Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

The Brit Kit: Having a Polka Dot Party (with myself)

brit_kitchen — This is Brit — she is adorable and I want her to be my friend. (Source: the Brit + Co website)

Have you heard of Brit + Co yet? It was founded by Brit Morin, who has been called “Silicon Valley’s Martha Stewart.” In fact, she’s like a super cool, hottie version of Martha that you wish was your best friend so that you could hang out at her house, drink some wine and borrow clothes from her closet.

Ok, it’s true… I kinda have a girl crush on her. I mean, look at her! She’s adorable!

As you might know I get my son the monthly box from Citrus Lane and I’ve really been wanting something for MYSELF to enjoy. Momma needs a TREAT every so often, you know what I mean?!

I tried out a couple different subscription box companies, but hadn’t really found anything I loved. So when I was offered a Brit Kit to review, I was curious to see if it was the subscription box of my dreams or yet another sad trombone moment.

I was sent the February Brit Kit, which had the theme of Polka Dot Party Popcorn. Um, okay. I mean, I like popcorn and I like polka dots…

The kit came with a little postcard sized brochure explaining what you could make and contained: white chocolate candy melts, nonpareils, cinnamon drops, edible gold stars, popcorn, 5 black popcorn bags, 5 teal cloth napkins, gold paint and a Brit + Co pencil. There was also a bonus discount code for an app called Over.

Project #1: Polka Dot Popcorn
I popped the popcorn and melted the white chocolate candy. Once it was all hot, I drizzled the white chocolate over the popcorn and shook on some of the toppings. Okay, this project was totally a winner! I have a TON of ingredients left over to do it again (everything except the popcorn) and it would make a really cute little snack for a kid’s party. Or, even a grown up party. And the best part… it was DELICIOUS!

Project #2: Polka Dot Napkins

I grabbed the container of gold paint, the pencil and the teal napkins for the next project. The instructions showed how to make the polka dots by dipping the pencil eraser in the paint and stamping it all over the napkin. I decided to just do around the edges of the napkin and really like how it turned out. This isn’t something I would think to do on my own, but I really like the finished product. I also have almost the whole tube of gold paint left, so I’ve been scanning the house for more things to paint!

Project #3: Polka Dot Bags

Here’s where I went off course – you were supposed to paint the bags with gold polka dots so that they matched the napkins and then put servings of the popcorn in the bags for your party. Well, I wasn’t actually having a party, but I did play around with the bag and decided that I loved the look of adding polka dotted initials. These will be great as treat bags for Easter or serve as a gift bag for an upcoming birthday party. I also like the look of using them as part of a place setting – maybe for a dinner party or wedding with a candy treat bar? So cute!

So, was the Brit Kit worth it? YES, it totally was!

It contained all the makings for three fun projects that I actually enjoyed doing (and eating) AND there were plenty of leftovers, so I can recreate the projects whenever I’d like. The monthly kit subscription is $19.99, which is less expensive than many other subscription boxes. Each month’s kit is totally different and a surprise — December had everything you need to make a glitter mousepad and gift wrap, January had makings for a cross-stitch Valentine’s Day card AND a necklace and bracelet, and the March kit has everything you need to create your own pashmina scarf.

Have you tried out a subscription box service that you loved (or hated)? Tell me about it in the comments!

Disclosure: I was provided a Brit Kit to review for free; however all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. In fact, I loved the kit so much I signed up for their monthly service and will be paying for it with my own hard-earned money.

Reviewing Lollacup

The good folks at Lollacup sent me one of their adorable kiddle cups to review, so cue the gratuitous pictures of my little boy!

The cup we were sent is my favorite color, which they call Happy Orange. In addition to being cute, Lollacups are made in the USA and use FDA approved, BPA-free, phthalate-free materials.The little chick head flips open to reveal the straw and flips back closed for when you stick it in the fridge. The straw is weighted on the bottom, which helps your kid when he wants to tilt the cup up (like a bottle) to get more out of it. The straw is also valve-free, which allows a young child to sip out of it without too much effort.

However, if your kid likes to shake the cup over his head to make it rain milk (this isn’t just my kid, right?!) it will NOT keep that from happening.

Ok, bring on the cute pictures!

lollacup 1 — Hey mom, is that for me? Because it totally LOOKS like something for me…

lollacup 2 — The handle comes off easily so you can fit it in a cup holder AND that little brush thing is a LIFE SAVER for cleaning the straw with a couple quick swipes.

lollacup 3 — That’s it Jack, show off the goods!

lollacup 4 — See how cute it looks in my fridge?! And yes, I totally moved the messy stuff for this picture…

lollacup 5 — Jack thought the box was pretty awesome too. In fact, for the past couple weeks he’s enjoyed putting toys in the box, shaking them around and then taking them out of the box. Works for me!

lollacup 6 — Oh hey Potter, can my Little Person guy ride you?

Disclosure: Lollacup provided me with a free cup to review. While I do appreciate the free cup, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.

Reviewing Citrus Lane: The February Box & A Rant on FunBurglars

Before I go into my bi-monthly review of the Citrus Lane box we received, I want to take a minute and vent.

When you sign up for a subscription box service, you are purchasing a surprise. The whole idea of the subscription box is that YOU DON’T KNOW what will be inside. It’s like a gift – you might love it or you might hate it. That’s the fun of the game.

You would think that everyone who signs up would understand that, but obviously some don’t. And those people are the ones that I have decided to name the FunBurglars.

Last week, Citrus Lane posted on their Facebook page that most of the February boxes had been delivered and they hoped that people enjoyed them. Well, it was like someone sounded the alarm to release the FunBurglars because some of the comments on their status were just ridiculous. My favorite was the person who complained that the “plot was so so” for a book her baby received. Um, it’s a BABY BOOK – what kind of plot were you expecting??!

Look, I get it. Sometimes my kid doesn’t like things – whether I purchased them myself or received them in our monthly Citrus Lane box. But you know what, kids are fickle creatures. One month they might not be into books and the next your little guy might sit on the floor entranced with the sensation of turning a page back and forth and back again. So, here’s my advice to you: CHILL THE FRICK OUT.

If you cannot handle not knowing what is going to be in your monthly subscription box, cancel your subscription. Don’t buy a box and then whine about how your kid doesn’t like the particular packaging on an item. Take that $25 and go buy yourself whatever it is you wanted in the first place!

However, if you’re checking out blog reviews to see what TYPES of things might be in the boxes and are excited to try them out, go for it. If you go in with an open mind and a good attitude that you may or may not love everything initially, you’ll probably be pretty darn happy with the experience.

Ok, rant done. Now let’s get into talking about this month’s box. Here’s what we got:

I Spy in the Ocean book from Chronicle Books – This is a typical sized board book with holes cut out so that your little one can see through to the next page. Jack thinks it’s also pretty fun to poke your little fingers though the holes while paging through the book. The book is beautifully illustrated and I’m happy to add it to our collection.

Toddler Tambourine from Hohner Kids – This lightweight and durable kid’s tambourine is AWESOME! So far I’ve rocked out like a crazed belly dancer (which delighted Jack and scared my dog), we had a family jam session with both my husband and I jumping around, AND Jack has shook the tambourine so hard he fell over. LOVE THIS TOY!

Here… doesn’t it look like I’m having fun?!

Little Buddy Wipes from Me4Kidz – A cute little pack of wipes for wiping off your messy kid’s hands and face. They’re useful, they smell good and they’re small enough to fit in a diaper bag. Works for me!

Tooth Gel from Branam – We just started with kiddie teeth brushing at our house and so far Jack is a fan. This teeth gel is free from fluoride, SLS and saccharin, so I’m happy to have the FULL SIZED tube to try out.

Lip Balm from Pangea Organics – YAY, it’s a MOMMY GIFT! Pretty much my only complaint over the last few months is the lack of mom gifts and this one is incredible. It’s a brand I haven’t heard of and an item I’d never buy myself, but that’s the point! It’s a yummy lavender cardamom scent and does a great job of keeping my lips moist and kissable. And when you’ve got a cute little guy running around the house, you tend to kiss him a lot!

So, now it’s time for the important question… Was it Worth It?

YES. We liked every single thing in this month’s box, but even if we didn’t it was fun to get a box of gifts in the mail. I love trying new products from companies I might not have heard of. I especially love having something new delivered to the house each month to entertain me AND my toddler!

I do find it interesting that Citrus Lane didn’t list the value for each item in this month’s box. However, maybe that’s better so that people aren’t adding up the exact value of every box and using that fuel to light their fire of unhappiness.

My typical disclaimer: I was not rewarded by Citrus Lane for reviewing their box on my blog. I review the boxes, because I feel like other mom’s would be interested in seeing what they’ll get if they sign up for the monthly service.

However, if you decide that you would like to sign up for your own subscription and use my link, I will receive credits on my account. Click here to access the Citrus Lane website with my special link and you will receive $10 off your order!

If you would like to see any of my previous Citrus Lane box review posts, click on the “Product & Company Reviews/Recommendations tab on the right hand side of this page.