Thursday, March 27, 2014

ModCloth Stylish Surprise March 2014

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $10 each for Apparel Stylish Surprise or Shoe Stylish Surprise

I received my ModCloth Stylish Surprise order and I couldn't be more excited to see what was in this giant box. The box size was 24x16x8 in and it wasn't a cute ModCloth box like the other Stylish Surprises come in. It was just a plain brown box, but that was fine with me. I just wanted to know what was inside!

I had ordered 1 apparel item and 2 pairs of shoes. I was hoping for at least one item that fit well and I liked. And I had seen people post lots of spoilers of very cute things, so I was hopeful I wouldn't totally hate what was inside my box. I do have to mention that I have the worst luck with these grab bag type things. Like, I always get the worst, ugliest thing...always. So, I'm sure you want to hear about what was inside, but first a picture of the giant box.


And here is what I saw when I opened it up. I still could not see anything, so I quickly ripped away the packing material.


Here is what was inside.



The apparel Stylish Surprise was a long skirt by Bea & Dot by ModCloth. It is the Constellation Elation Skirt and retails for $84.99 (currently on sale for $24.99 on the ModCloth website). Unfortunately, this fit more like an x small than a small and I wasn't able to comfortably wear this. It had an interesting constellation pattern, and I think this would have been a fun piece to style. I took a picture of it shown with a plain ribbed tank, but I think you could pair this with many things. The best thing is there are trade forums for these Stylish Surprise items and I was able to trade it for a cute dress. I'm very happy about that!



The first pair of shoes I received was Dollhouse Trek Lace Up Combat Boots in chestnut that retail for $34 (This is an estimated price as I saw these for sale at various prices). I tried these on and they ran large and were too big for me. I'll be honest, these are not really my style, so I wasn't too sad these didn't fit correctly. I will try to trade these for something more my style. If anyone is interested in these size 9 boots, please let me know.


At this point I was a little disappointed that nothing had fit me correctly. I knew there was a chance that would happen, but I ordered the size I normally wear at all retailers, so I thought the items would fit. Ok, on to my last pair of shoes.

The final pair of shoes I received were BAIT (But Another Innocent Tale) Heda Heels in wine. These were cute! And when I tried them on, they fit perfectly. Yay! Finally this box wasn't a total loss. Now, I didn't expect to get anything worth a lot of money and honestly didn't think any of the stuff I received was too pricey (just basing it on quality). So, I was looking up the values for this blog post, and these BAIT shoes retail for $72 and are still available to purchase on the BAIT Footwear website. Yay! I only paid $10 for these and $34 for everything (including shipping). So, these shoes alone paid for my order and luckily fit me well. I probably won't wear these through the summer months, but they'll be perfect for fall!



And....since they still have Apparel Stylish Surprises left in my size (size small), I ordered 2 more. I'll do another review of what I get. What can I say...I'm addicted! I'm constantly checking Instagram and forums to see what other people are getting and I'm jealous of so many of the things I see. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some duds, but for the most part I'm not seeing too many!

Did you order a Stylish Surprise? I'd love to hear what you got...


*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

Thursday Thoughts



I'm linking up with Jen from Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Thursday Thoughts.

It is still very cold and snowy and very wintry here, and I'm soooo sick of it. Where is Spring?!? I'm in need of warmer weather!!!! So, in hopes of Spring I have a Spring Giveaway Contest going on now, check it out here. Enter today!

I don't know why I didn't know about this sooner, but ModCloth offers Stylish Surprises a few times a year, where you can order apparel, shoes, or accessories for a real steal of a price. The only catch is you have no idea what you'll get (hence the name) and can't make requests. You are only able to order by size, which can be tricky considering how different sizes run based on the brand. 

ModCloth is not usually a website I shop from, but they have a great selection of cute and quirky retro style pieces. This go round Stylish Surprise Apparel was $10 for 1 piece, Stylish Surprise Shoes were $10 for 1 pair, and Stylish Surprise Accessories were $5 for 1 item. By the time I found out about the deal the accessories were sold out, but I was able to snag 1 apparel in my size and 2 pairs of shoes. And my package should be arriving tomorrow already! Yay!!!  

I'm excited and nervous and scared to see what I will get. When I received the shipping notification it said the box size was 24x16x8 in. and weight was 6.8lbs. Whatever could it be??? I'm hoping to at least get 1 item I like and that fits right. But the surprise factor made it something I couldn't pass up. I'll review what I get whether I love it or not, so be watching for that, if you're interested. Just to warn everyone I have the worst luck with these type of grab bag deals, so my expectations are really low of what I may receive.

And when is the Popsugar Must Have Limited Edition Resort box going to ship?!? I can't wait to see what is in it. I'm going to try to go spoiler free for this box, but we'll see how long it takes for me to receive mine. I might not be able to wait much longer. Please, please, please.....ship soon!


I really need to get myself on a budget....and fast! This is me...I hear about a deal and buy it immediately without any hesitation and then regret it, because I don't really need it. I just love knowing that I always have a package coming. But, seriously, this has got to stop already. I NEED to save money.

What are you thinking about?

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Spring Giveaway Contest

I'm so excited to share with my readers this amazing Spring Giveaway Contest! There will be one winner that will receive all 3 prizes. Good luck to everyone that enters!!!

And now for the details of the prize:

The first item is a teal Coach small leather wristlet that retails for $68. The next item is a large chartreuse Italy Design scarf that I received in a past Golden Tote, but have never worn. And the final item is a sample of Couture La La perfume by Juicy Couture from Birchbox.

The lucky winner will win all this!!!

 Coach Wristlet

 Italy Design scarf received in Golden Tote

Couture La La by Juicy Couture Perfume sample

It's easy to enter in the rafflecopter below! And remember to come back daily for extra chances to win!!!

The contest will be open from March 24th at 12 AM EST until April 6th at 12 AM EST. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*These prizes were purchased and financed by me. This contest is not sponsored by any companies mentioned. 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Golden Tote March 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $49 or $149/tote (I'm reviewing the $49 tote today)

I received my Golden Tote for March. This is always the box that seems to take forever to get to me and I hate waiting to see what's inside. So, as soon as they start shipping, I start searching for spoilers. This month I was loving everything I was seeing in both the $49 and $149 totes. I was so happy when my box arrived, and I could finally rip right into it.


The first item was the Halter Maxi Dress by Under Skies that I chose. I love it! It fits exactly how I hoped it would, slouchy on top. And it feels so breezy and springy. I can't wait for warm weather to wear this! I don't have many halter style dresses, so I'm excited to add this to my wardrobe. The braided straps and slit on the side make this dress perfect for the warm weather ahead.




Golden Tote also includes a style card for the item(s) you choose.


The next item was a T-shirt by Porridge. I love this! It's so soft and fits slouchy and wonderful. Golden Tote had shown a Porridge spoiler shirt for the $49 and $149 totes that had an orange duck print on the back of the shirt and I loved that one too. I received a gray tee with a blue/white shell patterned fabric for the back. I would have gladly taken this shirt in absolutely any color they could have sent me. I haven't seen any variations that I wasn't crazy about. I wish I could buy more. (And if anyone is reading this that is a size small and received this Porridge shirt in any color and does not love it, I will gladly take it off your hands) I feel like I will wear this a lot!!! If I was guaranteed to get another one of these shirts in a different color I probably would order a $149 tote right away.



The final item I received in my tote was an Eggplant Bralette by Flawless. It is a deep, dark beautiful purple color and I love this! Not sure I can really pull it off, because I am not very endowed...at all. But I love this so much that if nothing else, I will wear it to sleep, when I want to feel pretty. I'm so happy they didn't send a scarf this month in the $49 tote. Don't get me wrong, I do love scarves and I would gladly take another (especially if it's an infinity scarf) but I just don't need any more and don't wear them enough to justify as many as I own.


I am thrilled with this tote! I love absolutely everything and feel like Golden Tote is really delivering quality pieces. I was wary for a bit and wasn't loving everything I was receiving, but now I have a list of things I want to add to my "please send to me" comments, based on the stuff I'm seeing others get. I'm really trying to limit myself to one tote a month, so we'll see if I can hold out until April to order again. 

Did you order a Golden Tote this month? If you haven't, but want to, they still have lots of great options in the $49 and $149 totes. Buy one today!

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

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Thursday Thoughts


I'm linking up with Jen from Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Thursday Thoughts.

I'm so tired of cold, snowy weather and definitely ready for Spring. Unfortunately, where I live we won't see that for weeks, so I'm trying to stay positive and concentrate on what makes me happy.

A few weeks ago I won a contest from the blog The Box Queen. I love her posts and style tips! I was so surprised to win, because I enter contests like it's my job, but seriously never win ANYTHING! I was so excited when I received her email that I had won the Ipsy February Glam Bag Giveaway. I've never tried Ipsy before, so it was nice to see what types of items they send. And I loved everything in the bag! Here's a picture of my winnings.



Speaking of contests, I plan to do one again real soon!

Another thing that makes me happy is listening to the Popbasic Popcasts. They crack me up, plus I love hearing about everything they have going on. The founder Madeline Veenstra is inspirational! I love what she has done with Popbasic and all the extra quirky things she does for her fans, like the penpal program, the book club, and the popcasts. It's fun to hear and learn about the business and what she has in store for the future. If you haven't listened to the most recent popcast yet, click on this link to check it out. I loved the "Would You Rather" questions. She just seems like such a genuine person that would be so much fun to hang out with. They announced the next collection will be released April 1st and I'm (not so) patiently waiting for it!!!

I've been checking out the Golden Tote spoilers for March and oh my, I seriously love everything I have seen! I ordered a $49 tote this month and I'll be reviewing it soon. I love what I've seen from the $149 totes too. There isn't one piece that I wouldn't want to have. It's making me want to buy another Golden Tote before the end of the month! 

I often think how much fun it would be to work at a Subscription Box company. It'd be a dream job! I've even decided my top 3 to work with would be Popbasic, Golden Tote, and Popsugar Must Have. Can you tell I love clothes (ooh Stitch Fix would be fun too) Seriously, how much fun would it be to help pack up boxes or even have a say in what subscribers get each month? Yes, please! Does anyone else think about this, or am I alone on this one?!? What would be your top choice???


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Citrus Lane March 2014

Rating: Lifer!!!!!
Cost: $29/month

My 21 month old daughter's Citrus Lane box arrived for March. I wasn't expecting this box until Thursday, but it came a couple days early. Yay! I had no idea what would be in this box, because I hadn't seen any spoilers for this month. It's always more fun to open the box when you have no idea what will be inside. My daughter was very excited to see what was in it and she patiently waited until I told her she could open it up. I usually don't take pictures with her, but I'll include a couple to show how much she loves Citrus Lane. Please excuse her messy hair.



When she opened up the box she could already see something she wanted to check out closer, so you can see her little adorable grabby hand in this picture. She went right for those little wooden animals!


Here is a picture of everything included in our March box.


The first item was the You Are My Baby Book by Chronicle Books. I love how cute the illustrations are and this is actually two books in one, that go together. Two books in one! You turn the page of the little book nestled inside the bigger book to match the babies to their parents. This book is completely adorable and we will enjoy reading it together. I'm always happy to get a book in this box! And we have nothing like this yet, so I love it!!!



The next item was what my daughter immediately grabbed for, the Qubes from Hape. We received the farm animals (I'm not sure if there were other variations). She loved dumping them all over the floor and then picking them up and putting them back in the package and dumping them out again. And we spent quite some time trying to find the bunny, that evidently matches our rug pretty closely. I'm sure we'll also find many other uses for these adorable little wooden animals. This was my daughter's favorite item in this month's box!



We also received Citrus Hydrating Body Lotion from Weleda. I'll never complain about getting another lotion in a subscription box. I love them! This is made from organic ingredients like aloe vera, coconut, and sesame oil. It also has a light, refreshing citrus scent, which I like. I can't wait to try this!


The final item included in the box was Medi Buddy from Me4Kidz. I love this! It was my favorite item this month. I've been meaning to pick up a travel first aid kit, just in case we ever need it. I've looked at these brands and they are adorable. This kit includes kid friendly cute bandages, a 3" knee and elbow bandage, antibiotic ointment, sting free antiseptic wipes, 2"x2" gauze pads, carry case, and adorable stickers. We received the green carry case, which is perfect for us. I'm so happy this was in our box!



This was another great month from Citrus Lane. I'm always surprised with the products included. They are always exactly what we need. And the toys continue to be my daughter's favorite each month. I'm already excited to see what they send next month!

Do you subscribe to Citrus Lane? What was your favorite item this month?

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Birchbox March 2014

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $10/month

I received my March Birchbox and the theme this month was Spring Forward. This month is all about smart DIYs, clever beauty shortcuts, and ways to improve your Birchbox experience (Hint: it involves getting products for free) Yes, please!!!


Here is what I received in this month's box. I'll be honest this month nothing in my box really made me excited. It seemed like the sample sizes were quite small this month and I wasn't crazy about anything in my box. But I still try everything (because you just never know what you will end up loving).


Birchbox always includes a card detailing the product samples you receive. I always read these.


The first product was Agave Healing Oil Treatment. Frankly, I'm petrified to use any oil product in my hair. I have very fine, thin hair and oil usually makes my hair look wet and disgusting. And it is extremely difficult to get out of my hair once it's in it. I'm still trying to work up to trying this product. I also hate these one time use packets. I like to be able to try the products a few times before deciding to purchase.


The next item was Air Repair Rescue Balm. This is an all natural salve that repairs dry, cracked skin anywhere on the body. You can use it on chapped lips, cuticles, hands, elbows, knees, anywhere. This was a very tiny sample, which was disappointing. I tried it on my lips and it felt soft and nice. I hope I'm able to try it on my elbows and cuticles too, but I'm not sure the sample is large enough.


I also received Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet. I received the eye cream last month, which is nice, so I'm happy I get to try the moisturizer also. I haven't tried this yet, but the size of this sample was larger, so I should get a few uses out of it.


The next product was COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face. This is an organic tinted moisturizer with sun protection that evens tone and masks flaws. I like that this has everything all in one product. I tried this and it feels smooth, but didn't feel like it sunk in right away. I liked it because it didn't feel like I had a bunch of make-up and sunscreen on my face. It seems to work well, so I will continue to use this. Plus it is completely unscented.


The final product included in my box was a Birchbox Find. These items are a mass market discovery that is in addition to your usual 4-5 sample products. This month it was Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream. It promises to hydrate, illuminate, even, firm, and correct. I'll be honest, a tinted moisturizer doesn't really appeal to me. I'm very pale, so it may just look odd on me. Plus I'm worried about it coming off on clothing. I haven't tried this yet, but it smells decent and I may save it to use on my legs when I'm wearing shorts in the summer.


Like I said earlier, this box wasn't too exciting this month. I'll try the products, but there was nothing included that I was really happy with. I'm off to change my setting once again, haha.

Do you get Birchbox? What products have been your favorites???

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Popsugar Must Have March 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $39.95/month

My March Popsugar Must Have box finally arrived. Popsugar released the Brokedown scarf everyone would be receiving in their March box and I knew this was going to be a good month. I couldn't wait to see what else would be in this month's box. March's theme was all about welcoming Spring and new beginnings. Aren't we all ready for Spring (I know I am)?!?


There will also be 10 lucky March subscribers that will win the Lollia Calm Collection. It looks like they will be sending this out to the winners in the May box (according to the official rules). I'm not sure if they'll announce the winners soon, but I hope they do. Fingers crossed! It looks like a great prize and I'm sure the winners will be thrilled!!!



Here's what was in the March box:


The Must Have Fashion item included was the Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf. I love this scarf! It's light weight and the color is beautiful. I think I'll be wearing this a lot!


The Must Have Beauty item included was Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum. I've never tried any products from this brand, so I'm excited to try this. I'm still using the serum included in last month's box, but I plan on trying this next! It's made from organic ingredients and promises to diminish dullness, reduce fine lines, and increase hydration. Sounds great to me!!!


Another Must Have Fashion item was the Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish Necklace. I love this! It says to make a wish and then put on your necklace. The lucky horseshoe will invite good fortune and when your necklace wears off, your wish is ready to come true. I'm not the type of person who wears jewelry 24/7 without taking it off, but I really want to try this! We'll see if I'm able to keep it on while showering and sleeping. I think it's adorable, so I will be sad when it wears off.


The Must Have Home item included was BaubleBar Elephant Ring Tree. Totally adorable! I don't think I could choose one favorite item from this month's box, because I seriously loved it all. This ring holder was unexpected, but perfect. I think it's going to look great holding my rings! There was also a 20% off coupon enclosed for BaubleBar and I'm so tempted to buy these as gifts for everyone I know. I think the bunny and elephant are my favorite!!!



The Must Have Fitness item was the ActiveForever Fusion Exercise Ball. This was the one item in the box that I didn't care for. I don't really exercise, and I bought an exercise ball years ago and never used it, so I'm sure this one will be the same. But, I am going to fool myself into believing I may actually use this to shape up for summer. I may even look up some exercises online. The good thing about this is it is quite small, so it won't take up space and my daughter will probably love playing with it, even if I never use it for its intended purpose.


The Must Have Food item included was Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps. When I saw these in the box, I immediately thought yuck! Those don't even sound appealing. Then I thought, I hope my 21 month old daughter loves them, because they'd be a semi-healthy and quick snack for her. I loved that idea! I opened them up at snack time and she was excited to try them. She kept going to get more. So, I tried one. These are seriously delicious! Similar to the baked veggie chips, but these are shaped like snapeas. So fun! Now I want to buy more. I even think they'd be a great, unique treat to pull out when entertaining! Popsugar also suggests using them as a salad topping. I'm all about these! I need to find these locally, before our bag is gone!!!


The final Special Extra item included was Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bars. I haven't tried these yet, but they look yummy and I'm sure I'll love them!



This was an amazing box in my opinion! I loved everything and am very happy to have discovered a delicious treat for the family. And with the enclosed coupon codes I can get some unique gifts for others. Now, I'm hoping the Popsugar Must Have Resort Special Edition Box is equally amazing! I think it will be based on the Cuyana Turkish Towel spoiler they released. I can't wait to get my hands on that box. I hope they start shipping soon!!!


Did you love the March Popsugar Must Have box as much as I did? What was your favorite item???

This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

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