Hatchery May 2014 Subscription Box

Hatchery "delivers small-batch artisan ingredients and condiments to your doorstep every month." This is my first Hatchery box..I had read about how wonderful the packaging and presentation were on previous boxes..and now I can also confirm that to be true. Even the tasting guide is beautiful, including a short story about the founders of each company and recipe suggestions.  Such great thought and care is taken into preparing this box to be sent out. Boxes are $20 but I was able to use a discount code and received my first box for only $10 (shipping included).  I was so excited to see my box had finally come. This is what I received:

OLIVELLE  (Bozeman, MT)- Toasted Coconut White Balsamic Vinegar ..how good does that sound?! 

OLIVELLE (Bozeman, MT)- Tahitian Lime Extra Virgin Olive Oil ...excited to use it, just not sure on what yet..LOL

STUART & CO (Brooklyn, NY) - Spice Rub (pork).. will be trying this on a pork roast for Barry

KING KNISH (San Francisco, CA)- Five Spice(y) Ketchup ...not sure what I will be using this for yet...love Five Spice so I know it will be great on anything

THE FRENCH CONNECTION (Ashland, OR) - Lori's Salt Caramel Syrup ..suggested recipe for this was: Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Greek Yogurt and Salt Caramel Syrup..!  We used it drizzled over some homemade banana cake..DELICIOUS!

HEIDI'S SALSA (Los Angeles, CA)- Happy Medium Salsa ...made with Hatch green chilies, had to open it and try it right away! Delicious..I like things ridiculously spicy...for only being medium it had a nice kick to it. Enjoyed it over an egg, power greens, cheese& crushed tortilla omelet... YUM!

Overall review of this box: LOVED it from the moment I opened it.. Such a great mix of new, to me,  products to try.. I am going to have a lot of fun coming up with new recipes using all of these wonderful ingredients. Highly recommend trying a box for yourself or giving as a gift!  Hatchery still has a current code to receive you 1st box for $10, it is: START10

Love With Food May 2014 Subscription Box

What is great about Love with Food is that they will match each box sold and donate a box. One box donated for their small box.. Two boxes donated for their deluxe boxes. I have the smaller box. I love that all of the snacks are within my 100-150 calorie range that I like to be at for my midday snacks. Boxes start at $12 a month but there is almost always a discount going on..Current discount is getting your first box FREE only charge is $2.00 for shipping! Please feel free to use my referral link to take advantage of this wonderful deal...(if for some reason you do not like the box you are under no obligation to keep the subscription and can cancel at anytime).. My personal Love with Food referral link:  http://lovewithfood.com/invite?m=r&ref=GNQ

Included in this box:

REVOLUTION TEA -  (3 teas: Honeybush Caramel Herbal tea, Tropical Green tea, Southern Mint Herbal tea)...will be finding a new home for the mint tea as I despise anything mint but excited to try the other two flavors

TERRE DI PUGLIA - Tarallino snack with extra virgin olive oil..I have no idea what these are..possibly a mix between a cracker and crouton?..LOL thinking they might taste good with a salad..

FLAVRZ ORGANIC - Tropical peach drink mix ...not really into water enhancer but may add a squeeze or two just to try it..

ONE POTATO TWO POTATO - Sweet Potato Chips ...the bag contains 2 servings..had half a bag today as a midday snack..great flavor and nice crunch!

LE CARAMEL - Sea salt caramels ...these will go to Barry, he is more of a chewy candy fan than I am

J & M - Key Lime Cookies ...these will be an after dinner snack tonight, can't wait to try them

THOUGHTFUL FOOD - Giddy Up & Go Granola.. even though package is only 1 serving..will divide it out into about 3 or 4 servings and use it mixed in with some fresh fruit and yogurt..

THE SPICE LAB -  (2 packs) Hickory Smoked Sea Salt & Italian Black Truffle Salt ..I am most excited about these..love anything black truffle!

Overall review of this box:  I love that I have never heard of any of these brands before... and that is what is great about Love with Food getting to discover news companies and flavors. and of course the fact that they make such a big commitment to donating boxes to charity....

Orange Glad May 2014 Subscription Box

Orange Glad is a "Gourmet Dessert Sweet Box". Orange Glad offers a monthly plan ($15 + shipping), 3 month plan ($14 + shipping) or a 6 month plan ($13 + shipping) . In the month of May Orange Glad had an offer to try your first box for only $10 (shipping included)..!!  Couldn't pass up that deal. Orange Glad took great care in getting the package delivered including a thermal cold pack inside to help deal with the hotter temps outside while it was in transit. The box was pretty warm upon arrival but all the contents were in perfect condition. Included in this box:

BAKING BETTY'S - Award Winning S'more Cookie ..this one said to "enjoy right away" so we did..LOL ..it was very good, not overly sweet considering it had graham cracker, chocolate & marshmallow in it..

BAKING BETTY'S - Peanut Butter Cup Cookie ..this one also says "enjoy right away"..but it will have to wait until tomorrow..

CICI'S ITALIAN BUTTERHORNS - Italian Butterhorns..these say "enjoy within two weeks"..just by looking at them you know they will be great with a nice cup of tea

WELSH CAKES - Orange Cranberry Welsh Cakes.. these say "enjoy within one week" and they intrigue me the most with the description that they are a cross between a cookie, a scone, and a pancake

FINE SCONEHENGE BAKING COMPANY - Gluten Free Ultimate Brownie ..this one should be "enjoyed within one week".. I have been using a lot of almond flour in baked goods lately..this one is made with rice flour..can't wait to try it..

Overall review of this box...for the first box $10 offer it made this box even more of a fantastic deal. I think this would make a wonderful gift for the special person in your life with a sweet tooth.

Birchbox May 2014 Subscription Box

Birchbox features sample sizes of different hair, beauty, makeup & fragrance products.. They have boxes for both women & men.. Boxes are $10 a month, including shipping.. In this month's box I received: 

COOLA - Enviromental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After Sun Lotion...being in Las Vegas this will come in handy during our summer months especially..

MARCELLE- New Age 8 in 1 Power Serum.. firms & lifts? that's all I needed to know..sold!  LOL 

NEXXUS - Color Assure Pre Wash Primer, Shampoo & Conditioner.. I've never tried any of the Nexxus products so excited to see how they work for my hair..

PIXI - Shea Butter Lip Balm (Coral Crush).. I thought the color was a bit too dark, but once on was nicely surprised it wasn't too dark at all.. and really did feel very moisturizing..

HARNEY & SONS FINE TEAS - Pomegranate Oolong and Caribe Tea.. love Oolong and Green Teas ...I am not familiar with this brand and look forward to having one of them tomorrow morning ..


Overall review of the box... I thought this was a really nice mix of items, and liked it even better than my April box.. I was not familiar with any of these brands..and look forward to trying them all.  If you would like to try Birchbox please use my referral code:  https://www.birchbox.com/invite/d5n61

Beauty Box 5 May 2014 Subscription Box

Beauty Box 5 is a monthly beauty subscription box, sending out sample sized beauty products. Boxes are $12 a month, including shipping. Beauty Box 5 ran a promotion to receive your first box FREE for May! Couldn't pass up that deal. Here is what I received in my free box:

AVEENO - Daily Moisturizing Lotion ...with the summer heat quickly approaching, you can never have enough lotion! I have never tried any of the Aveeno products before, so I was very glad to get the sample to try.

H2O PLUS - Spa Hand and Nail Cream ...again summer is all about moisturizing , so something else that will be nice to have.

BAN- Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths (3 cloths)...these went right into my purse and will be great to have during the extremely hot days when I am out running errands and not feeling as fresh as I like to be..LOL

HARVEY PRINCE- HELLO Perfume..I am somewhat sensitive to smells..so I am glad that this had a very mild floral smell.. Not heavy or overpowering at all..

CATTIVA- Precisione Eye Liner (black) ...I can never have too many eyeliners!

Overall review of the box: LOVED it and will continue with my monthly subscription. All 5 items are new products to me, excited to use them all... and did I mention it was FREE..can't complain about such a great deal!

In Jenn's Bag Sugar Nail Frosting GIVEAWAY

Just in time for summer, In Jenn's Bag is running a giveaway of a 6pc set of Sugar Nail Frosting (http://sugarshoes.com/)  ending on May 23rd (open to US residents only).  Colors include: Cookies N Cream, I Want S’more, Cake Topping, Sprinkles On Top, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Sugar Crystals

Giveaway information here: http://www.injennsbag.com/2014/05/09/giveaway-sugar-nail-frosting/

Good luck!

Nibblr May 2014 Subscription Box

The Nibblr subscription box is a portion controlled snack box. You receive 4 snacks per box and can choose from their list of mixes which ones you are most interested in. Example if you hate coconut, you go through their list of snacks and click on "not interested" for all the coconut mixes.. Boxes are $5.99 each, that includes shipping!. You can choose if you want to receive them every week or just once a month. If anyone is interested in trying a free box you can use my friend code of 3842 to sign up. I chose to keep all my snacks under 150 calorie range. This is my 2nd month of receiving Nibblr. So tempting to open them all at once to try....LOL

This box included: 

HARVEST BLEND  150 calories, 6g sugar (pumpkin cookies, pumpkin seeds, and pecans)... haven't tried this one yet..but it looks delicious


7th INNING STRETCH  140 calories, 5g sugar (corn nuts and flax sea salt pretzel pearls)... LOVED it, really nice blend of sweet & salty


PUNCHED UP PISTACHIOS 90 calories, 4g sugar (salt & pepper pistachios) ...these are going into Barry's lunch bag to snack on at work


DUTCH CHOCO-CRISPERS 90 calories, 4g sugar(Dutch chocolate crisps)...loved that they were not overly sweet..yet completely satisfied my chocolate craving!


Overall review of this box: loved it, and loved the variety in the snacks with the sweet/salty... again try the free box with my code 3842...

Love With Food Box April 2014 Subscription Box

 What is great about Love with Food is that they will match each box sold and donate a box. One box donated for their small box.. Two boxes donated for their deluxe boxes. I have the smaller box. I love that all of the snacks are within my 100-150 calorie range that I like to be at for my midday snacks. Boxes start at $12 a month but there is almost always a discount going on.. I received my first box for $5 (including shipping)

 Included in this box: 

SENSIBLE FOODS (Orchard Blend Crunch Dried Fruit) they are a little sweet, a little tart..really good

WILD HIBISCUS FLOWER CO. .. (Hibiscus Tea)

SAHALE SNACKS (Glazed Almonds w/cranberries, honey & sea salt.... these had a perfect mix of sweet & salty

BUMBLE BAR (Organic Energy Bar) had this for a morning snack really good

FIORDIFRUITTA (Strawberry Organic Fruit Spread)...really enjoyed this one morning on toast

MELI (Honey Waffle) ....soft and crunchy, very sweet

CRAVE CANYON (Aged White Cheddar & Hatch green chili popcorn)... this one was a bit odd.. didn't love it..yet couldn't stop eating it..LOL

VINTAGE BEE (Creamed Honey with Chocolate mint) ...hate mint so will be giving this away..LOL 

Overall review of the box: first I love that they match boxes sold with donation boxes, that's worth the subscription right there.. Love the mix of snacks, and getting introduced to new products. I look forward to next month's box. 

Taste For Sweets Box April 2014 Sibscription Box

Taste for Sweets April 2014 box: Taste for Sweets is a monthly subscription box that sends fun size/sample sized sweet treats from around the world..Barry and I love trying international foods..This going to be a fun box ..except for the one item with mint..I despise anything with mint so Barry is on his own trying that one!   


the list of items we got in this box: 
 MAISON DE KUKKI Japan (Two delicate wafer cookies with a light mint cream in the middle)

MATLOW’S CANDY England (Classic English crystal fruit flavored hard candy)

SHENG HSIAN JEN Taiwan (Taro cream filled wafer confection)

ULKER RULOKAT Turkey (Great tasting hazelnut filled wafer sticks)

COUNTRY MA’AM Japan (Individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies)

ALENKA CHOCOLATE Russia (Delicious Russian milk chocolate, a favorite of many generations)

TAKENOKO CHOCOCLATE Japan (Sweet biscuits covered with two layers of chocolate)

PARLE-­‐G BISCUITS India (Highly nutritive and the original glucose biscuit from India)

GULLIVER Ukraine (Unique waffle candy covered in chocolate)

GLICO CAPLICO Japan (Crispy wafer cone snack with light ice cream flavored filling)

COCOS BAR Turkey (Scrumptious milk chocolate covered coconut bar)

SUPREME CHOCOLATE Turkey (Sweet rice crisps covered with fine chocolate)

MILKY CANDY Japan (Individually wrapped delicious milk flavored soft candy)

LOKUMCUK Turkey (Original and genuine jelly candy from Turkey)

Overall review of the box: everything was pretty good..favorite by far was the Alenka Chocolate bar from Russia! It was fun to try products I would otherwise have never known about.  I do worry about how the boxes will hold up during the summer months in the heat..

Nibblr Box April 2014 Subscription Box

The Nibblr subscription box is a portion controlled snack box. You receive 4 snacks per box and can choose from their list of mixes which ones you are most interested in. Example if you hate coconut, you go through their list of snacks and click on "not interested" for all the coconut mixes..Best part of this box is that it was absolutely FREE! Boxes are $5.99 each, that includes shipping!. You can choose if you want to receive them every week or just once a month. If anyone is interested in trying a free box you can use my friend code of 3842 to sign up. I chose to keep all my snacks under 150 calorie range. 

This box included: 

WASABELOVE (wasabi peas & corn nut mix).. . I made the mistake of taking a large handful of the peas and let's just say my sinuses are now extremely cleared..LOL 

GIVE ME SMORE: (yogurt pretzel pearls, graham cookies and milk chocolate snack mix)..the yogurt pretzel pearls were my favorite part.. 

SALT AND PEPPER CASHEWS ..gave these to my husband and he loved them..

OH MY THAI (Thai curry cashews, raisins and toasted coconut snack mix)..it was ok, like the flavor of the cashews.. didn't love it and marked it as "not interested" so that they won't send it again..raisins are always hot or miss with me..sometimes I like them sometimes I don't...

Overall review of the box: Love that they offer your first box free to try out the products! Can't wait to see what I get next month...

Birchbox April 2014 Subscription Box

 Birchbox features sample sizes of different hair, beauty, makeup & fragrance products.. They have boxes for both women & men.. Boxes are $10 a month, including shipping.. In this month's box I received: 

BEAUTY PROTECTOR: Protect & Detangle Leave in Conditioner, 

COLOR CLUB nail polish in Aquamarine... had never tried the Color Club brand before..it's very nice and the color is perfect for my Spring/Summer toes :)

SUMITA Color Contrast Eyeliner (Jamun-Deep Purple) was a little nervous about the "deep purple" but it is so dark it looks almost black.. very nice eyeliner, very soft and glides on very nicely.. loved it

SUPERGOOP: Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream (was not the right color for me)

and there is usually always a treat in every box I also received a KIND brand granola bar (Maple Pumpkin Seed).. I had never tried any of the Kind products before so was excited to try it..it was great..and for only 150 calories & 6g sugar..it made a nice midday snack.. 

Overall review of the box: It was a fun box for only $10... I feel like I got my monies worth with just the eyeliner & nail polish. They also have a great points program (you earn points, reviewing products and referring friends)..points earned can go toward purchasing full size items in their online store. 

Merco Local April 2014 Box Subscription Box

This is my first box! ..this one is by Merco Local.. a company in Utah and it features items unique to the state... They had a Facebook promotion to get your first box for FREE, I can never pass up something for free..LOL The only catch was to pay shipping costs ($9.82 to Las Vegas)

 Included in this box: 
ECO TREASURES SOAP NUTS (a natural alternative to laundry soap, this one intrigues me the most)

ASHLEY'S APOTHECARY ... healing salve

FIT ME TEA (3 tea samples & filter)

MEALS THAT TRANSFORM.. Apple Cinnamon Power Bar & Protein Mix (power bar was delicious and used for a nice midday snack)

LES MADELINES CAFE ...(3 Madelines....so moist and lemony...delicious!)

 MASON JAR COFFEE ROASTERS ... Colombia Guatica (no coffee maker, will probably give this away)

 Box also comes with assorted gift cards, some can only be used in Utah..but others are for online purchases..

Overall review of the box: there were a couple items that I won't use, but can easily give them away. Had hoped for a little more variety in the products, rather than it just being mostly food/drinks.  Would try it again sometime.