Bluum Box Review: March 2014

This is my seventh 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, if that’s important to you. 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 nineteen month olds. This box didn’t appear to have a theme.

1. Han’s Blueberry Shampoo from Circle of Friends
Price: $12.20
Status: Meh
Comments: I swear that the people who pick the items for these boxes think Baby Girl is perpetually dirty and getting bathed every ten minutes. I really have no need for this shampoo, especially since most toddler body washes are both body wash and shampoo, and she doesn’t have much in the way of hair. On the plus side though, the ingredients are good, it’s organic, and it smells nice.

2. Backyard Buddy Blocks from BeginAgain
Price: $13.00
Status: Great
Comments: These are pretty cool, sturdy little toys! They function as both regular wooden blocks, and as a type of puzzle with plenty of possibility! I’m also really relieved that we didn’t get the farm animal version, since I am pretty sick of farm animals in everything Baby Girl owns. A neat addition to the growing toy collection.

3.Pusharounds Duck from BeginAgain
Price: $13.00
Status: Great
Comments: I love this little wheeled toy! It’s a very sturdy wooden toy, and I am in love with the little rubber washers around the wheels that keep it running smoothly and quietly on my hardwood floors!

4.  Disposable Compressed Travel Wipes from iPlay
Price: $4.50
Status: Good
Comments: These are an interesting little item. I have yet to use them, but they’re so compact, they might work really super well when space is an issue, like on a plane!

5. Tangerine Melon Hand Scrub from Deep Steep
Price: $9.95
Status: Meh
Comments: Not really a fan of the Mommy items that are always in these boxes. This is a rather pricy hand scrub. I know that hands are abused and neglected, but I just don’t get excited about this stuff.

So was it worth it? Definitely. The total value of the box was $52.65, compared to a $25 purchase price. After subtracting the items I will probably regift, I got around $35 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!

Citrus Lane Review: March2014

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 twenty month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. You Are My Baby from Chronicle Books
Price: $8.99
Status: Good
Comments: Always love to get books in the box, especially sturdy board books. This one is different in that it has the “two books in one” feature, which both fascinates and frustrates Baby Girl. I like it, but I wish I had gotten the safari, garden, or ocean variety, because I am thoroughly sick of making farm animal noises.
Use code MYCB-CITRUS for 30% off all personalized items at mychroniclebooks.com through 07/31/14.

2. City Planner Blocks from Hape
Price: $9.99
Status: Good
Comments: We love Hape toys around here, and the elephant she previously got is fantastic. That said, Baby Girl has yet to figure out how to play with blocks, and it seems like her block collection is growing. I really don’t mind having a ton of blocks, since they can pretty much be mixed and matched, but I’m just not sure how much use we’ll get out of them.
Use code HAPECITRUS for 10% off and free shipping on orders of $40+ at hapetoys.com through 05/15/14.

3. Citrus Hydrating Body Lotion from Weleda
Price: $16.50
Status: Good
Comments: Wow, Citrus Lane must think that Baby Girl has ridiculously dry skin. She actually does, but we still have several unopened tubes of lotion in the closet that we’ve received from subscription boxes. The only reason this rates a “good” instead of a “meh” is that I really love the Weleda brand.

4. Medi Buddy from Me4Kidz
Price: $5.25
Status: Awesome
Comments: Every time I’ve gotten one of the Me4Kidz Cool Buddies in my subscription box (which has been twice so far), I have been wishing it was one of these instead! So excited to finally get one! These are the perfect size to throw in a diaper bag when you head to the park or grandma’s house, or to keep in the glove compartment of your car. They most everything you might need to patch your kid up and send them back out to play. The only item that’s missing are insect bite relief pads, which would be an awesome addition…anybody listening? But there’s no reason you couldn’t buy some of those and stick them in yourself. This is awesome. Now I want the full MediBag!
Use code CL314 for 25% off at me4kidz.com through 12/31/14

Final Thoughts:
This time I really didn’t mind at all that we only got four items. The items we got were a good value, and awesome quality, so I’m beyond happy with this box.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $40.73
Total value of items I will use: $40.73
Is the value greater than the cost? YES
Best usable box value I have ever had, and thanks for leaving out the mommy items!

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE 50% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX!

Bluum Box Review: February 2014

This is my sixth 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 eighteen month olds. This box didn’t appear to have a theme.

1. Toy and Surface Wipes from Dapple
Price: $3.00
Status: Meh
Comments: I got this exact same product in my Citrus Lane box last month. I re-gifted it then, and that’s probably what I will do again now. While the travel size is nice, Baby Girl seems to be past the stage of putting everything in her mouth, and I just don’t feel the need to sterilize everything she touches.

2. Calendula Weather Protection Cream from Weleda
Price: $13.00
Status: Meh
Comments: I wanted to be excited about this, since it has been an especially harsh winter, with dry skin abound, but I already have a tube of this in the closet from a Citrus Lane box last winter that I haven’t finished off, so I’m unsure that I’ll be able to get through this one. Great re-gift for those winter babies though!

3.Cozies Plush Gray & White Dog from Manhattan Toy
Price: $22.00
Status: Meh
Comments: This is a great stuffed animal. It has soft, plushy fur, is a comfy squeeze, and is the perfect size for her age. However, what eighteen month old needs more stuffed animals? Especially with Easter coming up, I just don’t see the benefit.

4.  Ants Go Marching! Book w/CD from Child’s Play
Price: $5.99
Status: Great
Comments: Always happy to see books in the box! This book is very sturdy for being a paperback, and it’s cool that it comes with a CD, although It isn’t fastened into the book super well, and I had to take it out to save it from Baby Girl.

5. Silicone Placemat from Brinware
Price: $7.50
Status: Good
Comments: We got a similar item in a previous box, and since Baby Girl is still in a high chair with a tray for meals, we haven’t had the opportunity to use it yet. That said, it seems sturdy and well made, so I’m sure it will work out fine.

So was it worth it? Definitely. The total value of the box was $51.49, compared to a $25 purchase price. After subtracting the items I will probably regift, I got around $35 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!

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!

Bluum Box Review: January 2014

This is my fifth 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 seventeen month olds. This box seemed to have a theme primarily of mealtime type items.

1. Organic Smoothie Fruits: The Green One from Ella’s Kitchen
Price: $1.29
Status: Great
Comments: I actually really like receiving food pouches in my subscription boxes. I have yet to feed them to Baby Girl yet, but I think she’ll really like them, and I look forward to trying!

2. Organic Smoothie Fruits: The Yellow One from Ella’s Kitchen
Price: $1.29
Status: Great
Comments: How fun to get two different flavors! I’m super glad about this!

3.Sippigrips from Booginhead
Price: $15.00
Status: Meh
Comments: These are actually pretty high quality and a nice item (plus I love that it’s a two pack!), but Baby Girl really doesn’t need these anymore. She has a good handle on her toys, cups, and other items, and she’s old enough to walk around now, so I’m not really worried about her dropping things or throwing things out of the car seat/stroller/shopping cart. These would have been awesome to have a few months ago though, and you can bet I’m going to re-gift them!

4.  Divided Plate from Bumkins
Price: $6.95
Status: Great
Comments: I love this item. I love the Bumkins brand, I love Dr. Seuss, and I love this plate! I wish it was a bit smaller, as this is quite a large plate and doesn’t fit well on Baby Girl’s high chair tray, but it’s cute, it’s durable, and it will be perfect for teaching her to eat off of a plate (she doesn’t do so well with that right now).

5. Toddler Fork
Price: $10.00
Status: Good
Comments: We can pretty much always use more utensils for Baby Girl, for sure. This one is a little odd, and I’m not sure how well she’ll do with it, and I’m skeptical of the price point, but it’s fine.

6.Waterproof Super Bib from Bumkins
Price: $6.95
Status: Awesome!
Comments: Bumkins Super Bibs really are the best bibs around for toddlers. Waterproof, food-catching pocket, machine washable, they are just awesome. I only wish we hadn’t gotten such a girly one…not a fan of the pink.

7. Oscillo from Boiron
Price: $6.99
Status: Meh.
Comments: Not a big fan of receiving flu medicine in my box, to tell the truth. Yes, it’s flu season, but this is a bit like getting a bottle of aspirin. Not cool.

So was it worth it? Definitely. The total value of the box was $48.47, compared to a $25 purchase price. After subtracting the items I will probably regift, I got around $27 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!

Citrus Lane Review: January 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 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 eighteen month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Shape Sorter from Plan Toys
Price: $10.00
Status: Interesting
Comments: When I first pulled this out of the box, I was unimpressed. It’s a small little thing, and I’m not really sure about the “grip handle”/spout feature. That said, after playing with it with Baby Girl for what seemed like a ridiculously long time, it seems to pull it’s weight. It’ll make a fantastic travel toy, since the shapes are attached by a sturdy cord. The cord does make it slightly more difficult for her to sort the shapes, since they have to go in at a particular angle and in the order that they are on the cord, but I know she’ll have it figured out in no time.

2. Lunchie from Skip Hop
Price: $14.00
Status: Awesome!
Comments: I love Skip Hop brand items. We have a ton of their products, some of which we got in Citrus Lane boxes. We have two of their diaper bags, a set of zootensils, and several of their toys. This is no exception. Baby Girl is still at an age where she can’t eat everything, and we often have to take food with us when we’re going to be away from home at meal times, even if we’re going somewhere that has food, just to make sure we have something she can eat. We had been lugging around a small cooler bag, which even in the small size was huge, but we just couldn’t justify buying something else. Now we have this! It’s cute, it will hold enough for at least one meal, and it will fit in the diaper bag with a couple of diapers. Stellar!
Want to get one of your own? Use code CLJAN14 for 20% off any purchase of $30 or more at http://www.skiphop.com through 01/31/14

3. Adhesive Bandages from Ouchies Jr.
Price: $5.00
Status: Okay
Comments: I was a little disappointed to get this in my box…again. I got this exact same item (not even a different design, Paddington Bear band-aids) a few boxes ago, and have yet to open it. Hubby had a point when I told him I was disappointed though, he said “Band-aids are band-aids.” That’s true. We just haven’t needed band-aids for Baby Girl yet. She isn’t super physical, and it’s cold outside. Maybe when it warms up we’ll blow through both tins of these things, but I just don’t see that happening.

4.Travel Wipes from Dapple
Price: $3.49
Status: Meh
Comments: I always want to like the products that I get in my boxes from Dapple, as they seem like a great company, but I never do. Laundry detergent? No thanks. Pacifier wipes at sixteen months old? A little late in the game. And now a travel pack of surface wipes. I feel like I would have been excited about these eight months ago, when Baby Girl was putting everything in her mouth and we were traveling a lot, but now I feel like I’ll never use them. I’m not much of a germaphobe anyway (Baby Girl is fully vaccinated, and I believe in the dangers of sterilizing everything), and now thanks to these boxes I have wipes for EVERYTHING. Seems like they are always giving me soap. Whatever, I”ll re-gift these to some germaphobe friends.

Final Thoughts:
Only four items again…hmmm…I’m starting to think the quality of this box might be going down a bit. That said, I did get a couple of awesome bigger ticket items (the toy and the lunchie), so I can’t really complain. If there had been one more absolutely awesome item in here, rather than a couple of cheapie throwaways, you would not hear me bellyaching about only four items.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $32.49
Total value of items I will use: $29.00
Is the value greater than the cost? YES
The value of this box was actually pretty great. Trade out one of my meh items for a stellar one, and I would be over the moon. As it is, this is still a fun box to get, and I still felt I got my money’s worth.

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

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

Citrus Lane Review: December 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 seventeen month old box with a neutral gender selection.

1. Handprint Art Kit from Pearhead
Price: $14.99
Status: Interesting
Comments: I don’t actually have a picture or a link to this, as I couldn’t find it for sale anywhere, but it’s a white canvas on a stretcher frame that comes with pink and blue paint, and you’re supposed to put your child’s handprints on it. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it yet, since I already have Lilly’s baby handprint on the wall of her room, but it’s a pretty sizable canvas, so I’m thinking that when she’s 18 months old in February I’ll do a “family” of handprints, including mine and Hubby’s. A cool thing, especially if I hadn’t already been subscribing to the service for a year…since the first handprint kit came in my first Citrus Lane box. 🙂

2. Rainbow Stacker from Melissa & Doug
Price: $7.99
Status: Awesome!
Comments: I’m always surprised when I look up prices at how inexpensive Melissa & Doug items are. They’re well-designed, sturdy, made of solid wood…I always think they should be more expensive than they are. Baby Girl was already in love with her Green Toys Stacker, which I actually like better than this one, but she’s a fan of this one too, and we’re only a day into it!

3. I Took the Moon for a Walk from Barefoot Books
Price: $7.99
Status: Great
Comments: You can never have too many children’s books. I really believe that. This one is sweet, and quite well illustrated, so a great addition to our collection. It’s short, with few words on the page, making it very age appropriate. My only complaint is that it is a paperback, so it has to go out of reach for now.

4. Snuggly Lotion from Episencial
Price: $7.34
Status: Meh
Comments: Always with the lotion! I have so much organic, sensitive skin lotion…quit with the skincare products already! This is the travel size of the snuggly lotion, which comes in their travel pack, hence the strange price point.

Final Thoughts:
After usually getting 5-6 items, this box with only 4 was a bit of a letdown. On top of that, there was no big ticket WOW item, and after a stellar year-end holiday box last year, this one was a bit of a disappointment.

By the Numbers:
Total value of the box items: $38.31
Total value of items I will use: $38.31
Is the value greater than the cost? YES
While the value was pretty good, I’ve had better boxes, and there was nothing in here that I was over the moon about, unfortunately. Still, it was fun to get, and Baby Girl gets more excited about every box.

Looking for my previous Citrus Lane reviews? CLICK HERE!

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

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!

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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!

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