Howdy Baby Box Review + Discount Code: November 2021 Pumpkin Kisses and Harvest Wishes
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no additional cost to you, should you click through my links and make a purchase. I received the November 2021 subscription box as a gift from Three Yellow Starfish. All opinions are my own.
You know the pure joy on a child’s face when they open gifts during the holidays or on their birthday? That’s one of my favorite things now that I’m a mother because not only does it bring my child joy to receive a surprise, but it brings me joy to watch in her excitement. We love to gift experiences over toys, which is why I can’t wait to share our latest subscription box! If you are someone looking for a gift idea this holiday season (especially for the child who has it all or for the baby who doesn’t need anything just yet), the Howdy Baby box is it.
The reason I say the Howdy Baby box is an experience, and not toys or items, is because you AND your child (or the grandparent/guardian/aunt/uncle/etc.) get to open this box in surprise together, learn about the contents inside, explore, build creativity, and promote independence all in one beautiful box. I am a Montessori-inspired mama, environmentalist, and local shop supporter, but what do those all have in common? The items in this box all fall under those categories - WAIT WHAT?!
Why Howdy Baby?
The founders of the Howdy Baby box are sisters who wanted to create an opportunity to support other strong mamas, women-owned businesses, and independent brands & makers all over the USA. They search high and low for unique children’s products that “you’ll feel good about”. Inside the box, you can find items curated for a specific theme. These items range from ethically sourced materials to unique products made by hand. But the most important part of the box is that the items are to connect families with unique items to bond, explore, & build meaningful experiences together.
In the crate:
Each crate comes with a “What’s in the Box?” card and a themed card. With this month’s theme being ‘Pumpkin Kisses and Harvest Wishes’, the November card had a few gratitude prompts on the back. Both cards are made with a thick cardstock, in case your child gets to them first! Both of these cards can serve as educational resources for the parents. Since these boxes are designed to help connect the guardian and child through play, you can find instructions, product descriptions, and other resources on the cards. I love the designs and artwork and have the themed card’s reverse side sitting on my daughter’s desk to reference throughout the season.
Turkey Dinner Tee | Rivet Apparel Co. | $25.00
Okay, talk about cute!! My daughter will get some giggles this Thanksgiving with this shirt. Not only that, but the shirt is high quality! It feels more durable than anything you would find in your typical department store, and that’s important with children’s clothes. I am definitely impressed by the fabric and iron-on design. On another note, it’s made with a tri-blend of fabric to keep your child comfy and cool throughout the day. Being up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we are already seeing snowfall so this will help keep her cool underneath our many layers.
Felt Cupcake Play Food | CuddleCupsShop | $6.00
This was the first item taken out of the box and it went straight in her play kitchen - she almost forgot about the rest until I mentioned something else that’s in the box. From a Montessori perspective, Dr. Montessori found that children tended to gravitate toward the real thing instead of toy versions. She chose to remove traditional toys from the classroom, keeping those based in reality. So, having realistic play food will inspire hours of imagination and encourage children to be creative while developing important fine motor & social skills.
Although you could fill your children’s play areas with plastic or rubber realistic-looking play foods, I prefer felts & wooden products in our areas. Products made with materials like wood or other natural materials allow for open ended creativity, sensory development, and are typically more durable (but also better for the environment).
Related: Gentle Parenting: A Compilation Of Resources To Guide You
Kids Gratitude Kit | InklingsPaperie | $28.00
First of all, this company is located in my home state, close to where I lived for a time, AND one of my favorite cities here in Michigan: Plymouth. The kit came with a handful of thank-you post cards to fill out and send to friends and family, a super unique crayon-pencil with a variety of color options, and a durable gratitude deck. The deck is a little too advanced for my daughter currently so this is getting put away for when we start preschool. Inside the deck, you can find a conversation starter card, daily check-in cards, and cards to draw a picture. You can find prompts such as “Today I feel”, “This person brought me joy”, “Three things I’m grateful for are”, “Someone to thank”, and “Draw or write about something that brought you joy today”. All the pages are made with a thick and durable cardstock so they are long-lasting.
Fall Play Dough Kit | Sileenie | $7.50
This was the second item taken out of the box and straight to the table to open. After browsing the other items in Sileenie’s storefront, I really want more! The kit included a wide range of items to stimulate imagination & open-ended play. In our kit, we received a handful of pumpkins, wooden acorns, wooden leaf prints, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a rolling pin. The playdough is made with all-natural materials you can find right in your own kitchen. Our daughter played for 20 minutes, then we had our meal, and asked to play with it for another 20 minutes!
To Do Game - Family Activities | TODO | $20.00
This one was a unique find in our box! We LOVE to find unique games to add to our game collection for when friends and family visit. After moving out on our own, we found it difficult to find quality 2 player games that weren’t on the computer. Now that our daughter is getting old enough to play games, we are excited to get back to our favorite way to connect and have fun! The To Do Game is a collection of fun, educational, and interactive activities for the whole family. Each activity is geared towards strengthening the parent-child connection through various exercises that promote activities like: sensory play, language & fine motor development, and discovery. The only downside to this gift is that many of the activities do require you to find and provide supplies. Some of the prompts aren’t necessarily about items you will find lying around your house, although you could always get crafty and alter the prompt a little. This is definitely a unique find, but something that will be a lot of work to keep a toddler involved.
Hidden Message STEM Kit | Lynn Dalby Designs | $5.99
Beyond the benefits of learning science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM teaches children important critical-thinking skills and instills a passion for innovation. Utilizing STEM or STEAM-based activities will fuel success across a variety of tasks and disciplines as children grow. Which makes me excited that the Howdy Baby Box included a quick and easy STEM activity! Everything you need is included in this kit, besides a glass container, strainer, your secret note, and water. After you are finished with the sensory play, you can also use the beads as a DIY Seed Germination Jar. Although this is a super unique idea, this kit isn’t something I would look for when trying to come up with activities. So it’s awesome that it was included in the Howdy Baby Box.
Magnetic Fridge Cups | EZTOTZ | $12.99
These magnetic fridge cups are actually pretty neat! Evelyn has her own accessible drawer; however, we can stick these right to the fridge under the water dispenser and she can easily grab her cup, fill it with water, then replace the cup when she’s finished. eZtotZ is a company that was started by parents who were frustrated at the lack of baby safe products made in the USA. Many top leading brands for baby products have moved their manufacturing overseas, at the risk of potentially unsafe materials, loss of local jobs, lack of product testing, and unsafe work environments.
Fall Paperless Towels | Cottage Mum | $6.99
Okay, this one made my day! If everything in the box didn’t already win me over, this was the pushing point. These napkins were SOOOO soft, absorbent, and very durable. They were so nice, my husband said “Are you sure we are supposed to use these? These feel too fancy!” Cloth napkins are a big part of our low-waste lifestyle and I’m always searching for the perfect one. These will be great to use when we are hosting our guests!
Related: The Ultimate Zero Waste Grocery Guide: Michigan
Sneak Peak at Next Month’s Box
So, have I convinced you at how wonderful this box is yet? Next month’s box is all about spring and I’m excited to see what’s in it! Everything in this box totaled over $105+ in retail value, which is almost double the actual price of the subscription. The Howdy Baby Box also perfectly balanced high quality, USA-based small business items for both the parent and child, retail value, and subscription cost.
Getting your first box is easy, just head to Howdy Baby Box, select which box you would prefer, personalize your box with some questions of your child, and (impatiently) wait! Each box is shipped out on the 15th of every month, so if you want March’s crate, then you need to sign up before February 28th!
If you could choose one thing from this box, what would you have loved to receive?
If you decide to sign up or gift it, I can’t wait to see what you receive and share in the fun! Be sure to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below telling me how you enjoyed it.
