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Your Mama Loves the Spotted Box

By Andi on April 22nd, 2009

“Did you get one?”  “I heard they ran out in like 2 hours.” “My friend got one two months ago and said it was awesome!”

Intrigued?  So was I.

The Spotted BoxI visited TheSpottedBox.com to see what all the buzz was about.  I learned that it’s a “box of family-oriented, eco-friendly samples from independent crafters, all packaged together and sent directly to you.”  Um, what?

I gathered from the various forum threads that this coveted box is loaded with the above family-oriented and eco-friendly samples, and sold monthly (to ship on the 15th of every month) for $15.  But what exactly does that mean?  And why are they so coveted?  I mean, the April box sold out in like an hour (or so the forums lead me to believe).

Tory, the brains behind the whole concept, sent me a sample to try out (and she’s giving away a May box too!  Keep reading!).  Turns out, every box is unique – no two are alike.  They’re full – and I mean FULL – of samples of products like bamboo baby wipes, natural homemade lip balms, party favors, and organic candy.  They’re a creative way to introduce buyers to new homemade/handmade items we may never come across otherwise.  LOVE the idea.

Look at all my loot!All of the products come with a little business card so you can visit the creator’s website (most are Hyenacart or Etsy sites), and most come with coupons for free shipping or discounts at their site.  In fact, there were a few coupons just stuck in mine that had no product samples to go along.

There were some weird things inside – I’ll be honest.  But mostly, it was pretty cool stuff.  I got like 5 different handmade baby wipes, which I guess are supposed to get me to go visit the handmade cloth diapers at those sites.  I got a sample of Clean Beans – which are little balls of dissolvable solution to use for those wipes.  I got a duck-shaped crayon and a mini-candle in a mini-muffin cup. I look forward to having time to go through the box’s contents and visit all of the websites – which I assume is the point.

Some of the highlights of my box, good and bad:

Crochet hair tie A crochet hair tie from Crochet Frog.  This is pretty cute and useful, and very very soft.  I’ll probably go check out the site to see what else they offer.

You put your weed in it? The weirdest thing in my box was the used plastic baggy, which in all honesty, reminded me of a crinkled up dime-bag from my college days.  It says “Upcycled mailers, envelopes and gift bags made from 100% salvaged, recycled and fused plastics.”   So yes, it’s a recycled dime-bag.  I’m all about recycling, but I can’t imagine why I would ever use someone else’s used baggie.

Lotion and a lip balm? SCORE!This purse-sized sample of Goats Milk Lotion and a normal-sized Healing Hemp Balm from SudzyBaby.com are awesome.  I can’t wait to use them.  I love when I know what all of the ingredients in my hygiene products are.

If you squint, you can see the samples.And lastly, I love lip balm so was excited about the Clear Hills Honey Company‘s offering – until I found it.  It’s two pill-capsules full of lip balm, which, incidentally, is not enough.  Now, I make my own lip balm so know how 1. cheap and 2. easy it is.   I think they could’ve sprung for a full-size sample.  It’s lip balm.  We’re not talking 8 oz or anything.   On the other hand, it’s awesome lip balm (smooth going on, not greasy or waxy, smells good).

Despite the weird stuff, the Spotted Box was an exciting experience.  I had a fun time sifting through the 30+ little baggies, coupons and samples and can’t wait to try them all out.

Free Stuff Alert! Contest Has Ended – Congratulations, #66 PAXbaby!

Tory at the Spotted Box is giving one lucky commenter a May box.  You can read all about what might be in it (remember, they’re all different!) at TheSpottedBox.com.   And if you don’t win one, you can always try to buy one on May 15 (but hurry – they sell out immediately!) at her Etsy or Hyenacart shops.

To enter, just visit TheSpottedBox.com’s May lineup and tell us what retailer you’re most excited to get a sample from and why.

For more entries, as always, you can:

  • Subscribe to YourMamaReviews.com in a reader or via email.  Comment to let us know.
  • Tweet about this giveaway, and let us know.
  • Blog about this giveaway, and . . . you got it, let us know (with a link, please).

Contest is only open to U.S. residents. Comments that do not follow the requirements will be deleted.  Contest ends April 29, 2009 at 12:00 EST.

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About the author:  One day, Andi hopes to teach the men in her life that they, too, can pick things up and put them away after they’ve used them. Read more from this author.

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Category: Giveaways
234 comments

234 comments to Your Mama Loves the Spotted Box

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