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: July Pawalla Mini

Ares and Luna opened up the BarkBox earlier this week but they got to open their Pawalla Mini yesterday! It's been an exciting week!

About Pawalla: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come with 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials, and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-$29 a month, depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy, and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-$17 a month, depending on your subscription plan.

We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

This is what happens during most of our pictures. Luna is determined to eat the box while Ares is trying to figure out what I'm doing.

 Ares was very interested in figuring out what we got this month.

The first thing we tried out were the YumZies Natural Hickory Bacon Treats. Pawalla says "Yumzies are small, soft treats. Chicken is the main ingredient and the treat contains only natural ingredients, flavors and preservatives. Yumzies are grain-free treats, and are made in the USA with USA-sourced chicken. These treats naturally contain omega 6 fatty acids for coat quality and omega 3 fatty acids have been added to enrich coat and skin. The texture and size of Yumzies makes it the perfect on the go snack."

I'm not sure that I would use these as training treats (we use teeny tiny treats because they get so many treats all day) but Ares and Luna love them and I don't think they'll last very long in our house! They are $6.99 and can be found here.

The second thing we looked at, we haven't tried yet. It's the Honest Kitchen Ice Pups. Pawalla says "The highly regarded Honest kitchen has offered us a nice powdered envelope of high protein goodness. This envelope is to be hydrated, served as a beverage either hot or cold or frozen into ice cubes for those who love ice. Chicken and turkey have great amino acid profiles making them a good protein choice. Honest Kitchen has added some whey and vegetables in the form of asparagus, watercress, and parsley. A bit of honey sweetens the mixture. If your dog or cat has specific fluid intake needs, Ice Pups is a way to ensure that they drink enough fluid."

I can't wait to make it as a frozen treat for Ares and Luna. And do you know what I'm going to put it in? The safemade bowl we got in this month's BarkBox! It's going to be so fun! One packet of this is $0.99 and can be found here.

The next thing we pulled out was the Flying Basset Breath Spray. Pawalla says "Fresh breath is a blessing to many pet families. Sometimes, even clean teeth aren't the cause of mouth odor. Flying Basset has put together a collection of oils and compounds that together fight mouth odor. This product is safe for both dogs and cats, but it's always good to use small doses to start."

Ok, honestly, does anyone have a dog (or cat) who likes stuff sprayed at their face, especially while having their mouth held open? Anyone? No? That's what I thought. 

I totally tortured Ares and Luna with it though for the sake of reviewing it. I'm not sure if they liked it or not. It smelled similar to human mouthwash and Luna got 2 sprays while Ares got 3. After they got sprayed, they licked their mouths A LOT! I've never noticed Ares or Luna having horrid breath and definitely didn't notice a difference afterwards but I'll consider using it in the future, even if we don't buy more. It retails for $9.95 and can be found here.

We also got a Etta Says Crunchy Duck Chew. Pawalla says "USA duck goes into this rawhide/duck crunchy treat. Rawhide has been ground up to mix with duck feet, along with a bit of salt to bring out the flavor. Safe for dogs that have problems with rawhide, and we know that swallowing whole pieces of rawhide is neither healthy nor safe. In this form,  Crunchy Duck Treats will still help clean teeth and contribute to healthy gums. A unique, safe treat that dogs will love and is also made in the USA."

Does this treat look familiar to you? If it does, that's because I got the same exact chew in my April BarkBox. I still have it because I was waiting for another chewy treat before giving it to them and now I do but I kind of wish that even if it was still Etta Says, it was a different flavor. Oh well. I have no idea how much the chew costs so we'll put it around $1. They can be found here.

And last but not least. Our Wigzi Bone. Pawalla says "This fun bone is made with 100% recycled materials and durable enough to withstand rough games of fetch - it even bounces!"

Does this toy look familiar? I'll give you a hint:

Yes, we got the same toy (although different sizes) in each box this month. UGH. Yes, Ares and Luna like the toy. Do I need two of them though? No, I definitely do not. I know that this isn't Pawalla OR BarkBox's fault that Wigzi (and Etta Says) sent each of them the same toy (and treat), but COME ON! The point of the boxes is to try out different toys, treats, and other items from a variety of different companies. I feel like these companies are taking the easy way out by sending the same product to be sent out in each of the boxes instead of sending out a variety of their products. Wigzi very actively participates with Pawalla and BarkBox, I can count 4 products that we've gotten from them since I started my subscriptions at the beginning of the year. I have no problem with that, I think very highly of Wigzi's products. I just don't need multiples of the same one. If it continues, it'll force my hand in picking only one box to renew when my subscriptions are up. 

This size retails for $7.99 and can be found here.

Again though, Ares and Luna absolutely love this toy and I haven't even filled the holes with treats yet. But they're like toddlers. It doesn't matter if there's two of something, they're going to fight over the same one. I particularly enjoy the head smacks Ares gives Luna before relinquishing the toy to her.

Our haul was around $26, which makes me a very happy pug mommy.

If you want to try your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini, clickity-click this link for $6.50 off your first subscription!