Mail Time :: Nails, Baby, Food & Feet!

I love getting mail.

I love sending mail.

Mail mail mail, I love the mail.

Please forgive my photo quality.
I hate my phone, but sometimes it is the only option.
Times like when you're parked crossways in the street, trying to snap a picture of  your mailbox.

Here's what I'm loving in the mail, lately

This box of nail polish, as a Christmas gift for my niece.  I think she'll appreciate that they're "grown-up" type colors and packaging.  I appreciate that it was free, save for shipping.  Check out julep.com if you're a nail gal, and use the code FREEBOX!

Box 2 on the left, Box 1 on the right.
Adorable baby in the middle.

Both of our boxes from Citrus Lane.  I had to search around the house, but I rounded up the contents of both boxes for you.  The first one, I ordered on purpose, and only paid half price.  The second one, I ordered on accidente, as I failed to recognize it was a subscription thing.  I really like what I received both time, but RG doesn't need new toys every month.  So while I do think its definitely worth trying the first box for half price, I'm not sure its worth the every month, full price.  So if you've got a wild hair and $12 extra smakaroos, I'd say try it, its fun!  (The link above should get you $10 off, but the code TAKEHALF should get you $12.50 off instead!)

My favorite is the Playful Wash from Episencial.
Smells DIVINE, and I feel like Riley could drink it and still be okay, its that *crunchy*
Her favorite, well, I think its obvious.
Bathtime fun is a a win for us all around here!

NatureBox, Naturebox, can't be beat.  Its the ... well, box full of goodies.  Handsome fully supports this one.  I'd show you a picture of what came in our NatureBox, but, well... we ate it.  Both boxes (ordered in a similar fashion to the CL boxes...) came right before road trips, so we had delicious food to munch on in the car, that didn't make us feel like garbage monsters.  But again, worth the half-price for fun and food?  Absolutely, which is what you'll get with this code.  Worth the full-price??  Maybe once in a while as a treat.   

A few weeks ago, I received this guy in the mail from Influenster & Dr. Scholls.  Here's the skinny: I sign up for these "try out our product and tell the world about it" things because, hello!  The things come in the mail!  And we've established, I LOVE MAIL.  Plus, its fun to try things out and tell you what I find.  Here's the other truth - I don't love everything I try.  In which case, I often just email the company that sent me the thing and tell them nicely that, while I'm sure someone finds value in their product, its not me.  So there.  You won't find me giving a bad review because I don't like to say mean things.  Instead, I'll just say nothing at all.

Anyhow, I got some Dr. Scholl's #ActiveSeries inserts to try out.  And so I thought, I'll put them in my rattiest sneakers, and see what develops.  So I did.

These sneakers.
The sneakers I did the mud run in.
The sneakers I've owned and ran in for over 2 years.
The poison intended to kill Kuzco.
Those sneakers.

Here's what developed:  I went for a run.  In the rain.  Without the baby, as she was at the sitter's.  And it was glorious, being alone, and in the rain, and running.  Oh. My.  I needed it that day.  And although I ran only a short distance, I did notice one big improvement with these inserts - my toe didn't hurt.  You know, my toe that I dropped the cast iron skillet on?  It has been hurting me when I run in my minimalist shoes.  But with these lovely cushiony sweethearts, there was no pain.  Thats what I know.  I feel like they've given my shoes a little bit more life, although they didn't add any tread, which is going to soon be a problem.  But at least now they're comfortable again!

This, this, and this sweater from BR.  While I'm not really a mall-shopper, I am most definitely an online shopper.  To my wallet's detriment, but whatevs.  However, I love it when I can find great deals, and not have to load the baby in the car, drive 2 hours (I'm a rural girl, okay?), miss the baby's nap, try things on while entertaining the now cranky & hungry baby who is in the stroller but would rather be in my arms, have her throw up on something I didn't want and then have a guilty conscience because I didn't buy it have to buy it anyhow *ahem*.  You know what I'm saying.  Luckily, BR offers free returns and free shipping over $50 (please, like that's hard).  And they're having 40% off right now.  Just FYI.  The wool- it feels like butta.

And now, for the mail part of sending and not receiving, I sent out a belated birthday package today to my namesake. She's fabulously 6 now, and so wonderful.  I sent her a dress-up package, with a bow I made, a scarf, hair chalk, jewelry, and a new little purse that I won in a giveaway.  There was also some of my favorite "children under 8" gifts, including the little sponge animals in the capsules and the tiny things that you put in water and they grow to 80x their original size.  FAVORITES!  The best part of this package, though, was that I mailed it from home.  I'd never done this before.  You measure and weigh your box, go to usps.com, enter the information, choose how you want to ship it, and then you print your label, and voila!  The mail lady picks it up, and in a few days Little Mariah should have all of her goodies!  It was so fun, I want to ship more things! Anybody want a box of rice?  I feel like I could ship that, given the right provocation...

Finally, I just wanted to give a shout-out to Miss Nicole, who is doing her part to breathe life back into the USPS, with her new business venture.  The Parcel Post Company is dedicated to sharing beauty through the mail.  Seriously, if there ever was a girl who loved the mail as much as I do, I think Nicole is it.  So check out her sweet shop, and think about spreading love with stamps!

Okay.  WHEW.  That was long.  And linky.  But now you know what I'm loving about the mail.  So dish.  What are you giving or getting in the mail lately?  Inquiring minds want to know...

<3 M.

NOTE:  Some links provide me with kickbacks.  In this case, CL, NB, and Julep.  Everyone else, well, they're just bonuses for you.  hashtag: Full Disclosure.