By BROOKE HENDERSON

Special to South Florida Times

Boxes are good for more than just packing up your daughter’s old sports trophies or finally moving out of that apartment. They’ve insulated your window air conditioner or maybe found themselves acting as the secret bag of holding for all those ugly grade school photos. But now, they’ve found a higher calling. This holiday season, you can give a recurring gift to clean him up, spruce her up, or even trick the family into a healthy lifestyle, all with just one little box that continues to arrive at their doorstep long beyond the holiday season.

Going green is one of the best trends of the year because no matter how you do it, it still won’t be embarrassing in ten years. However, for your vegan friends, it is a lifestyle— that can be pretty challenging to sustain. That’s what makes a Conscious Box the perfect personalized gift. For $10 to $20, you can bestow five to 12 great home, bath, and body products upon an earth-minded friend. Their motto is to the point, “We scour the planet to bring you the absolute best ethical and sustainable everyday products. Together, we can create better lives, and build a more beautiful world.” Besides their vegan box option, Conscious Box has two other choices for further personalization: Gluten-free and Classic, which includes all natural, and strictly non-GMO products. This particular subscription box is trying to make healthy living easier, and you can help.

A similar gift box idea for those a little more budget conscious is Graze. Each box of four nutritionist-approved snacks is only $5. They can be sent weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, making it a practical gift for your college age relatives who want to eat well, can only afford the cheaper, far less healthy offerings on the fast food value menu.

It’s chic. It’s urban. It’s dedicated to women of color. All of these describe We Are Onyx. In each Onyx BoX, there are five deluxe-size or full size hair, skin, makeup and lifestyle products, one of which you get to pick. All of the items inside are carefully chosen beauty brands that cater to your specifically tailored hair type and skin tone needs.

For those more interested in natural hair care products, there is the CurlKit; a really smart option for women who may be overwhelmed by the growing number of hair care products available for their natural hair. With a $20 membership fee, you get between six and nine samples each month that have been tested by a group of hair product experts. This approach allows you to sample products first before purchasing the full size version, which you can also do on the CurlKit website.

Don’t forget the kids. Little Passports is a subscription box for little adventurers. For a monthly subscription that begins at $12.95 per month, a child will get an Explorer Kit introducing them to Sam and Sofia, who they’ll follow to each new country with each box and adventure. It includes: a map, passport, access to online games— and this is only the beginning. Each box is another adventure, compete with souvenirs. This box has three different options, for age groups 3 -5, 5-10 and 7-12, making it an easy and inclusive gift.

For the grooming connoisseur to the sporadic shaver, there is the Dollar Shave Club. For $3, $6, or $9 depending on the razor plan, subscribers can get fresh blades sent to their door. Along with the replacement razor heads comes samples of the Dollar Shave Club’s original and exclusive products, like their shaving butter and post shaving moisturizer. This grooming kit is a practical, very convenient gift for men.

The Dollar Shave Club’s bigger brother is BirchBox Man. Birchbox is one of the most popular subscription boxes at $10 a month for women, but their men’s box is gaining traction. In the guy’s box, there are lifestyle items that tend to be formal— socks, wallets, ties— along with grooming products, from cologne to face wash. Both boxes work on a point system, allowing subscribers to buy free products with their store credit.

As you consider gifts for the favorite people on your holiday list and there are probably box them. Want new wines to try with your girlfriends on your nights in? Try Tasting Room by Lot 18 or Glassful. Need new nail polish for your girly girl? Julep Maven offers a variety of options. Love your dog? Barkbox will keep him swimming in toys and treats; and the Poop Bag Club offers eco-friendly and compostable bags. Have a sweet tooth? Treatsie’s curated sample boxes are composed of artisan candy from continuously changing confectioners.

Whether full of beauty product or candy, personalized boxes are offer unlimited options this gift giving season.