Influenster and Smiley

I loved the concepts of BuzzAgent, Influenster, and Smiley, but they were too much work for too little payout. I've received one box (all it had in it was Carefree panty liners), and even though I went to the site everyday and worked it, nothing else ever came.  Well, that's not exactly true. On Influenster I did get $75 in eBay funds for writing some articles for them, but I can't make them work, and I can't seem to get them to work simultaneously, so I haven't actually done anything with them. It's super annoying, actually.

So they are off my feed and gone. If you do them, yay! I hope you have a great time.

Reviews

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there are some companies that offer trial boxes so that real people can test products and write reviews.  I belong to two of them:

• Smiley360  If you want to join, my referral code is http://h5.sml360.com/-/x97q
• Influenster  If you want to join, my referral code is www.influenster.com/r/1064439

These two sites both have the same general goal - sending free boxes to folks for items to review, but they operate slightly differently.

I have found that the Influenster site is easier for me to use because I've figured out how to increase my impact, which directly correlates with receiving boxes.  This is huge because user interface is extremely important.  I didn't qualify for a box immediately, but I did qualify to posts for eBay. Once the two posts are reviewed, I should be getting a $25 gift card for eBay.  Yay!  I have since been qualified for a box from Carefree that I should be receiving soon.  Once I receive it and test the products, I'll be posting a review here with a link on my Pinterest page and my twitter page.

However, I've seen more links to Smiley360 on Pinterest, so I'm sure that if other folks can figure it out, I can, too. I qualified for a Smiley360 box immediately, but the boxes were all taken, so qualifying just taught me that you've got to jump on things fast! It was a toothpaste box, and I love testing out new toothpastes and toothbrushes. Yeah, silly I know.  But hey, my interest in trying out new products and in subscription boxes is what led me to find out about these boxes in the first place!

04/15/15 UPDATE: I received my #freshisfierce Carefree box and will be posting a review in a few days!

October Olive Box

Olive Box is a monthly stationery subscription service (so much better than the fruit of the month!). It's even better than the wine of the month. I can go to the store, pick the wine I'm in the mood for, then sip my chosen wine (I would like a Cassillero del Diable Carmenere, please) while playing with my new stationery.  

Olive Box has such wonderful stationary!

I place quite a few online orders each month, but I always know what's inside my packages. Olive Box is the answer! I get to increase my stationary collection and receive a nice surprise in the mail.  I had been considering a Quarterly Co., but I promised myself I'd only purchase myself one subscription, and stationery won.

That didn't last long. This morning I joined Goulet Pen's Ink Drop. But it's very nicely priced,  $10 with shipping included, and I need to get some ink! I don't know anything about ink, so Ink Drop's sample sizes will help me learn without costing me $9-20 per bottle.  Subscription services are addictive!

In September, I purchased the October box on a month-to-month basis. It was a test to see what I thought of the service. After sitting with my October box for a few days, I ordered a 6-month subscription. I look forward to monthly surprises through April. I would have liked to have gotten the 12-month subscription - it breaks down so that each box is cheaper, and it comes with a $25 gift certificate for its sister company, Pink Olive.  But it was too pricey for me at the moment. That's ok. In six months I will just re-join :-)

I've had to create wish lists in Pink Olive, Goulet Pen, and Jetpens just so that I can track all the wonderful writing things I need to buy!

It's all about me!

The October Olive Box came in simple, tasteful packaging. The box had a lid, so I didn't have to open the side and dump everything out like with a FedEx box.

When I lifted the lid, there was a package wrapped in blue tissue paper sitting on brown crinkly spring paper (no ugly bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts). If you decide to give an Olive Box subscription as a gift, your friend will receive a beautifully package that doesn't contain billing information.

Each box has a theme. This month's theme is, "It's all about me!"  An unsealed, gold envelope contained a letter about the box's contents. The envelope flap had a small white heart sticker that easily peeled off to decorate my cork board. The blank envelope is now waiting to hold a letter. The envelope is made of a shiny, thick paper that will require a Sharpie or a ballpoint pen.

The blank notecard is a cheerful white decorated with triangles, and it has "hooray" emblazoned on the front. The envelope is brown paper that I can leave as-is or decorate.

The sticker that came in the box proclaims, "You are loved," and will make a delightful addition to a future package. I might even use it on the gold envelope.  If I didn't want to share it, I could decorate one of my plain notebooks (the simple gray text would make a nice addition to the plain black cover of my Black n'Red notebook).

A small plastic bag of confetti was included in the box. I hate getting packages with confetti in them. It's cute for two seconds, then I spend an hour picking itty bitty pieces of plastic and paper out of my carpet before the cat eats it and gets sick. My current apartment has tile and no kitties, but that doesn't change the fact that confetti makes a mess  I will probably give this away to someone (after making them promise it will not be included in anything they give me!).  

The final (main!) item in the box is a diary. I opened the diary, felt the smooth pages, and immediately wrote my name on the box that says "this is the beautiful life of" on the pink inside cover  Well, I took a quick picture before I wrote on it.

The inside front cover is pink and has a square to write your name.
The Lamy Safari is included to show the diary's size.

I wrote my name on the inside cover before reading the smaller print on the cover. I was upset when I turned the page and saw on the cover page that it's "my autobiography in drawings." I don't draw. I tossed my Olive Box in the corner of my living room and moped for a few days because I couldn't regift it to someone else with my name on it. I didn't want to use it for text because then I'd remember I'm a lousy draw-er and that's why I was forced to write in a drawing diary.  

After a few days I got over myself and fixed the diary. It is now my autobiography in words and drawings. I am back to being in love with my new diary and my entire Olive Box.

My autobiography in words and drawings.

The diary is from  from Chronicle Books. Their website states:

Inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books, our objective is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that's instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity, and value. This objective also informs our business relationships and endeavors, be they with customers, authors, vendors, or colleagues

The pages of my new journal are edged with silver. The pages are smooth, and they are thick enough that there's no bleed through with my fountain pens. In fact, writing on them with my Estebrook SJ fountain pen is one of the most beautiful writing experiences I've ever had. I used a fine point master nib with J. Herbin Bleu Myosotis (forget-me-not blue) ink. I have been eyeing Rhodia and other high quality journals, but I couldn't convince myself that they were worth the extra expense when the cheap Carolina notebooks are good enough. Writing in this diary has convinced me to buy the dotted Rhodia notebook that I've been oogling for ages.  I really, really want to write on a dotted page and enjoy the experience of high quality paper!

My Estebrook SJ with J. Herbin Mystosis Bleu ink writes like a dream in this Chronicle Books diary.

The pages are blank with small notes at the bottom that suggest what I should write about. I already have a journal to write random thoughts in, so this is a fun journal addition.  

Some pages have margin outlines, and some don't. I usually dislike margin outlines, but these are small enough that they don't negatively affect the page size. 

 A very small margin does not disrupt the white space like so many outlined pages do.
The Lamy Safari and the Estebrook SJ are included in the picture for size... and because they're awesome.

My conclusion?   Olive Box = Awesome  I am already looking forward to my November package!

March 2013 Update: I have fallen out of love with Olive Box. I misunderstood the type of content I would receive, and I haven't enjoyed any box as much as I've joined my first one. I don't want a book about home decorating or a country-charm style wall print. I thought I was getting a "paper" subscription, but I was mistaken. The boxes are always beautiful, and the products included in it are top quality. I would definitely give a subscription to Olive Box to someone who would appreciate it, but I won't be continuing my subscription once my current subscription is complete.