My First Little Black Bag: August 2013

A couple of days ago I received my first box from Little Black Bag. If you are unfamiliar with LBB, I will try to explain it the best I can. When you go to the Little Black Bag website, you choose an item. This is called "opening a bag". Once you've "placed" that item in your bag, the LBB stylists will then choose 1-3 items to place in your bag with the item that you chose. You may then go ahead and close your bag by clicking the tab that says "ship my bag" or, here's where the fun begins, you may start trading items with other members. You have up to 7 days to trade, then your bag is closed and shipped out. I think this is a really neat concept in case you don't care for the items that are chosen for you. Say you choose a nice handbag and there are 2 pairs of earrings and a beauty item that are placed in your bag. If those items just aren't your cup of tea then you can trade one or all of them or accept trades from other members.

You can do a one-time purchase of the item you chose or you can become a VIP member. I actually decided to do this. VIP membership is $9.95/month. As a VIP member you get the lowest prices on their merchandise of up to 70% or more. VIP members also get free gifts with their purchases each month. As a VIP member you can skip any month by the 5th or on the 6th of the month you are granted a $10.00 credit to spend or you can let them accumulate for a later purchase. So basically you are making a nickle each month. It's not much, but hey, at least you're pretty much making your money back.

I decided I would start out with a smaller purchase to see how I liked the site and the shopping experience.

Here's what my box looked like when it arrived and after I opened it.

I signed up for LBB after receiving a promo code in my email worth $15.00 off my purchase, so I wanted to find an item that was as close to that price as possible. That is when I came across the adorable mustache necklace pictured on the left below. The piece is by K. Kreative, which I am not very familiar with, but I just had to get it for my 12-year-old because she is obsessed with the whole mustache fad right now. This necklace retails for $16.00. After I placed that item in my "bag", LBB stylist chose some earrings that were sort of meh. I tried to trade them for days, then finally someone accepted my trade and I acquired some really cute blue filigree earrings. Right before it was time to close my bag, someone offered to trade for those really cute earrings that are shown in the picture. I had seen these on the site and really loved them because of the starfish. The earrings are Robert Rose brand and they retail for $22.00.

I'm pretty excited at how well I did with this purchase. Together the items retail at $38.00. By using the promo code and the VIP discount I got for joining, I was able to get both items for $5.95 which is the shipping cost.

Right now you can join Little Black Bag and receive 25% off your first purchase. Just click THIS LINK to get started!

Do you subscribe to Little Black Bag? If so, what are your thoughts? What kind of items have you received? I would love to hear from you...just comment below.

See all of my favorite subscription boxes HERE

My First Birchbox: August 2013

A couple of days ago I received my very first Birchbox in the mail. Birchbox is a subscription service in which you get deluxe beauty samples mailed to you each month for only $10.00 shipped. So here's what was in my August Birchbox:

So this is how the box looks when you receive it and when you first open it up. The box ships via USPS and I received it within 2 days of shipping notification. As you can see you get a little card that tells about the items in the box, how to use them, and what the price is on a full-size product. All of the full-size products can be purchased at the Birchbox website.

Amika Obliphica Blow Up Spray ($6.00 value): lightweight mist that adds lift and leaves an Obliphica berry scent for the perfect blowout. I actually used this today and it works great. It gives a little boost in volume and smells great. The 2-ounce sample size will last through quite a few uses, too.

Color Club Wanderlust Collection ($2.00 value): exclusive neon pastel shades inspired by four of our favorite cities. The color I got is called London Calling and is a pretty minty green. I love nail polish so this is one of my favorite items in the box.
Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream SPF 45+ ($4.42 value): this multitasker evens out skin tone, has anti-aging benefits, and gives you broad spectrum protection. I've been wanting to try out a BB cream to see how I will like it, so I'm pretty stoked to try this product. Hopefully I can get more than one use out of the little 0.17ml sample that I got in my box.

OC8 Professional Mattifying Gel (approx. $1.81 value): a lightweight gel that creates a sheer matte layer and absorbs shine for eight hours. Even though I have oily skin, I always moisturize, which can leave your skin feeling a bit greasy. I tried this today and the way you use it is that you apply a layer on top of your moisturizer before you apply your makeup. It really did make the shine go away and made my face feel so smooth.

Tili Bags (approx. $0.94 value): breeze through airport security with these too-cute plastic bags. Each month Birchbox will put in what they call a Lifestyle Extra, which is basically a non-beauty sample. This month's Lifestyle Extra are these super cute patterned zipper bags. It's basically a zippered bag that you can use to put various items in when you pack. The bag I got is quart-sized but they make gallon-sized ones, too and in different patterns. I don't travel much to the point that I would need to use bags like this, but I think it would make a great reusable snack bag.

So that is my Birchbox this month. For only $10.00 shipped I received a box valued at around $15.17. That's not too bad for my first box, so I think I will continue with my subscription for a little while. If you would like to get your own Birchbox, just click this link HERE. If you receive Birchbox let me know what you got and what you think.

See all of my favorite subscription boxes HERE

My First Graze Box: August 2013

Last week I received my very first Graze box in the mail. Graze is a subscription box service in which you get healthy snacks delivered on a weekly basis for only $5.00. You can actually change how often you get your boxes if every week is too often for you. Find out how to get an invite code below and get your first box for FREE!

At the moment, there is a waiting list for Graze unless you have an invite code. I received my invite code from the wonderful Jennifer over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom. If you would like to get a code from her, just leave your email address in a comment at the end of her Graze box review BY CLICKING THIS LINK. Now in order to keep the invite codes going, she only asks one thing of you...that is for you to send the invite code you get back to her after you sign up, that way others can join in.

Graze offers two types of boxes. There is the Nibble Box, which gives you the choice of over 70 different snack mixes. There is also the Light Box, which lets you choose from over 50 low calorie snacks.

Now I am a mother of 5...my 8-year-old and I are the pickiest eaters in our household. Recently I have been on a quest to start eating better and to watch how my children snack. Because I haven't tried a lot of the healthier snack options, I really am not sure what we will and will not like. This is one of the biggest reasons I really like Graze. It gives me a chance to try some healthy snacks to see what my family and I will like. These snacks are also perfect for on-the-go snacking, which is something we do alot of. Now with all of that being said, let's get to what was inside my first Graze box.

Here is the box as it comes in the mail. Shipping is free and it arives via USPS.

Here's the box once you open it up. All 4 of your snack packs are in there along with a card that has the nutritional information for each of the snacks.



This is Tropical Daiquiri. It's pineapple, lime-infused raisins, and green mango. It's the only one I have yet to try from this box, mainly because I threw it in my little one's diaper bag for a snack-to-go.

This one is called Hot Cross Yum and it's really different. I loved it. It has sponge pieces, which tasted to me like little cookies, in addition to cinnamon-honey almonds, and orange-infused raisins.

My 9-year-old snatched this one up because he is a bread lover. This one, called Herby Bread Basket, has mini garlic croutons, mini basil breadsticks and oregano rice crackers.

My 12-year-old loves anything with a little bit of spiciness so she claimed these as hers. They are Black Pepper Pistachios.

So that is my first Graze box. Have you ever received one? What do you think of it? If you want to try Graze, make sure you visit this post from Ramblings of a Suburban Mom and leave a comment with your email address for an invite code. Your first box is FREE!

See all of my favorite subscription boxes HERE

Nail of the Day: My New Julep Polish

I just wanted to show off my newest Julep polish really quickly. This is one of their Bombshell collection polishes called "Esmerelda". It's a beautiful emerald green glitter. I love anything emerald since it's my birthstone.

Want your own Julep box? Want to get your first one for FREE?? Just click HERE and enter the promo code FREEBOX. All you pay is $3.99 s/h.

Free Pattern Friday: Crochet Flower Hairpin

I was browsing the Poochie Baby blog today when I found this super cute Crochet Flower Hairpin pattern. My daughters love hair accessories and these would even be great for me, too. They can be done in any colors, which makes these extremely versatile. If you have a look around her blog you will find some other great free patterns, too!

SURPRISES IN THE MAIL: All of My Subscription Boxes in One Post

Subscription boxes seem to be everywhere these days and you can get just about anything in them. This page is for all of the boxes I subscribe to. With each box that I get, I will post pictures and what I think about the boxes along with pricing info.

graze: $5.00/box. Healthy snacks delivered by mail. (See my latest Graze box here).

Birchbox: $10.00/month. Deluxe beauty samples delivered to your door monthly. (See my latest Birchbox here.)

ipsy: $10.00/month. Deluxe samples and full-size beauty products. (See my ipsy review here.)

Conscious Box: $19.95/month ($56.85/3 months, $107.70/6 months, $203.40/year). Discover the best natural products on the planet. Choose from Classic, Vegan, and Gluten-free. Get your first box for only the price of shipping ($7.00) by using code FREEBOX at checkout. (See my latest Conscious Box review here.)

Julep: $19.99/month. Hand-picked nail color and other beauty products sent each month. Get your first box for only the price of shipping ($3.99) by using the code FREEBOX at checkout. (See my latest Julep box here).

bluum: $24.95/month ($249.50/year). Deluxe samples for mom and baby.

Little Black Bag: Social shopping site where you choose an item, then you have 1 or 2 items chosen for you, then you can trade your items. Super fun shopping experience. Get 25% off your first order when you use THIS LINK to sign up. (See my first Little Black Bag here).

Your Bijoux Box: $35.00/month (free shipping). Receive 2-3 pieces of hand-curated jewelry worth at least $70.00. Get a free necklace when you enter the code "stitches11" at checkout. (See my Your Bijoux Box review here.)

Wantable: $36.00/month or $40.00/one time purchase. Three different options: makeup, accessories, intimates. (See my first Wantable box here.)

Kona Kase: $15.00/month (free shipping). 8 nutritional snacks delivered to you each month. (See my Kona Kase review here.)

My Cotton Bunny: $16.00/month ($45.60/3 months or $86.40/6 months. The monthly subscription service that bundles your choice of feminine hygiene products with goodies to get you through your cycle. Get 30% off your first box using promo code MCBLOG. (See my My Cotton Bunny review here.)

Fit Fashionista Club by Ellie: $49.95/month. Get 2 pieces of workout wear each month. Get 20% off your first order when you use THIS LINK to subscribe. (See my Fit Fashionista Club review here.)

e-sentials: 3 monthly package prices: $10, $13, $16. Female hygiene products delivered monthly. (See my e-sentials review here.)

Parenthood Survival Box: $34.99/month. Great products for expectant parents and parents with babies up to 9 months old. Choose from girl, boy, or neutral. (See my Parenthood Survival Box review here.)

Money-makin' Monday: Clicksia & Incentria

This is a late Money-makin' Monday, but it's a 2-for-1 deal. I decided to put Clicksia and Incentria in the same post, because the two sites are identical. With both of them, you sign up, then just click ads for money. It's super simple and the payout is a minimum of $1.00, which means you can get paid really soon. As always, if you have questions, just leave them in the comments below. Have a great week!

Check out ALL of my great money-making opportunities right HERE!

FREE Pattern Friday: Neon Dreams Infinity Scarf

I LOVE all of Moogly's patterns, and this one is no exception. For this week's Free Pattern Friday, I am sharing with you the Neon Dreams Infinity Scarf. This is definitely going on my list of items to make soon!

CHECK OUT THESE GIVEAWAYS & POSTS!

-Find out how to get your FREE Julep Maven box here
-Check out IPSY and BLUUM
-Dog Days of Summer $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
-September Charity Auction for Courageous Kidz
-Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Giveaway

Today's Nails: Neon Gradient

Not long ago I re-pinned these nails I saw on Pinterest.

After watching a few YouTube tutorials on how to do gradient nails, I thought it couldn't be that difficult. Well...

Since I was using neon colors and they tend to be a bit sheer, I started out with a coat of white polish. This particular one is called CORRECTION TAPE from Spoiled by Wet 'N Wild.

Next you are going to need 3-4 colors of polish and a cosmetic wedge. For my shorter nails I probably should have chose only 3 colors...at least I know for next time. The colors I chose are all from Sinful Colors and are (from L to R): NEON MELON, SUMMER PEACH, FUSION NEON, and DREAM ON. The only color I can find in stores now is DREAM ON so the others must be discontinued. I have had all of them for almost 2 years so that's probably why. From what I've read, you should soak your sponge in water first so that it doesn't soak up the polish right away. Once you do that, just paint your colors onto the sponge. It's ok to overlap them a bit since you want them to appear blended.

Once you've sponged the color onto your nails give it a bit to dry, then add a second sponged coat. After sponging, this is what you will come up with.

Of course, everything will be a mess so you will need to clean up around your nails then add a topcoat. Now here's how mine came out. They didn't come out exactly like I wanted to. For some reason mine didn't blend as well as the original picture I got my inspiration from. Obviously I need to work on my gradient technique a bit more, but you get the idea.

CHECK OUT THESE GIVEAWAYS & POSTS!

-Find out how to get your FREE Julep Maven box here
-Check out IPSY and BLUUM
-Buzzworthy Books of Summer iPad Mini Giveaway
-Dog Days of Summer $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
-September Charity Auction for Courageous Kidz
-Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Giveaway

My first JULEP MAVEN box: August 2013

Yesterday I received my very first Maven box from Julep. I was so excited because the box was free...all I had to pay was $3.95 s/h. If you love beauty products, especially nail polish, then you will love Julep. Let's get to what was inside my Maven box.

Here is the box as it comes in the mail. Let me tell you, they are super quick with shipping. I received my box 3 days after the order confirmation was sent.

Here is what it looks like when you open it up:

Julep says they will add in little freebies each month in their boxes, and this is what I got. This is a sample of their Glycolic Hand Scrub. According to their site, this is a new item. I have already used this sample for review purposes and I love it! I will definitely order some more when it's time for next month's box. Since I earn my living crocheting, I sometimes work with delicate yarns that even the smallest amount of dry skin will catch on, so this will be perfect for me. It smells very nice and my hands were so soft and smooth after I used it. Their site says you can use it as a body scrub and it's even gentle enough to be used on your face (which I thought of immediately after using it). A full-size tube of this is $23.00 so the approximate value of this sample would be around $0.52.

Here are my polishes...as you can see, Julep takes extra consideration in making sure they ship very safely...no broken bottles here...

When you first sign up for Julep you are asked to fill out a small style profile. My answers placed me in the "It Girl" category, so these are the colors that were picked for me this month. The value of this "It Girl" starter box is $19.99.

Mila is a really pretty rainbow & silver glitter. Bette is a purple-y orchid creme color. Isla is a pearly white that almost has a bit of silver in it. I love these colors that were picked for me and can't wait to use them.

Totaled up, the value of my first Julep Maven box comes out to be about $20.51 and I only paid $3.95 with the FREEBOX code.

Want your own Julep Maven box? All you have to do is click this link and enter code FREEBOX to get your first box for only the cost of shipping. Once you become a Maven, monthly boxes are only $19.99 and you can opt to add on products starting at only $4.99. Other perks of being a Julep Maven are things like 20% of all products and FREE shipping when ordering from julep.com. Julep also has a great rewards program, so once you sign up for your first box, make sure you invite all of your friends!

5 Among Friends: Questions

I recently came across these questions over at The Sqishable Baby and thought they would be fun to answer, so here goes:

1. What was your favorite book to read as a child? Would you recommend it? Why?
Sometime around 4th or 5th grade I started reading this series of books that all of my friends referred to as Mandie books. Written by Lois Leppard, this book series was about a girl, name Mandie of course, who solved all of these mysteries. There are quite a few books in the series and I recommend them to young girls between the ages of 8-13.

2. What sport did you play in high school?
I was a cheerleader in high school (yes, it's a sport!). I started in 8th grade and cheered all the way until I graduated. For the one year that I was going through chemotherapy, our coach created a "manager" position for me so that I could stay involved with the squad since I loved it so much. I pretty much ate, slept, and breathed cheerleading. LOL

3. What is one prominent childhood memory?
I have a few very memorable occasions I could list here, but I think this one is pretty funny. One summer I went downtown with my dad to run some errands with him. I think I may have been about 7 or 8-years-old. We stopped at this lunch cart in front of what was then The Omni Hotel (now The Charleston Place). He bought me a bagel with tuna and alfalfa sprouts. We sat in the courtyard in front of the fountains to eat what I referred to as a "hard donut", but because I didn't like the alfalfa sprouts my dad took them off for me and threw them in the bushes behind us and that it would be our little secret. If anyone knows The Charleston Place, you know it's a pretty elite hotel, and throwing alfalfa sprouts in the bushes is one of the last things you should be doing at a place like that...haha!

4. What were your dreams as a child?
I wanted to be Miss Universe. I loved watching all of the beauty pageants on T.V. with my mom, but this one was my favorite. I guess it was all of the different cultures coming together in one place. I just thought it would be so much fun to be around that many beautiful ladies from all over the world.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you fulfill those aspirations?
I wanted to be a labor & delivery nurse. Well, I knew I wanted to go into medicine of some sort, but when I was 14-years-old, I was allowed to be in the delivery room with my aunt when she gave birth to my cousin. Ever since then I knew I wanted to help deliver babies. I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. Since then I have taken almost all of my pre-requisites for nursing school. I have not been to school in several years, but I am planning to start back in the fall to fulfill that one dream of mine.

I hope you all enjoyed this little tidbit of information about me. I would love for you to answer the questions and post them in the comments below. :)

CHECK OUT THESE GIVEAWAYS & POSTS!

-Check out IPSY and BLUUM
-Buzzworthy Books of Summer iPad Mini Giveaway
-Dog Days of Summer $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
-September Charity Auction for Courageous Kidz
-Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Giveaway

Free Pattern Friday: Granny's Slouch Hat

As soon as I saw this it caught my eye...I'm a Clemson girl so anything purple & orange catches my eye...haha. This week's free crochet pattern is from Stitch 11 and it's this super cute Granny's Slouch Hat. I love patterns like these because you can be so versatile with the colors. Enjoy and happy stitching everyone!

Get your FREE Julep Box today!

So I just ordered my FREE Julep Maven box. It's so simple and easy. All you pays is the $3.99 shipping. Just click the badge below and enter FREEBOX at the checkout! I told you it was easy!!!


As soon as I receive my first box in the mail, I will do a review here on my blog, so stay tuned!

Money-makin' Monday: Instant Cash Sweepstakes

For this week's money-making opportunity, I would like to share Instant Cash Sweepstakes. For this particular program, once you sign up, you just take quick surveys. I really like this one because the surveys are not at all time-consuming. When you take a survey you are rewarded with any combination of prizes: cash, tickets, or coins. Cash is pretty self-explanatory. Tickets are used to enter the daily drawing of $50 and the coins are used to enter a drawing that occurs every few hours for $2. I've actually won the $2 drawing quite a few times. The payout is low...once you reach $2 you can cash out via PayPal. I wish I had saved my PayPal screen shots from all of the times I've been paid, but I haven't. The payout is super, quick, though. I normally receive my money within 3-4 hours after cashing out. If you don't give any other program that I tell you about a try, this is the one you need to check out. Here's the link to sign up: Instant Cash Sweepstakes

Check out ALL of my great money-making opportunities right HERE!

September Charity Auction for Courageous Kidz

I am now accepting vendors for a charity auction that I plan to start on September 1. I will be running my page over at Kristin's Kreations. All of the proceeds from the auction will be going to a non-profit, non-medical organization called Courageous Kidz. The reason I chose this group is because I am a 16-year survivor of a childhood cancer and was involved in a group that was begun by the founder of Courageous Kidz. This organization focuses on meeting the non-medical needs of children and teenagers with cancer, as well as their parents and siblings, by holding various events and activities throughout the year. The families touched by childhood cancer can sort of "get away" from their illness and find comfort in knowing that there are others who know exactly what they are going through. My goal is to raise at least $300.00 during this auction, which is enough to send at least one child on the Courageous Kidz annual Carowinds trip.
If you would like to donate one or more items, a gift certificate, or even a coupon code to this auction please email me at kristinskreations11@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!!

Free Pattern Friday: Library Tote

My children LOVE to read and we are all Dr. Seuss fans, so I was super excited when I found this free pattern from In Karapoozville. It's an adorable Library Tote.

Don't forget to check out these great giveaway that I'm a part of also!

-Dog Days of Summer Giveaway for a $200 Amazon.com giftcard
-Buzzworthy Books of Summer iPad Mini Giveaway Event

Come join me for these great subscription services:
-Get your Ipsy GlamBag for only $10.00/month!!
-Get lots of great free goodies for you and your baby, personlized for their age with Bluum