What’s up, Inland Northwest!
This post is the first in a series of “Product Reviews” where we will take you through each of the products featured in our boxes to give you a better idea of what’s coming in our boxes, and why we chose the partners and products we did for each box.
The most important part of any subscription box is what’s inside — products that make an unboxing experience more delightful are more likely to keep subscribers committed to a monthly subscription box service! At Inland Northwest Trading Co., we exclusively feature items that are made in the Inland Northwest region by people just like us — entrepreneurs, small business owners, and culture creators.
Artists, crafters, producers — we call them “makers” — are at the heart of our business. Our partners and the items they make are what makes us different from other subscription services. Every month, our boxes feature a variety of unique products from a number of regional makers. All of the items in our subscription boxes were made by someone who lives in the Inland Northwest, including soapmakers, confectioners, chandlers, resin artists, perfumers, and many more.
The products in our boxes demonstrate the creativity and talent the Inland Northwest community has to offer our region — a sampling of various artisanal items from cities and towns such as Spokane, WA; Missoula, MT; Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland), WA; Coeur d’Alene, ID; Kalispell, MT, and any other place in the Inland Northwest region.
Each and every product in our box has a story: what the product is and what it means to the person who makes it; who makes the item and when they started making it; where the maker comes from and where they live now; how the product is made and why it is important to the person who makes it.
At Inland Northwest Trading Co., part of our mission is to connect makers to consumers — not just literally, but also metaphorically — we want our subscribers to feel connected to our makers and the items they make. Our business puts emphasis on the stories behind the products, and we are pleased to begin our Product Review series to better connect viewers to the stories behind the items.
Anchored Northwest Candles
Anchored NW was one of the first local businesses we knew we wanted to partner with. They are family-owned, just like us, and are based in Spokane, WA, just like us! From the start, owners Brian and Megan have been extremely supportive of our vision, and we are proud to be able to feature their products in our first subscription boxes.
Brian and Megan started Anchored NW with “fifty dollars on their dining room table,” and the mission to create a candle that was as eco-friendly as possible while also aesthetically pleasing and affordable. Fifteen months later, Anchored NW is now one of the fastest-growing Pacific Northwest candle companies with products in over 140 locations, in the USA and in Canada.
Their candles are amazing. If you’ve ever burned an Anchored NW candle, then you already know. Something that many people don’t realize about candles, is that when you burn them, they often release toxins into the air. Most grocery store candles contain ingredients that are released into the air upon burning, and are unhealthy when inhaled.
Our first subscription box features an 8 oz. Cabin Fever mason jar candle from Anchored NW, with notes of sage, orange, grapefruit, lavender, oakmoss, amber, and tonka bean. Anchored NW estimates an approximate burn time of 50+ hours for this particular candle. This item retails for $14.99 on the Anchored NW website, and is only available in our Big Box subscription.
Anchored NW uses 100% soy wax to make their wood wick triple scented candles, hand-poured in Spokane, WA. They use real ingredients in their candles — fragrance oils infused with essential oils, 100% American-grown soy wax, and untreated cedar wood wicks.
Wood wicks burn slower and longer than cotton wick soy candles, by up to 25%! They also burn hotter for more smell power, leading to a more fragrant candle; have nearly zero carbon buildup and therefore no soot; require less trimming than a cotton wick; and Anchored NW uses wood wicks that are harvested in sustainable forests right here in the USA. And of course… the CRACKLE! In their words, “wood wicks are cooler than cotton wicks.”
However, wood wicks do require a little bit of maintenance to keep the integrity of the candle intact. It is important to trim the wood wick of your Anchored NW candle, because if the ashy top becomes too long, it will not light!
Check out our first Product Review video where co-owner Mariah Brooks demonstrates how to trim the wooden wick of an Anchored NW candle:
Brian and Megan told us that they have had a lot of customers reach out to them after burning their candle a few times because they thought their candle was “broken,” ie. unable to light. Trimming your wood wick will ensure that your candle lights every time you are ready to light it, and Anchored NW recommends that you trim your wick (remove the ashy top) after every one to two burns.
When trimming the wick, try to take enough off the top to return the wick to its original height of about ¼ inch. In order to trim the wick, you are welcome to use a tool like a wick trimmer or fingernail clippers. However, I find it easiest to use my hands to do this task. Using my fingers, I am better able to determine which parts of the burnt wick will come willingly. In addition to taking enough of the ashy top off the wick to relight the candle, you also need to make sure you don’t trim too much of the wick off — this will also make it difficult to light your candle.
After you trim your wick, your candle is ready to light!
Anchored NW recommends that you burn your candle for at least two hours, and no more than 5. It’s also important to always burn your candle to the outside of the container to avoid any tunneling (or the tiny holes you sometimes see in candles). And most importantly… enjoy your candle!
We are so excited to include Anchored NW along with a variety of other unique and high-quality products made right here in the Inland Northwest. Make sure to look for Anchored NW candles in our first subscription boxes!
Become a Big Box subscriber by June 30th to get your very own wood wick candle from Anchored NW.
