Citrus Lane

Citrus Lane: Fun With Food Review

- Mama 1 Comment

It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Citrus Lane and the companies it introduces me to. With that said, all opinions are my own, and Citrus Lane and the brands mentioned below have not compensated me in any way for my honest review.

As soon as I heard that the Citrus Lane box for November would be Fun With Food, I knew that I was going to love the box. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you’ll know that I’ve always maintained the stance that I’m a casual foodie, and I love introducing Zach to fun new things at mealtimes. This month’s Citrus Lane box did not disappoint.

This box came with several full-sized items plus a couple of smaller trial items.

The first two items I noticed in the box was a set of four Green Eats snack bowls and a Goodbyn Small Meals container.

The Green Eats snack bowls are awesome. I’ve been a fan of Green Toys for quite awhile, and Green Eats is a division of their company. These bowls are USA-made, plus they’re from recyclable milk jugs. Not only that, but they’re BPA free, of course, plus melamine-free, phthalate-free, and PVC-free, and they’re dishwasher safe (top rack). Since we got our box earlier this month, this has been the one item that has gotten the most use. They’re durable, and they’re the perfect size for Zach’s small meals. From oatmeal with pomegranate at breakfast to lasagna soup at night, these bowls dish up every food that he needs. I love that they’re tough, and I love that they’re dishwasher safe, because I’m sorry, but I do not have time to handwash dishes if I don’t have to! My box this month also came with a code for 10% off at GreenToys.com, which means I can order more items that Zach and I can use at a special price. (Green Eats set of four snack bowls, $6.99, available from www.greentoys.com)

The second item was another hit with us, a Goodbyn Small Meals container. It is big enough to hold a full sandwich, as well as snacks, which means right now, it’s still a little too big for Zach’s appetite. However, it makes a perfect snack container for on-the-go. As with all of the containers that Citrus Lane provides, they’re BPA free. The one thing that really threw me off is that you actually seal it by pressing the indentations on the middle of the container instead of pressing the sides… for some reason, I always feel unsure that it got a decent seal. After I figured it out, it became a favorite. Goodbyn has a huge selection of waste-free lunch containers, which is awesome because Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for 25% off of their order! There’s even a flickr feed with ideas for foods to put in the lunch container. Overall, the container is probably getting the least amount of use out of all of the items that came in this box, but that’s mostly because we really don’t go anywhere that we need a traveling container for. (Goodbyn Red Small Meal Container, $7.00, available from www.goodbyn.com)

Zach and I both love PlumOrganics and the philosophies they stand behind. In fact, just today we got an order of tons of PlumOrganics snacks we love… it truly ranks right up there in my top 5 favorite brands for Zach’s age group. We hadn’t had the opportunity to try their Training Meals yet, so it was an exciting opportunity to try it out with this delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal. It can be warmed up once it’s put into a bowl (I served it in one of our Green Eats snack bowls!) The nice thing about this meal is that it has protein, with lots of complex flavor (I tasted it…. and it was REALLY good). The only issue I had with it is that Zach is so used to regular oatmeal that the texture of this was very thin for him. It would be great for younger kids (the packaging indicates it’s for 8m+!) but it still is suitable for adults and older children, too. (This box contained 1 packet to try. (12-pack of PlumOrganics Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, $17.88, from www.ecomom.com)

The Juice Beauty Moisturizer was a great gift for mom… until I lost it. Oops. I’m terrible at reviewing products like this because I tend to either forget I have them, or I lose them, so I feel like I can’t comment too much on how well this worked, since I only used it once. I can tell you that it smelled fantastic. This Nutrient Moisturizer is supposed to bring back pregnancy glow, even when your child is growing up. It’s packed with natural oils and antioxidants, to help nurture skin. Citrus Lane subscribers got a code for $10 off a $40 order, so maybe if I don’t find mine, I’ll be able to order more to try it out! This Citrus Lane box contained a small trial-sized tube valued at $9.00, but full-size products are available on Juice Beauty’s website. (2 ounces of Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer, $36.00, from www.juicebeauty.com)

Even though this Citrus Lane box was food-themed, Citrus Lane didn’t forget to include a great toy for Zach, too! This month, it was fish (which is, by the way, technically a food). These Plan Toys Fish Castanets are perfect for making fun music for kids. What I love is that they fit his hands just right… which means he and I can play the music together. We spent about 15 minutes playing with our fish castanets tonight! It’s fun to clack the castanets and dance along to the rhythms we create. They’re so fun to look at, too! Zach is already such a musical kiddo that I love being able to encourage his musical tendencies, and these toys fit right in. I also love that they’re painted with natural, non-toxic waterbased dyes, with non-formaldehyde glues, from rubber trees that are no longer able to produce latex. They’re earth-friendly and they’re fun to play with! The fish castanets are sold individually; Citrus Lane subscribers got a pair of them so mom and tot could play together. (Plan Toys Fish Castanets, $4.00 each, from www.ecomom.com)

Finally, Citrus Lane decided to help subscribers get a jump start on their holiday cards with a 20% off code for TinyPrints, plus free shipping. Tiny Prints have premium photo prints with fun designs and an easy to use website. Check out the image below, from their website:

Oh my gosh… so cute! Too many gorgeous options on their website to choose from, meaning that it’ll be hard to decide exactly how to use this discount!

Overall, our top pick this month was the Green Eats bowls, but the entire box was a hit!

Want to receive Citrus Lane boxes each month? You can subscribe on their website at CitrusLane.com! The boxes are only $25 per month, and as you can see, you get quite a bit more than that in terms of value. Not only do the boxes give you more than $25 worth of product, they also give you exclusive discounts each month, plus they introduce you to amazing brands. As a new mom, I knew that there were a lot of great products out there, but I had a lot of trouble weeding through the clutter to find the brands that truly worked for me. Citrus Lane allowed me to try out a lot of brands in the beginning that I never would have been able to find. Because they curate the best of the best for their boxes, it really showed me exactly what brands worked for me, and which ones didn’t. Now, even though I’m no longer a “new” mom, I’m still able to find brands I love and also find new products from brands I already know and love. For me, there’s no other truly affordable way to try out a variety of products that I know work for my personality and style, as well as meeting Zach’s needs. And, because I pre-purchase a multi-month subscription, I don’t have to worry about each and every month– it just automatically arrives since I’ve paid in advance.

So, have I convinced you yet? Head here to subscribe, or click on the link in the sidebar.

Citrus Lane Little Artists July Box Review… Plus a GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

- Mama 7 Comments

If you are here for the giveaway, you will find details at the bottom on how to enter!

 

This post is far overdue. Between vacation, Zach’s birthday party, and my sister being in town from Germany, I pretty much opened the box and promptly forgot about posting until I looked at my calendar and went “Oh my gosh! I haven’t posted that yet!” That, and one lovely reader emailed me saying “I missed your thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box!” Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet reader– I had honestly thought I posted it already! Oops!

So here it is, without further ado, my thoughts on this month’s Citrus Lane box.

First off, whoever came up with the theme Little Artists is a genius. My son is a very artistic child- it’s just his strong suit. When he was six months old, I gave him his first tambourine and maracas. He had a blast playing with them, truly loving the sounds you could make. He loves to find ways to drum on everything. He learned to hold a crayon early and loves to color, especially at restaurants. He is just very interested in art, everything from music to drawing. This box is perfect for him!

Wee Can Too Veggie Art Kit, $19.99, from www.weecantooart.com

Wee Can Too makes some really cool art supplies. I mean, they’re truly spectacular and innovative. You see, Zach loves to color, but he also sometimes has the habit of getting his crayon and his french fry mixed up and chewing on the wrong thing. With Wee Can Too crayons, I don’t have to worry about it. The set in our Citrus Lane box this month came with two crayons and two finger paint powders (you mix the paint powder with water to get a fun paint consistency!) All of the products are made from organic edibles, which means when Zach is finger painting and puts his hand in his mouth, it’s absolutely okay! The paints and crayons are vegan, wheat free, with no added sugar, and no preservatives.

Plus, the great thing about Wee Can Too is that for my local readers (in the Kansas City area), you can purchase it at MommyShop KC without having to order online, and for my international readers, Wee Can Too is a brand that ships internationally! You just have to contact them via their website for information about international shipping costs! That means kids everywhere can enjoy this awesome art supply company!

Putumayo Playground Sampler CD, $5.00, putumayo.com

We love this CD. We popped it in and danced to the whole thing! The sampler is a great variety of world music, which we love to listen to. Because our family has hosted foreign exchange students for eight years now, we really enjoy listening to music from a variety of countries and cultures, and this CD gives us the opportunity to continue listening. The CD is now in our car, so we can continue to enjoy it on the voyage to the grocery store, or wherever we may be headed.

Pop And Lolli “Bolt” Decal, 1 decal from a 16 piece set ($67.00 for the 16-piece set), popandlolli.com

Bolt, the decal we received, is the cutie-pie on the right. I love these decals, and I love that they’re made from fabric, so they seem a bit more durable than a lot of decals, and the hand-drawn sort of style of Pop and Lolli is super cute. I’m a bit sad that there aren’t any styles to match Zach’s room, because I’m sure we’d proudly display Pop and Lolli decals, if we could only find some to match. Bottom line: They’re darling, but they’re not right for us. Definitely check out the site, though, because the high quality is really great, and maybe you’ll find decals that will suit your style!

Hohner Music Toddler Tambourine, $11.00, www.hohnerkids.com

We got a lovely turquoise tambourine, and we are in love. As I mentioned above, Zach has a tambourine already, but he is in love with this one. For one, it’s easier to hold and shake, and it also makes a different noise than his other tambourine, so it’s perfect! He has a blast singing and playing with this tambourine. It’s so fun, and I love seeing how excited he is about music! I will definitely be buying more Hohner products in the future, because I love the high quality and I love how affordable they are. Plus, I value anything that keeps my son interested in music, so I find their products thrilling. I definitely rank this as one of my favorite companies that Citrus Lane has introduced me to!

Babyganics Toy and Table Cleaner, $3.99, www.babyganics.com

Babyganics is a very cool brand. It was created by two new dads who happen to be clean freaks. It cleans everything up really well, while still keeping it kid-safe. They sell everything from diapering care and sunscreens to cleaning supplies you know and love– like laundry care, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning wipes. And the prices aren’t terrible, either. The products are available online, as well as in my favorite store for kids EVER (Buy Buy Baby), and in other stores like Babies R Us, which means when you run out, it’s easy to find more.

Minted $35.00 offer, www.minted.com

Minted is a very cool site offering plenty of great photo items, from art prints to baby announcements and invitations! I have had a great experience with them before and I am so excited to have $35 to spend on the brand new art prints or any other Minted item I can use!

As you can see, yet again, Citrus Lane is an amazing company with amazing goodies in each box. It is well worth the $25 each month because not only do you get more than your money’s worth in the products you receive, but you also get to be the cool mom that knows the latest and greatest in brands for babies and toddlers. I always feel so ahead of the curve when I am talking to the moms I know and can tell them “You know what brand I love for sunscreen for my son? Episencial.” Plus, every Citrus Lane box comes with an insert giving you plenty of advice, plus information about each product you purchased and where to find it, which means not only do you know you will love all of these great brands, but you also know more information about them, and where you can buy more for that day when you inevitably run out. Plus, every box is tailored for your child’s gender and age, making it pitch-perfect for your child, exactly at their stage of development. Way to go, Citrus Lane!

Of course, if you want a Citrus Lane subscription of your very own, head over to my sidebar and click on the Citrus Lane logo where you can purchase a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription for your little one (or a friend! Subscriptions make GREAT gifts!)

But if you want to try Citrus Lane out…. here’s the easiest, best way. Remember last month’s Fun in the Sun box filled with all kinds of great goodies like sand toys and a SPF 50 hat? Well, guess what I have to give away?

Because WordPress is sometimes picky and won’t let me post my rafflecopter giveaway, all you have to do is visit my page Life As I See It on facebook and click on the Giveaway tab, where you’ll find a widget with a list of ways you can enter. You may want to open it in a new tab so you can come back and leave a comment here (that’s how you earn your first entry!) Good luck!