Review & Giveaway: Loot Crate Subscription Box

I am a gamer at heart. I have a ton of other things I am interested in, but gaming has always been at the top of my list. I am also an electronics technician, computer repair tech, cellphone repair tech, game console repair tech, coder, computer hacker, and any other possible nerdy thing anyone can do. I play pen and paper role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons as well as super complicated board games like Cosmic Encounter. When it comes to being a geek I am certainly among the top tier.

When I first found out about the subscription box service, Loot Crate I was torn. I am 30 year old man with a wife, a 4-year-old daughter, and another on the way. I thought about it for a minute. Then shook my head and proceeded to squeal like a little kid in a candy store. I’m pretty sure I even jumped up and down a few times while my wife and daughter stared at me wondering what crazy idea I had come up with this time. But it wasn’t my idea at all. In fact, it was the genius nerds at Loot Crate that put this subscription box together.

Loot Crate stands out among a sea of other subscription boxes because of their theme. Their theme is all things nerd, geek, gamer, dork, and whatever other name you use to describe those of us who still find pleasure in things from our childhood such as video games, cartoons, and comics. I was absolutely giddy at the thought of all that swag.

Loot Crate offers a few different subscription plans.  You can set up a recurring subscription in 1-month, 3-month- or  6-month increments. Each box contains over $40 of merchandise and is priced to please. For the one month plan you will pay a total of $19.37. The 3-month is $55.11 and the 6-month is $105.99. On top of that, every month, a lucky winner will receive a MEGA CRATE loaded with over $750 worth of crazy awesome swag!!

I received their May Crate for review, with the theme "Adventure". I felt like a kid again waiting for it to arrive. As soon as the mail came and I saw it was there I rushed home and tore it open like gift from Santa on Christmas morning. I was insanely happy to see the contents of the box spilled out on my table.

The May adventure crate contained a Legend of Zelda T-Shirt featuring Link himself. (Yes they do ask for your shirt size to ensure that it fits) I have to say, out of everything in the box I was most excited for this.

I also got an Adventure Time Tin, a Minecraft hanger, a cd soundtrack from The Friend Zone, Markiplier Tattoos, and my other favorite, the “Dangerous to Go Alone Opener.”

There wasn’t a single thing in the box that I wasn’t excited to rip open and get my hands on. I’ve honestly never been one to spend money on things like this. I have to say though, if I can find it in my budget to make this happen on a regular basis, I certainly will.

This is the perfect gift for the nerd in your life. Loot Crate offers a value that can’t be beat along with some of the coolest swag I’ve ever come across. Their packaging is fun as well. There was a cheat code similar to the one below that was used in an extremely popular game from my childhood. Can anyone guess what its from and what the full cheat code is?

All in all, Loot Crate was a wonderful surprise and had me reminiscing about my childhood. There are throwback items such as the bottle opener and new items such as the Minecraft keychain and soundtrack from The Friend Zone.

With the variety of items it’s great for people of all ages and really would be an excellent gift (hint to my wife, Jackie who will be reading this). You can check out Loot Crate at the links below.

Website: http://www.lootcrate.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lootcrate
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lootcrate
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lootcrate
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/lootcrate

Meanwhile, don’t forget to enter in the giveaway! They are throwing in one of their July Villain Crates to one lucky winner.  This contest is open to residents of the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia!

Check out Loot Crate's Villain's YouTube Video:

 

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, and then click "I commented" in the Rafflecopter entry. This will open up additional option entries to increase your odds of winning.

Don't forget - There is only ONE mandatory entry requirement - you have to COMMENT on this post, and then click "I COMMENTED".  Don't click it and then don't post - the first thing we do when Rafflecopter selects a winner is maker sure that person commented.   We hate disqualifying winners, so make sure that doesn't happen to you!  

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: Lesser Evil Snacks

I don't know about you, but I love snacks!  I come from a long and hearty line of snack lovers, and I'm proud of it. But as much as I love and nurture my "inner fat kid," I need to make sure that he doesn't become my "outer fat kid."

LesserEvil Snacks, started in 2004, is working to be the first brand in your friendly local chip aisle that is actually good for you. Instead of all the other brands who offer a "more healthy option" which tastes like a sacrifice, every product they offer strives to be an actually healthy choice while still making your "inner fat kid" grin like the Cheshire cat.  Listed on each bag is a string of qualities that will make any health conscious consumer excited - USDA organic; gluten free; no artificial preservatives,flavors or colors; and kosher just to name a few.

They have four product lines of delicious noms: Super 4; Chia Crisps; Chia Pop; and their newest line Buddha Bowl.  And let me just say, I'm a fan of them all.  But as they say the devil is in the details, so lets get into details of LesserEvil's divine eats.

One serving size, next to 5 serving bag.

First up is Super 4; a munchie composed of white beans, quinoa, lentils, and chia.  

This little marvel, which resembles a thick macaroni noodle, has a delightful crunch that feels more intense that your standard chip.  

I got to sample two flavors: kale and garlic, and cheesy nacho.  I know what you're thinking, cheesy nacho sure, but kale and garlic?!  Never you fear, the garlic is bold without making you have to sleep on the couch; and the kale played a strong supporting role instead of being bitter like it can be.  

The cheesy nacho also gave a strong showing of traditional snacky flavors that appeals to kids of all ages.

The thing I liked most about Super 4 was the fact that after the first serving, I felt this strong satisfied feeling in my tummy that never seems to happen with standard fare snacks. 

110 calorie serving of Chia Crisps

Chia Crisps are next on the lineup, which use primarily black beans over white rice flour while still highlighting chia.

I would describe their appearance as a thin rice cake, shrunk down to the size of a silver dollar and dyed purple; and their munch lies somewhere between a rice cake and a cracker.

I had the fortune to try two flavors of this charming chip conversion: feta and black olive, and crunchy dill pickle.

The feta and black olive had my wife shouting "OPA!"and let me tell you she is about as Greek as a bratwurst.

I almost lost my chance to tell you about the dill pickle flavor, as my son demolished most of them before I could wrest them from his grasp.  That is, my three - year - old - doesn't - eat - his - veggies - on - pain - of - time-out son, by the way.  The few I managed to save from his tiny clutches made me think of the GIANT pickles I used to love as a kid, but much more compact.

Fair warning, because LesserEvil doesn't use food dyes the dill pickle crisp looks almost exactly like the feta and black olive crisp. These offered  a similar satisfying experience to that of Super 4, while feeling lighter.

One serving of Chia Pop - just right!

The last line to feature chia is called Chia Pop.  By the way, that's the same ch-ch-ch-chia that you remember from the 80's, and now it's a super food chock full of Omega-3s and fiber - live and learn!  I know the idea of mixing a corny Christmas present and popcorn sounds curious at best, but don't you worry, the results are quite intriguing.

The flavor I sampled was Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, but the name sells itself short.

The chia adds so much subtle complexity to the organic popcorn that I was taken aback at first.  So  I needed a moment to step back and reassess my expectations.

Once I did, I was rewarded with mellow earth tones from the chia forming a smooth foundation for traditional salt counterpointed by sharp pepper. This snack gave me the biggest surprise of them all and delighted me with its complexity, however it wasn't exactly a crowd pleaser among  the rest of my family. (More for me!)

This, my friends, is a close up of Enlightenment.

Buddha Bowl popcorn is the newest line from LesserEvil and I attest it brought my "inner fat kid" to a moment of zen.

The Himalayan Pink flavor brings together only three ingredients in true harmony: organic non-gmo popcorn, organic coconut oil,  Himalayan salt.

From the moment we opened the bag  for the first sniff the wife and I were entranced.  Its subtle sweetness led us both to a place of calm and joy.


That is, of course, until she called dibs on the rest of the bag. That led to a place of frustration and bared teeth; and ultimately an empty bag.  It's so good I feel the only proper way to eat it may be siting in lotus position near a koi pond, but next movie night will make a close second.

After my experience with LesserEvil I plan to give the suggestion box at the local grocery what for until it graces the shelves with these fiendish delights.  In the meantime I will have to settle for ordering from their online store or Amazon.  If you order directly from their website, you should know that they ship only in crates of twelve.  This may sound like an inconvenience at first, but I expect its simply going to save you from ordering from them every week.

Happy Snacking!

Lesser Evil Website
Lesser Evil on Facebook
Lesser Evil on Twitter
Lesser Evil on Pinterest

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Review/Giveaway: Austin Lloyd Subscription Box

Austin Lloyd is a subscription box that provides items based on your child's developmental milestones. They make is very easy to choose which play level best fits your child, by listing some suggested physical and cognitive guidelines and milestones for both infant and toddler up to 3 years of age. Austin Lloyd offers a 1 month and 3 month subscription package for only $49.99 per month or a 6 month subscription for $44.99 per month which you can cancel at any point in time. Each box will contain 4-5 different toys each month. How cool is that? You can also purchase a subscription to be gifted to a friend or family member.  All  this makes Austin Lloyd very easy to work with.

When your child is at a new play level or no longer plays with certain toys, Austin Lloyd will donate them to charity. Reuse your Austin Lloyd box to ship your old toys for free and they will donate to those less fortunate.

After purchasing your subscription, you will not only get a confirmation email but you will also be informed of when your box has been shipped along with a tracking number through USPS.

My box was shipped within 5 business days of receiving the confirmation email.

I received the Austin Lloyd Development Box for ages 13-18 months on June 16th. When I opened the box, I was very surprised to see that it was personalized for my son with his name on a card. This makes me feel like they actually care about each and every one of their customers. There are also some note cards describing each toy. All the products were packaged individually in the main box.

The first toy I opened was the Pop-up Animals. This one is our favorite! I love the fact that it isn’t just pegs, but they are characters and the holes are springy.

My son loves to bounce the pegs out of their holes so he can put them back in. He laughs every time they come jumping out.
It is good for him to be able to feel different shapes and textures on the pegs as well.

Honestly, if I were to put a few toys on a table including this one, he would choose this over the others.

My only qualm about this product is after having it for only one week, the paint started chipping off one of the pegs.

The second toy we opened was the wobble owl. It is a good size for my son to hold onto without it being too large for his little hands, but not too small for him to choke on it when he decides he needs something to chew on. He loves to bang this around or toss it and watch it come back to a standing position, so being durable is great.

The cup and ball toy was next on our list. He has only played with it inside the house and in the sand. We have not used this in water yet, but have every intention of doing so. This is a great toy. He likes using it as a shovel or throwing the ball.

 I feel it has many benefits such as being able to take the two cup pieces apart and explore with them, watching the sand or water flow out of the holes or being able to use them as shovels, one in each hand of course.

Right now, they work better as separate toys.  Using the ball with the cups for him isn't very useful. He’d rather toss the ball around the house instead of putting the ball inside or scooping the ball up with the cups.

The book, "Dancing Feet" was the last item we got into. It is a very cute little story with lots of great noises for mom or dad to act out. He isn't much for listening to the words and dancing around or stomping as the book intended from the note cards. We would either have to do it with him while reading the book for him to copy us or my 3-year-old daughter would move around and he of course would follow.

Overall, I find Austin Lloyd to be a fantastic company to work with and it is truly amazing how dedicated they are to helping children learn and have fun. Their 13-18 month development box is wonderful for my son. Not only does he love playing with all the toys, but my whole family loves playing with him and seeing his reaction to what is happening.

I would purchase for other stages and would recommend for a friend or family. The packaging was nice and neat. Every product had its own description card and it was sent just for my son.

You can check out Austin Lloyd by visiting their website or Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Austin Lloyd has agreed to let us offer a one month subscription box, valued at $49.99 to one of our readers.  This giveaway is open only to US residents and will close at midnight (EDT) on Thursday, July 24th.

The winner will be able to select the appropriate developmental age to recieve.  The exact contents of  the box will be a surprise.

To enter, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, and then click "I commented" in the Rafflecopter entry.

This will open up additional option entries to increase your odds of winning.

Don't forget - There is only ONE mandatory entry requirement - you have to COMMENT on this post, and then click "I COMMENTED".  Don't click it and then don't post - the first thing we do when Rafflecopter selects a winner is maker sure that person commented.   We hate disqualifying winners, so make sure that doesn't happen to you!  

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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