuring out how to be.
They remind us of our strength when we’ve forgotten it. They make us laugh when everything else feels too heavy. They bring light when the room’s gone dark.
And that - that’s why we do what we do.
Helpful gifting isn’t about “stuff.” It’s about showing up. For her. For yourself. For the circle that holds you both steady when everything else wobbles.
A Little Nudge (From One Friend to Another)
Text her. Call him. Send the thing that says I see you. Don’t wait until life slows down - it won’t.
Old friends are the mirrors of who we’ve been and the medicine for who we’re still becoming.
They don’t need grand gestures - just reminders that they still matter. And in this messy, mid-life swirl of doing and holding and caring for everyone else, they might just be the thing that helps you breathe again, too.
Shop our She Needs gift edit today - a curated collection of gifts that truly help when life happens (we know because hundreds of you have told us).
"
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string(6220) "There’s something about old friends that hits different, isn’t there? The ones who’ve seen your questionable fringe era. Peplum tops and pencil skirts. Heartbreaks. Celebrations. The messy middle years. The whole evolution of you - unfiltered, uncurated and through decades of hilarious fashion choices.
They’ve been there through the moves, the kids, the 3 a.m. texts, the “I can’t do this” days. And somehow, no matter how much time or distance stretches between you, they’re still a part of your foundation. The one who knows how you take your coffee, when to talk and when to just… not talk.
Old friendships are the rare kind of wealth that can’t be bought, bottled, or replaced. And in this mid-life chaos, they might just be the most important thing we’ve got.
Why Old Friends Are So Different
You know that feeling when someone walks into your house, ignores the pile of washing on the sofa, makes their own cuppa, and starts unloading the dishwasher while asking how you really are? That’s the kind of friendship we’re talking about.
They see the real stuff.
They’ve held your crying baby, poured your wine, seen your unwashed hair and still think you’re the most wonderful human on the planet.
They’re the ones who show up - no performance, no pretence - just presence. They’ll read bedtime stories, play hide-and-seek, and fall asleep on the sofa with you halfway through a movie you’ve both seen ten times.
You skip the small talk and go straight for the jugular: the big feelings, the quiet fears, the truth under the surface. Or you sit in silence, together, and that’s enough.
It’s not glamorous. But it’s real. And it feeds your soul in a way no “networking connection” or school-gate chat ever will.
The Science Bit (Because Feelings Deserve Data)
Turns out, friendship isn’t just good for your heart - it literally protects it.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development (the longest-running study on happiness ever) found that the quality of our close relationships is the number one predictor of long-term health and happiness. Not money. Not status. Not clean eating. Connection.
People with strong social ties have lower blood pressure, less inflammation, better immune function and live longer. Basically, friendship is a wellness trend that actually works.
And yet, midlife is the friendship danger zone. Between the juggle of work, family, health, and the never-ending WhatsApp groups, even the strongest connections can fade into the background noise.
So how do we hold onto them?
How to Keep the Good Ones Close (Even When You’re Busy, Tired and Just Trying to Survive)
1. Drop the perfection: Your house doesn’t need to be spotless. Your life doesn’t need to be “together.” Real friends want the real you. Invite them into the mess, it’s where the magic is.
2. Make it micro: You don’t need a three-hour catch-up and matching diaries. A two-minute voice note. A shared meme. A “thinking of you” text. It all counts. Connection is cumulative.
3. Keep rituals: A monthly coffee. A Friday night FaceTime. The same incense lit when you chat. Tiny rituals make big roots.
4. Be the first to reach out: Stop waiting for the perfect time - it doesn’t exist. Be brave enough to go first. Say, “Hey, I miss you,” even if it’s been months (or years). The right people never make you feel silly for trying.
5. Give meaningfully: When words fail, gestures speak. A gift that helps - something that says “I see you” - can bridge silence and truly support.
That’s why we built We Are The Helpful: for these exact moments. The inner-circle moments. The ones not for the masses, but for the people who’ve seen our real lives - the exhaustion, the heartbreak, the comeback. The ones who’ve earned the front-row seat and are always there to cheer you on.
When Time or Life Gets in the Way
It’s easy to think old friendships should be effortless. But even the best ones need care. Life shifts - jobs, cities, marriages, kids, menopause, grief.
Sometimes there’s silence. Sometimes there’s distance. But the real ones? They’re still there. Beneath the noise. Waiting for that text, that cup of tea, that reconnection.
And when you do find your way back, it’s like muscle memory - the conversation picks up mid-sentence, the laughter sounds the same, and suddenly it’s all still there.
Because it is still there. Always has been.
The Truth About the Inner Circle
We talk a lot about love in romantic terms, but the quiet, consistent love of friendship? That’s the glue that holds us together when life unravels.
Old friends are the witnesses - to who we were, who we’ve become, and who we’re still figuring out how to be.
They remind us of our strength when we’ve forgotten it. They make us laugh when everything else feels too heavy. They bring light when the room’s gone dark.
And that - that’s why we do what we do.
Helpful gifting isn’t about “stuff.” It’s about showing up. For her. For yourself. For the circle that holds you both steady when everything else wobbles.
A Little Nudge (From One Friend to Another)
Text her. Call him. Send the thing that says I see you. Don’t wait until life slows down - it won’t.
Old friends are the mirrors of who we’ve been and the medicine for who we’re still becoming.
They don’t need grand gestures - just reminders that they still matter. And in this messy, mid-life swirl of doing and holding and caring for everyone else, they might just be the thing that helps you breathe again, too.
Shop our She Needs gift edit today - a curated collection of gifts that truly help when life happens (we know because hundreds of you have told us).
"
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string(4523) "Okay, let’s talk about the art of pebbling, because in the world of helpful gifting and human connection, we talk a lot about “big moments.” Birthdays. Babies. Weddings. But here’s something I’ve learnt by talking to you: it’s not always the milestones that make the deepest mark. It’s the small, consistent gestures - what we call pebbling.
Pebbling is the practice of dropping tiny stones of love and support along the path of someone’s life. A text that says, “thinking of you.” A cup of tea placed on a desk mid-Zoom meeting. A card arriving on a Tuesday with no occasion at all. A pre-made meal on the doorstep when the week feels too heavy, or my favourite, sharing funny instagram reels with my inner circle so they know I’m thinking of them.
They’re the 1% efforts that don’t look like much on their own, but collectively, they carry relationships, bolster our mental health, and give us the sense of being seen and held.
Why the 1% matters
Research backs this up. The Mental Health Foundation in the UK notes that strong social connections are as important for health as diet and exercise. But connection doesn’t come from grand declarations, it comes from the steady drip of small gestures.
Psychologists call this the “emotional bank account”; every small deposit of kindness strengthens trust, belonging and resilience. That’s why the friend who sends you a funny meme when you’re having a hard day often helps more than the one who turns up once a year with flowers.
When life gets hard - grief, illness, burnout, motherhood, midlife changes - the people who pebble are the ones we remember.
Pebbling as self-care
It isn’t just about giving to others. Pebbling also applies to how we show up for ourselves. Lighting incense before bed. Using the good bath salts. Taking a ten-minute walk around the block at lunchtime, or a sauna and sea swim weekly. These rituals don’t transform life overnight, but they build a foundation of care, calm, and resilience.
In midlife especially, when hormones shift and the juggle feels heavy, pebbling rituals create anchor points. They’re proof that self-care doesn’t need to be grand or expensive. It just needs to be consistent.
Gifting as pebbling
At We are The Helpful, this philosophy is at the heart of our marketplace. We’ve researched what women really need when life happens, and created giftable bundles and services designed to be pebbling in action.
These aren’t “stuff for stuff’s sake.” They’re the gifts She Needs - practical, thoughtful and deeply felt.
Fancy joining the pebbling movement? Here’s how:
- Notice the micro-moments. If a friend mentions they’re tired, drop them a message that night, or order a bag of delicious coffee to land on their doorstep.
- Think practical, not performative. Pre-made meals, thoughtfully curated hampers or school pick-up trumps a fancy hamper they can’t actually use.
- Make rituals easy and repeatable. A Sunday night check-in. A monthly book swap. A walk with the same friend each week. Hitting ‘forward’ when a hilarious meme reminds you of them.
- Gift help, not just things. Services, support, and nourishment last far longer than flowers.
Why it matters
Life is made in the 1%. The pebbling. The moments that, strung together, tell us: You matter. I see you. You’re not alone.
And when we gift in this way - whether to ourselves or others - we’re not just being thoughtful. We’re building stronger relationships, healthier minds, and lives that feel more supported.
Because the art of showing up doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to be real.
Looking for ways to pebble in your circle? Explore our helpful gifting collection - researched, curated in the UK and designed to support in the moments that matter most.
"
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string(4523) "Okay, let’s talk about the art of pebbling, because in the world of helpful gifting and human connection, we talk a lot about “big moments.” Birthdays. Babies. Weddings. But here’s something I’ve learnt by talking to you: it’s not always the milestones that make the deepest mark. It’s the small, consistent gestures - what we call pebbling.
Pebbling is the practice of dropping tiny stones of love and support along the path of someone’s life. A text that says, “thinking of you.” A cup of tea placed on a desk mid-Zoom meeting. A card arriving on a Tuesday with no occasion at all. A pre-made meal on the doorstep when the week feels too heavy, or my favourite, sharing funny instagram reels with my inner circle so they know I’m thinking of them.
They’re the 1% efforts that don’t look like much on their own, but collectively, they carry relationships, bolster our mental health, and give us the sense of being seen and held.
Why the 1% matters
Research backs this up. The Mental Health Foundation in the UK notes that strong social connections are as important for health as diet and exercise. But connection doesn’t come from grand declarations, it comes from the steady drip of small gestures.
Psychologists call this the “emotional bank account”; every small deposit of kindness strengthens trust, belonging and resilience. That’s why the friend who sends you a funny meme when you’re having a hard day often helps more than the one who turns up once a year with flowers.
When life gets hard - grief, illness, burnout, motherhood, midlife changes - the people who pebble are the ones we remember.
Pebbling as self-care
It isn’t just about giving to others. Pebbling also applies to how we show up for ourselves. Lighting incense before bed. Using the good bath salts. Taking a ten-minute walk around the block at lunchtime, or a sauna and sea swim weekly. These rituals don’t transform life overnight, but they build a foundation of care, calm, and resilience.
In midlife especially, when hormones shift and the juggle feels heavy, pebbling rituals create anchor points. They’re proof that self-care doesn’t need to be grand or expensive. It just needs to be consistent.
Gifting as pebbling
At We are The Helpful, this philosophy is at the heart of our marketplace. We’ve researched what women really need when life happens, and created giftable bundles and services designed to be pebbling in action.
These aren’t “stuff for stuff’s sake.” They’re the gifts She Needs - practical, thoughtful and deeply felt.
Fancy joining the pebbling movement? Here’s how:
- Notice the micro-moments. If a friend mentions they’re tired, drop them a message that night, or order a bag of delicious coffee to land on their doorstep.
- Think practical, not performative. Pre-made meals, thoughtfully curated hampers or school pick-up trumps a fancy hamper they can’t actually use.
- Make rituals easy and repeatable. A Sunday night check-in. A monthly book swap. A walk with the same friend each week. Hitting ‘forward’ when a hilarious meme reminds you of them.
- Gift help, not just things. Services, support, and nourishment last far longer than flowers.
Why it matters
Life is made in the 1%. The pebbling. The moments that, strung together, tell us: You matter. I see you. You’re not alone.
And when we gift in this way - whether to ourselves or others - we’re not just being thoughtful. We’re building stronger relationships, healthier minds, and lives that feel more supported.
Because the art of showing up doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to be real.
Looking for ways to pebble in your circle? Explore our helpful gifting collection - researched, curated in the UK and designed to support in the moments that matter most.
"
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string(5205) "Something delicious is coming, and at a photoshoot over the weekend to capture some content in celebration of this new Partner and offering for We are The Helpful, we asked a series of simple questions about friendship. And the answers really struck a chord.
Because not one person said their most powerful memory of friendship was the holiday, the wedding, the big birthday party. Every single story circled back to the small stuff. The details. The moments in between.
And it struck me because it mirrored exactly what I’ve been feeling myself. Since having a new baby without my Mum here, of course I’ve missed her for the big things. But what I’ve really grieved are the tiny details - the questions only she would think to ask, the little observations she’d make, the quiet reassurance that I’m doing a good job when no one else would notice. Those invisible stitches are actually what holds us together.
Where Our Closest Relationships Really Exist
Because it’s in those moments that our closest relationships live. Not just the milestones, but the mundane. The quiet, silent heartbreaks. The overwhelm and the messy middle. It’s the hours of grit and effort that lead to the shiny celebration, or the tear-stained nights before and after the funeral.
It’s the periods of vomit-covered clothes and unwashed hair, the sleepless nights, the worry-filled moments of self-doubt. It’s the slammed doors and late-night pick-ups with teenagers, when it feels like your heart is living outside your body and you’re holding your breath and your patience.
It’s the peri-fuelled brain fog, the 3am wake-ups, the wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again. It’s the school drop-offs or pick-ups when your child saves their hardest behaviours just for you, and you’re left holding it all together on top of everything else the day demands.
It’s unpacking boxes and filling fridges. It’s hours of rambling voice notes, back and forth, when life feels too big to carry alone. It’s a cup of tea. Much needed coffee on the doorstep. A glass of wine (or four).
That’s the threshold, isn’t it? The line that separates our wider circle from our inner circle. They’re the ones who hold us in the grit, not just the glory. The ones who see us not only at the milestones, but in all the moments that actually make up a life.
And we can’t navigate the details alone. Because the sum of them - the heartbreak, the laughter, the exhaustion, the nothing-special Tuesday afternoons - is what builds a life.
Why This Matters
I’m building We are The Helpful to honour that.
To make gifting reflect the relationships that matter most. To make it easier to show up not just with something pretty, but with something that truly helps. Something that truly sees.
Because when life happens, it’s rarely the bouquet that gets remembered. It’s the food that kept us going. The childcare that gave us a break. The robe that wrapped around us when we couldn’t get out of bed.
That’s what your inner circle needs. That’s what leaves a mark.
And this isn’t just gut instinct - it’s backed by research. The latest findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development (2023) show that the quality of our closest relationships is the strongest predictor of health and happiness across a lifetime. Closer than wealth, genetics, or career success1. The UK Office for National Statistics has also reported that people with strong relationships have higher life satisfaction and better physical health outcomes2. And loneliness? It’s been linked to the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day3.
We don’t just want our inner circle. We need them. And when we show up for each other in the little moments, we’re not just supporting each other through life, we’re protecting each other’s health, too.
Gifts That Honour the Details
That’s why We are The Helpful exists. A platform that doesn’t just do milestones, but the messy middle. That makes it possible to gift food, care, time, rest, rituals - the things that matter most when the details are overwhelming. When life gets real.
Because our closest people don’t just deserve flowers on the good days. They deserve support in the everyday, in the heartbreak, in the quiet but defining details. And when we gift that, we give the most powerful reminder of all: you’re not doing this alone.
Shop our She Needs Edit today
We didn’t make this up - the research really does back it:
- Robert Waldinger & Marc Schulz, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (Simon & Schuster, 2023).
- Office for National Statistics, Measuring National Well-being: International Comparisons (2019).
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023).
"
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string(255) "inner circle gifts UK, meaningful gifts for friends, helpful gifting platform, gifts for closest relationships, supportive gifts when life happens, gifts Edinburgh UK, gifts beyond milestones, gifts for everyday moments, gifts for peri menopause support, "
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string(183) "Our closest relationships live in the details, not just milestones. Discover why honouring your inner circle with meaningful, helpful gifts supports health, happiness, and connection."
["page_title"]=>
string(76) "The Power of Our Inner Circle | Meaningful Gifting for Life’s Real Moments"
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string(5205) "Something delicious is coming, and at a photoshoot over the weekend to capture some content in celebration of this new Partner and offering for We are The Helpful, we asked a series of simple questions about friendship. And the answers really struck a chord.
Because not one person said their most powerful memory of friendship was the holiday, the wedding, the big birthday party. Every single story circled back to the small stuff. The details. The moments in between.
And it struck me because it mirrored exactly what I’ve been feeling myself. Since having a new baby without my Mum here, of course I’ve missed her for the big things. But what I’ve really grieved are the tiny details - the questions only she would think to ask, the little observations she’d make, the quiet reassurance that I’m doing a good job when no one else would notice. Those invisible stitches are actually what holds us together.
Where Our Closest Relationships Really Exist
Because it’s in those moments that our closest relationships live. Not just the milestones, but the mundane. The quiet, silent heartbreaks. The overwhelm and the messy middle. It’s the hours of grit and effort that lead to the shiny celebration, or the tear-stained nights before and after the funeral.
It’s the periods of vomit-covered clothes and unwashed hair, the sleepless nights, the worry-filled moments of self-doubt. It’s the slammed doors and late-night pick-ups with teenagers, when it feels like your heart is living outside your body and you’re holding your breath and your patience.
It’s the peri-fuelled brain fog, the 3am wake-ups, the wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again. It’s the school drop-offs or pick-ups when your child saves their hardest behaviours just for you, and you’re left holding it all together on top of everything else the day demands.
It’s unpacking boxes and filling fridges. It’s hours of rambling voice notes, back and forth, when life feels too big to carry alone. It’s a cup of tea. Much needed coffee on the doorstep. A glass of wine (or four).
That’s the threshold, isn’t it? The line that separates our wider circle from our inner circle. They’re the ones who hold us in the grit, not just the glory. The ones who see us not only at the milestones, but in all the moments that actually make up a life.
And we can’t navigate the details alone. Because the sum of them - the heartbreak, the laughter, the exhaustion, the nothing-special Tuesday afternoons - is what builds a life.
Why This Matters
I’m building We are The Helpful to honour that.
To make gifting reflect the relationships that matter most. To make it easier to show up not just with something pretty, but with something that truly helps. Something that truly sees.
Because when life happens, it’s rarely the bouquet that gets remembered. It’s the food that kept us going. The childcare that gave us a break. The robe that wrapped around us when we couldn’t get out of bed.
That’s what your inner circle needs. That’s what leaves a mark.
And this isn’t just gut instinct - it’s backed by research. The latest findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development (2023) show that the quality of our closest relationships is the strongest predictor of health and happiness across a lifetime. Closer than wealth, genetics, or career success1. The UK Office for National Statistics has also reported that people with strong relationships have higher life satisfaction and better physical health outcomes2. And loneliness? It’s been linked to the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day3.
We don’t just want our inner circle. We need them. And when we show up for each other in the little moments, we’re not just supporting each other through life, we’re protecting each other’s health, too.
Gifts That Honour the Details
That’s why We are The Helpful exists. A platform that doesn’t just do milestones, but the messy middle. That makes it possible to gift food, care, time, rest, rituals - the things that matter most when the details are overwhelming. When life gets real.
Because our closest people don’t just deserve flowers on the good days. They deserve support in the everyday, in the heartbreak, in the quiet but defining details. And when we gift that, we give the most powerful reminder of all: you’re not doing this alone.
Shop our She Needs Edit today
We didn’t make this up - the research really does back it:
- Robert Waldinger & Marc Schulz, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (Simon & Schuster, 2023).
- Office for National Statistics, Measuring National Well-being: International Comparisons (2019).
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023).
"
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