Better late than never

Starting out in the subscription box community is insane! There are so many talented and clever bloggers out there. I'm so happy they've helped me navigate this wonderful wormhole of surprises! I definitely thought I'd be trudging through this forest of boxes sooner, but alas, better late than never.
 
I ran across one blogger from Canada, I think her and I face similar issues regarding shipping. Tends to be hit or miss. Having an overseas AP/AE/AA mailbox is so wonderful. If you've worked or travelled overseas and tried to navigate each foreign postal system, it can be work. So I'm incredibly happy I'm able to have a US address overseas (again, I'm not in the military, so this is a perk of my non-profit job). Many people still don't ship to us though. Its understandable. Many subscription box services are relatively small start-ups. Some contract their shipping through specific carriers. Us folks over here in the overseas category really throw people off.

Anyway, this week I've run across a couple boxes I want. I want them hard.


First: PixieBar



I'm so smitten with this box right now.  Check them out here: http://www.pixiebar.com/

Heres the deal: So this box sends you original recipes, non-perishable ingredients, and fun spices. I think this box and I are in love. The first box has a super tasty looking Pad Thai. I've been to Thailand a few times. I'm infatuated with the colors, textures, and spices. My cooking ability, however, is severely lacking. I've tried to make Pad Thai about 30 times. It always turns into a pile of noodles vaguely reminiscent of Thai food. So excited about someone forcing me to do a better job!

I read a couple reviews of this box. The overall consensus was very positive. I did see one that said something along the lines of, "I can get all these ingredients cheaper at my local grocery store". I get that. However, I can't, as my grocery options are pretty limited. The ingredients are also non-perishable. A major win. The mail here is so crazy. Sometimes I'll get a package a week after I order, sometimes its literally 3 months. Non-perishable is a necessity for me. Finally, for the win, PixieBar ships to all the US address, AP, AE, and AA.  They even ship to the northern Mariana Islands! I love them!

Costs: At 20 a month, I'm sold. If you buy a year in full, you get 20% off the order too. I'll be on the hunt for promo codes to this one because I feel like its going to be an amazing Christmas gift for friends and family.



Next: Pijon Box

Heres the Deal: This box sends college students monthly care packages filled with all sorts of goodies. Check them out here: https://www.pijonbox.com/.  The idea of this box made me reflect on years and years of college. I completed Graduate school a little over two years ago. It was exhausting. I barely had time to shop for myself. This package definitely would have perked me up. My husband is actually a current student, working on his Ph.D. I don't even care if we're not the regular audience for this box. I wanted it. So, standard protocol dictated that I search for the shipping options of Pijon Box. Alas, they do not yet ship to international AP/AE addresses.

This is where they sold me: I wrote my standard email to inquire about shipping. I'm very used to the copy and paste response of, "No, we don't ship to your address at this time...". Normal stuff. Pijon Box wrote me insanely thoughtful responses. They told me about the current shipping options and advised that they hope to have international shipping options up in 2-3 months.T hey genuinely care about their customers and it shows. I'm incredibly impressed with the limited interactions I've had. I'll be a customer the minute I'm able.

Cost: This week (the week of Sept. 16, 2013) there was a Living Social deal with an insane discount. The box normally runs $29.00 a month or 25/monthly for a 7 month subscription.

Added Benefit: Check out the Pijon Box social mission: https://www.pijonbox.com/social-mission What a great company!

 

Welcome!

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by:)

Before I launch into it, let me tell you a bit about me. I'm Ara, 27 years old, aspiring fashionista, actual non-profit worker.  Last year, I discovered the wonder and glory that is Modcloth. As a busy twenty-something, the style fit me to a T.  As I wandered visually through the bursting colors, brilliant patterns, and seamless styles, I found myself anxiously awaiting each new sale, every new arrival. Like most of my other mod-gals, I drooled with excitement over Modcloth's most coveted sale; the Stylish Surprise. For those of you unfamilar, let me explain:

About twice a year, Modcloth holds a Stylish Surprise event. During this event (for the clothing option) you pay $15 per item, enter a size, cross your fingers, and hold your breath. Around a week later, your beautiful ModBox shows up, begging for a grand opening. I've taken part in the stylish surprise event numerous times and I've had mixed results. Easily, I'd put my overall experience in the "win" category. Take a look at some of the gems I've received from the Stylish Surprise event:

This yellow BB Dakota dress is a staple of my wardrobe. Pair it with a blazer and you're ready for work.

This coat looks even better in person. $15 dollars was a steal!
I have yet to wear it (temperatures don't always cooperate) but I'm excited.















This dress quickly became one of my favorites! Look how fun. So much fun.






Anyway, if you have yet to discover the magic that is Modcloth, check them out. Heres a link for $15 off your first purchase. http://sharethelove.modcloth.com/a/clk/Hk7ph   Happy shopping!

Moving right along, my love of Modcloth spurred bouts of creativity. As mentioned earlier, I work for a non-profit. Non-profits don't pay well. As my old boss used to say, "We pay in smiles and thank you's".  I offered to pay for dresses in "Smiles and thank you's" but Modcloth declined, thusly shaking my entire worldview of acceptable payment methods.

So, the stylish surprise event made me realize something. I love surprise boxes in the mail.  I love them. I think something is connected incorrectly, making me fawn over boxes of random stuff. I, most assuredly, have no need for the vast majority of items. However, I think I love it for 2 reasons;

1) Getting non-bills in the mail.
2) Discovering new things. I'd never even seen some of my stylish surprises while they we're on sale. Now I love them. Win/win!

I began to think about the various box subscription websites out there. Who knew that there were so many! Not me.  If there is anything you want or love, and you want it on a monthly basis, it exists. You want socks delivered each month? Done. You want a big box of vitamins every other week? Sure. You want new fishing gear for your fishing endeavors? Fish away, matey! (I'm assuming pirates fish a lot? I don't know.)

Now I'm here, working on a pretty solid list of box sites. I'll also be reviewing some boxes as I receive them. Keep in mind, due to my lack of Ara fun-bucks, I'll be souring the internet for every single coupon code in existence. Of course, they'll be shared with you. I've already ordered a few boxes. My first couple were either free with a code or deeply discounted.

I'll also be providing links to hidden gems throughout the webby! I'm not British, I just like calling the internet the webby to confuse my co-workers.  When people think I'm crazy, they back out of my office without asking me to do whatever they wanted me to do originally. (Side note; I'm fairly certain the British don't call it the "webby".)

So, there we have it. The beginning of my journey with you. One more thing, for all those military gals out there, I'll be adding info on whether they ship to AP/AE's or not. My non-profit is, infact, overseas but I do have an American mailbox. I don't know why some people don't ship to us, but it happens.

Again, happy shopping! Feel free to drop me a line anytime if you see something interesting:)

-Ara