My Ireland Box - March 2014

***After this review went live I was notified by My Ireland Box customer service that I, in fact, received the regular My Ireland Box in error. So this review is actually for the Standard My Ireland Box NOT the Mini. Stay tuned for April for that! 


I'm way behind in posting reviews but I wanted to get this one up because it was not easy for me to find a review of the Mini version of the My Ireland Box when  was considering it. I love the idea of My Ireland Box but at 41.70 a month it's a little out of my price range. Then they introduced the Mini! At 24.32 plus shipping it's a bit more affordable. Ireland has a special place in my heart, even though I've only been once (so far.) Until I get back this will do nicely.
 I have to say that their shipping was excellent. I had a package ship the infamous SmartPost the same day from the east coast and this box got here the same day, and it went through customs!
So on to the box...

The box includes a card that has background info on each of the artists and their items in the box.

The first item  was this cute tote bag. As the mother of a not quite 4 year old, I can always use another bag. And this one is just too cute. Not to mention soft!

Ok how cute is this guy? And he has 3 friends with him in his box. Napkin rings that are made from Irish felt. I was skeptical about how well felt napkin rings would hold up until I took this out of the box. They are easily twice as thick as I imagined. These will last for a while. And they store flat. Definitely a bonus.

I love this magnet! It's a perfect little reminder of some of the many small towns I visited when I was there.

Barry's Tea, the taste of home. No I'm not from Ireland, but I've never felt more at home than when I was there. I enjoy tea frequently so maybe that's why I felt at home. Even the pubs think nothing of you asking for tea, and more often than not it was Barry's.

A great first box! I'm already counting the days until my next one comes. Do you love Ireland or know someone who does? This is your box.

Amatuer Traveler Book Review - Anvil of God

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to review another book for the Amatuer Traveler web site. A dense but good read. Just a warning though, it's the first in a series.
The full review is here

http://amateurtraveler.com/anvil-god-book-one-carolingian-chronicles-j-boyce-gleason/

The adventure of (someone else's) travel!

Drive Nacho Drive was a great adventure tale that happens to be real life! The full review is at Amateur Traveler's web site http://southamerica.amateurtraveler.com/book-review-drive-nacho-drive-brad-sheena-van-orden/ 

Wantable Intimates - October 2013

This review is pretty late but it was my first from Wantable Intimates so I wanted to get it posted. Wantable does a makeup box and an accessories box also. The Intimates is there newest box and has been around a few months. I admit I assumed it was going to be a lingerie box. After I saw some reviews of the first couple of boxes I realized I was wrong and it was actually my kind of box. You fill out a pretty extensive survey when you sign up so if there's something you don't want you can indicate that. I stayed away from soft bras because they almost never fit me right unless they come from Decent Exposures (but that's for another post.)

So what's inside? First let me say it's very hard to photograph clothing items not on a person :-)

Argoz socks - Ok I wouldn't pay 8 dollars for a pair of socks but I love these socks! And that's saying a lot because they are pretty pink. I think the grey helps. And of course the comfy fit makes you not care what color they are.

 Cass Luxury shapewear - Shapewear is one of those things I hate going to buy but it's almost a necessity when wearing business attire. This doesn't pinch but gives a smooth look. This right here is worth the cost of the box.

Luniare bikini panties - Pretty underwear that don't feel like floss. Yeah! I know everyone is into thongs these days. But not me. These fit very nicely and have a pretty design, complete with a little flower charm on the front.

Betsey Johnson sleep shorts - I love these shorts. To bad it's WAY to cold for them already in the Chicago area. Oh well, another reason to look forward to spring. I love the fit and they will be perfect for the warmer weather.

I paid for this box but if you use my link above I can earn points for a free one! The value on this box is excellent. It may be my new favorite subscription!

Seasons Box - October 2013

I put off writing this review for a long time because I hate giving bad reviews. But I owe it to people that I have previously recommended this box. Seasons Box has been in a state of flux for a while now but I have not had any real issues until this box. My September box was delayed but I did get it on the last day of the month and I enjoyed it so no problem. Yet again I didn't receive a shipping notice and had to repeatedly email customer service to get a response. Any negative comments are being stripped from their Facebook page and when you ask about shipping they only ask you to send an email. These things make me nervous. But the item descriptions sounded like I would enjoy the box when it finally arrived. But rumors were circulating before I received my box that it was a major disappointment. Largely because a company that still proclaims on their web site to send FULL SIZE items, in fact sent out mostly samples. When my box came I took a deep breath and opened it...

I was immediately disappointed. The two main items were both samples, and not deluxe samples. Tiny samples you often get for free from companies. This is the whole box.

The one great item was the tea infuser from Tea Forte. I love the design of this infuser and it cleans out pretty easily if you dump most of the tea and then let it dry. Then just dump the rest and wash. No loose tea floating in my cup.

This is all three of the other items in the box. The Dryad Tea was delicious but hardly the amount I would expect in a box of full size items. It's about 3 cups worth of tea, and I don't drink mine very strong. The lip balm is nice and I guess this would be considered full size but... it's a lip balm. And the soap is as small as it looks in the picture. I can't use it in the shower because it would probably melt away after one shower.

Seasons box has really let me down with the October box. If we could still get straight answers from the company I might be less concerned but I just get a bad feeling about the whole situation at this point. I'm locked in until February so I'll just have to see what happens next.

PopSugar Must Have - October 2013

The last box PopSugar Must Have before the price increase goes into effect November 4th. If you are a current subscriber you can upgrade to a 3 month, 6 months or 1 year subscription to lock in the lower price. I pay for these boxes but if you use my referral link I can earn a free one!

NYX liquid eyeliner in black - I haven't used liquid eyeliner since the 80s so I wasn't thrilled with this being in the box. But I figured I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. It takes me a little time to apply it but it looks pretty good. I know it's not a luxury brand but it is a full size item!

I don't wear much eye shadow but even when I do these colors are not me. However they look like they were hand picked for my sister. So guess who got an early Christmas present :-) Last I heard, she loved them.

I wish I could figure out a better way to photograph nail polish. I've never tried Julep because a subscription that's all nail polish just isn't for me. But this color is a pretty blue and the Julep topcoat that everyone raves about are a fun try.

October is breast cancer awareness month so I always expect something pink. And it's the one time I can accept it without argument. The Gorjana Charity Ball Bead bracelet is very reminiscent of the string bracelets little girls make for each other. On my small wrists it worked but I know many people had a tough time getting this to fit. The biggest shocker for me was the price tag. Apparently this retails for $45! I guess you have to remember most of the money goes to a good cause.

Jane Tran bobby pins - these are pretty darker colors, from a purpley to green. And they stay in my hair!
The Wet Brush - I tried using this brush to help work conditioner through my long and thick hair and it sort of works. Turns out my little 3 year old likes it even more. She has decided it's her bath hair brush. And I can't argue, it works like a charm!

The Crispery Halloween Crisp cake - I held this in my hand so you could see how huge this thing was. Think of a rice crispy but a bit heavier on the marshmallow. It was soft but not sickeningly sweet. I'd love to get more of these but I hear shipping from this company is pricey.

Stitch Fix gift card/credit - I've been wanting to try Stitch Fix but didn't want to gamble the 20 bucks. You lose the styling fee if you don't keep anything. So this was the perfect chance for me to try risk free. Turns out my concern was unfounded. I ended up keeping two items and they others fit well, they just weren't my taste. I'll probably try again after the holidays.

The Can't Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld - Well I actually can cook. But sometimes a visual aid is helpful, so I kept this book. It has some good recipes and great step by step instructions on some cooking basics that I admit I still haven't mastered.

Overall a good box and a good value. Not things I would have bought myself but I enjoyed all the items.

Yuzen - Fall 2013

I got an email a couple weeks ago that my name had come up on the waiting list for Yuzen. I already knew what was in the fall box and was a little intrigued. Plus the box has gotten excellent reviews, so I thought it was worth a try. This one only comes out quarterly so it really is seasonal. So here it is, my first Yuzen box!

Here's the first look. It's sure pretty!

Torie & Howard Organic Hard Candy - in blood orange and honey. These were yummy! And a full size package.

The Sanitas Vita-Rich Serum - This has a really nice feel and a little goes a long way. It definitely moisturizes but I can't speak to the promised long term effects of healthier looking skin (obviously.)
Ajara Ayurvedic Beauty Tea Bath Sachet - I only wish there was more than 1! This had a nice light relaxing scent. I was actually able to use it a second time after letting it dry out before putting it back in the outer bag. I may try to reuse the sachet.
Coola Mineral Sunscreen - I love the feel of Coola products and this is no exception. A sunscreen that has a moisturizer feel. Yeah! Because yes, you still need sunscreen in the fall.

Acure Argan Cell Stimulating Body Wash - Argan is everywhere it seems. Not that I'm complaining, I love the scent and feel of it. This body wash is no exception.
Sphatika Rose Cleansing Foam - I don't really get a rose scent from this but that's a good thing. I like rose but so many rose scented things seem to hit you over the head with the scent. This doesn't. And it has a nice feel and doesn't dry out my face.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive - I am really becoming a fan of this brand. This Peel fits right in. It works well with just a little bit. But it only gets tingly, there's no burning feeling like I get from some peels.
Verve Organics Blissful Sugar Scrubs - I liked this scrub the first time I used it but since then it seems to have separated. I stirred it a bit with my finger and that seemed to help but it's still coarser than the first use. Ironically my 3 year old loves it. I think she just likes the idea of rubbing sugar on her toes. :-)

Overall a good first box for me. The candy was full size and the other products were travel size packages. Not a bad value for the $33 subscription. I can see why people were sad when they went to a quarterly box.