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 The first is that I originally made fun of baby legwarmers when I was pregnant.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 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!

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