Review of Citrus Lane April 2015 for 5 month old girl

Let me preface my review by saying Citrus Lane's customer service has been excellent lately. I have read many terrible things about their service, but have been very fortunate in all of my interactions. Unfortunately, I have had to contact Citrus Lane customer service FAR too frequently regarding issues with both mystery boxes and subscription boxes. Without further ado, the April 2015 5 month old girl review.

Please note all values were derived from Amazon.com unless the item was not for sale on the site, in which case the source will be noted.

My poor box was demolished this month. Am I exaggerating? Well, a special post office van pulled into my driveway to hand deliver it. I've never had that happen before. Below you can see for yourself.

Sadly the box was open to the outside and it has been raining like crazy around me, so of course a few items were damaged. Citrus Lane customer service offered to ship out replacements for the two damaged items and I will update with the items once they have been received.

Inside the box was the normal cheery yellow tissue paper and Citrus Lane sticker wrapping the contents of the box.

A card detailing this month's contents was included.

The first item in the box was the Green Toys Twist Teether I'm a big fan of Green Toys products and we have quite a few things from the brand. Green Toys products are made from recycled milk containers and are free from BPA, PVC phthalates and coatings. Bonus: they are made in the USA AND dishwasher safe. Unfortunately, this is a repeat item and we already have it from a previous box. Value: $10.90.

The second item is a Bake N Shake Donut Rattle from North American Bear Company. This rattle is pretty cute and I'd love for my little girl to play with it. My son took it right out of the box and played with it for a bit saying he was glad baby sister would have this toy. Per Amazon the donut rattles are sold in a set of three for $29, so the value here is $9.67.

Next, a book from Barefoot Books - Garden Rhymes. Citrus Lane has been partnering with Barefoot Books since my son's subscription and I'm really not a fan, but it is a cute spring themed book filled with some less common nursery rhymes and I'm certain we will enjoy reading it to both of our children. Value: $5.76.

Lastly, we received a 3.4oz bottle of Snuggly Lotion from Episencial. We have received this item in the past and enjoyed the scent. Unfortunately, it wasn't moisturizing enough for my son's super dry skin. Value: $5.65.

I won't include the final item in the overall value of the box, because I feel that items which require you to spend additional money shouldn't be included since not everyone may be interested. A coupon allowing you to purchase a one year membership for $29 (a value of $90) from a company called YogaDownload.com. The info card states the site grants members access to more than 600 classes ranging from 10-90 minutes and for beginner - advanced, pre-natal, post-natal, kids, pilates, and much more. I would be tempted to try this, and I still may, but already I subscribe to DailyBurn and love it.

The final inclusion was an info card asking all subscribers to show their "Acts of Green" to win daily prizes. My son won this as a baby and we will definitely try to win again. The total value of April's box was $32. A subscription to Citrus Lane currently ranges $29/mo or $25/mo for a six month subscription. This box certainly does not have the value I typically appreciate from Citrus Lane and mystery boxes in general. More troubling to me, is that so many of the products are repeats from prior boxes. It's almost as if Citrus Lane doesn't expect to keep subscribers long enough for this to be an issue. During our original subscription nearly three years ago, I LOVED that Citrus Lane introduced me to both new products and new brands on a very regular basis...the company made a point of doing so. Brands and products are so often repeated that it really detracts from the joy and original purpose of this subscription.

My first Fluff Fairy! - Kelly's Closet March 2015 mystery cloth diaper package

My new obsession is cloth diapering! I cannot wait for my little girl to arrive so that I can put these cute diapers on her little bum! I also love mystery boxes, so it was no surprise that I had to try a mystery cloth diaper package!

Kelly's Closet (DiaperShops.com) offers one of the most popular versions of the cloth diaper themed mystery package - Fluff Fairy. It sells out each month and QUICKLY (within hours or the first day at the latest)! The mystery bundle always includes a cloth diaper and additionally includes samples or other cloth diapering related products. The cost varies each month based upon what is included in the mystery bundle, but shipping is always free.

This month was a SoftBums themed month, because all items received were from that brand. I have only begun building my stash, so I'm very excited to add new brands and types of cloth to try.

Here's the unwrapping:

The package arrived in a mailer, but inside was packaged in blue tissue with a cute Fluff Fairy sticker

Inside the blue tissue was a sheet explaining what was included in this month's Fluff Fairy package:

At first glance, there was a cute diaper, a pad, a wipe and a keychain.

This month's diaper is an Omni bundle from SmartBums and the one I was sent was the Bubblegum Aplix style. The bundle version of this diaper includes a large and a mini dry touch pod (or insert). I really like the color of this diaper and am excited to try a new brand and type of diaper. Although I haven't tried them yet, I am a little less than thrilled with aplix style diapers as I think they will fray easier in the wash. This bundle is also available in snap for the same cost. The retail value of the bundle is $26.

The next item was more of a sample, but I'm excited to try it nonetheless. Below is a picture of one SoftBums H-Pod Disposable Insert I like the idea of disposable inserts for when you just don't want to have dirty inserts lying around (traveling or leaving baby with someone not cloth friendly). The description states each insert has the absorption of a large pod, but in a super trim version. This is great to me because as the mother of someone that always wore disposables, I'm a little worried about "fluff butt" ALL the time. AND the best of the perks, these disposable liners are biodegradable. These inserts typically come in a 20 pack for $8, so the value is about $.40.

My first cloth wipe was also part of the bundle! I am looking forward to making some of these with the million receiving blankets we were gifted with our son, but it's nice to have one girly one and even better to have an example to follow as I attempt to DIY them! Softbums Organic Bamboo baby wipes are typically sold in a five pack for $9.25 for a value of $1.85.

The final item was a bonus item: a SoftBums Panda Key Chain. This keychain is really cute and is soft, so I look forward to using it in my new car...I hate the thought of something heavy banging beneath my steering wheel and scratching up the interior. Although, I may have to fight my son for it, because he immediately confiscated it when I opened the package.

My overall impression of my first Fluff Fairy is that it's a really fun monthly surprise. I think it's a great fit for someone like me who is new to cloth or a veteran that has serious brand loyalty and hasn't tried other products on the market. The cost of the March 2015 Fluff Fairy was $26.79 and the value of the package was $28.25. I am pleased with the value for what I spent and look forward to trying all the products when my little girl arrives (and is big enough).