Popsugar Must Have April 2015

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

My Popsugar Must Have April box finally arrived yesterday. I had looked at spoilers, so I knew what I'd be getting, but this is still one of my favorite boxes to open up each month. This month I was excited about every single item included.

The inspiration for April was Spring Showers, Farmers Market, Outdoor Fun, Fresh Produce, and Simplicity. This box was totally me!!! And I can't wait for farmers markets to open back up in my area. Every item in this box made me think of Spring and being outside after a long long winter, which I was very excited about!

As always, Popsugar includes an information card explaining everything included in the box.

And here's everything that was in the box! I really love it all!!! I love the themes of the Popsugar boxes lately!

The first item included was Dabney Lee Dottie Umbrella. I would have chosen this umbrella for myself. I love polka dots and navy, so this is totally my style. I love that it has an auto open/close button. I will be using this all spring!

The next item was One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Antioxidant Body Serum. I've never tried anything by this brand, so I'm interested in trying this. Plus this bottle is so adorable! I love getting new products that I haven't heard of or tried before!!!

I also received a Produce Candles Rhubarb Spring Candle. This smells amazing! I wasn't sure what rhubarb smelled like, but it's a fresh scent, that's not overpowering. I couldn't stop opening this candle to keep smelling it. And the packaging of this is great! It looks like a canning jar, and has a cute pink arrow detail on the glass. I may be buying these as gifts, because I love this!

And I don't usually take pictures of the packaging that things come in, but I had to for this one. Popsugar does a great job of having bubble wrap on items that may break in transit, but this was like nothing I had ever seen before. It reminded me of a bubble suit for the candle. And there was a slit in the front, that you can see from the picture, to get the candle out. Not sure why, but I loved this! It's like a candle safety suit for shipping and gifting!!!

The next item included was a Flip & Tumble 24-7 Bag. I received a blue and grey one (I'm not sure if other subscribers received different colors). But I love blue and I prefer darker color reusable bags, because light colors do not stay clean long with a 2 year old that loves to help carry the bags. The color in the first picture is a true color of the bag (I may have accidentally taken the second picture of the bag unfolded and very wrinkly with a flash, oops). This will be great for farmers markets and I love that you can just ball it back up into the little pouch and don't have to do any origami folding to get it inside. It also has some felt on the shoulder so it feels more sturdy that other reusable bags. This will be perfect and I will use it lots this spring/summer!

I'm a bit nervous about the final item, but excited to try it. It is Potting Shed Creations Garden in a Bag Basil. I'm no gardener, and I've manage to kill every plant I've ever owned, so this will be a challenge for me. But we just remodeled our kitchen and this will be a great addition to it. Cooking with freshly picked basil would be such a treat! I also love this as a gift idea for people that love to cook!

As a special extra this month, Popsugar included a $25 gift card to Mott 50. I had never heard of the company before now, but they sell light weight clothing with 50 ultraviolet protection factor. I'll definitely be checking it out.

I loved everything included in the Popsugar Must Have April box. I will use everything and even got some gift ideas, for some difficult people to buy for. And Popsugar already released a spoiler for the May box, (my birthday month) which is a beautiful necklace, that I'm really excited for (unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of it)! I believe the May box is sold out currently, so if you subscribe now you'll get the June box.

And because I love Popsugar so much, I also purchased the CFDA Popsugar Must Have box, which went on sale April 15th and sold out in less than 2 hours! This is the Popsugar collaboration box with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. I'm happy I was able to snag one and can't wait to see what is in it! It will ship May 15th and I'll be sure to review it!

*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!

Modcloth Stylish Surprise Part 2

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $15 per item

I received my final Modcloth Stylish Surprise order. They are completely sold out! I ordered 2 more apparel items for $15 each, when they were still available. I was hoping for a coat, but when I saw the size of the box and the weight from shipment tracking, I knew it wasn't a coat. I also knew I was taking a chance ordering more and could end up with items that didn't fit or I didn't like. But it's so exciting opening a box when you have no idea what's inside, that I couldn't resist ordering more!

Here is what I received. The color looked promising, but from what I could see it looked like 2 fairly plain shirts. Not too exciting.

The first shirt was by Sunny Girl and is a long sleeved green shirt. It would be cute and comfy for lounging around on the weekends, but it's quite scratchy, because it's mainly acrylic. I'll still wear it, but will definitely need an under layer, so I'll be saving this for colder months.

The other shirt I received was by Pink Owl. It's a long sleeved v-neck shirt with a patterned pocket and back. This is really soft and cute! It fits a little tight (especially in the arms), but I can still wear it. It's pretty basic and not as exciting as some of the items I've seen others receive and was hoping for. But I'll wear it.

I'm not sure it was worth what I paid for these 2 items, even at $15 per item. I think I could have purchased them on clearance in a store for less, since they are just long sleeved t-shirts. But that's the chance you take with Modcloth Stylish Surprise. You never know what you'll get. And they're not horrible, so I'm not complaining.

But now I get to show you an exciting trade I received (that someone got as a Stylish Surprise). I was hoping for a coat in one of my Modcloth Stylish Surprise packages, but didn't receive one. So, when I had the opportunity to trade for this amazing yellow wool coat by Tulle, I jumped at it. And I love it!

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

Modcloth Stylish Surprise

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $10-$20 per item

Modcloth announced their Stylish Surprise sale a few weeks ago, and I purchased immediately. This time the prices were a little different. Shoes were $10, so I ordered 2 (I can't resist the shoes and luckily they still had my size when I realized the sale had started). I always miss out on accessories and house stuff. Those always sell out the quickest. I was also able to snag an apparel item for $15 and a dress for $20. Luckily these ship out pretty quick, so the wait until the box arrives is not too bad.

I do love when the box finally arrives and I can rip into it to see what I got. I am always secretly hoping for a coat when I order the apparel (because I love the coat I received last year and wear it all the time). So here is a picture of what I got! It looked promising and the Seychelles shoe box (even though I hadn't seen what shoes were in it) made it worth the purchase already. They are one of my favorite shoe brands and I often buy the brand at full price. Plus I knew they would fit. The sizing is a bit off with some of the brands Modcloth carries, so I'm always worried the items I get won't fit in my normal size.

So, the first item I received, and my favorite item was the Seychelles Marvel Taupe leather shoes. I love the classic shape with the ankle straps and the not too high heel. These are perfectly my style and I will definitely get a lot of wear out of the neutral color. I knew it didn't matter what else I received, because I was happy I got these shoes!

The other shoes I received were Miss L-Fire Central Park Blue shoes. These made me smile when I opened the box! And they fit perfectly. And though many people have contacted me because they want me to trade these shoes, I just can't seem to get rid of them. The heel and platform bottom, may be out of my comfort zone. They may not be my style and I may not be able to pull these off, but I'm going to try my hardest! These are so irresistibly cute in a very odd way that I can't explain! I must say scalloped details are one of my favorites!

The Stylish Surprise apparel item I received was an a'reve lace cardigan with crochet detail in burgundy. This is very cute and fit nicely. It's a nice peplum cardigan and I love cardigans and peplums, so it was perfect for me, except for the sleeves. I knew I wouldn't wear it often, because it is too cold where I live and this looks like a fall color, so I probably wouldn't reach for it often. I ended up trading this, but it wasn't an easy item to trade, because I really did love it! But it is in a better home now in TX where it will get much more wear!

This is the back of the cardigan.

The dress I received was by Gilli. It's a black dress with a lace top. I love the flare style of the skirt. It is a little short, but I'll wear it. It's not too crazy and I was happy to see something wearable. Some of the dresses I've seen others receive are too fancy to wear, but mine won't be too difficult to find somewhere to wear it. It'll be perfect for date night or a dinner at a nice restaurant. And it makes me feel like a ballerina when I put it on!

This was a very successful Modcloth Stylish Surprise order. I would have kept and wore every item I received. And though I did trade one item, I think it was for the better. I actually traded for a beautiful yellow coat, that I should be receiving soon. If I love it, I'll post pictures! And because it was so successful, I ordered 2 more apparel items, that should arrive very soon. And I'll review them as soon as I get them. Now, I realize I may be pushing my luck ordering more, so I'm expecting at least one dud, and maybe 2. We'll see!

*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!

iBbeautiful Birthday Box

Rating: Not For Me!
Cost: $28 + shipping + tax in NYS

I usually love reviewing subscription box companies that I have not tried before, but the truth is not all subscription boxes are worth the cost. Unfortunately, this is one of them. I purchased an iBbeautiful Birthday Box for my niece. It was for her 13th birthday, and she loves hearing about all the subscription boxes I get, so I thought she would love getting one of her own! She had sent me a list with a few boxes that she had seen and was interested in trying and iBbeautiful was on her list. The items in the shop looked perfect for her age and the previous boxes looked great, so when I saw the Birthday Box from them, I thought it would be perfect!

The description of the Birthday Box on their website is "Our Birthday boxes are filled with age appropriate items based on the latest trends and all packed into this adorable Happy Birthday recycled bag. Items in box can consist of nail art and/or nail polish, stylish hair accessories, skin and/or hair care, accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, or earrings, and fun lifestyle items.  Along with a special birthday message for the birthday girl."

When the box arrived I was very disappointed in the size of the box, based on what I paid (after shipping and tax, since I live in NY state, I paid close to $40 for this box). And the box was tiny. From the picture I imagined the reusable tote was a normal size reusable tote bag. But the tote bag included was very small (6 x 5 1/2 x 2 1/2). It was definitely not going to be able to be used to carry anything. I honestly felt embarrassed when she opened the package because it was not at all what I expected. And for the cost, I knew I wouldn't be ordering from this company again. They also included the regular April box information cards in the box, making it very confusing, because the contents were not what were on the card.

So, as you can tell already I was not pleased, but I'll continue to tell you what we received in the box. Here is a picture of everything. The tote bag is a cute design, but I wish it was bigger, so you could actually use it.

The first item included in the bag was Skin Bling Tattoo Jewelry. I'm not sure if these are just these 3 designs or if there are other sheets, but my guess is this is it. Not impressed and they are not my niece's style. So, these will probably not be used.

Another item included was Pretty Yum Thing Face Lotion. This was the type of item I thought I would be receiving. This was decent size, so it would last more than a couple uses. And this is the type of item I think is appropriate for a 13 year old girl. I'm not sure my niece was too excited about this product though, she's really into make-up and jewelry at her age.

The only item she was excited about was these hair bands. She thought they were cute and she will use these. At least there was one item she will use. Though I'm not sure the crystals will stay on these hair bands long. To be completely honest, the quality of items included was not high at all. I felt like I could have curated a better mystery box by choosing items from a local dollar store or Target.

I was very disappointed in the next item, which was the only make-up item included. My niece loves make-up, so I was hoping for a different item, that she couldn't buy in a nearby store. We received elf waterproof shadow liner. Most of the elf products sell for around $1 and can be purchased at Target or any mass retailer, so this is not an item I want to see in a subscription box. I buy subscription boxes to receive items I can't readily purchase myself and this totally misses the mark. Plus my niece has similar products, so she wasn't interested in this.

The final item included was a jewelry item. My niece loves jewelry, but this is not a piece she can wear every day. I was hoping to see some cute earrings or a necklace that she could wear daily. And again something different that you can't buy anywhere. This crystal wrap bracelet looks cheap and she would only wear it to fancy dances, if ever.

After my niece opened her disappointing Birthday Box from iBbeautiful I had to take her shopping for something she would actually like. This was a total miss and not worth the money. I guess you don't always get the value or products you're hoping for from some subscription boxes. To be fair the monthly box looked like it received more unique products with a cute brave theme. (I should have purchased that for her instead) And the items they sell in their shop look perfect for a 13 year old girl. I guess I was hoping to receive some of the items I had seen in past boxes and in the shop. Needless to say, this will not be my go to subscription box for gifts. And I really do hate writing negative reviews, but I was not impressed by iBbeautiful!

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. 

Bundles of Joy

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: Bitty Bundle $36/month or Big Bundle $70/month
Coupon Code: CSS20 (20% off 1st bundle)

I'm reviewing something great today. Some subscriptions just get it right and this is one of them. I've been searching for a subscription for my 2 year old daughter, but wasn't finding anything unique. Bundles of Joy contacted me and asked if I'd like to review one of their boxes. And of course my answer was yes, and I'm so happy I did. I'll be honest with you, I wasn't sure what to expect and at first glance from their website I was under the impression that it was only for newborns. But this subscription is actually for newborn up to 5 years, Yay! That's perfect for us!

You fill out a descriptive survey/profile with age, size, likes/dislikes, and style preference of your little one and then you are sent a box of awesomeness! My box is a little different from what the typical box may look like, because I received items for both a newborn boy (my nephew) and a 2 year old girl (my daughter).

The subscription ships in plain white boxes with their logo on the address label, and I'm not sure exactly when it shipped, but I received it really quick! And when I opened the box, I got even more excited, because it had the cutest tissue paper with a scalloped edge. And was sealed with their sticker. So cute! My daughter couldn't wait to rip it open.

And when we did we were welcomed with the cutest compilation of items and I could tell Bundles of Joy really catered to the questionnaire I filled out. It was perfect and I knew everything was going to be used!

Bundles of Joy includes a list of the items included in your box with the retail values. They also included a hand written note that explained why some of the items were chosen. I love these personalized touches that makes it feel like someone put thought and love into putting the package together for you!

Here is a peek at everything we received! I can tell you I was honestly excited about every single item. And there was cards included for a few of the items to explain where they were from. It appears they use etsy shops to get some of the products, which I love, because you know you'll get unique items you don't already have. This would make a beautiful baby shower gift!

The first item was Felt Loved Fox Plush in red. Retail price $10. This little guy caught my eye right away and I was in love. My 2 year old daughter loves playing pretend and making little dolls and animals talk or pretending to take care of them. She grabbed for this immediately and said what's this? I love it! And I loved it too!

The next item was a Disney Minnie Mouse Tee in my 2 year old daughter's size. Retail price $9. I had mentioned that my daughter loved Minnie Mouse in the questionnaire, so I was so happy to see this and so was she! It's so cute and perfect for her!

The final item included for the 2 year old was a Two More Minutes Travel Chalkboard Mat + Chalk. Retail price $14. This is so cute! I love the way it rolls up and the chalk is in a cute little pouch that has elastic to fit around the mat. And how cute are the polka dots?!? Love! My daughter started playing with this immediately. So far, I was very excited about this box.

And now for the items included for my newborn nephew. The first item was Mudpie Pacifier Clip in green and white. Retail price $7. You always need one of these! And I love the color of this one!!! It's perfect for Spring!

The next item was a Circo Tie Onesie. Retail price $5. This is totally adorable! And he's going to look so cute in it. I was so happy to see this onesie!!! And it's cotton and comfy, which is perfect for a newborn.

The final item included was a Halo SleepSack. Retail price $26.95. I love these and I know we used them all the time with my daughter. This one has cute animals on it and is perfect and lightweight for spring. Another very cute addition to the box!

I really loved the Bundles of Joy box we received! It was perfectly catered to what I asked for and had a retail value of $71.95. I think this would make the cutest gift for little ones as you can tell Bundles of Joy the likes and dislikes of the child and they can compile an amazing gift! I love that they included a few items that you can't find everywhere, making this subscription feel special and setting it apart from the rest. If you want to try Bundles of Joy. you can use the coupon code CSS20 to save 20% off your first bundle. I'll definitely be subscribing for my 2 year old!

*This complimentary box was received in exchange for my honest review. As always the opinions are my own!

Golden Tote March 2015

Rating: Love It!!!!

Cost: $49 or $149 tote (I'm reviewing the $149 tote plus a boutique purchase)

Golden Tote is one of my most anticipated sales each month and for March there was some issues with the sale. Golden Tote launched a new website in March and do website launches ever go smoothly (I think not). They ended up pushing the date of tote launch back a week or two to get the website functioning properly. I ordered my tote the first day they were available and I just received it yesterday. And now there is no way to know what you are getting (besides the items you choose), so my surprises really were a surprise! I was excited and nervous to open my tote. There were some surprises I loved and some I didn't, but that's pretty normal. Golden Tote changed the style profile and now it has more questions and is more specific to what you'd like to receive, so I was hoping for a tote that was a perfect fit for me!

Golden Tote started using stickers on their boxes last month, so you know who your stylist is. I had the same stylist as last month KB. And I was fine with that because she did a great job picking out my surprise items last month!

Golden Tote also included an invoice this month with details about the chosen items and the surprise items. I love this! It should prevent being sent duplicate surprise items, if you order multiple totes within the same month using the same profile. They did mention that if you order totes under different profiles, you could be sent duplicate items, because the system views different profiles as different people.

Now, I'm sure you're much more interested to see what I got in my tote, so I'll give some sneak peeks. They also had a really cute tote bag design this month with a girl holding a bunch of balloons!

I did order a few items from the boutique so this picture shows them on top. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures wearing the sunglasses because they are too large for my tiny face.

And if you're a Golden Tote addict like me and have been stalking the Facebook Golden Tote Trading Group reveals of March totes, you might be able to identify a few of the items I received in my tote! This shows everything that is included in the $149 tote without my boutique purchase, so you have a better idea of what you might get if you order. A large tote generally has 6 items, from my experience. And sometimes if you order an expensive item, they'll let you know in the item description that you'll receive a 5 item tote (2 chosen items plus 3 surprises). I don't believe any of the chosen items for March resulted in a 5 item tote.

Now onto what I received. The first chosen item and reason for ordering this month was the THML Pineapple Shirt. I'm not sure what the appeal was, but I knew I couldn't live without this shirt! And I also ordered the Special A light wash distressed skinny jeans (that I wear in almost every photo) as a boutique purchase ahead of the sale, because I wanted to make sure I could return them if they didn't fit. The jeans sold out really quick and are no longer available on the Golden Tote site. I love both of these items! They are both completely comfy and totally great for weekend wear!!!

My second chosen item was the Collective Concepts Spring Forward Dress in blue. I definitely don't need any more dresses (or clothes for that matter), but I couldn't resist this beauty. It fits nice, and has a tie waist. I like the length for work too. Please excuse my very pale legs (it's been a very long winter). I will be wearing this tomorrow for Easter (with tights and a cardigan)!

And now for the fun part, the surprises!!! I'm going to save the best for last, because two surprises worked and two didn't. The first surprise that didn't work was Sis Sis Faux Leather Trim Pants in black. These fit me too large and have a whole lot of static going on. I've also seen these in an olive color and I think if I received the olive I may have tried to make them work. But I just don't need another pair of black pants, especially if they don't fit properly. I had a difficult time styling these too. They have a cute ankle detail that I like, but I'm going to be trying to trade these on the Golden Tote Trading Group. You can also see the skinny red belt I purchased from the boutique in this picture.

The other item that I wasn't crazy about was the Sis Sis Swiss Dot Top in blue. This fits fine and looks decent, but I have too many tops like this. And I'm never crazy about a banded waist or wrists, so I'll be trying to trade this also. It is a beautiful cobalt blue color which I love!

And now for the good surprises! They released this as a spoiler item and I requested it in my notes in my profile, so I was happy to see it included in my tote. It's the Everly Lace Detail Shift Dress in coral. I love the bright, vibrant color of this dress, and I don't own anything like it. I was a bit disappointed because when I tried it on it fits very large. I tried belting it for the pictures. I'm not sure I'm completely in love with this dress on me, but I will be trying my hardest to make it work, because it is such a pretty dress! And I was in love with it from first sight!!!

And my final surprise (I saved my favorite for last)...is something I never would have picked up in a store or ever tried on. It's the Alythea Palm Tank in green. This is a crazy loud print, but I totally love it. It fits perfectly and has a beautiful scalloped hem, which I love! I am so happy Golden Tote sends me items I would never choose for myself. They always end up being my favorite pieces and items I get tons of compliments on.

I was happy with what was chosen for me, even if a couple items didn't work for me. I think it was perfectly catered to my profile, which stated I mainly dress for work, casual weekend, and work to a night out. I also selected Casual, Classic, Feminine, and Trendy. I think these pieces fit my selections nicely. I'm happy with my March Golden Tote. The April totes will go on sale Monday, April 13th!

*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!