Battle of the boxes: Citrus Lane vs. Bluum

I should preface this post by saying that neither Citrus Lane or Bluum compensated me for this review. This post is just my honest opinion.

If you've never heard of Citrus Lane or Bluum, let me enlighten you. Both are mama/children themed subscription boxes that are curated based on the age of your child (ranging from infancy to age 5-6 or so). I decided to try both, for one month, to see which one I preferred, and I'll break down my entire experience with both companies.

Let's begin with Citrus Lane. I received a few boxes from them in October, but for the sake of a side-by-side comparison, let's take a look at the one for an 12 month old boy.

This box contained: Trucks and Diggers by Chronicle books, a Hohner cage bell instrument, a large, plush football by North American Bear Co, and two Wedela diaper cream samples.

Citrus Lane was running the NEWMOM promo at the time, so I received this box for $5.00 (they are usually $29 per month, unless you have a 3 or 6 month subscription). Both my 2.5 year old and 1 year old enjoy the colorful book of CAT construction vehicles, and while the baby doesn't care much for the football, his sister does. I probably won't use the diaper cream samples, but the cage bell (a.k.a. noise maker) was a hit with both kids.

The general opinion from other long-time subscribers, was that this box was disappointing. I will say that I was much more impressed with the older boxes I received that same month (see my previous post), but I paid so little for this one, so my quibbles are minor!

Let's break down the pros and cons of Citrus Lane as a company:

Pros: 

• Very reliable customer service. I put them to the test several times this last month with questions about back-ordered items from their shop. They were extremely helpful, and even credited my account for the inconvenience of a delayed item.
• They provide a fun variety of items and present opportunities to experience new brands. I love the brands that they partner with!
• They love to give away money and prizes. Seriously. I've won so many $15 credits by participating on their app. They also have fun promotions with mystery codes and sales for their online store.
• It is extremely easy to cancel your subscription online. Just one click and you're done. Easy-peasy.

Cons:

• Their box age ranges can sometimes be awkward. For example, my 12 month old son received the same stuffed football that a younger baby would have. While it's very cute, I felt it was too "young" of a toy to hold his interest. That said, the two other boxes that we received were more age appropriate (again, see my previous post).
• The online store does not always indicate when items are on back order, which isn't great when you're making a time sensitive purchase.

Overall, I'm a huge fan of Citrus Lane. While I wasn't blown away by the 12 month box we received for October, the two older boxes absolutely made up for it! (See my link below for 50% off your first box)

Now, onto Bluum.

In this 12 month box, we received an adorable Happy Birthday book, a Hey Diddle Diddle book, a mini Manhattan Toy Company dog puzzle, two stage 1 Ella's Kitchen fruit blend baby pouches, and two Luna bars.

I decided to give Bluum a try, because I found a $12.00 deal for a one month subscription on Plum District (each month is usually $29.00, unless you lock in a cheaper rate through a longer subscription). I will say this about Bluum, I love that they included so many books! We are just building up the young man's library, and these are two darling additions. The mini dog puzzle is cute, but doesn't seem very exciting (then again, we'll let the munchkin decide for himself), and while I love the inclusion of Luna bars for me, the baby food was a bit of a let down. It was a very runny stage 1 puree for babies 4 months and up.

Onto the pros and cons!

Pros:

• Your Bluum box is curated based on your child's exact age by month (in addition to milestones you indicate on their website), so it's highly personalized. That means no two children (even in the same age range) get the same exact same box.When you open it up, it's a very unique experience and a total surprise!
• I enjoy the manufacturers that they partner with. Like Citrus Lane, they choose safe, eco-friendly, and organic brands.

Cons:

• Because the box is so specifically based on age and milestones, it's very random. I've seen some awesome boxes and some really disappointing ones, all for the same age. You never know what you're going to get, so it's hit or miss.
• Bluum boxes already ship out late in the month and the company has been falling behind on meeting shipping deadlines. Some customers report being charged for the next month before the even received the previous month's box (that wasn't my experience, however).
• Fewer sales and promotions offered compared to Citrus Lane.
• Canceling your subscription is extremely difficult. Even though I canceled as per their instructions and well within the correct time frame, I was still charged for the next month. When I double-checked my account status online, it stated that it was inactive. Bluum customer service did end up refunding me, but according to the reviews I've read online (including the ones on the BBB's website), this seems to be a re-occurring problem. I'm very wary of any website that won't let me remove my payment information.

I knew I was only going to keep one subscription box, and my verdict is Citrus Lane. Though their pricing is the same as Bluum's, overall I prefer the quality of their products more and can personally vouch for how incredible their customer service is. I have placed numerous orders through their store and have loved all of my purchases. Even better, I was able to score great deals through Groupon and Living social for a subscription for each of my kids,. If you can find one, I highly recommend you grab it! 

In the meantime, if you would like to try Citrus Lane for one month, use my link to receive 50% your first box. Shipping is always free for subscriptions. They are constantly offering promotions and prizes, so be sure to check out their website, app, and Facebook page. 

Deals, deals, deals (just in time for Christmas!)

Oh my, to say that I have neglected my blog is quite the understatement, but with two kiddos underfoot I guess I have somewhat of an excuse ;)

So, lately my hobby has been scouring the internet for fun deals, and since the holidays are coming up, I thought I'd share them here so everyone can save some money!

Citrus Lane

The first one that I'm the most excited about (and that you've probably seen me talking about on Facebook) is Citrus Lane. I've only been a subscriber for one month, but I can't say enough positive things about this company. The customer service is top notch and I love the fun, unique curation of the monthly boxes!

First: Cirtus Lane is a monthly subscription box for mothers and children from pregnancy until age five or so. If you subscribe month to month (as opposed to signing up for several months at a time), it's $29 per box. Secondly, you pretty much never have to pay full price. In fact, never pay full price. If you use my link, you'll get your first box for $14.50 (with free shipping). If you have an infant 12 months or under, use the code NEWMOM at check out to receive your first box for $5.00!

https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Sarah.Schwartzkoph.5636797

After you receive your first box, go online to start the cancellation process and they will immediately offer you a price of $15 per box, which you can either accept or decline. Groupon and Living Social frequently offer cheap deals on 1 or 3 month subscriptions. You can also cancel your subscription via their website, hassle-free, at any time.

Third, even if you don't get a monthly subscription, sign up for their emails. They are constantly giving away prizes, coupon codes, and store credits (they have a wonderful online store). I've already won $60 worth of store credits this week! They also send out mystery codes on holidays that are worth $5, $10, or $15 of shop credits.

What's in the boxes? Well, we received several this month (due to various online deals) and I'll break down two of them for you!

This first box I aged up for an older child (boy) as an experiment to see what we would get. We received a cool, red superhero cape, Janod animal dominoes, blue maracas, and an Annie's snack! I was pretty pleased with the value of everything.

The second box was curated for Ava's actual age (2 1/2 years) and contained two wooden Janod story set cars/people, pink junior maracas, and some cute ruffled legwarmers. I'm a huge fan of Janod (a French company that makes safe, eco-friendly toys), so I was excited to get a bunch of their stuff!


Fab Kids

Next up, is the company Fab Kids. I'd heard a little about them, and hemmed and hawed for a week or two before seeing what all of the fuss was about. Here's how it works: it's essentially a children's clothing subscription service that you can either utilize monthly or opt out every month until you really find something you like.

Here's the best part: If you sign up for a membership with Fab Kids, you can get a $5 outfit. Ours just came today and I was amazed at the quality! First sign up via my link and they will advertise a $15 outfit for new members. Then take their "style quiz" to tell them about your child's tastes in clothes and they will credit your account with $10. That brings your outfit to $5 with free shipping! http://www.fabkids.com/invite/59385036/

Here's what you have to remember about this one. If you want to keep the VIP subscription, but don't want a monthly delivery, then you need to sign into your account every month between the 1st and the 5th and "skip" that month's selection. You won't be charged, but you can still shop their VIP sales prices. Or you can cancel anytime.

Here's the $5 outfit I ordered for Ava. I was really pleased with how high quality the fabrics were, and am excited to watch for their VIP sales. I think I'm going to keep my membership, and just skip the months that I don't want anything. Their VIP prices are comparable to Carter's regular prices and their stuff is super on trend and fashionable!

Ebates

The last deal I want to share with you is Ebates.com, and I feel like a dummy for only now discovering it (better late than never, right?). Basically, it's a coupon website that pays you cash back quarterly when you use it. Let's say you have some shopping to do on Amazon. You would log into Ebates first, then use their Amazon link, make your purchase, and a few days later you receive cash back in your Ebates account. Ebates will make big deposits into your Paypal account or physically mail you a check several times a year.

The thing to remember about Ebates, is that the rebate percentage constantly changes (anywhere from 1% to 7% cash back( and is sometimes based on category. Still, something back is better than nothing! Sign up for a free account using my link and get a free $10 gift card of your choice when you make your first $25 purchase through an Ebates link. With Christmas coming up, why not earn a little return on your shopping?

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=c2mmEVWwBKfErs09hcC5jA%3D%3D&eeid=26471

Do you like hearing about these kinds of bargains? I subscribe to several mommy/money saving blogs and can break down the best of the deals here for you guys if there is interest ;) Let me know in the comments!

Ava Grace

Our little baby girl has arrived and is already five weeks old! I can't believe how fast she's growing and how much she's already changed. The weeks have flown by since her arrival and I've been meaning to post a baby update about her birth story, as well as the first few weeks of parenthood.

My official last day of work was the last Friday in March, and early Saturday morning (the next day), my water broke around 6:40 am. KC and I scrambled to get ready, and we rushed to the hospital and were admitted around 9:00 am. After spending the entire day at one centimeter, Dr. Olmstead (the first OB/GYN to attend me) wanted us to consider being induced, as the risk of infection goes up once your water breaks. We decided to wait until 5:00 pm and finally gave the okay for some pitocin. Unfortunately, one of the nurses (we had many) missed the vein in my arm and ended up pumping the pitocin into my muscle instead of my blood stream. The next nurse on duty had to stop the IV and the induction so the swelling in my arm could go down.

The next doctor, Dr. Kelly, suggested speeding up the dilation with a foley tube (a long tube that has a little balloon at the end of it which inflates and forces the cervix to dilate). It was inserted and meant to be used over night, however, the pain and discomfort were so great that they ended up giving me pain and sleeping meds so I could rest.

When I woke up Sunday morning, April 1st, I had dilated to three centimeters. My stubborn cervix hovered at 3/4 centimeters for most of the day and Dr. Kelly began to prepare us for the possibility of a c-section. This was really the one thing I was absolutely against, but the reality of the situation was that the longer I went without delivering, the higher the risk of infection or distress to the baby. Our nurse that shift was Nancy (who ended up being on duty twice during our four day stay) was determined for me to have a natural, vaginal delivery, so she re-administered the pitocin and continued to up the dose. Eventually, the contractions began to grow more and more uncomfortable and increasingly painful, so we decided to go ahead with the epidural. Having read about the pros and cons of this particular pain medicine, I felt secure and comfortable in my choice, but was wary of the giant needle that I imagined would be inserted into my back. However, when Dr. Right, the anesthesiologist, came in, he assured us that the prick would feel like a bee sting and that the pain relief would be almost immediate. Sure enough, the needle poke was brief and stung, but wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.

My last real meal had been Saturday, around noon, and afterward the nurses had limited my food intake to jello, toast, broth, and juice. At that point, it looked as though a c-section was unavoidable, so I was cut off from food altogether. Finally, an evening cervix check revealed that I was at seven centimeters, and because I was progressing, they decided to up the pitocin. I began to feel the contractions in spite of my epidural, so they administered another medication for the pain, which allowed me to sleep briefly before I reached ten centimeters. At this point, Nancy was once more our nurse and Dr. Stewart the OB/GYN on duty. I was fully dilated and ready to push around 11:00 pm, and after an hour and a half of pushing (and some puking), Ava Grace Schwartzkoph arrived at 12:24 am on Monday, April 2nd. She came out as cool as a cucumber, bright pink and calm and chubby as they laid her on my chest. I cried with happiness and relief. It was such a sweet, surreal moment, that transition into motherhood. She was eight pounds and nine ounces at thirty-nine weeks, and twenty-one inches long. A perfect, beautiful little girl, and so alert.

My high school friend Natalie was our baby nurse and gave her her first bath, which she screamed through. They took her vitals and administered some newborn vaccines, and helped me try to breastfeed her. She initially latched on, but continued to have trouble with it throughout our hospital stay, which meant several visits from the lactation consultant.

After running a couple of tests on her, they determined that her white blood cell count was higher than normal, which was a possible sign of infection. She was put on antibiotics her first night, and we were told that we would have to stay until Wednesday in order for them to finish administering the antibiotics and receive the live culture results. KC stayed with me all four nights, and we received many visitors who showered us with gifts, flowers, and food (my parents and sisters, Pat and Dad, KC's parents and sister, my Aunt Carol, Pastor Bill Colton, Michelle and Andrew, and Kami).
After a whirlwind of doctors, nurses, hospital staff, pediatrician staff, and lactation consultations, we were discharged on Wednesday at 11:00 am and headed home to begin our adventure of parenting!

Our posh delivery suite

Ava's arrival!

Grandma Jan and Ava

Delicious, post-delivery Burgerville

Valen and KC kick back

Auntie Carrie

And Auntie Kami

Ready to go home!

 Little chunk'in

Bathing beauty!

I have more photos and baby updates to share, but Ava Bean will probably be waking up at any moment, so they'll have to wait ;) Stay tuned!

Long time, no see!

I can't believe how long it's been since I've last updated this! I suppose time has gotten away with me between pregnancy, the holidays, and trying to fit in as much as possible before Baby Schwartzkoph arrives. We're about seven weeks away from my official due date, but who knows when our little girl plans on showing up?

I thought I'd share a few photos from the beautiful shower my friend Michelle hosted for me a couple of weeks ago. It had an enchanted forest theme to match our nursery, and all of the decorations were lovely.





















We've been working on the nursery a lot lately, so once it's cleaned up a bit, I'll try to get some pictures posted ;)

Baby!

We're excited to announce that we'll be getting a new addition to our family this spring! Baby Schwartzkoph is due around April 6th ;) We'll find out the gender on November 17th and are currently hedging bets. KC thinks boy; I say girl!

More wedding photos!

These shots are all courtesy of my stepmother, who also happens to be a photographer ;)

Baking up a storm

I have been baking like crazy lately. Maybe it's the fact that I'm recently domestic and have a kitchen full of shiny new toys, or perhaps it's because my friends Kelly and Kami have been giving me wonderful ideas for baking projects lately. Whatever it is, I've been having fun experimenting with all sorts of new recipes. Take a look!

This homemade Mac and Cheese recipe is incredible! Probably not the healthiest with all of the cheese and bacon goodness, but everyone needs to indulge once in a while ;)


These decadent Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Muffins are secretly good for you! I used Kami's version of the recipe, and added whole wheat flour and flax seed meal.


Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies with toffee bits and shredded coconut-- yummo! The oats and coconut give them such a nice texture




I've been looking for an easy wheat bread recipe and finally stumbled across this awesome one. Initially, I was a bit skeptical over the "no knead" part (too good to be true, right?), but as it turns out, this bread is the real deal. You throw it together in ten minutes, let it rise an hour, and then bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (despite the recipe's instructions)


For my second loaf of bread, I adapted the recipe and included flax seed meal, raisins, and a cup of oats. It was like dessert!




Oh, and I LOVE my beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer. How did I live so long without one?