Monthly gift-box subscriptions.

GIVEAWAY WINNERS: Congratulations to Laura Wales for winning a one-month subscription to Birchbox, and Ann Haag for winning a a one-month subscription to Craft Coffee! Thanks for supporting Minnesota Baby everyone.

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Over the past month, our family has been testing out some monthly subscription boxes. I remember trying out a few "baby boxes"when Linna was born (my favorite being Citrus Lane), but little did I know that there are so many monthly subscription boxes available for literally everyone in the family. Here's a few of our favorites...

Birchbox: These boxes arrive at your door monthly, and include beauty and lifestyle product samples for the guys and gals. The best part is that they aren't expensive ($10/month for women and $20/month for men), and they include some really great products! My favorite sample we received in a box was the Miracle Skin Transformer Hydroactive Microderm. The little samples of perfume, etc. are fine, but this little exfoliate product was a great size for being a sample. My husband loved the tie in his box from The Knottery, and lip balm from Lucky Tiger. This is such a fun gift box to get in the mail monthly, especially when you don't have time to keep up with all the new beauty products out there!

Gourmet Spotting: Who has time to discover gourmet food from all over the world? Not this mom. But now that my family has discovered Gourmet Spotting, we can! We have tried all types of pasta, spices, oils, teas, and truffle infused foods, imported from all over the world. We get to experience different types of dishes using the food products in our monthly Gourmet Spotting boxes. I can't get enough of the Bel Frantoio Organic White Truffle Oil. So amazing, and I've been putting it on everything! Monthly boxes run $29.99 each, and a great gift idea for the foodie in your life.

Cellars Wine Club: First of all, who wouldn't want new and exciting wines delivered to their house every month?! Starting at $25 a month, Cellars Wine Club will send you full bottles of wine. Yes please! I think the best deal is the Premium Wine Club, where for $39 per shipment, you get two different wines, and the price includes shipping. I'm the kind of gal who doesn't typically spend more than $10 on a bottle of wine, but the wines we get from Cellars Wine Club are wines that I have never even heard of or tried. I get excited to broaden my horizons with every shipment, Included are tasting notes with background information on the wineries, and often food pairings. I'm learning so much from the comfort of my own home. Bring on the wine!

Craft Coffee: Both my husband and I, as well as our family members (who visit often) are big coffee lovers. I enjoying trying new coffee blends, but hate making the drive to the coffee shop/store to pick something up. When I heard that Craft Coffee delivered three different coffees from three different roasters each month, I had to check it out. The monthly subscription ($19-$25/month) is a little more than I typically spend on coffee from the grocery store, but when I add in the money I spend on coffee from the coffee shop, it's not as expensive as I thought. Depending on what type of coffee maker you have, you can order whole beans, or ground. I love the smell of the coffee when I open the box it arrives in. If you have a coffee lover in your family, this is the gift that keeps on giving (you can always ask the gift recipient to make you coffee when you visit their home).

Man Packs: If I had a nickle for every pair of my husband's socks and white tee-shirts I threw away because of holes or armpit stains, let's just say that I'd be a pretty wealthy woman. Plus, when I pick him up new socks or tee-shirts to replace the old ones, I always seem to get the wrong kind, size, etc. To remedy the situation and save me a little time (and sanity), I've given my husband the power to pick out the things he needs online, and we have Man Packs deliver him new socks, boxers, and white tee-shirts every three months. Easy peasy! They have so many different brands of socks, underwear, razors, and toiletries that you can have delivered every three months, or whenever you need it. The cost depends on what you buy, but you get free shipping on orders over $30. I've found that the boxers, socks, and white tee-shirts are almost the same price as I'd pay for them at Target. Not only is this a great gift idea for your husband, but it gives you the gift of a little more free (and sanity) time too.

Tasterie: I'm always looking for new and healthy snacks for my family, but until I try it, I don't want to buy it. I've wasted so much money on healthy, but awful tasting healthy food. Tasterie sends you different types of snacks and other foods depending on the type of food you "screen" for. The company was actually created by a mom who is also a pediatrician. If you have wheat allergies, or want to eat vegan-friendly food, they have tons of options for you. For about $15 per month, they really pack in a lot of product for your money. In one box, I received a dip mix, quinoa, fruit bars, sweet potato chips, healthy kettle corn, a gravy mix, and a few other things. Everything was really good, and this is definitely a subscription we'll be sticking with!

Blissmo: This monthly box subscription offers organic, non-toxic & eco-products that promise to be safer, healthier and better than conventional alternatives. We've received cleaning products, snacks, laundry detergent, that I would have no idea where to start to look to find them, if it wasn't for Blissmo. They have specialized boxes for hair and skin, a pantry box, and a box that specializes in fair-trade products. Boxes start at about $25 each, but you can also get a HUGE box for around $100, that could feed your entire office or family for a good amount of time. I love that they include free shipping too!

Love with Food: This is a great option for people that love food, but don't want to spend a lot of money on a monthly subscription. For just $10 a month, you get a box packed with food products and samples. In our box we received salt water taffy, organic baby good, granola, tea, hot chocolate mixes, and a lot more. If you're not looking for an investment in a monthly box subscription, and just want to sample some new food products, give Love with Food a try. It's one of our favs!

Cravebox: This company literally has a box for everyone, since they don't just specialize in one thing. We selected the Coffee Lovers Cravebox, as well as another box with a TON of food samples and coupons in it. The coupons were literally for FREE food products at the store. I love that their coffee box doesn't just include coffee, but coffee syrup, biscotti, and cereal. It's more like a breakfast box! They also have beauty boxes, boxes for new moms and kids... literally everything! Each box is about $10-$15 per box, and totally worth is because they send you a lot more for your money.


JANUARY 17TH GIVEAWAY QUESTION: What is your must-have beauty product???