Must Have Box

Have you heard about the PopSugar Must Have subscription boxes? They are a bit of a splurge at $35 a month but the contents are valued at over $100. The December box is my first box ever but I just had to subscribe after reading reviews on the November and October boxes. They were seriously the bomb.

The December box isn't "as great" as the previous two but I have a sneaking suspicion that is because they also sold a "luxury box" this month for $100 and that all the best is in there (no, I did not purchase that box). I was still very happy with this box. To me it's neat because these are items that I would never buy for myself but will most definitely use. I'm introduced to new brands that I wouldn't run across in my little town otherwise.

*Bodum Bistro Mugs, set of two, $30. I'd never pay $30 for two mugs but these look pretty cool. They are mouth-blown by artisans. I see myself using these a lot in the future!

*Tea Forte' Sampler Box, $15. Smells wonderful! Would be great for a gift but I'm going to gift it to myself and drink it from a Bodum Bistro Mug. :)

*Jaboneria Marianella Soap, $14. Smells so yummy and promises to do wonders for your skin. It will be a hard decision of whether I should keep it for myself or gift it this Christmas!

*Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit, $13. This is a genius idea and will be tucked into the bottom of my purse for any mishaps when away from home. Includes things such as stain remover, safety pins, deodorant wipes, and much more

*Bogdon's Peppermint Poles, $3.99. We already tore into these and they are delicious. Seriously delicious! I could eat the whole box myself but we will dole these out sparingly to make them last.

*Goswype, $1.99. A microfiber cloth which removes dirt, oil, grime, and 98% of germs from your cellphone. Handy to have in our purse.

*Rent the Runway $30 gift card. An interesting concept...rent a cocktail dress, gown, etc.and mail back when finished! This is the only item I won't use from the box (first one to e-mail me at babys_mama1 "at" yahoo . com gets the code!)

Total of the box is $77.98, or if you include the $30 gift certificate it's $107.98. Not a bad deal for $35! This is a box that I will continue to subscribe to as all the past boxes have looked like such fun.

Want to try it yourself? Sign up here and also use the code REFERFRIENDS for $5 off your first box. The boxes sell out fast and I believe that the January boxes may already be sold out, so be sure to reserve your February box!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I'm sharing something that I love. Referral links are included.
 

Cleaning Up

As I've mentioned before, I've been doing a lot of my Christmas shopping online. It's wonderful to be able to shop at home and have the goods delivered directly to me.

A few months ago I was introduced to The Honest Company by a friend. I signed up for some samples to see if it was my thing and I really liked what I tried. These are safe natural cleaners, baby products, and health and beauty products. It's least expensive to "buy by the bundle". You can also sign up for the subscription service which means a box will be sent monthly (or however often you want, you can go to your account to set up shipment dates).

There is a baby bundle which includes natural diapers and wipes and then there are household bundles which include everything from cleaners to laundry detergent to lotions and bath soap. A lot of people want to use more natural, eco-friendly products but since they aren't readily available in most stores it becomes a hassle to purchase them. This is so easy - free shipping and auto-ship if you choose. My favorite part is that you can manage everything in your account page online (change shipments, skip a month or two, etc.) but best of all, the household bundle can be changed monthly if you choose. There are so many products to choose from and you can select which 5 you would like in your bundle (and choose more items at a discount if you choose). One month you may need toilet bowl cleaner and the next you may substitute that with body lotion.

This month I chose laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent (really want to try their dishwasher packs but they seem to sell out quickly), face and body lotion, dish soap, stain remover, and added a three pack of lip balm (which will be included in the kid's stockings). I added the sixth item to get free shipping.

If this sounds like something up your alley or just something you'd like to try, use this link to get $10 off your first order! By doing so you could get everything in the photo above for just under $31! For healthy, eco-friendly products! 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, The Honest Compay has no clue who I am. I just happen to really like the products and wanted to share. There are referral links in the post.

Angels All Around Us

You may notice that I am on an angel kick when it comes to my choice of reading recently. Maybe it's that time of year?

Angels All Around Us; A Sightseeing Guide to the Invisible World by Anthony DeStefano was a thrilling read. I feel that the title is a little misleading as I expected either angel stories or a book all about angels. While angels were the main focus this book goes deeper than just angels. It was previously titled The Invisible World and I think that title would fit better.

That's my only complaint. Other than the title I loved everything in this book. It does discuss the Biblical basis for angels (and "fallen angels"), it digs deep into guardian angels. Mr. DeStefano uses personal life lessons as well as Bible verses and other analogies to explain what he is teaching. This is more like a friend to friend conversation rather than a textbook reading.  

This book also explains us humans - both body and spirit. It goes so far as to clearly explain our choice between heaven and hell.

It may sound deep but it was in layman terms and easy to follow along. There were so many places were I wish I would have highlighted my favorite quotes and many places that I stopped to read aloud a paragraph to my husband. My husband even asked to read it after I was finished and he never does that - we really don't have the same tastes in reading. Right there it showed what high marks the book would get. I will be reading this book again in the future just to let it all sink in.

I think this is a must read for all Christians and would even go as far to say that it will probably fascinate even those who don't believe but may have a sense of something spiritual being in this world.

A paragraph taken from the back of the book describes the book well: "All aspects of the spiritual realm are discussed, including the existence of angels and demons, the whereabouts of loved ones who have passed, the gift of grace, heaven, hell, and even the presence and activity of God in our lives."

 I received this book for free from WalterBrook Multnomah Publishing for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Brain Splat

A tummy bug has been lingering in our house the past few days. It's strange, as in between bouts of throwing up or tummy aches the kids feel fine and eat and play as normal. Hopefully it will be out of their systems soon.

I made another duct tape box to basket today since Becca has been begging me for one.

It's the perfect size for organizing her dresser drawer.

I've been using this fun decorative duct tape for other projects (photos coming soon) and have a fun Christmas idea for some of those other cardboard subscription boxes.

My sister has been teaching me how to crochet a hat.

This has been the least stressful Christmas ever! I am loving the simplicity of it! Presents are all bought or ready to be picked up, house is decorated, cards are out, and all that is left is baking. I fell in love with online shopping this year and will probably stick with it in the future - such good deals and so simple! I'm also loving that I bought many of the gifts with my Swagbucks - how awesome is that?!

I'm back to being a full-time stay-at-home mom. Yay!

You can find some more of my brain splats and rambling on Trenches of Mommyhood's Facebook Page or Twitter account!

Cravings!!

I've been craving peppermint cocoa the past several weeks. I've looked for cocoa mix with peppermint flavor but have been unable to find any at our local grocery store. I run into Kwik Star (our local gas station) from time to time for a cup of their peppermint cocoa but the majority of the time when my craving hits it isn't convenient to go somewhere to get some. Not to mention that a 99 cent of cocoa may not seem like a lot but multiply that by 4 (really, how could I drink it in front of the kids without sharing?!) and it can add up.

Yesterday while at the store I ran across Coffee Mate's Peppermint Mocha creamer. The wheels in my head started spinning.

At home I made the perfect cup of peppermint cocoa! I could seriously sip the concoction all day! Any hot chocolate mix will do (even a box of 99 cent packages!). Mix it up with hot water as usual, and then add a small (or large!) dash of the creamer. Stick a handful of mini marshmallows on top and call it heaven. Pure sweet delight!
 

Magic Ornaments

Thanks to a Facebook friend, we were introduced to a new craft to create. Not only was it simple but we had all the ingredients already on hand.

I decided to call them magic ornaments because I didn't tell the kids what would happen and the next morning they thought it was magic to see what their ornaments turned into!

Make shapes out of pipe cleaners

Tie a string to the top (in order to hang on the tree when finished)

Mix 2 cups of boiling water and 6 T. of borax in a glass jar.

Optional: If you want colored ornaments mix a few drops of food coloring in

Submerge the ornament into the solution and let sit overnight.

The next morning you will have some sparkling "magic" ornaments! Let dry on a towel and then hang on the tree!

Lifted By Angels by Joel J. Miller

I have always been fascinated with angels. I figured this book would be right up my alley.

Lifted By Angels by Joel J. Miller is more of a textbook case on angels, rather than a feel-good book of angel stories. I, like other reviewers, found parts of it to be dry. While the Biblical accounts of angels and their purpose are interesting, there is only so much of that before one gets a bit bored while reading.

Two chapters interested me fully. The chapter about fallen angels and the chapter about guardian angels. I've always had the belief that each of us has a guardian angel, and have experienced the protection of mine in a few instances. Reading more about the Biblical basis of guardian angels was fascinating. Reading about the dark (or fallen) angels was equally as fascinating, as well as a bit bone chilling. Because it is only more proof that while angels can have a very important part in our life, so can the dark angels. This book brings home the point that that we literally are in the fight daily between good and evil.

While this was not a page turner for me, I would recommend it for anyone who loves the topic of angels, or wants proof of where in the Bible angels are mentioned and what part they play in our lives as Christians. It makes for an interesting, though possibly slow, study on angels.

This book was provided by Booksneeze as part of their book review bloggers program. I have not been compensated for this review, nor was a positive review expected. The opinions presented in this review are my own.