Stork Stack Review: March 2014

Okay, so I know subscription boxes are all the rage. I already receive and regularly review both Citrus Lane and Bluum boxes. But I have to admit that I am a big enough fan of those that I was willing to try another one: Stork Stack. Stork Stack is a little different from the other two. From what I can tell from their previous stacks, there seems to be very little brand overlap between Stork Stack and the other, more well known child subscription boxes. This is what I experienced in my first box as well, receiving brands I had never received from either Citrus Lane or Bluum, while those two often overlap in brands and products. The other difference is that they are slightly more expensive than the other, two, at $27.99 per month versus $24.95 per month for Bluum, and as low as $21 per month (with a six month subscription) for Citrus Lane (NOTE: Citrus Lane has recently increased their per month pricing to $29 per month!). They also do not offer a discount when you order 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions like the other companies do, and instead send gratis boxes to children in need, which is a nice touch. They are still my least favorite of the three boxes, and I keep telling myself I’m going to discontinue my subscription. Maybe next month I will.

I intend to review my Stork Stacks based on value and usefulness and be as helpful as I can to you consumers out there! This month my daughter received a gender neutral box for a nineteen month old.

1. Hop a Little, Jump a Little! from Child’s Play
Price: $4.99
Status: Good
Comments: I will never turn down a board book in these boxes! Baby Girl loves to read, and it’s always good to add a little variety. That said, this book is very short, and a little dull, so not the best addition to our collection.

2. Racecar from Green Toys
Price:
$8.99
Status: Great
Comments: So much for a lack of brand overlap! I don’t mind though, because we are big fans of Green Toys products around here. We have several, and all of them have been a hit. This one is a great little first car toy, but Baby Girl isn’t really interested in cars, so it hasn’t gotten much play time yet. I really love it though, and it’s something she won’t grow out of any time soon, which is a plus.

3. Legwarmers from BabyLegs
Price: $12.00
Status: Meh
Comments: Okay, I will admit two things here. The first is that I originally made fun of baby legwarmers when I was pregnant. The second is that I became a huge baby legwarmer fan when Baby Girl was tiny with leaky breastfed poop diapers and I didn’t want to change her pants every five seconds. That said, she’s a bit old for them now, and I feel like this is something too young for a nineteen month old’s box. Also, this is the second pair I’ve gotten recently. I regifted the first pair, and that’s what I intend to do with these as well.

4. Tooth Tissues from My Dentist’s Choice
Price: $12.00
Status: Meh
Comments: Yet another item that is a bit too young for Baby Girl at this point, but a great idea. I found it interesting that instead of one 30 wipe pouch, they actually sent three mini wipe pouches, which add up to the same number of wipes. That’s fine though, I know lots of people having babies, and I can spread the regifting out a bit more! I actually do really like this product. When babies are little they tell you to wipe their gums with a damp washcloth or gauze pads to clean them and prepare them for healthy baby teeth (which we did). These are essentially gauze pads treated with xylitol, which is the same ingredient you find in baby toothpaste, so a more effective version. I love the idea, and wish I had gotten them a year ago! Instead, Baby Girl has already graduated to a toddler toothbrush and xylitol gel, so I’ll be spreading this love around.

5.Larabar Samples from Larabar
Price: $1.79
Status: Meh
Comments: I don’t think anyone is listening when I tell them that I’m not a fan of mom items. I got two little larabar samples, an apple pie and a blueberry muffin, both of which I’ve received full size bars of in other boxes, so I didn’t really need to try them. They’re fine, not the most delicious things ever, and I’ll throw them in the pantry for when I need a quick snack.

Summary: So was it worth it? I wasn’t blown away by this box, but there were some really good items, and I know I’ll be able to add to a few baby gift bags with some good things. As far as value goes, the total value of the box was about $39.77, up against a purchase price of $27, so not bad at all, actually. I’m not over the purchase price if I subtract things I’ll regift, but I feel like they are still good quality items, so I’m not sure I mind. I still feel like this subscription is on probation though. We’ll see how next month goes, but it may be canceled if it doesn’t go well.

Use Code 4A49E165 to Get $10 Off Your Stork Stack!

Citrus Lane Review: February 2014

It’s that time of the month again! Time to review another Citrus Lane box and see if it was worth it’s purchase price! See my reviews for previous months here.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how Citrus Lane works, it is a subscription service that sends you age appropriate items for your child aged 0-5 years every month. The cost of the subscription depends on how long you are willing to commit to. For month to month subscriptions your cost is $29.00 per month, or $24.00 per month for a three month subscription, while it goes down to $21.00 per month if you sign up for a six month or one year subscription. To personalize the box, you choose the child’s age and gender (or neutral) and receive items appropriate to those selections.

In my reviews, I can only review what my daughter receives in her box. I will always tell you what my age and gender selections were, give you a description of the items, what I think of them, pricing, etc.

This month my daughter received a nineteen month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Dive Bath Appliques from Boon
Price: $10.99
Status: Interesting
Comments: We are lovers of the Boon brand in this house, and have several of their other products. I wasn’t super excited to see these in the box, as we already have a giant container of letters like this, and Baby Girl really doesn’t play with them too much. That said, they are well made, and a pretty cool bath toy, and if we don’t get around to using them, I know they’ll make an awesome re-gift.

2. Silicone Bowl from Oogaa
Price: $8.99
Status: Awesome!
Comments: We received a silicone placemat by oogaa in one of our boxes last year, and while we haven’t had a chance to use it yet, it is a pretty awesome product. I’m pretty much always excited to get feeding supplies in our boxes, as I am entirely overwhelmed when trying to choose them to purchase, and this way I can try all the best brands and figure out what works for me. I really love this bowl. It is sturdy, microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe, and won’t break when Baby Girl inevitably throws it on the floor.
Want to get one of your own? Use code CITRUS 14 for 25% off your entire order at oogaa.com through 06/01/2014.

3. Starlight Sailor from Barefoot Books
Price: $14.99
Status: Awesome
Comments: Yay Books! Always love to get books in the box! Bonus when they’re board books (Baby Girl loves books, and I just feel better about letting her read them on her own when they’re sturdy), and double bonus for being beautifully illustrated an not an entirely boring read. When you read as many books a day as we do, we’re grateful when we can enjoy them!
Want one of your own? Use code CITRUSSTORY for 15% off at barefootbooks.com through 03/10/2014.

4.Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream from Juice Beauty
Price: $12.00
Status: Meh
Comments: Yet another “mommy” item that I am at best lukewarm about. I’m not one for expensive cosmetics in general, but especially not hand cream. I have tried all different kinds of hand creams, expensive and inexpensive, and the absolute best stuff I’ve found is the stuff my grandpa used to use on cow udders after milking, and it is super cheap at farm supply and even some dollar stores. Hence I have no real need for a $12 tube of hand cream. Re-gift for sure.
Want some for yourself? Use Code CITRUS14 for $10 off any $40 purchase at juicebeauty.com through 04/30/2014.

Final Thoughts:
Once again we only get four items, but his time I’m much happier about it. While I may not use the bath toys, the book and the bowl are a good value that I’m pretty happy with. That said, would it kill them to put four totally awesome items in one box? I can seriously do without the organic mommy stuff.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $46.97
Total value of items I will use: $34.97
Is the value greater than the cost? YES
Best box value I’ve had in a long time, which always makes me happy. Just wish they would leave out the basically useless mommy stuff.

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE 50% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX!

Stork Stack Review: February 2014

Okay, so I know subscription boxes are all the rage. I already receive and regularly review both Citrus Lane and Bluum boxes. But I have to admit that I am a big enough fan of those that I was willing to try another one: Stork Stack. Stork Stack is a little different from the other two. From what I can tell from their previous stacks, there seems to be very little brand overlap between Stork Stack and the other, more well known child subscription boxes. This is what I experienced in my first box as well, receiving brands I had never received from either Citrus Lane or Bluum, while those two often overlap in brands and products. The other difference is that they are slightly more expensive than the other, two, at $27.99 per month versus $24.95 per month for Bluum, and as low as $21 per month (with a six month subscription) for Citrus Lane (NOTE: Citrus Lane has recently increased their per month pricing to $29 per month!). They also do not offer a discount when you order 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions like the other companies do, and instead send gratis boxes to children in need, which is a nice touch. Last month was severely disappointing, and I told myself that if this month was terrible as well, I would discontinue my subscription.

I intend to review my Stork Stacks based on value and usefulness and be as helpful as I can to you consumers out there! This month my daughter received a gender neutral box for an eighteen month old.

1. Good Morning Bluebird from Parragon
Price: $6.99
Status: Great
Comments: So much for very little brand overlap! I’ve gotten books from Parragon in my Bluum boxes before. That aside though, I love to get books in subscription boxes, as Baby Girl can’t get enough of them. This is a nice sturdy board book, it’s pretty, it feels like spring, and I know it will be a big hit.

2. Flatopus from North American Bear Co.
Price:
$16.99
Status: Meh.
Comments: This is a well made, sweet stuffed animal, but what kid actually needs a stuffed animal? Baby Girl doesn’t even play with stuffed animals outside of her teddy, so they just sit around my house taking up space. It really is nice though.

3. Wacky Wash Mitt from Rich Frog
Price: $6.62?
Status: Meh
Comments: I have to admit I guessed on the value of this particular item because mine didn’t come with a mini mitt, so I subtracted a third of the cost from the $9.95 they sell the adult and mini mitt pair for on the website. That aside, this is a sturdy wash mitt, it’s cute, and it fits the “spring” theme that seems to be dominant in this box. I don’t think I have any use for it though, since I’m just fine using wash cloths and Baby Girl actually really loves bath time, so I don’t need a duck washcloth to convince her or make it more fun.

4. PureLove Universal Surface Cleaner from BuggyLove
Price: $4.99
Status: Meh
Comments: It looks like buggylove is changing it’s branding, as I couldn’t find this product on their website at first. After reading all the labels, it appears to be the same as their Organic Multi-Purpose Cleaner, only in an 8 oz bottle with a pump sprayer instead of a 16 oz bottle with a trigger sprayer (hence the price difference, if you clicked on the link and noticed). I’m not sure that I will actually use this, as I’m not a fan of the organic orange smell, and I have a set of cleaning supplies I rather like, but you never know.

5. Oatmeal Cranberry Bar from Credible Cravings
Price: $3.00
Status: Meh
Comments: Once again, a “mom” item. I just don’t get excited for stuff they reportedly put in these boxes for me. As mom stuff goes though, I do prefer it when they’re edible. I’ve already eaten this, and it seems a bit expensive for what it is, and it really didn’t even taste that good. The KIND Bar last month was way better.

Summary: So was it worth it? I wasn’t blown away by this box, but I feel like it was a come back after the horror show that was last month’s box. As far as value goes, the total value of the box was about $38.59, up against a purchase price of $25, so not bad at all, actually. Even when you subtract the stuff I won’t use, I’m still over the purchase price. I still feel like this subscription is on probation though. We’ll see how next month goes, but it may be canceled if it doesn’t go well.

Use Code 4A49E165 to Get $10 Off Your Stork Stack!

Bluum Box Review: December 2013

This is my fourth box since deciding to try Bluum. Bluum‘s pricing is very similar to Citrus Lane, at $25 per box on a month to month basis, $23 per month for a three month subscription (less than CL), $21 per month for a six month subscription (the same as CL), and even less than that for a one year subscription. Also of note is that Bluum offers more ways to earn rewards and free boxes than Citrus Lane does (which is why I’m on the month to month plan at the moment, hoping to earn a free box!). I’m still pretty impressed with the box. I was told that Bluum would primarily send samples, but I believe it to be of phenomenal value.

My box this month was the box for sixteen month olds. Unlike previous boxes, it did not appear to have any particular theme (strong hands, balancing act, etc).

1. Socks from BabySoy
Price: $3.50
Status: Great
Comments: Here’s a truth: I hate buying baby socks. The stores I visit on a regular basis don’t have a good selection, and they always seem so expensive. I mean, they’re still just socks. So I’m always happy to get cute baby socks that fit Baby Girl from decent, eco-conscious companies in my boxes. That said, BabySoy promotes themselves as “style + nature’s softness” selling soybean fiber baby clothing for eco-conscious parents. That’s fine in theory, based on materials, but your products are still made in China…enough said. I like the socks though.

2. Cuddle! from Parragon Books
Price: $9.99
Status: Pretty Great
Comments: Always love getting books in the subscription boxes! I feel like you can never have too many. This is a sweet book about cuddling animals, and it fits right in with where my daughter is mentally and developmentally with hugs and cuddles. It’s a sturdy board book, so she can “read” it herself, and I know it will be treasured.

3. Soft Spout Cover from Dreambaby
Price: $6.67 (Amazon)
Status: Meh
Comments: An inflatable spout cover? Nah. We actually have the Boon spout cover and love it, and I actually dislike almost everything inflatable. Inflatable stuff never seems to last or do that great a job. Plus, unlike other spout covers, this one has to be removed when adults want to take a shower, so it’s one more thing to store. Much prefer my Boon flo. Guess this will go in the re-gift box!

4.  Pacifier Wipes from Dapple
Price: $2.99
Status: Not so much…
Comments: Too young! Too young! While Baby Girl still uses her pacifier at night and for naps, when they aren’t using it around the house or out and about, it rather negates the need for these wipes. They look like a great product, and would have been awesome to have in the diaper bag for those trips to her uncle’s swim and wrestling meets when you inevitably drop the pacifier in the stands and have to run to the bathroom to rinse it off…we have outgrown their usefulness. Time to pass them on to someone else.

5. Sensitive Baby Foaming Shampoo and Body Wash from Susan Brown’s Baby
Price: $13.50
Status: Meh…
Comments: While I appreciate always having tear free, ph balanced, “free”, sensitive skin shampoos, body washes, and lotions around, they’re starting to take over my closet! I’m always getting these things in my subscription boxes, and I just don’t go through them that quickly. Baby Girl isn’t big enough to use up all of this! I’ll put this in the closet with the rest, but chances are good if it doesn’t get used soon (we’re still using the same bottle of body wash I bought when she was born…sixteen months later) I’ll re-gift it.

6. Strawberry Preserves from Bonne Maman
Price: $0.69
Status: Awesome!
Comments: We’re already lovers of Bonne Maman fruit preserves (I actually just bought a jar for a holiday gift basket), so it was fun to get a mini jar of strawberry preserves this month. While it would have been cooler to get a full jar, we’ll put this one to good use!

So was it worth it? I think so. The total value of the box was $37.34 (so down a little from previous months), compared to a $25 purchase price. After subtracting the items I will probably regift, I got around $28 worth of value, which is still above the purchase price. Plus, now I have some really high quality items to gift my mom friends with tinier babies!

Are you interested in signing up for Bluum?

Click here to sign up and receive 50% off your first box!

Bluum Box Review: November 2013

This is my third box since deciding to try Bluum. Bluum‘s pricing is very similar to Citrus Lane, at $25 per box on a month to month basis, $23 per month for a three month subscription (less than CL), $21 per month for a six month subscription (the same as CL), and even less than that for a one year subscription. Also of note is that Bluum offers more ways to earn rewards and free boxes than Citrus Lane does (which is why I’m on the month to month plan at the moment, hoping to earn a free box!). I’m still pretty impressed with the box. I was told that Bluum would primarily send samples, but I believe it to be of phenomenal value.

My box this month was the box for fifteen month olds.

1. Legwarmers from BabyLegs
Price: $12.00
Status: Meh
Comments: I feel like Baby Girl is a little too old for these at this point. The truth is that baby legwarmers are awesome, and we own about a million of them, that we used regularly when Baby Girl was little and lived in onesies all day. Now she’s old enough to wear real clothes, and we packed the legwarmers away. These will make an awesome re-gift though!

2. How Do I Feel? from Parragon Books
Price: $12.99
Status: Pretty Great
Comments: I love to see books in my subscription boxes! We are a family of readers, and I would never turn books away! These are unique and unlike anything else Baby Girl has though. They are tiny board books for tiny hands that are supposed to help toddlers identify their feelings to better communicate. A creative idea, that I rather like!

3. Non-Slip Bath Mats from Dreambaby
Price: $4.25 (this is just a guess, I actually had a hard time finding them for sale anywhere)
Status: Meh
Comments: While I understand the use for these, I can’t use them. Our tub has a protective coating sprayed onto it that can be damaged by things like this, so I try to avoid them. Re-gift!

4.  Owl Blankie from Angel Dear
Price: $13.00
Status: Meh
Comments: This is another item that I feel is too young for Baby Girl. She has two of these little “loveys” already that she received before she was born, and while she loves them, we certainly don’t need to introduce another. These are perfect for newborns, and I love the fabric this one is made of, but Baby Girl is old enough to have a real blanket.

5. Happy Yogis-Mixed Berry from Happy Family Brands
Price: $3.99
Status: Awesome!
Comments: Baby Girl loves loves LOVES yogurt melts, so it’s always awesome to see them show up at the doorstep!

6. Happy Yogis-Banana Mango from Happy Family Brands
Price: $3.99
Status: Awesome!
Comments: As stated above, we love yogurt melts around here! I was happy to see them, and it was cool to get two different flavors!

So was it worth it? I think so. The total value of the box was $50.22 (just about on par with last month), compared to a $25 purchase price. After subtracting the items I will probably regift, I got around $20 worth of value, which is below the purchase price, but with the holidays (and more than a few baby showers) coming up, plus the incredibly good quality of those items, I’m willing to forgive it!

Are you interested in signing up for Bluum?

Click here to sign up and receive 50% off your first box!

Citrus Lane Review: November 2013

It’s that time of the month again! Time to review another Citrus Lane box and see if it was worth it’s purchase price! See my reviews for previous months here.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how Citrus Lane works, it is a subscription service that sends you age appropriate items for your child aged 0-5 years every month. The cost of the subscription depends on how long you are willing to commit to. For month to month or three month subscriptions, your cost is $25.00 per month, while it goes down to $21.00 per month if you sign up for a six month or one year subscription. To personalize the box, you choose the child’s age and gender (or neutral) and receive items appropriate to those selections.

In my reviews, I can only review what my daughter receives in her box. I will always tell you what my age and gender selections were, give you a description of the items, what I think of them, pricing, etc.

This month my daughter received a sixteen month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Tugboat from Green Toys
Price: $14.99
Status: Awesome
Comments: Yay! I was so excited to see a Green Toys item in the box this month. Their products are always a huge hit with Baby Girl, and the company is awesome too. I would have preferred a toy that wasn’t primarily for the bathtub, but this was awesome.

2. Zootensils from Skip Hop
Price: $6.00
Status: Awesome!
Comments: Another product that basically hit the nail on the head! We’ve just started working with Baby Girl on using utensils, and were looking at what to purchase. What a timely arrival! Not only that, but we are big fans of the Skip Hop brand in our house, and own many of their products, so we know these will hold up to Baby Girl’s abuse.

3. Reusable Snack Bags from Bumkins
Price: $6.95
Status: Useful
Comments: To be honest, I’m a Bumkins fan, and I was super-duper hopeful when I saw the Bumkins logo that it would be a pack of their absolutely awesome toddler bibs. It wasn’t, it was reusable snack bags, but I’m sure we’ll get some use out of these. Although, we have received a lot of different snack containers in our Citrus Lane boxes, and I’m not really sure how many of these we really need.

4. Lip Comfort from Pur~lisse
Price: $16.00
Status: Meh
Comments: Uh, how much chap stick/lip balm type items do they think I need? And why are these things all so freaking expensive? Crazy! I’ll probably use it, or give it away, but not the best item in the box.

5. Second Blends Pouch from Plum Organics
Price: $1.99
Status: Disappointing
Comments: I love Plum Organics products, and I was so happy to see Citrus Lane finally include a food item that my daughter could actually eat. Then I found out about the voluntary recall issued on this product and that I have to throw it out! Such a bummer. CL says that they will be sending us all vouchers, but I have yet to see it.

6. TinyPrints Coupon
Price: N/A
Status: Not even worth including.
Comments: I hate this item. Especially because if it hadn’t been included in the box it probably would have been a super satisfying month. This coupon is for four sets of address labels and free shipping…on an order of $99+. This is not a gift, or an item. It is a glorified coupon. Not cool Citrus Lane, not cool.

Final Thoughts:
I’m very excited to be amped up about a box again! This box was pretty awesome, and made me glad to be a Citrus Lane subscriber!

Optional Add-to-Box:
Citrus Lane has just opened their new Holiday shop, where you can buy things like a normal store, or use your Citrus Lane credits, and they will ship the items in your next box. I did purchase an item I was pretty excited about and had it added to my December box.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $45.93
Total value of items I will use: $27.94
Is the value greater than the cost? YES
The value in this box would have been even greater if they hadn’t used the super expensive lip treatment to bump up the value! I was/am in love with this box, and while the recall (which CL had no control over) was a dampener, if the Bumkins product had been bibs instead of snack bags, I would be doing a completely embarrassing happy dance.

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE $10 ON YOUR CITRUS LANE SUBSCRIPTION!

Citrus Lane Review: October 2013

It’s that time of the month again! Time to review another Citrus Lane box and see if it was worth it’s purchase price! See my reviews for previous months here.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how Citrus Lane works, it is a subscription service that sends you age appropriate items for your child aged 0-5 years every month. The cost of the subscription depends on how long you are willing to commit to. For month to month or three month subscriptions, your cost is $25.00 per month, while it goes down to $21.00 per month if you sign up for a six month or one year subscription. To personalize the box, you choose the child’s age and gender (or neutral) and receive items appropriate to those selections.

In my reviews, I can only review what my daughter receives in her box. I will always tell you what my age and gender selections were, give you a description of the items, what I think of them, pricing, etc.

This month my daughter received a fifteen month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Toddler Tambourine from Hoehner Kids
Price: $12.00
Status: Awesome
Comments: I’m actually a huge fan of musical instruments for kids. In a previous box we received Hoehner’s rainstick, and it continues to be a top toy in our house. This tambourine is a welcome addition, and I’m pleased to see it in the box!

2. Scrubble from Boon
Price: $11.99
Status: Useful
Comments: We actually own a few Boon products in our house, and while they aren’t one of my favorite companies, I do appreciate how innovative they are and how classic their designs tend to be. That said, these are essentially bath toys. I’m sick of bath toys. Nobody could possible have a use for the number of bath toys we have ended up with (why do they always come in packs of a ridiculous number?). Many of ours aren’t even used in the bath, as our bath toy basket would completely fill up. These don’t function well as squirters, which is fine, since we already have several of those, but I do like their scrubby ends and the fact that they come a part, making them easy to clean, unlike most bath toys. I feel like these would be super useful for an older child that tends to make a mess with the wash cloth. Put some bubble bath in the water and let them scrub themselves clean with a toy. Baby Girl hasn’t quite gotten the point of them yet though.

3. Cool It Buddy Instant Cold Pack from Me4Kidz
Price: $2.99
Status: Meh.
Comments: Seeing this item in my box this month made me slightly annoyed. I received this exact item in one of my previous boxes, and I wasn’t too jazzed about it then. I believe I said that while I could see it’s usefulness, I had no immediate plans for it. Well, I have yet to use it. My kid is not all that injury prone at only fourteen months old that she is in need of instant cold packs (especially when we’re usually at home, where there are reusable ice packs). This makes me a bit sad because I would have been excited to receive one of Me4Kidz other products, like their portable first aid kid (for only a couple of dollars more in value). Oh well, I guess it will go in the first aid stuff. Hopefully these things don’t go bad.

4. Little Yums from Plum Organics
Price: $0.75
Status: Meh
Comments: Once again Citrus Lane has given me the opportunity to gripe about sending food samples. These are great little snacks. Organic, semi-healthy, portable…and Baby Girl really likes them. Too bad she ate the only one they sent us and they don’t have them at our local store. I would feel a lot better about the value of this box if they had sent me a six pack…or even two.

5. Babybug Magazine Digital Subscription + Print Issue from Cricket Magazine Group
Price: $7.45
Status: Meh
Comments: Okay, so maybe I’m the last person on the planet to join the digital revolution, but I’m not a “digital magazine” person. I don’t own an e-reader or a tablet, and my baby is not yet addicted to screens. She does however love books. She also loves songs. I was thrilled to see the September issue of Babybug Magazine in the box, as it was stable (not easily torn up by baby hands), and the rhymes and songs were cute and seasonal. Definitely something to put on the bookshelf! The actual value of a single issue is rather small, however. When I saw free subscription on the insert card, I got excited. Then I saw that it was actually a free three month digital subscription, with nothing in print at all. How disappointing. I don’t plan to download my free digital issues, as it will just take up space on my non-existent device, and chances are good that Baby Girl will never see them.

Final Thoughts:
Compared to a year ago when I started subscribing to Citrus Lane, I feel as though the quality has come down a bit. That said, the value is still pretty decent for what you’re paying, and it is still fun to get that little surprise piece of mail each month. We’ll see how my bluum box looks when it arrives.

Optional Add-to-Box:
This month’s optional add to box were a variety of Halloween costumes. I did not purchase any as I find baby Halloween costumes to be horribly over priced.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $35.18
Total value of items I will use: $24.74
Is the value greater than the cost? MAYBE –
They really walked the line with this box! The total value is more than the cost, but my useful value is less than a month to month subscription. On top of that, last month was the first time I seriously questioned the value of my box, and this month is worth even less.

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE $10 ON YOUR CITRUS LANE SUBSCRIPTION!

Citrus Lane Review: June 2013

It’s that time of the month again! Time to review another Citrus Lane box and see if it was worth it’s purchase price!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how Citrus Lane works, it is a subscription service that sends you age appropriate items for your child aged 0-5 years every month. The cost of the subscription depends on how long you are willing to commit to. For month to month or three month subscriptions, your cost is $25.00 per month, while it goes down to $21.00 per month if you sign up for a six month or one year subscription. To personalize the box, you choose the child’s age and gender (or neutral) and receive items appropriate to those selections.

In my reviews, I can only review what my daughter receives in her box. I will always tell you what my age and gender selections were, give you a description of the items, what I think of them, pricing, etc.

This month my daughter received an eleven month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Sun Protection Hat from iPlay
Price: $12.00
Status: Useful
Comments: This is one of those times when I’m really glad I designated gender neutral. I received a solid white hat, but there are many colors and patterns offered, and I’m sure had I chosen one gender or the other we would have ended up with one of those. We already had a sun hat, but this one is sized larger with a larger brim, so there’s a good chance we’ll be able to use it next summer when the one I purchased back in May has been retired. It’s also always a good idea to have spares of certain things. As far as the company as a whole, we own a few iPlay brand items, and we are pretty happy with them overall. I wish they were a little sturdier (one of the swim diapers I purchased started to lose it’s elastic casing after only one wash), but they’ve been useful and comfy for baby, so I can’t complain.

2. Water Toy Set from Haba
Price: $6.00 (approximate)
Status: Nothing Special
Comments: It’s times like this that the way Citrus Lane does things can sometimes be a bummer. While the water toys we got were great, both of them are part of a larger set that would have been more fun, and more valuable, to receive as a whole. We received a boat from the Joining Boats set, which is cool, but a little sad when it has no boats to join to, and a squirter octopus from the Water Fun Set, and with the popularity of squirters right now, we have seven of them already in the bathtub, and six of them in just her normal toys that we were talking about putting in her wading pool. The octopus is certainly a cute squirter, it could have been worse, but I don’t feel like it’s anything to be excited about. The reason the price I’ve listed is approximate is because the items I received aren’t available individually, so I guessed at the value based on the price of the full sets. Mild disappointment aside, the toys are of a high quality and will make good wading pool/bath toys.

3. Stage 2 Homestyle Meal from Happy Family
Price: $1.79
Status: Not Useful
Comments: I have to say that I wasn’t thrilled with the size of three out of four of the items in this month’s box. This is another one. I really hate it when they send us a single food pouch. They aren’t worth much value wise, and I make a lot of Baby Girl’s food, so I just keep them in case of emergencies. This one I will be giving away though, as it is made with chicken broth. I’m a vegetarian, and while I’m not going to force that choice on my daughter, I’m also not going to give her meat until she is old enough to ask for it. It’s a personal choice, which coincidentally makes this food pouch useless to me. Maybe my nephew will like it. But what if it wasn’t chicken and she loved it? She would eat that entire thing in one sitting and then it would be gone. I hate that.

4. Sunny Sunscreen SPF35 from Episencial
Price: $8.34 (approximate)
Status: Nothing Special
Comments: I am actually disappointed in this item for a couple of reasons. One is just a little silly, and that is that I was hoping to get some baby sunscreen in last month’s box before it got hot outside. As a consequence, I had already purchased some sunscreen. The other major reason is because I would have been over the moon that this was in the box if it had been a full 2.7 oz. tube. It is not. It is a 2.7 oz. tube filled with only 1.5 oz. and marked as a “Citrus Lane Exclusive”. Annoying. 1.5 oz. of sunscreen certainly doesn’t get you very far. It feels like they’re just trying to bait you into buying more, which annoys me since this box is supposed to be worth $25 or more, and I’ve already purchased Episencial products as a result of trying the ones sent to me by Citrus Lane. This item makes me feel a little gipped to tell the truth. I love Episencial products. I wish they had sent me a full tube.

Final Thoughts:
This may be the most disappointing box I’ve received so far. Usually I receive one item I’m crazy about (or more), one or two nothing specials, and one I’m not a fan of, but the quantity of product in this box left me a little sad. Half a tube of sunscreen? Lonely toys from sets that have been picked a part? A single food pouch? Not exactly impressive.

I should also mention that Citrus Lane did give me the option to purchase additional Episencial products at an additional cost to be added to my box this month at a discount. They do this occasionally. I didn’t take them up on it this month because I didn’t need any of the products they were offering, having already purchased them a couple of months ago from Episencial.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $28.13
Total value of items I will use: $26.34
Is the value greater than the cost? YES

Just a hint to Citrus Lane, as a loyal customer I think you should know that “value” is not just a game of numbers, but one of perception. While I looked up the dollar value of the items in my box, not everyone will do that, and the perceived value of this box was much lower than the ones we have received in the past. You may be better off splurging on a full tube of sunscreen (or at least putting the 1.5 oz. exclusive in a 1.5 oz. tube rather than a half full 2.7 oz tube with a sticker over the volume…) in terms of building brand loyalty. Just a suggestion.

CLICK HERE TO SAVE $10 ON YOUR CITRUS LANE SUBSCRIPTION!

Citrus Lane Review: April 2013 Box

For the last couple of months I have been posting reviews of each box that I have received as part of my subscription to Citrus Lane. This is my fifth box. Next month I’ll be weighing in on whether or not my six month subscription was worth it as a whole. There are also reviews of my boxes I received in December, January, February, and March. If you are unfamiliar with the format of my reviews, I give detailed product information for each item included in the box along with pricing in order to determine if the box is worth the subscription price. A three month subscription costs $25 per month, while a six month or one year subscription costs $21 per month, and my subscription was $16.50 a month because I used a Black Friday/Cyber Monday discount. I should mention that everyone’s subscription is different based on your baby’s age and gender. Baby Girl received an nine month old box, and I designated that I wanted gender neutral products.

April 2013 Box

Baby Girl showed a lot more interest in opening the box with me this month, but since everything was in packages, she was pretty upset that she couldn’t immediately play with everything! It was cute.

What was in the box:

Item 1: Caterpillar Grasping Toy from Melissa & Doug
Retail Price: $7.99
Bought it Anyway?  Yes
Notes: This is so cute! I love the idea, and Baby Girl loves the little elastic antennae. This was the first item that Baby Girl latched on to out of the box and wanted to play with it immediately. It’s a good weight and seems super sturdy, which is always nice. I actually thought the MSRP was higher based on the quality. Very impressed. It says six months plus on the package, and I know she could have played with it starting then, but I feel like it is still an appropriate toy for her age and can still grow with her for a little longer.

Item 2: Packin’SMART Stack-N-Seal 2 Tier from Innobaby
Retail Price: $8.99
Bought it Anyway? Maybe
Notes: I’m actually not entirely sure how I feel about this product. It might be one of those things that I have to try out first. Who knows, maybe I’ll love it? Since Baby Girl is exclusively breastfed, and I make all of her baby food and store it in the awesome OXO Tot baby food containers I got at my shower, I haven’t had much need for little containers like this. I understand the appeal of having containers that fit together like this so that you don’t lose them in the diaper bag, I just haven’t needed them, and didn’t own any yet. Baby Girl hasn’t had finger foods yet, but we’re getting there. It’s interesting that these containers have the special spout top so that you can put liquids in them as well as solids. I could see this working well if your baby was one that needed a little apple juice or prune juice regularly but you didn’t want to carry a whole extra sippy cup around. I’m not actually sure that we’ll use them for liquids, but I find it intriguing that you can. I see this more as a traveling snack type thing. Well, I guess they saved me having to do the research and figure out which snack containers to purchase myself!

Item 3: Non-Slip Placemat from Oogaa
Retail Price: $8.99
Bought it Anyway? Maybe
Notes: As I’ve already said, Baby Girl hasn’t started finger foods yet, and even if she had, I still wouldn’t need a placemat, as she is still eating in her high chair, with the big washable tray attached to it. That said, I can see the usefulness here, especially as she gets older. I like that it’s totally washable and dishwasher safe (it also says microwave safe, but I’m not sure why someone would want to microwave a placemat…), and I like the suggestion on the package that you can give older children washable markers and let them color in the animals while they wait for their food, as they will just wash off. I think this could be super useful for traveling to other people’s homes, or even to a special event where you don’t want them to make a mess, like a wedding. Will I use it when she’s older and actually sitting at the table with us? Probably, but right now it’s staying in the package in case I never do, or something better comes along.

Item 4:Shampoo & Body Wash from The Honest Company
Retail Price: $9.95
Bought it Anyway? No
Notes: I know that this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but I’m not a big Honest Company fan. I think that their stated mission is admirable and all that, it’s just not for me. Their primary product is a plant-based disposable diaper that cost twice as much as standard disposables. I know they’re very trendy right now, especially among celebrities who think they’re going green, but they’re still disposable diapers. Anyway, rant on the diaper thing over. We use cloth diapers in our household, so I guess I’m just glad they didn’t send me disposable diapers that I’d never use. I certainly didn’t need yet another bottle of shampoo or body wash though. We’re still on our first bottles that we opened when Baby Girl was born, and I have several more giant industrial sized bottles in the closet that we received as gifts. I’ll put it in the closet for now, but chances are good I’ll be giving it away at the next baby shower I attend. I joined this service to get innovative and interesting products and learn about cool new things I never would have found on my own. Ah well, there’s always one dud in the box. 

In Summary: Is It Worth It?
Items I would definitely have bought before the box: $7.99
Items I love now that I have them: $17.98
Total value of stuff I’m glad I got: $25.97
Answer: YES

While I’m much happier with the objects in this box than the last one (for the most part), it isn’t lost on me that the total quantity of products seems to be going down from month to month. I know that the value is still good, but it was strange only pulling out four items this month, and I’ve definitely had months where the value was higher. Is it still worth the price? Yes, I think so, and I plan to renew my subscription for another six months, but I’d really like to get a box that I can get super excited about again…

CLICK HERE TO GET $10 OFF YOUR CITRUS LANE ORDER OR SUBSCRIPTION!

Citrus Lane Review: February 2013 Box

For the last couple of months I have been posting reviews of each box that I have received as part of my subscription to Citrus Lane. This is the third box I have reviewed. I have also posted reviews for my December and January boxes. This review includes detailed information about each product contained in the box, as well as an overall review to determine whether or not the subscription is worth the purchase price. A three month subscription costs $25 per month, while a six month subscription costs $21 per month, and my subscription was $16.50 a month because I used a Black Friday/Cyber Monday discount. I should mention that everyone’s subscription is different based on your baby’s age and gender. Baby Girl received a seven month old box, and I designated that I wanted gender neutral products.

February 2013 Box

This month the box came earlier than expected, so it’s arrival was a surprise, which made it even better. I still find myself wishing that Baby Girl was a little older so that she could better enjoy getting a package that is addressed to her personally and have fun opening it up, but that time will certainly come.

What was in the box:

Item 1: Spring is Here by Taro Gomi from Chronicle Books
Retail Price: $6.99
Bought it Anyway?  Yes
Notes: Books are always a good thing. We are a house of readers, so we always welcome a new book into our home. How lucky for us that this is such a good one. While Baby Girl loves books, we’ve had to stick with the board book variety lately due to her excitement at turning (and possibly tearing) pages, so it was great that this is a board book. This book is simple, a quick read, and the illustrations are fun and high contrast. It was a Bologna Graphic Prize Winner, so it’s definitely not a throw away (like some of the other board books we’ve ended up with). Awesome that this was included in the box, and a great addition to our little library! If you’d like to purchase it for yourself, it is available on Amazon or directly from Chronicle Books. If you’re interested in purchasing it directly from Chronicle, or are interested in some of their other titles, use coupon code CITRUSLANE for 20% off and free shipping through 6/26/13.

Item 2: 8 Inch Rainmaker from Hohner Kids
Retail Price: $12.00
Bought it Anyway? Yes
Notes: I love innovative baby toys! So many baby toys these days are tacky looking and have way too much going on. I’ve actually been surprised to find that the majority of the baby toys that Hubby and I like usually end up being made by only a handful of toy companies (and they generally aren’t the big ones like Fisher-Price and Little Tikes). Enter Hohner Kids. This company only makes mini, kid or baby friendly musical instruments. How fun, right? For babies six months old and older they make rain sticks, maracas, drums, bells, and even a little “adapted for baby” tambourine. I knew the rainmaker was going to be a hit when Hubby started playing with it before we had even taken it out of the packaging. Baby Girl still hasn’t quite figured it out, but she’s on the young end of its age spectrum, so I know it’ll be a hit for years. The great thing about a toy like this is that kids don’t really grow out of rain sticks. My brother had one in his room until he was a teenager. This is a great versatile toy for her to enjoy for the next several years, fostering a love of music that can be encouraged with Hohner’s other kid friendly products. If you’d like a rainmaker of your own, or you’re interested in other products made by Hohner Kids, you can visit their website, or you can also find their products at Amazon, or even at Guitar Center.

Item 3: Washcloths 6-Pack from Kushies
Retail Price: $6.49
Bought it Anyway? Maybe
Notes: It is true that baby washcloths are very useful in any household. If you’re in a pinch, a regular washcloth works fine, of course, but I’ve found that my baby hates the thickness of my regular washcloths and prefers the softness of her baby ones. The thinness of baby washcloths also comes in handy when you need to get into those tight spaces in between tiny fingers and behind tiny ears. I’m also a believer that it’s hard to have too many washcloths. After all, you never want to be without one when you need it! Those are the reasons why I have this little pack of washcloths a maybe. They didn’t earn a yes because they’re a little pricy for baby washcloths, and after feeling them, they don’t seem like they will hold up any better than the cheap Circo ones that I got at my baby shower and have been using just about every day since Baby Girl was born. The colors are fine and gender neutral (even if Kushies says they are “boy colors”). After browsing around the Kushies website, I found that while they sell some pretty things, the majority of their products are exorbitantly expensive, and I don’t anticipate that I will purchase any additional items from them. That said, I know we’ll get some use out of these washcloths. If you’d like some, you can get them directly from the Kushies website.

Item 4:Tooth Gel from Branam
Retail Price: $5.69
Bought it Anyway? Yes
Notes: I have to say, I’m a bad mom when it comes to dental care. When Baby Girl was only a few days old, a nurse came to our house with a package of gauze sponges and told me that I should be rubbing her little gums with one after every feeding so that her gums would be healthy when her little teeth come in. I didn’t. She said that if I thought doing it after every feeding was a little over the top that I should at least do it morning and night. I didn’t. Now that Baby Girl is sprouting her first tooth, I’ve actually started to consider doing it. I do have a little finger toothbrush and some baby toothpaste that I got at my baby shower, but the tube is quite small and won’t last long if I start doing this as often as I’m supposed to. Enter the Go Go Grape Tooth Gel from Branam. Branam only manufactures dental products, and they have good reviews from pediatricians and dentists alike. They make all kinds of things, from toothpaste to pacifiers. I don’t know that the flavoring of this baby toothpaste is really necessary, since I’m pretty sure Baby Girl will hate it no matter what it tastes like, but it’s nice to have a good sized tube of toothpaste that I can use on her now until she’s old enough to use real toothpaste and is safe for her to swallow. If you’re in the market for some baby toothpaste, you use coupon code CitrusLane for 25% off through 12/31/13 at branamsmile.com.

Item 5: Lavender Cardamom Lip Balm from Pangea Organics
Retail Price: $12.00
Bought it Anyway? No
Notes: I can admit that I am a lip balm/chap stick addict. I’m never sad to see a stick of lip balm in a gift bag, which is a good thing, as it is a frequent sight. Just in the past year I have purchased three sticks of Blistex and stick of Burt’s Bees, received two sticks of Chap Stick in my Christmas stocking, and a stick of Bath & Body Works cinnamon at my baby shower. That was great! I love having a stick of lip balm by the bed, one in the bathroom, a couple in my purse (one tinted, one not), and generally one in the diaper bag too. If I put a stick of chap stick or lip balm everywhere, I’m never without it, and I have been without it too many times! I hate being somewhere and realizing my lips are absolutely parched and I have nothing to moisturize them with, so I try to avoid it at all costs. So it’s not that I was sad or disappointed to see a stick of lip balm in the box that gives this product a no. It’s a combination of the fact that I am full up on lip balm at the moment, and the cost of this. $12? Really? I don’t think I’ve ever spent more that $4.00 on a stick of lip balm, and I’ve never been dissatisfied. While the lavender cardamom scent is pleasant and unexpected, I hardly think it’s worth the price tag. I would have much rather received some body wash, or lotion, or under eye cream (yes, I checked, Pangea makes eye cream)! I’m always looking for a good lotion or eye cream! If you’re in the market for organic cosmetics and don’t mind paying an arm and a leg for them, this might be a good brand for you. Use coupon code NEWCITRUS for 20% off through 3/31/13 at pangeaorganics.com.

In Summary: Is It Worth It?
Items I would definitely have bought before the box: $24.68
Items I love now that I have them: $6.49
Total value of stuff I’m glad I got: $31.17
Answer: YES

I definitely got more out of this box than I put into it, even if I had paid full price for the subscription! Since all three boxes so far have earned a yes, there is no reason for me to average the value of them in order to find out if the subscription overall was worth it. If I had purchased a three month subscription at the full price of $25 per box, I would be very happy with what I have received so far and would be renewing. It is worth it to me to recommend a subscription to Citrus Lane to all moms and dads out there!

CLICK HERE TO GET $10 OFF YOUR CITRUS LANE ORDER OR SUBSCRIPTION!