January 2014 Barkbox

As I mentioned last month, this is going to be our last Barkbox for a while.  We love the box and the variety of products, but we need to give Elvis some time to catch up on all these treats!

Here is Elvis' final box before we take a hiatus for a while:

Harry Barker Tug n’ Toss (retail: $3)
Elvis loves a good tug of war toy, but I do wonder if he'll be able to hold on to this due to how little his mouth is.  Guess we'll have to try and see!

Loving Pets Barksters (retail: $8.99)
These look like little potato chips!  They are all natural and low in fat.  I'm sure these will be a hit.

Think! Dog Alligator Jerky (retail: $5.59)
These are actually made of real alligator.  I don't know if Elvis will like alligator, but I'm curious to see if he does.

Wigzi Pocket Bone (retail: $7.99)
This bone bounces and has an area to fill with treats on either side.  This will be perfect to entertain Elvis when he needs a little variety from his Kong.

Barkworthies Junior Bully Stick ($2.50)
This is actually a repeat from previous a previous month, but Elvis has already finished it.  Clearly, he didn't mind.  ;-)

This was another great and diverse box.  I'm sure Elvis will enjoy everything inside at some point.  

Interested in trying Barkbox?  Please use my referral link and get $5 off! https://barkbox.com/r/NGWIVP3PQE

Barkbox December 2013

The arrival of this month's Barkbox is just in time for me to save it's contents and give them to Elvis on Christmas morning.  As much as Elvis loves Barkbox, we are going to take a break from it after January so he has a chance to eat all the delicious treats he's stockpiled.

Here is the December box:

Simply Fido Reindeer Toy (retail: $6)
Elvis is going to love this!  He's not going to know where to begin chewing with all these appendages. 

GoDog Yeti Toy (retail: $12)
This supposedly has "chew guard technology."  I predict Elvis will gladly accept this challenge so we will see how it goes.

Planet Dog Chicken Pot Pie and Pumpkin Treats (retail: $9.95)
Another bag of treats to add to Elvis' stockpile! 

Peanut Butter and Applesauce Bistro Bites (retail:$6)
These treats are perfectly sized for Elvis.  They will be great for training time.

Barkworthies Junior Bully Stick (retail $3)
Elvis has a weird reaction to bully sticks.  He knows they have "value" but doesn't really start chewing them for a while.  Sometimes he completely ignores them.  It will be interesting to see what he thinks of this one.

This is a great box this month and everything will make a great gift for Elvis on Christmas morning.  Interested in trying Barkbox?  Please use my referral link:  Barkbox Referral

#barkbox

November 2013 Barkbox

Elvis' favorite box arrived this weekend!  As much as we love the toys and treats in every Barkbox, Elvis has not been able to finish all his treats by the time the next box arrives.  After our 6 months are up (January will be the last box), we're going to put Barkbox on temporary hiatus until we need to replenish our treat supply again.

With that said, the November box did not disappoint!

The first item has already become one of Elvis' favorites.  It's a plush Zucchini by Pet Lifestyle and You (P.L.A.Y)  (retail: $9.50).  This toy is eco friendly and also seems pretty durable.  It's squeaky and  it's pretty funny to watch Elvis carry around something that is the size of a real vegetable.  (apologies for the action shot being a bit blurry)

The next item is a 2-pack of N-bones (retail: $4.50).  These are supposed to help with proper oral hygiene which is great because I'm embarrassed to admit Elvis won't let me brush his teeth.  Elvis already enjoyed one and ate it pretty quickly.

Next we have some mac-and-cheese treats from Bocce's Bakery (retail: $9.50).  These only have four ingredients: organic barley flour, cheese, turkey bacon, and truffles.  Interesting all the ingredients also claim to be "human grade."  Elvis is going to go crazy for these.

Still more treats!  Happy Howie's Turkey Sausages (retail $3) can be cut into smaller sizes.  These will be great for training or to take on walks.

Elvis' actually got TWO of the last item of the box.  He got a bonus Etta Says Deer 7-inch Chew (retail: $3 each --> $6).  Sometimes Elvis likes these types of treats but sometimes he doesn't know what to do with them.  I guess we'll see how this one turns out.

Overall a great barkbox with a total value of $32.50.  There are too many treats for Elvis to consume in 1 month though so it makes sense to put this box on hiatus for a while after January.  Does anyone else find that Barkbox delivers more treats than can be consumed in 1 month?

If you are interested in trying Barkbox, please use my link!  You'll get $5 off and Elvis will also get a free box.  https://barkbox.com/r/NGWIVP3PQE

#Barkbox

October 2013 Barkbox

Elvis' favorite box has arrived for the month!  The items in this month's Barkbox celebrate the "colors and flavors of fall."

What's Barkbox?  It's asubscription box that delivers 4-6 "innovative toys, treats, gadgets, and goodies" for your dog.  They customize the box based on the size of your dog and the monthly cost of the box decreases with your length of subscription ($29 for 1 month, $24 for 3 months, $19 for 6 months).   Another great thing is 10% of Barkbox profits go towards local pet shelters.

Here is Elvis' October Box!

The first item is a Chevron Bear from Pet Qwerks (retail: Not entirely sure - $6?).  Elvis already loves his new squeaky friend here.  Stuffed animal toys are definitely his favorite but they require periodic replacement after receiving too much love.

This next item is interesting.  Your Dog's Diner Mutt Meatball Mix (retail: $7.99) is a mix of organic seasonings to be mixed with a pound of lean ground meat and an egg to make dog meatballs.  D does not think I will ever actually make these meatballs but I know Elvis would love them.  Maybe if he's been really good.... ;-)

One thing I really love about Barkbox is the variety of healthy treats they send every month.  These artisan Baker's Best Autumn Harvest dog treats (retail: Not sure again - $9) are made of goat liver and pumpkin.  I predict Elvis will also be a fan of these. 

The next item was definitely the cutest item in the box.  Fruitables Halloween Share Pack (retail: $5.99) includes 8 small sizes of dried fruit dog treats.  These would be great to give out to dogs participating in trick or treating later this month.  I love that he ingredients are dried fruit and just the perfect size.

The final item is a lamb ear from Superior Farms (retail $3.19).  Elvis loves these type of things but only gets to enjoy them occasionally.  I'll have to find a special time for him to enjoy this.

Overall another great Barkbox with a value of approximately $32.  I love the variety of healthy treats and being introduced to new products for Elvis to enjoy.  Having a variety of treats around are super helpful when it's training time.

Has anyone else been enjoying Barkbox with their pup?   Interested in trying Barkbox?  Please use my referral link and get $5 off your subscription!  https://barkbox.com/r/NGWIVP3PQE

#barkbox

September 2013 Barkbox

It's been an interesting couple of days as I managed to fulfill a dream of competing on a national gameshow (next goal - actually win money on national gameshow ;-).  The long hours have caused me to get a little behind on blog posts but I'm going to catch back up today with Elvis' latest Barkbox.  On a side topic, know that meals from Plated are still being enjoyed but they aren't going to get a post this week.

D had the honor of unboxing and it appears to be a pretty collection of items this month.  We ended up getting one item that was different from the info card, but I think Elvis will be ok with the substitution.  

The first item is a kangaroo toy from Aussie Naturals (retail: $7.99).  This a great toy that is a stuffing free toy that squeaks AND also has a rope on the inside.  What will be great about this is that there will be a new rope toy for Elvis to enjoy with the kangaroo part falls victim to "too much love."  This is another winning toy discovering thanks to Barkbox.

Next we have some pizza flavored organic dog treats by Wagathas (retail: $6.49).  We haven't opened these yet, but they definitely sound delicious.  

The item is VetraCare Pet's liquid bandage (retail: $8.95).  This spray both disinfects and protects cuts and scrapes.  Hopefully now that we have it, we won't have to use it, but this will be a good thing to have if Elvis ever has a day of rough housing at daycare.  

The final bag of treats was our replacement item - It's Purely Natural Chicken and Rice Biscotti with Sweet Potato chunks (retail $4.80).  I'm sure Elvis will love these.  He's had sweet potato treats in the past and they were a definite success.

Elvis definitely has more than enough treats for him to enjoy this month.  The overall value of the box is $28.28.  We have the 6 month subscription so this is a great value for the $18/per month.

Interesting in trying Barkbox?  Please use my link to sign up!  https://barkbox.com/r/ngwiVp3pQe

Weekend update and August 2013 Barkbox

Hello Blog world!

It's a relaxing lazy Sunday here after a fun night of celebrating the wedding of some of our friends up in the Berkshires.  September is going to be a busy month as we celebrate three more sets of friends joining our state of marital happiness, but through it all I will make sure to blog on.  :-)

Our second two plated meals of last week were stuffed peppers and grilled chicken with eggplant couscous.  Both were just ok, but required large amount of preparation (especially the peppers).  D and I both agreed on them both being a 5/10, but one thing we do definitely appreciate is how much better we feel after eating a meal of "whole foods" instead of ordering in or going out.  

The variety of recipes weekly is also a huge perk of the boxed meal delivery.  We're looking forward to some tasty dishes this week ahead.  Tonight we are actually going make a pasta dish inspired by our favorite squash pasta we discovered from Blue Apron a few months ago.  I definitely think we're becoming better chefs after being exposed to new dishes as well.  

Our chihuahua Elvis had his 6th birthday this week and his gift is a re-subscription to BarkBox (Fancy Box will be canceled after this month and I think this is more fun (and less expensive) subsitution)).  What's Barkbox?  It's another subscription box that delivers 4-6 "innovative toys, treats, gadgets, and goodies" for your dog.  They customize the box based on the size of your dog, which is definitely needed so we don't get sent items that weigh as much as Elvis (he's 5 lbs).  The cost of the box decreases with your length of your subscription but always has free shipping.  Elvis' 6 month subscription makes the boxes $19/box.  Another great thing is 10% of Barkbox profits go towards local pet shelters.

Elvis was very excited to check out the contents of his box this month!  

Elvis was super excited to start playing with his latest toy.  This "Hear Doggy" blue whale (Retail $6.39) makes a squeeky noise that only dogs can hear.  When we squeeze it, it sounds like an air blowing sound but Elvis gets super excited by it.  :-)

Next we got a nice variety of treats to try out.  The food items Barkbox sends are always of the healthy variety (usually all natural).  Of course Elvis doesn't get to sample everything at once, but here are the items he will be testing out this month.  It's great to have full sized items to try to see if Elvis truly likes them once the first time novelty has worn off.

Barkworthies hickory meat soft treats (retail $6.30)

Barkworthies Bully flake dinner sprinkles (retail $5.25)

Honest Kitchen Ice-pups (retail $0.99)

Primal Pet liver munchies (these can be enjoyed by dogs AND cats!) (Retail $6.99)

The total value of our box is $25.92.  Elvis is definitely set with treats for the next month for sure and now he has a new whale friend.  

Anyone else ever tried BarkBox or any of these treats?  What do you think?