Love With Food March 2016 Review

Well, Love With Food offered a very nice discount on their 3 month subscription which brought the cost down to around $5 a box... so of course I jumped on the deal. Love with Food is my favorite subscription box. It offers three boxes - 

Tasting box - 8+ snacks, 1 donated meal, 10 points for your account each month, and it can be as low as $7.99 a month.

Deluxe box - 16 to 20 snacks, 2 donated meals, 20 points for account each month, and it can cost as low as $16.50 a month.

Gluten Free Box - 10 - 12 gluten free snacks, 2 donated meals, 20 points for your account each month, and it can cost as low as $19.99 a month. 

I feel like this box is very affordable and offers a great range of snacks. If you're seriously looking for new snacks - this is the box to try. I've gone on to purchase many items I've received in LWF boxes. You also earn points for each box you receive and for each product you review after trying it. You can use those points to purchase snacks in their online store. 

What I received this month:

Horizon Organic Fruit Snacks - these were good. Nothing too special about them, except that they are organic. 

Olympos Pitted Green Olives - I'm not a fan of green olives so I give these to my dad who says they're really good.

Dolcetto Lemon Wafers - Holy cow. I love these things. And I don't even like lemon flavored stuff. They're very good, flaky, and the cream is amazing. They also make really good cookies and cream wafers.

Almond Roca - meh. This was okay. Nothing spectacular. 

Salty Road Peppermint Salt Water Taffy - oh I am not a fan of peppermint taffy, but others enjoyed this.

Nature's Bakery strawberry fig bar - It was okay, moist and not dry at all. I'm not a huge fan of fig bars either. 

Stonefire Naan crisps - these are a great little snack that you can pair up with some cheese or meat. 

Pork Clouds fried pork skins - *gag* Another thing I literally cannot stomach. My boyfriend loved them though. 

Overall this was an okay box. I love the Dolcetto lemon wafers and will continue to buy them online after discovering them through LWF. It's also nice to have things in here you might be able to find in stores more easily if you like them - like the naan crisps or the Horizon products.

Click Here if you're interested in Love With Food. 

My Favorite Coupon/Rebate App

Ibotta is hands down my favorite coupon/rebate app for your phone.

Use my referral link to get an additional $10 when you redeem your first rebate.

Ibotta is an app that provides rebates for purchases ranging from diapers to groceries to alcohol. It offers a much larger variety of items than other rebate/coupon apps I use, and you get the money back on your purchases almost instantly. Often times they even have "free" items. For example- just recently there was a Tresemme rebate to get back $4.75, on a product that is around $4.94 in stores. Many sites or other coupon apps had a $1.00 off coupon you could also use! That means you could get paid for some of these items. The same happened for Degree and Axe products not too long ago.

A screenshot from my app. 

They also occasionally offer "any brand" items like bread, milk, eggs, fruit etc. This means you can buy any brand (even the cheapest generic brands) and get money back.

What makes this app hands down the best app is not only the variety of items, but the ability to stack coupons on top of your rebates or offers in other apps. Certain apps, like Checkout 51, now state on their offers that you can't pair up coupons AND get the offer. Ibotta lets you use manufacturer coupons in the store, and you can still redeem rebates for that same product in their app. This leads to better deals and money makers.

The other cool feature is that you can team up with your friends to try to earn bonuses by redeeming a certain amount of rebates and a certain amount of money each month. There are also bonuses you can earn yourself - such as buying certain items or redeeming a certain amount of rebates over a weekend.

The above picture shows all of the gift cards you can get with the money you earn on Ibotta. You can also redeem to Paypal or Venmo when you reach $20. 

As previously mentioned, you typically get your money almost instantly. If you shop at Walmart, for example, all you have to do is scan the QR code or your receipt, and I've never had to wait more than 4 minutes for it to be approved with the money added to my account. Cash outs are also received pretty quickly. 

So join Ibotta and use it on top of your couponing to save even more money!

Munchpak March 2016 Review

So I gave a new snack box a try! Munchpak is a snackbox subscription that will send you snacks from around the world. They offer:

Mini box (5-6 snacks)           $9.95

Original box (10+ snacks)    $19.95

Family box (20+ snacks)      $39.95

The shipping is free if you are in the USA, but the box can ship internationally for an additional charge. You can subscribe to receive your box weekly, biweekly, or once a month. I opted for once a month and also had a $3 off coupon for the Original box. You can also customize your boxes for an additional charge. Onto the snacks and my opinions!

Cream Collon - A product of Japan, this was definitely pretty tasty. It was like cream inside of a wafer of sorts. It really reminded me of those E.L. fudge cookies taste, but more of a vanilla flavor. Wafer was thin, flaky, and good.

Yummy Gummy fizzy cola - Upon opening the package, I could definitely smell the cola. They're pretty good. Nothing to get overly excited about, but I could definitely munch on these absentmindedly until the bag is all gone. May be a product of Turkey?

Sour Punch - You can get these right here in the good ol' US of A. And I've honestly never had Sour Punch before. They're okay. It's a nice flavor combination, and not too sour. 

Yep. This picture is upside down. Whoops. 

??? (Product on the far right)- Product of Japan and I don't know what it's called. Or what it is. Upon eating it, I still don't know what it is. It's like some sort of taffy cube that has a liquid center that fizzes a bit. It definitely reminds me of cola, which is what I can guess the flavor is based on the soda cup on the package. Anyone know what this is? Name? 

ChocoTreasure Madagascar - A chocolate egg with a plastic one inside that contains a small toy or puzzle. These types of treats used to be banned in the USA. Not anymore!! I got a cute little penguin figure in mine. Chocolate was okay. Pretty much breaking apart upon unwrapping it, though. 

Zozole Musss- Product of Poland, another cola flavored candy. I'm starting to see a trend here. Otherwise, other countries sure do love making cola- based candy. This one is a hard candy that has some sort of powdery? center that creates the fizz taste/sensation that you'd get when drinking a cola. Not all impressed with that compared to other soda fizzy candies I've had, at least from Japan. The overall flavor, though, is really good. 

Tropical Treat Island Flavors - a product of the USA, I believe. This one was really flippin' weird. It had the texture and overall taste of compressed coconut, which now looking at the ingredients I see is what this is made out of. Was not expecting that - I thought it looked a bit like another gummy. When I try the different colors I only taste the coconut until I get to the Pineapple/Banana section which is the only one that tastes like what it's supposed to be. I kind of like the coconut concept, but not an overall fan of that Banana/Pineapple area. Very cool idea though. 

Daim - Product of Sweden. Essentially seems like one long, thin, toffee bar covered in chocolate. It was really good, I liked it. 

Troy - Product of I believe to be Bulgaria. It is a wafer covered in chocolate. Reminds me of a nutty bar, except lighter and without the peanut butter. It's pretty good. 

YoYo Taffy Bites Candy - I thought it was pretty cool to incorporate candy into a toy. However, the string is a little shorter than the typical yoyo I'm used to so that was a bit disappointing. The candy is.. odd. Not sure how to describe it. It looks like it would be hard candy, but it's quite chewing - not as chewy as taffy would be though. It's interesting, but not a huge fan of it. 

Overall I'm disappointed that Munchpak doesn't include some sort of card or pamphlet that tells you what in the world the names of some of these are if they're from Japan or something, or what the item is. Maybe even a clearer message of where they're from so you don't have to guess from the back of the package. I do like being able to receive snacks from all over the world. Even some of the USA ones (Tropical Treat) were cool to receive as they were definitely something I've never tried or heard of before. 

Flicker Box Review

Flicker Box is a candle subscription box that allows you to subscribe monthly or bimonthly and save by paying 6 months or 12, upfront. Each month they pick a theme and select artisanal candles that fit that theme. The theme for December was "Merry and Bright". A card comes with the box to tell you which company makes the candles, a little bit about the company, and their location. 

 First up are these Bayberry scented Tapers by Mole Hollow Candles. These are handmade candles from a family business that has been operating since 1969 and is located in Sturbridge, MA. I like the scent, but I might end up gifting these to my mother since I feel like they would fit in with her winter themed gazebo. Plus I don't really have any candle holders at the moment.

Next up is a Peppermint soy candle from Lighten Up Shoppe in California. I like the scent and it's I've never purchased a soy candle before so I found that to be unique.

On the right is Spice (Cinnamon & Orange) from Big Dipper Wax Works in Seattle, WA. I can't really comment on anything else about the company since it seems there was a mistake on the card and they mixed up with candle was from this company so I don't know what else is a mistake. I hate cinnamon. Not a huge fan of this candle for that reason. 

And lastly Gingerbread Man scent from Eco Candle Co. in Appleton, Wisconsin. I'm from Minnesota so it's kind of neat to have a candle made from our neighbors to the east. It smells really good - definitely like gingerbread. The box also came with a book of 20 matches.

The monthly play is $39.95 when you include shipping. If you purchase a 6 or 12 month plan you get a bit of a discount. The candles are well wrapped so I doubt they would break easily en route. 

I really love this subscription box as I love candles and am always interested in trying new types/scents/companies. I will definitely be resubscribing when money permits.

Target Beauty Box August 2015 Review

A little backed up on box reviews, so here's a Target beauty box I received in August. Target beauty boxes seem to be put up randomly, and are limited supply. This isn't your typical subscription box where you're guaranteed to get it - you have to know when it's up and order it from the Target website. (Use your RedCard for an additional 5% off and free shipping). This particular box cost $7, I believe.

First glance inside.

 Clairol Hair Food Moisturizing Mask full size ($11.99). This product alone recovered the cost of the box. However, I was a bit disappointed to see it as I think Target already sent me this in a previous beauty box. Exact same item, brand, scent etc.

Covergirl LashBlast Supersizer mascara full size ($5.99). Can never have too much mascara around here so happy to receive it. 

Fekkai Pre-Soleil Hair Mist, trial size. (~$6.80)

Crest 3D Whitestrips 1hr Express, contains an upper and lower strip. (~$12.50???) 

And lastly, two sample bottles of Olay active botanicals - moisturizing toner and day lotion. (~$5.40)

So overall this box was worth the money spent. Overall, though, I'm unhappy with the repeat item. I did like that a full size mascara was included because I use mascara almost every day. 

Earn $25 a Month with This App

I like earning money online or with my smartphone or tablet. I like it even more when I can passively earn.

Media Insiders Panel is a research initiative that looks at how consumers use technology such as sharing, downloading, viewing etc. and shares that information with clients. If you're at least 13 years old you can join by downloading their app to your smartphone or tablet. The  more devices you connect to, the more you will earn. You can also download their PC-Connect feature to your computer or laptop. Just that alone will earn you rewards without you having to do anything. On top of that - they may send you surveys for points (usually around 100-300 points which is equivalent to $1-$3). They recently introduced a tv survey that earns you 50 points every time. If they detect you were watching a particular show, they'll send you a notification on your smartphone or tablet that you have a tv survey. All they ask is how you watched that particular show (online, Netflix, Hulu etc). One question for 50 cents.

This is my number 1 favorite passive money earner at the moment. I always participate in the surveys and tv surveys to earn even more points. I cash out through PayPal, but there are so many different rewards options for other gift cards or physical items.

Here's proof of some of my earnings:

Every 2,500 point redemption I've made recently was for $25 through Paypal. The rewards come pretty quickly most of the time. I believe I received my last requested payout less than a week after I redeemed my points.

As you can see I earn on average $25/month, sometimes $50/month especially now that I've been getting those new tv surveys.

CLICK HERE to checkout their site and start earning rewards.

Japan Crate August Review

Japan Crate is a monthly subscription box that sends out Japanese candy and snacks (and a drink if you get the Premium box). I decided to order the Original Box with a coupon code. 

And here it is - the Original box is $25 a month and comes with 8-10 items with a DIY candy kit guaranteed. The Mini box is $12 a month and comes with 4-6 items, and the Premium box comes with 12-14 items including a DIY kit, a drink, and a revolving bonus item.

The Chocoroom DIY kit. I think the DIY kits are the main thing I'm most excited for. It's awesome to be able to interactively make your own candy/snacks. Little biscuits for the stems are included, and the flavors are white chocolate, chocolate, and strawberry. I'll show some pictures of me making them towards the end.

Shuwa Shuwa Soda candy. It appears to have a bit of a liquid center, and the whole time its in your mouth it reminds you of the fizz of soda. It's quite interesting, and I definitely enjoyed these. Comes in grape, orange, and what I assume is cola. The cola/red one is my favorite.

Chocolate Pucca - it's a pretzel biscuit shell covering a creamy chocolate. I liked these - the overall shape reminded me of Goldfish crackers. The outside isn't all that salty so it didn't remind me of a pretzel at all.

Pokemon Puzzle gum - it's basically a piece of gum, but with a sticker Pokemon puzzle included.

Crayon Shin-Chan Candy - crayon colored, "ramune" flavored candies. Ramune is apparently a soft drink sold in Japan. They were okay - not a lot of flavor at first. 

Soy Sauce Pretz - biscuit sticks with a tangy soy sauce glaze. These were good - not something I'd eat a lot of in one sitting, but definitely good. Finally something somewhat described as pretzel that tastes like pretzel. There are two enclosed packages of them inside. 

Crackling Cotton - grape cotton candy with an explosive pop rocks kick. I don't think I've ever had grape cotton candy before - the taste reminded me of grape gum. Definitely good. Pop rocks are a fun extra hidden within the cotton candy. I love Pop Rocks as well. 

Puzzle & Dragons x Bikkuriman Wafer - basically a wafer with chocolate in the center. Nothing too amazing. 

'And lastly - Mario Kart Gum. A long strip of 10 individually wrapped gums, each package with a Mario Kart character on it. The gum is good, but the flavor doesn't last very long. 

Here's what's included in the DIY kit.You place the tubes in warm water to melt the candy/chocolate before putting them in the mold with a biscuit in the center. 

Here they are in the molds. There were a lot of leftover biscuits, but nothing left of the candy. There was just enough to fill each one with different designs. A little hard to keep all the biscuit "stems" to stay upright... maybe I shouldn't have put them in right away. Then you pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to let them set. 

 BAM. Cute little mushroom candies I made myself. They actually taste pretty good. The strawberry reminds me of a strawberry milkshake.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Overall, love this subscription box because I love being able to try new things - especially candies and snacks from other cultures. I'm very tempted to upgrade to the Premium box to get the drink. Plus they show you what you would've gotten in the pamphlet you receive with it, if you had purchased the other boxes. Some of the snacks I missed out on look interesting. Definitely keeping this subscription for now.