Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

Reviewing the Tot Swap: Is it Worth It?

A couple days ago, I posted about my plans to go and check out my first Tot Swap.

To recap it for you – my strategy was to infiltrate the warehouse like a sale hunting ninja and come out on the other end with just what I actually needed for baby Jack.

However, when you put my friend Lindsay and me together chaos tends to happen, so I anticipated us shoving baby hats on our heads while trying to fit into bouncy seats.

So, how did we do?

We pretty much won gold medals for shopping!

Here’s what we ended up with:

6 month sized clothes
Thought I needed: just a hoodie and a couple pairs of shorts
Purchased: 2 hoodies, 1 overall shorts and 1 pair of shorts
WIN

favs 1 — I would totally wear these if they were in my size!

9 month sized clothes
Thought I needed: everything for Fall
Purchased: A ton of stuff for Fall
WIN (Update: No longer a WIN, once I did all the laundry I realized that I actually bought NO 9 month clothes. Oops. Looks like I’ll be bargain hunting again…)

12 month sized clothes
Thought I needed: everything for Fall/Winter
Purchased: A ton of stuff for Fall/Winter
WIN

18 month sized clothes
Thought I needed: nothing – hold off until he grows more
Purchased: A couple things, but they were only $2!
WIN

fav 2 — Of course Jack needs a Captain Awesome hoodie!

Activity Gym
Thought I needed: one for my mom’s house
Purchased: Yes
WIN

Cheap Organizing Boxes or Baskets
Thought I needed: a few for random areas of my house
Purchased: None, nothing available.
BOO

Crawling to Walking Toys
Thought I needed: 2 – 4 to divide between my house and my parent’s house
Purchased: 3 – 1 Fisher price stand up piano, 1 VTech Paint and Learn, 1 Little Tykes Tool Bench. I would have bought one more piano-type toy, but there weren’t any!
WIN

Books
Thought I needed: Some more cardboard books and anything Dr. Seuss
Purchased: NONE. I felt like they were all super overpriced for a consignment sale
BOO

Childproofing Stuff
Thought I needed: a few things to start childproofing the house
Purchased: None. They had a few things, but not what I was looking for
BOO

Other Stuff
Thought I needed: Nothing Else…unless it was a really good price!
Purchased: a baby sized tonka car and dump truck, an adorable wooden pull toy and a set of blocks with car/truck/plane stuff inside.
WIN

So, if you add up the wins it was definitely worth my time to drive out to the sale and shop.

Some of the Pro’s:

Everything was organized really well
Baby clothes were divided according to gender and size and toys were on tables labeled for babies or older children. There was even a room with some larger stuff like high chairs and cribs. All in all, the sale was really easy to navigate – which is great since it covered such a large area!

There was TONS of stuff
Granted, I went to the sale on the first day that it was open to the public, but holy crap was there a lot of stuff! Each size in clothing spanned over a dozen feet long with two levels of awesomeness to search. The books alone took up an entire row of tables with all the choices, from cardboard books to Dr. Seuss and American Girls.

The prices were great
Okay, this is one that is going in both the Pros and Con’s column. I got some super great deals on shirts/onesies for $2 each, whole outfits for $5 and a Baby Einstein exersaucer * (that retails between $80 – $120) for $25!

A Couple Con’s:

Carrying all the bargains
Thank goodness I brought my pack mule (just kidding Lindsay) because we had so much stuff that we were stumbling around to hold it all! They did provide big Ikea bags for shopping, which were helpful – but it would have been even better if they had some shopping cards available too.

Some prices were not so great
MOST of the pricing was great – however, some people obviously felt like their stuff was worth way more than other people. The typical price for the baby shirts and onesies I got was from $2 – $4, but every so often I’d come across a super cute one for $7! Now $7 doesn’t really sound like much, but when you think about the fact that I could buy THREE other onesies for the same price it just doesn’t make sense!

My huge disappointment of the day was the books area – there were tons of books that I would have loved to buy but I felt like they were priced WAY too high for being used. For example the two books above were probably about 6 pages long and maybe the size of my hand…and they were $2.00 each! Maybe I’m crazy, but I was thinking that books this size would be less than a dollar. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled at thrift stores and online to see if I can get a better deal.

So, was the Tot Swap worth it?

YES! Just take a look at the amount of stuff I got at the sale – it’s a good thing I emptied my trunk before I went.

I purchased 8 different toys and about 30 pieces of clothing and spent…

(drumroll please)

$171.72

Yes, that is kind of a lot of money – but considering the amount of stuff that I bought it is a super bargain. Jack has enough clothes to last him through the end of the year (maybe longer) and I have toys for both my house AND my mom’s house. Score!

The Tot Swap is still going on in Gaithersburg though the weekend. It will also be coming back to the area four more times between now and November:

Gaithersburg, MD
September 19 – 23

Frederick, MD
October 10 – 14

Timonium, MD
October 24 – 28

Howard County, MD
November 7 – 11

So if you have a little one, or even one on the way. I would make it a point to stop by and check one of these sales out. I definitely think that it was worth it – I got to spend the day with my awesome friend, we bought a ton of stuff and even got snow cones on the way home. I consider that a win!

* To any smart mommies out there that are about ready to tell me that the exersaucer I purchased was recalled, yes I already checked. There is a recall in place for the exersaucer I purchased and you are supposed to detach and send back one part of the toy for a replacement – however, it looks like the previous owner already did. YAY!

Reviewing Let’s Dish: Is it Worth It?

So, the latest and greatest in my “Is it Worth it” series is the meal assembly store, Let’s Dish. The store has been around for a little while and there are a couple different companies that do the same type of thing – you pick your meals according to the monthly menu, visit the store to make the meals and then bring them home to stock your freezer.

I visited Let’s Dish for the first time a few years ago and got hooked. I go pretty regularly at about 4 – 6 times each year, even though I now live about 40 minutes away from the closest store. According to my session card at this past weekend’s visit, I’ve been there EIGHTEEN times – so it’s pretty weird that I’ve never written about my experiences there even though I’ve gotten lots of questions in real life.

So, is it worth it? Obviously I think so, since I’m a repeat offender… but to truly answer the question, it is best to divide it into a few mini questions:

1. Why don’t I just get off my lazy butt and get a cookbook to make new meals?
Good question Joules, even if you are being a little snarky. Why don’t I just find new recipes somewhere and make them? I mean, there are tons of cookbooks out there and even a bazillion websites that I could use for free?

Well, the thing that I like about Let’s Dish is that I not only get the chance to try a new recipe, I can try it without buying a crapload of a spice that I may never need again. I find it a bit intimidating to have to purchase a bunch of random ingredients which could be expensive, when I don’t even really know if I’m going to like the finished creation. By doing it at the store, they have everything there for me to try with no fuss or extra cost. Oh and bonus points because you don’t even have to clean up after yourself!

2. How many meals do you make at a time and how many people do they each feed?
You can make anywhere from one meal to 12 and each dish has six servings. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, since we have a family of three (two that eat actual food at the moment), I split each meal in half while I’m making it. I also tend to get four meals at a time… so for every four meals I purchase, it’s actually divided into 8 meals. Which works out great because we have an extra serving for a guest, or for a leftovers lunch the next day.

3. What kind of food do you get?
There are ALL kinds of food offered on the monthly menu and it changes each month to different choices so that you won’t get bored. When I went this past weekend, I made:

Four-Star BBQ Pork Tenderloins
Honey Glazed Pork Chops
New England-Style Shrimp Rolls
Santa Fe Tilapia

Each of these meals is totally unlike the typical dinners I’d usually make if I go to the store and buy the ingredients myself. Sometimes by trying out various meals and finding out the proper cooking times, it helps me replicate them on my own. For example, I made a pretty delicious pork chop meal there a few years ago which used garlic and had roasted apples on top. After a few tries, I was able to start making that meal at home all by myself like a big girl.

Sometimes the menus look awesome to me, sometimes I don’t like more than one meal offered. That’s why I don’t go every month. Well, that and the fact that it actually takes us awhile to get through all the meals.

4. Isn’t it super expensive?
It can be; however there are lots of promotions and coupons out there for you to use.

Let’s pretend you don’t know of any promotions at the time to give you a cost comparison. For the 4 dishes session, the cost (at the Columbia, MD store) is $105.00. So that’s $26.25 per meal. Because we are a smaller family, I divide the meals in half when making them – so each meal for us is actually $13.12. As I mentioned before, this takes care of dinner, as well as leftovers for someone’s lunch the next day. Some meals come with sides already, but I typically will add in an extra veggie for a couple bucks. So let’s round to about $15.00 for a homemade meal (with leftovers). When is the last time you paid that at a restaurant for two adults to eat (McDonalds doesn’t count)?

Lots of times, there are promotions to be found. Let’s Dish will run them directly from their website (or by emailing you if you sign up on their list). Other services, such as Groupon and Plum District have also run deals. In fact, I used a Plum District deal for this past weekend’s meals: $84.00 for 4 meals (which divide into 8), one side item, one dessert and one package of their famous scones. Pretty awesome, right!?

So, with all that in mind – is it worth it?

For our family, YES.

If we had a larger family, it might not be as good of a deal once you determine the cost of making food from scratch. However, for our little family it works out pretty much perfectly. We get to try different meals (which we don’t always love, but it’s nice to have variety), the cost is reasonable and it’s usually pretty easy to finish putting the meal together and cook it after a long day of work.

In addition to the ease and yumminess of having the meals ready to cook at home, the actual Let’s Dish process is pretty fun. It’s a great excuse to meet up with a friend and chat while throwing a bunch of meals together. The store also makes up lots of samples of their recipes for you to munch on in between stations. Each time my friend and I go, we make it a point to camp out by the food and meticulously try each of the samples. Sometimes more than once. In the case of the freshly baked scones, maybe even more than twice…

Here’s my typical disclosure: I was not rewarded by Let’s Dish for reviewing their meal assembly service on my blog. I pay for my own sessions and have never received any of my 18 sessions for free or a discount for giving them a favorable review.

Is Citrus Lane Worth It: The June “Little Artists” Box Review

After a LONG Saturday of working in DC in the morning, a quick trip the mall and then meeting a friend at Let’s Dish (blog post coming), I came home to an awesome surprise…. my June Citrus Lane delivery!

June box — Oh Happy Day — the June Citrus Lane “Little Artists” box has arrived!

I say surprise, because even though I was expecting it, the box usually doesn’t arrive to my house until the week after the 15^th (since it ships from California), but I got mine on the 16^th this month. YAY!

I knew that this month’s theme was “The Little Artist” and I was curious how they’d keep to the theme considering that Jack is only 4 months old. I was imaging some finger paint and maybe some super huge crayons, but the reality was so much better.

As I picked up the box to open it, I was already intrigued by the jingle jangle coming from it. Such a good sign!

It seems that the folks at Citrus Lane are really reading and listening to their reviews, because the boxes keep getting better. Last month I said that the box “rocked my socks off” and I’d have to say that I’m even MORE impressed with the June box. So let’s say it “square-danced off my shirt” for comparison sake.

crib art — Jack is totally exhausted from the coolness that is the Wee Gallery Art cards

So, what was in the box that made me do a little jig?

Wee Gallery Art Cards ($12.95 value, 10% off weegallery.com purchase). Super snazzy little black and white flashcards made out of thick cardboard paper. The high contrast design is prefect for my wee little artist.

Putumayo 2012 Playground Sampler CD ($5.00 value). Okay, I’m not really a fan of kiddie music CD’s in general. I don’t understand why your child simply can’t just rock along to LMFAO along with you in the car (even if they’re not “sexy” they can totally “wiggle and wiggle” along).

I did receive a couple of Jewel’s kids CD downloads from a friend of mine, which I do enjoy and we regularly rock out to some Disney movie songs (and when I say “we” I might actually mean “me” on my drive into work). Anyways, I didn’t really have high hopes for this CD sampler, but I was pleasantly surprised. My current fav is “Animal Crackers” by Wee Hairy Beasties – it’s got almost an Elvis-like feel to it, with really cute lyrics. I’m also digging the Brazilian music… I mean WE. We’re digging it. Yeah. Oh and listening to “boogie” pronounced in French totally cracks me up.

The little owl adds fun to the corner of our bathroom. I wonder how long it will take my husband to notice…?

BabyGanics Stain Eraser On-The Go ($3.99 value).This little bottle of spray is supposed to be a miracle worker in mysterious food stains, artist splats and spots, and more. Since we’re starting food next month, this might come in super handy!

Pop & Lolli Decal ($67.00 for set of 16, 15% off popandlolli.com). Out of the whole box, this is my take-it-or-leave-it item. It is a super cute little owl decal, but Jack’s room has already been decorated. I did find a spot for it in my bathroom, but I wouldn’t bother to pay that much money to purchase any more decals.

Hohner Kids Musical Instruments ($12.00 value). WE love, love, LOVE these instruments – and I do mean WE this time. I put one instrument in each of Jack’s hands and he boogied for a good 10 minutes shaking them about. The jingle of the instruments (we received a cage bell and a musical shape) are fun without being too loud or annoying.

jack with instruments — We LOVE this month’s musical instruments!

The colors are great and the construction seems to be very good as well. This is an example of something that I would not have necessarily bought for Jack, but now that he has them will be a total favorite in our house.

Minted Offer ($35.00 gift card). Originally I was super excited about this offer; I mean $35 is a lot of money! But then I went to the website and I realized that the smallest of the prints that I like is $50.00, so I still need to shell out $15 to make my purchase. I’m going to go ahead and do it though, because I totally fell in love with their You are my Sunshine print and I like that a portion of every sale goes towards the Every Mother Counts charity.

So, my monthly question – was it worth it?

Absolutely YES

In fact, if they continue delivering such awesome boxes each month, I will stay a member of Citrus Lane until my son reaches 3 years old (their oldest kid box). I fully enjoy the surprise box each month and many of the items are used in our house on a regular basis.

Some of our ongoing favorites:

The Itsy Ritzy Bib, Burp and Bath Cloth from the March 2012 box.
The bath towel and flannel wash clothes from the April 2012 box.
The hat, teething toy AND book from the May 2012 box.
And bonus points: I get a ton of compliments on the bracelets I purchased from joyus.com (using the gift card from the May box)

Here’s my typical disclosure: 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. 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.

Check out my other Citrus Lane box reviews:

March 2012: Dining Out

May 2012: Fun in the Sun

Oh, and to all the daddies out there — Happy Father’s Day!