Spending quality time with my little ones has always been on my top priority list, as I am sure it is to every mother on earth. Being a full time  working mum, I have always had that guilt feeling that I am not doing enough for my kids, and it has haunted me for many years. I have always been eager to find ways so that I can sign off from my busy life and connect with my kids. It has not been easy, especially that I had to come up with ideas to keep them entertained without technology and TV! Then Magic happened, and I was introduced to The Happy Box! We should call it “Genius in a Box”! Find out how it Saved My sanity and Read more about it through the cheerful and Amazing Jumana Darwish, and how the idea came to life in Trending5000.com exclusive interview below
   

• Q: The idea of “The Happy Box” came while you were a full time working mother. How did you balance between your family, your work and your ambition? And how long did it take you to decide to leave your job to dedicate your full time to “The Happy Box”?

It wasn’t easy trying to balance between family and work, and I don’t expect it ever will be. It’s a constant challenge, and it keeps me on my toes, and I appreciate that. I’m grateful not only for being ambitious and for daring to dream big, but I also have a support system who encourages me to chase after my dreams and turn them into a reality, whether it’s my wonderful partner and Happy Box co-founder Linda, who is my best friend as well as being my sister-in-law, or my husband, or my friends and family. Basically, having this support network is what helps in achieving some kind of balance – there’s no reason to feel you have to do it all alone or sink. Leaving my full-time job with Dubai Cares was not easy, because I loved it and I loved what I did there, but at the same time I craved more quality time with my family and especially with my daughter Ayla, who is now almost four years old. I am blessed with The Happy Box because it particularly allows me to combine work with my family and with my ambition. I can involve Ayla in almost all aspects of the business and it is being run out of our home, so I’m present in her day to day and this is exactly what I wanted.

• Q: Starting up a business is hard work, and maintaining it is not easy. How can you inspire other female entrepreneurs?

  Set up a support network for yourself and use it, whether it’s someone whose opinion you trust, or someone you feel comfortable going to for advice, or something as simple as having someone to rant to or to leave your child with when you need a break! Embrace organisation – be so incredibly, overly organised that there’s simply no room for error, and I think as women, we can do this one easily while still maintaining the wonderful ability that we have to multitask, multitask, multitask! It’s a chaotic thing, building up a business from scratch, so any area where you can be organised and completely in control, do it. And keep a notebook on hand at all times to jot down those crazy, innovative ideas, so that you make sure to turn them into real tangibles. Don’t give up on your ideas, there will always be a way to make it work. And finally, always work on solidifying great personal connections. Relationships are key because those relationships will be a big part in taking your business forward, especially in a community like Dubai and the UAE as a whole.

• Q: During your journey, you have met many inspiring female entrepreneurs, who had inspired you the most?

It is honestly impossible for me to just name one person, or even five. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that every single female entrepreneurs, or even more specifically every MOTHER who has taken a wonderful idea and turned it into an enviable business, has taught me something about perseverance and creativity. Simply by going for it, they are an inspiration, let alone becoming the success that they have become. And I’ve been very privileged to cross paths with many of them, from the Ripe Market, through Concept DXB, through the pop up shops and event that occurred as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, and so much more. They are women just like me, struggling to balance their roles as mothers and wives with their newfound role as a business woman and small business owner, and every single one has something to teach me. Every time I meet one, I’m grateful!

• Q: Where do you see “The Happy box” in 5 years?

I see The Happy Box bringing real happiness to families ACROSS THE WORLD. I am thinking big here, and it’s not enough to keep it contained to the UAE or to the region. Every single family can benefit from having a Happy Box delivered to their doorstep, bringing excitement and joy to their children in the form of an educational fun box of activities and allowing the family as a whole to take a moment out of life’s hectic schedule where we’re always on the go and just be together. I see it becoming global and I see so much more to it as well, but those are my little secrets and you’ll just have to wait and see! I have big, ambitious dreams that I’m working on making a reality!

The Story Behind The Happy Box

On New Year’s Day, 2014, sisters-in-law Jumana and Linda were brunching in NYC with their families, engrossed in a lively discussion about love, life, the beauty of family and the quest for happiness. They both agreed that the demands of a busy lifestyle and a crazy workload meant that quality time with loved ones had become almost nonexistent, and that just wouldn’t do.

Craving a challenging adventure, and eager to pursue their passion of making education fun and accessible to all, Jumana in Dubai and Linda in the US appointed themselves the mission of becoming happy officers. Their job, as they saw it, was to help families up their happiness levels.

By the time they had wiped their plates of French toast clean, the Happy Box was born out of the two women’s shared desire to spend more quality time with their loved ones, creating memories shrouded in happiness. In April 2014, the first Happy Box was launched.

So what is it? The Happy Box is a monthly activity box delivered right to doorsteps across the UAE. Within the box are eight activities surrounding a specific theme – which changes each month. The activities are customised for the child’s age and gender, and are educational yet fun in nature, promoting cognitive development, creativity and fine motor skills. All the materials required to complete each activity are included in the box – from scissors to paints to brushes to glue to construction paper to canvases and so on – together with step-by-step instructions and suggestions.

The activities are always:
- fun, engaging and just the right amount of challenging
- done using non-toxic, carefully sourced, high quality materials
- varied, unique and non-repetitive
- great for helping in your child’s cognitive and fine motor skills
- able to stimulate creativity and analytical skills in your child.

The Happy Boxes are for children between the age of 2 and 11 and can be further customised according to age and gender, but we truly believe that it’s a box of happiness for people of all ages. Adults, like children, will delight at its contents, and within each Happy Box lies the chance to indulge in hours of fun that will leave you with priceless memories.

The Happy Box also provides customised party favours and corporate giveaways, as well as artisan toys, art supplies and unique gifts. We pride ourselves on providing a product that marries beauty and quality, and always contains an educational element.

For more information about The Happy Box, check out their profile on Trending5000.com

http://www.trending5000.com/the-happy-box-dubai