February 2018 Bakers Krate Review

Today I have an exciting and extra-sweet post for you featuring the February Bakers Krate*.

If you are unfamiliar with Bakers Krate, it’s a subscription box that sends its members hand-crafted gourmet baked goods produced by Canadian experts. The Bakers Krate team searches for Canada’s best desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth so that you can enjoy local tastes and delicacies in the comfort of your own home. Each box contains fresh baked goods such as cake pops, pie jars, cookies, dessert squares, and more made by Canadian artisans. Each item in the box is packaged well to guarantee freshness.

Subscriptions are $19.99 per month plus $9.99 shipping across Canada. You can save a bit each month by signing up for a three month or a six month plan. You can also send Bakers Krate as a gift and include a sweet, personalized message for the receiver. I have used the gift option for special holidays, birthdays, and for friends who are living away from home. After all, there’s no better cure for missing home than a surprise box of delicious gourmet treats.

The February box is pretty in pink for Valentine’s Day! It also comes with two information cards. One card includes a Dessert Menu with a description of each product as well as an Ingredients List an an expiry date for each dessert. The other card provides interesting background information on the bakeries that created the desserts. Bakeries that contributed to this month’s box are all based in Ontario.

April 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)

The April 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)* features gold inspired products to keep us glowing through spring and summer with its Stay Golden / You’re Golden theme.

BB5 is a subscription service that sends its members five cosmetic samples each month. Boxes, which are always worth at least $35, include mostly full size products with occasional deluxe samples. Subscriptions start at $12 per month and shipping is free to the US or $3 to Canada.

Now let’s talk about the April items.

March 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)

The March 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)* features products to keep our lashes and looking fresh for spring with its Be Dramatic / Lash Bash theme.

BB5 is a subscription service that sends its members five cosmetic samples each month. Boxes, which are always worth at least $35, include mostly full size products with occasional deluxe samples. Subscriptions start at $12 per month and shipping is free to the US or $3 to Canada.

Now let’s talk about the March items.

March 2017 Bakers Krate

There’s no better way to start the weekend than with something sweet! The dessert lover in me has been eager to share this post with you since the March 2017 Baker’s Krate* arrived in my mailbox.

If you are unfamiliar with Bakers Krate, it’s a subscription box featuring hand-crafted gourmet baked goods produced by Canadian dessert experts. The Bakers Krate team searches for Canada’s best desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth so that you can enjoy local tastes and delicacies in the comfort of your own home. Each monthly box contains at least six fresh baked goods such as cake pops, pie jars, cookies, dessert squares, and more made by Canadian artisans. Each item in the box is packaged well to guarantee freshness.

Subscriptions are $19.99 per month plus $9.99 shipping across Canada. You can save a bit each month by signing up for a three month or six month plan, and you will receive the current month’s box if you sign up before the 20th of the month. There are options to skip a month and cancel at any time. You can also send Bakers Krate as a gift. I have done this a few times for friends who are living away from home for work or school, and they always love receiving a surprise box of delicious gourmet treats.

For the month of March, Bakers Krate sent its subscribers a St. Patrick’s Day-themed box that features sweet sprinkles of green, buttery crumbles of gold, and a little chocolate for extra luck.

Read on for my review of this month’s decadent desserts.

February 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)

The February 2017 Beauty Box 5 (BB5)* features a lip kit.

BB5 is a subscription service that sends its members five cosmetic items each month. Boxes, which are always worth at least $35, include mostly full size products with occasional deluxe samples. Subscriptions start at $12 per month, and shipping is free to the US or $3 to Canada.

Now let’s talk about the February items.

February 2017 YUMiBOX Review

It’s always nice to end the week with something delicious, so this Friday I’m sharing my review of the February 2017 YUMiBOX*.

This Canadian subscription service sends its members a monthly box containing a bag of savoury whole grain mix (YUMiGRAINS), a bag of breakfast oatmeal (YUMiOATS), and a recipe card to pair with each mix (YUMiRECIPES). The goal of YUMiBOX is to provide practical nutrition solutions for achieving a healthy lifestyle. The company, led by a team of Montreal-based nutritionists and chefs, introduces its members to healthy whole grains that promote cholesterol, heart, and brain health, and blood sugar management.

There are eight portions in each bag of YUMiGRAINS and YUMiOATS for a total of 16 servings per month. YUMiOATS contain soluble fibre, resistant starches, natural fruits, nuts, and gourmet ingredients. They have no added sugar and are sweetened with Stevia. YUMiGRAINS, which are great options to replace rice and potatoes, include whole grains for blood sugar and heart health. All options are vegetarian and portion-controlled.

YUMiBOX subscriptions cost $29.99 per month with free shipping across Canada. This amounts to less than $2 per serving. The Original YUMiBOX includes both grains and oats, but there are options to customize the box to receive two packs of just one type instead of one of each.

Read on for my review of February’s Original YUMiBOX.

Panty By Post Review

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before how much I love getting mail. Letters, online orders, and especially subscription boxes really make my day when I find them in my mailbox. So far, I have tried beauty, food, and men’s subscriptions, but today I get to share something a bit different and very exciting—a panty subscription!

July 2016 Beauty Box Five

The July 2016 Beauty Box Five* features products to help us look beautiful while exploring the summer landscape with its Will Brake for Makeup / Road Trip Ready theme.

If you are unfamiliar with Beauty Box Five, it is a subscription that sends its members five cosmetic samples each month. Subscriptions start at $12 per month and shipping is free!

Now let’s talk about the July items.

Good Luck Sock Review

Let’s talk about socks!

Sometimes we forget that socks are such an important accessory for communicating personal style. Consider a room filled with businessmen wearing professional suits. Upon first glance, they may appear to lack uniqueness since everyone’s wearing black, grey, navy or brown, but it’s that gap that surfaces between their shoes and pant hems when they sit that reveals each person’s individual style; we show our personality when we show our socks.

Mr. Writing Beauty is one of those men who likes to accessorize a neutral suit with a colourful pair of socks. For this reason, we were very excited to try some samples from Good Luck Sock*, a Canadian company that specializes in funky socks and offers a monthly subscription service. With its Sock of the Month Club, Good Luck Sock delivers a pair of socks to your door each month. You can get the subscription for yourself or gift it to someone else with your own unique message that will arrive with the first pair of socks. There are options for both men and women.

February 2015 Little Life Box Review

In my search for healthy snacks, I came across Little Life Box, a monthly subscription service that ships up to a dozen healthy alternative samples to its members each month. Items include snacks, cosmetics, supplements, vitamins, and more. When signing up, you can choose to receive the original box or the vegan box. Products can also be purchased individually in the Little Life Shop. 

This Canadian subscription service starts at $19.95 per month + $3.75 per box for shipping. I signed up for a one month trial for $22.95 and chose the original box. 

I received a variety of items in the skincare, health, and food categories. I like that not everyone receives the same box each month and that the product information is listed on the company’s website so that it’s easy to access. 

The packaging of this month’s box is very cute with red and white polka dot tissue paper and an adorable penguin postcard. 

The first three items are my favourite since I signed up for the box mainly for the snacks. 

1. Camino Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar | $4.29 - This chocolate bar is certified organic, fair trade certified, kosher, and gluten free. This bar is one of the first items that I ate from the box. It was very creamy and contained lots of delicious hazelnut pieces. I really enjoyed the fact that it did not taste overly sweet or sugary. I would love to try other chocolate bar flavours from this company, especially the dark chocolate version. 

2. GoGo Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies | $6.49 for a 198g box - GoGo Quinoa products are gluten-free, organic, and vegan. I ate these cookies right away as well. They were very crunchy and delicious. I loved the little chocolate chips and the rich flavour. I will be purchasing more of these in the future. 

3. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts | $2.99 for 56g (sample contains 15g) - Hemp Hearts contain plant-based protein, fibre, and omegas. I haven’t tried these yet but plan to sprinkle them on cereal or yogurt. 

4. Tasty Bite Channa Masala | $7.98 for 6 packages - This one minute dish features slow-simmered chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. This product is very convenient for those of us who don’t have a lot of time to prepare healthy meals. I’m looking forward to trying it with some basmati rice.

5. Pure Organic White Royal Quinoa - This quinoa is from Bolivia and is GMO free, certified organic, and gluten free. I love quinoa and enjoy making a range of different dishes with it. I will get a lot of use out of this product. 

6. GoGo Quinoa Instant Soup | $4.99 for 2 packages - This gluten free soup is a good source of protein and calcium. I love soup and eat it almost daily, so I was very excited to try this product. Sadly, I was very disappointed after trying it. It was very bland and tasteless. I attempted to finish the whole bowl but just couldn’t stand the taste. I think it would benefit from more flavourful spices and a pinch of salt.  

7. Symbiotics Colostrum Plus Chewables | $24.99 for 120 capsules (sample contains two) - This gluten free pineapple flavoured dietary supplement supports healthy immune response and normal GI tract health. While I think this product sounds like a good concept, I probably won’t try it as I cannot determine if I will enjoy a supplement by trying only two capsules. I already have a probiotic supplement that I enjoy. 

8. Naturade Total Soy Meal Replacement | $17.88 for 12 packages - This lactose and gluten free non-GMO soy product can help reduce cholesterol. While it sounds like a beneficial product, I will not be trying it as I am not a fan of soy. 

9. Neolia Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner | $7.99 per 400 ml bottle (samples contain 10 ml each) - These products which are designed for normal hair in need of hydration, protection, and softness, are made with 100% organic extra virgin olive oil, aloe vera and moringa. I’m going to do a bit of research before trying these as the ingredients may weigh down my fine hair. 

10. Goddess Garden Organics Natural Sunscreen | $19.99 for 6 oz (sample contains 1 oz) - This natural sunscreen is 100% biodegradable and contains aloe vera and sunflower oil. It provides 40 minutes of water resistance and broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30 protection. I wear sunscreen daily, so I will definitely use this product as long as it’s not too sticky. 

11. Natracare Cleansing Make-up Removal Wipes | $9.29 for 20 wipes - These wipes contain natural ingredients, such as organic essential oils of almond, apricot, and chamomile. I will save these for travelling. 

12. Wood’s Body Goods Choco Latte Lip Balm | $4.50 - This lip balm is paraben and gluten free. I’m not a huge fan of coffee scents, so I may pass this on to someone who is. However, I would consider trying some of their other flavours in the future. White Chocolate and French Vanilla sound delicious!

Overall, I’m happy that I purchased this box to try. I discovered a few new favourite products like the chocolate bar and the quinoa cookies. I also enjoyed the variety of the box items and the large amount of items that were sent this month. At this time, I’m not sure if I will purchase a subscription or if I will just buy a few individual products off the site that interest me. If I do sign up, I will likely go with a three month subscription in case I decide that this box is not for me after receiving a few more. 

What are your thoughts on Little Life Box?