Review: The Pleasure Pantry (Adult Content NSFW)

ADULT CONTENT.
THIS REVIEW AND THE PICTURES INCLUDED ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR VIEWING AT WORK. 

Review: Bulu Box December

I cannot tell you how much I love subscription boxes. Every month the mailman delivers really awesome samples and new items right to my door! I love trying new things and I get to see what works for my family before committing to it with my money. And, most boxes offer you discounts or points toward purchases for things you were going to buy anyways.

I received my second Bulu Box right before the craziness of the holidays hit. We were headed out the door for vacation, so I tucked it away to break into after the first of the year - conveniently, right at the time when weight loss resolutions are in full swing!

Bulu Box offers two different subscription boxes - original, and weight loss. Last month I reviewed the original Bulu Box, so this month I decided to take a look at the Bulu weight loss box.

While the original Bulu Box provides premium samples for health and nutrition, the weight loss box lives up to its name by providing products that are targeted toward losing weight. There couldn’t be a better box for my New Year’s resolution to get back into shape after baby!

Creative Bioscience: 30 Day Diet is a blend of African Mango and Raspberry Ketones that is meant to give your diet a kickstart and assist you in ditching your cravings for bad food! I have heard that once you “detox” your body from sugar, grease, and other foods that we come to crave, its easier to say no to them in the future. This sounds like a really great way to give yourself an extra boost, especially after the overindulgence of the holidays (or was that just me?).

Mestrength is described as “clean, efficient fuel for your body”. It provides pre- or post- workout hydration with no caffeine and the addition of creatine. My husband works out at the gym five days a week and he snapped that right up! 

The box came with two samples - he just added the packet to his bottle of water. He said the taste was decent and he definitely felt more awake during his lifting, so this product gets a thumbs up. When you subscribe to Bulu Box you earn points for reviewing the products in your box, which can be used like cash in the store! I think our point cash will be going towards a box of these.

Barleans Omega Swirl is a delicious alternative to Omega 3 pills. Omega 3’s are amazing for energy, healthy, and weight loss. They have also been proven to help hair, skin and nails! This product got great reviews in the Bulu Shop, and it didn't disappoint. Technically this is a fish oil but you’d never know that by the taste. It went into my morning smoothie and was a great way to get some of the nutrients without taking another pill.

Tapaz 2 Go is by far my favorite product in this box. It's a single serve pouch of lentil crackers with a tub of hummus. It is gluten and GMO free, and incredibly easy to take with you anywhere! We love hummus in our family (even our two year old will eat it, if you can believe that) and this would be such a great snack to take on the go with us, or to even leave in the car for the times you are on the run longer than you expected. It certainly beats drive through food.

Once again, Bulu Box delivered some really great items that I fell in love with, but would have never thought to buy on my own. If you love to discover new products that help you feel great and lose weight, Bulu Box is definitely for you! All the products you see here, plus a large selection of other products, are available full size in the Bulu Box Shop.

Bulu Box is offering a limited time code that will give 50% off any subscription order.  If you go to Bulu Box and select your subscription, enter the code: BULUGAN589  . You can get a one year subscription for just $55. That works out to $4.50 per box SHIPPED! That's a great deal. Even if you don't love every sample you receive, you can give them to someone in your life - and its always fun to get mail no matter what! Here’s to a new year! 

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I received no monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the product for free for purposes of review.  All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

How to Braid a Handfasting Cord

When Michael and I got married this summer, we decided we wanted our wedding to be small but meaningful, and incorporating a number of meaningful elements that weren't entirely standard to the 'traditional' modern American wedding.

One of the things we did in the ceremony was to have a handfasting ritual as a part of the service - a European custom that has been adopted by many Neopagans and others seeking alternatives to the traditional liturgical wedding ceremony.  Historically, handfastings were common law marriages, necessary in areas where there was no local clergy, so that couples could be legally wed before they were able to have it sanctified by their religious institution.  Today, the custom can be an element of a clergy-led legal wedding ceremony, as it was in ours.  I think it would also be a lovely element for a marriage reaffirmation.

What happens is that the hands of the couple are literally bound together by a length of cord, symbolizing the bond formed by marriage and the understanding that the future is knitted together, each one's actions connected to the other's wellbeing.  There is no longer two separate paths, but one path braided together.

I wanted a handfasting cord that we could keep, and so I made this for us.  Ours was long enough to wrap our hands, but I have since seen examples of cords long enough to wrap around the couple's waists, to completely bind them together.

If you decide to do this, keep in mind that it will be much shorter after it's been braided, and increase length accordingly.

The three cord elements we chose were specific to us - brown leather to represent Michael, ivory silk ribbon with pearl edging to symbolize me, and a length of sheer forest green ribbon to symbolize our union (the predominant color of our ceremony was green).

The findings are easily found at any of the major craft stores, and are a good idea to provide the rope with a bit of weight so it hangs well during the ceremony.  Almost anything could be used in place of these, including old jewelry, watch fobs, something 'borrowed' or 'blue', etc. By all means, choose something meaningful to the two of you!

The ones I used were selected for their symbolism - the peacock is a bird sacred to Juno (or Hera), the Roman/Greek Goddess of Marriage.  The keys are symbolic of the household we are creating together.  In Norse custom, these were a symbol of Frigga (the Norse Goddess of Marriage and the Home), and it was Norse custom for the man to present the woman with the keys to his hearthstead when they got married - to put her in charge of his home. (In return she would offer him a sword, to defend the home with. I confess, we left that part out - although we did give the groomsmen pocket knives!)

To make a handfasting cord the way I did, you'll need the following:

6 feet (or more) leather cord
6 feet (or more) thick ivory ribbon with 'pearl' edges
6 feet (or more) sheer 1/2" green ribbon
3 feet additional sheer 1/2" green ribbon, cut in 2
Thread or thin florist's wire in a color that matches one of the cord elements
2 or more weighted findings large enough to dangle from the ends of the cord

The three ribbons need to be braided together - as you can see from the picture, the various widths and textures provide an interesting pattern, even though this is just a simple three strand braid. 

In order to manage such a long length, I tied the three strands together on the back of a dining room chair, and then stood up to do the braiding, moving back little by little until I got to the end.  Make sure you won't be interrupted through this! It doesn't take a terribly long time, but you won't be able to stop in the middle.

When you get to the end, about 2 inches remaining, wrap it closed with a length of thread or florist wire, then flip up the loose edges and wrap them as well, so  they can be cut close and not be seen.

Untie it from the chair, and do the same on that end.

Now, use an 18" length of ribbon, and wrap that to cover the thread or florist tape.  At some point, before you finish, thread your finding onto the ribbon (the ones I used had holes for this), and then tie the ribbon off into a bow.

That's it!  There is plenty of room here for personal creativity, so that you can create a handfasting cord as unique and wonderful as your relationship is.

Shared with:
~ Anything Goes Linky, BFF Open House, Fabulously Creative Friday, Feathered Nest Friday, Flaunt It Friday, Freedom Fridays, Frugal Friday, Party Bunch Friday, Pinworthy Projects Link Party, Shabbilicious Friday, Show and Tell Friday.   
~ Get Schooled Saturday, Tater Tots & Jello Link Party Palooza, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Weekend Re-Treat.  
~ DIY Sunday Showcase, Happiness is Homemade Link Party, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Silver Pennies Sunday, Suburbs Mama Sunday Linky, Think Pink Sunday.
~ A Round Tuit, Block Party, Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Craftastic Monday, Frugal Crafty Home, Give Me the Goods Monday, Homemade Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Mad Skills Party, Marvelous Mondays, Masterpiece Monday, Mega Inspiration Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, More the Merrier Monday, Motivation Monday, Much Ado About Monday, Sweet Sharing Monday, Thank Goodness It's Monday,