Pet Gift Box Review: March 2015

This month, Crafty surprised my kitties with a birthday present from Pet Gift Box. This is actually a subscription box, but you can also do one-off gifts, such as this. They also offer subscriptions and gifts for both dogs and cats, which is nice. 

Francois et Mimi Egyptian Cotton Sheets Review

I admit I have been slow about posting this review, but I wanted to get the sheets from Francois et Mimi on the bed and have them on for a bit before reviewing. I mean, there's only so much you can say about sheets, right? I was excited to get these sheets for review, but then I wasn't sure what to say about them.

I received my sheets in steel gray and I love the color. It's dark enough without being too dark, and it's a relatively neutral color so it works in any of the rooms. Of course, these are king sheets and we don't have a king bed, but in some ways, that was even better. 

One problem I always seem to have with sheets is that the fitted sheet doesn't stay on through the night. I suppose I move around a lot, but it's always pulled loose in the morning. Because these are too big, we worried that they would fall off even easier, but instead, they stay on. They're already deeper so that makes them more secure and the extra space (our bed is queen) gives the sheets room to move without pulling the fitted off the bed. 

Orange Glad Review: March 2015

Orange Glad sends these lovely cards with each subscription box delivery that explain each item, as well as offer suggested "enjoy by" dates. This would be useful... if I didn't polish off the box in one sitting! ;)

We subscribe to the double treats box because otherwise my husband would never see the box. This way we can enjoy the treats together and we don't have to fight to share.

To be totally honest, I had all kinds of issues with the Orange Glad system this month, and I eventually ended up canceling for something that was really a complication on my end and not theirs. Through the whole process, Andy was so nice and helpful and after the entire mess, I resubscribed and now the system and everything seems in place. I want to make this clear because they could have basically ignored me or just been quick to resolve the issue, but they really did go above and beyond to help me with something that I seem to have made far more complicated than it needed to be! I appreciate that a lot, because running a business is hard enough and to have the kind of service that really does take time for customers personally is a major perk for me.

Nature Box Review: March 2015 (#1)

A terrible thing has happened: Jalapeno Cashews have run out over at Nature Box. :( For this reason, this is one of two March box reviews, because I thought I made a mistake in my pantry, but alas, no. The cashews are simply not available and my account is being held over until May so I can wait for more now. 

Fortunately, the other snacks from Nature Box are yummy, even if they are not Jalapeno Cashews. Our first snack was actually Pear Praline Crunch, which includes cashews and praline pecans flavored with pear. These are good, but of course, my husband noted that pear is simply not jalapeno. That didn't stop him from finishing the bag fairly quickly, though!

"Under 15 Minutes" Vegetarian Cookbook Review

I received this book (Under 15 Minutes: Vegetarian Quick & Easy Recipes by Jonathan Vine) for review, since as a vegetarian, I am always looking for something to try. I especially like quick and easy recipes. After I received it, though, Crafty mentioned she wanted to try tofu in a recipe so I passed it along to her to borrow to see what she thought. She found it so useful she bought her own copy!

We discussed picking a recipe and both trying it to see how it went, but it's always hard to plan meals for yourself, never mind for someone else. Crafty's schedule means that she isn't home as much in the evenings as she would like and I have been ordering from Plated so often that we haven't really had the opportunity to do that. However, it's great that there are so many recipe choices in this cookbook that we easily could - and none of them are very complicated.

Candy Adriatico Review: February 2015

I was very excited to try the subscription box from Candy Adriatico, which is a new one that sends candy and treats from Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, and environs. I was offered this box for review. The reason this is so late is that I just received it last week although it was shipped in the first week of February. The people at Candy Adriatico are so responsive and kind, though, and maintained communications throughout. These delays happen, especially when going through customs. When I received several boxes a couple weeks ago from the UK and Spain, we were concerned and a second box was going to be shipped out of fear this was lost. Fortunately it was not. 

Admittedly, I had no idea what to expect from this. I did mention that I don't eat gelatin, but aside from that, I had no idea what kinds of foods people in Slovenia eat. I've been to Italy and I love Italian food and snacks, but this was going to be a surprise. 

Artistry Gift Wrap Review: March 2015

Artistry Gift Wrap is exactly what it sounds like - a subscription of gift wrap and gift wrap-related items. They have recently expanded as well to include a themed box with household items and you can even go for both subscriptions in one.

I'm signed up for the bimonthly subscription, but it looks like they may be doing away with that so I am not sure what that will mean for my subscription. It appears, when I log in, to still be set up that way so maybe I am grandfathered in.

Global Delights Review: March 2015

Global Delights is a subscription box that sends you snacks from around the world each month. Admittedly there are a lot of subscriptions that do this and Global Delights is one of the more expensive, but they make up for it many ways. First, they send huge packages of several of the items. Nothing in the box is sample size - the smallest you would get would be a candy bar or bag of chips that would be the same size you would pick up in a store. Secondly, they include diversity, so you are not getting all French snacks or all Chinese snacks. Finally, they are prompt at shipping. Our box came about a week after it was billed and there was tracking sent once it was out in the mail, making it feel even faster.

This box represented Ireland, the UK, Italy, Thailand, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates. What I learned from this box is that I am a ridiculously Western eater when it comes to snacks. It's funny as I love Thai food, but when it comes time to eat a snack, I just want something I'm familiar with, I guess.