Thursday, July 19, 2012

Influenster: MomVoxBox

I joined Influenster last year and absolutely love the program--first, it's FREE, second you get to review new and hot products (did I mention it's free?). A few weeks ago, I got the MomVoxBox, since I am a mom (17dd & 10ds). I had enjoyed my previous box so I was glad I qualified to review another one.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a "mom box". Included was a card that listed the products, as well as some coupons.


Here's what was included:



2 trial packages of DenTek Flossers--one for adults, one for kids.




One Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookie


imPress press on manicure in the color Stiletto (more brown than photographed)


Bar of Ivory Soap


A box of Stash Tea "Superfruits Sampler) and 2 packages of Nektar granulated honey sweetener


The Original Dish Drying Mat (a bonus item included in my box)

One of my favorite items in the box were the Quaker cookie--moist and delicious and gone too quickly ;) The other is the tea sampler and honey packets, since I drink tea daily.

Here are my thoughts and impression of each item:

DenTek Comfort Clean and Fun Floss

The floss is a convenience item, and I can see tucking these into a purse for eating out. However, I have issues with the fact they have fluoride in them. Fluoride is a toxin and not necessary for the health of teeth. We do not use fluoridated products in our home or at the dentist. (with the exception of our water, which we have no choice over until we can afford a reverse osmosis filter). In addition, they are disposable, single use items--not very environmental friendly. My kids have always been flossers and never needed something "fun" to encourage them to floss. 

Price: 48 Fun Floss $2.49, 74 Comfort Clean $2.49
Would I buy these? No.

Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies

NOM NOM NOM. The cookie is a large one, and although it was a bit crumbly, it was soft and moist. I love Oatmeal Raisin cookies, so this was a delicious treat. I don't think that I would purchase these in the future--we love baking at home. In addition, my son has anaphylactic food allergies, so he would not be able to eat these.

Price: 6 cookies for $2.69
Would I buy these? Probably Not.

imPress Press on Manicure by Broadway Nails

Am I the only one who remembers press on nails from long ago? Although I know technology has changed, I still have to chuckle a bit. I do like the color of these, a chocolate brown with a hint of red. They would look nice in the fall. I plan on stamping these first and then applying them. I have rather curved nail beds so I'm not sure how well these will stay on or how they will look. But for a manicure in a pinch, it's a good idea. The polish bottle box is really cute. I would have like the nail appliques better.

Price: Colors $5.99, Prints $7.99
Would I buy these? Maybe, if they are as easy as they look.

Ivory Soap

My husband likes Ivory Soap, so he claimed this. Personally I feel this was a pretty lame addition to the box. Had it been a new Ivory product, that would have been interesting. Consider me underwhelmed.

Price: 10 for $4.49
Would I buy this? Only if my husband wanted some. We tend to purchase organic soap from Indie Bath & Body companies.

Stash Tea Superfruits Sampler

Now THIS is something that both my daughter and I will enjoy! The box includes 3 bags of the following flavors: Goji Berry, Acai Berry, Pomegranate Raspberry, Mangosteen, Blueberry, Yumberry Blackcurrant. The Mangosteen, Pomegranate and Goji teas are green teas (which have caffeine) so those will go to my daughter, who is always looking for a natural pick-me-up with her busy teenage life. The other 3 are herbal, non-caffeine teas. I love iced tea year-round (being in FL) and berry teas are some of my favorites.

I don't buy all the hype with some of the "superfruits" (for instance, mangosteen). Most claims are pretty much snake oil. I am sure there are some healthy qualities to them and staying hydrated is reason enough to drink them.

I have purchased from Stash Tea in the past, and although I prefer Republic of Tea, I was glad to get this in my box.

Price: 18 bags for $3.50
Would I buy this? Possibly.

NekTar Naturals Honey Crystals

I *love* this idea--so much easier to mix in tea than liquid honey. I checked the StashTea website (where they are available) I see they have added sugar. In addition, they are processed on shared equipment with allergens that make them unsafe for my son. I see no reason why sugar needed to be added. That, unfortunately, changes my mind about purchasing them.

Price: 40 bags for $6.99
Would I buy this? No

The Original Drying Mat (bonus item)

This mat is cushioned and has extra-absorbant microfiber, and is washable. In addition to using it to dry dishes, you can use it under appliances to protect appliances. It is NOT to be used as a potholder or hot pad.

In the past we have used dishtowels for the same purpose. I can also see drying just-washed fruits/veggies on it. I would not have sought out this product, but we will use it.

Price: $4.99 exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond
Would I buy another one? Probably not.

My final thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this MomVoxBox. Even the descriptions on the Influenster Page make me cringe. With the exception of the ImPress nails,  the items included were not necessarily for a mom. I feel that some of the products were rather stereotypical--such as the drying mat. My kids do the dishes in the house. I don't know what would be ideal items for a mom, but I think that the assorted items show they are out of touch with moms in 2012. 

This mom takes time for herself, looks for healthy, natural, environmentally-friendly products. I have my own set of interests separate from my family. Being a mom doesn't make me "the little homemaker" or the one solely responsible for child-care. I am a stay at home mom, but I don't see these products fitting for a working out of the home mother.

Some ideas for other products (based on their selections):

Natural, no-fluoride toothpaste or compostable toothbrushes
Natural all-purpose cleaner, or natural antibacterial spray/wipes
3- or 4-free nailpolish/ non-toxic polish remover
Organic protein bar (there are some that are delicious!)
Raw honey (do you know that most honey in grocery stores isn't really honey?)
Natural skin care product (brands such as Shea Terra, Badger and Indigo Wild come to mind)

Other ideas for a mom:

Chalkboard wall decals--for once, writing on the wall is ok!
Organizer (some of us sill use paper ones!)
Sharpie brand pens--they are da bomb
Freeze, shake & pour cocktails (yeah, moms DO drink!)
Portable natural sunscreen
Veggie chips--tasty and better than potato chips!
Car organizer

What did you think of the Mom VoxBox? Outdated or up-to-date?

Disclosure: Items in the 2012 MomVoxBox were provided to me by Influenster at no charge for my review. Opinions in this post are unbiased and my own.

4 comments:

  1. I'm most excited about the tea. I've yet to crack it open so thanks for the reminder.

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    1. LOVE. YOUR. HAIR! That's it, haircolor would be another choice for me to include in a mom box ;)

      You are quite welcome--tea is so yummy. I used to drink so much soda and when I switched to tea, it made a difference in my bloodwork!

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  2. I laughed pretty hard at the "have a spa day with ivory soap" that was on the link you posted. Honestly? Oh man. You couldn't pay me to use Ivory soap. Interesting selection of items for a box, definitely.

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    1. LMAO yeah I know. And it's not that the soap is bad--it's not. I just prefer bodywashes or Indie soap to "get my spa on" ;)

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