Well, I’ve been getting married, tattooed, losing weight, then gaining weight, changing jobs, mourning my cats, and getting a dog. I’ve been readjusting to life in the suburbs… the usual things people do as they get old.

I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to put here, but after reading a post from the Bloggess I was inspired to do something with this domain that I’ve had and never used. It’s been some time since I’ve done any writing or blogging. Since my new job has me working from home, I figure this might be a good way to reach out to the world and “talk” to people. Something other than social media.

I’ll start with some of my favorite things lately.  A new thing that’s been taking off is the subscription box. There’s a box for everything. Nerd toys, beauty, rainy day activities for kids, shaving, clothes, and there is even a socially conscious box. I’ve tried loot crate, ipsy and Birchbox. Each is interesting in its own way.  Loot crate was fun but I didn’t feel there was much I really needed to have where I could justify paying that much money on a monthly basis. Ipsy and Birchbox were a little more interesting but the beauty product samples didn’t warrant the cost either. Although, between the two I liked ipsy better because of the fun makeup bags that come with each package.

There are a few food boxes as well, I did Hello Fresh for a little while. It was nice to work together in the kitchen with my husband making a meal. However the box for two people, the recipes didn’t provide enough food to create leftovers, which would have been nice for lunch the next day. The food was all very fresh and quite tasty. I don’t think there was a recipe either of us didn’t enjoy. The only problem with it was the weeks we were too busy to cook. Fresh vegetables don’t quite last long enough for those of us who don’t cook daily. And when I’d commute to work getting home after 7pm, cooking anything did not appeal to me at all.

The other food related box I tried was Graze. This one provides a few snacks that I assumed would be healthy. But they just turned out to be tiny servings nuts, dried fruit, chocolates, cookies and crackers. I found this one grossly overpriced and not at all worth it. I could make my own trail mix for about the same price with the nuts and fruit I prefer.

The two boxes I’m still getting are Bark Box and Fab Fit Fun.  Bark Box is a monthly box of dog treats and toys. The customer service is amazing. I’ve gotten several follow up emails asking if my dog likes the toys, and if we’re happy with things. I had responded to one of the emails mentioning that my dog had gotten a bout of poopy problems I suspected it was the new treats.  They responded mentioning they could be sure to send treats for him with fewer ingredients to cater to his delicate constitution. I also had ordered a puzzle/game treat dispenser toy from the Bark Shop. Albarkus loves it, but the difficult level is just too difficult for him. I wrote a review and they contacted me giving me a discount to try another toy and gave me some recommendations. I have to say, I’m hella impressed with the level of customer service I’ve gotten from this company. A company that wants nothing more than for you to have a good experience with them is a breath of fresh air. The items are high quality too. The first toy I bought for my dog from a local store was torn apart by him within a week. These plush toys have held up to tugging and chewing. His favorite toy from his first box has lasted for a couple months now. There are a couple we’ve received that once he tears it apart will have a separate toy inside. My dog has yet to tear one of these toys apart yet.

FabFitFun is a seasonal lifestyle box of full sized beauty products, exercise items, home goods, jewelry etc.   A lot of people ask how they can send out $200+ worth of items for just $50. Well, there’s a few different ways. One is through the brands they partner with who get their product into eager hands who are more than happy to share their opinions on social media. Word of mouth about a product you love is worth a lot to brands. Another way is through the add on items you can purchase to be shipped with your box. If you’re addicted to beauty products and have a choice of hundreds of items discounted, everything from lipstick and eyeshadow palettes to socks, glasses, and bracelets, you may find you’ve spent close to $200 on those add-on items. I don’t think I’ve gotten anything in the FFF box that I really hated or wanted to get rid of. But there is a whole community of people who trade items.  Those who sign up for a yearly subscription (4 boxes) get to choose items for their box. The choice may be between a tea pot and a coffee press, or an eyeshadow palette and a face cream, a beach towel or a tote bag, etc.If you can’t decide or don’t want to, you can have them pick for you. They also get to start shopping add-on items first and when the boxes ship they’re in the first batch of boxes shipped out. Those who pay monthly for boxes may get one or two choices, but the rest of the items are chosen for them. I’ve been very happy with the boxes I’ve gotten so far. It lets me try different beauty products I would never consider using and allows me to experiment a bit beyond my lipstick addiction.

Hopefully this post is helpful and enlightening. I’ll share the contents of my winter FFF box once it arrives.