Greetabl is the perfect way to send a small gift to someone you love — whether it's just because, or for occasions like Mother's Day

• Greetabl offers an affordable way to send a sweet, personalized gift to friends and family.
• Each box contains photos you've uploaded along with a custom message and a small present of your choice, like Sugarfina gummies or a miniature candle.
• Boxes themselves are $10, but the final cost is determined by what you choose to put inside. The cheapest gift is $3, and the most expensive is $28.
• I personally love sending Greetabls for no particular reason, just to make someone I love a little happier — but they offer special designs and gifts meant for specific occasions like Mother's Day.

There's no better feeling than giving a good gift to someone you care about. Selfishly, I do it all the time.

It's not that I'm looking for the thanks or the gratitude to make me feel better about myself — it's that in a busy and sometimes harsh world, I know making someone else a little happier is a small thing I have control over, and I always feel better when I choose to do it.

My usual gifts come in the form of food, like surprise baked goods delivered to sweet friends for no reason, or a warm dinner carried straight to my neighbor's door because she just got home from a long shift at the hospital and being a doctor is hard work.

But when circumstances like distance or incompatible schedules make it difficult to hand off presents in person, I turn to Greetabl. The service allows me to send a small but meaningful gift to brighten someone's day — be it just because, or for some sort of celebratory occasion like a birthday, graduation, a new job offer, or Mother's Day!

What is Greetabl?

I like to think of Greetabl as a giftable greeting card, but more personal. It's basically an origami box covered in a pretty graphic pattern of your choice that can be unfolded to reveal a small gift cradled inside, which you purchase from Greetabl as part of the package. The inner lining of the box, which lays flat once unfolded, is printed with a selection of photos you've uploaded, and a note you've typed to the recipient.

They can keep the box folded as a decorative accent and unfold it for a reminder of your kindness, or they can hang up the unfolded box to display the pictures inside. The photos are also easy to remove, so they can be kept as keepsakes on their own.

Here's how it works:

Step 1: First, you'll select the pattern for the outside of the box. You get to choose from over 80 prints ranging from watercolor florals to basic stripes or polka dots.

The base cost of a box is $10, but the total cost will include the additional price of whatever gift you want to put inside.

Step 2: Select the gift you want to include inside. You can choose from over 80 gifts, including small tokens like hand lotion, Sugarfina candy cubes, salt scrubs, candles, enamel pins, and even jewelry.

The prices range from $3 to $28, and depending on the size of the gift you choose, you may be able to select a second item to include as well.

Step 3: The last step is where you'll fill in the message and upload the photos you'd like to include in the box. If you're stumped for words, you can choose from pre-crafted messages. You can even customize the font of the note and insert emojis.

The shipping cost includes a standard rate of $5.50, which will get your Greetabl there in two to seven business days, though you can opt to pay more for faster shipping. And if you plan to send more than a few per year, they offer an "insider" program for $39 a year that includes free standard shipping and discounted rates on faster shipping options.

Step 4: I know I said step three would be the last, but the actual last thing you'll have to do is sit back and wait for the text or call you'll get when your friend receives it.

If you ask me, Greetabl is as much a tool for self-care as it is for sending a gift. Knowing you made someone's day by surprising them with a little something sweet is the best present you could give yourself, and it helps that they'll love it, too.