Holiday Procrastinators Unite!

Happy holidays from the Boxanista family to yours!

Are you one of the last minute shoppers frantically scrambling to find the last of the gifts on your list? You're not alone. This year I thankfully didn't have too much shopping to do, but I actually managed to get it all done before Christmas Eve. If you didn't, though, I rounded up a few great subscription box options for you. There are literally subscription boxes out there for every type of person,  and it can be overwhelming sifting through them all. I tried to narrow it down and make it as easy as possible.

Gift giving hint: Subscription boxes are great fun, but they don't really give you anything to put under the tree. My suggestion is to print out a little card and put it in a nice envelope. That way, you at least have something to hand to the recipient. I found these really cute gift coupons at Photo-Party-Favors.com. There are also a ton of others on Pinterest.

If you're already done shopping, then good for you! Sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy the post. Maybe it will spark some ideas for next year, or maybe you'll find something to put on your own wishlist. Or you know... you could buy your favorite blogger a little something. 

What subscription box would you most like to see under your Christmas tree?

Feedly Review

I don't know about you, dear blog readers, but I was devastated when Google Reader went to the big RSS party in the sky. How on earth would I efficiently spend 3 hours on the couch in my pajamas reading about the lives of people I'd never met? To be honest, my time reading blogs decreased quite a bit. I just never found a great alternative. 

Enter: Feedly.

Their slogan is "Read More. Know More." Simple, direct, and nerdy. How could you not love it? 

I am probably late to the game on this, but I just discovered Feedly. It's is a free RSS service that organizes all of the blogs you read into one place. That's a MILLION times better than trying to remember all of the blogs you like and having to individually peruse their sites. It's also way better, in my opinion, than getting 400 emails in your inbox. You can read from the web or using their free apps. They're available for Apple and Android devices (but I can only speak for the Apple side of things).

Personally, I enjoyed reading on their iPad much more than I did on the web service. The iPad app presents the posts in each category in a magazine or "tile" format. It's really appealing to the eye, and easy to pick exactly what you want to read without scrolling through a million posts. (Yes, that IS my blog you see in there. I subscribed to it so I can see what my readers see. Lame? Perhaps. Useful? Definitely.) When you're done reading a post, you simply swipe it away to go to the next.

December 2014 Birchbox Review

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box that delivers 5 samples of makeup, skincare, or beauty products to your door. Each month, the products surround a central theme. This month's theme was "Decked Out." Most are sample size, but a few full size products may be included. The value usually well exceeds the $10 you pay. This was my first time receiving Birchbox, and I already can't wait until next month! Isn't the box gorgeous?

Cost: $10/month (free shipping)

Look at all of those fun new products! I had only heard of one of the brands before (Rusk), and hadn't used any of them. I love that I get to try out new products without having to commit to buying the full size. 

December 2014 Graze Box Review & Giveaway

Graze Box

Graze is a company that wants to revolutionize your snacking. They provide small portions of snacks that have big flavor. The company prides itself on working with small companies and using sustainable packaging.They work to create interesting flavor combinations that are fun, interesting, and healthy. Graze was my first subscription box ever, and I was pleasantly surprised. Keep reading for a giveaway below. 

Welcome to the fun!

Welcome to my brand new blog! 

Hi everyone. I'm so excited to get this blog started up and on its feet. In the past I included product reviews on my personal blogs, but it was starting to feel really crowded. I decided it was time to launch a separate blog just for reviewing products and services. I don't know about you, but I always love perusing people's blogs and finding great new products to try. My hope is that this can be a place to promote great products and connect great companies with great people. 

I recently have become obsessed with subscription boxes. They're a fun, relatively inexpensive way to try new things. The holiday season is upon us, but with subscription boxes, the fun of opening a surprise gift can last all year long. Enter the blog name: Boxanista.

(That's me on the right.)

A little about me:

I have an addiction to finding new, great products to try, and I'm not even a little bit sorry about it. By day, I lead a pretty normal existence. I spend my 8-5 working in the tech writing industry. When I'm not changing the world one sentence at a time, I am a Jill of all trades (master of only a few). I love to cook, craft, travel, and spoil my two crazy little pug dogs. I'm a zany mix of creative thinker and obsessive list maker. I thrive on being the center of attention, but I can also be a bit of a socially awkward introvert. In other words, I'm a mess. But I'm a fun mess!

What to expect from this blog:

Since the blog is brand new, there's still a lot to be determined. My vision includes reviews of the things I like, but also trying out things I might not normally try. I would love to see interaction about the products and requests from readers. I plan to include videos and how-to screencasts.