SinglesSwag

I had seen plenty of ads for SinglesSwag on Facebook.  The products included looked pretty sweet so my interest was piqued.  Plus, I went on a little subscription box kick.  I contacted SinglesSwag & got a discount code to order a box in exchange for a blog post & Instagram post.

SinglesSwag offers 6 different options when ordering.  You can order either the SinglesSwag or SinglesSwag Petite.  The SinglesSwag box comes with 5-7 products & the Petite box comes with 3-4 products.  Both boxes can be ordered either monthly (39.99; 24.99), 3 months (114.99; 71.99), or 6 months (224.99; 139.99).

I opted to do one month of the SinglesSwag Petite for my first box.  The full price of the box is normally 24.99, although they frequently offer discount codes ranging from 10%-20% off your first order.  According to the sheet that came with my box, the retail value of my 4 products was $94.

POP NYC Never Settle Canvas Pouch ($22)

"Never Settle for less Than You Deserve.  This stylish over-sized zipper pouch is perfect for carrying all your must-have accessories and beauty essentials."

Opinion: So I don't normally wear make-up, nor do I carry around accessories or beauty essentials, because I generally brush my hair & walk out the door.  I do have a pouch for my make-up, that a friend gave me from one of her make-up subscription boxes.  It's much more compact than this making it easier to carry around if I do bring it places.  Also, while I agree with the saying, I feel too old? to be carrying around a bag with sayings & such.  In case you haven't already come to the conclusion, I'm not a fan of the bag.  I was going to give it to Goodwill but Nash got a hold of it & decided he likes chewing on it.  It's still intact but who am I to deny that face something to chew on, especially if it saves me & my furniture from getting chewed on.

Spongelle Boxed Flower - Bulgarian rose ($18)

"Love your skin with the beautifully packaged body wash infused buffer designed to cleanse, moisturize, rejuvenate, and restore every inch of your body.  The product is dermatologist-tested, vegan friendly, cruelty-free, and includes an easy to use and store hanging ribbon."

Opinion: The scent of this is SO strong.  I like the smell but wish it was a little more subdued.  I could smell it before I even opened the box.  Once in the shower the smell was a lot more subtle & it definitely exfoliated.

Jewels By Durrani Heartbeat Necklace ($42)

"Love yourself with the chic, eye-catching accessory that will compliment your outfit this summer and all-year long.  The necklace is gold-plated and includes a 16" chain and 2" extender."

Opinion: Also not a big jewelry wearer.  I do like the necklace though.  I wore it out to a concert.  I think it's cute & simple.  I'll definitely wear it out from time to time.  I wouldn't have ever paid $42 for it though.

Spruce & Co Screen Cleaning Wipe Set ($12)

"Fab set includes 15 individually wrapped cleaning wipes for your phone, tablet, computer, or glasses.  Wipes are free of harsh chemicals and made in the USA."

Opinion: They're wipes.  They work.  The kind of have a strong scent to them but I used them on my computer & my glasses & they do work well.

Needless to say, I won't be ordering another box.  I was really let down from what they ads showed versus what I actually got.  Maybe if I had ordered the full size box it would have been better?  I wasn't willing to pay the extra though when I had never gotten a box before.  

Have any of you ever gotten a box from SinglesSwag before?  What did you think?  

I've seen a few posts going around ranting about them because "women don't need some subscription box to make them feel better about being single" and "who does some man think he is creating a subscription box for single women...he doesn't know what they want/need."  They're right, women don't need a box to make it ok to be single.  But ya know what else, mail is fun.  Subscription boxes are fun.  Trying different products is fun.  I'm all for feminism but sometimes certain women just need to step off their soapbox & stop bitching just for the sake of bitching about something.

Gulf Coast Summer

The other day I received the "Gulf Coast Summer" box in the mail from My Texas Market.  My Texas Market is a monthly subscription box with goodies made locally in Texas.  They have 3 different plans when ordering: 1 Month $35, 3 Month $100 (33.33/box), & 6 Month $195 ($32.50/box).  They also an online market where you can shop the products that have been in previous boxes.

The Gulf Coast Summer box included:

-White Cloud World Teas: Watermelon Lemon

-South Texas Milling: Gulf Coast Fish Fry

-Hot Line Pepper Products: Garlicky Greengo

-Salt Masters: Island Seasoned Salt

-Smitten Organics: "Beachin" Sea Salt Soap

First up I made some homemade guacamole.  Homemade guacamole is 100x better than store bought.  I used 3 avocados, a small yellow onion, a red pepper, lemon juice from 1 lemon, & then poured some of the Hot Line sauce in for heat.

That same night I cooked up some shrimp.  I put some butter & Salt Masters seasoned salt in the pan & then threw in the shrimp.

I then put the two together & ate it on chips.  SO GOOD!

The next night I fried up some catfish.  Catfish is pretty much the only fish I like.  I dipped the fish in a milk & egg wash & then coated it with the STX Milling fish fry.  After it was cooked I put a little bit of the Hot Line sauce on it as well for even more flavor.

I never used to like tea.  Then I started dating a guy who got me hooked.  I still prefer coffee 100x more, but I do love tea.  That being said, I have never used loose leaf tea before.  I made up a small batch before work to bring with me.  First of all, it was delicious & refreshing.  Second of all, if loose leaf tea is going to become a thing in my life I need to get one of those super cute tea infusers like this one.

I'm honestly not a huge fan of bar soap.  I much prefer liquid/foam hand soap & then body wash with a loofa.  This soap did smell really good though!

I really enjoyed getting to try out products I might not normally just pick up.  It definitely got me to step up my meal game this week.  While I love shrimp and catfish, they aren't something I normally think to make when doing meal prep.  I also loved that they were all from businesses local to Texas.  I think these boxes would make a great gift!  Whether for someone that is still living in Texas, has moved away from Texas, or someone who just enjoys supporting small, local businesses.

I had actually once considered sending one of these to a former friend who was overseas but the timing didn't work out from when I found the company to when they would be returning.

Disclaimer: I did receive this box for free in exchange for my review of the subscription box company as well as the products.

Bark Box Review

I had seen dozens of ads for Bark Box before but either hadn't had a dog or didn't want to spend the money.  On September 30th though I saw an ad on Facebook that boxes were 50% off until the end of the day.  Sold.  For $14.50 I figured I really didn't have much to lose in trying the box out.

Because I ordered at the end of September, I wound up getting the October/Halloween themed box.  The box came with 3 different treats & 2 toys.

First up was the American Hound soft turkey bites.  These treats alone cost about $20.

Next up was Plato Pet Treats Chicken Thinkers.  These retail at about $5/stick

Last up for treats was the Crumps Naturals Chicken Mini Trainers which retail at about $6.

Nash is not picky.  He will eat pretty much anything you give him.  That being said, he did in fact love all of these treats.  I gave him just half of a chicken thinker first to see how he'd react to it stomach wise.  There are certain foods & treats that give him an upset stomach & we'll wind up dealing with that for a few days.  None of these treats did that though.  The chicken thinkers were good because he couldn't just scarf them down.  He took his time with them & they kept him occupied for a bit.  Because he's spoiled as all get out, he gets a couple of the mini trainers & American Hound treats each morning & night.  Partly because have you seen his face?  How do you say no to that.  And then also because I still feel bad leaving him in the crate for so long all day.

"Rain of Terror" Retail - $10

"ScareDryer" Retail - $8

The theme for they toys in the box was Household Horrors.  The 3rd possibility that he didn't get was a vacuum which would have been perfect since he actually is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.  He loves his toys nonetheless.  The rain drops are his favorite.  They have a squeaker in them & they are now what we use to play fetch with.  He plays with these toys far more than he has any other toys that I've bought him in the past.  The raindrops & dryer have squeakers in them & the storm cloud makes a crinkling noise.  They are all also far more durable than anything I've bought him before.

Overall do I think the box was worth it?  Yes.  The retail value of the treats alone was well worth what I paid for it.  Do I plan to subscribe to it monthly?  No.  I don't subscribe to any subscription boxes monthly though nor do I ever really intend to.  I would get another box again though.  I plan on getting him another one probably around Christmas & then again around the time he turns 1 (April).

They offer plans of: 

1 month ($29)

6 months ($24)

12 months ($20)

The 12 month subscription is the best deal however you do have to pay the entire cost of the multi-month deals up front.  Unless you cancel they do auto-renew.  So, if you only want a box one time you need to cancel after you place your order/get your box or you will be charged $29 each month, $144 every 6 months, or $240 yearly depending on which subscription you choose.

If you subscribe right now you will be getting the Halloween box & in addition a free pup pie.  Plus, if you use my referral code you will get 1 month free on either the 6 or 12 month subscription.  That's $120 for 6 boxes ($20/box) or $220 for 12 boxes ($18.33/box).  The retail value for my one box was $54 so they are an excellent deal!

Full disclosure, I also get a free box for each referral.