DateBox Club Helps You Reconnect (Review)

My husband and I have been together for almost 14 years. We were just 16 and 21 when we met, and got married 5 years later. 

We now have 2 kids, have moved 8 different times, lived in two countries, had and lost family pets, and have had some of the highest of highs and lowest of lows together. We have been through a lot! 

I think once you've been together this long, especially if it began at a young age, you have to work pretty hard to continue choosing each other day after day. Admittedly, we don't always put in the work that we should. We get lazy. We get comfortable. 

We make excuses involving time and money and lack of a reliable babysitter as to why most of our down time is spent splayed out on opposite sides of the couch binge watching the prior night's HULU entertainment.

DateBox Club takes the reigns leaving you without an excuse to spend quality time together. 

No need to plan, no need to shop, no need to get a sitter! Simply pick a night, put the kids down for bed and open the box together. 

The objective of this subscription box service is not romance or physical intimacy but connecting with purpose. 

It is coming together and completing a project, trying a new recipe, playing a new game, because you want to.

We had the pleasure of enjoying December's “Holiday” theme box together. This box, which I received for review, included two clear plastic shell bulb Christmas ornaments along with glitter and paint pens for decorating. 

They also provided the makings of trail mix snacking in the form of a bag of pretzels, MnMs, salted peanuts and peppermint Kisses. 

Not only are there munchies and activities in each box, they even have a monthly changing Spotify playlist to set the mood. Not surprisingly, December's playlist was all Christmas Music.

To start, we wrote a list of our favorite memories of 2018, folded them up and stuck them inside of our ornaments. 

We aren't the most artistic people in the world, but we gave it an honest go. In the end, we were mostly giggling about HOW bad they were coming out. 

Luckily our Christmas tree is a total scrapbook of sorts filled with keepsakes and memories from travels and milestones and these tacky plastic balls with random glitter trails will fit right in, reminding us of the lovely evening together thanks to Date Box Club. 

We can't wait until we put the tree back up at the end of this year, and can read what we each wrote as our favorite memories of 2018, and adding a new list from 2019. This is going to make a wonderful tradition!

While waiting for glue to dry on the ornaments, there was no need to worry about awkward silences! The final objects in the box were a sand timer and a deck of Caroling Charades cards. 

Now, neither of us are too big on either charades, or Christmas carols, but we found our selves enjoying it with much laughter.

There was also a flyer for a phone app in the bottom of the box advertising 'Ultimate Intimacy - “Clean, Christian Friendly Bedroom Game.”' 

I couldn't even wrap my head round what that could mean, so of course I had to check it out. 

Ultimate Intimacy was created by two Christian couples eager to find content targeted to romantic couples without the raunchy language and dirty imagery that often is prevalent in such services. 

It was actually worth checking out and I judged it too quickly at first.

DateBox Club comes in five subscription length options. A single month is $39.99 but can be bought in 3, 6 and 12 month options as well, discounting the monthly cost with the subscription length.  

The February Box is sold out, so if you sign up, you'll receive the box for March.

What's really cool is you can find a few of their past boxes on Amazon for just $29.99!

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Railroad Rivals by Forbidden Games (Review)

We are constantly looking for board games to add to our ever growing game shelf. I especially like maintaining a wide range of game styles to appeal to any crowd. I love a rowdy evening of Cards against Humanity or Taboo, but when playing with my husband, our preferred style leans more to complex strategic play such as Cosmic Encounter or Pandemic.

Railroad Rivals, by Forbidden Games leans toward what we like, with the added bonus of not being too complicated or for those who aren't avid gamers. The game held a campaign on Kickstarter, earning over 40k more than their goal in 2018, and I was very please to receive a copy of the game for review.

Set up
I will say, and maybe it was just user error, we found the rules a bit confusing before actually playing for the first time.

For example, I read through 2.5 pages of set up rules, placing the pieces as I read, only to come to a “see 2 player rules” on a separate page. Which had us starting over and redoing the necessary sorting and separating for a two player game. 

I can hear my 7th grade English teacher telling me to read all the instructions first - but I still would have liked clear indication up front that a two player game was going to have a different set up.

Game Play and Scoring
The game is inspired by the railroad tycoon era of the late 1800s and revolves around laying tiles to create railroad links, connecting them like Carcassonne or Dominos, as well as acquiring stocks for the various railroad systems you or other players may travel through.

Each turn every player will get a new city tile to lay down, as well as a new stock tile. Rounds begin with bidding existing points to be first player, getting first pick of the tiles (the game even begins with each player having a few points to start)

You can own multiple stocks for each railroad system, and will gain points in the end of the game depending on how often that railroad was used during play, by you or otherwise.

You will also gain points by being the first to move a certain 'good', such as grain, wood, coal or steel, determined by different color cubes. Furthermore, you will gain 2 points each time another player travels a link that you established.

How we liked it
After starting, game-play went smoothly and was simple to follow. The two player version was a bit dull, as you earn points for being the first to move certain goods, however you only work with ONE good with two players so it was no mystery who was scoring higher each round.

Later we played the game with four as well as with three players and it was much more enjoyable. There was a lot more strategy and planning involved with more players, which is an aspect we really enjoy.

Age Range
The box suggests that it can be played with players age 8+. We decided to give it a go with my 9 year old, as we're always looking for games to involve her to hopefully one day have her playing on our level.

While she played fine, she had a bit of trouble understanding and eventually got bored and we had to deal her out of the game. I wouldn’t say that is a knock against the game, just her attention span at that moment. I think the game is perfectly suited for children her age with maybe a bit of educating on how stocks work so they understand why that element is important to the game.

In fact, this game could be a great addition to a history lesson about the era and some basic economics instruction.

Expansion Packs and Alternative Rules
The copy I received has an insert that excitedly declared a previous expansion is now included in the base game, filled with hotels and tower additions.

We have not yet played with that add on, mainly because the insert with the incorporating rules, cuts off before telling you what they do!

I was able to find them online and look forward to giving that version a try.

The game also has an extensive set of rules for playing a solitary game. While I'm not big of solo play games, I feel happy knowing I have them if I am in the mood and no one else is.

Forbidden Games has announced that on February 26th, there will be a new Kickstarter for the next expansion pack entitled Robber Baron expansion, that promises to add even more strategy opportunities!

Artwork

The artwork is subdued compared to many other games we play, and reminiscent of steampunk and old sepia photos.  The figures look like cartoon drawings. Knowing that the city images are/were real landmarks in the cities mentioned as they were in the early 20th century makes it super cool. The logos for the railway stocks are also authentic to that time period.

Price
The version of the game I own is the standard one retailing for $49.99, which is about average for most quality games. There is a also a premium version that costs $79.99. While that seems like a lot, it includes wooden tiles instead of cardboard tiles, which will have the game lasting possibly decades longer and give it an even more authentic old-time feel! I'd say that's worth it for sure.

Overall Impression
Once you're familiar with the gameplay this game is fun to play and provides strategy without being so complex that new players are lost.  I can see us turning to this many times in the future with both our family and with friends. 

https://forbidden.games/collections/games/products/railroad-rivals

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New Year's & Game Day Treats from Gramma in a Box (Review)

Being a working mom with two young kids is never easy. I still want to do fun projects and make treats with them, but often find myself with very little time to actually do so. Thankfully, I was able to get another Gramma in a Box treat decorating set this month and it was just as fun as last month's!

Gramma in a Box is a monthly subscription service that sends nearly everything you need for three yummy treats!

The only things I've needed to provide on my own have been a spoon and bowl, a paper plate, and scissors. Everything else, from the cookies to the sprinkles to the melting chocolate and pretzels, is in this little box!

The theme of this month's box was New Years and Football.

While my little family isn't really into football, it didn't stop us one bit from enjoying both the making and the eating of these treats!

The first of these treats was the New Year Sparklers, which was pretzels with a white chocolate coating and sprinkles.

My kids and I found a great way to make sure everyone got to participate in this in a way that nobody got burned.

My son would hold the pretzel over the chocolate bowl, where I would cover the end in the melted white chocolate (once again, I needed to use a double boiler to melt it), then he would turn so that his sister could sprinkle the pastel dots over it.

The kids had so much fun, they were a little sad when the sixth pretzel was finished!

The second treat was the Game Day Crunch, which didn't lend itself to being much of a group project, as it was mostly mixing hot, melted chocolate into the add ins, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it once it was set!

The third project, cookie decorating, was easily the kid's favorites. The 8 cookies were plenty for us to decorate, without being too many as to be overwhelming.

As last month, everything was tasty, and my son and I definitely enjoyed the eating part!

Unfortunately, my daughter has a very restricted diet, and couldn't partake in that, but she had so much fun with the making, I don't think she minds too much.

I still think that Gramma in a Box is a great subscription, especially for those who may be a little time crunched, as making all three treats took just under and hour, and that was with a distractable four year old and using the stovetop instead of a microwave to melt the chocolate.

The monthly box subscription has plans starting at $20 for a single box.

To me, not having to worry about going to the store, getting all the supplies, baking the cookies, measuring out the other ingredients, is well worth it!

Just knowing that each month will bring a fun family activity and treats makes the kids and I very happy! 

Gramma in a Box is Kid Tested and Jess-Approved!

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Simply Earth Subscription Box (Giveaway/Review)

Do you enjoy using essential oils in simple DIY projects to create homemade natural alternatives to commercial products?  I do, and I have a modest collection of oils and books of ideas to work with, but often I never get around to doing half of what I'd like, due to missing one vital item or another.

Simply Earth is a monthly subscription box that is delivered to you for $39.00 a month that makes it easy to build your oil collection and provides six projects a month with necessary tools and four essential oils.

Simply Earth Bonus Box

Each month tends toward a seasonal theme, making the whole thing a lovely way to learn a few techniques with the help of just a few pieces of equipment you are sure to have on hand.  Many of the projects are quick and simple enough to do with children.

When you first sign up for the subscription, along with the current month's Recipe Box, you will receive their Bonus Box that contains six amber vials, six roller ball bottles, a small jar, solid coconut oil, liquid coconut oil, almond oil, and beeswax pellets.

These supplies are used often in each month's recipe collections, and a new Bonus Box is delivered every six months as long as you have a subscription.

I received the January Box along with the Bonus Box for review and I was intrigued as I explored the contents after opening it.

The January theme was body and skin care - perfect for these winter months that can make us so dry!

The monthly recipe box came neatly packaged with four essential oils, a packet of multicolor pastel tapioca beads, a silicon square mold, two lip balm tubes, six recipe cards and a sheet of stickers for labeling the completed projects.

The four essential oils for January are Bergamot, Myrrh, Ravensara, and a blend called Farewell Scars made up of Lemon, Lavender, Rosemary, Myrrh, and Helichrysum.

I was most curious about the Ravensara as I had no previous experience with it.   It is touted as an oil that helps with seasonal illnesses and has a calming effect that increases confidence.  The scent was highly reminiscent of anise, so it was no surprise to discover its botanical name is Ravensara anisata. I find the scent to be very pleasant and was pleased to find that it is often used during cold season much the way eucalyptus would, to clear stuffy heads.

The first and simplest project was a confidence diffuser blend that used bergamot and ravensara.  I added it to a tea candle style infuser and set about to work through the other projects.

Both the Skin Healing Booster Roll On for minor injuries and scar care, and the delightful Skin Renewal Sugar Scrub were quick to make and would be easy for children to make as gifts with adult supervision.

The Calming and Uplifting Body Butter required a mixer to whip the ingredients together, but otherwise was also very simple to put together, and the result was sublime - I have so enjoyed using this and will definitely be making up another batch when it's gone.

The last two projects - the Lip Rejuvenating Lip Balm and Relaxing Textured Massage Bar  (which is where the tapioca beads come in) both required melting wax and coconut oil over a double boiler or similar alternative.   I used a glass measuring cup so I'd have an easy way to pour the contents into the lip balm tubes and square mold - I found that hooking the handle over the edge of the pot and suspending it in boiling water was the easiest way to keep the handle available to pick up with a potholder when it was time.

As a tip - remember not to use hot water to remelt the remains of wax on your tools with hot running water and let it go down the sink!  It'll reharden in your pipes.  Instead, wait until it is nearly cool but still soft and wipe out thoroughly with a paper towel before washing.

Both of these projects worked out just as described - of the two, I like the massage bar best. The lip balm is not quite creamy enough for my winter-dry lips to use without pulling at them.

All in all, I found this subscription box to be a lot of fun, and a great value - the four oils included go for a total of $64.96 on the website - that, along with several projects and supplies to get familiar with using them make the $39 a month cost a real bargain.  Add to that the free $40 Bonus Box that arrives the first month of your subscription and you will be all set for several months of fun and a collection of homemade natural products to enjoy.

If you've ever wanted to try out a few DIY techniques using essential oils or to grow your essential oil pantry, Simply Earth may be the perfect subscription box for you.

The February Box will be all about making your own cosmetics!

If you subscribe following using the code RCHFREE you will receive a free $20 gift card with your first subscription box and bonus box! You can use the gift card for individual purchases on Simply Earth or the next box.


Simply Earth is also allowing us to host a giveaway for the February Box plus Bonus Box - read on to see how you can enter to win!

UPDATE:  This giveaway was originally for the January Recipe Box plus Bonus as described above - however January has now sold out and the winner of our Giveaway will receive the FEBRUARY Recipe Box plus Bonus Box.   Check here for a sneak peek, and if you want to subscribe, don't delay - these things do sell out before the end of the month!

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One winner in the US will win a February Simply Earth Subscription Box plus Bonus Box (value $79.00).

This Giveaway ends at just before midnight ET February 4, 2019.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning. (If you don't leave a comment, any additional entries will be void.)

The winner will be notified by email 24 to 48 hours after the end of the giveaway by email. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.
 Good luck!

Entry-Form

UGEARS Mechanical Models Kits (Review)

My love for mechanics and engineering started at a young age. Any time my father was out working on the car or building something I was always right by his side. With his help, I built a truck practically from scrap as a teen. I loved learning how each part of an engine worked together to generate power or how the parts of a guitar come together to make music. All of this was absolutely fascinating for me.

As an adult, I don't have anywhere near the time I would like to tear apart and rebuild engines or to design and 3D print models (my biggest current passion). I do, however, have a little spare time each week to myself to do things that I like.

One day while goofing around online I came across a company called UGEARS. And these things looked incredible. They had all kinds of model kits made of wood. I thought these could be fun as a little side project until I started to look a little closer and realized these were working models with mechanical moving parts!! There was a windmill, a motorcycle, a car, even a musical instrument.

I had to know more.

The creators at UGEARS are based out of Ukraine and ship their products world wide. They use what appears to be a form of multi-layered balsa wood which is laser cut to create the individual parts of the model. 

The end result is a beautiful and intricate model with a steampunk feel to it that is sure to be a conversation starter anywhere it is displayed. The models offer a challenge for the engineer-minded hobbyist seeking an experience different than almost anything they've tried before, while working with time honored STEM techniques to bring it all together.

UGEARS use ingenious methods of attaching each piece together that works almost flawlessly.

I say 'almost' because I ended up having some issues with the Tower Windmill, which I received for review.

One issue that I had was with the assembly instructions. It's just pictures. There are almost no words at all in the book.

While this made 99% of the assembly process a breeze, there were some points that I was confused by.

For example, they show a photo of sandpaper at several points in the process. But the grit on the photo and the grit of the sheet I actually received left me wondering if I had been shorted a few parts.

There was another section where they illustrate a disk of some sort with what appears to be a sharp wooden stick poking it. Then this stick was poking parts in the next picture.

Well, I later figured out, after skipping some of these steps, that the sandpaper was correct and the disk and stick were apparently wax that was to be applied to the model as a lubricant. What I received was a "natural" colored crayon (I think) and no stick. But it wasn't until part way through the build that I realized this, so my model ended up pretty darn squeaky in the end.  Written text or more clearly labeled parts and pictures would have helped prevent this.

To top it off, my model just doesn't work like they advertise.

There are a handful of videos floating around the internet showing the Windmill model functioning quite well.

You are supposed to twist the outer cage to load the rubber bands. Then flip the lock to let the model work. The outer cage is supposed to spin.

The gears on the inside are then supposed to transfer that motion to the blades.

My model does not work that way.

Now, while I understand that I put about half the model together without sanding or adding the wax lubricant, I also noticed that several of the pieces were cut slightly wrong.

On some of the parts the hole was not quite centered which meant the axle that was riding in it wasn't turning straight.

Some of these manufacturing defects were hard to detect without close inspection. Others were painfully obvious.  In either event, there is little to no way that I could work out that the model builder could have corrected these discrepancies after they were already in the middle of building it.

Taking into account the issues I ran into, I think if I attempted to do this model again I could make some corrections during assembly that would have this thing running just like it does in their videos. But should I have to?

For some users, the extra tweaking gives you the opportunity to locate, isolate, troubleshoot, and repair problems with the motion and alignment of the gears. For others, that might be a turn off.

I will say for sure that, in spite of the complications and less than perfect outcome, I thoroughly enjoyed putting this model together.

And the thing is a GREAT conversation piece considering the history behind the actual design and the fact that I put it together myself.

When it comes down to it, how much are most people really going to play with it anyway? We are happily displaying it even without making the windmill turn.

Over all, I think UGEARS has some fantastic potential and a wonderful idea and aesthetic here, but they need a little work when it comes to quality control and manufacturing of the kit, its instructions and its parts.

Would I buy more models from them? Absolutely.

But I will keep my eye on them and give it some time to see if they can iron out the process and maybe change up how they present the instructions based on whats actually in the box.

A little consistency can go a long way to making these a popular and interesting hobby for many people.

Check out UGEARS and everything they have to offer on their website and on social media.

https://ugearsmodels.com/
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Cave Tools Marinade Meat Injector Kit (Review)

The first time I ever saw anyone inject a large cut of meat prior to cooking was at a summer cookout, where they were injecting, of all things, a giant turkey with barbecue sauce before letting it roast outside.   When I ate it, the experience was amazing - smoked meat with veins of barbecue sauce running through the meat, it was fall off the bone tender and flavorful in a way I'd never have thought possible for turkey.

Now, I've never done that - but it remains one of those shining food memories I still think about 25 years later.

I recently received the Cave Tools Marinade Meat Injector for review, and immediately thought about that turkey, so I knew what a difference injecting meats with flavor and fat can be.  I wasn't ready to try this on a turkey (although I definitely plan to with a turkey breast fairly soon), but I did have a nice beef tritips I wanted to do something interesting with.

Before I get to that, I want to tell you a bit about the Cave Tools Meat Injector. 

• First of all, it is stainless steel.  I have seen and rejected buying injectors due to plastic parts that I was pretty sure would break when faced with the task of injecting into meat.
• The area where your liquid goes is clear, sturdy plastic providing a window so that you can see how much marinade you have left.  Really important!
• It comes with three needle tips, so it handles a multitude of needs, from a small one, to one that has multiple holes (for more liquidy insertions), and a wide mouthed ones for thicker sauces - or even for dessert making when you want to fill a doughnut or eclair!
• The injector comes in a box with padded spaces for each part so that it stores neatly and safely until its next use. 
• It breaks down completely into individual parts that are dishwasher-safe, and comes with extra o-rings in case of loss.

The directions ask that you oil (with food grade oil) the relevant parts prior to use, and I found that to be vital to using it easily - it creates a tight seal and suction that doesn't leak at all, but that did mean I had to work at it to get my marinade to inject into the meat.  

That was the only problem I had with it, and it had everything to do with my own inexperience with the process.  The second time I used it I had no issues at all.   

I wouldn't change a thing about this tool, and I now find myself actively seeking out ways to incorporate it into my meal preparation.  

Just know that you might have a short learning curve while you get a feel for it, and maybe experiment a bit with which needle best does what you're trying to do.

While I didn't want to risk my holiday turkey (which we didn't make until New Year's) trying to inject a marinade, I found the Cave Tools Marinade Meat Injector to be perfect for slipping some butter under the skin without needing to handle the bird too much, and I plan to do the same for skin on chicken and other smaller cuts as well.

Here's a recipe to get you started using the Cave Tools Marinade Meat Injector.  When you purchase, you'll also get a link to an ebook filled with more recipes that use Cave Tools products.

The bourbon provided an interesting and different flavor note to the meat that was a little earthy, a little spicy - however this is very versatile.  Feel free to swap it for wine, beer, brewed coffee or broth.  Each of these would provide interesting flavor notes to the meat!

Bourbon Butter Injected Tritip Beef

Serves 4

1 3 lb tritips beef roast

Injected Marinade:

2 Tblsp bourbon

2 Tblsp melted butter

1 Tblsp ground black pepper

1 tsp. 5 Spice Powder 

1 clove garlic, slivered (optional)

Rub:

1 Tblsp sea salt

1 Tblsp coarsely ground pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

Olive oil

Remove meat from refrigerator a half hour before preparing and let rest.

Melt butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.  While warm, combine remaining marinade ingredients and whisk to combine.

Using large Cave Tools Meat Injector needle, draw marinade up into the injector,and inject in multiple places into your meat.  If desired, plug the holes left by the needle with slivered garlic.

Pat the meat generously on all sides with the rub and let rest while the oven preheats to 425F.

Using an oven safe large skillet (I like cast iron), sear the meat in olive oil on all sides.

Once browned, move skillet to the oven and roast 10-15 minutes per pound (at medium rare, an instant read thermometer will show 135F).  Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

We had this the first night sliced with a large salad.  The next night, I combined sliced leftover meat with a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles to make a sort of swiss steak dish I served with noodles and roasted broccoli.

The Cave Tools Marinade Meat Injector Kit can be purchased on Amazon or directly from the Cave Tools website for $21.99.  If you use  the code Injector15 you'll get 15% off that price.

If you'd like, check out our previous Cave Tools reviews!

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