Subscription Boxes

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy trying to find the perfect gift. I also try not to clutter up other’s lives too much. With the gift giving season upon us, where do we turn for such great gifts?  Subscription boxes!           

Subscription boxes are great both to show you care and to give a unique gift to someone special. You can choose from a vast array of interests and subscription lengths to cater perfectly to your recipient. You can opt for a one-time gift, three or six months, or even give the gift that keeps giving all year long!    

For the Lego enthusiast, try BRICKBOX Club or Brick Loot. In the same vein, give your little builders Tinker Crate or Bitsbox to get them started on learning how to code.

For the budding artist who uses up all your tape and construction paper, I personally recommend trying Kiwi Crate, which offers boxes curated specifically for babies up to teenagers to keep those creative minds going. Other arts and crafts subscriptions include toucanBox or Green Kid Crafts. For the promising foodie in your family, check out a KidStir Cooking Kit subscription. Each hands-on kit instructs kids how to make the given recipe, master new cooking skills with provided kitchen tools, as well as teaches in a fun way about the food they’re making.

To shower the family’s die-hard sports fan in official fan wear, consider Sportscrate or Fanchest. For children looking to start or add to their baseball card collection, check out Baseball Cards of the Month Club, specifically the Kids Club. If you’re looking to gift the fun of learning, check out Little Passports, Girls Can! Crate and Just Like Me! Book Box subscriptions. Little Passports are boxes aimed at teaching children about the world around them. Girls Can! Crate delivers boxes teaching girls about inspiring women along with coordinating STEM activities. “The Just Like Me! Book Box was built on the foundation of exposing children of color to literature, characters, authors and stories that are reflective of them,”

A couple of subscriptions are just for fun, such as Sock Panda and Sensory TheraPlay Box. Sock Panda delivers fun and unique socks sure to put a smile on the recipient’s face. The company’s loftier goal is making the world a better place by donating socks to those in need in homeless shelters and underprivileged classrooms throughout the nation.

We all have those challenging adults for whom finding a gift can seem impossible. The same subscription strategy applies. Think about their interests and start searching based on that particular interest. They may not know the perfect gift even exists for them!  Here are some to consider.

Food boxes such as Butcher Box deliver premium meat straight to your door, or try Carnivore Club, Try the World or Mouth. Offering beverages, Misto Box is lovely for your coffee enthusiasts, and Tea Box or Plum Delux is great for those favoring tea. For adult beverages, check out Wine or Beer of the Month Club, because who wouldn’t want to come home to wine or craft beer on the front step?  Other food related boxes, such as FoodStir, help people get back into baking in their own kitchens and making memories together.

Consider fashion and beauty boxes. Sometimes it’s nice to be gifted some higher quality items that you wouldn’t normally splurge on for yourself. We moms especially tend to put others before ourselves, so this is a thoughtful gift for the women in your life. Stitch Fix is pretty well known, and I personally have loved the couple of boxes I’ve received. They sent me skinny jeans that fit, and I didn’t have to drag kids with me to a dressing room! Third Love is a company committed to finding the best-fitting bra for all women, without the hassle of a bra fitting.

FabFitFun got a resounding “YES!” from my informal poll. Ashleigh Moshier, mother of two, says, “Fabfitfun! My mom gets it for me every year as my Christmas gift! It’s really fun to get a box every season!” Jessi Cole, mother of three, says, “FabFitFun!! I've done several others but that one is my favorite!”

On beauty boxes, Jennifer Willis, mother of four, says, “I love my Birchbox subscription! It’s fun to get makeup and skincare samples each month. It’s improved my makeup game and it’s fun to have something just for me!” Another beauty subscription is Sephora’s Play Box. Leann McHugh, mother of three, says, “I get Sephora’s Play Box each month. It’s fun and inexpensive.”  The Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s razors are other options to treat both the men and women you’re gifting this season.

Who wouldn’t enjoy a hobby-related subscription box? For booklovers, give the gift of a new book delivered to their door with Book of the Month. Bonus if you add a gift card to a local coffee shop so your reader can slip off for a few hours of caffeinated reading. For the runners, check out the Runner Box or Runner Crate. Perhaps you have a gardener to buy for—then check out Plow Box, Urban Organic Gardener or Succulent Studios. For the hunting and fishing enthusiast, check out the Sportsman Crate or Battlbox. Then there are the people in your life who would be tickled to receive a gift they can share with their favorite furry friend. Look into Bark Box, Purr Packs and RescueBox that deliver treats and toys while also giving support to animals in need.

If supporting local businesses is a priority for you, you always can create your own boxes from locally-owned shops, or contact your recipient’s local stores to see whether they might put together a box for you.

Stephanie Loux is a freelance writer married to her college sweetheart, Mike, and is mother to Layla, Mason and Slade.