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Holiday Gift Ideas - Subscription Boxes

By Lani Mark December 7, 2014
Please note that some of the links contained in this post are affiliate or referral links so I will be compensated if you make a purchase...but, my integrity is worth way more to me so I WILL NOT endorse or share a product I do not personally think is wonderful!

If you've been reading the site for a while, then you already know what a huge fan of subscription boxes I am! I love getting a little something in the mail each month & so does my son. I've found some additional subscriptions that are too great not to share, plus I have listed all of the discount codes I could find to save you money if you do decide to join any of them. 

First up- Try The World!Try The World, who sent me this fabulous box to review, is a bi-monthly subscription that allows you to travel the world with artisanal delicacies from around the world without leaving your home. Try The World has culinary experts and celebrity chefs who curate the perfect box to allow you to sample local and authentic delicacies from whichever country/city the box is themed for. The first box is Paris and then boxes move to Tokyo, Rio and other cities around the globe. Boxes include not only delicious goodies, but also a card describing each product, and a cultural guide that includes recipes. Boxes are $39 for 7-10 products and free shipping.

Try The World sent me their Limited Edition Holiday Box. The LE Holiday Box is a one-time purchase & costs $50. The box includes eight products as well as booklet filled with winter culinary traditions from around the globe. Right now, you can get a LE Holiday Box for free with your new subscription purchase.


The box itself (inside the outer shipping) is gorgeous & comes wrapped like a gift. The box is filled to the brim with delicious culinary delights. The Try the World Holiday Box included the following items:
  • Urbani Tartufi Truffle Products: Two Chocolate truffles and a sample of truffle oil from this famous Italian brand.
  • La Palais Des Thes Fine Teas: 3 tea bags. These French teas can be enjoyed hot or cold and use warm spices and winter fruits.
  • Rip van Wafels Traditional Dutch Waffles: Original and Cocoa-filled waffles from the Netherlands.
  • Mini Doce De Leite Milky Spread Gift Pack: Three flavors of this sweet, milky Brazilian spread.
  • Anna’s Pepparkakor Ginger Cookies: Scandinavia’s take on a gingersnap. 
  • Les Confitures A L’Ancienne Hot Chocolate Powder: Two packets of French hot chocolate.
  • Favarger Chocolates: Large chocolate bar from Switzerland
  • Mystery Product - I received HazerBaba Turkish Delight with Pistachio: Full-sized box. Sounds like others have received melon candied Calissons from Provence in France.
While I sometimes list values, since these are all international products, that proved harder then I imagined. I will say I think it is a fair price for what you are getting, especially since many of these items I had never heard of and never would have had the opportunity to try. For the products you love from the box, you can check the Try The World shop to see if you can order more. I can already tell I NEED more of the Les Confitures A L’Ancienne Hot Chocolate Powder! ;)

For the person on your list who has everything, or the person who does not want another knick-knack to put around the house, this may be your answer. It seems like it would be great for anyone who loves cooking, or eating, travelling and especially those who want to spice up their meals and add a bit of adventure.

If you'd like to order a single box or a subscription to Try The World you can use code "ROCKVILLETRAVELS" to save 30% off your first box. Or, as I mentioned above, Try The World is currently offering a free Holiday Box with your new subscription, but you can only take advantage of one of these promos.
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Fancy is another fantastic subscription box! They offer all types of boxes to choose from including celebrity curated boxes, mystery boxes, a food box and a culinary box. Fancy was kind enough to send me their Culinary Fancy Box. Inside, you will find a collection of the best home goods hand-picked by Fancy curators each month. Each box includes $80.00+ of products for $39 per month plus $7.95 shipping. 



The box I received was themed "World of Spice" contained the items below:
  • Umbra Cylindra Spice Rack – $15
  • AdHoc Spice Bomb – $25
  • Norpro Jalapeno Corer – $8
  • Norpro Powdered Sugar/Spice Spoon – $12
  • Norpro Nutmeg Grinder – $7
  • Quirky Clip and Clean - $8
  • Chef’n Herbsicle Frozen Herb Keeper – $8
  • Pepper Creek Farms Vietnamese Cinnamon – $7
These seemed like a great mix of items for the kitchen which most people would not already own. Plus with a value right at about $90, I think it is a fantastic deal.

Fancy offers a ton of awesome options for the moms and dads (and everyone else) looking for something unique and fun! I have several friends who have now bought themselves subscriptions and I am planning on buying a few boxes to gift to my friends and family for the holidays. 
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We have been subscribed to Kiwi Crate for years, but just recently, my son had decided he was more into the "older-kid" boxes on the market. I was just about to cancel our Kiwi Crate subscription when they announced three more boxes you can order. 

Tinker Crate helps kids gain crucial STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills through hands-on activities that are also seriously fun. Every crate includes all the materials and inspiration for a super-cool project related to a theme such as motors, trebuchets, or slime. Crates are designed to help kids build their problem solving skills and to gain the confidence and curiosity to tackle problems where there's no one right answer. Tinker Crate is designed for children ages 9 to 14+.



They have also added the Koala Crate to spark kids’ natural creativity and curiosity while saving time for busy parents. Every crate includes all the materials and inspiration for projects related to a theme such as colors, transportation or safari. Crates are designed to give preschoolers exposure to new materials and new concepts that encourage hands-on learning and fun. Koala Crate is designed for children ages 3-4.

For kids ages 9 to 16+, Kiwi Crate introduced the Doodle Crate to help inspire kids to learn new crafting skills and express themselves creatively. Every crate includes all the materials and inspiration for DIY projects such as patterned pouches, friendship bracelets, or colorful candles. Monthly crates encourage kids to tackle new challenges and gain creative confidence!

And, of course there is still the awesome Kiwi Crates for kids ages 4-8. Kiwi Crate celebrates kids’ natural creativity and curiosity while saving time for busy parents. Every crate includes all the materials and inspiration for projects related to a theme such as music, gardening, dinosaurs or colors. Projects may include arts and crafts, science activities, imaginative play and more.

All of the boxes in the Kiwi Crate family are $19.95 per month and include free shipping. You can save by signing up for a six or 12 month subscription. Right now, you can save 25% off your first month's subscription with code HOLIDAY25 or save 30% on two or more Holiday Crates with code SHOP30.
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Subscription Box Deals & Promo Codes

Note that while these are all current at the time of publishing, some codes are limited to a certain number of redemptions so I would not hesitate if you are interested in taking advantage of any of these deals.
  • Animal Trackers Club: Use coupon code “HOLIDAY” to get your first month free when you purchase a 6 or 12-month subscription.  Offer valid thru 12/20.
  • Space Scouts: Use coupon code “HOLIDAY20” to save 20% off any subscription.  Offer valid thru 12/20.
  • Little Passports: Save 15% on all new Little Passports subscriptions with code CHEER15.
  • Peekapak: Save $5 off your first order when you sign-up for their newsletter. Save $10 on your 1st month using code "holiday10". Get 1 pak FREE when you sign up for a six month subscription or 2 FREE paks using code "holidays". 
  • Lootcrate Use code ANNIVERSARY to save $3 on your first Loot Crate!
  • Citrus Lane: Use code “NEWMOM” to try your first box for $5 or "FIRST" to save 50% off your first box. The coupon code “SKIPGIFT40” will get you 40% off your first box PLUS a free Skip Hop Gift.
  • Kiwi Crate (Doodle Crate, Koala Crate & Tinker Crate)- Save 25% off your first month's subscription with code HOLIDAY25 or save 30% on two or more Holiday Crates with code SHOP30.
  • Green Kid Crafts - New subscribers can save 65% on their first box using code JOLLY - expires 12/8.
  • Groovy Lab in a Box- Enter STEMISTNOW20 at check out, and save 20% off your first month's subscription. Special discount code expires November 20, 2014.  
  • Nerd Block (Nerd Block Jr., Horror Block and Arcade Block) - Use coupon code SUPERHERO to save 10% off your first month!
  • Beauty Box 5: Use code “FREEBOX1″ to get the previous month’s box free when you sign up for a new subscription.
  • PopSugar Must Have Box: Use code “REFER5″ to save $5 off your first box.
  • Birchbox: For shop purchases, use code “MOBILE20″, “TAKE20OFF” or “WELCOMEOFFER20″ to save 20% off your order and add a Mystery Sample Pack to your cart.  Also check out the Bonus Shop for other Gift With Purchase offers.
  • Hamptons Lane: Use this link to save $10 off your first box.
  • Gwynnie Bee I have been a member since July and am in love! I have tried about 100+ dresses so far. So nice to not have to worry about dry cleaning...ever...but especially over the holidays!
  • Try The World you can use code "ROCKVILLETRAVELS" to save 30% off your first box. Or get a free Holiday Box with your new subscription, but you can only take advantage of one of these promos.