Live Your Dharma Jewelry Subscription Box by Yogi Surprise

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I haven't posted about one of my Yogi Surprise jewelry subscription boxes in a while, but it's not because I haven't been loving them.  I have.  But May's box was extra nice, so I thought I'd write a few words about it. I believe Yogi Surprise is going through a bit of rebranding, as I received an email from them in early May letting me know that future boxes would have a different look and a special free gift would be included to celebrate the new launch.  I'm not really sure which item was the free gift as no information card was included, although I'm guessing it was the pretty gold-tone and purple crystal bracelet.  I like that this one is adjustable - can't say I've seen that with link bracelets before.

I'm super excited about the stainless steel mandala diffuser necklace. It has a nice heft to it and I've got quite the collection of perfume oils, so this will be put to good use. Also included with the necklace were three discs to put oil on and a small plastic suction/dropper to apply oil.  

I thought it was a very nice touch to include the Energizer Wake Up essential oil blend from Sekoia.  I've already used a bit of it in a room diffuser and find the citrus based scent to be pleasant and uplifting. 

The white onyx lotus bracelet beautifully complements the diffuser necklace, and I love the delicate striations in the white beads.  I'll get a lot of wear out of this one, especially during the warmer months with I wear a lot more white.

The sweet treat in May's box was the Double Chocolate Chip Cookie, which is grain and soy free, paleo friendly, and could probably serve as a meal on the go in a pinch.  I've yet to try it as I'm currently trying to restrict my carbs to about 40 grams per day, but I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Overall, I love May's box and continue to look forward to my Yogi Surprise box each month!  The subscription rate is $24.99/month, and they also have a lifestyle box for $44.95/month.  You can find more details here, including how to get 20% off your first box.

Skin Serum #5 Antioxidant Boost by Kensington Apothecary

Disclaimer:I was sent this as compensation for a missing product.

Back in October I was sent the Yogi Surprise Lifestyle box in lieu of a bracelet that was supposed to be in my Yogi Surprise Jewelry box but wasn't. I just finished up the Kensington Apothecary Skin Serum #5 from that box and wanted to post a review, as I liked it! Let's take a closer look.

If you are not familiar with Kensington Apothecary (I wasn't), it is a Portland, Oregon based brand that formulates and manufactures 100% natural skincare using organic and non-GMO raw materials. The founder's goal was to create a beauty line which competes against luxury skin care products while also meeting the 100% natural ingredient standards that natural skin care consumers expect.  

The Skin Serum #5 Antioxidant Boost ($36) contains Mango, Maca and White Tea Extracts along with trace minerals from clay. It's a clear, slightly viscous serum that absorbs easily into the skin and purports to be anti-aging, moisturizing, and stimulates collagen production. The only weird thing I noticed was the image on their website shows a whiskey colored serum, whereas mine is completely clear. Makes me wonder if the formula is different, but I can't really say.  

Ingredients: Mangifera Indica (Mango) Distillate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aqua (Water), Vegetable glycerin, Camellia Sinesis (Tea) Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis (Roiboos) Leaf Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango), Seed Extract, Ficus Extract, Hydrolyzed Lepidium, Meyenii (Maca) Root, French Mineral Clays(Montmorillonite, Illite, Kaolin), non-GMO Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate.   

I layer products a la the Korean skincare method, so this serum was just one of several products I used on my face. I liked that it played well with others, including my foundation. Antioxidants in skincare help to protect the skin by calming inflammation, firming skin, plumping the skin, increasing blood flow to scar tissue, and encouraging the growth of new cells. There are lots of different antioxidants that can be found in skin products, and green tea is one that has a fair amount of research to back up it's claims. Bottom line, I thought this was a good mid-priced serum and I appreciate it's natural ingredient list. I'd like to explore the brand further!

May Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box: Creative Divine Mother

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I've been remiss about posting my Yogi Surprise jewelry boxes, but not because I do not enjoy them. I think there was a lackluster month or two of boxes, which got me out of the the habit. However, that was quite a while back, and recent boxes have been both varied in style and quite pretty!

May's box theme is "Creative Devine Mother", which I'm assuming is a misspelling of "divine". Whoops. The box contents do not disappoint, with their bright colors appropriate for the glorious spring weather I've been enjoying during my staycation.

The Creative Bolo Mala necklace ($65) is a more modern take on mala necklaces, with it's fabric fringe hanging from a brass piece and translucent bright beads separated by smaller faceted crystals. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the bright beads are really quite lovely, as they have color striations running through them that elevates the overall look.

The Creative Wrap Bracelet ($32) features bright pink agate and amethyst stones, along with gold accents and crystals. The pink tassle on mine will need trimming, as some of the threads are longer than the others.  No biggie - it's a really pretty bracelet and nicely compliments the necklace.

I think I'll be wearing this set when I take my mom out to lunch on Saturday for Mother's Day. It will fit in nicely with the bright decor at my favorite Thai restaurant.

The sweet treat this month are Coconut Milk Caramels ($1.49) from Cocomels.  I have an aversion to the taste of shredded coconut, but these did not trigger that dislike and I thought they were really tasty!

June's sneak peak looks like a new style of necklace from Yogi Surprise, which is nice to see. I like mala necklaces, but my collection of them has gotten quite large, so some variety is welcome.  Subscriptions are $24.99/month, and I've got a referral code if you are interested in subscribing. Each box features two fair trade, handcrafted in Bali pieces of jewelry and one sweet treat. Well worth it, IMO, plus there is usually a code for 10% off each box for the life of your subscription!

Grateful Yogi: November Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I've been remiss in posting my Yogi Surprise jewelry boxes the past few months. Last month's box was missing the bracelet, and it took about a month of back and forth emails before it was resolved. Turns out there was not an extra bracelet to send me, so they sent October's lifestyle box instead, so I'm happy :-)  I'm also happy with November's jewelry box, so let's take a look!

If you are not familiar with this subscription box, for $24.99 per month you will receive two pieces of jewelry and some type of organic treat.  The minimum guaranteed value of each box is $64.99, and the jewelry is handcrafted in Bali and is fair trade. November's jewelry are a matching Yew Wood and Fire Agate "Gratitude" bracelet and necklace.

The bracelet has a lovely tree of life charm, which is a symbol acknowledging the unification of humanity with the universe as a whole and is recognized in many faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hindu, and Baha'i.

The Yew tree is known as the tree of resurrection and eternity or the goddess tree, as it embodies the crone aspect of the triple Goddess.  It symbolizes perseverance in the face of adversity and is associated with the winter solstice. Yew wood is thought to protect against evil and heighten psychic abilities. All parts of the tree except for the fleshy berry are poisonous, and the leaves and bark contain small amounts of the cancer inhibiting Taxol. The trees can live to be 2000 years old, which is amazing!

I love the design of the necklace, which features a single string of alternating yew wood and fire agate beads hanging from an antiqued metal chain.  Fire agate is highly regarded as a strengthening and stabilizing influence, and has a lower vibrational frequency than other stones. Fire agate increases emotions and helps to reconnect you to your deepest desires and can help with breaking out of humdrum routines.  Hmmm, I need this, as I've been feeling rather stuck and in a rut lately. It has protective properties that build a shield around the body and return intended harm back to its source. Dang.

The chocolate bar is from Raaka and features apples, cinnamon and graham crackers.  Mine was melted as it sat in my mailbox all day when the temps were still hitting the mid-80's. I love the wrapper and general artisinal vibe of this brand, although paying $10 for a chocolate bar is outside the norm for me.

If you want to experience monthly seasonal micro-batch chocolate bars, Raaka is offering a subscription service called First Nibs, and info is in the card below.

I'm loving November's box! I wear bracelets from my Yogi Surprise boxes every day, usually two or three stacked together with my watch. The sneak peek of December's necklace has got me excited with it's clean lines and quartz crystal - very striking.

If you are interested in this subscription box, I've got a Referral Code I would appreciate you using, or you can go straight to Yogi Surprise to sign up. I've been happy with this subscription service and now that I've seen how their Customer Service resolves problems, feel like I can wholeheartedly recommend.

June Yogi Surprise Jewelry Subscription Box: Solstice Celebration

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

This year June 20th marks the summer solstice for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, which means the sun is at it's highest point in the sky, it's the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer.  The Yogi Surprise Jewelry subscription box ($24.99) is celebrating the event with a summer hued necklace and bracelet, plus a mint chocolate chip (kinda) cookie.

I've been quite happy with most of the jewelry from Yogi Surprise, but these two items have a few kinks (literally) that keep me from loving them. The Chakra Love Crystal Healing Talisman necklace ($22) features a vegan leather cord that wants to wrap around itself no matter how much I tried to straighten it out.

The stones could vary and I received a pink quartz crystal, which while pretty, does not look quite as striking as the stone featured in the sneak peek feature from last month's card. I decided to swap out the pink quartz crystal to another Yogi Surprise necklace, and I'm liking how this looks much more.

The bracelet ($28) features yellow jade with a silver metal "om" symbol, and I love the graduated warm colors. The round shape of the stones on the stretchy cord are not a good mix, however, as they do not lay flat on the wrist.

I've got small wrists and this fit snug, which coupled with the standing stones is a no go. Not wanting to waste the pretty, I decided to play jewelry doctor again, and came up with this necklace option using the vegan cord instead.

The chocolate snack for June is a Rawxies Chocolate Mint Heart Bar ($3). The texture was somewhat gummy, which kept me from fully appreciating the good for you ingredients.

Overall, not my favorite Yogi Surprise Jewelry box, although my makeshift jewelry tinkering kept it from being a wash out. July's sneak peek is a Sun Salutation cork bottle necklace featuring Pink Aventurine.  I'm going to reserve judgement until I see it in person, but I'm hoping the second item wins me over :-) Happy summer solstice!

Nourish & Regenerate: Yogi Surprise Jewelry Subscription for May

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

May's Yogi Surprise jewelry subscription box is focused on how we renew, nourish and regenerate ourselves:

The sandalwood, pearl, and amazonite mala necklace is gorgeous!  I love how the wood looks with the soft white and green beads and it definitely evokes spring for me. 

Sandalwood is a traditionally used wood for mala necklaces and is supposed to attract positive subtle vibrations, clear perceptions, promote tranquility and a positive frame of mind.  Sandalwood is also purported to be an antidepressant, antiseptic, insecticidal, and sedative wood and is therefore used to assist the immune system in the healing process and prevention of illness (source).  It also smells good :-) 

Pearls symbolize purity and stimulate the mind in clarity and wisdom.  Amazonite is thought to dispel worries, fears, anger, and irritation and also helps to balance mood swings. 

This month's bracelet features 6 labradorite beads paired with white jade.  Labradorite is known as a protector stone and is thought to bring natural intuitive abilities to light.  I'm a believer in intuition and have had occasional premonitory dreams since I was a child.  They are not usually anything of great significance, but I'm no longer surprised when I dream of someone I haven't seen or talked to in years and then run into them the next day or they shoot me an email.  White jade is supposed to block distractions and aid in decision making and protect you from negative energies.

I've been enjoying stacking my Yogi Surprise bracelets and love how this new addition looks in the mix. 

May's chocolate offering is from Lovely Candy Co. and is reminiscent of Tootsie Rolls but with more natural ingredients.  They taste great and do not stick to your teeth, so count me a fan.

Great month!  So now I should have plenty of protection, peace and tranquility all while making good decisions fueled by my sharpened intuition and laser-like perceptions.  Bring it on.

Yogi Surprise Jewelry Subscription Box: Connecting with Nature

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

April's Yogi Surprise jewelry subscription box celebrates the transitional season of rebirth and renewal, or what we typically call spring. I'm on the second week of my spring staycation, where I try to get my yard under control while also relaxing and enjoying that brief period of warm days, cool nights, and low humidity before Mobile's hot and humid summer commences.

The Brown Jasper and African turquoise meditation bracelet ($35) is gorgeous with it's mixture of earth tones. I'm not sure about that tassel, but I'll give it a go. Brown Jasper is known as a quintessential Earth stone and is deeply connected to the planet as "home", engendering security, protection, nurturing, and healing (source). It also cleanses the physical and emotional body of toxins and negative thought forms, which seems appropriate for the season of rebirth.  

African Turquoise is actually another form of jasper from Africa that is often dyed to resemble turquoise. It can help open you to new ideas and possibilities and make it easier to incorporate positive changes into your life.  I keep intending to create more calming and stress relieving practices into my life, but I can't say I've done it successfully or consistently yet. I'm going to keep trying, however.

April also saw the first earrings ($18) from Yogi Surprise, and these are some I can definitely see myself wearing. The metal is brass and the stones are red onyx and yellow jade. Together these are supposed to promote stability, strength, and growth towards positive change.

The chocolate offering this month is from Raaka and is a Pink Sea Salt dark chocolate bar ($8) sourced from the Dominican Republic and Bolivia. Chocolate is now being described much like wine, and this one has "sparkling citrus notes with warm hints of berry".

I'm not sure my palette is sophisticated enough to pick up these flavor nuances, but it is a good dark chocolate. I love salt combined with chocolate, so it's a winner for me.

Spiderwort: pretty until it gets out of control

I'll leave you with a few recent pics of nature from my jungle yard. There were a times this week when I was cursing the overgrowth and thorny vines that multiply faster than I can cut them, but I love having a large yard.

Not too happy about the snakes (I see a few each year, usually from a distance), but as long as they leave the dogs and me alone, I'm live and let live. I guess this is a time of rebirth for them as well.

Maggie enjoying the spring weather