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!
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!
