MilSO Box is a monthly subscription that sends care packages to those women who hold down the home-front while their loved one is serving in the military. MilSO stands for Military Significant Other, which in this case would be a wife or mother. It is $39.95 a month and there are 1, 3, or 6 month options and all renew once their term is over. According to their FAQS “you can expect a mix of bath & beauty products, home decor, accessories, helpful gadgets, inspirational items, unique gifts, and of course, anything with PATRIOTIC pizzazz!!!”.
I received the inaugural June box to review. Upon signup it asks for the branch of service and t-shirt size so I am going to assume that they may send a special extra for subscribers.
The package was wrapped with purple tissue paper and had shredded tissue paper strips for cushioning.
There was a product information card that had a thank you note on one side and a description of the products and where to acquire them on the other side.
MilSO Box sends items that are made in America or are from companies that are ran by MilSOs or veterans. The owner of MilSO Box is a veteran of the US Air Force (just like me!).
Everything in the box! My husband is currently serving in the Air Force Reserves. In fact, he had just left for 2 weeks of reserve duty the day before I received this box so it was nice to see it in my mailbox.
MilSOMade Burlap Print ($10) MilSoMade offers custom made burlap prints for any situation, not just military matters. They don’t include frames but you can customize it to your preferences by picking out your own at the craft store. This company is owned by an Army wife.
Magnet America Kitchen Cooking Measures 3-Pack Oval Magnets ($5.49 99¢) These magnets are from the company that introduced us to the yellow ribbon “Support Our Troops” magnets back in 2003. They are currently on sale in the shop. These will be very helpful to me since I often cut recipes in half and now I have a cheat sheet close at hand.
Spa Girl Soaps Bath Bomb in Amazing Grace ($3.32) Contains a blend of 7 different oils (such as jojoba and olive oil) and is supposed to smell similar to Philosophy’s popular fragrance. This company gives a portion of all sales to several charities, including Wounded Warrior Project.
Veggie-Go’s Mountain Berry Spinach Fruit and Veggie Leather ($1.50) I enjoyed this organic treat made with sweet potatoes, spinach, and apples. It is supposed to have massive amounts of vitamin A (15%). For comparison purposes, 1 medium carrot has 203%. Still, if you are looking for a convenient on-the-go snack made without added sugar you might want to give these a try.
Close up of the bath bomb.
Love and Army Creations Greeting Card ($2.25) This MilSO owned company makes personalized products especially for military couples. Super cute card but with a bit of a design flaw; with the washi tape on the front of the envelope it isn’t very practical to send in the mail! Perhaps it is meant to be sent in a care package?
The quality of the card itself is great, I think the envelope needs some work though.
Kristin’s Creations Stars and Stripes Wall Hanging ($8?) All I could find for this company was a Facebook page offering a set of 4 coasters for $15; this is basically the same as the coasters but with hooks for joining and hanging. I personally like them as a wall hanging; Kristin should charge double and get her business going. These are shellacked tree branch cross-sections with a patriotic design.
This inaugural MilSO Box had a value of around $26 which is on the low side based on the subscription price. I think this box may be more about that “care package” feel and keeping patriotic pride alive while a loved one is abroad. The fact that they send products from companies started by people who have served or who have a family member who is serving may be enough incentive to justify the cost. Although shipping is included I do hope that the value in future boxes is at least the same as the cost of the box. Perhaps the added t-shirt in the first box would meet that requirement. I love the idea of this box and the curation and can’t wait to see what they offer in future boxes!
Visit MilSO Box to subscribe or find out more!
The Description: Dedicated to honor and respect the women holding down the home front, MilSO Box sources gifts meant to excite, comfort, assist, and beautify our warriors at home. The items inside your box will be a surprise, but you can always count on a high quality mix of the practical and patriotic. We procure our products from Veteran-Owned businesses, military spouse owned businesses, and/or “Made in America” companies to further support military spouses, Veterans, and the American economy.Each month’s box will feature different products since we have so many fantastic items to showcase!! However, you can always expect a mix of bath & beauty products, home decor, accessories, helpful gadgets, inspirational items, unique gifts, and of course, anything with PATRIOTIC pizzazz!!!
The Price: $39.95 per month
The Categories: Women’s Lifestyle Subscription Boxes. Military & Veteran & First Responder Subscription Boxes,Subscription Boxes for Deployed Service Members, Veteran-Owned Subscription Boxes.
Comments
As a milspouse, this box is a total miss. I would never hang any of that stuff in my home. The box seems kitchy; more like it is angled to the 8-14 year old range tween girl who may have a parent serving. This is just a disappointment, not just from a value standpoint but with regards to usage as well. If a company is going to cater to such a specific group as the military spouse on the home-front, a group that encompasses less than 1% of Americans, they have to do better than this.
I do hope that they are able to improve on this box since it sounds like a good idea. Money can be tight for military families so I want to see more bang for my buck!