Nature Box June 2016 Unboxing

I got a message last week informing there had been issues processing my shipment for June's Nature Box on time and that they would be sending a second one asap.  It's not too much delayed...usually get it around the 25th, and I got it on the 29th.  In either case, I am always quite pleased with the variety of snacks they provide so I knew a few days of waiting wouldn't hurt me.  Let me break down your options for Nature Box:

You can get:
5 snacks at 19,95$ per box or
10 snacks at 32.95$ per box

Shipment can be done to match your schedule:
Every week
Every two weeks or
Every month.

I opted for 10 snacks every month.  Shipping is free to US but costs 4.95$ for Canadians, which is reasonable. To try a free box, click here!

I added a review of last month's snacks in my last review.  If you want to check it out, click here. 

 First snack is Double Berry Fruit Peels which is a raspberry and blueberry fruit strips similar to Fruit to Go.  I have 10 strips and I know I commented on how I seem to be keeping my dried fruit for last in my previous comment but this is in a different format and I think they may get enjoyed a bit faster. Sorry, all you see is a foil packet... you can get a better look at what this fruit strip looks like by clicking on the link.

My review:  although these were great (similar to leather fruit strips combined with those twizzlers peel-up strings), guess what?  They ended up the last item in my box untouched.  I really should take the hint; dried fruit seem to not appeal to me like fresh fruit.  Should just avoid dried fruit altogether, unless they are part of a trail mix.  BUT, don't get me wrong.  These are great and I did enjoy them when I had them as my snack.

This one is the Probiotic Power Mix and I have been eyeing this for quite some time.  The mixture of colors just makes it so enticing.  This includes Cranberries, Greek yogurt covered apricots, sunflower seeds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pecans and dried apples.  Such an amazing combo; I am looking forward to grabbing a handful to much on.

My review: I loved this!  Those yogurt covered apricot bits?  sooooo yummy! and the nuts are raw, not roasted, not salted, just as is.  I really liked the combination of flavors in this trail mix and I will definitely get some more at a later time.

I got the Peanut Butter Nom Noms which is a mini peanut butter oat cookie.  Same principle as the Dark Chocolate Nom Noms last month, different flavors.  And these darker morsels you see on the cookie?  Chocolate chips!  Yummy!

My review:  hmmm, these did not taste like peanut butter to me.  Were they tasty? yes.  But I was definitely looking for more than what it ended up being.  So far, my favorite Nom Nom remains the double chocolate one.

Look who came back a second month in a row!  These Kung Pao Pretzels are seriously addicting; Alex made a request I get these again this month, and I did.  Best described as oriental spicy pretzels.

My review:  well, you guys know this was a repeat from the previous month so we obviously enjoyed it.  We brought them with us on a road trip during vacation as we usually do get hungry when driving most of the day.  They hit the right spot: a little bit of sweet but mostly spicy = great combination!

Next is Honey BBQ Crunch which was in my recommendations this month.  It's a mixture of peanuts, honey roasted peanuts, cashews, pretzel morsels and BBQ seasoning.  Sounds pretty fantastic in my opinion.

My review:  These were pretty good!  I enjoyed the crunchy bits of pretzels in this nut mix the most; just added a little some extra texture in this medley.  The flavor was great too; could definitely taste the honey and bbq flavors and they went well together.

Since I started enjoyed Nature Box's granola mixes, I decided I'd give this one a go.  This is Chocolate Chia Granola and it's pretty much self descriptive : chocolate flavored granola with chia seeds.  I've quite enjoyed mixing chia seed with chocolate almond milk in the past (makes a sort of tapioca pudding texture) so I know these will be right up there too.

My review:  this granola was alright; I mostly had it as breakfast at the beginning of the month and I guess I prefer my granola over yogurt.  Was not wowed by it but was not disappointed either.  Was good.

Next are Masa Crisps which are pretty much corn chips with flax seeds on them.  This snack was recommended for me to try but I'm pretty sure I've tried a generic brand of these before and I liked them.

My review:  we've had store bought versions of this before and these taste just like them.  I realized these have flax in them after ordering them and I'm supposed to avoid flax so I gave these to Alex and he said he liked them.

I guess I was in a nutty feeling when I picked my pantry last month, this is the third mix for this month.  These are Sweet & Salty Nut Medley which is a mixture of Honey Roasted Peanuts, Peanuts, Almonds and Cashews, and, of course, salt.

My review:  These were good.  I always enjoyed mixing sweet and salty together (salted caramel anyone?)  This was no exception.  In fact, this was the first snack to disappear.

 Next is Sante Fe Corn Stix which apparently tastes like corn chips and salsa (makes sense as they are a mixture of masa corn and salsa seasoning).  This should be different.

My review:  this one was surprising for us.  It doesn't look like much but it really does taste like corn chips and salsa with a lot of crunch.  Perfect snack and something we'll likely get again in the near future.

And, last but not least, our popcorn of the month is Jalapeno White Cheddar Popcorn.  This is another one I've been eyeing for quite some time so I am happy to have them this month.

My review:  Wow!  Very flavorful and honestly my favorite popcorn Nature Box has sent my way so far.  This will make another appearance in a future box, that is for certain.

That concludes this month's box.  Stay-tunes for a review on these snacks next month.

LEVEL UP+ Wearables June 2016

I used to be subscribed to Loot Crate a few years ago, but sadly unsubscribed since I realized the only item I truly appreciated was the t-shirt they included every month.  It was pretty cool and full of geeky stuff, but if the month's theme was something you're completely oblivious about, it made for a pretty bad box.  Fast forward to today and Loot Crate now has many options available for their subscribers in order to ensure they get items/themes to their liking.  Let me go through them quickly before getting to the gist of this blog post.  An FYI, the links I have posted on this blog post gives you 5$ off any Loot Crate subscription (included the one I am subscribed to).

Loot Crate : this still offer the original boxing which ends up being 13.95$ + 6.00$ shipping (19.95$) and you get a themed box where you are sure to get a t-shirt, collectibles and gadgets.  This month's theme was Dystopia.

Loot Crate DX: this is the same Loot Crate experience but better with a bigger assortment of geeky goods, including apparel, pop figures, collectibles and home goods.  This one is a tad more expensive at 44.95$ + 5.00$ shipping (49.95$)  but I hear it's highly worth it.  This box follows Loot Crate's theme of Dystopia.

Loot Anime: This is the same principle as Loot Crate but it's themed around Anime. This one costs 24.95$ +5.00$ shipping (29.95$) and theme for this month is Victory featuring items from Splatoon, Free! and Yowamushi Pedal.

Loot Gaming: Again, same principle as regular Loot Crate but this one is based on Gaming (classic and new release alike).  This one costs 24.95$ +5.00$ shipping (29.95$) and theme for this month is Arena and includes items from Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, DOTA 2 and Street Fighter 5.

Loot Pets:  Now you can geek out your pets!  Apparel, toys, treats and accessories for your pet with geeky references.  This one is 19.95$ +5$ shipping ( 14.95$) and the theme this month is Dogtopia.

Firefly Cargo: This one is a bi-monthly crate that sends out official Firefly Gear and Collectibles.  Every crate is 34.95$ +5$ shipping (39.95$) and next box is themed Little Damn Heroes.

Halo Legendary Crate: has not been released yet but there's the possibility to receive an email when they officially launch.

Loot Crate also has Limited Editions Crates:  Ghostbusters (55$), Star Wars (100$), and Call of Duty (100$).

Okay, so what is it I'm subscribed to?  Well, I didn't even cover that yet!  Loot Crate has another form of subscription called LVL Up+ which earns you some geeky apparel delivered to you on a monthly basis.  Now since there are a few options, I'll cover these for you.

First, there's Loot Socks at 9.99$ (shipping included) where you get two pairs of geeky, comfy stylish socks every month.  This month's sock spoiler is : Star Trek and Fall Out.

Then, there's Loot Tees at 8.99$ (shipping included) which earns you a geeky t-shirt every month.  This month's t-shirt spoiler is District 9.

There's Loot for Her at 14.99 (shipping included) where you can get anything like scarves, jewelry, tote bags, leggins, etc.  This month's spoilers are : Attack on the Titans and Firefly.

And last but not least, there's Loot Wearables at 14.99$ (shipping included) which can include anything from hoodies, lounge pants, polos and long sleeve shirts.  This month's spoiler is Ghostbusters.  I am subscribed to this one.

You can also decide to bundle up some of these options for a better price : Loot Wearables + Loot Socks (20.99$),  or Loot for Her+ Loot Tees (19.99$).

I know this overview of Loot Crate possibilities has been long, and I promise not to go through all of that again next month.  Now on to the actual review!

The envelope came with a large poster showing pictures and describing the possible loot for the month.  I kinda wish I was subscribed to the socks and wearables bundle, because I like those Star Trek socks...oh well.

So this month's Wearable included an Exclusive Ghostbusters Baseball Jersey.  Here's a view from the front and back of the shirt.  I believe 84 refers to the year the first Ghostbusters movie came out.  While I really enjoy Ghostbusters, baseball jerseys are not my favorite style.  I'll be more likely to wear this to lounge around the house or when I go to friends for game nights.  I like it though and it is quite comfortable.

That said, since I kind of regretted not signing up with the Wearable and Socks bundle, I decided to upgrade my subscription for next month...and we already have a sneak peek for the theme for July!!

July's theme is Futuristic and here are hints for the various Level Up subscriptions:

Loot Socks: will feature socks from Rick and Morty and Megaman.
Loot Tees: will feature a Voltron t-shirt
Loot Wearables: will feature an item from Futurama.
Loot for Her: will feature an item(s) from Bioshock Infinite.

The items I am subscribed to are shows I am well acquainted with so I am pretty sure they will be greatly appreciated!  That concludes this month's review.  As always, any comments or questions are welcomed.

Julep Maven June 2016 unboxing

My Julep box was a tad late this month (about 10 days later than usual).  I'm never too worried about shipment though because I know the box will show up one day or another.  It was showing up as shipment data uploaded for at least two weeks before showing any sign of shipment.  Funny enough, the day I contacted Julep, the package started moving within minutes of the contact.  All that to say, I am very happy to have it in my hands right now...But before I talk to you about what I got in this month's box, let me tell you a little about this subscription.

(don't mind the flyer, Alex is actually the one that took this picture!)

 Julep is a monthly nail polish and beauty product subscription at a reasonable price of 24.99$/month.  If you sign up on the 3-month plan (pay for three months all at once), it costs 19.99$/month. Subscribers get to pick their choice of beauty product and nail polish on the 20th of every month and get billed on the 27th.  They are also free to skip a month if needed.  You have the opportunity to add items in your box as well and if you add three, you get a bonus gift.  Also, you ave the opportunity to upgrade the box to get a bigger part of the collection, or the whole collection.

This month, I had two polishes and one make-up product, as well as 3 add-ons.  First, the items from the collection:

 We've got Julep Lorraine (on the left) (RV 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a mulberry passion microshimmer.  This beauty is a one coat wonder; simply amazing!  I did end up trying two coats on my nails to see if it deepened the color but it really did nothing extra; it's fine with just one coat.  It has quite a thick formula though, so it is best to limit the amount of polish on the brush.

The second one is Julep Naveena (on the right) (RV 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a lush jungle teal jelly. My nail swatch is two coats, but since it's a jelly, I assume you could build it up to the desired opacity.  I have a creme polish similar to this color but I must admit, I do prefer the jelly format; I just love that squishy look jelly polishes have.

The makeup item is Skip the Brush - Creme-to-Powder Blush Stick in the color Sweet Peach (RV 24$ or 19.20$ for Mavens).  You can see a swatch of the color on the right.  Keep in mind this is only a stripe, I did not blend it on my arm.  I did try it on my cheeks and the look is subtle but quite gorgeous.  Makes me want to grab a few darker colors of this product.  I quite love the formula too.

So if we consider this, my 19,95$ box has products totaling the value of 52.00$; pretty awesome in my opinion.  And as always, I grabbed three add-ons to get a free gift (I really can't resist free gifts and I really wanted to try two of these products).  Also, with the fact I got the whole collection last month, I have a few Jules points to use up, so the only thing I ended up paying for was the polish at 4.95$.  I'll tally up the value of the add-ons at the end to show how awesome of a deal this was for me.

When Julep announced they were releasing a Nail Polish Thinner, I knew I had to get it. Some of my favorite colors have started to thicken and have become a bit difficult to work with so this will be really nice to prolong their use.  Voila is 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens and is quite simple to use: simply add 2-3 drops in a polish bottle, shake and continue to use the polish as per usual.

Next item I've been eyeing for awhile was this Julep Clean Slate Polish Corrector Pen (10$ or 8$ for Mavens).  This pen comes with three refill tips for cleaning.  I've already used it with my newest manicure and have to say it is easy to use and works really well!  This will likely become one of my staple items for add-ons.

Last but not least, the polishes.  On the left is Saaya (14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) is a golden apricot shimmer.  This polish was my free gift this month.  At first, I thought it was very similar to Nayely but when I put it side by side, I notice Saaya is more orange and lighter than Nayely.  Gorgeous color nonetheless.

And on the right is Twiggy (14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a mauve frost.  What drew me in to this color is the "frost" formula which I don't presently own...While I like this color, the brush strokes are quite visible and I am not a big fan of that visibility.  This may be a color best sponged on?  Still happy to have it though, since I have nothing quite like it in my collection.

So, all those add-ons total a value of 52.00$ and I got them for 4.95$; pretty fantastic!  And in total, the box's value is 104$.  Julep is pretty fantastic at giving bang for their buck and I'm very seldom disappointed.  That concludes this month's Julep unboxing; thank you for reading me! :)

Awesome Pack May 2016 (Last One!)

 Alex and I were so happy to see our Awesome Pack on our front doorstep.  However, it is with mixed feelings we announce that this will be our last box.  By no means should you interpret that as we don't like this box anymore, that has nothing to do with our reasons to cancel.  As a matter of fact, Awesome Pack did such a great job at getting us acquainted to the world of board games, we now feel like we can venture out on our own and pick a board game monthly at our local board game shop.  If you're new to board games or appreciate the convenience of board games on your front doorstep every month, this is totally worth it and I very much recommend it.  Alright, now that I've said my two cents, I shall start the review of this month's box.

So, as always, I'll give you a run down of what is Awesome Pack: You have the choice of two different packages:
Awesome Pack Family : geared towards families with kids of all ages to encourage family activities.
Awesome Pack - Big Kid: geared towards big kids at heart, obviously the one we opted for.

Before you get your first box, you fill in a questionnaire so you can get a better fit to your family.  Example, I informed the company that the box is for myself and my partner (32 and 33 years old) and a few of our interests.  They also try to find out which games you already own so they don't send you a duplicate.  Pretty cool, right?
Prices are $44.99 for US and $49.99 for Canadian residents. Shipping is free.

**not pictured, we got another Awesome Pack pin which I attached to my lunch box. **

 Our big board game this month is Kairo (RV 49.95$ on Amazon.ca).  This game is a 2-4 player game for players 8 years old and up that lasts approximately 45 minutes.  Here is what Awesome Pack had to say about it "The bazaar in Cairo is bustling already early in the morning.  Carpets, precious oils and exquisite spice are waiting for their customers.  Build your market place to attract the most customers!  The bigger the shop, the more victory points!"  Here's a video from The Dice Tower that explains how to play it.  Looks pretty fun and simple enough to play.

The second game we got is Jeopardy Travel Edition and based on Outset's website, this game has just been released so they haven't even posted the retail price yet!  I'll take a guess at the price and say it's about 15$ when I base myself on other travel edition board games from Outset.  This plays 3 or more players for ages 12 years old and up and I assume game play can be as long as you wish it to be since there's no actual timing on this.  Awesome Pack says this games "puts all the awesome fun of Jeopardy into a small package!"  Looking forward to try this out :)

Alex is most excited about this item: High Command Rapid Engagement (RV is 11.99$) which is a 2 player deck building game for players 14 years old and up and game play can last between 45-60 minutes.  I'm oblivious to this lingo and I'm not sure I am reading this properly but this is a Hordes vs Warmachine game.  Awesome Pack says this is an "awesome two-player deck building game in which players raise and lead mighty armies to capture strategic objectives across the Iron Kingdom" The Discriminating Gamer has a video up on how to play.

We got a Halo Mega Bloks figurine (RV 3.99$ at Toys R us).  I am uncertain if this is a blind pack or not and I don't know much about Halo as I've never played it but Alex seemed to appreciate this a lot more than I did.  In fact, he didn't even wait until I started my review to open it up and build the figurine.  He's pretty neat :)

And last item is a DC Comics Series 2 Blind Bag (RV. 4.99$) and we got a mini Flash figurine.  I haven't yet gotten into The Flash tv series, but it definitely is on my to do list and I can totally appreciate this little guy.

This month's box had a retail value of 85.92$ which is VERY impressive!  I am also super happy with everything we got this month; Awesome Pack did a fantastic job!  Thank you for making our last box extra awesome!  You guys rock!