8 Must-Have Subscription Boxes

We’ve already established how much I love mail. This applies to letters as well as packages. For a while now, I have been a fan of Birchbox, the service that sends you samples of beauty products each month. Now my bathroom drawers are filling up with tiny samples, so I’ve been on the look-out for something new to fill my mailbox. There are lots of services out there that send curated boxes on a theme, like design, music or food. Below are a few that have caught my eye recently. Has anyone else out there tried these or any other subscription boxes? Which one would you pick? // susannah

See the list after the jump… 

Turntable Kitchen — If you’ve been reading this blog for more than a week, it should be pretty obvious that I like music and food. They’re better together, and the folks at Turntable Kitchen think so too. In its monthly Pairings Box, TK pairs a 7-inch vinyl single with dried ingredients, recipes and treats. Past boxes have featured artists like Army Navy and The Local Natives.

Blue Apron — This box brings you a recipe for a meal and all the fresh, sustainable ingredients required to make it. Each recipe takes about 35 minutes to make and each serving is only 500 to 700 calories. With things like Tofu Fajitas and Blood Orange Roasted Salmon on the menu, I’m totally tempted.

Julibox — It’s no secret that I like a good cocktail. Each month, Julibox sends you all the fixings to make two servings of two signature drinks at home. Past boxes have included classic recipes like the Old Fashioned and the Mint Julep and lesser-known ones like the Pear Flower and the Strawberry Cobbler.

Quarterly.co — This subscription service allows you to choose who curates your box. Then, every three months, they curate a box filled with their favorite things and send it to you. It’s like getting a letter from a friend, only it’s a package from someone you admire. I’m eyeing the boxes curated by Food52, Poketo and Tina Roth Eisenberg.

Craft Coffee — Researching and testing out new coffee roasters can be both time-consuming and expensive. Luckily, the folks at Craft Coffee do the dirty work for you. Each month, they send three 4-oz. bags of coffee beans from different roasters to try.

Lullubee — Who doesn’t love a good crafternoon? Exactly. Each month, Lullubee sends the members of its Craft of the Month Club supplies and instructions for a DIY project. This would be a lot of fun to do with kids or adults!

Club W — It sounds like a regular wine club. You get three wines per month, tailored to your tastes. But Club W has also turned drinking wine into a school. Each bottle has a QR code that, when scanned, takes you to an educational video about that wine.

Umba Box — Sometimes high-quality handmade goods are hard to find, so the folks at Umba seek out artists from around the world. Each box includes homemade items like home goods, stationery and jewelry while also allowing its artists to earn a living wage.