Pinch Me

Pinch Me is a free sample site. They ask you some basic questions, you set up a profile and they notify you when new samples are available. The only thing you need to do is (after you receive and use your samples) is log on and provide feedback. You can find them at www.pinchme.com I have received samples of cereal, moisturizer, perfume and shampoo. Below are some picks of the most recent pinch me samples:

The only complaints I have would be:

1. Samples go very quickly, a lot of times by the time I log on they are out of stock.

2. Samples take a long time to arrive

Besides that the samples are all of items I would want to try and free other than providing feedback (which takes all of 10 seconds) so I am a huge fan of this site/service!

Sparaj December 2013

Sparaj (www.sparaj.com) is a newer Spa subscription service. You need to sign up each month and supplies are limited so you may not get in for the current month you are in. I read about the prelaunch box in November and signed up right away because it looked amazing. Boxes are $40 a month. I typically wouldn't spend this kind of money on a subscription but it looked it was worth it so I went for it. I signed up in the beginning of November  but November was already sold out. I was told I would be getting a December box but that seemed really far away! Finally, I received my box yesterday.

I was immediately impressed with the size of the box:

Much bigger than my other subscription boxes.

Opened the box up and there were several layers of tissue paper.

Under the first layer was the information card explaining that the theme for this month was "Winter season at the Great Wall of China"

The back of the card also wishes their subscribers a Merry Christmas...how very un-PC of them...

Second layer of tissue paper

And it wasn't a box inside a box but a bag...one day two bags! I can always put these to good use...bring them on subscription services!

Out of the box...everything was inside the bag.

First thing: a lollipop diffuser. I've never used one of these but it looks really cute. The idea is that you just take the stopper out of the bottle and stick the lollipops in...the perfume will them go up the sticks to the rope portion of the lollipop.

I wasn't sure if you could tell from the other picture but one of my lollipops was unravelling :( hopefully it is something I can fix easily!

And this is everything else in the bag. A Scent of Bangkok soap. First of all, this smells lovely...you can smell it as soon as you open the box. Secondly, Bangkok is in Thailand...maybe some of the ingredients are from China? What's that you say...French clay? How decidedly un-Chinese. The next thing is a Foot and Nature peeling foot mask. I read about these and they are supposed to be a little gross when they are working/peeling your skin but they are supposed to work wonders. I will definitely use this as I am very tough on my feet. Something else I feel the need to mention is that this product is not from China. I knew this the second I pulled it out of the bag. A Japanese friend once taught me that Japanese and Chinese characters look the same but are pronounced differently but Korean characters look totally different. How so? The characters use circles...lots of circles in these characters. So I flipped it over and ding ding ding. Made in Korea. The last item is a milk calcium nail pack. This is also something I will use for sure. And again...these characters are the same as the foot package so it is from Korea as well.

Final Verdict: I am unsure where the diffuser was made but nothing about it screams "China". The other three items are from different parts of Asia and not China. Why choose a theme and not stick to it? Do they think Americans are ignorant and won't know the difference? Or does the company think China encompasses all of Asia? Wouldn't it be better to have a theme of "winter season in Asia"?  I was expecting something reminiscent of China and didn't get anything. Also, the diffuser was unraveling :( things like this happen but it's still disappointing. Especially when I paid $40 for the box. I don't think I will be purchasing this again.

Love With Food December 2013

So I know I am way behind posting updates. Yesterday alone I revolved 5 boxes. I thought it would be good to post the most recently received boxes first.  I purchased Love With Food for a full year. I love that they donate a meal to the needy for every box purchased. Even if I didn't like anything in the box this subscription would be worth it for me. Also, whatever I don't eat, I can trust my boyfriend to devour :)  

It comes in a really cute box. Plastic wrapped as well.

When you opened the box you found a gift card for $35 off your first month subscription to Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh sends you all the ingredients needed to cook several meals. I thought I checked before and that this company didn't ship to Florida. It looks like they do now. Hope they send to South Florida! I will be ordering from them for sure.

First look after the Hello Fresh gift card was moved. "Winter Wonderland" is the theme for this month. 

Actual first look when the card is moved.

The information card stating what is in the box.

So the first thing is sweet potato chips which I don't think is on the card. I don't think anything is missing from box so this must be a bonus item- score! Then we have molasses cookies and a chocolate dipped Madeleine. I was excited about the molasses cookie because I first thought it was another caveman style cookie. It was not. I was immediately disappointed and decided to gobble down the Madeleine instead. It tasted amazing but I have been eating a very low sugar diet so this cookie tasted like it was 95% pure sugar...which may have been accurate. Sugar is the first ingredient listed on the back of the package.

Next we have a Lindt & Sprungli Chocolate Diamond...this will go to good use I am sure. These peppermints from St. Claire's Organics have been in several of my boxes. I was at first disappointed to see them again but then I saw the extremely low amount of sugar in them and reconsidered. There is a crispbread cracker from 34 Degrees that reminds me of a Japanese Rice Cracker and lord knows I get enough of those in my skoshbox boxes! There is an Angell Candy Bar is white chocolate, I'm not a huge fan so this will be gifted to someone. The last item in this picture is by far my favorite and it is a Marshmellow Topper, Maddy Melts. The idea of this is that it is perfectly shaped it fit inside a cup on top of a hot beverage...hot chocolate anyone?! No nutritional information on the product but maybe that's for the best! 

The last food items in the box were hot chocolate (perfect to pair with the Marshmallow topper!!) and spinach dip mix that I plan to use on New Years Eve. My only complaint is that there was only one marshmallow and hot chocolate!! I love it when companies give you things that can actually be eaten/used together. Then I don't need to do any additional work:)

And the best part of this box...

A HUGE reusable bag was folded in the bottom of the box! I love it and will use it often. I already used it yesterday to carry all of my boxes inside! 

I love my Love With Food subscription, it doesn't need to be renewed for another 5 months but I already know that I will!!!