Touch of New England

There is nowhere I’d rather live than New England! Fall foliage bursting with color, majestic mountains, rugged coastlines, and quaint family farms are just a few snapshots of our region.  However, it is more than that…it’s a feeling of old world charm. It’s sorta like living in a Hallmark Christmas movie…lol.  New England is a magical place filled with local small businesses that create premium, unique products. Touch of New England is a subscription box that will make you feel like you’re traveling here without leaving your home.

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

They say it best: “When you can’t go there yourself, let us send you a touch of the New England culture, delivered right to your door.” Since many people are not able to travel right now, it’s a wonderful way to “explore” the area without leaving your home. You’ll enjoy quality products from the region, while supporting the artisans and businesses who make New England unique.  I love that their standards are high. If they don’t love a product, they won’t include it in their box.

WHAT COMES IN EACH BOX?

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Spice Madam

When you have teenagers, it gets harder and harder to find things you can do together.  One of the things I most love to do is get the girls in the kitchen with me.  We love trying new dishes while we’re traveling and we’ve had fun experimenting with cooking new ones this last year.  I love trying exotic meals but some ingredients can be both hard to find and intimidating. Spice Madam gives you the spices you’ll need to make a meal from a specific country around the world. It is the perfect way to spend a night at home!

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE SPICE MADAM

One of my favorite things about this box is it gives you a link to music from the country.  Throw it on as you’re cooking or eating to set the mood.

I also like that they tell you how difficult each recipe is.  The chef hats in the upper right corner of the recipe card indicate a skill level from 1 chef hat (easy) 2 chef hats (medium) to 3 chef hats (harder). They encourage you to challenge yourself.

Finally, you know I love a company that gives back.  Every box of Spice Madame sold supports a non-profit that impacts youth education.

WHAT COMES IN EACH BOX?

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Busy Girl Bath Bakery

This last year has taught me the importance of self-care and taking time out of my day to focus on myself in a calm environment.  Baths have become my new ritual…dim lights, glass of wine, soothing music. What has made the biggest difference are the bath products I started using.  Busy Girl Bath Bakery has some amazing products that I’ve loved using.  They make baths a relaxing experience.

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

My daughters and I have sensitive skin, so I often think twice about using new skin lines and bath products when we are traveling, in case we have a reaction.  I love how soothing my skin felt after using these products. They smelled incredible and I love that they use natural ingredients. You will feel just like you stepped into a luxurious spa when you use these products!

They also have the most beautiful artesian soaps that would make wonderful gifts for anyone.

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

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Peckboard Review

If you’ve ever been to my house for dinner or for a party, there’s a really good chance there was a charcutier board. I’m pretty obsessed with them! We love tasting all the different cheeses, crackers, spreads, fruit, mustards and much more goodies that go into them.  Peckboard is the perfect solution if you are a charcutier newbie or a pro that is looking for some inspiration. They give you all the material you need to create a fabulous looking board!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THEM

Making a good board involves more than throwing some cheese out…it’s an artform.  Peckboard includes a guide to making a beautiful board. It also is a wonderful way for you to learn what different pairings you can do on a board.  I would have never thought to add a fig loaf.

It also teaches you different tips.  For example, I learned that you should take your cheese out of the fridge an hour before you’re serving it.

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Roaming Raddish

I love cooking with my girls.  We talk and laugh the whole time!  It is a great way to teach them life skills and also that it’s ok to improvise.  Roaming Raddish is a cooking subscription box that gives you everything you need to create meals from around the world! Let me tell you all about our exploration of Peru!

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

With this fun box you can explore a new cuisine each month with ingredients and recipes that bring new culinary experiences to your cupboard and kitchen. Even though I love to experiment with new ingredients,  I find  I don’t make ones that require elaborate ingredients.  This box provides almost everything you need to make some fabulous meals. All you have to provide are your own protein and produce.

Learn all about the spices and ingredients in your box!

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

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Zenspiration Review

There has never been a time when I’ve needed peace, relaxation, and a sense of calm more than I do now.  I feel like we often put others first and don’t take the time for self-care.  That is where a box like Zenspiration comes to the rescue.

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

I love that their company believes in community, kindness and empowerment of others through self-awareness. Those are wonderful qualities to have, especially in today’s world.

I love that the owner says, “Each Zenspiration Box is a piece of my heart, that is meant to fill your heart with what you need to awaken, evolve and align with your soul’s purpose.”

Look how beautiful this box it!

WHAT COMES IN EACH BOX?

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Eattiamo Review

One of the best ways to experience a country is through their food.  We basically ate our way through Italy because everything we ordered ended up being delicious.  Every time I see Bolognese sauce on a menu, I think back to that small restaurant in Sienna we went to after attending the horse race of Palio.  Eattiamo, an Italian food subscription box, is the perfect way to bring Italy right to your kitchen.  Take a peek at this amazing box and see how we “traveled” to Italy without leaving our home.

WHY TRAVELERS WILL LOVE THEM

I loved getting the whole family in the kitchen together to make a meal.  We opened a bottle of chianti, put on some Italian music, and gave everyone a task of chopping, stirring, measuring, and tasting.  I love that it brought up many memories of Italy for my husband and I and it made Italy number one on my girls’ Travel Bucket List.

Although the box gives you ingredients to make an entire meal (including an appetizer and something sweet for the end) it also gives you the leeway to show your creativity.  We added some things to the menu and removed some to make it a better fit for our family. It was the perfect way to spend a Friday night together.

WHAT PRODUCTS DID WE GET?

ITALIAN DETOX FOOD BASKET ($79)

This box was perfect because I was just finishing a 10-day health shred, which focused on the importance of eating well. We loved preparing this Italian feast when we got to the lake. It was the perfect way to spend the night in the kitchen together. Fireplace was lit and a bottle of chianti was opened. What else could we need?

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15 Cookbooks that Inspire Travel

One of the best things about travel is the FOOD! Eating local cuisine can tell you a lot about the culture.  Being Portuguese, I know that lots of love goes into our food and that the best memories are made around a dining room table.  Since we’re not using our passports right now, a great way to “travel” is to discover new places through their food.  I love to gather my family in the kitchen, put on some music, and start giving everyone a task of chopping, measuring, stirring, and tasting.  Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks.

Here are 15 cookbooks that will inspire you to travel the world:

PORTUGAL: Taste Portugal 101 Easy Portuguese Recipes (Volume 1)

(I can’t wait to buy her second book!)

by Maria Dias

SPAIN: Catalan Food: Culture and Flavors from the Mediterranean

by Clarkson Potter

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Puzzle Culture Review

My family has never been into puzzles until the pandemic hit.  All of the sudden our friends started posting completed puzzles on Facebook and raving about how fun they are.  We had to see what all the fuss was about and I’m glad we did because it really is a fun way to pass the time together.  It’s neat to see we all have different methods of completing our sections.  I love finding things that both adults and teenagers can get excited about.   We were thrilled when the subscription box, Puzzle Culture, sent us one of their amazing boxes.  It is such a unique box that helps families slow down and create memories together.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THEM

Puzzle Culture is such a great concept because the box revolves around a specific artist each month.  Everything in that box connects to the theme in the painting.  It makes you feel like you’ve walked into a museum. (Boy, I can’t wait to do that again!) I also love that the box is gender-neutral, so my husband doesn’t feel left out. (Which can happen in a house with 3 females!)

WHAT COMES IN EVERY BOX?

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Hunt a Killer

Our family loves mysteries, crime shows, and sitting around watching reruns of Criminal Minds.  We try to solve each case and love figuring out the clues.  We were so excited to find out there are subscription boxes, like Hunt a Killer, that allow you to play detective.  With these boxes you can  gather around your kitchen island, sett up a crime board, and scour over all the evidence. Here is one of the boxes we’ve discovered:

Hunt a Killer

WHY YOU WILL LOVE HUNT A KILLER

Hunt A Killer is an immersive murder mystery game told over the course of six “episodes” or boxes.  After you receive the box, you can examine the evidence to uncover critical clues, corroborate alibis, create timelines, and identify each suspect’s means, motive, and opportunity. Since each box takes between 90 minutes to three hours to complete, it makes for a fun, memorable night at home.

WHAT DID WE GET?

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