Why I Love Boxed.com

Have any of you tried boxed.com? From the moment I heard about it, I've been hooked. Why?

I Save Time

I know buying staple items like paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags, and even non-perishable food items like pasta are more expensive when you buy in small quantities at the grocery store. I've considered a membership to BJ's or Costco, but that means I have to make time in my already jam-packed schedule to shop at another store, deal with the hassle of finding what I want, and then drive back home--which is 25 minutes away.

With Boxed.com I sit down in the comfort of my own home and order the bulk items I need. A couple days later everything arrives on my doorstep.

I Save Money

Not only do I save money on everyday items I buy all the time, Boxed.com offers: free shipping on orders over $49 and cash rewards that can be applied to future orders. If a friend signs up through this link, my friend receives $15 off their first order of $60 or more and I also receive $15 in Boxed.com credit. There is no membership fee and they don't limit what type of credit card I can use.

Free Samples

When you place an order with Boxed.com you are eligible to receive two free samples. This month I chose some Easter candy and Dove deodorant.

Boxed.com is going to give Amazon's subscription service some good competition. There are a few items I've already found cheaper on Boxed.com. Online bulk shopping services like Boxed.com are also going to make things challenging for big bulk warehouse type stores.

Why would I do this?

When I can do this....

Free for All Friday

With us leaving on vacation and my upcoming participation in the Christmas In July Giveaway Hop, I won't be running a giveaway this week. Instead, here are a few sites for you to check out freebies:

http://www.shop4freebies.com/

http://www.thunderfap.com/

http://absurdlycool.com/

http://www.heyitsfree.net/

You've Got Mail Mondays

It's time for You've Got Mail Monday. It wasn't an incredibly busy week, but I received some neat things.

Amish fiction is really big right now. I'm reading Abby Finds Her Calling for Naomi King's virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book in March. This is the first book in her Cedar Creek series.

My girls and I enjoy the books of Sally O. Lee. We've been reading her books for years. When Sally emailed me about her new release, The Carrot King, I hopped at the chance to review this one. It arrived toward the end of the week.

The postman brought my order from Land's End on Wednesday. You can read more about what I bought here. Now, some snow would be good. It looks like another mostly dry week, though, so it might not happen for a bit.

I received a sample of Dove® Nourishing Oil Care early in the week. I'm always on the lookout for products that will make my hair easier to manage and style.

That's it for this week's edition. Anything exciting you would like to share from your week's mail?

January is Product Review Month

We will kick off the new year with another month of product reviews. There are already several products lined up. See our Upcoming Events page for a current list. If you would like to have your product reviewed, please contact Cheryl at ccmal(at)charter(dot)net

Product Review: Playtex Sport Body Wipes Perfect When No Time for Showers

As a member of Crowdtap, I was asked to participate in a trial of Playtex Sport Body Wipes, which are part of their entire Playtex Sport line. These wipes with a "fresh & clean scent" wipe away dirt and sweat for those moments when you're on the run and don't have time to shower between activities.

As part of the trial, I received a dozen samples, which I was asked to share. I provided 2 people and myself with 4 wipes each and we used them for the next week after working out or when we felt the need for a quick clean up to feel fresh. One of the participants was my older daughter. The Lil Diva is only 9, but she's had to use deodorant for the last two years. She's developing earlier than I did, and sweat and body odor is an issue, especially since she hasn't reached that age where three showers a day is the norm. She also plays hard, so there are times when she smells less than fresh.

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, during my last pregnancy, I started feeling much warmer than I used to. In addition, though I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, I'm beginning to experience mild hot flashes, where I'm just sitting there and suddenly I feel like it's 100 degrees in my office. I'm not going to get up and shower each time it happens.

The other participant was a friend of ours who leads a busy life as a working mom.

When we regrouped and shared our thoughts, here is what we came up with:

•  This product is great for a quick clean up. The fresh scent leaves you feeling refreshed and clean. This feeling lasts too, so that's a big plus.
• While I am allergic to many scents, I did not have an issue with the light fragrance.
• Playtex Sport Body Wipes have no alcohol, so we were able to use them on our faces without excessive drying.
• Because these wipes are flushable, you can use them to wipe delicate body parts, and then easily discard them.
• Each wipe is individually wrapped (20 count package) and their small, slim size (4 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches) means you can tuck them into even the tiniest of pocket books.
• My daughter also tried another brand of sports wipe a few months ago. She preferred the slightly larger size of those than the 9 X 5 1/2 inches of the Playtex wipe. She felt it gave her better coverage and she could use one wipe, where she felt maybe two of the Playtex ones would make her feel more confident.

Playtex Sport Body Wipes are sold in 20 count pack or a 24 count travel pack the size of a travel pack size diaper wipe pouches. I'm going to purchase the travel pack for our car trip to North Carolina in July.

We all thought this was a great product for active girls and women. I'm starting to carry them to our other daughter's softball games. That way she doesn't have to climb into the car feeling all dirty.


This review contains my honest opinion. I did not receive any monetary compensation for providing my thoughts.

A Blogger's Year in Review

Ever hear that famous saying about best laid plans? That's the story of this blog. My intention in 2010 was to make this a blog that included movie and product reviews along with its main focus, which is authors on virtual book tours.

Sadly, that didn't happen. I signed up for a site that allowed you to request samples, but the sponsor needed to approve you. I got turned down every time, so I stopped trying. I supposedly have some sample products coming in the mail through Quality Health. We'll see what happens. The problem is that I truly haven't had the time to develop this site the way I would like to. Hopefully that will change in 2011

The focus will remain on authors in 2011, but I would definitely like to make some changes and perhaps add some giveaways here. I'll keep you posted.

May 2011 be a wonderful year for all of you.

Happy New Year!