Lauren’s Note: Eileen and I met in middle school when I lived in Virginia. In high school, I moved to Texas and we lost touch… until Facebook happened. Isn’t Facebook the best? I was so fired up when Eileen reached out to me and asked if she could guest blog about Citrus Lane. Neither Jill and I are moms but these kinds of boxes aimed at kids and babies are becoming so increasingly popular so it’s definitely a void in our blog. I’m glad Eileen is helping us fill that void and help educate moms about Citrus Lane!
Hi Boxy Ladies fans! Let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Eileen, and I’m a mother to a 2.5 year old son and a 5 month old daughter. Most of my time is spent at San Francisco playgrounds correcting parents/caregivers that I am indeed the parent to these children, not the nanny. I used to have a subscription to Ipsy (inspired by the Boxy Ladies of course!) but unsubscribed because who has time to figure out beauty products with two kids? Now we’re here because my kids were gifted a subscription box to Citrus Lane, and I admit that I am jealous.
If you are a parent, you have probably seen the ads out of the corner of your eye on Facebook for Citrus Lane. It’s a monthly subscription box that is curated by parents and gifted to your child based on their age and gender. Each box contains four or more products to include toys, chid-friendly toiletries, and even snacks from well-trusted brands and lesser known companies. The boxes are like receiving a present in that they are hidden under lovely yellow tissue paper, which means nothing to my daughter but it’s very exciting to my son. It also comes with a little notecard with an explanation about each item. The plans range from $29 per month to $24 per month based on how long of a subscription you want (all money due up front of course.)
Toddler Box: 
- John Deere Johnny Truck by Tomy ($13.95): What kid doesn’t like a truck? This was a hit with my son. It is made of soft, almost squishy plastic, and has no sharp edges. This is great for when my son shoots the truck off the coffee table towards the vicinity of the infant (which he insists on doing constantly no matter how many times you tell him no). No complaints here about this toy.
- Bow Tie from Baby Bow Tie ($19.95): The bow tie is a cute clip on bow tie. I personally have no reason to dress up my child in a bow tie, nor would he want to wear a bow tie. If my son had a choice, he would wear dinosaur pajamas all day. The card said dressing up your son in a bow tie evokes springtime–not in this household.
- Family Puzzle by Begin Again ($13.00): I actually love puzzles and so does my son. Usually puzzles are super easy for my son, but this one challenged him because it’s almost too abstract for a 2.5 year old. It’s meant for ages 2+. But he figured it out and no longer plays with it because hello, he has a truck!
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Back to Nature ($4.95): Here’s the description from the card, “A perfect on-the-go food, Back to Nature cookies feel like a special treat, without the artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. You can feel good about sharing them with your babe, or indulging on your own.” I interpreted this as a healthy mommy only snack, and they were yummy.
- Care.com: The box also included a trial with Care.com, a website to help parents find nannies and babysitters. I have personally used this website (and had a terrible experience), but it was a nice gesture.
Infant Box:
- Twist Teether from Green Toys ($10.95): My daughter loves this thing. It makes lots of noise when she flings it around and she loves chewing on it. What’s awesome about this toy is that it’s made out of recycled milk containers; it has no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or coatings; and it’s dishwasher safe! If that doesn’t scream hippy San Francisco, I don’t know what does!
- Bake N Shake Donut Rattle from North American Bear ($10.00): This was not a hit with my daughter, which I’m kind of relieved about. It’s cute and soft, probably intended to be funny (“Hey, look at that baby eating a donut!”), but not very practical. What parent wants to clean a cloth toy dripping with drool?
- Garden Rhymes from Barefoot Books ($6.99): We love books in this house, and I personally love when people gift our kids books instead of toys. My daughter doesn’t quite get books yet, but lucky for us our son does. He’s getting more value out of the book, but the beauty of it is that she will in the future.
- Snuggly Lotion from Episencials ($9.50): According to the card this is a lotion designed for babies sensitive skin, and to be honest it doesn’t feel too bad on the skin (I have used it to moisturize my hands). I believe this is a full sized product at 3.4 fl oz. It’s 100% natural, USDA organic, plant based, vegan, gluten free, and made in the USA. It has a lot of great things going for it, but my one complaint is the use of the aromatic cherry butter. I personally buy fragrance-free products for my kids. And if your child is indeed super sensitive, fragrances probably wouldn’t fly with your child’s skin. Plus the cherry smell masks the sweet sweet baby smell that all mothers absolutely love (I swear, the first person to bottle that newborn baby aroma will be a bizillionare.)
- YogaDownload.com ($29): The box also included $29 to spend on yogadownload.com to do kids and prenatal yoga at home. I guess you download the yoga workouts on your computer or iPhone and do them when you have time. I personally don’t like yoga, but it’s good if you don’t have a yoga studio nearby that does baby and mommy yoga or you just don’t have time to do yoga during normal business hours.
Final Grade: B for a first time mom, C- for moms with multiple children.
The boxes are of great value, especially if you are only counting the products that are strictly for the kids. This isn’t my first rodeo, and so I see this as more toys to add to the sea of toys I have to pick up. As a mom who’s gone through the baby stage before, I probably wouldn’t subscribe on my own. As it was a gift, it is certainly a nice gesture we appreciate. If you are a first time mom, I see this as more valuable. Let’s face it, the learning curve as a first time mom is super steep, and getting a monthly box saying these are great toys/products to help your baby learn and grow is super helpful. If you’re a first time mom and have the money to subscribe, I would do it. Or if you have a friend expecting, I would totally gift a subscription to them.
Click here if you are interested in checking out Citrus Lane! Also, Citrus Lane takes Ebates. Why don’t you have an Ebates account yet? FREE MONEY, Y’ALL.