What's in The Vegan Kind Box? May 2018

It's National Vegetarian Week!! So what better time to take a rummage through this month's The Vegan Kind Box? Here's a peep at everything inside TVK55...
 

Following on from my last post, I'm sticking with a veggie theme - not least because it happens to be National Vegetarian Week in the UK this week. I've been sitting on my hands on this one ever since I received my The Vegan Kind May box because I don't want to be that person doling out spoilers and ruining it for other subscribers. So I've been patient. But I'm done being patient....

It seems like forever since I reviewed a TVK box! I haven't yet been able to bring myself to explain my absence fully here, but I'm sure it'll come with time. The important thing is, I'm back now, so I'm raring to go on this month's box. 

For those of you who might be new to TVK subscription box, or have had your curiosity peaked with all the veggie chat going on this week, The Vegan Kind were the first in the UK to offer a 100% Vegan lifestyle subscription box. Each month, TVK subscribers receive a yummy parcel of vegan treats, food items, and other household products or toiletries through their door. What could be better, right? They even branched out into doing cruelty free beauty boxes! 

It really is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to new vegan products each month, and a great way to ease yourself into a more plant-based way of living.

So, what's in the Box?!

Herby GEOSticks

Crispy, herby little multigrain sticks made from rice, lentils and quinoa. These were the first item to fall prey to my office munchies (I tend to stash the contents of each box in my desk drawer each month) and contain some gorgeous Fairtrade ingredients from Japan and Peru.

Belvas Flaked Belgian Chocolate Truffles

Oh, my goodness! Very decadent, flakey-soft truffles made using 73% Peruvian cocoa. You'd never in a million years assume these were plant-based - they're so morish and indulgent!

BetterYou Daily Vitamin B12 Oral Spray

"Where do you get your B12?"... RIGHT HERE! 

I've always favoured oral and sublingual B12 supplements and I'm looking forward to trying this one. It has the added bonus of chromium and green tea extract to keep you awake and alert. Just 4 sprays per day delivers 48,000% of your RDA(!!) and with a pleasant apricot flavour. 

I Love Snacks Californian Smoked Almonds

Are you a nutter like me? If you're partial to a tasty hit of healthy fats, these will be right up your alley. And if portion control is an issue then the handy little mini-packs mean you can't get too carried away. These are great for a quick afternoon pick me up. 

YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks

SWEETS!! I love a good veggie jelly sweet and these are particularly tasty. They are flavoured using natural, organic fruit juices with no syrups or artificial colours/flavours. The icing on the cake is that they're also packing a hit of Vitamin C! 

Montezuma's Dark Chocolate Chilli Mini-Bar

There is no bad kind of mini-bar, and this little slab of pure joy packs quite a punch! You might have noticed Montezuma's creations in supermarkets, and this chilli variety was one of their original 5 products and inspired by a traditional Mexican recipe.

Turmerlicious Choco Latte

I'm really looking forward to trying this! I've heard amazing things about 'golden milk' turmeric lattes. This one is blended with coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper and... well... turmeric (obvs). All you need to do is add hot water!

My Thoughts... 

To be honest, I've yet to receive a TVK box I didn't like! This one, however, is particularly wonderful! I love everything in it! As always, it's super value for money, containing 7 good-sized products worth over £23. It's a great combo of sweet, savoury and functional too. I think if I had to pick a favourite product of the bunch, it would have to be the Belvas truffles. They are spectacular, and really didn't last long. I could have done with another box! 

As always, there was a delicious recipe card included with the products for a yummy green veggie curry. 10p from each TVK55 box sold was also donated to Well Small Animal Rescue, which is a small cat rescue charity based in Lincolnshire. 

To subscribe to The Vegan  Kind, head over to thevegankind.com, pick your box, pick your subscription, and you're all set! The Lifestyle Box Subscription (which is what I have) starts from just £8 per month. Or, if you're a cruelty-free beauty lover, you might also love their bi-monthly Beauty Box.

The Vegan Kind also operates an online vegan supermarket - probably the biggest in the UK - where they offer a HUGE range of cruelty-free, plant based products for home delivery anywhere in the UK! 

What Veggie/Vegan Treats have you been enjoying for National Vegetarian Week?

Summer of TVK | 3 Box Bonanza!

Well HELLO there! Once again, I'm going to kick off another post by apologising for how awful I've been with this blog. In my defense, I am on a mission at the moment to figure out a way to generate my own personal blog content more efficiently alongside the content I create for clients as part of my paid job. I hope this post goes some way to making up for it, because I've got a bumper summer crop of The Vegan Kind* for you today. 3 whole months' worth of wholesome, cruelty-free, vegan food and lifestyle goodness! 

The Vegan Kind TVK 32 - June 2016

The TVK box for June threw me right into the mood for summer. I guess they were as excited as I was, because the stars of this box were the Green People Edelweiss Sun Lotion and natural tan accelerator, and the Smooze coconut and mango fruit lollies. The only thing that could have made this box better would be a plane ticket, a palm tree, and a good book (fat chance of that for me at the moment though - busy busy busy - maybe next year). 

Also tucked away in this box was a glorious Chocolate and Raspberry Cookie from The Foods of Athenry. I'm a huge fan of their baked goods after discovering their gluten-free mince pies last christmas and they're a regular with TVK. The Good Full Stop cocoa orange bar was a refreshing change for me from the Nakd version, and I'd not got round to trying the Granovita Vegetable Pate, despite seeing it around multiple times. Also... cheese and onion Hoots! Enough said. 10/10 TVK!

The Vegan Kind TVK33 - July 2016

I have another apology to make (that makes 2 so far this post, I'm going for a record) and that apology is to Angelic Gluten Free, whose chocolate, coconut and oat slices were too delicious and were the only item out of all 3 boxes not to survive to the photography stage of this post (although, the Yushoi Snapea Soy and Balsamic Vinegar rice sticks bag also looks mysteriously empty... my bad). Believe me when I say that you need them in your belly. I thought I could just pinch one and photograph the rest. How wrong I was. I will make it up to them by annihilating their stock at Vegfest London in October. 

Massive shoutout once again to Harper's Bizarre for another TVK exclusive candle. I'm lucky enough to call Victoria Harper a friend and her candles are always welcome in my house. Particularly her raspberry and rose, so The Raspberry Kind was very well received. 

This was a very sweet box, with Goody Good Stuff cola bottles, a Conscious Chocolate Goji and Coconut mini-bar, and a delightfully refreshing Virtue Lemon Iced Tea in addition to the Angelic cakey goodness, but I also o-loved (see what I did there) the Oloves chilli and garlic olives.

The Vegan Kind TVK34 - August 2016

Hard to choose a best out of all 3 summer boxes, but... I think this one just takes the trophy, purely for the Follow Your Heart Veganegg. Prior to becoming vegan, I remember citing eggs as something I could never give up. I was extremely 'meh' about cheese and I've never been able to stand the smell of bacon, but eggs were my bae (if I were the sort of person to use the word 'bae' *shudder*). I think I'm going to save my thoughts on this product for a full review and maybe even a taste test video. 

Elsewhere in the box, I've thoroughly enjoyed munching my way through the Hippeas Far out Fajita chickpea puffs, the Landgarten crunchy choco balls, and the Squirrel Sisters Coconut and Cashew energy bar over the last few days. We had my brother's 6 year old step-daughter staying over on Thursday night and she was only too happy to share the Candy Kittens Sweet Pineapple candies with me (in fact, she rather liked them - see below).

I shared the @candykittens_uk from my @thevegankind box with my brother's 6yr old step-daughter (yes, I do occasionally share food - shocking, I know)... I think she liked them! 💚💚💚 #aww #vegan #vegansofig #vegansweets #cute #thevegankind #tvk34 #candy #sharingiscaring

A photo posted by Lisa Clare 🇬🇧 (@thatlisaclare) on Aug 19, 2016 at 9:01am PDT

And, finally, there was the Native Unearthed Volcanic Crystals and Aloe deodorant, which I haven't got round to testing out yet, but that I have high hopes for. I was also lucky enough to get a £5 John Lewis/Waitrose gift card with my box, which I donated to my preggers sister-in-law towards baby clothes as my first duty as an Auntie-to-be. 

I know I say this every time I review a TVK box, but I've been getting these boxes (initially as a paying customer and now as a blogger) for well over a year now, and I can honestly say they never send out a bad box. They are amazing value for money and there's always something new to try with TVK. It's never the 'same old stuff' with them. I've never felt tempted to order from any of the other vegan subscription box services that have sprung up in the UK (TVK were the first). 

For more information and to subscribe to The Vegan Kind Lifestyle Box visit www.thevegankind.com

The Vegan Kind #TVK10 Unboxing

Not one, but TWO offerings from The Vegan Kind this month!! Last week I brought you the contents of their debut beauty box and now I'm back with an unboxing of their August #TVK10 box. Regular readers will know that I love getting my TVK boxes every month. They've been a real treat and introduced me to a whole world of new, cruelty free products and treats. 

For those not in the know, The Vegan Kind were the first to offer a 100% vegan monthly subscription box service in the UK and they're now onto their 10th box! It's been a pleasure to watch their business grow with more and more vegan (and non vegan) subscribers every month. It really is a great way to introduce more cruelty-free, eco friendly and wholesome products into your life and discover just how delicious vegan treats can be. This month's box, for me, is one huge snack attack! Here's the run down of what's in the box...

I'm munching on my bag of Sweet & Salty Propercorn as I type. I've had a bit of an addiction to this for a long time so was delighted to find my favourite snack when I opened the box. This box is all about the snacks. There are also strawberry flavour Freedom Mallows, which I have been keen to try for quite a while, a Pulsin Vanilla Choc Chip protein bar (remember how much I loved the Pulsin Brownie I got in my first ever TVK box) and some super-healthy Nothing But Mange Tout and Red Pepper snacks. Literally, all they are is dehydrated veggies so it's actually one of your 5-a-day! 

The two non-food items in the box have got me very excited indeed. I have so much trouble sourcing cruelty free laundry detergents so I'm over the moon with the Living Naturally soapnut laundry tabs. These are a world first product and are organic, hypoallergenic and completely biodegradable. Yay for the planet!! And how cute is this "Fuelled by Compassion" wristband from TeenVGN? They even matched the colour perfectly with my blog theme hehe. TeenVGN are an amazing vegan youth organisation aimed at helping compassionate young people connect with each other and inspire others. 

*****

This month's TVK featured charity is Nut House Hen Rescue who, since opening their coop in 2011, have rescued almost 5000 ex battery hens. TVK are a wonderful, compassionate company who also have great fun on social media so make sure you connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. 

For more info and to subscribe to The Vegan Kind, visit
www.thevegankind.com

Unboxing: The Vegan Kind #TVK7

I'm back again!!! Hopefully I'll be getting back to a regular blogging schedule now that my 2nd year of Uni is officially OVER! I've spent almost all of my time over the last few weeks finishing up my final assignments and revising my little heart out. I have quite a few things I want to share with you now that I have the freedom to do so but first I really wanted to show you what I got in this month's The Vegan Kind #TVK7 box seen as I never got to post about last month's. 

For anyone unfamiliar with TVK, they are a monthly subscription box service specialising in Vegan and Eco friendly snacks, toiletries and household products along with monthly recipe cards and discount codes on featured products. 10p from every box sold goes to benefit featured charities and this month the donation will be made to Give a Dog a Bone - And an Animal a Home. You do NOT have to be a vegan to enjoy this service but it's a great [place to start if you're looking to make more compassionate and eco friendly choices.

Here's what's in the box!!!

First of all, I know what your immediate thoughts were.... ERMAHGERD VEGAN CHOCCY FUDGE! It was my initial reaction too and it took a little while for me to acknowledge the rest of the contents of the box, I was that preoccupied with it. True to form it only took me a day and a half to snaffle all of the delicious Scoff Sweets fudge and it gets a massive thumbs up from me! 

I'm so excited to try the WholePlus Vanilla Spice Hot Pot. I am a long time porridge disciple and I love that you can just add water to this and munch away. It's made with coconut milk powder so completely cow and calf friendly. I'll definitely let you know what it's like. I must admit I'm a loose leaf tea virgin and I have visions of this fresh looking Keemun Morning Tea by The Dormouse Tea Company ending up all over my kitchen surfaces. They've cleverly provided some empty bags with it though so I will have to apply some serious concentration and get it packed up and ready to brew. 

I've had an overwhelming urge lately to make a big batch of vegan Tzatziki dip and these Golden Apple raw biscuits with Hazelnut and Peppermint will be the perfect thing to dip into it. I'm yet to fully embrace the whole 'raw' thing so I'm looking forward to giving these a thorough taste testing. I'm not a huge pepperminty person if I'm honest but TVK have a habit of making me like things I wouldn't normally. One thing I DO like however, is sweet potato and give me a packet of crisps and I will always be happy. The Piri Piri Sweet Potato Crisps from Hectares lasted about as long as the fudge did. Wonderfully crunchy and with a lovely spicy kick.

Lastly, TVK always seem to know when I'm running low on household things. They predicted my washing up liquid shortage with my first box and now they've come to my aid with some concentrated Non Bio Laundry liquid by Bio D with no nasty chemicals, fragrance free and made from sustainable, naturally derived raw ingredients. Winner! 

I'd definitely recommend the TVK service. I always feel like I've had my money's worth and they're always super chatty and friendly on social media. Check out their Facebook Page for Vegan and cruelty free chatter, recipes and giveaways. To subscribe to their service you can visit 

www.thevegankind.co.uk

(£10 per month with £2.99 UK postage)

What's in my 'The Vegan Kind' Box #TVK5

I'm quite excited about this post! At the beginning of February I came across The Vegan Kind via Facebook. For those of you unfamiliar with their service they are like a hybrid between a monthly beauty box like Glossybox and a Graze Box except all the products are natural, cruelty-free and Vegan. At the time I'd only been fully Vegan for about a week or so and thought this might be a fab opportunity to introduce myself to some new and animal-friendly products and snack ideas. So I signed up and my first box arrived this morning and I thought I'd do some photos and pop up a first impressions post. 

You absolutely do NOT have to be Vegan to enjoy this service. It's perfect for anyone looking to discover healthier, more eco and animal friendly snacks and beauty/household products and those who are contemplating experimenting with Veganism. With each box you receive 5-6 products ranging from healthy snacks, sweet treats, Vegan alternatives, cruelty free beauty/household products and anything in between. The Vegan Kind also donate 10p from every box sold to a featured charity each month (voted for by their Facebook followers). This month the donation will be made to the Society for Abandoned Animals. Each month you also get a recipe card with ideas on how to use the products in your box which are designed to go into a special folder (received with your third box). 

Sooooo.... What's in the box????

They're certainly playing to my sweet tooth with this one! I was a little bummed that I didn't get any toiletries or beauty products for my first box (past boxes have included Organic Surge shower gels and Vegan lip balms) but I'm not cross. This is a lovely selection. The Pulsin Raw Choc Brownie lasted all of ten seconds once I'd taken its picture and it was LUSH! Kind of like a naughtier version of the Nakd snack bars. I'm sure I will enjoy the SAF Express Raw Coconut Cookies. I'm really not a fan of coconut at all but, since being Vegan I've found myself coming round to many things I wasn't keen on before. Perhaps my tastebuds are evolving? 

TVK have also appealed to my love of something spicy with this box. The Flavour Magic Harissa seasoning will come in very handy as I love a sprinkle of something tasty. This powder looks like it will be very versatile. My On The Pulse Hot Chick chickpea snacks also have a Moroccan theme. Finally, TVK have saved me a trip to the supermarket for washing up liquid by including this Greenfrog version containing natural soapnuts. I'm just about to run out. It's a HUGE bottle too so will last a long time. Great value. 

All in all I am really pleased with my first TVK box! The products are all full size and the RRP of everything adds up to more than the £10 (+£2.95 P&P) I paid for the box. There's nothing here I won't enjoy or make use of. Fingers crossed for some beauty products in #TVK6!! I'm definitely going to stick it out for a few more boxes. If you want to find out more about The Vegan Kind, their products and the service they provide visit

www.thevegankind.com

or seek them out on Twitter and Facebook @thevegankind 

Are you looking to make more Vegan choices?? Do you prefer healthy snacks?? Would you subscribe to  service like this??