Marigold Box Review + Coupon – February 2016

Marigold Box is a brand new subscription service, bringing you the best of Indian heritage, traditions and celebrations. It is so new, in fact, that they are not yet accepting subscribers, just collecting people on their mailing list. They do have their first box for sale as a one-time purchase however, and I am lucky enough to have one to review for you!

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Marigold Box

The Cost: $32.50

COUPON: Save $5 off your first box with code MSAHOLI2016!

The Products: Products to allow you to discover Indian culture with “beautiful handicrafts, inspiring stories, and fun ways to celebrate festivals.”

Ships to: US (for free!) and Internationally, for an additional cost.

Check out the Artisan Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Marigold Box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Marigold’s first box is all about the celebration of “Holi,” the festival of colors! Quite a bit of literature came with this box!

These first two cards have a thank-you note, information about the box’s contents, an explanation of what Holi is, and a description of how Holi is celebrated.

This recipe was included for a favorite Holi beverage called Kanji. It looks like a yummy vegetable juice!

Marigold Box also included what might be the funnest thing I’ve ever seen in a subscription box – a Bollywood playlist of Holi songs! You can even hear them all on their youtube channel!

Handmade “Holi” Greeting Cards by Indian Journals – Value $10?

These cards are so beautiful! And the texture of the recycled materials is soft and wonderful. I love these! I love this kind of design, too. I couldn’t find these online, but there are five of them, so I guessed on the value.

Colored Powder by Chameleon Colors – Value $1.50 each ($6 total)

This colored powder is cornstarch based and is designed to be thrown at each other during Holi! Or smeared on your loved ones! I think I have also seen this used in those 5k and 10k “color runs.” I’m going to hang on to these for a while, until it’s warm enough outside for us to play with these.

Peacock Indian Wood Stamp by Blockwallah – Value $16
(I couldn’t find the exact same design for sale online, so this link is to a slightly different one.)

I love getting any kind of fun art supply in a subscription box, and I know this little stamp will go to good use! I think this design is one of the best peacock stamps I’ve ever seen, and I love that it’s a wooden stamp.

Amma, Tell Me About Holi! by Bhakti Mathur – Value $12.48

I read this book to the kids lastnight, and now they are obsessed with Holi. Why don’t we have holiday celebrations like that? Why doesn’t our culture have a day set aside just to celebrate color? Those are good questions that I cannot answer. This is a great story, and I love the illustrations, personally. I was always kind of freaked out by the blue skin color of Krishna and Vishnu in Indian literature, but these illustrations make them so much more accessible. I love it! This book got 5 stars on Amazon, which reads:

Come let’s hear the magical story,
Of Holi in all its vibrant glory
As told to Klaka, an eager little boy,
By his Amma, with dollops of joy.
First, a tale of colors and childhood fun:
Naughty Krishna and Radha, his loved one.
Next, an evil king who thought he was God,
His son Prahlad refused to accept the fraud.

He threatened his own son, who did not think him divine.
But against the evil king, faith and miracles did align.
A story of faith, devotion and love,
Passed down to children, from generations above…

Amma Tell Me is a charming and informative series of children’s books that introduces the major Hindu festivals and figures to young readers in a fun and non-preachy way. Written in rhyme with vivid, captivating illustrations, the books are perfect for families wanting to share stories from Hindu mythology with their children, or for educators looking for resources on Indian festivals and culture for their students. The series has ten books on the festivals of Holi, Diwali, and on the Hindu gods Krishna, Hanuman, and Ganesha.

I kind of want to get the other books in the series now, too!

Verdict: I think this was an amazing first box from Marigold Box, and I think this is a great way to introduce your family to the culture, traditions, and celebrations of India! The value of the included items comes to about $44, and the box (which is still for sale) is only $32.50, so the value is definitely good. We love learning about new cultures in my family, so this box was a hit for us! Happy Holi, y’all!

What do you think of Marigold Box?