The other day a substantial box came through the post. It even had two plastic ties (not shown) to hold the contents safe. 
I opened it and the inside of the thick cardboard was attractively coloured and patterned.
The contents were wrapped in white tissue held together with a pretty sticker. When I opened this there were two small packets and some air-filled polythene cushions. When I had discarded all the packing, this is what had arrived: 
Two pairs of pants and a bra. These are modest purchases of very basic underwear and would have fitted in a small jiffy bag. What was all that about? These people sell only lingerie, are they trying to woo me into buying their top of the range camisole? Do they think because I am small I am a teenager, and they need to make me a friend for life? Frankly baffled.
I seem to remember promising photos of the shed – it looks awfully like the old one. 
We robbed parts of the old shed to make a log store. It took our combined ingenuity (and vast education) several hours (plus a trip to the hardware store) to construct this simple affair.
Rainbow at mid-afternoon.
Full moon at dusk.
Green Writing Room 
Given that it is Earth Day, I look at that packaging and can only ask why. The shed is looking good, Hilary. –Curt
Thanks. There are no answers… the shed is, so for, wonderfully spacious after our clear out.
And air cushions! Gobsmacked. Good-looking shed, Hilary.
Thanks. I am genuinely puzzled, maybe they ran out of smaller boxes.
It’s so nice to be able to shop online and so convenient to have things just arrive on your doorstep. But once in a while I do find myself infuriated by packaging because it is totally overdone, as in your case, or not protective enough, as in a delicate item arriving crushed into many pieces. The air-filled polythene cushions perplex me…I find myself standing there popping the air out of them so they can be discarded and thinking, at the same time, there must be some way I could use these…they’re so cute! Human life, thy name is absurdity. I have beoome quite adept with a box-cutter. It’s always a trade-off, isn’t it?
Numbers of years of education do not prepare us for building a lean-to. 🙂 And I am experiencing a few moments, here, of shed envy.
Yes, at least there is the frisson of anticipation, will I need box-cutters or is it a case of a waste bin full of polythene and air? Half way through our afternoon of log-shed building I realised how closely we resembled Laurel and Hardy. We could easily have had a serious accident… but we were lucky. The shed is like a new carpet, nothing shall be put in it that does not belong or might sully its pristine state. I bet that doesn’t last the summer.
Oh, that’s quite funny. I agree with you about the unnecessary amount of packaging, but sometimes I yearn to find a lovely big box to put things in. I have to admit I’d quite like to get one free with a small order once in a while. Especially one with a pretty lining. I do like the way you have recycled the parts of your old shed. We currently need a place to store a lawnmower, a wheel barrow, and a barbecue, and I have been trying to work out the logistics of adding a roofed and walled lean-to to our existing small shed rather than buy a whole new one. You’ve just brought it back to the front of my mind, and it’s Saturday, so who knows what might happen now that I’m freshly inspired!
I agree, boxes can be useful and this one may well end up flying the Atlantic for daughter’s next birthday. While looking for sheds online, I found several offers for shed extensions or add on lean-tos, I don’t know if that would solve your problem. Good luck!
Your shed looks very sturdy and well constructed. It looks like it might be a nice, quiet place to write.
It’s sturdy all right, but not that big and already houses two mowers, a set of tools, a workbench and quite a lot of etc. I am also wedded to my computer for writing, and there is no electricity. Still, I am saving up for a light laptop so maybe…
Well, at least you could open the package. Try open a packet of little screws from the hardware shop and it almost forces one to get a chain-saw.
Sometimes the packaging is so thick, scissors are useless and we need strong snips just to get at the article. The latest in vacuum packed meat also requires brute strength to finally free the rack of lamb.
I know, I know, I keep a pair of scissors so useless they cannot cut anything normal, but they can tackle that re-enforced plastic around various items. Maybe those special kitchen scissors with joint crunchers would do the trick.
Hmmm… I’m trying to figure it out. They read your blog and want you to send them by return post your nice shed in that big box? They want you to capture the rainbow and put it in the box without squishing it? Hmmm… what if they sent you another item, but it’s invisible? Have you checked?
OK, alright, I’m not smokin’ or drinkin’ anythin’. Sherioushly.
Great suggestion, I felt as you did as I contemplated the problem and your guess is as viable as anything I’ve come up with. Someone’s first day on the job? Run out of jiffy bags?
Something similar happened to me. I ordered what was a small item, and it came in a huge box. Was very bizarre and such a waste.
Lovely pictures. Have a great weekend!
Thanks. It is oddly uncommercial too to waste more than you need on a transaction.
Enjoy your blog.
Thank you so much, I have been a little short of steam in the last few months, so that is encouraging.
What a waste with all that packaging albeit beautiful. Mother Nature does much packaging in your rainbow photo. What magnificent colors.
You are quite right. I shall have to recycle to add it back to the earth.
They must have a child who prefers playing with the box to the contents
Now there’s a thought. Perhaps the hedgehog would like it.
How Bizarre. I received some make-up the other day and it came with a ream of air-pouches labelled “EarthAware”. Really? I can’t bring myself to throw them away, yet I don’t have an obvious use for them. Another bizarre thing is that I can’t seem to get your blog to send me an email when you update, so have missed heaps of your latest posts. If you noticed I “subscribed” recently, that was only me pressing different buttons trying to get it to work. Grrr.
EarthAware packing? Hmm. I get my meat from a special farm co-operative and they pack it with animal wool insulation, I re-use these big soft wraps as extra loft insulation. Most stuff that come through the post, though, ends up in the recycling bin. Sorry about the subscription hassles. I admit, I can’t follow anyone unless I do it by email as I never get to my Reader.
What a waste of a tree. That could have been shipped in an envelope. And I see nothing wrong with the shed – it serves its purpose – right?
Exactly. I certainly feel better about recycling parts of the old shed, and there are still some compost bins in the making from other parts.
When my kids were young, that box would have been magic!
Indeed, maybe I will have to post some of the things my kids made out of boxes – if I ever catch up with myself, that is.
That packaging is really weird. But it is a pretty box. 🙂
You are right, and I certainly won’t waste the box, I’d just like to know why.
The packaging is ridiculous. (Never mind, you’ll soon be able to print off such items using your 3d printer and dispense with packaging altogether.) You did well with the woodstore; it looks excellent for its purpose.
I can’t get my head round threeD printers, but if they save the planet, I’m for them… of course they may just encourage people to print more…
At least cardboard is recyclable. Is it endlessly recyclable? Could be they use robotized machines to select boxes from long aisles of choices and the programming hasn’t been perfected …?
That shed is a beauty! I can imagine the fun it was seeing it take shape.
That’s about the best explanation anyone has offered… though someone must then have put it altogether with the dinky sticker on the tissue. Depends on how it is recycled, well used cardboard goes into my compost and it’s quite a long way from there to the next tree, but this one will be packed to the gills with something by Christmas. It is foolish, but true, that one can get pretty chuffed about a small garden shed!
What a contrasting post. Such effective recycling of an old shed but such useless over-packaging of an online order. Actually, the box story made me laugh out loud, especially the photo of the contents in the box. But I also have box envy. The kindergarten teacher’s daughter in me is rapidly compiling a list of all the things I could do with it. What company was this??
Oh, and I admit I love those air pillow things. Mainly I love jumping on them and popping them very loudly. It’s quite therapeutic after a hard day.
Yes, I miss the fun my kids had with boxes, which had many wild roles to play back then. The underwear was basic Sloggi, and the company Triumph – this is not some luxury emporium, which is why it makes so little sense. I need a break from my desk, I will go jumping!
You’ve done a marvellous job on the log store, it looks splendid, as does the shed. As for the packaging, it’s insane. I’ve occasionally had that sort of nonsense with over-sized packaging, but I had a nice surprise at Christmas when I ordered a t-shirt for my niece. It came neatly folded in a small purple plastic bag with a large letter stamp on it. No padding, no cardboard, no empty space. Wonderful. If the plastic had been biodegradeable it would have been perfect.
This is the craziest thing about it, it is perfectly possible to pack small. I started my underwear buying spree by ordering some sports-type bras that you can only get on the internet from another shop – they arrived in a small jiffy bag. The contents were slightly more in bulk the ones above. I fear we will need laws/fines before commercial businesses think about the environment first.
Perhaps the underwear was bigger when they put it into the box?
Aha! Top marks! That’s the only logical answer!
At my home we had a similar large box arrive for just a few items. To put it to some use, we let our three-year-old grandson play with it. Best box in the world! 😛
I’m thinking of donating it to the hedgehog, as we seem to be starting winter at last and he will need to hibernate again.
I think I know which e-business you bought your underwear from. I’ve ordered from them too and their tissue paper is exquisite, and their products are lovely too. Such a soft feel! Don’t begrudge them their packaging!
Sadly, these weren’t anything special, just basic Sloggi. If I’d ordered something soft and silky, perhaps I would have appreciated the packaging a bit more. Maybe I’ll splash out next time.
Pity. Try Bravissimo next time. Their packaging is magical.
I had a look! You must have a wonderful figure as their underwear is for people with real shape. Mine figure is what my father referred to ‘drink of water’.
One could laugh, cry, or be enraged (or all three) by this, Hilary. I’ll have to get a photo of it (maybe), but at the (horrible big-box) store, I swear there’s a toy (in clearance) that promises it’s a box whereby to make a box. So, it’s a box, presumably, with a box inside of it. Give me a break! Gone [to some degree, sometimes] is the ‘spirit’ of those who had victory gardens, self-reliance, not wasting materials, and such. Now, if everyone (or even a significant part) of people would reuse or at very least recycle the materials that are recyclable and reusable, then it would be much better. [Don’t get me started on my soapbox on this topic!]
Thanks, it’s good to hear someone on the soapbox on the subject. There is hope in the next generation, one of my daughters is as make-do-and-mend as my mother, and much better than me.
Nice! I only recently learned to sew (very basic; put on buttons and mend holes; I’ve not ‘taken up’ any pants legs yet). It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does, and it makes me feel I’ve salvaged a garment, for at least a little longer. I can’t remember if you said what you decided to do with that beautiful (and largely empty) box you received, though. Storing proofs? [temporary, of course] 🙂
Good luck with the sewing. Storage a major problem here – my husband writes too. Our loft is lined with paper! Yes this box will do its duty for many years.
Packaging madness! But I love your simple wood store. I have to get stacking again soon!
I am just trying to catch up with my blog email, and by happy co-incidence my husband build an extension to the wood store today – though, as he says, it looks a bit like a Japanese temple!
Sounds good though. We are still stuck with a lot of unpleasunces and need to get some wood in while it is very dry here.