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!

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!

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!

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: 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!

Stork Stack Review: January 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 also guarantee a quantity of five items in every box, which could be good or bad, I really have yet to know.

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 seventeen month old.

1. Wheaties from A Harvest Company
Price: ? *I’m really not sure the value of this, since I can’t find them for sale anywhere, and this seems to be a fairly new company.
Status: Good
Comments: This was actually a cool little toy, and it’s interesting that they use all-natural, locally sourced materials for their items (in this case wheat grass). It seems durable, and Baby Girl has been a big fan of it the last couple of days since we received it. It’s not great, but it’s not a bad addition to the toy box.

2. Cork Block Stacker from A Harvest Company
Price: ?*See above
Status: Meh.
Comments: These are neat little blocks. I like them, they’re interesting, and you can always mix and match blocks, so whatever. That said, they’re not amazing, and I’m not blown away or anything.

3. Harvest Teether Keys from A Harvest Company
Price: ?*See above
Status: Blech.
Comments: Not at all impressed. To start, I think these are definitely too young for Baby Girl now, and I’m putting them in the regift box. But even if that were not the case, I don’t like them. Yes, I like the principle behind them, but they don’t seem like they would be satisfying to a kid. They don’t jingle or make any good kind of rattle noise when you shake them, they are rather large for small babies to hold, and they just don’t seem satisfying to chew on, making the whole teether aspect a bit out of place.

4. Eating Well! from Child’s Play
Price: $6.99
Status: Good
Comments: I’m genuinely always happy to get a book in a subscription box, and this is a good one. It encourages healthy eating, is cute, has good illustrations, an all around good thing. I’m a fan. Is it amazing? No.

5. KIND Bar from KIND
Price: $0.72
Status: Meh
Comments: I know some moms get super excited when there’s something for them in these boxes, but I just don’t. They are generally either one-off throwaway items or overly expensive cosmetic things that serve only to inflate value. I’m sure this bar is probably tasty, and I will take five minutes to enjoy it at some point, but as the fifth item to tie the box together, I’m unimpressed.

Summary: I feel like I can’t even include my customary “Is it Worth It?” value assessment, since I’m really unsure what the value of this box actually was. I can’t even decide if I’m disappointed, since Baby Girl got some things she really likes. The best I can really say is that it wasn’t horrid, and I didn’t hate it, but there wasn’t a WOW! item in the box. I’m going to give them one more month, and if next month is this underwhelming, I’ll just cancel.

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

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!

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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!