Ecocentric Mom August/September 2015 Review + $5 Discount Code!

Ecocentric Mom is a bi-monthly subscription service that sends boxes filled with eco-friendly products geared towards different stages of motherhood. The three types of boxes you can receive are Pregnancy, Mom and Baby or Mom.  You can switch between boxes whenever you want.  

The price structure for Ecocentric Mom is:

Monthly - $24 per month
Three boxes (6 Mos.) - $70
Six boxes (12 Mos.) - $139
Twelve boxes (24 Mos.) - $268

All plans automatically renew and shipping is free within the U.S. 

This review is for the Mom box.  Since this is my first review of this subscription, I'll do a full unboxing.  Everything arrived in a medium sized branded cardboard box with a pink heart on top.

The products were neatly wrapped in hot pink tissue paper sealed with a round heart sticker.

Here's a group shot of everything inside the box; clearly a nice variety!

The two-sided information card tells all about each item and gives a website reference in case you want to purchase more of a particular product. A few of the descriptions include custom discount codes which I'll pass along below.

There are three product specific cards.  One is for a website called PilatesAnytime.com which is a library of more than 1,800+ HD quality Pilates videos. Try it free for 30 days with coupon code ECOCENTRIC. A second card is for Tangerine Skies Facial Oil and a third flyer is for Elektra Magnesium Cream.

This cute little package contains a 20g sample of the Elektra Magnesium Cream in "Island Spice".  This is a natural moisturizer and anti-aging cream that can be used on both face and body.  There is also a sample of Magnesium Chloride Flakes which are good for one foot soak.

Kettle corn is ALWAYS welcome in my life! This lavender bag contains Boom Chicka Pop Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn from Angie's.  Haven't even opened this and I already want MORE!

This card has three packets of numbered spice blends from Ground 2 Table attached. These organic blended spices have no salt, sugar or GMO's.  The blends included are #1, an all purpose seasoning for use with chicken, fish, salads and dips.  There is a salad dressing recipe using this one on the back.  Blend #5 is Latin inspired and goes well with anything that calls for cilantro and red pepper flakes, such as the guacamole recipe provided. Spice blend #12 is a sweet mix of cinnamon and other spices.  They recommend just sprinkling this one directly on sliced apples.

  
This lovely Vance Family Soy Candle has an intense evergreen scent which is called "Home For the Holidays". It comes in a heavy reusable glass tumbler.  Really nice inclusion in this box! (In case you're not aware, it's easy to clean soy candle residue out of the container once the candle is burned; just use soap and water.)

This tiny little pot (much smaller than it looks below) contains Tangerine Skies Facial Oil from Earthwise Beauty.  This has anti-inflammatory properties and is good for skin rejuvenating, firming and brightening.  Use code ecomom715 for 20% off your next order at Earthwise Beauty.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I'm a Square Hue nail polish subscriber.  I really like their products so was pleasantly surprised to find a Square Hue lacquer in this box.  I was even more surprised that it was a color I don't already have and a really pretty one at that!  The shade I received is called WPA; it's a cool seafoam green color (much more muted than it looks in the photo).  Through 9/30/15, you can get 50% off your first collection set at Square Hue with the code ECOCENTRICMOM.

The last item in this box is a small bottle of Branch to Nature Facial Astringent which cleanses, refreshes and revives the skin.  This is from their THYME collection which is for all skin types.  It has a pretty strong herbal (thyme?) smell.

I'm not sure what I expected from Ecocentric Mom but this box provided a good variety of items, almost all of which I can use.  The candle was the star of this group but I also really liked the Square Hue polish and the seasoning blends. And who can say "no" to kettle corn?  All in all, a very nice first box whose value easily exceeds $24!

If you'd like to try Ecocentric Mom, click here and use code ecolove2015 to get $5 off your first box. If you place your order before the 20th of the month, your first box will be shipped in the last week of the same month.  For orders placed on the 21st and later, the first box will be shipped in the last week of the following month.

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own. Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.

PijonBox (Female) College Subscription Review, September 2015 + $10 Discount Code!

It has been a long, long, LONG wait for my second PijonBox!  This is a college subscription service that suspends shipment over the summer so I knew there would be a lengthy wait involved when I signed up in the late Spring.  After the failure of Co-Ed Supply (another college subscription) to return after the summer of 2014, I was a little gun shy about college subscription services. But PijonBox has come roaring back this fall with a MUCH better box than the first one I received.

Of course, anybody can buy a PijonBox but the concept works particularly well for anyone who would like to send a regular care package to a college student. Boxes contain between $30 and $60 in retail value and you can choose whether you want it to be for a male, a female or gender neutral.  Boxes may include snacks, health and beauty items, household essentials and other fun gifts.  

A four month subscription to PijonBox costs $27 a month, billed in advance.  Eight months is $25 a month, billed in advance.  You can also pick a custom plan, specifying anywhere between one and sixteen months--you choose the exact delivery months.  The per box price gets lower as the number of months you choose gets longer.  

So, let's see what arrived in September's big blue box! 

The information card welcomes college students back and gives a little product information for each item in the box.

There is a big 13.5 oz. bottle of St. Ives Even & Bright Body Wash in Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange, a deliciously fruity and fresh scent.

Next are two Honey Stinger Caramel Waffles, honey-based energy snacks.  These are great when you set them on top of a hot drink and let them absorb the steam for a few minutes.

Then there is a good sized package of strawberry rhubarb strips from 6350' Natural Foods.  These contain 100% whole organic fruit (apples, strawberries, rhubarb and organic cane sugar) and come in several other flavors.  I thought the rhubarb might make these a little too tangy but they aren't at all.  Just a nice mild fruity (mostly strawberry) flavor. (And pretty much gone now, I might add!)

There are two Kutoa snack bars. "Kutoa" means "to give" in Swahili.  One of these is in the flavor "Chocolate Espresso Bean" and the other is "Peanut Butter & Jelly". They both contain chia and flax seed.  I scarfed down the chocolate one; it is a substantial snack with a strong espresso flavor that I really liked.

The techie item in this box is the Minisuit Selfie Stick.  Although I was born in a less self-aggrandizing generation, I can certainly see how appropriate this product is for a subscription box geared mainly towards college students. This is something I've never seen in another subscription box so PijonBox gets points for sourcing creativity.  Thankfully, selfies aren't my thing but I know just who should receive this!

That's everything in September's PijonBox.  I think they did a great job of putting it together and it's nice to see a few items I haven't received before.  I'm not sure of the exact total retail value but I believe it is reasonable for the price paid.

If you're interested in trying PijonBox, click here and use code media-deal to get $10 off any length subscription.  At the time of this review, there is also a Groupon deal where you can get 1 box for $19 or 1 semester (4 boxes) for $55.  Make yourself or your friendly neighborhood college kid very happy!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.

Sock Panda Review, August 2015 + 15% Discount Code!

Excuse me while I take care of a small administrative task.  Remove cat from photo tent. And no, she definitely was not invited.

Back to business.  Sock Panda's August shipment contained two really cute pairs of socks, perfectly suited for back-to-school time.  If you missed my last Sock Panda review, you can pick up all the subscription details here.

The first pair has a lined notebook paper pattern with a bored kid's doodles all over it. There are ice cream cones, cherries, clouds, silly notes, balloons, lollipops, stick figures, rainbows and all sorts of other fun scribbles.  The ankle, toe and heel are all in a contrasting lime green shade.

Continuing the back-to-school theme, the second pair of socks are pale yellow with the wide lines we all remember from grade school. The cuff is blue and the toe and heel are pink.  A No. 2 pencil is on the bottom of the foot. Both pairs of socks are made from 85% Peruvian cotton, 10% nylon and 5% spandex, so they are nice and stretchy.

Of the several sock subscriptions I've tried, Sock Panda seems to do the best job of sending awesome fun socks. Their socks are nicely made and I like how well they reflect the current season!      

Some discount codes that are working at the time of this post are:

HELLO, SUB15, MILITARY15 - 15% discount
PANDA10, SAVE10 - 10% discount

These discounts are applied to your initial payment so they are worth more the longer the term length you choose. With the holidays getting closer and closer, keep Sock Panda subscriptions in mind. Since these are NOT your ordinary socks, they make great gifts for men, women and children!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.

Cuisine Cube Artisan Foods Review, August 2015 + $10 Discount Code!

Does a big cube shaped box loaded with full size specialty food items sound appealing?  It certainly did to me!  Cuisine Cube sends 6 or 7 gourmet products each month.  Most of the items come from small batch artisan vendors, the type you'd find at local food fairs.  They have three types of boxes to suit different food preferences; Artisan (no food restrictions), Vegan and Gluten-Free. 

Here is the pricing structure for Cuisine Cube:

Month to Month - $39.99
3 Mo. Prepay - $113.98 ($37.99 per month)
6 Mo. Prepay - $209.94 ($34.99 per month)

Boxes ship between the 5th and 10th of each month.  Plans auto renew and you can skip shipments whenever you need to do so.  For right now, Cuisine Cube is shipped only within the continental U.S.

For August, I received the Artisan box. The items were indeed packed in a big cube shaped branded box.  

There were two square information cards in the top of the box.  One side shows color photos of the items (with some duplication between the cards) and the other side provides a few notes about the vendors.  I believe subscribers will get just one card that shows all the products in the box they receive.

There is a very promising looking assortment of six full size packages of specialty food items.

First is Sun-Popped Corn from Bjorn Qorn, which according to the label, is popped in a solar kettle in pure sunlight.  I had to check this out.  Their website has some pictures describing the process which I would not have believed to be possible. They actually use giant mirrored reflectors with kettles of popcorn suspended over them!  The reflectors focus the sun's heat to pop the corn (qorn?), thus saving electricity.

Next is a 6 oz. package of Emmer Reginetti from NYC Sfoglini Pasta Shop.  They make freshly extruded pastas from flour produced in America.  I had never heard of "emmer" but it is a textured type of wheat.  This pasta is ribbon shaped and has a nutty flavor.  The texture makes the surface of the pasta porous so sauce can cling. This is WAY more than I knew about any pasta!  (As a side note, Sfoglini's offers a Pasta of the Month Club where true connoisseurs get one bag of organic pasta and one bag of seasonal specialty pasta each month.)

Now, here is what everybody wants to see in a subscription box....a big package of Midnight Brownie cookies from Goodie Girl!  These are made with rice flour rather than wheat flour, which I believe makes them gluten free.  The cookies are extremely dark in color; in fact, they look like they are burned.  But they are very crispy and chocolaty tasting...just delicious!  (They remind me a little of Brownie Brittle but they have more flavor and better-for-you ingredients.)

  

This is an enormous 9 oz. package of Blackbear All Purpose Seasoning from Greenpoint Trading Co.  It can be used as a meat rub or can be sprinkled on all kinds of vegetables. There really aren't a lot of instructions, just an ingredient list that includes paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, celery powder, cayenne pepper and natural spices.  It is quite red in color so I'm wondering how strong that cayenne is?

These Parm Crisps from Kitchen Table Bakers have arrived in at least one of my prior sub boxes.  They are completely made from parmesan cheese which makes them a little too bitter tasting for my liking.  Consumed in very small quantities, I think they'd be good paired with another food that offsets the strong cheese flavor...maybe grapes or apple slices?  The information card also suggests using them as a salad topping.

Finally, there is a big 10.5 oz. package of Gatherer's Gourmet Granola, a gluten-free recipe that includes coconut, dark chocolate and quinoa.  I've never had a granola that contained dark chocolate before so this is already a winner for me!

One other item in this box is a coupon for Salted TV, a website that contains a vast assortment of cooking classes taught by professional chefs.  Membership normally costs $9.99 per month and this coupon gives three months free to Cuisine Cube subscribers.  This little perk seems like a very good fit for this box!  (I'm guessing anyone can use the code CUBE to get the three free months.)

Several things about this Cube really impress me!  The selection of items is quite interesting and original. These are all generous full sizes--no tiny samples! The small batch artisanal quality of all the products is apparent; these are not just products you could pick up at the grocery store.  This box was fun to go through and brought some tasty new products to my attention.  So I'm a happy camper!

If you would like to try Cuisine Cube, click here and use code CC10Off for $10 off your first time order.  If you like checking out new specialty foods, I think you'll enjoy this subscription!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was received complimentary for review purposes. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.  

Little Lace Box (+ Serendipity) Review, August 2015 + $10 Discount Codes!

The word "curation" gets over-used a lot in the subscription box review universe.  I'm as guilty as the next blogger.  However, there just isn't any other term to describe what sets Little Lace Box apart from other lifestyle boxes.  Their boxes are exquisitely curated and the creativity behind their choices compares to none.  They've had some rocky months as they've transitioned to a bi-monthly schedule but the issues were never about quality.

When Little Lace Box switched to every other month shipping in April, they surprised subscribers with an unexpected gift in the off months....a package called "Serendipity" which contained several small unrelated but nice-to-have items.  No promises were made but the first Serendipity shipment arrived in early June. Because of a vendor issue, the second Serendipity shipment was included with the scheduled August Little Lace Box. 

For August, the theme of the Little Lace Box is literature, in particular, Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice", which inspired the "Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy" theme. In case you haven't read the book, Elizabeth is the heroine and Mr. Darcy is the leading man in this classic romance.  

For this review, I've separated out the Little Lace Box items from the Serendipity items.  The four LLB products all relate in some charming way to the Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy theme.

Information about the items comes in the form of a chatty letter-like sheet from the Little Lace Box ladies.  They go beyond the usual spare descriptions, telling us why they chose each item, how it relates to the theme and other details of interest.

The "star" of this group is the Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy flower vase which was made in the studio of ceramic artist Mary Rose Young in the Forest of Dean in western England. This vase was made specifically for Little Lace Box.  It has two roses etched in cobalt blue, one each representing Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.  A white rose trims the rim. This is the kind of thing you get only in a Little Lace Box...just lovely!

   

In general, I don't like getting coupons in subscription boxes. They usually require you to do something (go to somebody else's site, set up an account, spend additional money, etc.) meaning that they never get used.  But this box includes a $40 credit on The Bouqs website, which carries all sorts of gorgeous floral arrangements.  I was skeptical, thinking the credit wouldn't go far and there would be a big shipping charge.  I was wrong.  $40 gets quite a nice arrangement and the shipping is free. All I have to do is browse among the blooms, pick one out, apply the unique code and it's on its way.  Who couldn't use a little floral luxury?   

  

The next item is a cute little square bottle with a roll-on applicator of "Clara" perfume oil from DefineMe.  The scent has notes of lilac, violet, hibiscus, lily and musk, a really nice light floral. This is my idea of what an English garden smells like!

The fourth and final item in the Little Lace Box is a big 8 oz. container of My Shea-rona Body Butter in the scent "You Leave Me Peachless".  This is an ultra rich formula with a very light peachy scent.  Subscribers may also have received "Lollabambooza", "Coconut Mango Mimosa" or "Oatmeal Milk & Honey".  

The Serendipity items are not tied to a theme.  They are smaller and of lower individual value... just very nice extras, as the word implies!

A separate information sheet tells about each product, again with lots of extra details.

When I saw this Get Dirty Mud Bar sample from Mindful Minerals, I didn't expect to like the smell.  It's very earthy and clean and somehow really appeals to me.  This soap includes dead sea minerals combined with natural ingredients to help fade sunspots and hyperpigmentation over time.  A separate information card is included, which explains the benefits of Mindful Minerals' products.

   

This Steep & Go by the Tea Spot is an ingenious little gadget that is designed to work with disposable water bottles.  The cap screws off and there is enough room in the stem for just enough loose leaf tea to flavor an average size water bottle.  In 10 minutes, you can have cold brewed tea.  As a long time tea lover who thought I had every tea accessory imaginable, this is a very unique and intriguing product!

Just in case you don't have loose leaf tea available, they included a little packet of Chill Out cold brew infusion, also from the Tea Spot.  This is a blend of caffeine-free herbal teas and looks like the perfect amount to fill the Steep & Go.

There is a foil pack of Malibu C Miracle Repair Hair Constructor, a masque that restores strength, shine and volume to your hair.  This feeds hair with plant proteins and enriches it with Vitamin B5 for mega-moisture.  My thirsty hair loves rich treatments like this.

Last but certainly not least is this adorable packet of four thank you cards with matching envelopes from Einvite.com.  I was not familiar with this site but after checking it out, I see that they have a terrific array of customizable stationery products. Personally, I write more thank you notes than anything else so these are a really useful addition to my collection. 

Wow, that was a LOT for one lifestyle box!  Little Lace Box mentioned that they had an issue with one of the vendors for the Serendipity products which is the reason these items were packaged with the regular box.  They are still in beta testing mode for Serendipity, so I'm not sure where that effort is headed. Fun extras are always appreciated!

Pricing for Little Lace Box is as follows:

Single Month - $59.99

Six Months (3 boxes delivered bi-monthly) - $149.97

Twelve Months (6 boxes delivered bi-monthly) - $269.95

Serendipity (delivered on LLB's "off" months) - $9.99

The products in my Little Lace Boxes have been consistently interesting and of high quality, making it one of my most happily anticipated boxes!  If you're interested in subscribing, click here and use code LONESTAR10 or code LONESTARSHOPPER10 for $10 off a six or twelve month subscription.

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.