Paper Source has a quarterly lifestyle box that includes some of their favorite items from popular brands like Rifle Paper Co., ban.do, Paddywax, and Lilly Pulitzer and runs $49.95 per season (with free shipping). Expect candles, stationery, and items for your home or office that coincide with each season! By the way, our readers voted this box as one of the Best Stationery Subscriptions of 2020!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About this Colorful Home and Lifestyle Box
The Subscription Box: Paper Source Subscription Box
The Cost: $49.95/quarter (A minimum one-year commitment paid in quarterly installments)
The Products: A mix of 10+ stationery and lifestyle items from Paper Source as well as popular home and lifestyle brands.
Ships to: Contiguous U.S. addresses only for free
Paper Source Spring 2020 Review
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Inside, you'll find an info card that matches the leafy print of the box. On the flipside is a list of all of the goodies that are included in the Spring 2020 box.
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Paper Source Plantable Paper Globes, 4 ct - Estimated Value $4.00 (Buy a pack of 8 for $8.00)
I've seen these types of plantable paper goods before and think they're so cool! Here are four pressed paper globes that contain small seeds that will sprout once planted. You can write a note on one side or use it as a gift tag. Instead of throwing it way, the recipient just needs to soak in water overnight, then plant under some loose soil in a pot. Set the pot on a sunny windowsill and watch wildflower annuals and perennials bloom!
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Frey Sandalwood Laundry Detergent, 2 oz. - Estimated Value $2.24 (Buy a full-size 16 oz. for $17.95)
To be honest, I found this detergent scent to be a little too much for me. I kept sniffing my clothes like "did I hug someone who was wearing too much cologne?" Nope, it's just the sandalwood detergent that I thought I'd love but is simply too strong for me.
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Rewined Rosé Candle, 11 oz - Retail Value $29.95
Funny, I do not get rosé from this candle at all. I love the way it looks, but the scent is quite sweet and smells like a fruity pastry to me. The description has "notes of petal, white peach, pink peppercorn, and crisp minerality." Rewined collects discarded bottles and once cleaned and cut, fills them with natural soy wax to create their candles. I love the idea of making something new out of a discarded item so it begins a new life. This candle has a heavy glass wine bottle as its vessel and even after enjoying the scent, it can be used to store small items or a succulent.
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Santa Barbara Design Studio Organic Reusable Dishcloth in Harlequin - Retail Value $6.00
The first thing I did was cut this dry towel into quarters so I could get longer use out of it. I do the same thing with sponges but I cut them in half (I'm just never washing something so big that requires such a large surface area at once). This dishtowel feels like stiff paper until you get it wet when it then becomes a soft fabric wash rag. The harlequin print has a watercolor feel to it which will perk up my muted neutral kitchen a bit with its bold pattern. Made of 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, this dish rag is also 100% biodegradable which means I can toss it into my compost bin.
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Paper Source Journal - Listed Value $14.95
An item I'd expect to see in a Paper Source box is this blank journal from the brand themselves. The cover has a faux-leather feel and came in a bold greenish turquoise color that almost looks Tiffany Blue. The Paper Source logo, a golden insect, is at the bottom right corner of the journal and it's filled with lined pages. Inside, you'll find a golden ribbon to mark your page to come back to. I have fallen out of journaling for years, but this stately notebook makes me want to get back into it.
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Santa Barbara Design Studio Stainless Steel Straw with Brush - Retail Value $7.00
I think I've maxed out on my straw needs, so I passed this stainless one on to Kurt. He is always getting bent out of shape when a restaurant gives him a straw without asking. I'm not sure he'd carry this one around with him, but he can use it at home with smoothies and it even comes with its own cleaning brush and a natural cotton drawstring pouch to keep it all in.
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Compartés Beauty Vegan Organic Chocolate Bar Blueberry Almond - Retail Value $9.95
I have been slowly savoring this chocolate for well over a week. It has an intense sharpness due to the 70% cacao, and inside there are organic blueberries and organic almonds. Additionally, this "beauty" chocolate bar has hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, silica from bamboo, spirulina, amla, milk thistle, mangosteen, and calendula support skin health with antioxidant and anti-aging properties that make up their collagen-boosting blend of ingredients. If eating this chocolate is going to give me better skin, then I'm all in. As if I needed an excuse. I'll have to look out for this fancy brand in the future!
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Good Paper Greeting Cards, set of 2 - Total Retail Value $11.98 ($5.99 each)
Another welcomed stationery item is this pair of cards from Good Paper whose mission is to restore the human spirit. The first is a letterpress Thank You card that has pink birdies on a branch singling to the command of a conductor (also a birdie). This is precious and I can't wait to have a reason to send this to someone. The second card features handmade recycled papers made by women in the Philippines who are survivors of sex trafficking. It says "Thanks A Bunch" with raised and textured scallions, turnips, and carrots.
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Offline Guided Journal: An Illustrated Guide for a More Connected, Creative Life - Retail Value $11.59
Although I have always been a lover of art, music, and the like- I've never considered myself personally "creative." This guided journal is perfect for someone like me who has creativity building up inside, but doesn't know where to begin or finds the whole thing kinda daunting. This illustrated guide also encourages you to ditch your phone for a while, losing yourself in the pages and projects. In addition to giving you prompts, this book is filled with cute drawings and ways to disconnect from the electronic world that many of us feel chained to on a daily basis. What a refreshing item!
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The Republic of Tea Honey Ginseng Green Tea, 50 ct - Retail Value $10.75
Paper Source has been sending tea pretty frequently in their boxes which is keeping me in tea pretty exclusively. This time, they've sent a honey ginseng green tea that has a wonderful honey-heavy aroma and light taste. I enjoyed some of this after a long cold day and it warmed me right up. I kept thinking to myself "wow- I can't believe I didn't put fresh honey in this" because it was just so apparent in the smell and flavor. Very nice for the honey lovers out there who want minimal caffeine in their tea.
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Musee Wild Honey Bath Bomb - Retail Value $10.00
It's also nice to see self-care items in this box as well as creative and useful ones. Here we have a pleasing aroma of honey and oatmeal in the form of a large "bath balm." It also contains milk bath, olive and sunflower oil, as well as tea tree essential oil. I rarely have time for baths these days and the chore of cleaning my bathtub beforehand doesn't seem very relaxing. However, I may make an exception to create a calm space for myself with this fizzy treat.
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Stasher Snack Bag in Aqua - Retail Value $9.99
This is probably the item I was most excited about when I saw the spoilers. I am obsessed with Stasher bags but they're so dang expensive that I only allowed myself to purchase two. This is one of their smaller "snack" bags which can fit just under 10 ounces and measures 4.5 x 7.5 x 1 inch. I use it for toting trail mix, popcorn, and similar snack items to school or if I know I'm going to be out of the house for a long time (like a hike or a road trip). It also happens to fit the chocolate bar quite nicely once it was broken up a bit.
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Corcksicle Stemless Champagne Tumbler in Turquoise - Retail Value $18.95
This is a neat item in general but kind of lost on me. For one, I always wish boxes would send a set of two if they're sending drinkware unless it's a water bottle or coffee mug. This is a tumbler for champagne which most people don't drink alone, so having two would be nice. I can see this coming in handy for a picnic or outdoor concert for keeping your bevvy chilly. The color follows the bright turquoise spring theme the box seems to have going which is fun. The tumbler is well crafted for sure, but I'm not sure I'll get much use out of it since I'm not a champagne or wine drinker and would prefer a lid for any travel drinkware.
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Bee's Wrap Reusable Food Wrap, single small - Retail Value $6.00
The last item in the box was unfortunately misrepresented value-wise on the info card. They had included this as a sandwich wrap with a $12.95 value but what was sent is simply a small single wrap (with no string for wrapping and much smaller) which is half the price. Aside from that, I do like these wraps and knew my roommate would be happy to see another one of these in our collection. Instead of using plastic baggies or even plastic containers, wraps like these can be put around half a lemon or anything else you'd like to save. The wraps are made with organic cotton, beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. They can be washed and reused several times and just get softer with use. Recently I've seen a roll of something like this that you can buy in bulk to cut your own sizes which sounds excellent.
Verdict: The Paper Source Subscription Box had a great mix of household, self-care, and stationery items this month with a wonderful earth-friendly theme. I can absolutely use most of the items in the box this time, but the few that aren't for me I can regift to a friend who'd appreciate them. My favorites have to be the Stasher bag, chocolate, and the candle. Although their listed values are inflated, I still found this box to be worth $153.35 retail which is three times the $49.95 cost.
If you're interested in more great lifestyle subscriptions, check out our list of the 25 best subscription boxes for women in 2019!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? This box is already sold out but sign up today to get their Summer box. Check back for spoilers here and sign up for notifications so you know as soon as they post!
Value Breakdown: At $49.95 for this box, you are paying approximately $3.57 for each of the 14 items.
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