June favorites & giveaway!

Wow! I can't believe it's the last day of June already, seriously hoping July goes by a little bit slower. Anyway, that means it's time to share some of my June mommy and baby favorites. I also decided to do a giveaway, hope you enjoy!

 

Mommy & baby favorites for June!

Rebecca Minkoff: Ipsy makeup pouch – I'm not an Ipsy subscriber (even though I want to be) but I was so obsessed with this bag that I traded someone for it. It's navy blue with pineapples, it's really fun and colorful. I will be using it a lot this summer, maybe even as a clutch.

e.l.f makeup bag – Another makeup bag that I love! I got this one with my e.l.f bundle, I just used it last weekend and it was perfect. It fit everything I needed and it has a few different compartments for smaller items and little slots for makeup brushes or eyeliner.

Episencial snuggly lotion: cherry – I've wanted to try this since January so I finally traded someone for it. I absolutely love the smell, it's so good! I was a little nervous to use it because Olivia had a reaction to the Episencial body wash (or maybe it was just a fluke) but I tried this on her and she was fine. I also love the fact that it's cruelty free, always a plus.

Skip Hop hooded ladybug towel – I really love Skip Hop stuff, it's all adorable. Olivia looked so cute in this towel and it's the perfect size for her. She outgrew all of her baby towels and they were so thin, I had to use two sometimes. This towel is so much easier to dry her off with, I love it!

 

Don't you just want to pinch her cheeks!

Skip Hop ladybug Zoo Pack – How adorable is this ladybug backpack?! I'll admit that I really wanted the cat version but this is cute too! It's pretty small though, it's perfect for toddlers but I don't think it would be good for school. Now that Liv is a bit older, I don't need to carry as much stuff for her anymore so I might ditch the diaper bag soon and use this instead. Somehow there was a mix up and Citrus Lane sent me two of these so don't forget to enter the giveaway!

I'm going to end the giveaway on Sunday (7/6 at midnight) and send out the backpack sometime during the week, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Treatsie review - June 2014

Treatsie is a subscription box for artisan sweets.. which is right up my alley! I signed up for the free box, I only paid for shipping. I think this is the most excited I've ever been about a subscription box (fatty!) They use an ice pack when mailing the box to prevent any melting but I was worried because today was so hot and I think it was sitting in the sun for a while. Luckily nothing melted and I got to enjoy my treats right away!

All the yummy sweets in the June box.

Olive & Sinclair buttermilk white chocolate bar & sea salt dark chocolate bar:
These are so yummy! The white chocolate is my favorite, I already ate almost half of it. I am usually not a fan of dark chocolate, I like milk chocolate way better but this is really delicious. I absolutely love the salty and sweet combination. Retails for: $7 each

The Salty Road salt water taffy - bergamot 3.5oz:
I've never had salt water taffy before (I know, deprived) so I was a little bit nervous about this. I love it! I got the bergamot, it taste citrusy.. it has a slight orange flavor. There are little bits of salt in it which makes it even better. For some reason I thought it would be really hard to chew and stick to my teeth but it doesn't, it's pretty soft. I really want to try the sea salt caramel and sour cherry flavors now! Retails for: $7

Brittle Brothers cashew brittle 3oz:
This is what I was really excited about, I am obsessed with brittle. I already ate the whole thing (don't judge!) I couldn't help it, it was just so good! I really want more now, I'm thinking I might have to buy this. Retails for: $5

The total value of this box is $26. If you are interested in subscribing, it's $15 plus shipping so it comes out to about $20 per month. There is also a chocolate bar subscription for $39 per month plus shipping. It's a little pricey but the free box is totally worth it, it's an awesome deal! You can use my promo code: FRBUCOEM01 to get your first box for free. I really loved everything in the box, it was absolutely delicious. However, I don't think I will be subscribing right now. I'm on a tight budget and I can't justify $20 for sweets, if I had some extra cash then I wouldn't even think twice about it.

They have the cutest little boxes by the way.

The Surviving Momhood box review

The Surviving Momhood box is a new subscription box service for moms, it's $30 a month or a bit cheaper if you subscribe for more than one month at a time. They have different age ranges for your child and I believe it goes up to 13 years old. I picked the under 2 age range of course, most of the items are for mom but there a few for your kid/s. They sent me a box to review, so here it is..

Here is everything that came in the review box.

Orange polka dot socks - Okay these are super bright, not the cutest socks but they are pretty soft. I can't imagine wearing these anytime soon because it's been so hot out but I will wear them in the winter just around the house.

Spa Day air freshener packet - This smells pretty strong, not a bad smell though.. just strong. On the back of the package it says that it can be used in bath rooms, vacuum bags, trash cans, closets, automobiles and gift baskets. I may put it under the seat in my car and see how I like it.

EOS lip balm - I was pretty excited to get this until I realized it wasn't packaged, kinda bummed because I don't think I'll be using it. *Surviving Momhood reached out to let me know that the EOS has never been opened and is new, they were not in a package because they were sent in bulk from EOS. They even offered to send me a new one in a package but I didn't think it was necessary.

Beech Nut applesauce - This is a pretty small jar and it's only stage 1 but Olivia will still eat it.

Better Homes candle - This is another very strong smelling item. As soon as I opened the box this was all I could smell. The scent is wooded mountain trails and it's pretty accurate. I don't use candles too much because I'm paranoid that I'll forget to blow them out but I'll probably use it eventually.

Animal wall decals - These decals are really cute but they don't exactly go with the theme in Liv's room, I may save them for the next baby though. ;)

Jolee's Boutique stickers - Stickers for scrapbooking (I think). I am not sure what I will use these for because I am not into scrapbooking but maybe I can find another use for them. Any ideas?

Spork - I have no idea what company makes this, it's just a blue plastic spork and it wasn't in a package. I have been trying to teach Olivia to eat with a spoon and fork more lately so this may actually come in handy.

Mini green loofah - I buy loofahs all the time because I don't use bar soap. It's a little strange to me that it didn't even have a tag on it though.

La Dolce Vita: Whipped body frosting (exotic coconut) 1.6oz - This smells amazing! I love anything that smells like coconut, it reminds me of being on vacation somewhere tropical. I have no idea what "body frosting" is so I'm going to assume that it's lotion.

OPI Avojuice skin quencher (violet orchid) 1oz - Another lotion, this one also smells really good. Both of the lotions are pretty small but they will be good for travel.

Sample and miscellaneous items - Small round gems (the kind you put in a vase but there was only 9 so I'm not sure what I'll do with them), Dream zone sign (very tiny), Extra spearmint gum, Emergen-C (I always use this stuff), Organic peppermint tea, Crystal Light packet, Vactive soft chews, Vanilla roast almonds.

Okay, so first off I want to just say that I really love this idea. As a mom, I often forget to take care of myself because I'm so busy catering to Olivia's needs. However, I'm not super impressed with this box. Instead of all the little samples, I would have liked to see maybe 4-5 higher quality items. Possibly some bubble bath, nail polish, foot scrub, hair ties, maybe even some cute slippers to wear around the house. This is just my opinion of course, not everyone would love what I'm suggesting but my neck, back and feet are constantly hurting and I'm always losing hair ties (keeping my hair up is essential around Liv). I think the Crystal light and Emergen-C packets are great but would have loved 3-4 of them. Things like that are really good for when I'm in a rush. Also, any snacks I can just grab and go are good too. I don't think I will be buying a subscription right now but I will be checking back and looking at spoilers to see if it's something I'll be interested in later on. I really appreciate them sending me a review box and their customer service has been excellent. I'm sure it's hard starting a brand new subscription box and I hope to see them do well!

Citrus Lane review - June 2014

Olivia's Citrus Lane box came in the mail yesterday! Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 16 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her June Citrus Lane box.

(Terrible lighting in all my pictures today, sorry!)

Bumkins wet bag - Minnie Mouse:
I already knew we were getting this because we got to pick the design. There were three different Minnie Mouse patterns to choose from and I liked this one the best. We got this at the perfect time because we are going to be at the beach and pool a lot this summer. This will be great for Liv's wet bathing suit and towels. It has a zipper and a snap with a handle to carry it. It's a pretty good size too. Retails for: $10.95

Hape little vehicle - mini van:
Ehhhh... okay. I don't love this. It's 10m+ but I don't think Liv will be interested in it, it just looks a bit young for her. I would have liked this around 10-12 months but not now. I will probably try to trade this or maybe gift it. Retails for: $9.99  (really?!)

Chronicle Books - Taro Gomi Hide & Seek book:
I will never complain about getting a book. I may save this for Christmas (I know, it's a long way off) but only because each page asks you to find the hidden object and right now she will have no idea. I think it will perfect when she is closer to two. If not, I will still read it to her. It's a cute book. Retails for: $6.29 

Episencial playful wash:
This smells amazing! It smells like fresh oranges. With that being said, I wasn't too excited to get it because we have tons of body wash and shampoo right now. I am still using the kind I got for my baby shower (two huge bottles). I tried this out today anyway and it seemed sort of watery when I poured it into my hand but it lathered up pretty well. Then when I rinsed Olivia's hair out, like I normally do.. she started crying. I don't know if it burned her eyes or some water got into her eyes but she was very upset. Her eyes didn't really look red so I'm not sure, I'll have to try it again. If she starts screaming next time I do it, I wont be using this anymore. Retails for: $6.50  

Plum Organics Stage 2 veggie pouch:

After seeing other spoilers, I really thought we would get the Plum Organics fruit bars. I was pretty confused as to why younger kids got them and we got a purée pouch. Liv will eat this so it's fine, she would have definitely liked the fruit bars better though. Retails for: $1.89

Add ons:
I love Citrus Lanes add to box feature because you can get items for free shipping. I hate paying for shipping and rarely do. I got seven add ons this month because they had some awesome deals and I also had credits. I think I paid around $10 for everything. I got the Skip Hop ladybug towel since Olivia has outgrown all her baby towels (sad) and she really needed this, it's the perfect size for her. I also got some Julius stroller cards which I thought were adorable, perfect for when we go for walks or eat at a restaurant. I picked two little stroller toys, you pull them down and they vibrate and go back up, Liv is a bit old for these so I will probably gift them. The other two items are missing, which are Eric Carle stroller cards and a Hape watering can. I actually got the watering can today and I heard the stroller cards were back ordered so I'm just waiting on those.
 

This months box was just okay. I think this is my least favorite box so far, the food pouch and mini van were a little too young and I'm not crazy about the body wash. The total value of this box is about $35. I got a six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month. It's still worth it even though I didn't love everything. If I paid the full price of $29 per month, I would be disappointed this month. However, something I really love about Citrus Lane is that they offer discounts all the time, I have yet to pay full price for a box or shop item. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

e.l.f Beauty Bundle review - June 2014

I got this box last week, it comes right at the beginning of the month which makes me happy because I'm pretty impatient. There are a few different options for the e.l.f beauty bundle. You can order a monthly subscription (you get a box every month, pay every month and you can cancel anytime). Then there is a 1 year gift or 1/2 year gift. I ordered the 1/2 year gift package, you get three boxes (one every other month) and you don't have to subscribe for a monthly box so you also don't get charged again because you pay up front for all three boxes. The only downside with this box is that you have to pay for shipping, a lot of other subscription boxes include the shipping. I really love this one because the boxes are always packed full!

e.l.f Beauty Bundle for June - Pre-summer survival kit.

28-Piece beach beauty palette - Night : I love these palettes because I get to test all different colors and see which ones I like and don't like. I tried a few of the lip colors and like them, the eye shadow colors are really fun too but I don't think I'll be using all of them. Retails for: $6

Waterproof lengthening & volumizing mascara - Black : Perfect for me. I only wear black mascara and waterproof is awesome. When I wear my contacts with eye makeup, my eyes usually end up watering so this works well for me. Retails for: $3

Baked highlighter - Moonlight pearls: I am really excited to try this, I've never used a highlighter before. Hopefully this can hide the dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. Retails for: $3

Waterproof eyeliner pen - Black: I tried putting this on earlier (in a rush) and it was kind of difficult to apply. I had to go over the line a few times and then I just got frustrated. I will try it again because it looks like it would be great for very thin lines and black is the only color I like for eyeliner. Retails for: $2

Mineral moisturizing lip tint - Guava: I know I went on a rant in the last review about how much I hate lipstick but I might actually like this one. It's a really pretty color and moisturizing is always a plus! I will definitely give this a try. Retails for: $3

High definition powder - Shimmer: I'm not exactly sure if I'll be using this or not. I might use it for a night out but who knows when I'll ever be going out so we'll see. I do like the shimmer look though and it's a nice color. Retails for: $6

Makeup mist & set: I have never used anything like this before, I didn't even know it existed but I am really excited to try it. It's supposed to keep makeup in place all day so hopefully it works well! Retails for: $3

SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB protection: I never wear powder so I probably wont be using this, pretty cool that it's a sunscreen powder though. Retails for: $6

Signature bag - Pink: My favorite item in the box! This pink makeup bag is adorable, it has a zipper and two sides, one side has some mesh compartments to hold brushes or whatever your heart desires. This will be great for traveling, I can just throw all my makeup in it to keep it separate. Retails for: $8

I know I am not the best at reviewing makeup but I try. The total retail value of the box came out to $40 and it cost about $26 per box including shipping. I think It's a good deal, you can also find e.l.f products at Target and everything is pretty inexpensive so if I really love something, I can just pick it up there. I really liked the box this month and I am interested to see what items will be in my last box!