Bluum April 2014 Review

I received my April Bluum Box the other day. I thought I cancelled all my Bluum subscriptions (only because I'm trying to cut down on my subscription addiction and I've consistently liked Citrus Lane better so when cutting down to one, Citrus Lane made the cut) but something got screwed up and I received a box, oh well, can't say I'm too upset about that, but it didn't even get delivered until May 2nd, so I think they really screwed something up. 

Bluum is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box each month with products that are based on your child's age, gender and developmental stage. The boxes start as low as $21/month if you choose a longer subscription or just $24.95/month for one month, and you can cancel anytime. If you use my referral link (http://bluum.me/1hReL0W) you can get your first month 50% off, so it's not a bad deal to try out for $12.50! Which considering they advertise a $40+ value, you can definitely get a good deal of goodies for much less if you get a good box!

Here is my review of my box, which is for my 17 month old, daughter and the approximate retail value I found for each item from their specific website (or Amazon, since if you know me, I'm an Amazon Junkie and would most likely buy from there). Sometimes I have to do some math because the sizes aren’t quite the same, hence why they are approximate values. 

first look

Circle of Friends Rosa's Raspberry Detangler (10 oz) – well we don’t quite have a need for a detangler yet, BUT if EM’s hair is anything like mine was as a kid, I’m sure we’ll need it. and lots of it. This does smell super yummy! ($13.00)

Priddy Books - Bright Baby Slide And Find Who's My Mom? – This is an adorable board book, my only complaint is the sliding “windows” aren’t actually that easy to slide. EM will definitely not be able to do them on her own. Maybe after a few uses/reads they won’t be as stiff and easier to open. ($4.46)

Priddy Books - First Concepts - Colors – Like the book above, the flaps/pull tabs are kind of hard to pull/open. Hopefully with use they will loosen up. Otherwise, it appears to be a great quality board book that I’m sure EM will love. She loves all books at this point! ($8.09)

Tom's Of Maine - Toddler Training Toothpaste in Mild Fruit Flavor (1.75 oz) – This brand is known for being natural and containing no artificial colors, flavors, fragrance or preservatives. As with all toddler toothpaste, it is fluoride free (in case they swallow it). This will come in handy as EM’s current toothpaste is almost empty. ($3.99)

Klorane - Dry Shampoo (150 mL) – I love that there is always a “Mom” item in these boxes. I love it even more when it’s something I’ll actually use. I've tried several different types of dry shampoo and still haven't found one I love. Maybe this one will be it? This particular brand is free of parabens, sulfates, and colorants. ($16.55)

Total Estimated Value of Box: $46.09 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $24.95 (free shipping)

Overall impression: This box is definitely one of the more valuable Bluum boxes we’ve received. I’m kind of bummed we received two books as I would have preferred a box and a toy but regardless all of the items are great items and will be used. Any maybe I’ll even find my new favorite dry shampoo out of it too?

As mentioned above, If you are interested in signing up for Bluum… use my referral link and get 50% off your first box (and I’ll get a credit as well): http://bluum.me/1hReL0W and I'll love you forever! You can also review you items and earn points towards free boxes as well!

Remember, you can cancel at any time, so your first box would only be $12.47 (with the single month pricing), not too shabby! .

Did you get Bluum this month? What'd you think? What age is your box for? 

Disclosure: This post contains referral links!

Bluum January 2014 Review

I received my January Bluum Box(es) the other day. I have two subscriptions for Bluum  and I screwed up my "pausing", so I ended up getting two identical boxes this month. Well same items, but different variations on a few of the items at least. Whoops! One was at least free with my points. 

Bluum is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box each month with products that are based on your child's age, gender and developmental stage. The boxes start as low as $21/month if you choose a longer subscription or just $24.95/month for one month, and you can cancel anytime. If you use my referral link (http://bluum.me/1hReL0W) you can get your first month 50% off, so it's not a bad deal to try out for $12.50! Which considering they advertise a $40+ value, you can definitely get a good deal of goodies for much less if you get a good box!

Here is my review of my box, which is for my 14 month old, daughter and the approximate retail value I found for each item from their specific website (or Amazon, since if you know me, I'm an Amazon Junkie and would most likely buy from there). Sometimes I have to do some math because the sizes aren’t quite the same, hence why they are approximate values. 

the packaging

first look

my second box (different book and blankie though)

This month, the box was filled with a ton of filler again but it looked like there were a bunch of great items!

Melissa and Doug - Slide and Seek Safari ($6.61) - this is a cute wooden toy that helps teach cause and effect, I'm sure EM will love it We love Melissa and Doug toys!

Angel Dear Blankie - Mouse ($10.75) - EM loves these blankies, however, we have a handful of them already between gifts and subscription boxes. So with getting two of these blankies this month, I decided I would just give them to two of my friends who are expecting babies and I'll be attending their showers this month. 

Happy Tot Super Toddler Bars (Organic Apple and Kale Crisp and Organic Mixed Berry Crunch) (~$0.87/each x 2) - We get a lot of Happy brand items between Bluum and Citrus Lane, most of them EM likes, some she does not. I'll throw these in my diaper bag for when we are in need of a snack. 

Kingfisher Books - Baby Animals in the Sea ($5.39) - this is an adorable book and I love baby animals so I'll enjoy reading this to EM. It seems to be a good quality board book.

Deep Stick Moisture Stick - Grapefruit Bergamot ($3.35) - This was an item for Mom. I've received one of these in the past and to be honest, I have no idea where it is. I've read these are great so I may have to actually use one of them. 

Oscillococcinum (3 doses) (~$5.55) - This is also an item for Mom. II've used a sample of this in the past (probably from a subscription box) and it seemed to work well. It's supposed to relieve you of flu-like symptoms

Total Estimated Value of Box: $33.39 not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $24.95 (free shipping)

Overall impression: I love all the items and according to the information card (sent via email) it does total to over $40 if you don't buy from Amazon (although I use Amazon to get my comparable pricing since that is where I would most likely buy the items from). I will continue my subscription after all, at least for one more month!

As mentioned above, If you are interested in signing up for Bluum… use my referral link and get 50% off your first box (and I’ll get a credit as well): http://bluum.me/1hReL0W and I'll love you forever! You can also review you items and earn points towards free boxes as well!

Remember, you can cancel at any time, so your first box would only be $12.47 (with the single month pricing), not too shabby! .

Did you get Bluum this month? What'd you think? What age is your box for?

Disclosure: This post contains referral links!

Bluum - December 2013 Review

My December Bluum box arrived today along with my December Citrus Lane box and it too was a super large box which excited me! For those of you that don't know. Bluum is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box each month with products that are based on your child's age, gender and developmental stage. The boxes start as low as $21/month if you choose a longer subscription or just $24.95/month for one month, and you can cancel anytime. If you use my referral link (http://bluum.me/1hReL0W) you can get your first month 50% off, so it's not a bad deal to try out for $12.50! Which considering they advertise a $40+ value, you can definitely get a good deal of goodies for much less if you get a good box!

Here is my review of my box, which is for my 13 month old, daughter and the approximate retail value I found for each item from their specific website (or Amazon, since if you know me, I'm an Amazon Junkie and would most likely buy from there). Sometimes I have to do some math because the sizes aren’t quite the same, hence why they are approximate values. . My first glance was blocked first by an advertisement to share Bluum and then blocked by a large item (the stacking toy) so the pictures aren't as exciting as usual but the box definitely was packed, unlike last month. I actually received my information card via e-mail as soon as I was opening my box (which I did not receive last month). I also didn't get a "theme" this month. They don't seem to be very consistent with that kind of stuff from what I read. Anyways, on to my goodies:

Ecos Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent by Earth Friendly Products (4oz) - We can always use laundry detergent, but it's not exactly an exciting item to receive. It's all natural and I tend to use these sample sizes when I hand wash items instead of lugging my big Costco sized detergent to the bathroom. This is actually a very generous size though compared to some other laundry detergents I've received. (~$.58 for the 4oz Sample)

Peek-a-Boo Panda by Melissa & Doug - EM will love this! We play peek-a-poo often and read a book with it most nights as well so this will be fun to incorporate. I love M&D items! ($5.99)

Bath Stacking Pals by B Kids - These look like fun and will be added to EM's basket of bath toys! I have never heard of "B Kids" before but if EM likes these, we'll have to look up more items from them. ($10.49)

HappyYogis: Mixed Berry by HappyFamily Organic Superfoods (1 oz) - We got these same ones last month and EM loved them so they are a welcomed item! They are perfect for snacking on the go and for those who care, they are Organic. (~$2.81)

Happy Baby GRAINS Homestyle Meals "Brown Rice Pudding" by HappyFamily Organic Superfoods (3.5 oz) - I have a few "pouch" meals/snacks that I really need to give a try. Ever since EM started eating whatever I eat, I forget about the "baby food" type items I have in the pantry. Most kids love these so I'll have to try to remember to try these out.  (~$1.56)

Pacifier Wipes by Dapple (10 pk) - EM never took a pacifier so we don't have a need for these. However, I know how often babies drop pacifiers so these could be an awesome item to give to a friend so they have them handy when the baby throws out their binkie. ($5.12)

Total Estimated Value of Box: $26.55 (not including shipping)

Total Cost of Box: $12.47 - it's normally $24.95, I paid less because I found a deal. (plus free shipping)

Overall impression: Meh. Had I paid full price I'd be extremely upset (that's the 2nd month in a row I said that now) They advertise over $40 value and this wasn't even close, although there were a large # of items and they were all good, I just don't like false advertisements. I'll give them one more shot (which I will be paying the normal price for) so they better redeem themselves!

As mentioned above, If you are interested in signing up for Bluum… use my referral link and get 50% off your first box (and I’ll get a credit as well): http://bluum.me/1hReL0W and I'll love you forever! You can also review you items and earn points towards free boxes as well!

Remember, you can cancel at any time, so your first box would only be $12.47 (with the single month pricing), not too shabby! 

Bluum - November 2013 Review

I hadn't subscribed to Bluum since they changed their boxes earlier in 2013 so I was excited to see what was in it! For those of you that don't know. Bluum is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box each month with products that are based on your child's age, gender and developmental stage. The boxes start as low as $21/month if you choose a longer subscription or just $24.95/month for one month, and you can cancel anytime. If you use my referral link (http://bluum.me/1hReL0W) you can get your first month 50% off, so it's not a bad deal to try out for $12.50! Which considering they advertise a $40+ value, you can definitely get a good deal of goodies for much less!

Here is my review of my box, which is for my 12 month old, daughter. At first glance, it looked like a huge box, although it wasn't very heavy. When I first opened it there was a bunch of cards on top, and once I moved them and the Happy Holidays note from Bluum the box looked jammed pack. Much to my disappointment though, there was a ton of filler/stuffing paper underneath and the box wasn't as full as I thought, although does have some good items in it! There wasn't an information card (which since this is my first month since they made their changes back in early 2013 I am not sure if they are supposed to have one or not but I did log in my account and they had a little summary about my theme of the box being "Mini Cruiser"  and about EM being at the age to start walking, which is right on par with EM's current development. 

Peek-a-Boo Friends Handle Board Book by Little Learners - This book is absolutely adorable! We love getting books and EM is really getting into them when I read them to her. This is a great quality board book! In addition to the book, they included a little brochure about Little Learners and their other book options (including their app and singalong book they have in iTunes and iBookstore) . It looks like they have a lot of great reads!  ($7.19)

Monster Blankie by Angel Dear - EM actually got one of these in another box when she was much littler and loves it. She's no attached to any one blankie (thankfully) but I'm sure she'll love this one too! It is super soft!  I couldn't find this particular monster one on the Angel Dear website but I did find it on amazon ($13.95)

Calendula Weather Protection Cream by Weleda Baby (1 oz) - I'm not sure we'll really need this with our Florida Winters, but I'll put it away for safe keeping if the weather does drop and EM's skin starts to get irritated by it (or my own). (~$7.35)

8 Corner Protectors by Dream Baby - these will actually very much be needed for a few areas in the house once EM can reach the corners. She's already banging her head on various things so I'm sure the corners of some items will come soon enough. ($5.97)

HappyYogis: Mixed Berry by HappyFamily Organic Superfoods (1 oz) - EM hasn't had these yet, she wasn't too much a fan of the yogurt melts she got in a different box (I think because they stuck to her fingers) but we'll try these out and maybe she'll like them. She's also older now so she's gotten MUCH better with her finger foods. They are an easy, healthy snack to throw in the diaper bag. (~$2.81)

I also got a postcard for 25% off at www.bugalugbaby.com and $10 off a 30+ page memory book at www.tweekaboo.com  I never include these in my "total estimated value" of the boxes as they require you to purchase something so in my opinion they aren't part of the value if you have to buy something.

Total estimated value of box: $37.27 (not including shipping or the postcard coupons)

Total Cost of box: $13.00 (free shipping)  -- Well it's normally $24.95, I paid less because I found a deal on Plum District

Overall impression: Being that I only paid $13 I was very happy, but had I paid the full $25 I wouldn't have been as excited only because I just wasn't WOW'd by any of the items in the box. Although they are all great items and will all get used. I think it annoyed me more because they filled 80% of the box with filler/streamer stuff so it appeared like you were getting more than you were. I'm going to do one more month before I decide if I want to keep it coming or not.

As mentioned above, If you are interested in signing up for Bluum… use my referral link and get 50% off your first box (and I’ll get a credit as well): http://bluum.me/1hReL0W and I'll love you forever! Apparently you can also review you items and earn more points that way too, although I haven't figured out how to do that yet. 

Remember, you can cancel at any time, so your first box would only be $12.50 (with the single month pricing), not too shabby! 

Did you get Bluum this month? What'd you get in your box (and for what aged child)? 

Disclosure: This post contains referral links!

5 on Friday - Online Shopping, Great Deals and More!

Doing a new link up this week -- 5 on Friday with the Good Life Blog, so here goes:

{ONE} So last night as I was on my "run", I attempted to do 3/1 intervals. I wasn't really in the mood to run, but figured I needed to burn some calories, log some miles, and get rid of a headache. Surprisingly the headache went away kind of quickly (may have been the Excedrin I took, but I'd like to think the fresh air helped). After about the first 3 minutes, I didn't really FEEL like running, just wasn't in the mood. But since I was already dressed and out there (and not on a treadmill where it's easy to just hop off) I figured I might as well walk a few miles. So I changed up my intervals to 1/3's meaning I just walked all my running intervals (3 minutes) and ran the walking intervals (1 minute). During my walking intervals, I decided to do some online shopping (this is why I walk so slow, because I'm playing on my phone lol). I ordered two new pairs of shoes from DSW. One pair of sweater boots (that I'll probably hardly get to wear in good ol' Florida - have I mentioned it's still in the low 80's most days this week!!) and a pair of purple flats. I LOVE sweater boots! So comfy! All my flats are black (or gray/silver) and I've been on the hunt for a colored pair. I had bought a pair of red ones from Target and realized I didn't have much to match with them so I returned them. I wear a ton more purple so I'm excited for them to come in. I completed my transaction once I got home. I used up some DSW giftcards I had in my wallet (leftover from two birthdays ago, whoops!) plus my DSW "birthday" $5 coupon plus their free shipping and $10/off promotion codes - so for my two shoes I only ended up paying $61.58! Plus, I logged into my Chase Freedom Rewards before placing the order and through their Ultimate Rewards Mall I get an extra 6 pts per $1 spent + 1% on all purchases (essentially ~$4.31) back by using my credit card! I'd say that's a pretty sweet deal :) 

Continuing with great deals, had another great online shopping experience. We have been looking for a new TV for our home gym that we've created and wanted a 32" TV. We found one we wanted on bestbuy.com for $229.99 -- well the good little shopper that I am, I had to compare to Amazon to see if they were cheaper... they weren't. They actually had the SAME TV listed for $347.99, crazy to see it was such a good deal at Best Buy. But I wasn't convinced to go to Best Buy just yet. I decided to contact Amazon and see if they would price match and apparently found out they have a special "Low Price TV Guarantee Program" - meaning they'd refund me the difference of the TV after I placed the order and it shipped since Best Buy is one of the approved retailers they price match with. I wanted to be SURE this TV/order would qualify, so I got them to approve it as a pre-order. So now we got the same TV, less taxes (saved me $14.95 right there) PLUS amazon.com happens to be one of the quarterly bonus categories on my Chase Freedom card so we'll get an additional 5% cash back which is $17.40 in addition to my normal 1% ($3.48) back I get on all purchases (not sure if they'll take away the portion of 5% + 1% after amazon refunds me the $118 difference, but even so I'll still get a total of $11.50 + $2.30 back) I know this isn't THAT much money we're talking here, but I get such a rush out of saving money and it all adds up! Between those two orders I'm getting over $20 back in cash back rewards) Which I have NEVER carried a balance on a credit card, so I never pay any interest/fees, so all the money I get back from rewards program is actual "free money". I love getting paid to use their credit cards :)

{TWO} Apparently Disqus (what I'm using for people to leave comments) doesn't notify me when people leave comments. Which, considering how few I get, I like to at least acknowledge and reply to. I just realized I had comments from a week ago on several postings! Sorry for the late reply. I'm going to look in the settings and see if there is an email notification option, and if not, I will just keep an eye out on my Disqus account to see who has left comments!

{THREE} I also got two great deals on subscription box services this week too! Thanks to Jen @ Ramblings of a Suburban Mom (if you can't tell, I read all her posts and get a lot of good deals from her) for posting the deals the other day. On plumdistrict.com - which is similar to a Groupon/Living Social type site (I had heard of this site before, but I never subscribed or went to look at it, man, I was missing out!) they are offering a one month subscription for $12 (regularly $24.95)  to Bluum plus there was a coupon code for 20% off (PD_BOXTOPS) making the order only $9.60 for a $24.95 value. (reminder to self: need to make sure to cancel after the first month, unless I like it and maybe I'll keep it!) Then they also had an insanely awesome Citrus Lane deal - $40 for a 3 month subscription ($75 value) or $75 for a 6 month subscription ($125 value) to Citrus Lane plus you could use the 20% off making the deals $32 for 3 months or $60 for 6 months -- which is awesome to essentially pay $10/month for something that is normally $25/month! (By the way, this is for NEW subscribers only!)

{FOUR} We've officially been in our new house over a year now! This year FLEW bye! Today, I'll be having some items fixed/looked at as part of our one year walk through. After this, any issues we have, we'll have to deal with ourselves. It's been kind of nice having a "maintenance man" these last 12 months. Although, I'm sure the builder HATES me by now, in theory if everything was "good" from the beginning, we wouldn't need to talk to him any longer, but I know it's normal to have some issues with new construction homes. Regardless, I LOVE our home and our neighborhood and going through the building process was definitely something we both really enjoyed! Seems so long ago that we took these pictures:

{FIVE} we have the final count for EM's 1st birthday party next weekend (assuming no last minute cancellations! It's still going to be HUGE (We have 60 Adults and 24 Kids marked as coming)  - but much smaller than the original list we sent out. I won't lie, planning for a party this size gives me anxiety but my wonderful MIL is going to help with most of the food prep, and hubby is always great with helping prepare stuff as well so I'm sure it'll all be fine. Not like EM will have any memory of this anyways (besides pictures), but I still want it to be a good time for all that attend!

  

Disclosure: This post contains referral links!