Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I was in a ‘treating myself’ kind of mood last week and had the brilliant idea to order myself a grown up gift box. I’ve been loving Jack’s monthly Citrus Lane gift boxes, so I thought that getting a box especially for me would be just the thing I needed to pull myself out of the winter sadness that everyone seems to get this time of year.

I googled around for some different subscription box options and ended up ordering the “Lovely” gift box from Indie Gift Box. The company works with independent artists and small businesses to send you a few different surprise items. I’m obsessed with etsy and pretty much want everything they show on their main page, so I thought this would be a good chance for me to try something new.

And I wanted to love it.

I really, really truly did. And I did love the CONCEPT of the box…. just not the actual box.

My “Lovely” box contained:

Three vinyl decals from threethirtysix (some small hearts, a rose and a small ‘you are loved’ heart.
A handmade Valentine’s Day card from issaino.
A bottle of citrus scented lotion from Blue Orchid Botanicals.
A pair of fabric button earrings from Puddingcups.
A postcard and silver-tone minimalist necklace from EEF LLC.

The box was $20.00 + $6.00 shipping. The value of the box was more than that, which is great. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like anything from the box.

Actually, that’s a lie. I did like the Valentine’s Day postcard. It is really cute and I’ll probably give it to my husband. Since my hubby is my only Valentine, I guess he’ll get the other card too. Or I can leave it on his dresser with a note to write something nice inside for me, but that sounds really super lame.

I kind of like the “you are loved” vinyl decal, but I have no idea what I would use it for. On their website they show the decals used on laptop covers, but I’m thinking a “You are Loved” decal might be a bit inappropriate for my work laptop. Well, maybe not inappropriate. Just weird.

I love lotions and potions, but really do not like the citrus scent of the lotion from Blue Orchid Botanicals. That’s obviously a personal preference thing though, so I’ll probably throw it in a box of stuff that I grab from for giveaways in the hopes that someone else would enjoy it.

The fabric button earrings are absolutely NOT my style. Um, I actually kind of hate them. Which is so mean, I know. And I’m totally sorry if you’re the person who made these things. Maybe a small child might like them? Or a hipster? I don’t know. Maybe not. They’re pretty ugly. (Of course, I just went on their page to grab a picture for you guys and there is a comment from someone who loved her earrings. So maybe I’m just so terribly out-of-style that I don’t know cute when I see it? Here’s the link).

The necklace actually DOES look like something that I would wear, but in person it looks super cheap. There are other necklaces on the EEF website that I like a lot better than the one I was sent (especially the cute star), but that’s the beauty of surprise gift boxes… you DON’T pick out what you get.

So instead of this box being a super awesome gift to myself that I’m excited to share with you, it’s just kind of a disappointment.

I don’t have anything against the company, I’m sure that someone else who received my exact box might totally love everything included. Just not me. And I’m kind of kicking myself for wasting the $26.00, when all I’m going to use is the $2 postcard. Needless to say, I will not be ordering another Indie Gift Box for myself.

And before anyone points it out, I know I sound like a total sourpuss today. I’m actually in a totally fine mood. I was just shocked that I didn’t really like anything in this box. Maybe my standards were too high, but I really expected more. There are so many wonderful artists out there who are making reasonably priced crafts that I just thought there might be SOMETHING that I loved in this box.

Oh well, I tried.

I do still have high hopes for two other subscription boxes that will be delivered to my door this month: the January boxes from both Citrus Lane and Bluum. The Bluum box is a one-time tryout thing because I came across a 50% discount, so maybe it will be a surprise winner that is exploding with awesomeness.

So here’s your chance to chime in. Have you tried a subscription box service for you or your kids? They have boxes for EVERYTHING now – I saw some with everything you need to make a recipe, monthly craft kits for kids (that I’d totally do), makeup samples, and even sassy adult playthings!

Update: I used my “You are loved” and heart decals and I absolutely LOVE them now. Check it out!

Reviewing Citrus Lane: The December “Favorite Things” Box

It’s our favorite time of the month – when something arrives in the mail that isn’t a bill or speeding ticket – it’s Citrus Lane box time!

Yay, the December “Favorite Things” box!

Starting this month, I’ll be doing my Citrus Lane box reviews on a bi-monthly basis, so as not to bore anyone who doesn’t give a pooper what is in the subscription boxes. However, for those of you who are on the fence on trying them out, this month had a pretty great box!

The theme for December was “A few of our Favorite Things” which sounds pretty promising, right? We’ve been a member of the service since March, so I was afraid that it might be something that we already had, but it turned out to be all new items.

Here’s what we got:

Green Toys Submarine (value $14.99) – Okay, let me just start by saying that is probably one of my favorite things I’ve gotten from Citrus Lane EVER! I absolutely love Green Toys because not only are they made from 100% recycled milk jugs, they’re also designed really well. I was hoping that this month’s box would have something I could put in Jack’s stocking for Christmas and this is perfect. The best part is that the front opening of the submarine collects water so that you can pour it over your little wiggler’s head during bath time. LOVE THIS TOY! Honestly, if we got a different Green Toy every single month, I’d be a happy camper.
Pearhead Brag Book (value $8.95) – In the age of cell phones, it’s kind of rare that I actually print out pictures of my kid; however a couple months ago my dad asked for a brag book of Jack pictures so that he could show him off. I searched all over the place and didn’t come up with anything half as cute as this one. As luck would have it, I have a bunch of prints that are currently displayed on our fridge (a little leftover Thanksgiving décor) and they’ll go great in this little book.
Renee & Jeremy It’s a Big World CD (value $12.00) – Honestly, I haven’t opened this CD yet to listen to it AND I’m not too big of a fan of kids music in general (not counting random Disney movies, of course). So, I don’t have super high hopes for this CD, but I will keep an open mind. Or throw it in my baby shower pile. One or the other.
Madecasse 75% Cocoa Mini Chocolate Bar (value $1.50) – I love it when they include a little something for the mommies AND I love chocolate, so you’d think I’d be all over this chocolate bar. I mean, I LOVE chocolate — dark chocolate, milk chocolate, maybe even a little white chocolate if I’m feeling especially wild. But oh my gosh, I don’t know what they did to this chocolate but I took a bite and literally spit it out! Maybe my taste buds aren’t quite as refined as other mommies out there, but I doubt anyone would make yummy noises while nibbling on this.
Ecomom Gift Voucher (value $15.00) – Normally I really don’t like it when they include a gift voucher, because it requires more work for me to actually order something using the money. Luckily, the Ecomom website stocked a few things that I needed anyways – mainly a Green Toys fork and spoon set and a couple organic kiddie snacks. I had some trouble with the voucher code at first, because I was putting in a 1 instead of a I, but once I got the code in the order went as quick as could be.

The value of the December box I received was around $52.00 (monthly cost: $25), so I feel like I did really get a good value for my subscription. Obviously, my absolute favorite item out of the box was the Green Toy’s Submarine, but there are other things that we will use as well. Just not the chocolate. Blegh.

Random adorable Jack picture, because this post needed a picture of my kid!

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. As an added bonus to my fabulous readers, you can get 10% off the cost of any subscription (normal cost $25 each month). You’ll save $7.50 on three months, $12.50 on six months, or $25 on twelve months. To redeem the deal, click on my link and enter the word SPRINGFUN when checking out.

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.

1/9/13 Update: Citrus Lane is running a new referral promotion and not the one at the end of this post. If you use this link you will get $10 off the cost of your new subscription!

My Marshmallow Tasting Party with Plush Puffs*

Okay friends, if you’ve been reading along for a while you might just have a little inkling that I have a love affair going with marshmallows. I mean, do normal people almost cry when their husband recycles their secret stash of sugary goodness?

Anyways, you can only imagine my excitement and victory dance when I was offered the chance to review a few different flavors of gourmet marshmallows.

Yes, I totally said GOURMET marshmallows. I’m moving up in the world and trying out an Artisan Marshmallow Product! Sounds fancy, right?

Plush Puffs was nice enough to send me FOUR different flavors of marshmallows to try: Chocolate Chipetta, Peppi-Mint, Gingerbread Spice and Toasty Coconut.

The Plush Puffs website has a bunch of suggestions on recipes, but to be honest I pretty much eat my marshmallows right out of the box and don’t bother with adding any other ingredients. So for my super professional (um, not really…) tasting, I decided that each marshmallow should be tried three different ways:

Out of the box alone (aka sitting on the couch after a bad day-style)
In coffee or hot cocoa
Toasted over a fire

First off, let me say that I was NOT paid for this review and in no way received any incentive for saying NICE things about their product. The company did send me the marshmallows for free (and will forever have my undying love), but that is it. Typically this piece of information would go at the bottom of my post in italics, but I felt like it was very important that you understand that my feelings are my own and not purchased by anyone!

Moving on to the yumminess…

Since I’m a marketing kinda girl, I have to first comment on the packaging which is super cute. The company logo is snappy and the tagline of “Get Toasted” is perfect! My only complaint is that it would be nice if the inside cellophane bags were resealable. You know, for those people who don’t want to eat the entire box in a sitting (whoever they may be). The marshmallows themselves are fantastic – a little denser and heavier than typical store-bought marshmallows and they look like they are hand cut into squares. Visually, Plush Puffs knocks it out of the park.

Next up, the flavors. Keep in mind, these are the thoughts of MY taste-buds. Someone else might think a flavor is the bee’s knees when I think it is kind of yucky.

My tasting range goes from 1 (just okay) to 5 (back up from my marshmallows or I’ll cut you!):

I really liked the Chocolate Chipetta marshmallows and they were one of my favorites to eat straight out of the box. They were chocolaty and then topped with teeny-tiny chocolate chips which increased the texture factor. I wish I would have checked out the Plush Puffs website before I ate them all because they suggest mixing them with peanut butter which sounds amazing.

The Peppi-Mint marshmallows were my absolute favorite. They had a really great pepperminty KICK to them which almost made them feel like a squishy after-dinner mint. They were a really great addition to my coffee as well as my hot cocoa. The only place I didn’t like them was toasted over my fire. The toasting upped the peppermint flavor and it got a little too overpowering for me. Perhaps if I toasted it and then mixed it with something like ice cream it would have been perfect, but I kind of ate them all before I thought of that.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the Gingerbread Spice marshmallows because while I do enjoy a gingerbread latte a few times a year, I’m not really a gingerbread girl. So it makes total sense that I didn’t LOVE this flavor naked or toasted, but thought it was pretty darn yummy mixed in my morning coffee.

Now onto the Toasty Coconut marshmallows – this is totally one of those it’s me not you kind of circumstances. The coconut marshmallows have actual strands of coconut in/on them; which is great if you love coconut but not so great if you don’t. I didn’t hate them, I just didn’t love them enough to scarf down the entire box yet.

So there you go, my very first gourmet marshmallow tasting and review. How did I do? I tried to be honest, but fair and didn’t even get out a scary red pen like a mean teacher.

All in all, I really liked the gourmet marshmallows and think that they’d make a fun present for the marshmallow lover in your life. How cute would it be for you to make someone a snuggle gift for Christmas which could include a fluffy blanket, some slippers, a pretty mug, hot cocoa mix and a few different packs of Plush Puffs?!

*I say “party”, but it was pretty much just me devouring marshmallows and running around giggling on my sugar-high. I DID share with my husband, but revoked his marshmallow partying invitation when I felt like he didn’t appreciate them as much as he should have.