My Review of the Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit Subscription

Monthly subscription services for paper crafting hobbies have been around for many years, and I have given many of them consideration, but in the end failed to sign up for any of them for one reason or another.  I personally tend to steer away from any subscriptions that lock me into just one manufacturer or style of crafting.  While this does make the mixing and matching from one month to another a little easier, it can also make the experience of sampling different products almost none existent.

Several months ago, I began my search for a "service." First I made a wish list.  (yes, I am one of *those* list making types of people! lol)  It included...
*  receiving supplies on a regular basis- preferable monthly
* getting CURRENT supplies that I couldn't necessarily obtain at my local stores
*  receiving enough supplies in the kit to make a big project, or several small ones with little additional stuff required from my own stash
* include supplies that are non consumable (like stamp sets)
* have the ability to add things from their shop, or feature add on kits
* have it fall within my personal budget with the shipping factored in
* allow me to "opt out" when I want or need to
* finally...have flexibility on the things I can create with the supplies (not be so specific that I can't still be creative on my own)

I spent several weeks watching You Tube unboxing videos and reviews with all sorts of wonderful kits....and honestly I was interested in several.  In the end it was a question of who met most of my requirements and offered the most bang for my buck.  It wasn't even really close for me...Simon Says Stamp won hands down...and had me signing on the dotted line.  Here is my honest review- and please know I am not compensated in any way for this opinion.

When you sign up for the kit it guarantees that you will receive the kit, as it does frequently sell out.  In addition to this, you save $5 off the price of the kit if you just by it from the site without a subscription.

This is the kit I got back in August featuring papers from My Mind's Eye and a stamp set by Kristina Werner called "card exchanging friends."  It also came with a selection of wonderful, high quality card stock, a full sized stencil, twine, a lollipop, and two flair.  I was inspired by the Maya Road canvas flower embellishment to dig out a discounted album I picked up at Michael's (also canvas) and create a mini album.  Yes...this is a MONTHLY CARD KIT but I am easily able to adapt the contents to mini projects like albums and project life with little effort!  The papers worked wonderfully, and were already cut to size at 6x6.  Couldn't be any easier.  My only regret is that they were double sided so I had to sacrifice a few patterns in the making of the album.

So my thoughts on the August kit.  For $25.95 It was well worth it!  The stamp alone is $14.99
This kit had a stamp set that totally fit into my interests of mail art!!!  It is full sized and made of very high quality photo polymer material.  It stamps like a dream!  There was also a full sized stencil.  Both products will be used and reused in many craft projects for years to come.  As for the papers, I adore MME and have lots of their products.  The mini album I am making for my birthday, coordinates PERFECTLY with the DCWV mat stack called Sunday Afternoon...so again, I was able to pull stuff from my stash to use.  A complete win win!  Even if you didn't previously own anything you could make lots of stuff with this kit.  It is worth noting that you can easily add coordinating items to your kit, and they are easily suggested at the bottom of the page when you see the kit online.  They will however ship separately.

My September kit was another winner!  This kit released right after the Fall CHA, and had very current papers in a chalk board theme from the MME Chalk Studio line, a banner die, assorted high quality card stocks, a FULL package of wood verneers!!!, Color box pigment ink, a great bicycle paper clip, and another full sized stamp set.  I love that the stamp set is super versatile with several sentiments, a cute cheveron border stamp, and a whole slew of flowers and stems to create you own arrangment!!!

Honestly, all I have done with this kit so far is make one card.  I have been busy with other projects but this one is not going to collect dust forever.  I think the neatest thing about this kit was a video I saw where the wood verneer was used in the Sizzix as a stencil!  Would never have thought of that as a use....must give it a try.

And finally onto October's kit...

The 6x6 paper in the October kit are too stinkin' cute!  The papers, and the package of sequins are from Lawn Fawn's Into the Woods collection.  We also got some Kelly Purkey letters, acrylic paint, chip board, twine, and a stamp set that is again so versatile!  Who doesn't love a tree stamp!?
I've made a couple cards with this kit, but until I finish the birthday album it is on hold just a little bit.  For this reason, I opted out of the November kit.  It was really cute, but with two kits that are barely used, I thought it best to hold off.   SSS released a special edition holiday card kit and once again I opted out of the December kit (no penalty or issues to do so....the customer service is really awesome!  Just had to send them an email).  I have so much Christmas themed stuff in general that I could not justify buying anymore at this time.  Like I had in my list, the ability to opt out is a HUGE factor for me!  I can jump right back into kits in January, see the preview of the kit being released and decide then if I will order it or not.  It is such a great card kit, and is full of current colors and trendy items!  I can not recommend them enough.

So tell me what you think?  Are you shopping around for a monthly card kit?  Do you have any other suggestions of ones I should look at?  Let me know!

There is such a thing as FREE

For about a year now I have been requesting FREE SAMPLES online (and to a lesser extent in stores), and I am still amazed at just at much I am able to get for just a few moments of my time filling out a request form.

Here are the samples from the last week or so.  They include perfume,3 herbal teas that I'm super excited to try because are two of them are Chai, face serum (enough for 5 days!), two packs of style extender, a pore minimizer, Gain (have really been wanting to try this and compare it to my other brand), a shampoo and mask, another shampoo, conditioner and a deep conditioner...and a full sized socket sealer set which should help with our electric bill!

This may not seem like very much, but if I get this amount every month it quickly adds up!  Obviously some samples are more exciting than others, like tea and coffee samples for example.  I just love getting those and they are relatively high value.  But in the  last month I have also got several samples of feminine products, 3 small bags of dog food, 3 dog bones, Chapstick, some hand lotions just to name a few!  My favorites of the last year are full boxes of cereal, jewellery, sippy cup, razors, elastic wrap, several Target beauty bags full of samples, cranberries and cranberry juice, a year subscription to O magazine, bandaids, and medications!

A couple things to keep in mind if you are just getting started and want to explore the wonderful world of freebies...

* it might be easier to set up an email just for freebies and to keep it separate from your personal emails
* many take a month or longer to ship so be patient at first...they will slowly start to trickle in, and then become more regular....keep with it and soon you will have a steady flow of samples in your mailbox
* since companies are sending these out free, be courteous and obey the limits (usually one/household) so everyone out there can also get one.
* if there is an option to give feedback on the product- do so!  It helps with the development of products and it shows your appreciation
* sign up for emails from freebie sites that easily link you to the current ones
***finally MANY OF THE SAMPLES ALSO INCLUDE HIGH VALUE COUPONS TO PICK UP THE FULL SIZED ITEM....USE THEM!!!

Is a monthly subscritption box right for you? and a review of the four I currently subscribe to.

Up until a couple months ago I had NO idea just how many different types of monthly subscription boxes there are out there!  Seriously...if you can think of a hobby or interest, there is probably a business that is already catering to your needs!  Just last week when I was looking to see if there were other 'better' boxes than the ones I already subscribe to I came across a Face Book page called Monthly Subscription Boxes.  This page has a compiled list of ones to get you started simply by clicking on their 'about' section.

It is my opinion that the types of boxes that I subscribe to can benefit many people who can spare $10-25/month.  Keep in mind I can't really comment on those boxes that fall into the $200-$300 range because that is out of my price range. Oh let's be honest...I'm not even willing to give up $35 for a single subscription...yet.  :)

My first and original "box" is geared towards crafting and is the Simon Says Stamp monthly card making kit.  Up until a few months ago, I was of the opinion that craft subscription boxes were stupid and a real waste of money!  So why the change?  Well, I used to think that I could put together a much nicer box, for less, by using coupons and shopping my local craft stores.  This is partially true.  I can, but only to a point.  Once I began looking at the kits offered in the past I quickly noticed that some items were really cute and were completely exclusive to Simon Says Stamp.  Also, since they are such a large online retailer, they do carry all the latest and greatest stuff and by doing a monthly kit I was able to sample bits and pieces of it at a fraction of the cost of getting all the full sized packages myself.  I compared the cost of this kit and the amount of product you got with other similar services online, and decided this one was right for me.

Simon Says Stamp Card Monthly card kit  (over DIY or Others)
PROS
* you get a complete kit mailed to your door each month  for $25 (shipping is included)
* more often than not, you get a full sized, exclusive stamp set
* each kit come with a sample sheet of ideas to get you started as well you can also get the email with more ideas and even videos for free
* you save $5 off the normal price of the kit and you are guaranteed one before sell out
* the products are current and coordinate easily with each other (and sometimes other kits!)
*** this one is huge- there is no contract or minimum number of months to sign up for AND
*** you can opt out/skip a month for any reason without penalty!
CONS
* not a huge deal, but unlike some other services there is just one kit, there are no special add on's and if you want to purchase something from their regular online store it doesn't ship with the kit (to save on shipping)

The second box I get is BIRCHBOX.
I get the women's sample box, which is a mix of 4-5 beauty, healthcare, makeup, and some lifestyle items selected around a theme each month. These samples can be either luxury trial sizes- full sized items, and come from both well known and emerging brands.  What I like most about this subscription is that the items are loosely based on a beauty profile I filled out, and match my skin tone and preferences pretty closely!  I also love that I get to try things I normally wouldn't purchase.  Here is what my box looked liked for November 2013.

PROS
* very affordable at only $10.00/month and includes FREE shipping!
* each box is packaged like a gift and it really feels like a present when you are opening it!
* the box itself is sturdy enough to be reused, as well as the tissue (usually PINK!)
*  in addition to the box, there are plenty of face book and you tube videos with sneak peaks and talk of the products, how to use them as well as give aways
* in addition to the box there are also some extras like coupons offered to you
* my experience is that you get several full sized products/or luxury full sized items making the value of the box exceed what you paid for it!
* there is a great points system for referring friends, and rating products which you can use towards purchases
CONS
* it's a monthly subscription with no opting out, but you can quit your subscription at any time
* if you already have lots of makeup and beauty items this may get repetitive for you (I don't so I love it!)

If you would like to try this you can use my referral link
http://birch.ly/19Kh6mz



My third subscription is to IPSY
 Ipsy is also a monthly beauty and cosmetic type subscription and is often compared to Birchbox.  It too offers you 4-5 products each month, and has a theme that makes it a nice touch.  My experience so far is that Ipsy offers more higher end products which makes me feel like I am getting more bang for my buck while  Birchbox offers more affordable items.  Therefore I am more likely to actually purchase Birchbox's full sized items because they are more suited to my budget.

PROS
* another very affordable subscription at only $10/month which includes FREE shipping!
* each package comes in a metallic PINK bubble mailer!
* each month the samples come in a cute, reusable cosmetic bag!!
* in addition to the bag and contents there are often coupons included
* the items are usually larger than other companies (like birchbox) and have a higher value
* there is more cosmetic items in Ipsy
CONS
* You can not opt out of a month
* the waitlist can be long when you first sign up (2 1/2 months in my case)

If you would like to subscribe to Ipsy please feel free to use my referral code
http://www.ipsy.com/r/1n0o

The final subscription I get was a gift from Neil.  It is call Unmentionably Cheeky!  This is subscription for panties, and you get two pairs sent to you each month.   As they say on their website they are a "delighful delivery of fun, flirty, and feminine" panties each month and I agree completely!  The panties are made exclusively for them, and so far I have really enjoyed their selections and styles.  So often online shopping is difficult for plus sized girls, but this company is doing it right let me tell you!!!    I especially like that they are trendy enough that I can mix and match these with other lingerie items and camis that I  have already, and with two pairs arriving each month it is just enough to keep my supply of fancy, sexy underthings fresh and exciting!!  Here are the two pairs I received for the month of November.

PROS
* currently have a code FALL13 so it only costs $6 (and FREE shipping)
* comes in discreet, black packaging
* EXCLUSIVE trendy styles and colors each month
* the lace they use is soft and doesn't itch!!!
* the sizing is spot on!
* your partner will love this one too (wink wink)
* they do not charge extra for plus size!
* you can change the size you want at any time
* 100% garenteed!
* you can cancel any time
CONS
* I honestly can't think of any

Today I had tea with Mom!

Today I had tea with my mom...this might sound rather boring to some, and certainly not worthy of a blog post but it was a very monumental moment because she has been gone for years!  Let me explain...

The morning started off pretty normal and I had anticipated that I would putter around, do a few household chores and later on craft and skype with my sister.  On my to do list was to photograph a  few of my monthly subscriptions and get them ready to review here.  One item I was super excited to see in my Birchbox box this month was a sampler of tea- and I knew I wanted some pretty props for the photo.  I thought I would simply take them down from the closet where they have been packed for years, and use them as props....nothing more.  As I was unwrapping them the sadness of her memory and all the anxiety that went with it seemed to wash away- and I not only felt a calmness, but a warm, happy feeling!  Since her death every memory has lead me to tears, and it has hung over me for days each time.  But today was different!  It almost felt like a ceremony, something beautiful was happening and I was very aware that I had finally reached a pivotal moment in the mourning process I have been going through for years.  I slowly unwrapped the separate pieces and was happy to see none had been chipped.  I carefully walked them to the kitchen where I gently washed them and then dried them almost to a polish.  I then set up the Birchbox tea, along with the two tea cups, and a little tea strainer I had found years ago at a thrift store. I took the photo and uploaded it ...

I had intended to simply post this photo on my Face Book, and add it to the many photo albums I have there.  But I FELT something.  It was like my mom was actually here with me!!!  Now before you think I am off my rocker, I mean in "spirit"...like somehow she was with me.  I am not an overly religious person.  I don't necessarily believe in ghosts and such BUT I do believe that sometimes things happen that we can't explain.  This was one of those moments for me.  After years of feeling depressed and sad, it was all gone...and I felt an overwhelming desire to have tea with my mom!  It seems a little silly as I am writing it, but as it was happening there was nothing silly about it- it felt completely normal.  I got out her old tea kettle, waited for it to boil, and then steeped our tea....yes I said OUR.  I actually poured two cups of tea, one for me and one for my mom!  I skipped the Splenda I usually use, and added the teaspoon of sugar, and a bit of milk to each cup.  I felt something was missing so I went and took out a photograph of her, and add it as well.  THERE.  Now I could have tea with my mom.  As if breaking through the boundaries of time and space, I told her I missed her and not knowing how else to commemorate the moment I said "cheers!" and gently tapped my tea cup on hers.  With that, I can say that the sad period of mourning her death was officially over, and could now be replaced with her warm sweet memories- just like the tea I was drinking in her honor!

I miss you Mom...and I always will.

In the photo, my Mom-Marilyn (in red), me (in the back), my daughter Arianna (at 4 years old) and my Aunt Connie (seated).

My OCTOBER 2013 BIRCHBOX Feedback and Review

I got my very first monthly subscription box in October and boy was I super excited!!!    I had tried to sigh up for Ipsy but was put on a wait list...soooo I found Birchbox!  (for those of you who aren't familiar with it, Birchbox is a monthly subscription service where they deliver to your home a box of 4-5 items that range from healthy and beauty- lifestyle products)  My box came and I could hardly wait to tear into it!   This month's theme was Beauty Buzz...

I received FIVE products.  The Bain deTerre (macadamia oil) nourishing shampoo AND conditioner were each 1.7 fl ounces.  That is a great sample size if you ask me, and even with my long, thick hair I was able to get 3 applications from each.  While I don't like paying a lot for shampoo and conditioner, this stuff worked really well, felt good, didn't cause any itching or problems with my skin and it made my hair super soft and shiny for a couple days---enough so that I am considering order the full size!!!  Seriously I could hardly stop running my fingers through it!  I rated each 5/5 stars.  Cost for shampoo $1.51 and conditioner $1.70

Third on the list was a full sized Pop Beauty's Aqua lacquer- or in lay mans terms...lip gloss lol.  I received the color Floating Rose "a soft pink infused with gold shimmer."  It had an odd little paddle applicator that takes some getting used to but I really liked it.  It was a little on the sticky side for me so only 4/5 stars.  Cost $14.00

My fourth product was a full sized nail polish that is a Birchbox exclusive.  Ruffian Nail Laquer in a green color called Hedge Fund!  How cute is that?  I had just painted my nails but within 24 hours I had to give it a try.  Hands down (puny eh?) it is the best formula of nail polish I have ever tried!!!  At only 0.17 fl ounces it is much small bottle than I am used to, but it makes up for it in performance!  Another 5/5 stars.  Cost $10.00

and finally my first "Birchbox find."  This fifth item was another full sized item and one I will certainly put to good use.  It was the Chap Stick Vanilla creme moisture hydration lock with CoQ10  Since I do a lot of couponing I was super excited to also find a $1.00/1 coupon for this product for the next sale I see.  Cost was about $3.00

 

So if I were to buy my samples they would have cost me $30.21 !!!  Not bad for just $10.00/month eh?!  So is a beauty box right for you?  In my opinion you can't really put a dollar amount on the joy you get from getting a little present in your mail, even if you sent it to yourself.  Unlike most other people I don't think most hold value (although maybe not exactly in dollar and cents) in the fact that I was able to reuse the pretty tissue paper in my present wrapping supplies and the sturdy box is perfect for sorting my nail art supplies in the drawer .....so nothing went to waste!   This package really had me eager to receive it, and I was able to pamper myself in a few baths and still have some products that will last a while.  To me it was very worth the $10.00 I spent on it.

My conclusion is that I really enjoy this subscription and although I originally thought that I would only get it while I waited to get off the Ipsy wait list...I have since received my second box and can't see ending my subscription to Birchbox any time soon!

If you would like to sign up, and help me earn some points towards fun products please use my referral code (it is the same as if you go to the website directly, doesn't cost you any more but just gives me a little perk for sharing this information with you.  THANKS)    http://birch.ly/19Kh6mz

Project Happiness...and my 66 items!

So I was hanging out in the You Tube world again, and came across a suggested link called "Project 10 Pan."  I'm certain I have some sort of mutant gene that causes me to gravitate towards ANYthing that combines a game and lists! lol  If you haven't heard of it before, the idea is to take 10 items from your makeup collection (usually things that you have hardly used but want to rediscover) and then make a concerted effort to 'hit pan,' or use them up entirely.  Hitting pan, is when you've used up the pressed powders enough that the center is bare and you can see the metal pan at the bottom of the container it is in.

So of course You Tube sensed my excitement and continued to suggest more and more related videos for me to watch...which I did!  Then it changed slightly to "project use it up" videos, which are similar but are not necessarily just make up items.  I was intrigued!  Having grown up in a home where being frugal was a day to day life lesson, this hit home with me right away.  You see, we had moved to a much smaller unit over a year ago, but despite my efforts to minimize the items, I had held onto too many of them giving our home a very cluttered feeling.  My main problem was that even when I have cleaned it didn't FEEL clean.  I had tried several things over the last year, each with their own measured success, but still had a ways to go.  THIS project sounded perfect because it appealed to my sensible side which said I shouldn't just get rid of the items, but rather use them up...AND it worked towards a specific goal of getting rid of the clutter and allowing me to have that clean home I desired!

So looking back to October 28th, I eagerly went to my bathroom and gathered all the items that were partially used, and then just left sitting there gathering dust.  There wasn't much thought, I just had a plastic bucket and dropped everything into it.  The exciting part was there was INSTANT GRATIFICATION in that with the items out of the bathroom, I was able to clean up the bathroom, rearrange items in the cupboards and before the project even began, I had the clean bathroom I had been dreaming of for the last year!

I also made a quick trip around the house and gathered some items from my nightstand, bedroom, purses, craft area, etc.  I thought having all of the items in ONE place would be nice, and give me a good visual on just how much excess I had!  I estimated I would have 25 items but to my surprise there were SIXTY SIX!!!  Most of mine were health and beauty related for this project.

1. Charmin wipes
2.  Pampers wipes travel pack
3-4.  Simple face wipes
5-6.  Hair dye refresher packs
7. foot balm stick
8.  cider vinegar
9.  Colgate toothpaste gel that I don't like
10-17 chapsticks!
18.  mini chapblock chapstick
19. lipbalm  chapstick
20.  travel size of last years Christmas handcream
21-22. paper toilet seat covers (no good at home- need them in my purse!)
23. white musk perfume
24. hand gel
25.  body lotion (left over from Christmas basket)
26.  Garnier Fructis sleek and shine
27. degree body spray
28.  herbal essance curl scrunching gel
29. mandarin conditioner
30.  hair detangling spray (used when my hair was twice as long!)
31.  citre shine
32. Nair
33.  Big waves
34.  Paul Mitchell sculpting foam
35.  clean and clear moisturizer
36.  Revelon foundation
37.  Cover Girl foundation
38.  brow pencil
39.  blast lipstick 640 stunner
40.  blast lipstick 825 perky
41.  cover girl powder (green)
42.  Revelon lipstick (stay current)
43.  khol liner in midnight
44.  eye liner
45.  maybelline blush
46-47.  PF concealer green and yellow 
48.  Maybelline dream matte
49.  bare minerals finishing powder
50.  revelon colorstay powder
51.  hello kitty bubble bath
52.  mouth wash
53.  body scrub
54.  baby gel
55. foundation sample
56. box of kleenex
57. victoria secret hand lotion
58-65 face scrub and face wash samples
66. foot works foot lotion

So there is my long list of items... my daughter and sister are participating and keeping me accountable.  I have added that in addition to simply using up the items and getting rid of the clutter, I am not allowed to buy items similar to those I have on the list until the old ones are used up!  It's been just over two weeks and with the basket of beauty items sitting in the bathroom it reminds me to use them up first, as well as a crystal bowl of the makeup items on my desk.  So I can track the packages of used items, I have a cute hello kitty gift bag hanging on a door handle.  I will update those items soon.  So what do you think?  Is this something you want to play along with?  Would this project help you be a little happier? Let me know what you think.


****************************UPDATE NOVEMBER 18th 2013**************************

It has been a couple weeks and I have been actively trying to use up some of the products that are in my original 66.  Some of them by their nature are going to take a lot longer to go through (like the make up ones) and others are pretty straight forward.   I have some empties to share now though to track my progress.

So as you can see I used up a total of 14 products from my list (the two brown bottles in the center are not from the original 66 but were emptied as well) and have 52 remaining!  A couple more are close to being finished buuuuut I wanted to get rid of these to recycling ASAP instead of having them hanging around (one of the main reasons I started this project in the first place.  Have you been playing along?  Did you knock anything off your list this week?

 *************************UPDATED DECEMBER 4TH *******************************

So here are all the empties that I have used since Mid November.  As you may notice some of them are from the original 66 list, but I have also added a few others as well.  The reason for this is I had a lot of hand creams in my original list, and it seemed silly to keep trying to squeeze a little out of each one.  I sat down and mixed them together using a 'recipe' I found on Pinterest months ago.  I walked around and found still MORE near empty hand creams, and was almost done the coconut oil, so I tossed it in there as well!  I will have a short post about the hand cream later today.  I'm still plugging away at my original list...I am going to make a MUCH shorter list next time I do this!!!  lol