November 2013 Love with Food Box Review

In comparison to the October box, I was *way* more impressed with the November 2013 Love with Food box I received for review -- most everything in it was very tasty, and I loved the selection!  I am starting to wonder if October's box was a fluke, or if they really vary this much in quality month to month!  

One of the things in the box that seemed strangest to me were the sweet corn crunch dried snack from Sensible Foods.  I just couldn't fathom how these would be tasty...but I was so wrong!  They were actually delicious, with just a hint of sweetness and crunch, and I really enjoyed them!  Quel surprise!  I also received a bag of sweet potato popchips, which I was slightly less enthusiastic about.  They weren't bad, they just weren't spectacular, and I ended up feeding most of the bag to my toddler, who happily ate them all up.

I didn't eat the almond, apricot, and yogurt bar from Eat Natural (hubby did), but he reports that the taste was quite good, but that the texture of the bar left something to be desired.  The rosemary sea salt shortbread from Dancing Deer Baking Co. was much tastier, and the tuxedo popcorn from Kukuruza that was included was INCREDIBLE.  I swear, I ate that whole bag of popcorn in about 2 minutes.  Hubby swiped a piece and immediately tried to steal the rest of the bag (and he normally doesn't eat ANYTHING that has any carbs in it whatsoever, so he must have REALLY liked it!).  I WILL be hunting down more bags of the Kukuruza popcorn, for sure!

I was also really excited to find the chicken tikka masala spice blend from Aurora Creations in the box.  We haven't tried it yet (it requires picking up a few ingredients like fresh ginger that we don't normally keep in the house), but I'm excited to as soon as we do!  I also receive a ginger twist tea from Mighty Leaf, which was tastier than I expected it to be.

The maple fudge they included from Laura Secord was OMG delicious.  So good I licked the wrapper clean and went digging through the box hoping they'd included a second (no luck).  Drool!  The two chocolates included (Green & Black's organic dark 70% chocolate in a little pouch) were also quite good.

Overall, I really liked this box!  If you would like to subscribe to Love with Food, you can use the code YEAREND13 to get $10 off your first month (valid 12/26/13-12/31/13).  All subscribers will also receive a $15 gift certificate to soap.com, little black bag, or personalcreations.com at checkout.  You can do so here:  https://lovewithfood.com/  Thanks to Love with Food for letting me try and review their box!

December 2013 Citrus Lane Box Review (27 Month Old Boy)

I was not as impressed with our December 2013 Citrus Lane box as I have been with previous boxes, mainly because I feel like the value of what they are including in the boxes has gone down over time.  I also feel like the variety of brands they're including is not as robust as it used to be -- we've received products from each of the four brands included in this box in previous boxes (though different items).  Some of these brands we've even received as recently as two boxes ago.  That said, I did like (and we will most likely use) everything we received in this box.  

Citrus Lane must have a really good partnership with Episencial because we have received MANY products from them in our boxes in the past few years.  I honestly wish they'd included pretty much anything *except* baby lotion in the box, because we have a TON of baby lotions in our house that rarely get used, but this one does smell very good (like sweet cherries), so we will try to use it.

The next item we received was a Melissa & Doug chunky puzzle.  My son immediately grabbed and wanted to play with this (thus the picture of it not in its packaging!) -- I also like it because the animals are chunky enough to stand up on their own & be played with separate from the puzzle!  

We also received a handprint wall art kit from Pearhead.  I was excited about this because we have another baby due soon, and I plan to use this kit to make hand/footprints of the new baby, but I feel like this would also be easy to use to make a holiday present for a family member if we hadn't been using it for that purpose. It came with both pink & blue paint (a third paint color option like green would have been nice, though). Cute!

I love the Barefoot Books book they included in the box -- the illustrations are gorgeous, and it's a very cute book.  Unfortunately, my son doesn't seem as excited about the book as I am, but I'm hoping it will grow on him in time.  I was actually excited that they included a paperback version in our box this time as our collection of board books has gotten way out of hand & the board books are taking up way too much room in our small apartment!  

If you would like to sign up for your very own Citrus Lane box, you can sign up here using my referral link (you can try the promo code TAKEHALF for 50% off your first box, but I'm not 100% sure it's still working): 

https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Jennifer.Sagotsky

December 2013 Popsugar Must Have Box Review

I was way more impressed with this month's Popsugar Must Have box than I was with November's, especially because mine had a special bonus inside (the Baublebar necklace) that I have been looking forward to for ages!  Without further ado, here is what was inside!

CC Made caramel corn, 3 oz. size -- I wish I could share a decent photo of this with you, but I...uh, ate the whole shebang before I remembered to get a picture of it.  It was pretty darn good.

Mixt Studio holiday gifting set -- This seemed like a bit of a strange addition to me since I feel like most people who are wrapping gifts probably already have purchased wrapping paper (no?  just me?)  and because not everyone celebrates Christmas (and this seems a bit Christmas-y to me).   I'll still use it though -- perhaps to wrap my secret santa gift for next week.

Modelco Fibre Lashxtend black mascara -- I was kind of bummed out by this addition not because I don't think it's nice, but because Popsugar *JUST* sent a different mascara in their October box -- and I really don't use mascara THAT often.

NCLA Peppermint Lane nail wraps -- these are just too....circus-y for my taste.  They will definitely be traded or regifted.

Govino Go Anywhere Flutes  - LOVE these!  They're non-breakable plastic champagne flutes -- perfect for a picnic outdoors, or, if you're like me, just having a non-sad looking glass you can use around your kids without worrying about it shattering!  They also have a little indent in the side where you can get a better grip on it with your thumb -- genius!

Lulu Frost for Popsugar bracelet.  Personally, I think this bracelet is HIDEOUS, even though it is valued at somewhere over $100 (it is gold & silver).  It looks like something that came out of a pirate's treasure chest, and not in a good way.  I think they were trying to go for a "festive" vibe here, but it's just so darn ugly you couldn't pay me to wear this.

Two bags of Ghirardelli Squares chocolates (special extra) - one bag of milk & caramel squares, and a holiday limited edition bag (mixed pumpkin spice caramel, peppermint bark, and eggnog).  Yum!  These are very tasty, and will definitely be gobbled up in my house (my toddler kept trying to steal the bags from me once I took them out of the box!)

I got this Baublebar necklace as a bonus for signing up starting with the December box, and I LOOOOOOOVE it (note:  this was a bonus, and not part of the regular box).  I am not usually a fan of gold jewelry of any kind, but this one is gold, silver, and bronze, and just looks so festive to me.  I plan to wear it to the slew of Christmas parties we have coming up -- I can't wait!

If you are interested in signing up for the Popsugar Must Have box, you can use the following link http://popsu.gr/cWOg and the code REFER5 for $5 off your first box.

October 2013 Love with Food Box Review

A cheerful little red box came in the mail from Love with Food -- they sent me their October box (please note:  I received this box for free to review -- however, all opinions in this post are mine, and honest).  

First up in the box were some toasted coconut chips from Dang - and man, are these things good.  My toddler son and I plowed through the whole bag in less than 10 minutes and were left wanting more (seriously, we'll be seeking out more of these ASAP)!  I was pleased with the size of these as well...enough for a decent sized snack or two! Contrast that with the chocolate pizzelle crisps from Silk City Snacks, which tasted more like cardboard with a slight hint of chocolate than anything else -- yuck, wouldn't eat those again.  

Next we have a Kind Bar from Kind snacks, pixo pearls from Vinaigerie Gingras (apple cider vinegar pearls), two small packs of Glee gum in triple berry, and three organic hard candies from Torie & Howard (d'anjou pear & cinnamon flavor).  The Kind bar was tasty, if not very exciting or new to me.  The Glee gums were, I swear, stale.  I don't know if that's how their gums tend to be since I've never tried them before, but it was a real turnoff (too bad, because the triple berry flavor was nice otherwise).  The hard candies from Torie & Howard were AMAZING and delicious!  I was really saddened, however, that there were only THREE little candies in the box, and was left wanting more -- three felt really stingy.  The apple cider vinegar pearls....well, let's just say that I was a *little* too freaked out by them to actually try them.  They're totally see-through pearls surrounded in liquid -- I just had NO idea what I would even do with them!  

Finally, we got a Happy Squeeze pouch from Happy Family, which my toddler quickly grabbed and ate within a minute of seeing it (yum!) and two New World Caveman Cookies by Caveman bakery, which weren't horrible, but were WAY too sweet for my taste (they are, however, OK to eat for those on the Paleo diet, which might be useful for some).

Overall, I was not a huge fan of this box (too few snacks for the price and many of the snacks I didn't love), but if this selection appeals to you, you can use the code FESTIVE2013 for $5 your subscription (valid until 12/1), and for every 6 and 12 month subscription right now you will get a bonus 2 year subscription to Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine (also valid for current subscribers switching their plans to 6 or 12 month plans) -- valid until 12/1 as well.  Thanks to Love with Food for letting me try and review their box!

Summer 2013 Yuzen Box Review

I LOVE getting my Yuzen subscription box.  It only comes once every three months (spring, summer, fall, and winter), but it is SO worth the wait every time.  It is honestly like getting a spa in a box.  I always feel so, so pampered when I open it!  Hands-down, it is my favorite subscription box ever.  So without further ado, I present you with the contents of the Summer 2013 Yuzen box!

Of all the boxes I receive, the Yuzen box is, hands down, the most prettily packaged.  You can tell that the folks at Yuzen put a LOT of love & care into their boxes, both in the way they present them, and in the products that they select to send out. 

The contents of the entire box...let's dig in!

 I have to admit, the five JJ's Sweets Sea Salt Cocomels that I received barely made it in front of my camera to get photographed because I ate them right away.  I don't usually like coconut flavoring, but these were SO GOOD...caramels with just the right amount of sweet & salty, just how I like them, with just a little bit of coconut flavor.  YUM.  Luckily, they included a promo code for 20% off future online purchases, so I can indulge in a few more later.

Next was a adorably packaged duo of Acure oils -- one is argan oil and the other is marula oil.  Acure lists the uses of argan oil as a repairing facial serum, body & decollete massage oil, hair serum, hand & cuticle repairer, and soother of dry elbows & heels -- I had only ever heard of using it as a hair serum, so I'm excited to try using it for the other purposes!  Acure says that the marula oil (which I've never heard of before!) is great for chapped skin, reducing skin redness, massage, scars, and fine lines -- I can't wait to try it out!   A promo code for 20% off Acure's products was also included.

I also received a 1.4 oz. tube of Phyt's Lait Hydro Nettoyant (water soluble cleansing milk) for cleansing & removing makeup.  I'm not quite as excited about this one as I rarely wear any makeup at all (other than the very occasional mascara), but this product has no preservatives, parabens, or artificial colors in it and is touted as soothing (it contains lavendin, palmarosa, and chamomile), so I will likely use it as a gentle face cleanser in the shower instead of soap.  A promo code for 15% off online orders was included.

They included a box of four Level Naturals shower bombs (one shown in picture), which smell a lot like the discontinued Vick's shower disks that used to be sold as a way to alleviate stuffy sinuses when you are sick. I will definitely be saving these for when we're feeling stuffy-nosed, or possibly just as a great pick-me-up in the shower on a sluggish, tired morning (they smell like they'd totally reinvigorate & wake you up!).  I think my husband is going to be excited about these as well.  Also included was a promo code for a free travel candle with a purchase of $25 or more on Level's website.

Next, I got two Spa Ritual nail polishes (a lovely sea green called "Emerald City" and their Multi-Tasker Base & Topcoat in One).  This picture does the sea green polish no justice at all...it is a really stunning color in real life).  I stopped using nail polishes entirely about a year back due to wanting to cut back on the amount of chemical-y things in the products I use entering my body, but these have no DBP, formaldehyde, toulene, or synthetic dyes.  The green is so darn pretty & these seem a lot safer than the yucky chemical polishes I used to use, so I think I will give them a try!

I was also very excited to receive a compact of Suki Luscious Lips Berry Cream Trio.  There are two lip colors included (Wineberry Kiss & Sugarberry Pout), as well as a lip repair butter, a little brush & a mirror.  The lip repair butter feels lovely on my lips and stays on well without being too waxy, and the two lip colors are extremely pretty shades that I think would flatter a lot of skin tones.  This is a definite winner!

This is a close- up of the inside of the Suki compact.  I also received a promo code for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at Suki's website.

 I am really enjoying the tube of Pritte moisturizing body lotion they sent us as well, which I did not expect (the tube is kind of boring/non-descript looking, so I didn't expect too much).  This is definitely my favorite product in the box -- I love that Yuzen introduces me to new favorites that I never would have tried otherwise!  It is a really light, non-oily lotion that absorbs quickly and has a lovely, light, almost citrus-y smell, and it is not at all cloying or overpowering in the way that some citrus-scented things can be.  This is such a pretty scent for summer.  I think I'll end up using this as both a lotion and light fragrance this summer.  I will definitely be buying more as soon as this tube runs out!  Luckily, they included a promo code for 25% off an online order, which I will definitely be using quite soon.

Oh man, I was excited to get the two Action Wipes they included in the box.  They are large-sized wet wipes for cleaning your entire body that are infused with tea tree & eucalyptus.  I am out with my son at playgrounds a lot, and it will be lovely to have these in my diaper bag for when I need to wipe off the sand & dirt that I get on me while we're out!  These would also be great for camping or a quick wipe-down after a workout!  There was also a promo code for 25% off at the Action Wipes online store.

This entire box was great, and I think I will continue to be a Yuzen subscriber for years to come!  If you would like to get your very own Yuzen box, you can find them at the link below.  They currently have a waiting list for subscriptions, but they are so worth the wait!
http://www.yuzenbox.com/

May 2013 Stork Stack Box Review (19 Month Old Boy)

This was our first Stork Stack box, and I liked just about everything in the box, but we will probably not be continuing on with this subscription box simply because it just isn't stuff we NEED (for example, my son loved the toys in it...but he has a million stuffed animals & toys already & we really don't need more right now).  

I feel like if the mix was closer to half functional items (like sippy cups, feeding items, snacks for my son) and half toys/books - kind of like we get in our Citrus Lane boxes - we'd be more likely to continue.  

That said, their customer service is great (when I missed the cutoff date for signing up for a May box for my son, I e-mailed customer service, and within MINUTES, the CEO of the company e-mailed me back & said they'd be happy to sign me up for a May box even though I missed the cutoff -- very impressed!)    I think it would be a great subscription box for anyone that's looking to get more toys/books instead of more functional items like feeding gear, wipes, lotions, etc.  

Pretty packaging...very bright/cheerful.  I will note, however, that the company did not include any kind of insert explaining why they picked these products/what they are, which I think they probably should add.  

The first thing I pulled out of the box was a Two-Dees cat from the North American Bear Company.  I must admit, the first time I saw this stuffed animal, I thought it was hideous.  However, now that we've had it for a week or so, it's really grown on me, and my son ADORES it.  It's become one of his new comfort objects/lovies, I think it part because it's just the right size for hugging and it is very bright/cheerful looking.  I also like that the eyes are embroidered on, so that there is nothing there for a baby to chew or pull off and choke on.  It's also pretty flat, so it could be used as a soft little pillow for the car or travelling.

Next, we got a squishy Rubbabbu car.  The upper part is velvety to the touch, and the wheels feel like a dense, squishy foam of some kind.  I actually really like this toy...it rolls very fast (unlike some of the other toy cars we own), and, best of all, it bounces when it lands & it squishes when you squeeze it.  It is really weirdly satisfying to squeeze...kind of like a stress ball.

We also got a Stephen Joseph monkey bank.  This seemed like a weird thing to include in a box for a 19 month old boy for two reasons...one, at 19 months, my son is more likely to eat change than think to put it in a bank.  Two, it is ceramic, and if my son got anywhere near this, it would be broken in a second.  That said, it is very cute, and my son's room happens to be monkey themed, so we will hold on to this for when he gets a bit older.

We also received This Old Man, a book by Child's Play.  This was definitely my least favorite item in the box, and something we will probably be getting rid of soon.  I like that they included a book (we love getting books!), but the text and pictures in this one are visually overstimulating for a 19 month old, and totally age-inappropriate (at 19 months, my son barely gets the concept of numbers, let alone addition, which this book features).  I feel like it might be a good book for an older kid (maybe 4+?), but this was a total miss for us.

The mama gift in the box was a moisture stick by Deep Steep.  OK, I *loved* this one.  I got the lavender/chamomile scent (they sent out different scents in other boxes, I think which one you got was kind of random), and it smells lovely.  I like that it's a solid moisturizer in stick form, and I can just swipe it on any dry skin.  I will DEFINITELY be purchasing more of these when I run out!

Overall, I liked the box a lot, and I would definitely consider resubscribing again when we need more toys/books when my son gets a bit bigger & grows out of his current stuff.

If you would like to sign up to get a Stork Stack box, you can use the referral code "D2BOCCC9" to get $10 off your first box (making it only $17.99 for your first box!  Great deal!!)
https://www.storkstack.com/

Lalaaluu Big Kid Trial Box Review

Lalaaluu recently offered a one-month trial subscription box for the cost of shipping ($15.95...pretty pricey for "shipping & handling"), so I ordered the "Big Kid" version, which is for kids 4-6.  They touted it as an honest representation of the kinds of things you would find in a Lalaaluu subscription box (which are pretty pricey at $35 per box...one of the priciest kid subscription boxes I've run into).  I will say that they have fantastic customer service -- their response times to the e-mails I sent them (including the one where I asked to cancel the subscription going forward) were SUPER fast & they were always very polite.

That said, the box itself really was not that great (OK, that's an understatement.  It was pretty bad).  I mean, I feel like I did get at least $16 worth of products, but many of them are things we won't use at all (and I suspect I'm not alone in this), and if I had paid $35 for this box...I would have been MAD.  The box did not look like it had been assembled with any kind of care...things were just kind of haphazardly thrown in there (unlike the Yuzen or Citrus Lane boxes I receive, which are clearly packed with love & care).

Their logo is cute, I'll give them that, and the box shipped to me very fast (within a few days of ordering it, actually...quite impressive shipping speed!)

The first product I pulled out of the box was Licelogic Daily Lice Repellent Spray (Rosemary).  REALLY?!?  They say this was included in the box because these boxes are targeted at NYC kids who might run into issues with lice because they live in a big city.  You know what?  I live in a big city too (near Boston), and lice really aren't that much of an issue here.  This just seems like a really odd & somewhat useless item to include in the box...I feel like this is the kind of thing you'd buy if, say, the kids in your kid's class had been experiencing lice...but you probably wouldn't just have it lying around the house just in case.  Two thumbs down.

Next was Pons Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Kids, which says that it's less acidic & a milder flavor to develop a taste for olive oil in young kids.  I think that sounds lovely in theory, and we'll definitely use this up for cooking, but honestly, my kid already eats things cooked in olive oil & has since he was little, so this isn't really a product that we'd ever buy again.  I'm kind of neutral on this one since we'll at least use it up.

The next thing I pulled out was a camera sticker by Box Play (meant to be stuck on a mac 'n' cheese box).  This was the only "toy" in the box, and man, what a bummer.

We also got two boxes of Oscillococcinum.  This would have been an awesome thing to get in a box in the winter when flu season was in full swing, but in April?...kind of useless.  On the up side, the boxes we got don't expire for several more years so we will save this for next winter & use it then...but honestly, when I get a subscription box I want to receive things I can use right then or soon, not 9 months from now.  Bummer.  

This was the one product in the box I was actually excited about.  We like the GoGo Squeeze pouches, and we've never tried the apple peach flavor, so this was the star of the box by far (which really doesn't say much for the rest of the box!)

Finally, they included a box of 40 Yum-V's Probiotic Bears (white chocolate flavor).  I like these in theory, but they taste kind of icky (like fake chocolate), so this was not a winner for us either.

Overall, not a good box (at all), and if this is representative of the kind of stuff they usually send, we are definitely not interested in getting future boxes from them.  If this kind of stuff is up your alley though, you can subscribe at the link below.

https://www.lalaalu.com/