Fruit Infusion Water Bottle Review by Crafty

I am so terrible about drinking water. I am well aware of the benefits and the necessity of drinking at least 64-ounces a day, although I never seem to do it despite knowing them. I am like a child, though; if you give me something new to put my water in, I will then consistently drink water for days. That is where my new fruit infusion water bottle comes in. I was so excited to be given a chance to review this, because I've been eyeing these for months.

Apothecary Extracts 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil Review by Crafty (with Giveaway)

In the past, I have used tea tree oil for cleaning, as well as added it to our laundry, but it has been a while since I've had a chance to use it. I was more than happy to review Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil because I am working to take steps to improve the overall health of my family.

Bestowed Review: March 2015

Since Boxy reviewed Bestowed back in January and had enjoyed the box, we decided to shake it up so I could try them out. I received Bestowed's March box and was looking forward to trying some healthy snacks.

Send Me Gluten Free Review: March 2015

I had received a review box from Send Me Gluten Free last month, so I didn't anticipate a second one this month. Therefore, when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not strict about gluten (in fact, I make a batch of seitan every week now and that's pure gluten), but I am always open to foods that are more conscious of being healthy and natural. I also figure anything I can't use that is gluten-free is something I can give to my sister. (I am mailing her the envelope full of coupons, because she will be more likely to make a point of using brands that are gluten-free.)

Resilience Box Review from Both Boxy and Crafty: February 2015

We both seek out companies and boxes that give back, are natural, promote mental and physical well-being, and also are cruelty-free. For Boxy, this has been a way of life for many years, although for Crafty, this process is new. When we were approached by Resilience Box to review their new subscription box, we were both really excited to give them a try.

Resilience Box is new to the subscription box world. We both love the concept behind it. This is a company by a woman, designed to help promote awareness of illnesses that afflict women in all walks of life. They also support non-GMO products and companies run by women in an effort to celebrate women who have beaten the odds in this world. We are both so happy to support women who aim to inspire others!

This month's theme is women's heart health. The box includes a huge tote bag that is quite sturdy and also reminds you to care for yourself. Boxy was very excited for this, because she likes tote bags and especially bigger ones.

Everything came very well packages, with little individual surprises inside and even a personally addressed card. It's hard not to love a company that takes the extra time to do something like this for customers!

The whole box was full of helpful and healthy items.

We each received the super soft, V-neck Resilience shirt, which is red to represent the theme. It's fitted and stylish, which is nice since it does cater towards women. Crafty models hers here, although she found it a bit tight in the chest. However, the box does encourage health and working out, so the shirt is an added incentive! Boxy tends to prefer her shirts giant, although come summer, this will be a nice bonus. It was also nicely wrapped in its own box, which is such a sweet touch.

Also included was a booklet on women and heart health. Crafty really loves this, because she works in the medical field and can use it both personally and professionally. What's nice for us, too, is that we can both check with each other on some of the tips. Boxy is always on Crafty about her smoking habit, and Crafty has to frequently remind Boxy about her stress levels. Here are valuable tips for us both that also help us support one another. As women, we need to remember that we can be affected by heart attacks as well as men, and in fact, it's a huge cause of death for women, too. There is some really great and helpful information in this little book, such as the warning signs of a heart attack, ways to keep the stress down, and even suggestions for heart-healthy exercises.

We each got the bar of handmade soap in cherry, and it smells wonderful! As soon as the box was opened, it filled the air! Crafty received a tube of mint green tea and Boxy got a naturally made pencil. These are great bonus items. The tea is healthy and helps burn fat and improve brain function, and the pencil is natural and useful!

Resilience Box also included a bunch of snacks, but their packaging was awesome! The items were tucked into pockets inside a travel pouch that you can tie up in a compact roll before workouts or during the work day. This is a brilliant concept and it's really convenient. We will make use of these for sure. In fact, Boxy loves that it just helps her cabinets be a little less overwhelming! :)

All the bars were natural and non-GMO. Crafty has tried the one from Two Moms; it was excellent and only contained nuts and grains. She will be putting the little roll to good use by stashing some bars in the pockets and tossing it in her bag for when she needs a boost or one of the kids is "starving" when out running errands. Boxy is thrilled, because her husband loves bars for work and all of these are perfect flavor- and ingredient-wise. The Santa Barbara bars in particular are already a favorite.

Overall, this box was fantastic! The one thing though that makes it even better, too, is how kind and helpful the people at Resilience Box have been. They not only provided this box to both of us for review, but they are also communicative via email, as well as on social media. They genuinely make an effort to know people with whom they interact and that says a lot to us. A company that wants to know its customers and provide them with the best information and product that they can is always one we want to see thrive. Customer service is so very important to us both and Resilience box has it in spades! To top it off, the box is something everyone can enjoy, and their entire purpose is something we should all get behind. Nothing like empowerment through health, a little shopping, and kindness!

Bulu Box Review: February 2015

Okay, so Birchbox and Bulu Box came on the same day - and both were awful. So it would have been a subscription box fail for the day, except the three others I got were AMAZING. But before we enjoy those, let's enjoy this epic disaster.

Someone posted her Bulu Box pictures on Facebook and her box was loaded. Mine was... not so much. I bought a deal for Bulu Box a while back to get three months for the price of one, but I am glad this was a one-time deal and won't renew. Last month was okay, but this... 

Let's just say the best item in the box was this card about heart health.

South Beach Diet Good to Go Bars Product Review

I was sent a box of South Beach Diet® Good to Go bars to review as part of a promotional campaign. This is a new product aligned with the South Beach Diet®, but you don't have to be on the diet to enjoy them.

For anyone unfamiliar with the South Beach Diet®, it's really about a lifestyle. They claim to be "devoted to eating healthy and living life to the fullest," so the introduction of new products to help you do that makes sense.

All of the NEW South Beach Diet® Good to Go Bars are high in fiber with extra protein, contain eight grams of sugar or less, and have no artificial flavors or sweeteners. I was impressed at the fact that they're actually tasty, since usually diet bars taste like it. These won't replace my junky granola bars, but they're definitely tasty and would be easy to integrate into a healthier lifestyle.

Bestowed Review: January 2015

Bestowed is a subscription box founded by Heather Bauer, a registered dietitian with a simple goal: connect consumers with healthy brands and choices that will improve their health, overall wellness, and life. This box was sent to us for review. 

Our Bestowed box included a couple of coupons, including another gift card to Urban Remedy and more tea, so we'll be passing that along with some other items. (By the way, Urban Remedy has an amazing selection. If the cards could be combined or if shipping was cheaper, I would save both!) 

I like that the foldout explains the benefits of each item in the box and why it was selected. In this case, the curation is key, because the person selecting these products is standing by them as someone with expertise in wellness.