Escape Monthly is a subscription service that offers a "vacation in a box." Every month, it delivers a package filled with goodies from a chosen destination. Past "vacations" have included Colorado and New York City. When I found out that the March destination was, appropriately enough, Ireland, I grabbed one of the last boxes available and sat back to await my miniature version of a trip to the Emerald Isle. (Well, okay, I didn't really sit back and wait, because it took a week or two to receive my box and I do have a job to go to and everything.)
Last week, the box showed up in the mail. Here's what I found in it.
1. Moon Travel Guides,
Living Abroad in Ireland (value: $19.99)--every month, Escape Monthly includes a guidebook dedicated to the destination of choice. I love to read, so I always enjoy getting new books, but I kind of wish that, instead of including a guidebook, the box had included something with a little more character, like a book of photographs or short stories from Ireland. Still, I liked the fact that this was a book about living abroad in Ireland. The information is a little more in-depth than what you'd find in a "traditional" tourist guidebook.
2. Bewley's Irish Creme Coffee (1.75-ounce size, $2.99)--unfortunately, I don't do caffeine, so I can't try out this coffee. It'll make a good gift for a coffee drinker, though.
3. Bewley's "Gift of the Gab" Irish tea (ten bags, $3.89)--d'oh! Another caffeinated concoction. I do drink tea, but only herbal types, so this will also go on the gift pile. It's a good inclusion in the box, though; what Irish-themed subscription service would be complete without tea?
4. O'Neills Shamrock Shortbread cookies (four-pack, $2.29)--I had to pull this picture off the Escape Monthly website because, um, I already ate the cookies. I think they were made from pure butter, they were so good. Definitely not a waistline-friendly food, but great with a cup of (herbal) tea.
5. Butler's Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar ($3.99)--readers of this blog will quickly learn that I'm allergic to chocolate, thanks to all the chocolate items that appear in subscription boxes. I think my heart cried when I saw this bar because I knew I couldn't eat it, but it made a nice treat for my husband. Again, the picture above is from the Escape Monthly website because this truffle didn't last long at our house.
6. Human+Kind Family Remedy Cream ($34.99)--I loved the packaging for this lotion, and I always enjoy getting beauty and body products. This cream is good for skin irritations like sunburns, so, because of the fact that winter has been around for what feels like 17 months, I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy during the summer.
7. Hogan's Brown Irish Soda Bread ($8.99)--I think I might have squealed when I took this out of the box. I love soda bread, and the instructions for making this are so simple. It went right into our pantry, and I'll be sure to make it next time we're having a stew.
8. Auld Sod Shamrock Seeds ($3.95)--these are so cute! I'll definitely be planting them, and probably continually moving them to various locations around our house so that our cats don't eat them.
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Overall, I liked the contents of this box, though I was bummed that I couldn't consume half of the food products that I received. I had also hoped to get a small craft item or accessory, maybe instead of one of the food items. However, the value was good for what I spent (which was 20 percent off the regular price of $49.99 a month), so overall I was pleased. Next month's destination is Mexico, so I'm deciding whether or not I'll be taking that trip. My only concern is that the box will be another coffee and chocolate fest, so we'll see.
Want to give Escape Monthly a try? Sign up through my referral link so that I can earn more vacations in a box (and so that you can get 20 percent off your boxes for the life of your subscription):
Escape Monthly subscription link
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