Subscription Box Sunday - Student Velocity

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

The university school year has ended so has the Student Velocity subscription box until August 2016.  Even though universities run summer semesters, it is less busy than in September.  I have discovered the Canadian Student Velocity box a little too late.

Or it is perfect timing for anticipation for the busy September university life.  There are two major universities in Vancouver and that would be the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.  There are many students both local and international who would love to have necessities shipped to their residence or doorstep.

Student Velocity is a care package subscription box with study snacks, school supplies, and lifestyle items for university students.  There seems to be two different subscription box sizes, the Hatchling ($78 for 3 months) and the Raptor ($108 for 3 months) which also includes the shipping fee.  These are quite affordable and this will be something to look forward to as the summer ends and it's back to school time for all.  

Subscription Box Sunday - Elegant Rose Boutique Subscription Box

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

So my latest is to discover Etsy stores which have subscription boxes.  This week I found Elegant Rose Boutique and it caught my attention with their FREE SHIPPING (including to Canada).  That helps a LOT.

Elegant Rose Boutique Subscription box has samples/full sized products of natural and organic homemade beauty products.  It is under $35 for a monthly box which includes shipping.  We discovered a soap subscription box so it is nice to find a beauty one to compare with what other boxes are already out there.  The best thing I like about Etsy is that we are supporting local small business and the handmade life.  I'll order a box so come back for our Elegant Rose Boutique unboxing in the upcoming months.  

Subscription Box Sunday - St Johns Soapworks Monthly Soap Subscription Box

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

Subscription box Sunday is all about discovering new Canadian subscription boxes, or those that ship to Canada.  Now that the Canadian dollar is not on par with the US dollar, it is time to look at what is available in Canada and ships to Canada.

Etsy is an online marketplace for local and handmade products which is the perfect place to look for monthly subscription boxes.  In the search this week, we've found St Johns Soapworks Monthly Soap Subscription box which is a soapmaker from Newfoundland.  

I love the fact that it's a monthly soap box that will not reoccur unless you order more.  There are no hidden fees and the $40 Canadian price includes shipping anywhere in Canada.  I love free shipping!  Keep checking back because when it arrives, we'll do a St Johns Soapworks MOnthly Box Unboxing on YouTube.

  

Subscription Box Sunday - Gluten Free London Fog Cake from the White Willow Box

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

Now when we opened April's White Willow Box, there were ingredients for a Gluten-Free London Fog Cake and so I have tried it.  It was quite easy to make with the Nextjen Gluten-free Vanilla Cake Mix and it only used half a package so I can make another London Fog Cake with blueberries another day.  I was surprised that a gluten free cake could have so much flavour but it did and it was moist.  I had debated bringing the cake the work for my colleagues but after tasting a slice or two, my tummy made the decision for me.  I couldn't bring a half eaten cake.  It wasn't long before this cake was devoured.  

I don't even think my husband ever knew it was gluten free.  That's how good it was!  I can't wait to make the next one.  

Vancity Girlfriend's Unboxing of White Willow Box:  

Subscription Box Sunday - Baker's Krate Dessert Box (April Unboxing)

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

It's time for our last Baker's Krate Dessert Box (April Unboxing) from our 3 month subscription.  This is a Canadian gourmet dessert subscription box from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  If you like sweet treats with a homemade touch, then this box is for you.  Let's take look to see what was inside the Baker's Krate for April.

1.  Earl Grey Meringue - light meringue that melts in your mouth.

2.  Raspberry Imperial Cookie - two of these were in the box and since I love rapberries, these were the first to disappear.  Two shortbread coookies sandwiched with raspberry jam and pink coloured icing to tie it all together.

3.  Salted Caramel Cookie - two of these for those who like sweet and salty.

4.  Goodies - two bards, one was a chocolate brownie and the other was an oh henry.  

Baker's Krate Dessert Subscription Box never lasts long in my household. 

Check out our YouTube unboxing to watch the yummyness!

Subscription Box Sunday - White Willow Box (April Unboxing)

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

Our White Willow April Box arrived and we unboxed it!  It was a celebratory occasion.  The box is beautifully designed and I love their motto that is inside the box "Unveil your Surprises".  It is like a wedding in a box.  Everything is pretty and classic.  Carolyn said it's like Pier 1 in a box, now I don't go to Pier 1 enough to know what that means, but let's take a look inside April's White Willow Box.

 1.  Classic Double Pearl Earrings by Cherrypick - classy double sided pearl earrings.  These were in the sneak peak for April's box which led me to actually purchase my first White Willow subscription box and boy, am I glad I did.  Classic and beautiful.

 2.  Natural Foaming Face Wash (Unscented) by Consonant Skincare - I love natural products and this is an award winning cleaner so I'm excited to start using it.  I am a big fan of foaming face cleansers so this one will work itself into my daily routine.  

3.  Gluten Free Artisan Vanilla Bean Cake Mix by NextJen - Such a fancy name for a cake mix.  On my bucket list I want to bake something gluten free so this will help me do just that.  

4.  Earl Grey Imperial Tea Sachets by Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders - With the Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Cake Mix and the Earl Grey Imperial Cake, I can follow the recipe that was provided in the box to make a Gluten Free London Fog Cake.  Such a brilliant idea!  

5.  Honey Absolute White Soleil Candle by D.L & Co. - You'll have to watch our Vancity Girlfriends YouTube White Willow Unboxing to see this candle.  It already has gone to its new home in Carolyn's elegant wash closet ;)

Overall we loved how this box is curated and put together.  It is done with such beauty and elegance.  It was worth the $48.50 that I spent for the gift box (one time box which includes shipping and taxes).  We loved it so much we are both considering getting a subscription to this one.  Subscriptions are monthly, 3 months, 6 months or 12 months and range from $32-35/month plus shipping.  It's like opening up a box that is as beautiful and elegant as a wedding.  Impressive!

Subscription Box Sunday - Baker's Krate Dessert Box (March Unboxing)

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

As promised on Subscription Box Sunday, I will unbox the March box for Baker's Krate Dessert Box.  This is a subscription box from Canada that contains 4-6 sweet treats that are handmade with love and shipped to your doorstep.  Now when we do our unboxing videos on YouTube, since we are unboxing the Baker's Krate subscription box for the first time on the spot, we are guessing what items might be when we are looking at them.  We are pretty honest with our unboxing.  (Not like some reality shows where you know that everything has been staged - it's all too good to be true).

Anyways, here's what was inside Baker's Krate March box.

1.  Bacon Butter Tart Pie in a Jar 
2.  Caramilk Chocolate Chip Cooke
3.  Chocolate Chunk Cookie
4.  Butterscotch Quickie
5.  Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich
6.  Crinkle Cookie

The butterscotch quickie in a sandwich bag was a little odd.  When I opened the box, I thought it was a topping for the cookie, but it's a separate dessert in itself.  The cookies were delicious and I'm saving the Bacon Butter Tart in  Jar for when I have some vanilla ice cream because then I can heat it up and put ice cream on top as they have suggested in the Baker's Krate menu.  

Now watch our Baker's Krate unboxing video to see the unboxing of each item.  

Out of the two Baker's Krate dessert boxes that I've received so far, the February Valentine's Day box is my favorite.  I do have one more Baker's Krate Box arriving for April so we will see if it can be better than the February Box.

Either way, none of the treats last long in my household.  Enjoy!  

Subscription Box Sunday - White Willow Subscription Box Coming in April

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

We have a surprise for you coming up in April!  We have ordered a Canadian lifestyle and beauty box called White Willow Box.  Sometimes, it is nice to treat yourself and the best part about the subscription box is that I don't know what is coming so it is a surprise for me too.  

Okay, I might have told a little white lie.  I did see on the White Willow sneak peak that there will be a pair of pearl earring which drew me to the April box.  We gifted ourselves a box.  So what does it mean to "gift" a box?  That means that instead of a recurring subscription that you have to cancel if you want to stop, you just order a one time box for one month.  Gifting a box is more expensive but overall it is still under $50 for the box and shipping.  

We paid $40 + $8.50 for shipping in Canada which equals $48.50.  
Compared with a month to month subscription which is $35 + $8.50 = $43.50.

White Willow will have 4-5 products in each box.  I know pearl earring will be one.  Can't wait for the White Willow Subscription Box to arrive to see what else is inside.  

Curious?  White Willow Website:  https://whitewillowbox.com/#

Subscription Box Sunday - Baker's Krate Dessert Box

As the Canadian dollar is dropping in value against the US dollar I've been searching for subscription boxes that are from Canada so it is cheaper for me.  That's cheaper for shipping and total cost of the subscription box.  This is when I discovered that there are lots of new Canadian subscription boxes popping up and that subscription boxes are not dying off.  Even though there is turnover, and companies close, there are new ones ready to come abroad and subscription boxes are still popular in both Canada and the US.
  

Baker's Krate is a Canadian subscription box based from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Carolyn though we'd have to do the baking but surprise!  It's a sweet treat box.  There are 6 or more desserts in each box.  I signed up for their mailing list so I could receive their newsletter and the discounts codes included in them.  I thought it was timely to order a Baker's Krate for February in time for Valentine's Day.  I had a 15% discount so I ordered a 3 month subscription.  It worked out to be about $25 per box including shipping in Canada.  

The treats are delicious and irresistable that we couldnt' wait and ate as we vlogged.  That means the photo only shows four out of the six desserts that we received.  Watch our upcoming Baker's Krate vlog to see our yummy unboxing. 

We'll be back for more Vancity Girlfriends Baker's Krate unboxing every month until April!   This box is one that doesn't last long!  Few days and it's all gone!

Subscription Box Sunday - The Tasting Box from Foodie Pages

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

Happy New Year!  We are back this year with bigger and better goals for a fabulous Vancity Girlfriends blog and You Tube Channel.  We're starting off with a monthly subscription box to review.

For January I chose a Canadian subscription box to support local Canadian food producers and growers.  It's from Foodie Pages and it's called The Tasting Box.  The Tasting Box is $14.95 and then with shipping is still comes to approximately $28 (under $30 Canadian).  We love food so let's open this up and see what The Tasting Box has to offer.  There are five products and a great variety from sweets to filtered water to relish. 

 1.  Gourmet Relish - I'm pretty excited about this one but need to go out to buy some hot dogs or sausages first.  

2.  Sapsucker Maple Tree Filtered Water - Never heard of this and can't really imagine what it's going to taste like.  Carolyn loved saying the name and you can see that vlog on our You Tube Channel.

3.  Handmade Chocolate Pyramids from Indulgence Truffles.  Of course chocolate is a win!  Love it!

 

4.  Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts from Shoko - anything with chocolate is great! 

5.  Good Greek Bakery Almond Cookies - Yummy!  It's in my tummy!

Such a great little Tasting Box, so glad we tried this one out and we thought it was a great deal for the value.  Happy it's Canadian too!  

Here's the link to check out Foodie Pages and The Tasting Box:  http://www.foodiepages.ca/popup/HQoGt0

Subscription Box Sunday - Barkbox

Hello Vancity Girlfriends!

Awhile back we gifted Barkbox to a friend who just adopted a new puppy!  Her puppy's name is Rolo and she is a ball full of energy and love.  Every time I see her she cheers me up.

The year's no over and I wanted to share what was inside the "small dog" one month Barkbox which is a monthly subscription box for your pet.  There are toys, treats and healthy snacks galore.  Here's what was inside the Barkbox that we opened.  There were puppy loving treats inside.

1.  Bocce's Salmon Biscuits - Now this bicuit is larger that Rolo.  I broke the biscuit into small pieces so she could taste it.  Who knew dogs like salmon?

2.  Play toy where you hide the biscuits or treats inside and the puppy has to puzzle it out by rolling the toy around.  

3.  Another pumpkin pie granola treat for a puppy.  We didn't open this one as one new treat is enough for her to try.  We didn't want to overwhelm her with all new things. 


4.  Glow in the dark ball that you can put treats inside and they roll out.  Great for when it rolls under the couch because it glows so you can see it in the dark.  









5.  Rolo's favourite was the salmon skin stick!  She loved this one and played with it the longest until mom thought it was enough and had to tear the salmon skin away from her.  

Subscription Box Sunday: Fabletics

If you workout, do yoga, or run, and want new active wear then Kate Hudson's Fabletics is for you!  My girlfriend shared this subscription box with me because there are perks for referring friends ($10 off your next outfit) and the first outfit is half price at 50% off so that's $25 for a set of workout clothes.

Similar to other subscription boxes, with Fabletics, you take the fit quiz so they know what you are looking for and what type of fitness you do.  You can choose for example if you want yoga capris or running shorts.  

The VIP is the subscription box where you sign up for a new outfit a month.  So regular price that is $49.95 for an outfit.  The outfit is shipped at the beginning of the month and you have until the 5th of the month if you wish to skip a month.  The skipping a month is a great feature as I'm not sure if I would need or want a whole workout outfit each month.  I guess it would depend on how frequently you workout and how rough you are on your clothes.  Or another way to see it is how good quality your workout clothes were in the beginning. 

I love the idea of Fabletics and often return to the website to browse.  I haven't yet bitten the bullet to actually subscribe to Fabletics, but I know two girlfriends who have and they love it!  If you want to give yourself some new active wear to go with your fitness New Years Resolutions that are around the corner, then you want to check it out.  

Subscription Box Sunday: Barkbox

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

One of friends just got the cutest puppy ever!  Her name's Rolo and she'a a Shitzu Bolanka and she's a bundle of joy and energy.  Guess what?  We found the perfect subscription box for Rolo, it's the Barkbox, for you guessed it, dogs and puppies!

BarkBox picks 4-6 dog toys, treats and gifts for your four legged friend to enjoy!  You can buy a gift which is what we did or a monthly subscription.  The gift box is $29/month and a $5 shipping fee and then it depends on what the exchange rate is for US dollars.  It hasn't been working for the Canadian advantage these days but still overall it is about $45 Canadian.  

Stay tuned as we have scheduled to open the BarkBox at the end on November with Rolo.  Yes, Rolo is making her debut with Vancity Girlfriends and we can't wait!    

Subscription Box Sunday - SFU Local Harvest Box

SFU Harvest Box is a local food box program run by Sustainable SFU.  The SFU Harvest must be ordered ahead of time and then picked up on the second and last Thursday of each month.  

There are two different types of SFU Harvest Boxes and the would be the VALUE box and the LOCAL box.  Every box has at least 7 different types of vegetables or fruit to bring home and try.  The VALUE box is $8.50 and the LOCAL box is $15.75.  

I prefer to order the LOCAL box because it is sourced as local as possible, usually from farmers in the Fraser Valley.  I recently picked up my SFU Harvest box on the last THURSDAY in OCTOBER and here's what was inside my box.  

A nice bounty of fall root vegetables.  

1) Kale - one bag

2) Apples - 4 large red delicious

3) Tomatoes - 6 yellow tomatoes on vine

4) Red onion 

5) Rutabaga - 

6) Butternut Squash 

7) Yams - 5 small 

Kale

Apples

Yellow Tomatoes

Red onion

Rutabaga

Butternut Squash

Yams

Want to try an SFU Local Harvest Box?  Order here:  http://hb.sustainablesfu.org/order/

Subscription Boxes: Munch Better Subscription Box

Dear Vancity Girlfriends,

Canada's snackbox is Munch Better and here's what's inside March's Munch Better Subscription Box.  Every month they have healthy snacks for you to try.  I say try because I know that some of the healthy snacks I would never have bought them on my own.  It's a great way to be surprised and have some healthy snacks around the house or at the office.  When you are hungry enough you will be surprised how good healthy snacks can taste.  Let's take a peak inside the March Munch Better subscription box for the goodies.  

Banana Krisp Fruit Crackers

Fig Brownie

Ener-C Powdered Drink Mix - Lemon Lime Flavour
Glad this was in the mix, love this flavour! 

Beef Jerkey - Yum!  

Buckwheat Dill Pickle Snack

Buckwheat Snack with Pineapple & Coca Nibs
This one will grow on you as an acquired taste!

Chili Lime Seaweed Chips

March Munch Better Subscription Box

Subscription Boxes: February Glossybox USA ships to Canada

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

It's March and my February Glossybox finally arrived, but Carolyn had hers shipped to work and of course, the ladies couldn't wait to open it up!  After seeing her fancy nails, I came home and opened my box too.  Enough for procrastination or waiting for the right moment.  The right moment for opening a Glossybox subscription box is NOW.  

We have a few more months of Glossybox USA since our 3 month subscription automatically renewed.  After the auto renewal, we both have stopped our subscriptions.  It's bad timing for Glossybox USA to come to the Canadian market as the American dollar is growing stronger which makes Glossybox USA more expensive for us Canadians.  We just really hope that the box offers us Canadians a good deal!  

February is the month of love and it did not disappoint!  We LOVED the box!  The box itself tell us that it is full of Glossybox Love.  They packed the box this month full of new items and brands for me.  I loved the variety of hair, bath, skincare, cosmetics, and nail products.  Immediately I did my nails after opening the box to see the bling from the Julep Harleigh nail polish.  I paired it with my OPI pink polish that came in a previous Glossybox.  I was so happy for the full sized Scalisi cleaner as I just finished my last face cleanser.  That's the beauty of Glossybox, it arrives to restock your supply!  Now I just have to find a place to put everything.  The February Love Glossybox is definitely a keeper.    

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel

Unwash Shampoo and Conditioner

Royal Apothic Tinties Lip Butter

Scalisi Cleanser and Exfoliator

Julep Harleigh

Subscription Boxes: Munch Better December Subscription Box

Hello Vancity Girlfriends!

December Munch Better Subscription Box

Now we are getting back on track with vlogging and blogging and we are right on time for the December Munch Better box.  Munch Better is a Canadian snack subscription box.  It costs $28 a month including shipping within Canada.  We opened both November and December Munch Better boxes at the same time for a whole lot of snacking goodness.  LEt's take a peak inside the December Munch Better subscription box to see if you can guess which snack we devoured, that would be kids and adults alike.  

Lavash Crackers - Saving this for a wine and cheese night!

Fermented Vegan Proteins - Adding this to morning smoothies

Made with Local Choco-Berry Bliss Bar (aka chewy cranberry chocolate oat bar)

Hardbite Rock Salt & Vinegar Chips

Kewaza Red Banana Bread Energy Balls (Interesting new snack to try!)

Prana Kilimanjaro Organic Deluxe Chocolate Trail Mix

So can you guess which snack was devoured?  

Even thought I love the savory Hardbite Rock Salt and Vinegar chips which I grabbed to open first, it was actually the Prana Kilimanjaro Organic Deluxe Chocolate Trail Mix that won our hearts.  Now when they say it's addictive, they didn't say that a three year old was going to grab the bag and pour the trail mix on the table to lap up the chocolate and raisins.  Don't worry, it's the healthy kind of chocolate, the dark kind.  Trail mix can fill you up and with Carolyn, Toby and I, we finished the bag in no time.  Yes, it's a win win for adults and kids alike.  Luckily it's readily available at grocery stores in Vancouver.  I think it's good enough to be a stocking stuffer for kids.  The Munch Better December box has intrigued me enough to keep my subscription for this snack box going.