A small package with my name on it arrived at my house one day. It turned out to be the cutest pair of no-show socks, and the first of many surprise sock deliveries!
My husband said “I know how much you like socks (which is true!) so I signed you up for a Sock Fancy subscription through Amazon. Each month you will get a new pair.”.
I thought that was so sweet. I also thought that it was interesting that Amazon had a sock subscription option that I never heard of.
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Upon further investigation, I found a bunch of fun subscription ideas that I had no clue existed, that would make great gifts for a loved one or even yourself.
And when you subscribe through Amazon, you can manage all of your your billing and shipping options – for all of your subscription boxes – in one place. Each subscription box is also backed by Amazon’s A to Z guarantee so you can subscribe with confidence, and cancel at any time.
Here are some of the ones that really caught my attention:
This post contains affiliate links – view full disclaimer here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
This monthly subscription of Succulents gives you two 8-week old organic baby succulents, in eco-friendly packaging. They are also super affordable (the first month is probably the cost of your fancy venti double-shot, extra foam, almond-milk, caramel whatever-chino).
Each box contains two unique plants, and you won’t get a repeat for at least 18 months. We choose each month’s succulents based on seasonality, so you get an exciting surprise when we announce them on the first of the month!
The special man in your life can receive a monthly subscription of 4-6 hand picked accessories and grooming essentials valued at over $100. The company pushes to build a community of modern day gentlemen by helping men around the world discover new brands and delivering guides to help men look, feel and be good with each shipment. And, you save 20% on your first box.
Don’t forget to spoil your favorite pupper! BarkBox is a monthly subscription of original toys and healthy treats tailored to your dog. Their in-house team designs every toy and partners with American farms to select the best all-natural treats and chews. Every box is created around a fun theme, so each month is a new adventure. BarkBox is more than just a box—it’s a celebration of you and your dog (from people who are just as dog-crazy as you).
For the oil enthusiast – Subscribe to Plant Therapy’s Oil of the Month Box and treat yourself to a little surprise every month. Each month you’ll receive a brand new oil that includes details about the oil, description and background, as well as directions on how-to-use the oil. You’ll be dreaming of ways to use these unique hard-to-find oils. You can expect to receive the same quality oils that you expect to get from Plant Therapy and each oil has its own unique GC/MS report available by request.
Members of the Oil of The Month Club will receive an exclusive oil only available to our Oil of the Month Club Members. The exclusive product will automatically be shipped every month and arrive right to your doorstep!
Depending on the oil, you can expect to find sizes ranging from 2.5-30 mL. All oils will be exclusive to the members of our Oil of the Month Club, and we will be offering undiluted singles as well as unique blends!
Recently I’ve started to embrace more plant-based meal options. I’m not a full blown vegetarian (not even close), and I don’t strictly follow a plant-based or whole food diet, but I’m learning more and more about the health benefits of limiting animal products and refined or processed foods and I’m taking baby steps toward a healthier way of life.
The definition of “Plant-Based” can vary. For me, if a dish primarily contains vegetables, fruit, whole grains, or beans, I would consider it plant-based. I’m ok with some animal products. I love eggs and dairy, and may include those in plant-based options. The idea here is healthier choices, mostly from ingredients derived from plants, and limiting animal products, processed foods, and refined sugars.
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I’m also not a doctor – however it’s pretty widely known and proven that a plant-based diet is a really healthy lifestyle choice. It can reduce risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even mental decline such as alzheimers. The only negative, in my opinion, is finding creative and delicious meals around this concept.
In addition to the many, and obvious, health benefits, it’s typically healthier for our increasingly delicate planet.
With the holidays coming up, I wanted to compile a round up of Vegetarian and Plant Based side dish recipes, that are easy enough for a “regular” person, like myself, to pull off. I’m not a cook, and I don’t really even like cooking that much, so I always look for minimal ingredients, and equally minimal required effort. These are recipes that I am willing and able to assemble (I use the term “cook” loosely), and my entire family would eat!
If you don’t have an instant pot – do yourself a favor and pick one up! Here is the one I have, and is loved by many (over 37,000 reviews!)! Currently there is an $18 coupon you can click to save more – score!
Remember – If you have an Instant Pot, you can use it as a Slow Cooker too. If you prefer a dedicated appliance for Slow Cooking (so you can multi-task and cook in both) – here is a fantastic Slow Cooker I recommend.
Usually around Thursday the empty cereal boxes and chip/pretzel bags start piling up. Yes, they pile up in the pantry, because for whatever reason it’s extremely difficult for anyone under the age of 17 to throw anything away. Every parent out there knows exactly what I’m talking about. I feel your pain, we’re all in this together!
Sorry, I digress. Anyway, I’m a working Mama, with kids that have evening tutoring and activities, and a husband that mostly works hours opposite (sort of) than mine, so our beloved, super fun, grocery shopping adventure happens on the weekends (cue the groans!) and it’s just me….and them.
My kids could not be less thrilled to participate. They want all the food, and zero shopping. I’m not too proud to beg (90’s reference), or bribe them with a treat, but honestly it’s not enjoyable for any of us. We do what we have to do though, to keep the fridge stocked, so a few hours of our Saturday will have to be sacrificed. I suppose there are worse problems to have. 🙂
Today was a blissful, sunny, glorious, 78 degrees with no humidity, kind of day. I mean perfect. And, we have about 6 ounces of milk, a splash of coffee creamer, and almost no bread. Oh also, we have no cookies (gasp!). So naturally, we needed to plan a trip to hell the grocery store (on a Saturday, the week before thanksgiving). Oh joy.
Nope. I’m not doing it. There must be a better way! (pout pout)
Can’t we just scrounge up enough scraps to make a respectable lunch, then order a pizza for dinner? Sure. But then what about tomorrow? Aren’t we just putting off the inevitable? Plus I already feel like a slacker, so…
A new Super Walmart opened close to us recently, and they have those fancy pickup lanes where you can order online then swing by (like a drive through maybe?) and I’m thinking they just pile the bags into your car and off you go. I’ve never tried it, but that’s how it works in my mind. The more I think about this, the more I love the idea!! I prefer another store for some things (produce, meat), but I love Walmart for staples. The prices just can’t be beat.
Ok, “this is perfect” I think to myself. It will take us less than 20 minutes round trip, and nobody has to get out of the car!!!
Wait…
I open my Walmart Grocery app, all ready to load up my list. They prompted me to first select a pickup time. Ok cool, I would love to pickup this afternoon. Unfortunately that wasn’t available, which is completely understandable. Just a few hours notice would be too good to be true. How about tomorrow morning? Nope. No pickup times are available until TUESDAY. Huh? This is weird because I never see anybody in the pickup lanes.
All hope is not lost.
They also have delivery! I’ve never used Walmart grocery delivery either. I have to be honest and tell you that I was a bit judge-y of grocery delivery recipients. It makes such great sense for elderly, or people with young kids, or medical problems, no cars/transportation, disabilities, etc. but how can I justify having groceries brought to my home.
I’ll tell you how.
It’s a service just like any other. It saves me a huge headache, it prevents kids having meltdowns in stores, overspending on impulse purchases (remember that bribe). It saves half a Saturday of complete chaos, frustration, and cartloads of angst (the classic 21 checkout stations with 3 cashiers working) through an angry mob of other irritated parents and their cranky kids. I just hate the whole process, and this is a great solution at a teeny price (especially when I factor in all of the above, plus gas money). Just the soda or coffee I treat myself to, and the 2-3 snacks (ok bribes) I indulge in for the kiddos, plus the $3 back from Ibotta, completely offsets the price.
So after a bit of internal persuasion (which didn’t take long!), I switched my order from “pickup” to “delivery”. I selected a time slot of 9-10 am the next morning, and loaded up my virtual cart.
Let’s talk about money. I was honestly worried that having groceries delivered would cost me a ton. At this point I didn’t even know if they would be on time, if the order would be right, or anything.
They offer a free 14 day trial for unlimited FREE grocery delivery. Ok, sold! Going forward, if you want to continue, you can select a monthly or annual payment for unlimited deliveries, or you can pay a deliver fee one order at a time.
If you don’t use Ibotta yet, or are not familiar with it, it’s pretty amazing and I’ve been obsessed with it for years. To date I have earned over $800 ($823.82 to be exact, thanks to the $3 I earned from my grocery order)!
If you want to use Ibotta to get cash back on things you buy anyway (literally milk, bread, cereal, eggs, wine) – here is my referral link. I may earn a bonus too if you use my link, so thanks in advance!
If you would like to try Walmart Grocery Delivery – you can get a free 14 day trial PLUS a $10 coupon when you use my referral link (here). I will get a bonus too if you use my link – so we both win! Thanks again!!
This might seem insignificant to some, but to me it’s actually a relief. I welcome anything that makes life easier. The small price of delivery is insignificant (plus I always get $$$ back from Ibotta anyway), so to me it’s 100% worth it – at least to keep staples, cereal, milk, etc. stocked! Let me know if you decide to give it a try.
Update
It’s now Sunday morning. About an hour ago I received a notification that Jordan picked up my order, and my delivery was on the way! They also provide a link to “track your order” with an estimated delivery time. I tracked Jordan’s car all the way to my front door!
Walmart uses third party drivers to service their grocery delivery orders. Jordan works for DoorDash and Postmates. He was very polite and friendly, and I gave him a cash tip for his great service (not required).
Now it’s 9:57 am, and my week’s worth of groceries has been purchased and put away, with almost no effort on my part. I did not overspend on impulse purchases (that’s a euphemism for “kids begging for cereals, snacks, etc.”).
That’s a huge win for me and my family! I hope you will give it a try too!
It’s truly that easy. There are no receipts to scan. Nothing to upload. No photos of items required….none of that nonsense. Just initiate your shopping trip through the app or website, and everything else is automatic.
That’s literally all there is to it! Every three months they send you the Cash Back you’ve earned, either in a Big Fat Check or via PayPal deposit.
⭐️ Right now the sign up bonus for you is $30!!
Another thing I love about Rakuten is that you can add the “cash back” button to your Google Chrome browser, and it gives you a gentle little reminder when you visit a site that qualifies for rewards.
Rakuten also offers exclusive deals, freebies, coupon codes, promotions, and more! There are so many ways to save, and you are shopping anyway, so why not just sign up. It’s free?
If you use my referral link to sign up you will get a $30 bonus when you make your first qualifying purchase. I will also get a bonus – so thanks so much my friend xo!!!
Time for a feel-good shopping list! We all spend tons of time searching for the perfect gifts for friends, colleagues, and loved ones. If you are like me, you occasionally come across a company that gives back, which makes you feel like you are doing a little itty bitty good in the world when you make a purchase.
I started thinking more about this, and I’m quite sure the recipients of my gifts would LOVE to know that they contributed, in some way, to cleaning the ocean, planting trees, supporting our Military, helping puppies, and funding medical research for the most cruel diseases.
I’m not aware of a “roundup” of gift ideas that actually give back, so I started searching and compiling my own. Here are 12 ideas I found on Amazon (because….Amazon), that all donate to wonderful causes. This post makes me so happy! It seems impossible to heal our planet because we have damaged it so far beyond comprehension. One person alone is helpless, but when these companies step up they can move mountains (and clean oceans, and provide clean drinking water to those desperately in need).
So, this season of giving, if you are thinking about how you can make a small impact, that can potentially add up to a significant contribution, you may consider some of these gifts, or browsing these companies. It’s pretty exciting to learn about what they are doing. My heart is so happy just knowing there is kindness and compassion out there in our world ❤
This post contains affiliate links – view full disclaimer here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
Did you know you can earn up to $20 per day for doing almost nothing? If you do the quick math it’s roughly $600 per month – wowzers! And better yet:
It’s 100% free to you
Without talking to anyone
From your PJ’s
Using very little brain power 🙂 🙂
It’s true! There are survey companies that will pay you to answer questions about your interests, lifestyle, cereal choices, amusement park visits, preferred radio stations, cartoons, restaurants, you name it!
Now, in all honesty, it’s not like you click and bam! here’s $20. Some surveys take 20 minutes or more and will pay you $0.25 (no thanks!), but you have total control over which surveys you want to take or not. The great thing is, all surveys give you an up front time estimate, and let you know up front how much you will make. I’ve seen some over $5.00.
There are multiple other ways to earn as well – some are super easy and fast, others take a bit of time or commitment on your part. Here’s a breakdown of some of the options:
The absolute EASIEST & FASTEST way to earn is by referring your friends or family. This is a no-brainer. When they sign up (totally FREE for them) and start earning you will earn a 30% bonus off of their earnings. This is amazing! I just referred my first friend yesterday – he has done almost nothing on the site and earned $1.80 so far, and because of this, I have earned $0.55.
Yes, I realize that $0.55 is nothing. But the point is that I did nothing to earn it, and that’s just a small example of the potential. Once he completes his signup bonus, he will get $5, and I’ll earn another $1. Then, every time he earns anything I automatically earn 30% of what he gets.
The power in numbers is how you can really leverage this site as a quick way to earn money from home.
OK clearly nobody will get rich here, buuut the earnings can easily pile up to a nice payout. If you start today (11/19/19) you can reasonably earn a few hundred bucks by Christmas if you get a few friends to join you to boost your earnings! Get those friends signed up and you can sit back on autopilot while the earnings add up.
Other ways to earn on this site include:
Surveys – the obvious
Clicking to confirm you saw emails (in your Inbox or via the app) – literally all you do is click the pink box to tell them you saw it. You don’t have to sign up or do anything else at all. Simply acknowledge that you saw it (you don’t even have to READ it – just look for the pink button at the end).
Scratch & Win – confirming emails will earn you scratch & win progress. When you fill the progress bar (usually just 2-3 will do it), you can scratch off a bonus prize (up to $100 if you unlock the highest tier!!).
Watching TV, Videos, using the search feature, playing games and answering trivia questions also help you earn.
And when you reach $30 earned you can cash out! There are tons of payment options including PayPal, and several Gift Cards you can choose from.
If you want to sign up, you can earn an instant $5 from the get go! I would love if you used my referral link (here) – thank you bunches in advance! xo
If you have any questions or Inbox Dollars tips please comment below!
Suppose you received an anonymous gift of $100 to spend on yourself. What would you buy? Before you say “I would put it toward a bill” or “I would buy so and so a gift” let’s put a few simple rules around this scenario.
You have to spend it on something frivolous, tangible, or otherwise considered a splurge.
You have to spend it on yourself.
You can’t save it, pay a bill with it, but groceries etc.
I have no good answer to this question. It’s not soo much money that you can really go crazy. On the other hand it’s enough money that most of us would put some legitimate thought into a purchasing decision. It’s easier to figure out how to spend $25. Or $500.
So when someone asks you “What do you want for your Birthday / Christmas / Hanukkah / Whatever?” – what do YOU tell them? I need ideas! I supposeRothysgift cards would always be welcomed. I still have my eye on those camo sneakers! ❤ ❤ ❤
Florida Fever 