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!
Last month I reviewed my first gift box from Citrus Lane with stellar results. I also promised that I would review my next box so that a fair evaluation could be made as to whether their subscription service is worth the price. As a reminder, I got my subscription on sale and only paid $16.50 per box. As part of my evaluation I will assess whether the subscription is worth this price, the standard 6 month price of $21 per box, or the 3 month price of $25 per box. Last month it would have been worth it at any of these, let’s see what this month has to offer!
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Happiness is Now 