Succulents Box Review & Giveaway!

 

While I might not have the greenest thumb in the world, I love picking up a new house plant from time to time. I have the perfect corner in my bathroom that gets plenty of indirect sunlight through out the day & the plants get humidity from the shower being on. I was excited when given the opportunity to work with Succulents Box on a review & giveaway. Not only do they sell a monthly subscription box that will deliver four succulents to your door each month, but they also have a large assortment of plants you can buy from their online store. If you have a plant lover in your life, one of their succulent subscription boxes would make a wonderful gift whether it is for just one month or three months, they are sure to love it. 

I was lucky enough to be sent one of their four packs of succulents, plus I was given a twenty dollar gift card to choose something from their plant selection. I was quite pleased with the selection they sent, each one looked completely different which will be fun when I put them into a new pot along side one another. I have some open space in the succulent planter I already have so two of them will be moving into it & the other two I will probably get another small planter for. I found an awesome succulent planter on amazon that I liked, that was tall enough to put a layer of rocks under the dirt while still shallow enough to keep the succulents happy. So far they've been loving it, so I am hoping the new plants will as well. The monthly subscription box & the succulent bundles they sell are a great way to find new succulents they might not have in stores near you! Take for example one of the four I received, at first I thought it had some little dead spots, then I realized that is how it is supposed to look. Looking on their website, It is either a panda plant kalanchoe or kalanchoe chocolate both of which naturally have those little brown spots near the tips. All four succulents look healthy & happy! 

Picking out something from their huge plant collection was so hard! There were so many beautiful and exiting plants to look at that it was hard to pick which I wanted. I ended up picking out a Epiphyllum anguliger fishbone cactus & a braided stump money tree. I love money trees, but depending on the time of the year here they can be hard to find, so I was happy to see that Succulents Box had more than one type on their website. The money tree was quite a bit bigger than I thought it would be when it arrived, I can't wait to see how much it grows over time! The fishbone cactus was also a bit bigger than I thought it would be. On their website it looks more condensed together & shorter so I was surprised to see it's little arms so long when it arrived. I also enjoyed that fact that all of their plants offer different styles of pots you can get them in depending on your preference. I went with just the basic growers pots, as I knew I was eventually likely to move them into a different pot, but wasn't sure what kind of pot I wanted at the moment. 

The prices on their website are pretty good! In fact the low prices may even get plant lovers in trouble, because they will want to add so many to their carts. Their plants start as low as $6.50, plus you can almost always find sales and discounts to use while shopping. During the shipment process they will add a type of paper tape around the bottom of each plant to cover the dirt which will prevent it from all spilling out during their journey. It was very simple to remove and didn't make that much of a mess, all in all I would say 90% of the dirt stayed right in the containers. Everything looked to be in pretty good shape after their trip to my doorstep, I didn't see anything that made me upset about the new plants I acquired. Between the prices & the wide selection of plants they offer, I would 100% make a purchase from them again! In fact there are about two dozen more plants I was looking at when trying to decide what I wanted to get this time around. I also like that they let you sort by a number of characteristics like "Pet friendly plants" or "best houseplants for beginners". They also offer care guides on their site for anyone who could use them. 

💚 GIVEAWAY! Stop by my Instagram page or my Tiktok page & click on my Succulents Box reel for your chance to win a $10 gift card to their website. You can enter on either platform or enter on both to double your entries. All entries will be put into one drawing & a winner will be selected once the giveaway has ended. 

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Succulents Box for the review & giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Maricopa County Home Show!

 

When it comes to the weather in the summer here in Arizona, inside events are a must! Instead of being stuck in the house all day hiding from the heat, going to an indoor event can be a great way to get out of the house while avoiding the sun. The Maricopa County Home Show is a family friendly event where you can not only find services for your home such as yard maintenance, or blinds but there are also small local businesses selling things like soaps, bags, plants and more. You'll also find spots like hotels, dog training and more offering specials for anyone who signs up at the home shows. 

While you are walking through looking at all the booths, you'll also be able to test out certain things like massagers that can be placed onto any chair, full massage chairs, mattresses from some local mattress stores and depending on if food vendors are there, you'll have the chance to try out some treats as well. The vendors at the home shows can vary depending on which location the show is hosted at. When it was hosted at the fairgrounds there seemed to be quite a few more local small businesses selling assorted goodies vs bigger vendors like electricians, windshield replacement, etc. The three main spots the events seem to be hosted at are the Statefarm Stadium, The Fair grounds downtown and Westworld in Scottsdale. 

We enjoy going to the home shows because we like browsing the range of plants sellers have & we usually purchase several while we are there. We also like that they put on live demos and classes showing you different aspects of gardening which can be very helpful for beginners. You can find a list of seminars & workshops on their website prior to the show so you can figure out what time everything starts & where to be. Some of the workshops are simply demonstrations you will watch, and others are hands on with small freebies you can take home like potting succulents or creating small projects. 

If you have children under the age of twelve, they offer a kid's craft corner that has everything your child needs to complete a project they have set up for the day. If you have older kids attending, they also have a handmade headquarter that is similar, but with crafts that are more advanced. Each show last for three days, you can attend just one day or all three days if you want to go back. The next event will be September 27th-29th at Westworld in Scottsdale, tickets are $6 per adult and children under the age of twelve are free. Find more information on their next show on their website!

🌵 If you live in Arizona check out the "Things to do in Arizona" section of my blog to find entertainment, restaurants, vacation spots & more. (Click on the name or locate it on the right-hand side of my page). 

Disclaimer- Maricopa County Home Show provided tickets for us to visit for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Sprout & Blossom Kids Gardening Subscription Box!

Sprout & Blossom is a company based out of Redlands, California that offers a monthly gardening activity class for anyone who lives in the area & even if you aren't in the area, you can still participate by signing up for their monthly subscription box that allows you to complete the activities in the comfort of your own home. Each box comes with five to seven activities & is geared towards children ages three to ten years old. You can purchase a onetime box for $48.90 or get a small discount for buying a longer subscription. Every box includes a craft, a book, a gardening or science activity, links to educational videos, & a free gift from a small business/etsy shop. 

For this review my nine-year-old son was the one who used the box & completed the activities inside. One of the crafts had you make a worm "mud" pile by using the brown paint included to paint a paper plate, then use glue & nature items you've found in your yard to create a home or playground for the fake worms included in the kit. My son opted out of gluing the worms down so he could still play with them after. His only negative comment on that craft was that the paint being in a zip block bag made it a little difficult to get the paint out properly using the paint brush, we ended up cutting the bag in half & doing a smash paint type of motion with the baggie itself. 

Our gardening craft was to plant some peas! I love that everything needed for this is included we were given a baggie of soil, a planter, lava rocks to help irrigate the bottom of the planter, three pea seeds and a popsicle stick that says "peas" to use as a marker. My kids enjoy gardening so this was an activity he enjoyed & was excited to watch the peas grow to see how big we can get them to grow. As you can see above, it is already growing quite well. However, you may need to remind them to water it, my kids might like gardening, but they often forget to water the plants & I end up doing it to keep everything alive. 

The science-based project was to create some colorful wiggling worms/caterpillars using markers, water & paper towels. You'll need some markers, some water & a bowl or plate to place your critters. This is a fun little activity I have seen online before but haven't done with the kids yet, so we had fun with this. You'll wrap the paper towels around a straw, then scrunch it up & slide it off which will leave you with a small caterpillar looking critter. Once you add a few drops of water to it, the critter will start to expand and wiggle. This is particularly fun for small kids to watch & participate in. 

It also came with a number of paper activities to get your kids brains active & engaged while they learn and have fun. The book is a nice addition, I am always encouraging my kids to read more so I love that the owner includes a book that has to do with the theme of the month. Also included is one or more free gifts, our box game with some stickers that smell like cherries (it smells so good), a magnet that looks like corn & a stuffed veggie toy. 

This is a cute subscription that I think would be good for any kids interesting in gardening or for parents who do home schooling as this could help fill in some extra activities & hands on learning for the month. You can do everything in the box in one day or you can spread them out to get the most out of your box.

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Sprouts & Blossom for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Cast Shadow Studio Review & Giveaway

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Cast Shadow Studio for the review & giveaway free of charge.****

My house is much like my blog in being out of the Ordinary, My home is filled with dragons, gargoyles, fairies and more. Recently while I was searching around online I found a wonderful shop called Cast Shadow Studio, that creates and sells a number of Gargoyles and other assorted statues. Cast Shadow is ran by a Artist named Richard Chalifour who is both quite friendly and professional. I have the pleasure of working with Richard on a review and giveaway of one of his Gargoyle statues named Irving.





When I received my package not only did I find a Irving Gargoyle statue but I also received a Vined Dragon Tile. Irving measures approximately 3.5" tall by 1.5" wide with the base being 1.5" Dia. He is the perfect size to sit on your desk, in a planter, or really anywhere you want him displayed. I will be keeping mine on a small ledge above my computer desk. Irving was inspired by one of the many terracotta reliefs that decorate a prewar building, 81 Irving Place, NY. The street is named in honor of the famous author of "Sleepy Hollow" & "Rip Van" Winkle...Washington Irving. "Small Irving", from Cast Shadows Studio, sits at three and a half inches tall upon a one and a half inch diameter base. Each sculpture is individually hand cast and finished so is unique in color and feel. A lot of hard work goes into each and every piece sold by Cast Shadow Studio, you can tell just by looking at his work. Some of the gargoyle statues I have come across do not offer a lot of details since it makes it more difficult to get out of the mold, but the statues and other assorted pieces by Cast Shadow Studio offer a wide variety of details in each piece.





Each piece is light weight but sturdy, I would have no issue putting these on display in my garden because they are high quality and I feel they will withstand the weather. The pieces are smooth and well made, I didn't see a single thing on either piece I didn't like. Above you can find a show case of other items offered by Cast Shadow that I enjoy. The shipping was speedy and it was well packaged, each item was wrapped in foam and set in the center of a stand directly in the center of the box to prevent them from bouncing around or becoming smashed. Another small detail I noticed is that his last name is on each piece which is wonderful for those wanting to know where it came from, and when it was made. I am very happy with both products I received from Cast Shadow and I think you should head over and check them out as well! Their products would make a great new addition to any garden.

PRIZE ALERT:
One lucky reader is going to win a Irving Gargoyle statue of their own!

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eGardenStudio Review!

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by eGardenStudio for the review free of charge.****

 

I live in an apartment that has two large windows in the living room which should let in quite a bit of light but instead there is a large tree that mostly covers both windows so we don't get as much light as we should which makes keeping plants alive in my apartment impossible. I have finally come into possession of an easy to care for indoor plant that won't die on me, I was recently sent an Air Plant in a Bubble from eGardenStudio a wonderful plant shop on etsy.



This air plant comes in a small glass orb vase with a diameter of about 3 inches, and three little feet at the bottom. The orb vase fits right into my hand and sits perfectly on my computer desk, as a bonus the opening of the vase is about the size of my finger tip which means my cat can't get into the vase to eat my plant as he is known to do. This plant is very low maintenance you simply need to spray it 1-2 times a week making sure there is no excess water hanging out in the vase, I have been turning mine upside down on a paper towel for a few minutes to make sure all the extra water if there is any drains out. It requires bright, indirect light, no direct sun is recommended. You can put them near a window at home, or put them in your office, since fluorescent office lighting also works well for them. Both the light watering and indirect light make this plant a perfect gift for someone who doesn't get a lot of light in their home or for an office to spruce it up a little. Looks wise I think this vase and small air plant are adorable it adds a little bit of nature into what ever space you place it in. The exact model I received retails for $16 plus shipping. 

 

Shipping wise the package arrived fast and was securely packaged to keep the glass and plant from being ruined during shipping, since there was no dirt or rocks in the vase I didn't have to worry about there being loose soil/dirt in the box. eGardenStudio ships world wide, depending on where you live and how your postal service is it may take a few weeks to receive your plant in you are outside of the US. After taking care of this plant for the last two weeks and seeing that it is still healthy and very much alive I would 100% purchase more plants from eGardenStudio not only for my home but for my work desk and friends as well. All the prices are very reasonable and range depending on the plant,vase size and any extras that may come with it. Customer service is wonderful and they are always friendly. Want to check out everything they have to offer including their color moss? Head over to their shop to view what they have in stock.