Bluum Box Review: For 4 month old boy

This months theme was grab and go. While I've read many reviews that claim there is no real theme to the box. The products in the box are said to never really match the theme, I thought this one did. At least, I thought, most of the products matched the theme. Let me first start by saying I was very pleased with this months box. My son will love everything in the box that was meant for him. This box, unlike last months box, was geared more toward the baby vs. the mom and I really like that. I subscribed to the box for my son afterall.

First up, Brain Rules For Baby. I've seen a lot of online reviews about this book, all good. I haven't had time to sit down and read it yet but I look forward to having a little time to see what this book is all about. Bluum values the book at $15 I found it online for $12 (even cheaper if you have a kindle).

Second, we got some organic calming cream. It's recommend for those that have sensitive skin and eczema. I'm eager to try this on my 4 year old daughter who has bad break outs of eczema on the backs of her legs. The doctors want me to use a steriod cream but I really want to avoid that if at all possible. So far we have found that aquaphor healing onitment works really well but it can get pretty expensive depending on where you buy it. This cost $13 per bluum but I found a full size traveling kit (with two additional products) for only $11 online. I hope this works because I will buy more.

Next we got a couple Ella's kitchen full size samples to try. I haven't started foods with my little guy yet (maybe in another month or so) so I can't give a good review on these products yet. I do like that they are organic as I plan to make my own food to avoid all those chemicals in processed baby food. These would be perfect when we are traveling and I can't really take my homemade items along. I have read that most of Ella's products are pretty flavorful. Bluum values these each at $1.89. I believe they are in stores near me at $1.99 and online I couldn't find them any cheaper than $2.28.

We love this product. Mommy love it because it's soft and he can't hurt himself with it. Most rattles are hard and 4 month olds can't control their hand/arm movements all the way yet so he's constantly "hitting himself". It is also really easy for him to hold and the rattle is a good rattle. you know how some tend to be really annoying and loud and others are so soft you can't really hear them....this one has a noise level that is perfect! Bluum values this at $5.00 and I couldn't find it for less the $7.00.

Here's another item we love. This elephant is really soft and the legs/arms/nose give the little one several things to grab onto. Bluum values this at $10.00 and I couldn't find this exact item anywhere online....I found something made by the same company similar size and it was valued at $15.00.

This item was for me. It's Numi Organic Tea-Garden mix. I'm not a huge hot tea drinker (I prefer mine in the summer and cold) but these odd flavors have me wondering what they taste like. They sound as though they would be good to soothe a cold. That's if you don't have time for soup.I will try them and give my thoughts on them later. Bluum values this at $8.00 and I found it online for $6.19

So total bluum value $54.78 compared to my online research value $55.75. So as you can see I actually valued this box higher than bluum did. I'm very impressed this month and glad that we will be getting a box next month. I really believe that I'm getting what I paid plus some with each of these boxes!

If you'd like to try bluum or gift it to someone click here.

September Birchbox Review

I was going to review Julep Maven next but it still hasn't arrived. I'm getting a little frustrated with that (hope it arrives soon). In the meantime one of my other boxes arrived that I decided to try. It's called Birchbox and it's $10 a month for a box of health/beauty samples.

I opened the box only to be a little disappointed. I understand that $10 isn't all that expensive but I expected the "samples" to be a little larger than what they are. The sizes that they sent I could probably get from beauty counters for free. I would have to travel around and find them though. Unless of course I could get online and request a sample from the companies that make the product directly. That could also be time consuming so I'm going to give them a chance here.

This lip balm is nice it's called Original Nipple Balm for Lips by Dr. Lipp. It's interesting that it used to be for nursing mothers. You can also use it on cuticles and elbows. The full size product cost $14.50. My information card does't say how large the full size is but I did a search online and found that it's slightly over 1/2 an oz. Not sure if it's worth that, I will have to use the product a little longer and find a cheaper comparable product to determine if it's worth it.

I'm excited to try this product the Keratherapy deep conditioning masque. The package is maybe enough to get 2 uses out. I'm not sure if that's a big enough sample to determine if it really "works" or not but I will let you all know. I have very curly and very frizzy hair and I'm in search of a product that tames all of that down. The full size is 8oz and it's $23.

I was so excited to see this in my box in this color. This is the Ruffian nail lacquer in Delirium. I need to sit down and give myself a pretty manicure with this pretty polish. The full size (not sure what the full size is)cost is $10. Not unheard of for a good nail polish.

This is the Serge Normant meta luxe hair spray. The full size is 7.5oz and it costs $25. Currently I spend $2-3 on an 11oz can of hair spray. I'm a cheapy person but it doesn't work well in my hair. I'm wondering, and excited to try, if a more expensive quality brand will help with my out of control hair. I did try this product and so far so good. It has tamed my locks and it's still soft to touch not "crunchy" like those other hairsprays. I still don't know about spending $25 on a can....maybe I'll have to use it for a little while and thanks to the decent size sample I should be able to use it for at least a week or two.

I still need to try this product it's called S.M.A.R.T Skin Perfecting Polisher by Grand Central Beauty. A 1 oz (full size) container costs $38. Directions read that you only need a dime size amount. You massage that amount into clean dry skin for 30 seconds. Rinse is optional. It is supposed to exfoliate, tone, smooth and moisturize your skin all in one.

This first insert has a cute little saying on the front and then it has a nice little message on the back. I might keep them and turn them into small cards or something.

This insert has information about each of the products included in the box (on the back not pictured). The front of the card, at least this month, is a little letter from the Birchbox team. This month they "turned" 3. I do hope you found something from my review that helps you either decide to get the birchbox or to maybe buy one of the products. If you want to try birchbox click here.I really do hope to be back soon with that review on the Julep box.

Bluum Box Review: Three Month Boy Theme Smiley Baby

Bluum Box is a monthly subscription box for mom and baby delivered to your home. You can purchase monthly at $24.95 or get packages (3 month, 6 month and 12 month) to reduce the cost of the box. If you would like to check them out here's a link to sign up. I signed up for a year and got a pretty good deal. It's going to be like getting a present every month for the first year of my son's life. As you can see from the picture above, this months theme (for my 3 month old) is smiley baby.

This was the first item in my box that I tried. Side note, there were a lot of mommy items in this box. I hope to see more baby items in my next box. This Luna bar tasted pretty good, I've never had Luna bars before, it reminds me of the nutragrain breakfast bars.

I threw this bar in my bag that I take to work every day for a quick snack in case I don't get a chance to get a "real" lunch in. I haven't had to use it yet so I can't really rate taste.

I'm not sure why these were in my box. Three months post partum and I've lost all the baby weight so my pre-pregnancy clothes fit just fine. These would have been better for that stage between your regular clothes and maternity clothes. It is a wonderful idea just not useful to me.

I need to check this website out and see what they offer. I will have to review this in more depth if I decide to purchase something.

I love books like this. This was probably one of my favorite items from the box. I like the durability of the think pages in these types of books. Little hands can't tear up the pages when he starts grabbing things. It's a bonus because it comes with a cd.

Anoter mommy item. I've started using this oil on the few stretch marks that I got during pregnancy. I will have to give it some time to work, if it's going to. I will do another review in a few months to let everyone know how it works.

I would consider this a mommy item as well. I used this to just test on a bottle and it seemed to work like any other dish liquid. I do like the smell though.

Finally another baby item. Even though it's plain I really like this item. It's really soft and I see myself adding an iron on or something to dress it up a little for my boy.

I'm happy with the first box but I hope to see more baby items in the next box. I do believe it was worth what I paid for the box. I look fwd. to reviewing more boxes later. My next review will be on Julep.

It's Been too long

Hey everyone, it's been a really long time and a lot has happened. I will get to all of that soon but first I want to let you know that the direction of my blog is going to change. I still love making things and I will still post about making those things (when I get the time again) but I want to change the focus to my opinions of everything. By that I mean I will be doing lots of reviews. When I'm in search of a new vacation sport, product or even a new resturant I go to the interenet in search of what other people think about the particular item/place I'm interested in. Those reviews really do help me make a decision and I hope to be helpful to other people.

Now onto why I've been MIA for a LONNNNGGGGG time. I had a baby!!!! The pregnancy was unlike the other two that I had been thru, they were a breeze. There were some complications with this pregnancy/baby but in the end I had a healthy baby boy. He was born on June 14th. I took the max amount of time off work to spend with all three of my children...12 weeks! I just recently came back to work and life is starting to fall back into it's normal pace. So needless to say I was an emotional wreck during my nine months....actually only 7 of those were emotional all the "stuff" doesn't usually kick in until around 6-8 weeks.

I made a few things during my pregnancy for the new baby that I absolutely adore. Sewing has become one of my favorite things to do (when I have time of course).

This is a puff quilt that I made:

I also made a boppy cover but blogger is being complicated right now and will not let me post anymore photos. I will try to edit later and add it.

I didn't know the gender of the baby while I was pregnant. That was the most exciting thing that I have ever done my life. I can't explain the thrill of finding out at birth. I will highly recommend this to anyone asks (I found out with my first two and decided to wait with the third).

Speaking of babies and all things baby I will have a post soon on Bluum box. I hadn't heard of it before. I went to open a box of pampers for my new baby and a little insert fell out with a 50% off your first box. I was curious so I went to the internet to search for reviews. It's a mix, some people love it and some people hate it.

I'm taking a chance...I signed up for a year. Now I know those haters out there are going to say I'm crazy but I feel like to really give products/companies a chance I need to give them (in this case) more than just a couple of boxes to prove themselves to me. Besides it should be completely worth it, I got a pretty good deal for doing a year (almost 4 boxes free). The normal fee is $24.95 (or something like that) per month if you sign up for more than a month (3,6 or 12) they discount it.

My first box arrived today, I can't wait to get the chance to bust it open later tonight and tell you all about it.

That's all I have for right now, next up bluum box review.

Vacation coming soon!

I know this is "Scrappin' with Heather" and it's been forever since I've posted anything but I can't contain myself and I have to talk about my vacation. Some think I'm crazy when I count down because they say it's still so far away but I've been counting down since I booked it (more than a year ago).

The Fanstasy (Disney's newest ship)

Is it even possible that I might be more excited than my children? Of course it is!!! I love vacation, I love spending time with my family and I love seafood! I get all three in this vacation. If you've never been on a cruise before I highly recommend them. I know the seas aren't for everyone but you hardly notice you are in the middle of the ocean. 

I grabbed this picture off the internet from the looks of it I believe it's Cast Away Cay. This island is Disney's private little island. It could be called Hevan on earth. I love this place and wish disney would let the boat stay a little longer than they usually do. I can't wait to have a little time on the beach and a little lunch at cookies (disney's on shore eating option). Yummy! 

The boat looks so pretty and very empty in this shot. It's probably a computer generated image before the boat was even put together. Looks awesome though! Going to try out the aquaduck with my son (hopefully my daughter grows a couple inches so she can ride too).

Baby word album for a new friend

Hello everyone, I hope all is going well. I have a new project to share with you today. I finished my first handmade "chipboard" word album. I made it for a swap for a nice new friend. She has a new grandbaby that came into this world in December 2011. I wanted to make something special for this little guy.

 This is the front of the album I used my cricut and gypsy to make the base of eash page. Welding a letter to a rectangle to create the page. The stamp next to the 'B' says Cherish the Day, it's from close to my heart. I love that stamp set.

 This photo is of the inside of the first 'B' and the front of the 'A' (which I thought was cute as a bottle). The little baby pin was actually a brad but I took of the clasp portions of it and use it as an embelishment. What do you think? Does it look ok?

 This picture is the back of the 'A' and the front of the second 'B'. I love this train paper, it goes perfectly for a boy, doesn't it? All the paper used on this album was from DCWV. The patterned baby was from their Nana's kids stack and the solids from one of their solids stack. I'm obsessed with their paper, I wish I had the means (and space) to have all their stacks.

 You can't see it in this picture very well (kind of just looks like a water mark on the left side of the solid green paper) but I used some iridescent embossing powder with a swirl type stamp (I don't know the name of it). The effect looks great when you have it in your hands).

 Even though this album is small I wanted to make room for plenty of pictures. On the last two pages there is plenty room for at least 8 small pictures. I hope she finds/has the perfect pictures to put in the album.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope to be back soon with more projects to share. 

A Valentine for my hubby!

I was running a little behind this year....ok a lot behind. I raced home yesterday to make my husbands card yesterday. I knew he would be out for a while, our son had baseball practice, so I should have plenty of time to juggle cooking for my daughter and getting the card finished before he got home. I did a little pre-planning while on my lunch at work yesterday. I research beautiful cards made by very talented people...but I had to keep in mind the supplies that I already had waiting for me at home (didn't have time to shop for new supplies).
I found this awesome sometime last week and while doing my "research" yesterday I remembered the card and how much I liked it. I like everything that this woman creates. It's Faith Abigail Designs and her website is www.faithabigaildesigns.com. The specific post that I'm speaking of, that gave me the inspiration for my card can be found here . Please don't limit looking at just that post though, please check out the rest of her creations, she has amazing talent.

Now that you know where my inspiration came from it is time to show you my interpretation of Miss Faith Abigail's card. Sorry for the quality of the pictures..I took them with my phone because I did not have time to look for my good camera before my husband got home.

 This is the front of the card. I used a black base and layered it with a pink patterned paper that had words like love and together on it. I then took a piece of plain pale pink paper and used my trimmer (it came with different blades) to give it a scalloped edge. I layered it with a stripped pink/red/white paper. Before I put that piece on the card I wrapped a little twine around it. My favorite part of the card is the envelopes with the ticket and heart inside. I created the envelopes from Wild Card cartridge, the heart is from Jolee's stickers and the ticket is created Art Philosophy cartridge and the 2011 November stamp of the month from close to my heard (I love that stamp set it's called Cherish the day).

In this picture you can see the detail of the larger tag. I used chipboard glittery stickers for the I and the U and the heart is actually one of my daughters stickers, it came in one of the foam sticker packs (she likes putting them all over my house by the way). I used the Cherish the day stamp again only inking the portion for the "FEB" to stamp on the end of the ticket.

Other than the lovely view of my beat up table in this picture you will also see the inside of the card. You can't see it in the picture but I had typed up a nice poem I found on the Internet here. It's a poem called Year Round Valentine by Joanna Fuchs.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to be back with more creations at the end of the week.