Unboxing the Daily Goodie Box #Sponsor

When a rep from Daily Goodie Box* contacted me about reviewing their service, I was intrigued. Three steps required - join, receive, review. That's it. No charge. They didn't even ask for a credit card during the sign-up process.

But, from what I could tell, there was also no guarantee that you would receive a box. As soon as I had a login, the rep went in and approved me for a shipment immediately. Though, if you had simply stumbled across the website and signed up on your own, I still have no idea how that process actually works. How do they determine who will receive a shipment? How long does that approval process take? And, more importantly, what do they get out of the partnership with these brands??

So, I waited. Not long, of course. The box showed up within a week. We received items from ten different brands and, surprisingly, all but one were new to us. And all but one were products that we would definitely use. I don't use powder laundry detergent...but that's just me. The box was opened and greedy hands reached in. It was like Christmas. But my only rule was: if you take it, you have to report back on what you thought and let me know if it's something we would buy again.

A pouch of trail mix from Gorilly Goods. The ingredient list: Organic Cashews, Organic Raisins, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Nectar, Organic Curry, Organic Cayenne, and Sea Salt. That's it. Tester: Jake. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Thumbs up. "I liked the spices. It was a nice mix of sweet and savory. And it was a good size for packing for a bike ride."

A packet of XyliChew gum. Sweetened with xylitol extract from birch trees in sustainable forests, I liked the idea of the product and knew that it would be approved by our dentist, but I'm not a big gum gal. Tester: R. New to us: No. Verdict: Thumbs up. "I am pretty sure this is the same brand of gum that Dr. Miller gave me, but this was a different flavor. I liked it. I think we should try some of the other flavors soon."

On the same topic of tooth health...a tube of toothpaste from Jack N' Jill. The youngest in our family snagged that one immediately. "It's for kids, Mom. And I'm the kid in the family." Okay, I can't really argue with that. It was a black currant-flavored toothpaste. I loved that it was all an natural, hypoallergenic toothpaste formulated with organic ingredients; the packaging is minimal, recyclable and BPA-free. So, from the mom-perspective, I enjoy the company's environmental side. Tester: D. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Thumbs up. "I liked it, but - for little kids - I think they would think it was more a food than a toothpaste. It tasted TOO good."

A meat stick from Vermont Smoke & Cure. It was no mystery who was trying this one. R is our resident cured meat product lover. The kid opted to give his teachers pouches of a local beef jerky for Christmas. Tester: R. New to us: Yes. Verdict: TWO thumbs up. "It had a nice texture and good flavor. We should definitely buy more of these." And we did! Luckily, they carry these at our local Whole Foods Market. Sold!

One sachet of Aloha Daily Good Greens Chocolate. Tester: J. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Mixed. "It was interesting, but it didn't dissolve easily. I needed to shake and mix it longer than I thought. It was okay."

Can of Just Chill. Tester: J. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Mixed. "Nice flavor, but I don't think it does what it claims to do. It was a stress relief in the sense that I took five minutes away from work and enjoyed a cool drink. But, really, it could have been any drink. I definitely didn't feel that the drink itself gave me calm and focus."

Bar from Nature's Bakery. This was the only product in the box that wasn't new to us. We buy them all the time. But D happily snagged it for his lunchbox. Tester: D. New to us: No. Verdict: Thumbs up. "This isn't a flavor that you buy all the time, Mom. I liked it. And I definitely liked it better than the gluten-free ones that you buy. But it was a little bit on the sweet side. I think Lemon is still my favorite."

Detergent and a Stain Stick from Nellie's All Natural. Tester: me. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Thumbs up. We don't use powdered laundry detergent, so I didn't try that, but I did use the stain stick and I am a huge fan. HUGE. Such a great thing to have with two teenagers in the house.

One packet of Dream Water. Tester: me. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Thumbs up. Okay, so, anyone who knows me will tell you that I have a condition - that I don't sleep. It's not true. I do sleep; I just don't sleep as much as most people. I catch about 5 hours of zzzzzs a night and am good. Then, about once or twice a year, I crash and sleep for 8 to 10 hours. That's it. And I am definitely not an insomniac. When I sleep, I sleep hard. So, I was intrigued by this product. I found my eyes closing while I read. Typically, I read about 20 to 30 pages in bed before I turn off my light. After trying Dream Water, I could barely keep my eyes open for 5 pages. So, it's hard to say whether I was just tired that evening, or if the product was really effective. I will be getting more and testing it further.

One pouch of Coffee Blocks. Tester: me. New to us: Yes. Verdict: Mixed. So, adding butter to my coffee isn't new. I've been doing it for years. I was excited about trying out the Coffee Blocks. But, my biggest stumbling block: I'm not much for instant coffee. I can definitely see that these would be  useful on a camping trip...when I don't want to be carting along a coffee maker and butter. Other than that, however, I'll stick to my stovetop espresso and Kerrygold.

All in all, I was pleased with the Daily Goodie Box. I am still in the dark with how it works - or why. We were happy to be introduced to so many new to us products. In fact, we were really only familiar with one of them. And we have already purchased more of a few of the products. We definitely enjoyed the Daily Goodie Box and, if you sign up, I'd love to hear how it worked for you.

 *Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary shipment from Daily Goodie Box for the purpose of reviewing it. Opinions are my own. I received no further compensation for this post.