Birchbox Home: from the garden review

      I ran across a blog post about the release of the new limited edition Birchbox Home: From the Garden box last week and just knew I had to order it for myself. I just couldn't resist items for the home. Birchbox Home: From the Garden is described this way on the Birchbox website: "Our second Birchbox Home collection is dedicated to spring and all its bounty. This limited edition box is teeming with seasonal picks—from the accessories you need to make the most out of your next trip to the farmer’s market to a foolproof herb-growing kit. No green thumb required."  

     The box is garden/floral/farmer's market-themed, but you definitely don't have to be a gardener to appreciate what's inside - there are no gardening gloves or packets of flowers seeds or anything like that. Everything is absolutely beautiful and is the perfect was to say bye-bye to winter and hello to spring. And it would make a fantastic Mother's Day gift depending on the mother. It is currently available for $32 on the Birchbox website. Shipping is another $5, but you can try the code BBFREE to get free shipping.  

The products came beautifully packaged in a box that I will be sure to reuse. It is probably the most attractively packaged subscription box that I have ever received. That's another reason why it would make a perfect gift. It's already so lovely that you wouldn't even need to wrap it. 

Inside the envelope were five thick double-sided cardstock cards. One had a list of the contents of the box, while the other four described the various categories of the box: Nurture, Slice and Dice, Provision, and Nest. These cards included tips and tricks, recommendations for related products, advice on gardening for everyone from newbies to experts, and a shopping list for the farmer's market. 

      The box contained eight different products with a total value of $89. Most of the products were the same from box to box, but the candle, lotion and bag could come in different scents/designs. I was really happy with the items I received and there's not one thing in the box that I won't use. 

Here's what came inside:

• Gift Republic - Grow Me: Mini Herb and Vegetable Growing Kit ($6): Dust off your sunniest windowsill: this all-in-one set includes basil seeds, growing pots, and -most importantly- foolproof tips. I am really excited about this product. I have always thought it would be a good idea to start growing my own herbs and this will be a fun way to dip my toe in.
• TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe ($20): More often than not, green thumbs are part of chapped hands. Curb dryness with this rich, fragrant cream. Mine is the pink tulip and green apple-scented Giulietta. This lotion is ridiculous. I can guarantee you that I have never spent $20 on hand lotion, but this stuff is worth every penny. It feels so fantastic and velvet-y on my hands and the smell is really nice too. This type of product is one of the reasons I love subscription boxes. How else would I get super expensive luxury items like this for a lot less?
• Core Bamboo Radish Print Utility Knife ($13.99): Sure, this knife is fun to look at, but it's also designed with ergonomic principles in mind. It's perfect for peeling, slicing, and coring fruits and veggies. This knife is super cute and makes me wish all my knifes had pictures of what they cut all over the blade. The company also sells a blue fruit version of this knife with pictures of little pears on the blade. 
• Baggu Market Shopping Bag ($9): Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring this adorable reusable bag with you on your next shopping expedition. Mine came in the bright blue Shelter pattern with little teepees and igloos and other building on it. I already have several Baggu bags, but I love them and am happy to have another. They are great for grocery shopping, running errands, picking up books from the library, etc. 
• Birchbox Shopping List ($6): Arm yourself with this notepad before you hit the local farmer's market and load up on the season's peak produce. I have been keeping my shopping list on my iphone, but this cute notepad will encourage me to go old school at least until the pad runs out of paper. 
• Sarabeth's Legendary Spreadable Fruit ($8.50): We love these award-winning strawberry-raspberry and peach-apricot preserves so much we're tempted to pass them off as homemade. I am excited about trying these tiny jars of jelly. They are pretty small so I doubt I will get more than two or three uses out of each, but I've heard that they taste fantastic. 
• LAFCO Little Luxuries Candle Tin ($20): This chic candle fills any space with a lovely scent and burns for up to 30 hours. Mine is the Cilantro-Orange scent. The pastel orange candle is made of soy-based wax and has a 100 percent cotton wick. It even comes with its own set of matches set into the lid of the candle. I am not a huge fan of the scent, but I will see how I feel about it when it's lit. I would probably have preferred the mint or fig scent. 
• L'Occitane Jasmin and Bergamot Eau de Toilette ($75 for full size): Ideal for spring, this light scent features classic and non-cloying notes of jasmine and bergamot. The scent is feminine, floral, and sweet, but it's also fresh and refined thanks to the bergamot. The bottle that came in the box is sample sized. The scent is really nice and it reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it. 

If you are interested in the limited edition Birchbox Home: From the Garden box, they are still available on the Birchbox website. Look for it in the Home & Food section.