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Product Review



-- Product Review -- 



I’ve always enjoyed the task of wrapping, but just the other day a friend of mine told me that she loathed wrapping and saw it as a chore when it comes to the holidays and special celebrations. She is not the first of my friends to express this. For those of us concerned about living a more conscious, green lifestyle, it can be challenging to find eco-friendly wrapping materials, although there is an increasing variety becoming available in retail outlets as people become more conscious. Today I have the honor of doing a review of the Fobbie Holiday Wrap Pack ($39.95) for the Fab Fob Company, LLC - which. has a slogan that I’m sure will appeal to my friend: “Gift wrapping in a cinch!”






Within just a few days after the original contact, the product arrived in a roughly 2-by-8 inch cardboard box with very little packaging. The only thing inside beside the product was a letter of greeting and a thin catalog that showed many different ways of using their product, some were incredibly creative and would certainly make a gift stand out. The letter was only printed on one side, as such the company might have used the other side to further promote their products or offer coupons or something, however the recipient of the letter can always use the other side as scrap paper/notepaper. The product was encased in a resealable plastic bag with a simple label on the bag. I feel that as far as the environmental impact of the packaging goes, the company made a genuine effort to reduce waste - everything is reusable and recyclable. 




I received 3 rolls of ribbon (valued at $3.49 per roll), each with a protective plastic sheet over just the ribbon itself, and stored, rolled up on a cardboard tube container – other then the ribbon the other items are recyclable. My husband and I were quite impressed with the volume of ribbon provided in the review sample package. Dave immediately noticed that two of the ribbon rolls looked red one way, some red and green and black if you looked dead on at it, and if you tilt the roll another way it looked green – as such the ribbon would look multicolored on a package. Also included in the sample package were 12 pairs of different designs from their large selection of Fobbies. A black and white diagram on the reverse side of each Fobbie explains how to use and reuse them indefinitely.


The way it works is this:

Take two pieces of ribbon that are long enough to wrap around the gift, wrap one ribbon around the package and then do the same thing with the other ribbon so that both ribbon ends are on the top of the gift. Push one ribbon end through the 2nd slot in the Fobbie and then pull the end through the other slot. Repeat with all the ribbon ends. The process is similar to a buckle. When you are finished you simply pull the ribbon ends so that it cinches up snugly against the gift, trim the ribbon ends and you are done. It is super easy to do and the diagram instruction on the back of each Fobbie acts as an effective visual aide to help you. Do it once and you’ll never forget how it was done. Liz Mrofka (the inventor of this product) recommends using wire ribbon because it “has a lot of depth” and holds its shape well.






Now there are several neat things about this that immediately stood out for me – the recipient of the gift can more easily unwrap the gift so it would be a perfect option for those that are not as nimble in their old age or for young recipients as well. For those of us who like to reuse wrapping and ribbon when possible, we will love the fact that there is less tape and other obstructions that can rip and tear when unwrapping. While both the Fobbie and the ribbon, (and possibly the paper or bag) are reusable - a very eco-friendly and budget friendly option – it may be a good idea to mention that fact in the card to the recipient so that they are aware of it and will be more likely to reuse.



Another benefit is that people will no longer have to worry about losing a gift tag either because the Fobbie is the gift tag. Using these will also prevent smashed bows and decorations from breaking off and making a mess. Use these special wrapping tools to give your baked goods a special look. Ease the wrapping chore, especially for irregular shaped items, and reduce concerns about damaging the gift’s beauty during traveling or if you are shipping a gift out.


Ok, so you are probably wondering what a Fobbie is – the name actually comes from the word “fob”: an ornament at the end of a ribbon. Look in the center of the pictures of wrapped gifts in this post and you’ll see them there in the middle. They are about 3.5” round, and come in packs of 6 ($8.49), and packs of 12 ($14.99), assortment packs of 21 Fobbbies ($24.99), 5-pack of do-it-yourself variation ($5.99), or in single orders as well (ranging from $1. 49-$1. 75). The Fobbie seems to be almost as thick as a hardcover book’s cover, so it is very durable. It is made from all recyclable materials and it is recyclable… unfortunately it is manufactured in China, which has a terrible reputation for worker rights, environmental laws and comes with a high fossil fuel cost because it is shipped all the way here from China.





The information catalog showed some really interesting ways of using the Fobbie – such as using seamstress-measuring tape instead of ribbon, or long grasses, etc. They also have picture frame style Fobbies, which can be made into a hanging picture or magnet for the recipient’s enjoyment. The picture frame style doesn’t depict that you have to use a picture, you can use cut outs from old cards that you received in the past, magazine or calendar images, etc. The company also has special occasion (birthday, etc) and announcements (appreciation, birth, etc.) and many other varieties that will really be helpful to those interested in this product.



So let’s talk a little about the Fab Fob Company (http://FabFobCo.com) which is located in Drake, Colorado (US) and was founded by Liz Mrofka. The website offers a video showing a variety of ways to wrap with the Fobbie product, I encourage people to check that out too.  http://youtu.be/S-13hkIbARg When you visit the http://Fobbie.com, you’ll find that Liz also offers a fundraising option, and you may also be interested in her blog: http://fobbiegiftwrapping.blogspot.ca/




Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, free archives of their radio program, blog, and more at: http://brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, clicking those social networking buttons, or visiting the Brummet's Store - and help raise funds for charity as well! 



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