NEW Subscription Services To Make You Smarter, Smoother & More Smiley.
The last thing I want is another delivery at my door. Between an Amazon Prime addiction, Carbon38 & Bandier habits, and work-related packages that arrive daily, I actually hide on Thursdays when the garbage man comes to pick up boxes for recycling.
For this reason, I have resisted getting on the "yada yada yada of the month" subscription service train. (The only exception has been Bestowed, the healthy snack sampler subscription curated by my bestie and nutritionist extraordinaire, Heather Bauer.)
But recently, three services caught my attention- each because it offered a smart (and of course convenient) solution to a problem. I decided to sign up and give them a go. I am super happy I did, and I think you may be too, so here are the details:
Problem: I can't pick the perfect book, so I don't read enough, and then feel bad about it.
Solution: Book of the Month Club
An assortment of 5 books, curated by a rotating cast of influencers whose taste is always interesting and respectable (examples include Ellie Kempner, David Sedaris & Hoda Kotb) is offered each month. Before you select a pick (BOTM pre-selects an option for you based on your profile but invite you to change it up as often as you want via email so you don't end up getting a book and being like WHAT?), you can peruse compelling reviews and descriptions that go way beyond generic back-of-the-book summaries. Members have access to ongoing book discussions and exclusive insights from authors and editors which basically makes the experience akin to a book club, however sans the awkward excuses we all know we make up to get out of the monthly meeting because either we have yet to finish the book or we just can't eat another pot luck meal accompanied by cheap wine.
(Price: $9.99/month, find out more here.)
Problem: I forget to change out the brush heads on my electric toothbrush, likely because I hide the whole thing out of sight thanks to the bulky, aesthetically un-pleasing design.
Solution: Quip
The most high design electric toothbrush ever- sleek, portable, and effective, plus love that is has a 2 minute timer built in so you know you aren't shortchanging your smile. Place an order for the toothbrush and membership model of your choice (options include individual or family sets with quarterly deliveries of new brush heads and toothpaste), and never think "eek should I not be using this dilapidated brush/oops I forgot to get toothpaste/um where did I hide that hideous charger, my toothbrush is dead" again. (Price: From $40, find out more and get a free $5 refill here.)
Problem: I always run out of razors, and when I run to pick them up at CVS and see the astronomical prices, I cheap out, get the dinky ones, and end up with razor burn.
Solution: Dollar Shave Club
(*I know this is not new but, well, it is new to me and I really love it, so bear with me.)
Please someone tell me why I did not sign up for this genius concept when it launched?! Seriously- why didn't you sit me down and say "JENN! For $6 a month this may be the smartest and kindest thing you can do for the rest of us who have to look at your stubbly legs in spin class/at the pool/etc. ever!?" I do "The 4X" plan set to deliver every other month (I'll change it monthly in May, and will go back to every other month in October). The plan comes with a high quality, substantial razor that pivots 90 degrees for easy knee-area gliding and such, and four razor blade cartridges arrive at the frequency of your choosing. I plan to sign my husband up as well- he feels committed to some Gillette razor he has used since college but I know if I make this switch on the sly he won't notice one bit and I won't have to cringe at the $40+ dollar price tag every time he sends me to buy new blades.
(Price: From $1, find out more here.)