by richeychelsey | Jul 9, 2018 | BLOG POSTS
Kids jump for joy when they receive their very own package, it’s almost magical. Subscription boxes give young minds just that every month, a special gift tailored perfectly to them. Whether you are searching for the ultimate present for your own child or grandchild, a young boy or girl, these top 5 subscription boxes have been handpicked to guaranteed smiles for all ages.
1. Spangler Science Club
How Much It Costs: $9.99+/Month
Ages: 5-12 yo
What’s Inside: Spark creativity and practice STEM skills with your child. Each kit has at least one science experiment ranging from minimal adult help to hands-on with parents. The kits are award-winning and most recommended!
Buy Now: HERE
2. Little Passports
How Much It Costs: $12.95+/Month
Ages: 3-12
What’s Inside: Your child’s mind will explore the world, dive into new cultures, and learn about monuments! Through activities and experiments, these monthly kits are exciting and educational. These jam-packed kits are sure to not disappoint!
Buy Now: HERE
3. Kid Stir
How Much It Costs: $12.95+/Month
Ages: 5-11
What’s Inside: Let your little one learn to make healthy choices through hands-on food preparation! Founded by two mothers, these kits promote cooking education with grocery lists, kid-sized kitchen utensils, shopping lists, and recipes. Help them master lifelong skills, or tackle picky eating through exploration. This is a household favorite!
Buy Now: HERE
4. Kids Bookcase Club
How Much It Costs: $9.99 / Month
Ages: Newborn – PreTeen
What’s Inside: This book club has one of the best values you’ll find, starting at just $9.99 a month. Your child will receive three books monthly, matched perfectly to their age to help them develop those precious reading skills.
Buy Now: HERE
5. Loot Crate
How Much It Costs: $11.99+/ Month
Ages: 12+
What’s Inside: Perfect for your older child, indulge their interests with boxes of their favorite characters! From Sanrio to Marvel, gamers to movie buffs, there are boxes for almost everyone. This is a unique way to build their collection with apparel, accessories, collectibles and more!
Buy Now: HERE
We love unboxing our subscription packages, it’s one of the best ways to personalize a gift. Which are your favorites? Love one that isn’t mentioned here? Let me know in the comments below, or find me through my social media accounts.
Happy Subscriptions!
Chelsey
by richeychelsey | Jun 23, 2018 | BLOG POSTS, Uncategorized
Meal kit delivery services are popping up everywhere, they are by far one of the biggest fads of 2018. The lure is tempting, easy to follow instructions, perfect portions, everything you need without the grocery shopping. The most popular new services are Hello Fresh and Home Chef, they are also incredibly similar. After months of testing, I have found one to be clearly superior. Here are the differences, and which one you need to try asap!
PACKAGING
Both Home Chef & Hello Fresh have updated their packaging to entirely recyclable materials, which is nice because there is so much of it. The only thing seperating Hello Fresh would be their miniature name brand condiments such as jams or balsamic jars, much cuter than HC plain bottles. The flavor is the same, but the tiny jars just make each shipment so fun!
Winner: Hello Fresh
PORTIONS
Both Hello Fresh & Home Chef portions are quite generous. In fact, our party of five only orders for four! Home Chef tends to send more fresh produce than their counterpart, putting them at the top of this category.
Winner: Home Chef
PREP
I was most drawn to meal services because they promote easy to follow recipes that anyone could cook. Both services were delicious in the end but ran at different paces. Hello Fresh was a little more difficult, leaving me rushed to finish the meals. Home Chef recipes give me time to check on the children whilst cooking, making mealtime more enjoyable from start to finish.
Winner: Home Chef
RECIPES
I was looking for a variety of meal choices each week, with clever combinations, and a chance to try new things. Home Chef meals had more of a variety of recipes, with flavors from regions all over the world. Hello Fresh is more simple with their recipe types, typically a burger, pork, or chicken as the staple with different sauces or toppings each week. Bonus, my children have yet to refuse any of their meals, making dinner time more joyful for me to say the least.
Winner: TIE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Reaching both support teams have always been easy enough until one was not. Hello Fresh had a computing error, leaving us with three meals portioned for two people, not our family of five. The kicker, I was told they do not have more food to send to fix the issue. I was offered a measly $20 credit to remedy the situation but decided to cancel the service instead. For what I pay, I expect convenience and reliability. The services are supposed to make my life easier, not the reverse. We have continued to use Home Chef for months without a single issue.
Winner: Home Chef
OVERALL
The time I am saving in shopping and meal prep is fantastic. Enjoying new recipes is costing us less, no need to purchase whole jars for ingredients we use once. The selections are amazing, produce is fresh, and my kids are finishing their plates. While Hello Fresh has cute jars of name brand ingredients, Home Chef has proven to be consistent with quality and reliability. I would love to share these meals with you and hear which recipes you enjoy most! Click HERE to receive $30 off your first order, and be sure to share photos of your first box!
Happy Mealtime,
Chelsey
by richeychelsey | Jun 14, 2018 | BLOG POSTS, Uncategorized
I love fresh herbs! They make everything taste like summer. From a light pasta with home cut basil to a sprig of mint for a summer spritzer, such a treat! Indoor herb gardens are so trendy, and a lovely way to warm up the home. Plus they’re economical and easier to keep than you would expect.
What You’ll Need
I found these cute medicine jars at a nearby farm and market. You can use any glass container or jar that is at least 3-4 inches deep for root growth. I am housing the jars in this stained box I also found at the market. Craft stores like Hobby Lobby have fantastic selections of both.
I won’t pretend to have a lot of time for shopping, I am a very loyal customer of Amazon. I did a quick search and chose this variety herb pack, inexpensive, and good quality seeds. I added the small bag of Miracle Grow’s seed starting mix to the cart as well. Such a simple project.
First We Plant
Fill your jars with potting mix, leaving at least an inch to spare for watering and growth. My jar does not have a hole for drainage at the bottom, which is fine, more on that later. Follow the directions on your seed packet for how deep to plant the seeds, etc. I always add a few more seeds than recommended just in case. To finish planting, I used plant markers to label the herbs, aren’t they cute?
Give Them A Drink
Watering is simple. The soil should always be visibly wet, but water should not pool at the bottom; a little goes a long way. This is also why I recommend a clear container, it is easier to keep an eye on. My garden only needs watering about once per week.
Now A Little Love
Keep your plants in a warm area until they sprout. If they are cold to the touch after a day, simply move them to a new place. Once you see their leaves coming up from the soil, they are ready for sunlight! I keep mine in my kitchen window sill, just a reach away for cooking!
Overview
I really love how my little herb garden turned out! It was so simple that you don’t need any gardening experience! They save me money my grocery bill and give my meals that farm-to-table taste. The best is being able to enjoy them every day, but only having to tend to them once a week.
I hope I inspired you to grow your very own favorites as well! Be sure to send me photos of how your gardens turn out!
Happy Planting!
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Updated 2021
