monthly review: August BarkBox

I was really happy this month because we got our BarkBox really quickly! I think I get more excited than Ares and Luna do about opening the box to see what they got (of course, they're always more excited to get what's inside!)

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 while a month to month subscription is $29 a month).

My apartment has been an absolute wreck lately since Luna has decided that her life goal is to rip the stuffing out of every toy she can get her little paws on so we took pictures outside again this month.
I got a really silly picture of Ares and Luna posing with their box.

 And their haul! Shortly after taking this, I put it on another box so it would be higher off the ground. Luna knocked it over to get to the precious duck strips.

I tried a different way of taking video this month and sadly, I'm pretty disappointed by the quality of the video. Live and learn.

Luna loved exploring the box to find those duck sticks.

Which brings us to the first treats that we tried: Plato natural duck strips. BarkBox says: "Duck is a subscriber favorite, especially for those with allergies. Plato's recipe for scrumptious treats is American duck with brown rice. They break into nice little pieces for training, but our pups are happiest when they get an entire piece."

I think these were Luna's absolute favorite treat - she could sniff them out even before I opened the package and kept trying to run away with the bag. I think it's also safe to say that Ares loved them too. He did a rare little dance for me while Luna watched in amusement.

I was nice and finally gave up the treats and they gobbled them up quick fast! Plato treats retail for $5.19 and can be found here.

Next up is the Primal Pet freeze-dried liver munchies. BarkBox says "Another single-source protein - hooray! Primal Pet liver munchies are made with 100% turkey liver. Sourced and made in the United States without antibiotics or added hormones, these treats are also grain-free, salt-free, and sugar-free. Munch away, dear pups, munch away."

Ares and Luna think any kind of liver treats are the best thing ever - I regularly stench up my apartment, dehydrating cow liver for them - and these were no different. I think Luna thinks all of Ares' desperate treat dancing was very funny. These treats retail for $6.99 and can be found here.

It's not really a treat but we also got Barkworthies bully flakes! BarkBox says "Got a picky pup who won't eat dinner? Bully flakes - made with 100% ground bully sticks, which are much-loved by BarkBoxers - may help convince your finicky dog to finish his meal. Sprinkle over kibble or wet food and let the feasting begin!"

Ares and Luna are typical pugs - they are not at ALL picky about what they eat. In fact, the other day, I got out of the shower to find them eating my Cheez-its! When Luna saw me, she grabbed the bag and made a run for it! 

Anyway, I kept meaning to let them try it with a meal to find out what they thought and to get pictures but my bad memory got in the way of that goal. I think that as long as they don't expire, I'll save them either for a nice treat or in case one of them gets so sick that they refuse to eat. Either way, Barkworthies totally spoils us via our BarkBoxes! These retail for about $6 and can be found here.

We also got a little packet from The Honest Kitchen. BarkBox says "Homemade treats that are versatile enough for summer and winter? Count us in! Ice Pups are a grain-free, salt-free treat mix that can be frozen in an ice tray to beat the heat, or blended with hot water to make a comforting broth."

If these pictures look familiar to you, it's because I got a packet of this in last month's Pawalla Mini. I'm not as upset about this double though because it's more of an extra treat instead of being the main focus of the box. I'm also really excited because now I can use one packet to freeze, and one to heat up and we'll get the best of both world's! One packet is $0.99 and can be found here.

And of course, we always save the best for last. OUR TOY! It's a dolphin from Aussie Naturals and BarkBox says "Whether your pup is a swimmer, retriever, flinger, or a thrasher, Floaties are sure to delight! Made with a tennis ball, rope, and squeakers, these aquatic animals have been transformed into a floating, retrieving toy." 

You probably don't remember, but back in February, in our very first BarkBox, we also got an Aussie Naturals toy. It's a water bottle toy. Funnily enough, it is also a dolphin! Ares and Luna still have it and play with it regularly even though I took out the old water bottle without realizing that I can't find a water bottle the right size to put back in the toy.

Ares was very impressed with it, the ball and rope are in the body of the dolphin, with squeakers in the mouth and tail. I like to lay in bed with Ares and squeak one side, he attacks it, so I squeak the other side. We can go back and forth like that forever, because he doesn't know which squeaky side he wants more! Luna hasn't really shown any interest in it so far. Ares especially would rather die than go in the water so I doubt we'll ever use it for that purpose. The floatie dolphin retails for $11.99 and can be found here.

By my maybe right/maybe not calculations, we received roughly $31 in items this month. Mama and babies are happy campers!

If you want to try your own BarkBox, clickity-click this link to get $5 off your first month.

monthly review: April BarkBox!

I think that this BarkBox is my favorite so far. In the letter I got with my product descriptions, the team at BarkBox stated that for our April showers, they wanted to make sure that our pups got fun indoor things to keep them occupied, which is great because my pups and I hate the rain! Ginger is visiting us again and this time, she has learned to join in our box opening fun!

Now first, about BarkBox: 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).

Only my boy is sweet enough to pose for pictures for his mama.

 Ginger and Luna were so excited to get the box open.

Their lovely haul. So many fun goodies to explore!

First things first: They got Licks liquid vitamin. Strangely enough, it's not on the sheet of goodies to explain what they are and why I should give them to my pups. Licks is a canine health supplement and treat. There are 3 super easy ways to administer the vitamins from these packets: 1) feed to dog directly from packet 2) pour over food and 3) pour into their water dish. The joint and heart formula we received is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, vegetarian Glucosamine, and Vitamin E. They also have formulas for athletes (to maximize energy) and zen (to calm down anxiety-ridden pups). You can find them here.
If you remember, I got a couple of these in their Bugsy's Box back in January. I haven't used those and still haven't used these so I don't have an opinion on them. I am very intrigued by them and will probably add them to Ares and Luna's water dishes in the next few days to see how they react to it.

The next thing is my absolute favorite from the box: The grooming mitt. This is by ABO Gear. BarkBox says "The GroomMitt is handy for times when your pup could use a bath, but you don't feel like dragging sad puppies to the sink, or enduring a wrestling match in the tub (advantage: dog.) You stay dry, they stay happy and clean." They are sold for $6.99 and you can find them here.

I naturally had to pull one out to try it. They have the same cloth feel that baby wipes do but it's something that you can just stick your hand in. Ares and Luna were both pretty clean but it didn't stop me from wiping them down! The best parts about it: it smells yummy and it's amazing for cleaning those pesky pug wrinkles! I am a happy mama!

The lovely Etta Says also sent us a few things. BarkBox says "Etta says makes treats with the highest quality, USA sourced duck. They're all natural - no fillers, coloring, preservatives, grain, gluten, or by-products - and come enthusiastically recommended by our R&D team." The duck jerky retails for $9.50 and can be found here.

They got a crunchy duck chew which I haven't given to them yet because I'd rather that World War III didn't start in my apartment and they got duck jerky treats.

One piece easily broke apart for me to share among the three of them. They barely sat still for the pictures and they more or less inhaled them when I finally let them have their piece of jerky.

We also got a Barkworthies bone. BarkBox says "Nothing sates a four-legged chewer quite like a bone. These stuffed shins are filled with brown rice and ground bully sticks, which makes them doubly appetizing and entertaining - it takes skill to get all of the filling out!" They retail for about $6.50 and can be found here.
I thought Ares was going to go nuts, trying to get the bone before I was done taking pictures of it! Unfortunately, due to my dog's inability to share, they aren't getting it until I can get something comparable to keep everyone happy.

And finally, their toy. BarkBox says "Whether your best friend is a chewer, a retriever, or an avid tug-of-war enthusiast, this rope toy is made for all types of play. Best of all: you can partake in puppy playtime! Rough-housing pups, rejoice! It retails for about $7 and can be found here.

Ares usually LOVES ropes but tonight he happily let Ginger play with it by herself. This is the perfect toy to take to the dog park though - they'll have so much fun with it!

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