Living Outside the Subscription Box

MY BARIATRIC BOX July 2017 Subscription box for those on a bariatric (or high protein) diet 1/5 stars I had bariatric surgery coming up on six years now. When I heard about this box I was very interested indeed. I wanted to see what they were offering new bariatric patients and also how good they'd be in helping me to stay on this lifetime diet. When the box arrives you get a plain brown box with no branding except a small sticker. Upon opening, not much can be seen for the large amount of tissue paper packaging. I like boxes that keep you in suspense as long as possible! The box comes with a card detailing all the items received and has nutritional info on the back for a few products which didn't include it on the individual servings. What was in the box: 1. The highlight of this box is an Ulla Smart Hydration Reminder . I hadn't heard of this so looked it up to understand it. It retails for $25 USD or $39.95 CAD, so this really is the big ticket item...

SKETCH BOX Summer 2017 Grab Box Subscription box for artists 5/5 stars Every so often Sketch Box has a large grab box sale where you purchase a box full of random items from previous boxes. It's kind of a clear-out for them and a huge deal for us! The box we received was the same size as we normally receive but with a different design on top letting you know it's your grab box. But when you open the box it is jam-packed full of goodness that there is hardly any room for those annoying paper worms! Just my first glimpse let me know I was in for some delights. I've since watched a few other people's unboxings of this and found that people received similar and some of the same items I did but I couldn't find anyone who had exactly the same box. So if you bought more than one box you would probably get a lot of duplicates, some the same but different shades and a few items specific to each box. The majority of my items were mark-making supplies such as...

SMITH & CULT Cosmetics Review received free from the Amazon Vine program. Smith and Cult Eyeliner , Charcoal, 0.16 oz. Absolutely fantastic! I am an eye makeup addict and had never tried this brand of eyeliner before. In fact, I must say I've never tried a high-end eyeliner before and believe you me, you get what you pay for. While I've graduated onto high-end brands with my other makeup products my eyeliner remained consistent with a drug store brand. What a difference! The colour is thick and bold. It went on smoothly and effortlessly and my wings have never looked this good. This is the best liquid eyeliner I've ever used and I'm willing to fork-out the money for this. I've been wearing it all day today and now, in the evening, it still looks freshly applied. Smith and Cult you have won me over. Here is my usual eye makeup including the liner: Smith & Cult Lip Stain 0.16 oz, Linger Sigh This lip stain is going to make you feel luxu...

YUME TWINS July 2017 Japanese Kawaii Subscription box. 5/5 stars Use my link above and receive $5 off your first box! This is one of the most fun boxes I receive. It has no purpose but to make me say "cute" fifty times! Every month you receive a big cube purple box which will have you oooh and awe and going into "cute" mode right away. Then when you open it up you will see the monthly magazine on top and may catch a glimpse of some of the items included. The magazine contains a list of everything you've received. An article on the featured product and an article on a neat Japanese place to visit or festival, among other things. I've received several of these now and this is my most favourite one to date! What's in the box: 1. Kamio Japan box of bandages. This item was a little weird to receive but at least it's useful. There were four variations that you could get and I got Hoshikuzu Dream, 15 pretty pastel blue and purple ...

PHILIPS Compact Pasta Maker with 3 shaping discs HR2371/05 received free from the Amazon Vine program. I had never made fresh pasta before in my life! Now I just may be addicted. Following the point by point instructions, I put the ingredients in the mixer. Turned the machine on and then sat and watched as my bowl filled with lovely fresh spaghetti! There is nothing to do while the machine is kneading your dough but once it starts extruding you must stand attention and cut the pasta every so often to the length you prefer. I kept turning the bowl at regular intervals so the pasta wouldn't pile up in one spot. Once the machine is done it takes a few extra tries at mixing and kneading the dough as to use up as much of it as possible. Beautiful looking pasta. The instruction book tells you the ratio of liquid and flour for several varieties of flour (ww/spelt, etc) and varieties of liquid as well (water/egg mixture/vegetable juice etc). The parts are large and sturdy making no...

BOXY CHARM July 2017 Beauty Subscription box. 2/5 stars Ships To : 48 Contiguous US                 Canada Pricing : $21 US + tax to FL & CT + shipping to Canada For more information visit Boxy Charm. Boxy Charm always arrives in this sophisticated looking black. Upon opening it we usually can't see anything but this time was a bit different. The box felt bumpy at one end and when I opened the box it sprung up with this huge piece of foam packing everything into place. This had me thinking there was something breakable in here and that is what caused the difference, there was a bottle in there! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. What Was in the Box: As always we receive a card with the theme on one side and the contents of the box on the other. This month's theme is Cutie Pie and I love the colours on that card. Red & orange got me hipped. 1. Electric Eyes Palette by Bi...

NOCTURNAL READERS Box June 2017 Theme: The Feast Subscription box featuring creepy, dark books and usable related items 5+/5 stars This is one of my absolute favourite boxes. You receive two books and lots of creepy memorabilia and useful items. The books I've received so far have all been new to me and the ones I've read have been great. This is what the box looks like when you receive it. Upon opening it the suspense lasts a little longer as everything is covered up with packing paper. So let's pull out all that paper and have a look at what we've got! What's inside the box: 1. NOS4A2 bike licence plate promoting Joe Hill's book of the same name. It's really hard to pick a favourite item from this book but this little plate got me majorly pumped! 2. Shark Key Ring/Bottle opener with quote from Jaws on it. This isn't something I'll actually use but it's found a home in my cabinet of curiosities. 3. Silence of the Lamb...

SO DELICIOUS Almondmilk Non-Dairy Frozen Desert Mocha Almond Fudge Bars 4x68 ml 4/5 stars received a free pack from socialnature.com I had a bit of a hard time finding this product in my town but eventually found a store that had one flavour of the frozen bars available, Mocha Almond Fudge. I have no aversion to milk but have used soy products simply for flavour. There were four ice cream bars on a stick in the package we bought. I ate two of them and found them simply delicious. When I went back for another I found them all gone! Turns out my teen son had eaten them. He hadn't a clue they weren't real ice cream! Calories 150 Total Fat 10g Total Carbohydrate 14g Protein 1g

BOOST High Protein, Chocolate 6x237ml (Case of 24) 5/5 stars received a free case from Amazon Vine program. I'm a regular Boost drinker having a bottle most days. My go-to for weight loss is "Boost Diabetic" but I like to change it up and have other variations on hand for different situations. Boost High Protein is a meal replacement or energy drink. It is not for weight loss. If you need a boost before a workout this is the one to use. If you typically or occasionally skip meals this one is perfect. I use it personally for maintenance and when I'm on the go and don't have time for a meal. This is very filling and lasts for me from meal to meal with a small healthy snack in between, if possible. The chocolate is probably the best tasting chocolate from all the different Boost varieties. Very chocolatey, and thick without tasting fake. I always highly recommend Boost.

ARTSNACKS July 2017 Subscription box for artists 4/5 stars Artsnacks arrives in a small rectangular box every month. We don't receive large items but certainly quality ones. Once we open the box we will always find the card list, sticker and a candy. Then wrapped in green tissue paper are pens, pencils and brushes. Most times there will also be one item not wrapped. This will be a tool, paint, ink, etc. What was in the box: 1 - candy & sticker 1 - Derwent 2-in-1 Eraser/Sharpener - This is a very sturdy product and feels good in the hand when using. One end has a pencil sharpener which is very good for lead pencils and passable for soft colour pencils. The eraser is quality vinyl and erases fantastically. In fact, I used the eraser so much that it has been worn down to a smaller stub which will no longer fit in the holder. I have no use for that end anymore as I'm unlikely to buy erasers to fit and the sharpener end has gone into my collection of...

PALETTEFUL PACKS July 2017 Subscription box for artists 5/5 stars This is one of my favourite Paletteful Packs ever! I really loved the curation this month with the theme "Draw on Everything!" You can't miss this subscription when it arrives as it comes in this bright green box. I'm already pumped before I  even open it! If you want to blind box this subscription then turn the box away from you before opening the lid as some items will be visible through the paper worms. This month those worms are an eye-popping orange which really gave me an eyeful when seeing the red, orange and black bits peeking out at me. This box comes with a list card of everything you will have received and is just on top as you open it. What was in the box: 4 - Amsterdam Acrylic Paint Markers - I have some paint pens in a few colours already but this intro pack of Amsterdam Acrylic markers (ie paint pens) made me fall in love with the brand. I really enjoyed using them ...