I love the idea of subscription boxes! I think it is fun to get a box of things you wouldn't normally choose to help branch out. I have seen several ads for and love the idea behind CauseBox. CauseBox includes 6-8 items which help benefit multiple causes in some way. Some things they help support are fair trade, creating opportunity for women, and companies working towards a better environment. 

So what came in my spring 2019 CauseBox...


Glass Ladder & Co. - The Megan Clutch in Classic Black $120.00
This clutch has 8 pockets, 3 card slots and fits a 13" laptop. It is made of vegan leather, but feels very durable and high quality.


Wyld Skincare - French Pink Clay Konjac Sponge - $16.90
I am excited to try a Konjac Sponge for the first time! My skin has been changing lately and it is time for a new skin care routine. I love the idea of natural skin care and this sponge is 100% natural.


KALOS - Mist Congeniality Rose Water Hydra-Mist - $22.00
Another natural skincare product I am excited to try! This is a rose water toner and is listed on KALOS website as good for acne-prone skin.


Cosmedix - Glow Bamboo Brightening Mask - $54.00
I'm intrigued by this face mask. It states it will help with skin texture, elasticity and brightness. All things I could use help with!


Alja Horvat Print - CAUSEBOX exclusive


ettitude - Bamboo Lyocell Eye Mask - $15.00
This is living in my travel bag right now and I can't wait to use it. I am interested in their bamboo sheet sets which I need to read more about.


Altru Goods - Macrame Plant Hanger - CAUSEBOX exclusive
I love the idea of plants and hanging them so our cat can't dig them up. Unfortunately I don't have a good place to hang this right now but I hopefully will soon. I also love that for each of these sold a tree will be planted in areas of California affected by wildfires.

Overall I love this box. I purchased it for the accessories but really like the idea of the skincare they sent. I am very exited to try the skincare and see how it all works!

Can't wait for my next box!
~ Katy

So far 2019 has been crazy! There have been a lot of changes in my personal life, which I will hopefully have time to share soon. It will be very interesting to see how many of the patterns in my 2019 Make Nine will get completed. My Make Nine for 2019 is: 

Andorra Wrap - Jocelyn Tunney

Concentra Cowl - Erin Kurup

Baubles - Andrea Mowry

Wool & Honey - Andrea Mowry

Solbein Cardigan - Mary Jane Mucklestone

Stone Wool Turtleneck - Michele Wang

Hermione's Everyday Socks - Erica Lueder

Casu Cowl - Galia Lael

So what does the question mark stand for? I am hoping to design my first pattern this year!

~ Katy

In September a local indie dyer I know posted on Facebook that they were KnitCrate's artisan sock dyer of the month. The two colors she dyed for them were gorgeous so I decided to sign up! My first crate arrived very quickly and I was excited to continue.

I really love all of the yarns I have received through KnitCrate. I was not to sure about October 2018 Celery by The Artistic Ewe but when I got it in person I really liked the soft green colors and there is a lot of depth. Besides that color I knew I would like the colors I got based on the sneak peaks at the beginning of the month.

The patterns are okay but there is a chance I will never use them. I did really like when they changed from the single pattern format to the book format. The booklets look nicer and showcased the patterns better.

As for the extras... I got two really good extras. The knitting needles will come in handy at some point and the progress keepers are adorable and you can never have enough of them. The other extras were kind of meh. I may use the highlighter but will not reach for it over others due to its large size and my personal preference. The snowman card is cute and I will use it at some point but until then will be clutter in a draw. The hat pin is just...why? and will probably hang out until the next time I clean out our guest/craft room.

Do I think KnitCrate was worth it?

Absolutely! I did really love the yarn I received and just for the yarn the value was worth it.

So why did I cancel?

There were two main reasons I cancelled.

After the first month shipping took FOREVER. I was billed for the crates the first of the month and received them well after the 15th in most cases. It was not uncommon for many people to post the full crate reveals before mine even shipped and that took a little bit of the fun out of it.

The other reason was the cost. One of my personal goals for the year is to work on my finances and save more money overall. Cutting out any remaining subscriptions I had was an easy way to save some money every month.

Would I sign up for KnitCrate again?

Maybe. For now I am going to purchase a skein or two from an indie dyer I have been following when I have some extra money.

Are you signed up for any subscription services?

~Katy

So it is no secret that I don't do overarching yearly goals well. This year I decided to change it up a little bit and set monthly goals which are a lot more focused. 

1. Food and Workout Plan - this is something I started to look into in November but finally made the decision to join one in January. I joined and started Beachbody On Demand. I am on day 15 of the 21 Day Fix and LOVE it so far.

2. Finish my What the Fade Shawl - I started this project in September of 2017 and it is still NOT finished. I started the last fade yesterday and will hopefully have it finished by the end of this month or beginning of February. I have told myself no new projects until this is completed.

3. Purge Junk Food - Pretty simple. Get rid of all of the junk food around. We have completed most of this with just a few items left, but who doesn't need a piece of chocolate every so often. 

4. Find Outfit for Upcoming Wedding - We have a wedding on February 2nd and I found a super cute outfit from J Crew Factory. Can't wait to share more!

5. Read a Book - So far I have been really bad at this but there are a few more days! I just want to read for fun a little bit more. 

What are your goals for the month? 

~ Katy