What's in The Hive Box?! Raw Honey and Goodness! Take A Look...

The funny thing about The Hive Box is that I only found it because an anonymous commenter said she was looking for a box that sent honey. That made me curious to see what was available out there and whether there was a box that sent small batch honey monthly. To my surprise and happiness I found The Hive Box and I've been subscribed ever since.

Every month has a new small batch honey made locally in the US. By that I mean, if it's made in New York, it's made from NY hives watched over by a small, local apiary. This month the honey is SO GOOD I'm on a mission to get more. Yes. That good. Hooked! Actually, I've found two absolutely stellar honeys. The problems seems to be finding a way to get more... /cry

The Cost: $24.95/month plus shipping.

What You Get: Every month you'll receive one new raw honey plus 3-5 other bee-related items like candles, soaps, home goods, paper products and edibles.

If you love honey and you're on a budget, the great thing is that you don't have to get the large box that I get. You can get a smaller box with just a honey, beeswax candle and a small extra for $16! Considering the honey itself is usually around $10, it's an amazing way to get fantastic honey from all over the place.

This is basically the perfect box for a honey lover. Because honey is like wine, every batch is different! I will never get the honey bears on the top shelf at the grocery store again. Small batch is where it's at! Plus it's supporting hard working small business owners.

For the month of June:

Robb Vices June 2017 Men's Luxury Subscription Box Review

Robb Vices is a stellar men's luxury subscription. I've been blown away by the thoughtful curation and content every month. We've been subscribed for three month's now and every time the box shows up, I can't quite believe they manage to come up with so many interesting themes and products on a monthly basis. It seems like it should be a quarterly subscription, it's that luxurious.

This is an offshoot of Robb Report which is a magazine and website devoted to the best of the best luxury goods and experiences. The goal of Robb Vices is to send you a carefully themed and curated gift package containing some of the most exclusive, must-have products found to cross the high bar set by Robb Report.

Boxes will contain gourmet food, wine, spirits, and products from boutique brands and elite artisans. It's a celebration of vices, providing anything from alcohol and food to accessories and gadgets that are "worthy of your ownership".

The Cost: 89.95/month, less with longer subscription

What You Get: Every month is a new surprise which may bring exceptional wines and spirits to enjoy, foods to taste, tools, toys, accessories, and gadgets. Each reflects an area of the good life that will make for the highlight of your month.

I've noticed that alcohol tends to feature frequently and you do have to be over 21 to subscribe. Shipping is FedEx and depending on your delivery person, requires a signature. My regular guy doesn't make me sign (probably because he knows me way too well) but the substitute does. Either way, it'll suck if you're not there to sign so make arrangements. Will they accept a note you leave a note on the door?

Every month is accompanied by a heavy duty, full color magazine discussing the choices made for your box that month along with exclusive interviews with the makers and creators, lots of details about each product and interesting tidbits relating to that month's vices.

Yogi Surprise June 2017 Yoga Lifestyle Subscription Box Review and Coupon

YogiSurprise is a yoga lifestyle subscription box that focuses on providing added delight to your daily life. If you practice yoga or follow the precepts, you'll likely find something to enjoy in every box. If you don't do yoga, it's also highly probable that you will appreciate each box as well. I know I do and I think the only yoga pose I know is sun salutation. The fact that I've only been to two yoga classes in my life (and nearly passed out in that first hot yoga session) has no bearing on how well I think these boxes are curated.

The Cost: $44.95/month.

What You Get: You’ll receive 6 to 8 full-size products with a value of over $70, designed to nourish and support your well-being, vitality, and growth.

Co-Op Crate Ends Subscriptions June 2017 Review

Co-Op Crate has announced that they will be ending their subscription business effective immediately. If you had a longer term subscription, you should have been refunded already. Co-Op Crate focused on small businesses, Etsy sellers and small batch artisan goods. It has introduced me to some of the best caramel I've eaten in my life and has always been packed with fun interesting products.

This month the theme was Salt, Sea and Sun which is appropriate for June. Although, we aren't getting much sun here in Seattle. *glares at gray sky*

It seems a little strange writing a review for a company that has shuttered but I'm hoping they come back as something new and better.

Amoda Tea Subscription Review June 2017 plus Coupon

Amoda Tea is a Canadian tea subscription service based on providing you with some of the best teas you've ever had from small and independent tea crafters around North America. I can tell you right now you'll fall in love with some of these and want more. It's the perfect excuse to add to your overflowing tea cupboard. Or if you're like me... two cupboards.

I drink tea every single day and I drink it in copious amounts. I'm not ashamed! Recently I've been stuck on Republic of Tea's blueberry green tea with whipped blueberry infused honey from a My Texas Market box. Talk about heavenly! So good. Sure, the honey is probably meant for pancakes but it's amazing in green tea.
Anyway, Amoda has sent four brand new teas and they sound AMAZING! So I've got to taste test them all. These are primarily blends and some have flavoring. I prefer blends and I tend to like more floral and fruity teas. This review is for the Original version but they have a Low Caff version that's mostly herbal and low caffeine blends. Yay!

The Cost: $20/month

What You Get: Four (12+ cups) tea samples from fun brands and small-batch tea blenders from all over North America. Also included are disposable tea filters, steeping instructions and recipes. You'll also receive free shipping on purchases in the shop.

DailyGoodieBox Free Sampling Program Review

So far every DailyGoodieBox has been a ton of fun. This is a free sampling and product review program that sends out boxes of samples and full size product for you to try and then give your thoughts on. I love it because I don't have to think about anything. The box shows up, I try everything and then hop online and fill out the questions online via their website. Of course, then I write up a post about it telling you what I got and how well this program works for me.

This isn't a subscription box, you don't have to pay for anything and I would guess that it's typically not monthly for everyone. Their slogan is they send out boxes daily and that means every day somewhere, lots of lucky people are finding these in their mailbox or on their porch.

In my opinion, this is the best program I've been a part of because I don't have to do anything to get the samples. Other programs, like PinchMe, make you get up at the crack of dawn and scramble to get samples from a quickly dwindling supply. While that might be a thrill for some folks, that is not for me. DailyGoodieBox is for people who are willing to sign up and wait (or forget they sign up) and then get excited when they see a box show up. That's me!

Here's what's in my box this time around:

MunchPak Snack Subscription Review and Coupon

MunchPak is a snack subscription with a high level of customizability. Snacks range from sour to spicy and Korean to Irish plus everything in between and around the outside. Basically, you can find just about any snack ever created in your box. They even have an option to add a drink and you can specify if you want coffee, tea, juice, soda, etc. Like I said... Customized!

With all that being said, the cost of boxes vary greatly. Considering you can get them delivered weekly if you so choose, it can add up! Personally, one a month works really well for us since it's a lot of snacks. The Mini MunchPack is $12.95 for 5+ snacks and it goes all the way up to Family Size with 20+ snacks!

The box I received is the Original MunchPak with an add-on of soda. The Original version has ten or more full size snacks!

The Cost: $22.95/box (soda adds $5)

What You Get: Each box features an assortment of the best, most delicious candy and snacks from around the world. The MunchPak Mini contains 5 or more full size snacks, the Original MunchPak contains 10 or more full size snacks, and our FamilyPak contains 20 or more full size snacks.

What's In A GlobeIn Artisan Subscription Box?! Here's the Answer!

If you're interested in knowing what you might find each month in your GlobeIn Artisan box, you came to the right place. I have gathered together the contents of the last few months of GlobeIn's boxes and can give you a great idea of what to expect when you subscribe! GlobeIn has really been doing a fantastic job with their box curation these last few months. There have been some stellar boxes and they just keep coming. The hard part will be choosing which one you're going to get!

With GlobeIn, along with your subscription box, you get the added satisfaction of knowing you're helping men and women in remote areas of the world earn a living wage. With every order that GlobeIn makes via vetted partners and fair trade organizations, real families are able to put food on the table, send their children to school and make a difference in their communites. It's one of the best things about this box!

The other good thing is that the products tend to be unique, usually handmade and possess a character all their own.

In this review I'm going to show you several past and present GlobeIn boxes. This should help you decide in one swoop whether you think this subscription is for you. In my own personal experience, I think it takes about three months to get an idea of whether a subscription box really works for me or not.

The Cost: $55/month for the Artisan Box

What You Get: In the Artisan Box, you'll find exclusive, handcrafted products from global artisans curated around a monthly theme.

Artisan Box options are available for all active subscribers in their subscription settings during the 1st- 5th of each month. Subscribers will be able to choose their favorite box from that particular month's options.

Things Are Finally Starting to Settle Down

It's been crazy around here. Our lives got turned totally upside down and while we don't have everything figured out yet, it's getting there. I had to put blogging aside for awhile to get things in order. While I missed blogging, I have to admit I had a great time gardening and re-organizing our home.

We had partially packed up the house in anticipation of my husband getting a job out of state but it didn't end up working out quite the way we expected. However, it still may happen so everything has to stay fixed and perfect.

Since I'd ignored my garden for the last two years while blogging, it needed A LOT of love and attention. Right now it's looking pretty good! So good that I'm having a hard time finding new thing to do besides weeding. That's a great thing since it means I can get back to writing up reviews.

So expect a slew of reviews! Some may be older and therefore fairly brief but at least I'll feel like I'm tying up loose ends.

On that note, here's some of my favorite garden photos:

What's in a My Texas Market Box? Here's Three Box Examples!

My Texas Market is a subscription box sending farmer's market, handmade and small business products from artisans found solely in Texas. It's an excellent way to get unique items and delicious specialty foods especially if you live nowhere near Texas. Like me.

I have a ton of family in Texas so I've been there many, many times over my life and if there's one thing I can say about it, it's that their food is amazing. It seems to encompass all that I think comfort food should be and it's probably a good thing I don't live there because I always come home about five pounds heavier than when I left.

The Cost: $35/month plus shipping (It's $44.90 total to WA)

What You Get: A combination of wholesome and homemade specialty food products, handmade candles, soaps, or other beauty products or other health and wellness items and/or sustainably-sourced coffee and tea, unique crafts or locally made chocolates and candies.

If you're wondering what comes in a My Texas Market box, I have several to show you right here to show you a broad example of what you'll find.

They say that the best way to know if you will like a subscription box or not is to get one for three months. So here is three months of my My Texas Market boxes so you can see the wide swath of products you can get.

PB&Jealous April 2017 Sweet Subscription Box Review and $10 Coupon

PB&Jealous is one of my new favorite subscriptions. Every month they send small batch nut butters, jams and jellies and/or nut related snacks and goodies. It's a lesson in mouthwatering deliciousness and restraint. This month was "WOW!" one the peanut butter side and "/swoon" on the jamtasticness.

One of the wonderful things about PB&Jealous is the ability to customize your box (to an extent). First, you get to choose if you want only Sweet items or if you want a dash of Spicy in your box. I choose Sweet Things Only because I don't like spicy things. Second, if you have allergies, just mention them when you sign up and you'll be taken care of. This also means every box may be a little different. I have an issue with grape since it's a migraine trigger so anything grape that would go in the normal box is swapped out with something else for me. How awesome is that?! Really awesome!

There are also two box sizes, so depending on the size of your family, you can get the most appropriate one. I get the bigger box even though there's only two of us because we go through sandwich fixings pretty quickly.

The last box I got was the Welcome Box. It has a little bit of everything from previous boxes and it was SO fantastic. You can see what I received here. I was so happy I was subscribed. Seriously.

The Cost: $34.95/month plus $5 shipping for the Big Box, $26.95/month plus $5 shipping for Mini.

What You Get: The Big Box will have 5-8 artisan products, an average of over $40 in value. The Mini has 3-5 artisan products, an average of $30 in value. Both boxes will include a handcrafted artisan nut butter and a delicious, all natural jam, jelly or preserve. Additional products can be anything from honey and fruit butters to syrups and organic snacks.

The Daily Goodie Box Free Sampling Program Review April 2017

I'm totally in love with The Daily Goodie Box. It's a free sampling program that sends full size and sample products. My favorite part about the whole program, besides the fact that it's completely free and they send awesome items, is the fact that you don't have to do anything to get your samples. There's no scrambling out of bed at an ungodly hour to snag some samples before everyone else does. I *love* that. While there's no guarantee you'll get a box, you don't have to stress out about annnyyything! The only thing you have to do is make an account and fill out your profile.

Filling out your profile means you'll get samples that fit you and your household. So if you don't have a baby you're not going to get diaper wipes and if you have a husband you may get items for him to try. That kind of thing. It's actually a great system and means you'll get things you are most likely to use and enjoy.

Here's the criteria they use for sending out boxes:

a) Have you already received a Goodie Box previously?
b) If you have received a Goodie Box, have you completed your product reviews?
c) Do your demographics match what the brands supplying the products are looking for?
d) Do you show interest in this months products by viewing them from the 'Products' page?
e) Do you actively engage in our social media pages?
f) Is your shipping information up to date?

Once you get a box, you need to try everything and then report your thoughts back via your profile. Easy peasy!

I was selected for another Goodie Box and was sent an email saying it was on the way. I didn't expect to get another one so quickly but I was pretty happy when it did! Here's what arrived:

The Hive Box March 2017 Subscription Box Review and Coupon

The Hive Box is my new favorite thing! Every box has a raw honey in it plus all kinds of honey and bee related goodies. Now that I always have a new fun honey, I've been using it a lot more often (and more generously) in my teas. It's nice to splurge with different honeys, especially when they all have such unique flavors.

There are two different sizes of this box. The one I get is the Deluxe box but they also have a smaller box that has a honey, a beeswax candle and one goodie in it for $15.95. I may switch to that one but right now I'm still enjoying the added bits that the deluxe version has.

The Cost: $24.95/month plus shipping.

What You Get: Every month you'll receive one new raw honey plus 3-5 other bee-related items like candles, soaps, home goods, paper products and edibles.

SweetsGiftBox March 2017 Review and 50% Off Coupon

SweetsGiftBox sends tasty baked goods, candies and treats to your door every month. This month was a total win for me because I loved everything in it. This is a fairly new subscription under the TheGiftBox umbrella (they also have boxes for pets and are still expanding). I'm curious to see how this box progresses. It's a little bit different than other treat boxes because it doesn't stick to just independent confectionaries and small businesses necessarily.

The theme this month is probably the best theme I've seen for a box of desserts. It's "Space" and the contents are so fitting it's fun!

The Cost: $25/month

What You Get: Every month you'll receive a selection of 4-5 sweets ranging from crunchy, chewy, chocolate, fruity or salty.

Bokksu Japanese Snack Subscription Review and Coupon March 2017

When I opened up this month's Bokksu box I had to grin. Check out all that PINK! The theme is "Snacks over Flowers" and pays homage to cherry tree blossoms. Spring in Japan starts when the cherry blossoms bloom. When they do, everyone stakes out a spot in the parks underneath the trees and picnics under the flowers. When we visited Tokyo, it was at the end of the bloom season but there were still plenty of flowers and groups having tea on the grass.

So this month there are some sakura flavored treats, along with other pink snacks and sweets. Plus a tea pairing, of  course, which might be one of my favorite parts about this box. No one else does it!

The Cost: $38.99/month

What You Get: You'll receive 18-20 authentic Japanese snacks sourced directly from Japan plus a tea pairing curated around a cultural theme.

Esian Box Deluxe Snack Box Review and $3 Coupon Code

Esianmall has a few eclectic box subscriptions for those into Asian snacks, Asian beauty and/or geeky gamer goodies. It seems like kind of an awkward combination but it works. At least for the box I got. This is the Deluxe Esian Box version of their snack box which means it comes with not just snacks but also gamer items!

I'm all for snacks. Bonus geek items are always welcome in my household so this went over fairly well. We've been taste testing since it arrived.

Esian Box has a selection of three different Snack Boxes. The Deluxe box is the only snack box that comes with "geek swag" though. Since I've only received one box so far, I can't attest to the total quality of the swag and style. I'm happy with what showed up in this month's box, though.

The Cost: $34.95/month

What You Get: In the Deluxe box you'll receive 12-14 snacks with 1-2 items of geek merchandise. Total value is at least $50 per box.

Snakku March 2017 Premium Japanese Snack Subscription Review and Coupon

Snakku has been arriving directly from Japan for the last few months. I think that means better access to delicious snacks. There were some REALLY tasty snacks in this box, too. I usually tend to love the crunchy, savory snacks but lately Snakku has been sending some delicious sweet treats and I've enjoyed the indulgence.

I know I've said it a million times but I'm always so impressed with Snakku's presentation. This box is a pleasure to open. The pretty furoshiki cloth. the colorful box itself and the professional information page add up to a gift experience. I love it!

The Cost: $38.99/month for the Snakku Box. $15.95/month for the Tasting Box.

What You Get: Get a collection of 10-15 hand-picked snacks that you can only find in Japan,
along with a selection of familiar & delicious Japanese snacks delivered every month.

Sephora Play! VS Allure Beauty Box March 2017 Review

I've finally narrowed it down to my two favorite low cost beauty boxes. Sorry Birchbox and Ipsy, it's not you. The Allure Beauty Box has been one of my top boxes for years and the new Sephora Play gives it a run for it's money every month. They're both so good about brands and sizes that I continue to get both rather than choose only one.

I've been having them duke it out over the past few months and I'm going to continue doing so just to tally it up later and see who gives me the most wins. My initial guess is that they'll be pretty close to even.

This month has a clear winner for me. No question!

Kloverbox March 2017 Review and 10% Off Coupon

Kloverbox sends natural, cruelty-free and/or organic beauty, lifestyle, nutrition and healthy home products to your door every month. It's a great way to get to know new eco-friendly and health conscious companies and encourage a more sustainable lifestyle. This month there's only four products and one of them reeeally skewed my view of the whole box. Sad but true.

The Cost: $25/month

What You Get: Receive premium products to sample from top brands and hand-picked by health conscious curators in beauty, health, nutrition and home categories.

Barkbox Small Dog March 2017 Subscription Box Review and Free Box Coupon

My dogs love getting Barkbox. I love it because it saves me time and trips to the pet store and because it keeps me in constant toys and treats. My dogs love it because... well, treats and toys, of course! I have two rat terriers and we get the Small dog box because they tip the scales at about 17lbs. I don't recommend it for under 10lbs since the toys can be too large but other than that... yay!

Barkbox has an Allergy Friendly version of their boxes and I flip flop between the two since Dexter can't eat chicken without explosive side effects. Heh. I am SO happy they have this option since there are plenty of allergy prone breeds out there who will appreciate being able to snarf all the treats instead of just some of them.

The Cost: $29/month

What You Get: Every BarkBox has at least 2 innovative toys, 2 all-natural bags of treats, and a chew, curated from each month's unique themed collection.