Citrus Lane review (July box)

 

      My July Citrus Lane box for Owen came really quickly this month and I wanted to share all the fun products that came inside. Baby brother's box also appeared at our doorstep and I will hopefully have time to get to that review soon. This month we will receive both a box for a 27-month-old toddler boy and a newborn baby boy. The box was still sort-of summer-themed like last month and had some cute and useful stuff included. 

    Here's the description from the insert provided in the boxes: "School's out for summer, and beautiful weather means you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors! We included essentials for playtime and picnicking from some of our favorite partners, Goodbyn and Episencial. We know how hard it can be to find things to do to keep your child stimulated while inside, so we included an activity from Melissa and Doug for those inevitable rainy days. Be sure to capture and share you summer memories with postcards from our partner Postagram."

   Owen came running to open his box once I showed it to him. He really loves pulling everything out of the box and knows that its especially for him. And now as he's gotten older, he has very little patience for me to take photos of the contents before letting him play with them.  

            Here are the details on what we received in our box for our 27-month-old son:

• Melissa and Doug Lace and Trace Pets ($9.99): This is a really cute toy and a brand that I like a lot, but it is a little developmentally advanced for Owen right now. He just does not have the manual ability to lace the thick cardboard shapes with the laces at the moment. He understands what he's supposed to do, but he can't get his hands to cooperate, so it kind-of frustrates him. I understand that from the feedback that Citrus Lane receives, most parents like to receive things their child can grow into, but I would prefer something he can play with right away. Especially since I let him open the box. I'll bring it out every once in a while to practice until Owen is more ready for it. 

• Bynto from Goodbyn with Dishwasher-Safe Sticker Set ($9.50 + $3.50): This is a company that Citrus Lane has partnered with before. Since I stay home with Owen, I don't really have the need to pack up food for him very often. But this is well-made and cute and is actually big enough that I probably can use it for Tim when I pack his lunches. The sticker set is really cute too, but I don't know if my obsessive compulsive nature could handle letting a two-year-old decorate it. I kind-of want to do it myself. 

• Cool It Buddy Instant Cold Pack from Me4Kidz ($2.99): This is a really neat product to include in the boxes. Especially with a lot of outdoor play during the summer. It will be great to throw these in the diaper bag in case Owen hurts himself while we're out and about. 

• Mighty Shield Bug Repellant Lotion from Episencial (roughly $1.75): We only received a half ounce sample of this lotion, which normally costs $12 for the full-size product. It was also kind-of weird to receive Episencial two months in a row. This is a great brand, but I'm kind-of missing the days when Citrus Lane would send full-size skin care products. 

• Postagram from Sincerely, Inc. ($10.00): This is a gift code for 10 free Postagrams with the company Sincerely, Inc. You basically use your phone photos to send postcards with their app. Not sure if they are real paper postcards or something electronic. We got the same exact thing in last July's box and I never used them. Mainly because I didn't have a smart phone. Still not sure whether I will use these. 

         My verdict on Owen's box? It was okay, though I do miss the months where I used to receive more full-sized products in my box and the retail value seems a bit low. And I would like to receive more toys that Owen can play with right away. (I may adjust his age in my profile so he is listed as being younger than he is). And I wish they would send more books. They used to send books pretty regularly, but haven't in some time. 

       The retail value of this box is about $37.73, though that's if you count the $10 Postagram code thingie, which I probably wouldn't. The value of Citrus Lane's boxes are always more compared to the price you pay for the items, but I have noticed their overall value has decreased in the past few months compared to what it was when I first subscribed a year ago. Still, this is probably only the first month where I might not use everything in the box and I always feel like I'm getting good value for what I spend. 

         If you would like to try Citrus Lane, you can use the code TAKEHALF to receive half off your first month in a month-by-month subscription (making your first month $12.50). Multi-month subscriptions are already discounted and there are currently no coupon codes for a discount on those. Though, if you sign up using a referral link, you will receive a $10 credit in your account. You can find my referral HERE if you wish to use it. I have really loved Citrus Lane and highly recommend it.