Birchbox January 2014

Rating: Like It!!!

Cost: $10/month

I received my January Birchbox. This month the theme was Go Time. It included some inspiration cards to keep you motivated in 2014. I really want to do something fun with these cards because they are great!

I looked at what I would be getting in this month’s box before it arrived, so it wasn’t a surprise. But I always love seeing the items in person to see the sizes of the samples. I wasn’t too excited about this month’s box, but there was one item I was very excited to try!

The first item I received was Coastal Scents Revealed Eye Shadow Palette. I liked the neutral and metallic colors included in this set. And usually I can’t wear a lot of brands of eye shadows because they bother my eyes by the end of the day (my eyes get all red and itchy). This was fine for all day wear, so I’ll keep using the samples to create different looks!

The next item was Juicy Couture Couture La La Perfume. I hate perfume samples and do not wear perfume, so I didn’t even try this.

I received Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. This seemed to work well, but I couldn’t get over the scent. It was too strong and perfumey and definitely not for me. Luckily the scent didn't seem to last, so I might try this a few more times to see how I like it. My hair looked clean and styled well after using it.

The Nail Rock Navy Velvet was the item I was most excited to try. I was hoping to get this in my box! I thought doing a full on velvet manicure might be too much, so I did a few nails to try it out. I did 2 coats of nail polish as suggested, but think 3 would have been better. The velvet did not cover evenly with 2 coats, but that could have been my messy application also. It definitely gave my nails a velvet effect (kind of reminded me of a teddy bear), not sure I love it, but it’s different and I’ll definitely try it out for a few days. Not sure what the staying power will be. 

The final item was a Birchbox Find. It was Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage. This was very moisturizing and thick. I love Burt’s Bees products because they are natural and I really enjoyed the scent of this lotion. This was a nice addition to this month’s box.

I love getting Birchbox each month to try new products, without having to buy the full size products. I’ve found so many products that are now staples in my daily routine. I can’t wait to see what I get in my February Birchbox!

What was your favorite item in your January Birchbox?

*If you use my links in this post, I'll get a small referral credit. Thank you!

January Clean Out Contest

I promised my readers a Giveaway and here it is! It's my January Clean Out Giveaway, where I give away a few things that I will not use, but are brand new. Here's what you'll get if you win:

- Bracelet from Your Bijoux Box December 2013 Grab Bag
- Black Earrings from Your Bijoux Box December 2013 Grab Bag
- Green Earrings from Your Bijoux Box December 2013 Grab Bag
- BCBG Max Azria bon genre perfume sample from Birchbox
- Uniq One All In One Hair Treatment sample from Birchbox

The contest will be open from January 13th at 12 AM EST until January 19th at 11:59 PM EST. Enter below. Good Luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wantable Intimates January 2014

Rating: Like It!!!

Cost: $36/month

I received my January Wantable Intimates box yesterday. I was very excited to see what would be inside. This month when I opened the box it had a paper that said "We Meet Again" across the box and the order sheet below that, so I wasn't sure what I would find. But I loved the presentation of the box, so I had high hopes it would be a great box! Here's the first look.

The first item I pulled out of the box was a Betsey Johnson Intimates Sleepshirt in Pink Cadillac. Retail Price $52.00. I love Betsey Johnson and was secretly hoping for some cute undies or lingerie from her line. I've seen others receive some really cute Betsey Johnson items in their boxes. This was a cotton night shirt and it's really soft and comfortable, but the message is much to young for me. It fits really great though (short and flirty), with cute heart shaped accent buttons. I would have loved this if it was plain or a patterned fabric! This is just not for me and I may gift it to a younger niece that would love it!!!

The item I was hoping I would get in this box was Wantable Cable Knit Footless Fleece Tights. Retail Price $24.00. These fit perfect and are really warm. I need to buy a long cream or light colored sweater to wear these with, maybe a pastel pink or mint green! They're grey, with a very cute cable knit pattern. These were my favorite thing in this months box!!! I can't wait to wear these.

The next item was St. Eve Seamless Boyshort in Pink Stripe. Retail Price $9.00. These are nice. They fit right and are seamless, which I like. I like the pink/white stripe with the orange waistband. I will wear these, but was hoping for something a little more flirty. I'm going to try to change my profile to try to get some more flirty pieces in my next box.

The last item I received is one I love! It's a Wantable Ladies Round Neck/V-neck Cami in Red. Retail Price $16.00. This cami has a round neck on one side and a V-neck on the opposite, so you can wear it whichever way suits your outfit better. Genius!!! Plus red was the perfect color for me. I needed a new red cami, so this came at the perfect time. I actually want to buy these in every color!

This was a decent box. I was happy with most of the items, but disappointed in the most expensive item (Betsey Johnson Sleepshirt). You are able to return the entire box if you don't like it, but since I can't part with the fleece lined tights I won't be. I'm going to try Wantable Intimates for at least one more month to see if  I can get some flirty pieces for February. I'm going to change my profile to see if it helps. I'm hoping for some new lingerie for Valentine's Day!

What'd you get in your Wantable Intimates?

*If you use my links in this post, I'll receive a small referral credit. Thanks!

Thursday Thoughts

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

I just found out about a new subscription box called Celebrate American Made that launched in December 2013 with a Wyoming themed box. Boxes are $39.95/month and include local artisan foods and crafts from the featured state. The state that will be featured in January is Virginia, February will be Arizona, and March will be Colorado. The Wyoming box included bbq sauce and other spices for cooking and also some yarn to do a knitting project. It looked like a well thought out box and though I've never been to Wyoming, I think they got it right! I can't wait to see what's in the upcoming boxes. If you'd like to subscribe or check out their website, which includes lots of information and fun facts (even recipes) click here. 

I'm looking forward to seeing the January boxes for all the subscriptions I subscribe to. I can't wait to see if there are any changes for the new year with packaging or anything else! And I seriously need to make a list of everything I am getting, so I don't lose track. Plus add the ones I want to try next!

I was able to snag a Golden Tote January Mystery Tote. They sold out quick!!! For $50, it will include 4 surprise items, one Puella dress from a past season (Yay!!!!!!!), one item from a previous $149 tote, and two other items, with a total value up to $300. I'm so excited for this tote (I even had a dream about it) and though I received my tracking number and it has shipped it does not appear to be on the move yet.

I'm planning to do some giveaways and I have ideas for a few, but haven't had time to get anything together and take pictures. I promise I'll get to it soon, so check back!

Popsugar Must Have Coupon Code

Are you subscribing to Popsugar Must Have? No?!? If you like great deals and have been wanting to try this subscription (which is my favorite) now is the time!!!! Get 3 boxes for the price of 2! Click here to subscribe for 3 months using the code NEWYEAR to get a 3-month subscription for only $79.85! (regularly $39.95/month)

Check out my past reviews to see what you've been missing, then click here to subscribe today! Promotion ends January 10, 2014 at 11:59 pm PST, so hurry before time runs out!!!

December 2013
November 2013
October 2013

*If you use my links in this post, I'll get a small referral credit. Thanks!

Quilty Box December 2013

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $38.95/month plus $5.95 shipping

My mom received her December Quilty Box on Christmas Eve and we made her wait until we were all together on Christmas Day to open it. The box was very small (thin) this month and looked quite mangled from it's delivery journey. My mom was hoping nothing fell out or was ruined. I didn't get to take a picture of the box before she opened it, so I'll just go through each item she received.

The theme for December's Quilty Box was Give. There was a paper that listed everything included. I don't have the paper with me, but I'll do my best to describe everything.

The first item was Andover fabric squares. Retail Price $10.95. We received two of the smaller lines and these fabrics are so cute. One has mice and cats and patterned fabric, and the other has whimsical animals and patterned fabric. Both will definitely make an interesting project.

The next item was an Art Kloth Kit. Retail Price $21.00. You can use this to make a Quilt Journal for 2014. I think that is a great idea. My mom makes a lot of quilts and tries to take pictures of most of them, but this will be a nice organized way to keep track of everything she makes.

We also received Quilting Isn't Funny by Megan Dougherty (The Bitchy Stitcher). Retail Price $12.99. This is a book with a collection of stories all about quilting. My mom is very excited to take some time to relax and read this. I may even read it when she is done. It looks interesting (even if I'm not totally into quilting). I love that they included a book in this box! It's something I didn't expect to see, but looks like a fun read.

My favorite item in this box was this Feathers Pattern by Alison Glass. Retail Price $12.00. I love this and told my mom if she wanted to make me another quilt I'd love it in this pattern. I hope she makes it for me!!! I took a picture of the back of the package that had a better picture of the pattern, so you could really see what it looks like. It also says on the sheet included that they will have a Quilt Along for this pattern, covering all the basics of paper piecing as well as more specific instructions for each block. My mom was very interested in checking that out, but can't find any more information about where she can find that. If anyone knows please comment below. Thanks!

The final item in the box was this Fabric Hoarder Art Print by Sara Watts. Retail Price $20.00. My mom loved this print and wanted to hang it up immediately in her quilting room. Unfortunately, the way the box was packed the print was creased when it arrived. It came rolled, but the box was very thin and squished the print, so it is no longer flat. She is not able to frame it or hang it, because the creases will not come out. It was a nice, high quality print though that would have looked perfect in her room!

My mom loves Quilty Box and looks forward to completing the projects she receives each month. This box had a total retail price of $76.94, which is much higher than the price of the subscription. It also included quite a few unique items, which makes this box a fun one to open month after month.

What do you think about Quilty Box?

Thursday Thoughts

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

We had a great Christmas! And I hope everyone else that celebrates did too! I finally opened my Popsugar Must Have Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Box and LOVED everything!!! I received a navy zebra dish, navy throw, and blue plates. Then I went and looked at all the reviews I could find to see what other color combinations people received. I loved all the bright colored zebra dishes! I was very proud of myself for going spoiler free and it made it that much more fun to open Christmas morning!

My guy also loved his Popsugar Must Have Holiday for Him Box. Everything was perfect and he looked pretty snazzy in his new flannel tie. His favorite thing was the monacle speaker. He immediately needed to try it out by calling me with it!

My sister and I bought my mom a Quity Box subscription for Christmas and made her wait to open it until Christmas also. Luckily hers arrived Christmas Eve, so she didn't have to wait too long to open it (unlike me, my wait was a month of torture). She loved it and I'll be reviewing it later!

I also bought my sister the Sparaj November box for Christmas and she loved all of it. She loved the way the coffee scrub smelled and the hand cream. She used the hand cream immediately. And she was very excited about the facial roller. Sparaj sells out very quickly. The reviews for the December box looked great and January is already sold out, so if you don't want to miss out on February order today.

My little one was so much fun this year (1 1/2 yr old). She wanted to open presents and help everyone else. We thought she would be most excited for Big Hugs Elmo, and she loves him (when he is off). When he talks she gets scared and walks away from him. Hopefully she warms up to him, eventually.

We definitely had a subscription box Christmas. What was your favorite gift/memory of the Holiday?