monthly review: July BarkBox

I feel like we used to be one of the first people to get our BarkBox but ever since the May mail fiasco, I get mine waaaaaay after everyone else. Ares and Luna don't know the difference, so it's okay though.
I feel like I have so much stuff to write about - Ares and Luna met my sister's new dog, Bailey, and we went to not one, but TWO pug meet ups this month.  I have so many pictures I want to share. One day I'll catch up, I promise.

On to our BarkBox, but first, let me explain BarkBox if you don't know how it works: It's a company that sends you four or more products every month to try out with your pups. A portion of each months proceeds help doggies-in-need (a different cause every month). The price of the boxes range from $19-$29 a month, depending on the plan you choose (a 6 month subscription is $19 a month, a month to month subscription is $29 a month).

I finally got both of the pups to pose with the box this month! I'm so proud of them.

Ares was excited to sniff out the haul.

 This is a Safemade bowl. BarkBox says "Made with same child-friendly, food-grade silicone as Safemade's line of toys - plus freezer, dishwasher, and oven safe! We recommend freezing water in the bowl overnight for maximum coolness at the park."

 We haven't tried it yet but I'm eager to put it to good use. I'm excited that it's oven safe so I can bake the dogs little cakes for their birthdays! I definitely wouldn't leave it out for the dogs while I'm not around just because we've received a safemade toy before (from Bugsy's Box if I remember correctly) and I had to take it away within minutes because my dogs could easily rip it apart. So many different uses for it, though that don't involve the risk of my dogs deciding the bowl is a toy! The bowl is $4.99 and can be found here.

The next thing we looked at was the No Grainers treats. BarkBox says "Fourth of July may have passed, but it's always a perfect time for USA-made treats. No Grainers soft treats are made from American chicken and (as the name says) are grain, wheat, corn, and soy free!

Ares and Luna really loved these but I wouldn't say that they are training size for them. The treats we use are much smaller. They're still good treats though and I know we'll use them up very quickly! They're also in cute little crescent shapes! I love it when treats keep you on your toes in terms of shapes. It makes things exciting! These are also $4.99 and can be found here.

The second bag of treats we got were by Max & Ruffy's. BarkBox says "Hailing from Maryland, Max & Ruffy's makes the perfect, healthy snack for summer. Only the best organic, non-genetically modified fruit is used in their treats. Every ingredient is human grade - and we know BarkBox parents love when their furbabies eat better than they do."

BarkBox is totally right that Ares and Luna eat MUCH better than I do! These treats were really intriguing because they're made with coconut, molasses, and flax. They actually smell like molasses and they're a bit hard so Ares and Luna can't swallow them in one bite like they normally do! I'm happy that we got an interesting combination of ingredients in the treats. I would never think to make treats with coconut or molasses in it! If you look at their website, you'll see that they definitely don't have a shortage in crazy combinations for their treats! I will definitely have to buy some of their treats in the future! These are $7.25 and can be found here.

This Mr. Barksmith's smoothie looks really interesting. BarkBox says "Low calorie and made from fruit, these dog smoothies are also fortified with Omega 3 chia seed - great for joints and a healthy coat. Pop them in the freezer if the hot weather is making your pooch pant, or let them eat as if you're on a summer roadtrip!"

Unfortunately for us, this smoothie is peanut butter flavored so I'm hesitant to let Luna try it. She can handle peanut butter in treats but her tummy does NOT like straight peanut butter and I don't know how much I want to risk it to see if they like it! I'll either give this to my sister or save it for a time when Luna isn't around to get jealous watching Ares chow down on it. A single cup is $4.99 and can be found here.

We got two different treats from Clear Conscience Pet. BarkBox says "Slow cooked with the highest quality meat, vegetables, and cheddar cheese. Tender Stikz are healthy, human grade, and free of synthetic ingredients or fillers. Because of the lack of processing or preservatives, please refrigerate after opening (there may not be leftovers, though!)

We got TWO of one treat, you guys! I don't have to figure out how to make them share! The lighter colored one was chicken flavored and the darker one is beef flavored. Ares and Luna chewed them JUST long enough to swallow them whole then looked at me, demanding more! Six sticks are $9.95 so we'll estimate that we got $3 in treats. They can be found here.

And finally, THE TOY! This one is from Wigzi and BarkBox says "'Two pockets? For treats?! And it floats?!? And no rubber smell?!?!'  (We've taken the liberty of translating the pup perks of Wigzi's pocket bone for you. You can thank us later.) Dishwasher safe, recyclable, and made right here in the USA, we think it's a great fit for summer play!"

A sheet came with the bone, stating that the bright green color was made specifically for BarkBox. Also, it definitely doesn't need treats inside for Ares and Luna to go nuts over it! They love anything and everything they can chew! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of them having fun with it. We got the medium bone which retails for $9.99 and can be found here.

I estimate that we got about $35 worth of items. Everything we got was fun and interesting (with an exception that will be explained in the July Pawalla Mini review).

Want your own BarkBox? Clicky-click this link for $5 off your first subscription!