The Batch team has scoured Texas for the best local goods from six fine cities:
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What inspired the April Must Have Box? Spring, Simplicity, Markets, Outdoors.
I wasn’t going to sign-up for this month’s POPSUGAR Must Have, but ended up caving. Here’s what was included:
Overall, I was happy with the box because I am in love with the Dabney Lee Umbrella and I have been needing a new umbrella for a long time. I am shocked that it’s only a $20 value because it seems very well made. The other items are not anything I will get much use out of but they are all very nice products.
The One Love Organics body serum is a high value skin care item and has a very strong and unique floral smell which I like but am not sure it is something I will use often.
I do like that the Produce candle is in a mason jar and can be reused after the candle has burned fully.
I also thought the Garden in a Bag is absolutely adorable!
My least favorite product was probably the reusable bag simply because I do not have a use for that particular style. It is a cool idea though and I could see leaving it in my car for travel uses.
The box total worth is about $100 and at $35 (after coupon) it was a great value for me!
Unlike some subscription boxes, Treatsie is not about providing lots of samples at a discount. Rather, we strive to help you discover high-quality sweets you love from the most talented chefs around the country.
I signed up for Treatsie since they have a coupon (EXTRASWEETS) right now that gives you “Double Sweets” when you purchase your first monthly box. I signed up for the Standard Box which is “up to $25 value in each box for just $15” plus $4.95 for shipping.
Our customer’s favorites from the last 3 months that are included in your first monthly box when you use the coupon code EXTRASWEETS when subscribing.
Here’s the example of the Standard Box they have on their website:
I do not eat a lot of candy but I was interested to try some high quality artisan sweets. And with the coupon granting double sweets, I couldn’t resist!
Unfortunately, what I received really did not feel like “double”. Here’s what I got:
The total value is about $35, which is pretty decent for the $20 price. But I still felt like the ‘double sweets’ deal was misleading since the standard box shows about 4 ‘large’ items, while my ‘double sweets’ standard box only had 5 ‘large’ items and a handful of chews.
Despite this, my boyfriend and I LOVED the selection in our Treatsie box ESPECIALLY the Millionaire Shortbread. The box was a great treat for us to enjoy and we were somehow able to make it last for the entire week by only having a small amount each night as dessert.
Overall, I think this is a fun and unique box. We do not buy sweets, as we both try to eat healthier, but this was definitely a nice escape.
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Buy American and support American Artisans. Mantry ships 6 full size American Artisan food products to your door every month in a signature wooden crate.
Since Mantry is more geared to men, I thought this would be a fun subscription to enjoy with my boyfriend. The cost is $75 per month but their special was $45 for the first box. This month’s theme is Tennessee and they included a booklet describing their experiences and why they chose each item.
Here’s what was included in my March Mantry box:
I wasn’t that impressed with the items and didn’t feel like they were well paired. We liked the caramel chews and the moonshine cake was decent. The brew bread was a unique flavor and we overall liked it. However the rest of the box was a huge miss for us. I can’t imagine paying full price for this box, as I was already unimpressed at the $30 off price.
I really like the concept behind the brand and it is well packaged. The value was fairly low (barely $55) considering the box is $75 normally. Excluding the value, I just don’t think the box is a good fit for us.
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The sharing box is a great way to enjoy more of the snacks you love in larger, resealable bags. They’re great for sharing! A sharing box contains 5 sharing bags, and each bag includes approximately 4 portions. That’s about 20 portions of food per box.
I subscribed to Graze’s snacks in the past for a few months. Even though they were absolutely yummy, I ended up cancelling because I didn’t feel like the value was there
When I heard about their newest box, The Sharing Box, I was intrigued. The Sharing Box will cost $25 regularly, but right now Graze is overing $5 off your first box. When you compare this to their standard box, 4 snack portions for $6.99, this is a pretty great deal!
As Graze usually works, you select which snacks you would like to try and they pick from your list to send to you. Here are the 5 snacks I received:
- salted fudge and peanut cookie – baked salted peanuts, redskin peanuts, mini chocolate cookies and fudge pieces
- scrumptious blueberry swirl – blueberry yogurt raisins, raspberry infused cranberries and blackcurrants
- chocolate pecan pie – chopped dates, pecan nuts and chocolate fudge
- honeycomb flapjack – rustic rolled oat flapjack with honeycomb and chocolate drizzle
- summer berry flapjack – rustic rolled oat flapjack with berry-infused cranberries
I absolutely love Graze’s snacks. They have unique combos of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy. I always end up picking out sweet snacks, because I tend to have a sweet tooth and small snacks are a great way to curb my cravings.
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The first time I tried a flapjack, I was absolutely in love! If I could order them in bulk, I would. I was pleased to see two in my Sharing Box. My favorite Graze snack is the Honeycomb Flapjack, but the Summer Berry one is a close second. I also really liked the Chocolate Pecan Pie snack. I would not normally eat dates, but it blends wonderfully with the pecan and chocolate pieces.
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The Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl is a little too sweet but still good in small doses. The Salted Fudge and Peanut Cookie was least liked for me. My boyfriend loved it though so it will be solely his snack.
Overall, I think the Sharing Box is a great value if you love Graze snacks. I also really like that you can order a one-time Sharing Box because I would prefer to order one when I feel a craving for a flapjack (which may happen more often now that I know I can get them at a better price)!
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I decided to try out PopSugar’s Must Have box and I was pleasantly surprised! I absolutely love the glass cup and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. Those two items made this box worth it for me.
Cost: $39.95/month.
Coupon: Use coupon code “REFER5” to save $5 off your first PopSugar Must Have Box.
Included in this month’s box:
I’ve already started using the cup and cream. My boyfriend loves the granola.
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Stopped by the Wrapping Party at our apartment complex last night for some homemade hot chocolate and they had these marshmallows. Cute idea!!
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Photo taken at: Verona at The Reserve
I found an awesome ClubW coupon on RetailMeNot, and was able to get a steal of THREE wine bottles for only $20, including shipping and tax. This would usually cost about $50. Holy crap, right?
Since I pretty much only drink Moscato type wines, I decided to branch out and try something new. I chose:
Reckless Optimism – a red
Little Sur – a chardonnay
So This Happened… – a white
Great deal if you ask me… Cheers!
Founded by New York Times bestselling author Bethenny Frankel and health and wellness guru Matt Hesse, Skinnygirl Daily is a nutrition line that helps women look and feel their best. The bars are the perfect indulgent treat for individuals looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Included in my Influenster SweetHeart Voxbox was a full size of Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bar!
I was lucky enough to get to try out the Coco-nut with peanut butter flavor! And wow! It was DELICIOUS! I am not a huge fan of super sweet things, so I was pleasantly surprised that it had just the right amount of sweetness. It was also crunchy AND soft. I really like how balanced this bar is.
Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars come in four flavors (I can’t wait to try them all!)
I personally like to have a stash of nutrition bars that I can throw in my bag when I know I wont get a chance to eat, so having many options in my pantry is important. Overall, I really liked the Coco-Nut bar. The are two negatives I can see: availability (they can only be purchased online?) and price (they are on the expensive side). They do have a few incentives on their website, such as free shipping for orders over $29, and reoccurring special offers. But ignoring those issues, in my opinion the bar was very good. I actually ate half one night and the other half a few days later just to savor it.
As I said in my initial impression, I did not have a positive opinion of the brand based on the media, but now I think I may reconsider and give Skinnygirl a chance! I definitely want to try a Skinnygirl cocktail!
Check out the Product Page for the Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars at Influenster for more information and reviews, plus a 25% off code for your next purchase at Skinnygirl Daily!
Skinnygirl Daily products can be purchased via their website. Suggested retail price: $12.99 for a 5-pack.
Disclaimer: I received these products to test for free through the Influenster VoxBox program.
Truvía® natural sweetener is the first natural, great-tasting, zero-calorie sweetener born from the leaves of the stevia plant. Truvia is refreshingly uncomplicated. Sprinkle it on your grapefruit. Spoon it in your coffee. It won’t end up on your conscience or your thighs.
Included in my Influenster Love Voxbox were samples of the natural sweetener Truvia. Check out Truvia’s website for more information on natural sweetener!
Truvia natural sweetener is made from Truvia stevia leaf extract, the best tasting part of the stevia leaf, erythritol and natural flavors. Learn more about Truvia from their FAQ page. When learning about Truvia, the main question on my mind is, is it healthy? Well, I don’t know and I can’t answer that question. But there is plenty of information on the internet asking the same question. Two that stood out to me were Mark’s Daily Apple and Food Renegade‘s article and is definitely an interesting unbiased opinion.
Evil kitty Bella was curious what I was doing!
Overall, I think Truvia is a great sugar substitute for those who don’t want to consume real sugar, but I am a little too hesitant. I really only use sugar to sweeten my once a week or less Iced Coffee, so it’s not something I need in my lifestyle. However, I do think it is a lot healthier than other sweetener’s on the market, and would probably recommend to those who do use sweeteners.
Disclaimer: I received these products to test for free through the Influenster VoxBox program.