*post contains affiliate links which means NAT receives a small commission for each sale made
Spice Breeze is a monthly spice subscription box. Each month a new featured location is included along with a signature recipe and all spices to create that recipe. Choose from the three options Spice Breeze offers – Wanderlust where you select two meals each month (enough to feed 3-4 people) for $8.90. Family which is the same as the Wanderlust except it serves 6-8 people for $12.90. Or the Wanderlust Plus which allows you to select 3 meals each month that serve 3-4 people for $12.90. Use code BESTDEAL at checkout to save 10% off a 6 or 12 month subscription. NAT received this package at no cost for review purposes.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
My first glimpse inside the Spice Breeze package.
Everything that came in my Spice Breeze package.
So what is all this stuff?
My box insert
The reverse tells us a little bit more about the featured location of the month, Canaima, Venezuela
Our first spice kit in our package for the month is a Reunionese Culinary Spice Kit. This recipe is from the cultural melting pot of the La Reunion region of France and uses spicy smoked sausages or chicken.
There are two spice packets included with this kit. The first includes thyme, turmeric, ginger and bay leaves and the second includes Makrut Lime Leaves.
Our second spice kit is a South American dish – Carne Asada. This is one of my favorite types of tacos and I am super jazzed to have received this!
Our spice packet for this meal includes tangerine peel, cumin, garlic, chipotle pepper flakes, oregano and black pepper.
The final spice kit is a Persian dish called Ghormeh Sabzi. This stew is vegetarian (or not) and is really customizable in my humble option. That’s why I decided to make this for the month.
The first packet for this kit includes methi or fenugreek leaves and the second include omani limes and turmeric
Okay so first –
We saute in a pot our onions and garlic until they are transluscent
Then we add the leek and fry until it’s soft. Then we add our herbs and our first spice packet. We will cook this until it turns brown and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.
This recipe was so easy to create … one of my last steps was to add beans (the recipe called for kidney but I subbed them for what I had), a cup of water and our second spice packet as well as salt and pepper. You’ll mix, cover and cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. If desired you can add more water.
Oh yeah- I added some harissa paste for a pop of spice too!
You can serve this with rice – but I didn’t. It was fine for a weekday lunch as is!
So in summary
Presentation: Everything was packaged well and arrived to me perfectly in my subscription from Spice Breeze
Quality: I love that the spices in this subscription are both organic and non- gmo. Such great quality
Curation: Considering we can select from the menus that Spice Breeze creates the dishes that we receive I’d say the curation is excellent!
Misfits Market is a weekly or bi-weekly ugly produce subscription box. You’ll have the ability to select from either the Mischief Box which contains 8-13 pounds of produce for $22 or the Madness (what I’m reviewing) that contains 18-23 pounds of produce for $35. Select areas are able to customize their boxes. Currently Misfits Market ships to Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, Ohio, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and now Utah. Use code COOKWME-IW1PXJ or the link above to get 25% off your first box. NAT pays for this subscription.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
The first item I chose for my box was spaghetti squash. I know these don’t look big but… this fed our family of six as our vegetable for dinner! We roast this in the oven with garlic, salt and pepper and just a smidge of olive oil.
Then there were these four zucchini included in my box. We usually either roast or sautee these in garlic, salt and pepper. Are you seeing the trend here yet? Honestly, so many veggies do the talking without a lot of fancy spices and sauces!
Next up in my box are these four russet potatoes. These are great in my opinion because they don’t have to be peeled before cooking which is a welcome bit of convenience in my book.
These five kiwis are the first fruit that was in the box. I usually halve these and include them in the kids packed lunches.
We LOVE fresh citrus in my house and so these five lemons are a wonderful addition. I use them as marinade, dressing and my oldest daughter even enjoys snacking on them (so do I truth be told).
Ugh… I order it because we use it but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it… CELERY. It’s like, my least favorite vegetable of all time and if you’ve ever noticed it tastes a LOT like parsley which I coincidentally don’t like.
These four yellow squash will be used in our dinner tonight. We are making a Mississippi Pot Roast and so we’ll sautee these as a side along with some mashed potatoes.
Then we have two mangoes in our box. This is the third fruit that we received in this box, both my husband and the kids love fresh mangos!
Terrible picture but we chose white onions this week… they sent us four. Little bit of information – if you don’t get to the marketplace right away to place your order some things will be gone… I missed the email for this week so it was slim pickins’ for us.
There were two yellow onions included in my box as well. Onions are so versatile – there’s no doubt that these will be used very quickly!
These two beets are HUGE! I love making these in a Harvard Glaze like my grandmother used to – in fact I’m making them for lunch today!
These six limes were also included in our box. I used these on tacos and in lime ginger chicken which is one of my favorite go to’s for white meat! Like I said, citrus fruit is where it’s at!
I usually don’t select radishes because they are hard to use up around here but this week they were one of the only items left. I’ve decided to pickle these and see how they turn out. There were two large bunches included in my box.
Alright so… bummer. I selected cilantro and parsley (which like I said I don’t like but it’s what was left). Well, they messed up and labeled a parsley cilantro and so… I received two parsleys… heh… I’m still trying to figure out how to use it all!
So in summary
Presentation: Everything was packaged well and arrived to me in great condition – no misfits in this box!
Quality: I love that all the vegetables and fruits are non-gmo and organic. Great quality!
Curation: Considering I selected each of the items that was included in my box I’ll say it was a great curation!
BoxyCharm is a monthly beauty subscription box. Each package in their base subscription includes five full sized items valued at $120. You do get to select one of the items in your box each month. This subscription is $25 with the option of upgrading to BoxyLuxe which is a once a season package that includes 8+ items of which you will select two. Boxes have a value of $250 for just $49.99. BoxyCharm also offers a Premium Box month that is $35 and includes 6-7 items one of which you will choose with a value of $175. NAT pays for this subscription.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
My first glimpse inside the November package from BoxyCharm
Everything that came in my November “Harvest” themed package from Boxycharm. This is variation 20.
So what is all this stuff?
My box insert
The reverse lists each of the items in the box along with their retail values.
Jouer Cosmetics Lip Enhancer
$17
The first item in my box is an item from Jouer Cosmetics – I haven’t seen this brand in a subscription box for a while! This lip treatment is infused with clean ingredients to nourish your lips and leave them feeling soft and silky!
Half Caked Game Changer Lip Fondant Trio
$32
If you are into adorable packaging you will love this lip fondant trio from Half Caked. This box is made to look like a deck of cards. Inside there are three liquid lipsticks that are also packaged in really cute containers.
So to be fair this pic was taken after several hand washes but I found this formula to be REALLY patchy. The instructions do however say to make sure that lips are exfoliated and hydrated before applying as this is a purely matte formula.
Natasha Denona Peak Palette
$48
The piece de resistance in this box is this five pan palette from Natasha Denonoa. This dusky red color story has four mattes and one shimmer. I am actually going to hold on to this for a Christmas present for a friend!
Moda Ultimate Eye Sculptors
$15
This BoxyCharm Exclusive from Moda includes two brushes meant for defining your eye looks. I received some brushed from Moda in a past Boxy and they are some of my absolute favorite so I am looking forward to trying these. The handles have gold studs which I find very fabulous as well!
Dr. Brandt Antioxidant Spray Toner
$40
The final item in my box for the month is a new launch! This toner includes green tea extract and white tea to rid skin of free radicals and environmentals stressors plus it smells really good! I always love getting products from Dr. Brandt so I’m excited for this!
So in summary
Presentation: Everything arrived to me in perfect condition in my box from BoxyCharm
Quality: I feel like this box was jam packed full of high quality products
Curation: I thought this month from BoxyCharm was one of the best that I’ve had in a while.
Box Economy: For the price of this box ($25) I received $152 in items which is an AWESOME deal
*post contains affiliate links which means NAT receives a small commission for each sale made
WizKids Game Crate is a bimonthly subscription box that sends three tabletop games in each package. Boxes have a value of $50+ and cost only $19.99 + shipping. NAT pays for this subscription.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
My first glimpse inside the WizKids Game Crate for October
Everything that came in my WizKids Game Crate for October. This is a nice assortment especially if you have older kids that are into RPG games.
So what is all this stuff?
Fungeon Party
The first game in the box is a fast paced game that gives you all the fun aspects of dungeon raiding! This boxed strategy game is great for ages 14+ and can be played from two to five people. The best part is that games only take about three minutes each. The object is to stack dice and add time to the game through crazy and fun quests! I’m sure my older daughters will really enjoy this game.
Next up is Sovereign’s Chain -In gibraltar station, a fringe outpost in the void horizon, free-port merchants and mercenaries play sovereign’s chain, a card Game that matches strategy, skill, and a bit of Rogue luck for its player. This game is great for ages 14+ and can accomodate 2-4 players. Each game takes about 30 minutes to play.
The final game in our box for the month is Thrown… one guess as to what this tabletop strategy game is inspired by.
Taken from the WizKids description:
Many are familiar with the idea of a trick-taking game: cards are played, with suits mattering, and you are trying to get the highest value on the table. Sometimes there are trumps which override the suits.
In Thrown, the way to play into a trick is by using dice! The colors of the dice represent the suits. The lead player rolls 1-3 dice of a color (the suit) and the other players try to roll in-suit to get the highest value on the table. If you do not have the right suit, then you can roll for trump: rolling a natural 6 on one of your dice in an off-suit will beat the highest value in-suit.
Winning a trick gives you gold. The game ends when there are a number of rounds played equal to the number of players. The winner is the player with the most gold.
But wait, there are cards in the game too! These cards give special abilities which are paid for, or activated with, dice of particular colors. Some of the effects include: flipping your or your opponent’s dice to their opposite sides, removing dice, re-rolling dice, automatically winning with a particular roll, and more!
I think this looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun to play!
So in summary
Presentation: Everything arrived to me perfectly in my box from WizKids
Quality: I find the quality of the games to be right in line with the price of the box – which is fine by me
Curation: This month it’s clear the theme was RPG and the games were all really fun but would work best for families with older children.
Culture Carton is a monthly men’s subscription box. The Standard Box (what I’m reviewing) includes 3-5 lifestyle items as well as an essential book for men. Boxes are $45 + shipping and with code TREE you’ll get 20% off your first box. You can also subscribe to just the lifestyle items for $35 +shipping or just the book for $16 free shipping. NAT received this package at no cost for review purposes.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
My first glimpse inside the Culture Carton package
Everything that came in my box from Culture Carton’s “Sherlock” themed box. As usual it’s an amazing assortment!
So what is all this stuff?
The box inserts
One tells us a bit about the box and the other lists each item in the box along with their retail values.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
$17
Not only is this book a classic (that I haven’t read) but it’s also a gorgeous edition with a soft faux suede cover and really neat cover art. I’m excited to receive this as it’s a well known book that I haven’t had the change to read yet!
Kiki Sunglass Holder
$35
Kiko contributes many of their fine leather goods to the packages from Culture Carton. This sunglass holder is in a distressed brown leather with gold hardware and it’s a real beauty! Not sure if I’ll keep this for myself or gift it during the holidays… hmm?
Paromi Royal Breakfast Organic Tea
$10
This jar contains 15 sachet tea bags full of organic black tea creating a fine Royal Breakfast Tea. I’m really happy that I received this because my husband loves black tea with no other flavors and I don’t get plain black tea that off in my boxes believe it or not!
Active Skin Repair Hand and Face Hydrogel
$30
The final item in the box is this hydrogel spray from a new to me company called Active. This antimicrobial spray is non toxic but kills enough bacteria and germs to be hospital grade. The best part is it’s gentle enough to use around the face, eyes and mouth.
So in summary
Presentation: Everything was packaged well and arrived to me in perfect condition in my box from Culture Carton
Quality: I am always in awe of the fantastic quality of the items that they include in their boxes
Curation: This assortment is a little bit of creme de la creme if you know what I mean and I can get behind that!
Box Economy: For the price of this box ($45) I received $92 in items which is an awesome deal
Ipsy Glam Bag Plus is a monthly beauty subscription box. Each package includes 5 full sized items for just $25. Additionally, Ipsy also has their original glam bag which includes 5 sample sized items for $12 and the Ipsy Ultimate which includes 12 items a mix of full size and sample sided items for $50. Each package comes with a bag in addition to the makeup items. NAT received this product at no cost for review purposes.
Subscription Box Unboxing
Subscription Box Review
My first glimpse inside the Ipsy Glam Bag Plus for November
Everything that came in my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus for November. This is a nice assortment of items!
So what is all this stuff?
The bag for this month is a soft silky texture in similar color blocks that were seen in the glam bag, save this one has drawstrings.
Violet Voss Coral Pop Eyeshadow Palette
$20
The first item in our box is the palette for the month.
This six pan palette features a versatile assortment of 5 mattes and one shimmer shade.
Here they are swatched and I think they are quite pretty.
Trestique Good Vibes Mascara
$25
Next up is the Trestique Mascara. Not only does this apply mascara it also has a built in lash curler. Since I already own one of these I’ll be passing this on to a friend.
Tarte Sugar Rush Lip Oil
$15
So lip oils are kind of their own thing but I quite like them – especially in the colder winter and fall months. This one has a nice citrus scent and flavor and I love the rubberized handle on the packaging!
F.A.R.A.H. Be Beautiful Be You Brushes
$48
This five piece brush set from F.A.R.A.H. will help you to create all sorts of eye looks and the silver handles and feruls will help you to feel glamorous while you do it. This is a really nice set and I’m excited to try this out as I’ve had great results from this line of brushes in the past.
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream
$65
Probably my favorite item that was included in this box is this tub of moisturizer from industry leader Kate Somerville. Formulated with Goat’s Milk this cream will be the perfect addition to my nighttime routine as it adds deep nourishment and hydration to your dry and tired skin!
So in summary
Presentation: Everything arrived to me perfectly in my package from Ipsy Plus for November
Quality: I am really impressed with the quality of the brands that they continuously include in their boxes each month.
Curation: I really liked the assortment. There were tools, makeup and skincare!
Box Economy: For the price of this box ($25) I received $173 in items which is an awesome deal!
