It’s not going to be like any other box you get and I can heartily say that Tique Box is very true to it’s roots and is definitely an authentic taste of this area. I think I spend half the time giggling through my unboxing because everything is so stereotypically awesome.
The Cost: $25/month
What You Get: Five to six treats and crafts sourced from the greater Portland, Oregon area. Local artisans feature anything from hot sauce to handmade ornaments.
Each box comes with an information card. This particular version is new and I heartily approve of it. Since I’ve been getting these boxes, the information card has transformed from a plain sheet of paper with very little information other than the information of the product creator, to this perfect card with the product name and tips on how to use what’s included.
Freshly Wild Kale Joy in Original Recipe– Kale is pretty popular around here. Everyone loves kale.
Especially my husband and Kale chips are his favorite. These kale chips are better than just plain.
They are tossed with cashews, lemon juice, sesame seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and sea salt. Oh, and Northwest apple juice (that probably means the apples are from Washington- Woo!!).
The only bad thing about kale chips is that it’s easy to inhale the entire bag in one sitting. Lucky they are good for you and only have 130 calories (in the entire bag)!
Value: $5.99
Portlandia Granola Company Bike Lane Granola– I laughed when I read the flavor of this granola. I mean, it’s granola, of course, which is already typical but to call it Bike Lane is hilarious. There are lots of bike lanes and lots of bicyclists wearing spandex where I live.
This has rolled oats, agave nectar, cashews, sunflower seeds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, dark brown sugar, flaxseed meal and spices. It’s handmade in Beaverton, Oregon (I’ve been there!) and is vegan.
Value: $3
Field Notes Ledger Book– This is a 48 page ledger memo book. I wish I could have photographed the inside cover properly but the gold print made it a little difficult. It says that these Field Notes booklets were created to give everyone a chance to get inspired by the “simple, unassuming beauty of a well-crafted grocery list.” It actually gives 36 “Practical Applications for Use.” Those include “Reasons to Quit My Job,” “Credit Card Limits,” “Kids Soccer Schedules,” “Possible Domain Names,” “Amortization Schedule,” “Bridges Burned,” “Worst Case Scenarios,” and so on. It should probably include something along the lines of “All the Stuff I Bought While on a No-Buy.”
I plan to use it to keep a log of my subscription boxes and as a grocery list. It looks pretty fancy because it has gold page-edges. I think there’s a word for that but it’s not coming to mind.
Value: $3.50
Buddha Chocolate Almond Butter Cups– Oh. My. Bold, stone ground, single-source dark chocolate paired with slow roasted almond butter. Poured and packaged by hand. Vegan, soy free, Fair Trade and gluten free.
So, good. I already ate one. The dark chocolate is absolute heaven. These are very, very good.
There’s two in the resealable (love that!) package. I ate one over the course of the morning, savoring every bite. These are very rich and decadent.
Value: $5
Bee Local Artisan Neighborhood Honey in Portland Farmland– Want to know what my favorite thing in the box is? This honey! Four ounces of pure bliss. I really like honey. It’s my go-to sweetener for most of my teas so I go through it pretty quickly. I really like to get local honey when I can. And by local I mean made by bees and beekeepers in whatever area I am at. I got some local honey when I was in Croatia that was so good I almost didn’t have any left to bring home!
This is excellent. Those Portland Farmlands must have happy bees.
Bee Local makes micro-batches of honey and has a mission to produce and source only the healthiest, most unique and flavorful honey while supporting sustainable beekeeping. Based on the taste of their honey, I’d say they’re succeeding. This honey is fantastic. So good that I can’t stop eating it plain. Love this!
Value: $7.99
VERDICT: I kind of want to say that this is my favorite Tique Box ever but they’re all so good it’s hard to make a choice. Each box is so different. It’s part of the reason I think Tique Box is so unique. You really never know what you are going to get. It makes a great gift, too. The nice thing is that it’s perfectly unisex. You can send this to anyone at all and there’s sure to be something they’ll enjoy in it. When subscribing to a box that supports local artists, it’s normal for the box to be at the price paid or a little over. The value won’t be incredible but you’ll be supporting local, small businesses and discovering new products. That is part of the fun!
If you want to send a slice of the Pacific Northwest to someone, this is the box to send. It is so authentic and really keeps to the values of the area. It’s true, we like sustainable, we like to recycle, we like to ride bikes and go hiking. Healthy eating is important around here. Lots of people like the access to vegan and gluten free eating we have in such abundance.
We also tend to have a quirky side and we can appreciate our own stereotypes. Yeah, yeah, we aren’t all tree-huggers and we don’t all eat granola and no, we don’t all work for Microsoft but that doesn’t make it any less funny. At least for me! 😀
Tique Box takes the fun parts, the creative parts and the quirky parts and comes up with a great new box every month. It’s the perfect gift, the perfect surprise and the perfect package to open and enjoy yourself.
You can sign up for a Tique Box of your own at www.tiquebox.com. A monthly subscription is $25 but if you’re looking for a Gift Box, they have those too!