June 2016 bluum unboxing time!
If you’re not aware, bluum (yes, with a lowercase b) is a monthly subscription box for babies & kiddos from birth through age 5. Each box contains four or more products that are responsibly sourced, eco-friendly and often organic. The contents are based on the age of your kiddo in months, so there are many variations in the boxes that are sent in each shipment. (I don’t think I’ve seen any two boxes that were exactly the same.)
bluum now gives you the option to choose the exact items that you’ll receive in your box! When you log into your account you’ll be given a chance to pick one item from each of the available categories for that month’s box (food, toys, books, etc). If you’d rather be surprised, you can forgo picking and have them choose the items as they did in the past. They also give you the choice of opting out of the “mom” items, which I love because I kinda hated getting things for myself in a kid’s box. 😉
Subscriptions are $34/month or less with multi-month commitments. For a limited time, you can save $10 on your first month with coupon code “MRVA286CCE“.
My girls are currently 45 months old (remember — they go by months), so the bluum box I received was geared towards a 46 month (3 1/2 year) old child.
Let’s see what’s in my June 2016 bluum box!
The big red box!
A peek inside.
As always, there’s no actual printed info card… just a generic insert indicating the current month and age range of your child. Once your box is delivered, you’ll be able to log in to your account and view a list of its contents on their site. Since I chose the items myself, I knew exactly what would be in the box.
Melissa & Doug On the Farm Jigsaw Puzzle ($7.99) – I love Melissa & Doug products and since my girls have grown beyond their beloved wooden “chunky” puzzles, I figured this was the perfect step up for their age. This farm-themed puzzle features 12 large pieces packaged in its own sturdy wooden tray for easy building and storage.
My Sticker Activity Set by Roger Priddy (~$6) – I was a little hesitant to choose this set after I saw that it was no longer for sale on Amazon except via third-party sellers (and only for $6). However, I thought it looked cool so I took the gamble. — I’m glad I did! The set comes with 3 books that are PACKED with fun activities for little ones. They’re printed in full color and also include over 300 photo-realistic stickers. I would have loved these when I was a kid!
Re-Play Divided Plate (~$6) – We received one of these plates in one of our very first bluum boxes, so I picked this so we’d have one for each of the girls. It’s made from recycled milk jugs and is BPA-free, as well as dishwasher-safe.
Eeboo Rabbits’ Den Glitter Puzzle ($7.95) – For some reason there were a handful of holiday-themed choices for June’s box (Halloween and Christmas). I don’t know if it was an oversight or what, but since I love anything Christmas-related, I decided to choose this festive puzzle as my last pick. It features 20 large pieces that go together to form a 11″ x 15″ completed holiday scene. The pieces are also dusted with gold glitter to add sparkle and shine to the already festive illustration.
Another nice assortment of products from bluum. Of course, I chose them myself so I shouldn’t be too surprised. 😉 June’s total retail value (using Amazon prices) was roughly $28, which was lower than the cost of the monthly box. However, since I picked the items myself it’s really not a big deal. I’m more focused on choosing things my girls will like and that we can use rather than retail (or Amazon) value alone. 🙂
Remember — if you’d like to sign up for bluum, you can save $10 on your first month with coupon code “MRVA286CCE“!
Disclosure: I received this box for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way. All opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate and/or referral links.
I’ve been having issues since my last 5 boxes. Every time I try to customize my 4 items to put in the box, the choices available start disappearing. I thought this was a website glitch and had been battling with it snd Bluum for MONTHS now.
I finally received this response back stating that:
“The items you see available for the August box selections are currently what are available based on your child’s preferences and inventory. As you make choices some categories will show empty as the box must stay at a certain budget. You options available are based on what you select.
We are sorry that you are upset and hope that you can find items that you will love to receive in your box.”
WHAT??? No where on their website does it say anything about sticking to a budget! The fun of it was picking items that you enjoyed, regardless of the budget! There website claims “bluum choice is a feature that allows you to pick all of the products you receive in your monthly box, ensuring you get exactly what you want!”
Which is a complete lie. Not worth the frustration.
I too have been having issues with Bluum recently, and not just with Bluum Choice. Not only am I not receiving what I’m requesting, which I usually do well in advance, but I’m receiving things that aren’t really useful to my child or to me. My most recent box actually has more items for me than my child – in-wash boosters, towelettes, insect repellant and a Melissa & Doug wooden puzzle. I’ve indicted in my milestones that my child is further along in certain areas, and yet I get this type of toy.
It should be noted that there are other review sites out there that are reviewing Bluum and it seems that in the past several months, many parents have been having issues with their Bluum subscriptions, in particular if you are using Bluum Choice.