First off, I want to apologize for not posting a review of the Citrus Lane box before this. We loved the box, but I had been dealing with a lot of the family health issues I’ve been posting about and just did not get to post the review of that particular box. If you are hoping to find out a little more about what was in last month’s box, make sure you check out Citrus Lane’s blog! They reveal the contents of each of the boxes after ship week, so you’ll be able to check out their great products from month to month.

Now, onto the important part… this month’s box! The theme this month was Fun in the Sun, and trust me, the contents of this month’s box were amazing. I know we’re going to get years of use out of some of the items we received! Disclaimer: Because Citrus Lane is tailored to meet your child’s gender and age, you may receive different items than the items I list in my review. Items you receive may have a different color or pattern, or you may get items that are more age-appropriate to your child. My 10 month old boy will likely not get the same contents as your 2 month old girl or your 24 month old boy, etc. 

Zach was really digging this month’s unwrapping process, and he was very excited to tear back the bright yellow tissue paper. In some ways, I long for the days when he didn’t destroy the paper on sight, because I could save it and re-use it for gift giving (I know, I’m a cheapskate- if I can re-use tissue paper from things like this to avoid buying it, I will!) But, the joy he gets in systematically tearing it, throwing it, playing peek-a-boo with it, and more is absolutely worth it to me!

iPlay Baby Wear Sun Protection Hat, $15.00

The first item we pulled out of the box was a fantastic Sun Protection Hat from iPlay. Just days before receiving the box, my mother and I had discussed that Zach would be needing a hat now that it’s summer… we even looked at hats in the store, but we just could not find the “right hat.” I wanted one that Zach wouldn’t pull off (in store, he even figured out how to undo the velcro straps on the hats). I wanted one with some sun protection, not just shade. I wanted one that looked adorable (but, what doesn’t look adorable on my little munchkin?).

Enter the iPlay sun protection hat. Not only was our hat reversible, but it also provides SPF 50+ protection! It is the perfect hat for us, especially because Zach got his very fair skin from me. He needs the added protection! Oh, and the fact that it ties instead of velcros? Well, that has been keeping it on for now.

Citrus Lane subscribers also got a code for 20% off at www.iPlaybabywear.com, which is awesome! We are hoping to use it to pick up some swimwear.

Green Toys Stacking Cups, $10.99

I’m just going to throw this out there… this is my absolute favorite item in this month’s box. It is so cool. Did I mention it’s fun and made from recycled milk jugs and also that it’s completely educational? Yup, you heard me right. It’s a totally educational toy.

First off, at this age, Zach has a blast with me stacking up the cups, and letting him knock them down. We already have a blast with that. He’s quickly learning that he can also stack them on top of each other to build tall towers, and that they can nest together. Plus, of course, he loves to gum them (we’re still working on those teeth!) However, come summer, they’re going to make incredible toys for the water, since you can fill them up and dump them out. These toys are perfect for sand and water play.

But, that’s not the best part. The cups each have numbers on the bottom… one, two, three… but if you fill up the one cup, and the two cup, and you pour both of them into the three cup, it’ll fill perfectly. It demonstrates visually that one plus two equals three. Imagine the possibilities. Fill up the one cup once… pour it into the two cup… Your child will easily see that the one cup filled up the two cup halfway, showing that one is half of two. It’s easy to see how you could work this into a great math lesson, whether you’re just informally chatting about measurements, or whether you’re a homeschooling parent like me and will be starting formal math lessons with your little one. This is a great tool designed to work with that.

Plum Organics Greek Yogurt Blends: Cherry, Sweet corn, and Greek Yogurt flavor, $1.49

We actually haven’t tried this yet, but I am so looking forward to Zach testing it out. I personally really like Greek Yogurt, and Zach is a fan of yogurt in general, so I’m sure it’s going to be a hit. Zach doesn’t eat many purees at the moment, unless they’re spread on something, but I think this will make a great tortilla roll-up spread, don’t you? And we really like Plum Organics products around here, particularly their super puffs! This Greek Yogurt blend contains no salt or added sweeteners, and it’s great because yogurt really boosts digestion health, which is a great way to keep kids healthy, and keep everything working the way it should. Plus, the pouch is resealable, so if you don’t eat it all at once, you can screw the lid back on and save it for later!

Kushies Beach Bag, $7.99

Try as I might, I could not find this product on the Kushies website, so I don’t have a picture to show you. My guess is that the bag was probably a Citrus Lane exclusive or a promotional piece because, unlike many other Kushies items, it features a Kushies logo right on the side of it. The bag is the perfect size for keeping a towel, Zach and I’s sunglasses, an extra swim diaper and regular diaper, and a small bottle of sunscreen. It’s not too big, but it’s not too small, either. It’s a great size for stashing some items, which will be perfect when our family makes our yearly trip to Alabama, because if Zach stays true to what I’ve been seeing, he’s going to be a total water baby. The bag is very breathable, and has little holes covering it, so if sand or water gets in it, I can give it a quick rinse and it’ll be good to go.

Episencial Sunny Sunscreen, Travel Size (2 of ’em!), $9.00 (full size is $9, the travel sizes add up to a similar amount)

I am so glad that Episencial decided to make some travel sizes just for Citrus Lane! And I’m more excited that Citrus Lane decided to send TWO! That’s great because I can toss one in our diaper bag and leave one in the car, so we’re never without it. If you’re like me and have a habit of losing those things, having two is a great deal, because I always like to have a backup.

If you’ll remember, I’m a huge fan of Episencial. I love that they’re a green company and I can trust them to be safe for my son. When it comes to Sunscreen, I’m very choosy, and I follow the EWG Skin Deep Sunscreen Guide. It tells you the best and worst sunscreens… 0-2 means that a sunscreen is low-hazard, 3-6 means that it could have moderate hazard, and 7-10 means it’s a high-risk item. Episcencial scored a 2, which is awesome! It has good UVB protection, good UVA protection, and a very good balance between UVA and UVB protection. The excellent sunscreen stability made it a good choice for our family, and the fact that it has low health concerns is another great factor.

I totally trust Episencial, and I’m so happy it had a higher score on the Skin Deep guide! The sunscreen moisturizes because it has sesame, safflower, and avocado oils in it. Because the sunscreen also has beeswax and shea butter, it’s able to provide a natural water resistance, which will help keep it on longer, even in the water (but don’t forget to re-apply regularly!)

If you’re not familiar with Episencial, but want to try out the awesome products they have, they have an awesome sample offer on their website. The samples are free, but it’s a $2.99 shipping fee… for that price, you’ll get two of their best-selling samples, a mini soothing cream for tossing in your diaper bag, and a $5.00 coupon to use on your next purchase (to offset the shipping costs). You can order one of those sample sets here.

Joyus Gift Card, $15.00

This is a great gift for mom, but the only gift I was even slightly disappointed with in this box because, on my first glance at the Joyus site months before, I thought that there would be nothing under the $15.00 mark (and this month, there just wasn’t extra money in the budget to spend on something). I figured if I couldn’t find a way to use it, I could always pass it off to my mom and see if she wanted to order something. However, on second glance, I realized that there were many items that I could get for free with the gift card! I’m trying to decide between getting some Eyeko products (the eyeliner is $15, which would be free with the gift card, excluding any shipping charges, of course, or the mascara is only $19, and I can afford $4.00 right now), or some 100% Pure body cream. Though, my some of the Grilling gadgets currently on the site might make a great father’s day gift, and the health portion items may help me get that post-baby body into a better shape! I can’t decide!

What I love about Joyus is that I can watch a video demonstrating the product. If it’s apparel, sometimes it’ll give me a better idea of the fit, or show me new ways to wear the item. For jewelry, I can see the length of it a little better and figure out where it might fall on me. I love the way that the information is very visual, and I think that the gift card is great because I can pick my own treat this month!

Citrus Lane Box (free)

Well, okay, this isn’t really an item, but it has provided so much entertainment for Zach. We saved the empty Citrus Lane box. He’s been pushing it over to his play kitchen so he can sit on it while he plays. It has also become a workbench, and he kneels in front of it and hammers the box with his toy hammer for long stretches of time. He pushes the box around the room, he rolls it, he really, thoroughly enjoys it. Even though it’s not intended to be a special part of the box, he gets more enjoyment out of that than many of the other items (especially items like sunscreen, which are essential, but not necessarily as fun for him).

Overall, the box was great. Don’t forget that Citrus Lane is $25.00 each month, but you can subscribe to multiple months and get a discount. You can also save 10% off of your subscription by using the code SPRINGFUN. You can let Citrus Lane know that I referred you to them by clicking here: http://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Jennifer.Schoenberger

Have you tried Citrus Lane yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the boxes, and where you heard about them!