Monthly Goodies

I LOVE getting things in the mail.  When my Amazon Mom stuff arrives each week, I get so excited.  Even if it's just a box of baby wipes, I love hearing the UPS truck stop outside my house and dropping the package at my front door!  Even my little toddler gets excited and always exclaims, "open Mommy, open!"

So when I heard about these new monthly kid subscription packages that companies are mailing, I was doing a happy dance and couldn't wait to sign up. Little packages with goodies inside for my kids AND they come every month?  Just too cute!  And I love that each package is a surprise.  I can just see us getting the package and my 2 year old's eyes lighting up as she rips it open.

Problem is that there are a few too many to choose from, how do you decide?  I've researched and found the best ones below.  If any of you have subscribed and have feedback, please let us all know about it in the comment section below:

1) Citrus Lane: (25$/mth): Children's toys and beauty/bath products

 

With Citrus Lane, you get a box every month for $25 filled with cute and practical products recommended by real parents. It's like having your own team of personal shoppers dedicated to finding the best products for your child.  Each month they send you a box centered around a theme you and your child can enjoy.  The box changes each month based on the season.  It will always be geared for your child's age and stage.

2) Wittlebee (39.99$/mth): A children's clothing care package




This kit is all about cute kid's clothes.  Fill out the online profile about yourself and your child, and then then they'll create your custom box. You then receive about 100$ worth of children's clothing each month, but for only $40 a month!

 

3) Bluum: (11$/mth) A care package for moms and babies. (Sign up online as there is now a waiting list)

This company had me at 'there is a special treat just for mom inside each box.'

Each month, the bluum box comes with toys and baby/kid beauty products and is tailored to your babies age, development stage and your personal preferences. As your baby grows up, so does the product selection.  Past boxes have included things like:

• Creams (Stretch Mark, Rashes)


• BabyFood (Organic, Natural, Dried)


• Wipes (SuperGoop Sunscreen, Teething Wipes)


• Toys (Rattles, Plush)


• Learning (Books, Smartphone Apps)


• a surprise for the mom!

4) Spark Box Toys: (3 options from 34.99$ to 22.95$) 4 educational toys in each box Netflix style


This company works like Netflix.  They send you a box of high end educational toys (they say that of the 29 brands they use, only 8 can be found at Toys R Us), and then once you are done, you return them and they will send you a new box of toys.  That way you are trying out new toys and when your child gets bored, you can then return them and get a new box.  The ages they offer are from 6 months of age up to 4 years old.

- Free shipping and no late fees.  They require a 2 month commitment and then you can cancel at anytime.

-You can get a box every 4 weeks for $34.99 a month, every 6 weeks for $ 27.95 a month or a box every 8 weeks for $22.95 a month

5)   Little Passports ($12/mth):  A package filled with educational material from different countries



Little Passports is like a ticket for a global adventure. Your child will get a box each month filled with materials to help them learn about a country's geography, history, culture, and language in a fun and memorable way. This monthly package is geared for children aged 5-10 years old.  This service sounds really cute and such a fun educational experience for kids!

6) Kiwi Crate ($19.99/mth) An arts and crafts box



Each month, a box arrives for your child aged 3-7, that has arts and crafts supplies geared to a theme such as dinosaurs, flowers, colors, etc. The crates that are delivered each month are designed around fun themes and filled with all of the materials and inspiration
for hands-on projects.  AND the other great thing about this company, is you can add on an additional child for $7.95 a month, so no more fighting over who gets to do the activity each month!  Click on the link above to see sample projects from each month.

7) Gift Lit (cost varies depending on the plan)  A monthly book subscription



This subscription service is described as a 'gift' book service and offers books for babies on up to adults.  As an example of their baby category, you can select board books, educational books, new baby parenting books, or bedtime stories.  If you select board books, you get one book a month for $7.50.  If you choose bedtime books (more classic hardbacks) it is $18 a month.  This service is different in that it's not a surprise each month, but is good in that you as the parent can log on and see what book is scheduled to arrive and you can always change it if needed.  The only thing I don't like about this one is that shipping is not free, it's 5$ a month.

8) BabbaBox ($29.99 a month or $299.99 annually) A monthly service filled with educational and fun activities for kids



Each box comes with 2-3 activities for children aged 3-6 years.  Each month there is a different themed box complete with all of the supplies needed to complete the projects, plus they also give instructions for additional downloads and games.

The box pictured above was for the theme 'gratitude' and came with the following:

-A camera and photo album to take pictures and show what they are 'thankful for..'

-A Serving Tray: kids create their own serving tray to serve others first.

-Thank you cards: decorate, write special messages, and send thank you's with our pre-stamped envelopes included.

-Hot Pad: paint stamp a special message on this hot pad to gift.

-A beautifully illustrated book titled Giving Thanks that takes you on a nature walk with a dad and son.

9) Wonder Box  ($19.99/mth or $58.99 billed every 3 months plus an extra gift) An activity box for Kindergarten readiness:



This monthly service comes with a fun educational activity box geared for children ages 3-6.  Each box comes with 3 projects hand-picked by experts, plus extra treats. The picture above was for the theme, 'Once Upon a Time' and included a puppet making project, a cape project for imaginative play and story cards to help teach sequencing.  Each box also tells you what skill your child is learning such as gross motor, number sense, etc.

So there you have it, a complete list of the kid subscription services.

But what about more mommy packages?  We need pampering too.  That's where companies like Birchbox and Glossy Box come in.  I was on the list last year to get into Birchbox bandwagon and finally got in this year but still debating on getting it.  For those that haven't heard of that one, it's a box full of beauty samples, and me being a product junkie, it has been hard to pass up for 10$ a month!  And Glossy Box is another new one where you get 5 sample products a month for 21$ a month and are more fancy high-end products than Birch's.

Would love to hear which ones you've tried or heard good things about.  Sigh. Decisions, decisions.