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Mostess “Cheers” Box Subscription Review – Winter 2017

Lacey Volk
ByLacey VolkDec 20, 2017 | 6 comments

Mostess boxes come wrapped in a hand-tied white ribbon

Mostess Box
4.3 overall rating
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Mostess is a subscription box for people who love to entertain! It's a seasonal package filled with curated party items, recipes, and other ideas to help you host beautiful gatherings.

Mostess subscription box, winter 2017.

Every box arrives with a hand-tied white ribbon row, and the contents are carefully packaged inside. This is one of my favorite unboxing experiences:

First peek inside the box

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

The Mostess Winter 2017 box includes festive items designed for making your holiday parties amazing!

About Mostess

The Subscription Box: Mostess

The Cost: $125 with a quarterly subscription, $120 a box with an annual subscription

ACTIVE DEAL: Save $10 + get free shipping!
CODE: MSAMOSTESS

The Products: “Mostess sends seasonally curated home decor and hosting products in a luxuriously wrapped box each quarter (4 boxes a year). You will enjoy full-sized and perfectly coordinated items such as cocktail ingredients, glassware tableware, linen, stationery, bar cart items and more. In addition to fantastic products, each box includes a Mostess Booklet complete with original recipes, product descriptions, and modern home decor and hosting tips.”

Ships to: US only, for free

Mostess Winter 2017 Review

Mostess intro booklet Mostess "cheers" booklet with items and tips for holiday hosting

The theme for the Winter box is "Cheers"!

Booklet preview

Every Mostess box comes with a booklet filled with ideas for using the items in the box, and all sorts of inspiration to make your gatherings great– to make you into the "hostess with the mostest" 🙂

Booklet preview Booklet preview

After introducing you to all of the items in the box, you'll get into the decor & hosting tips section.

Booklet preview Booklet preview

I love this tip about re-using your Christmas decor for New Year's Eve with just a few small changes!

Booklet preview

These images also feature items from past boxes to help subscribers think of ways to re-use items they may already have at home for their gatherings this season.

Booklet preview

There are a few small recipes for Rosemary Pecans (yum!) and Tableside Whipped Cream (featuring one of the items in this month's box).

Booklet preview

And a few cocktail recipes as well. Irish Coffee is very popular in our family on Christmas Eve, so I'm looking forward to the addition of some frothed milk this year!

Unpacking the rest of the box

The rest of the items in the box are packed under the initial tissue and info booklet, adding to that highly giftable and fun-to-unwrap experience. All of the items are typically packaged in their retail packaging, too, making them easy to break apart into smaller gifts if you like.

Moonstruck Dark Hot Cocoa

Moonstruck Dark Hot Cocoa – Retail Value $12.50

I am an absolute hot chocolate fiend in the winter time, and this blend does not disappoint.

Moonstruck Dark Hot Cocoa ingredients & nutrition facts

I'm used to cocoa with a 2 or 3 Tablespoon serving size with 6 oz of milk, but this brand recommends 4 with 8 oz of whole milk, so it's a bit richer.

Moonstruck Dark Hot Cocoa detail

I love this style of tin for the packaging. It's easy to scoop and has such a great holiday pattern.

Delicious candy cane hot cocoa

We deviated from the recipe and mixed ours up with some coconut milk, and with the recommended 4 tablespoons of mix it was absolutely perfect! A very rich and smooth dark chocolate flavor that was very balanced, not too bitter or too sweet. (And we had to serve with candy canes, of course.)

8 Oak Lane Disco Stirrers

8 Oak Lane Disco Ball Drink Stirrers – Retail Value $34 ($17 per set of 2)

I've actually been considering buying a small disco ball lately just for fun. These drink stirrers are so cute and festive!

8 Oak Lane Disco Stirrers set of 4

These swizzle sticks are about 5.5" long and have a nice weight to them. I couldn't find detailed product info, but I believe the actual part that goes into your drink is stainless steel, and the disco ball toppers are plastic.

8 Oak Lane Disco Stirrers detail

My little sister happens to have a December 31st birthday– so I'm thinking of adding a few to the bow on her birthday present. There are lots of fun ways to use these even if you're not a big cocktail or mocktail drinker!

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Vermouth Brined Olives

Jack Rudy Co Vermouth Brined Olives – Retail Value $14

Of course, if you are making cocktails, Mostess has also included these unique vermouth brined olives in your box this month!

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Vermouth Brined Olives history and more Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Vermouth Brined Olives nutrition facts and ingredients

Mostess suggests using these in a martini bar, but they'd be just at home on a charcuterie and cheese platter. They definitely have a strong and unique flavor thanks to the vermouth and are sure to have guests talking no matter how you use them!

Cocktail stirrers and olives in use for fancy martinis!

We couldn't resist the classic martini, with disco picks added for fun 🙂

Casa Fomini milk frother

Caso Fomini Handheld Frother – Retail Value $25 (Found here for $20.05)

I already had a frother like this at home (from IKEA), but this one is quite a bit nicer and is a really great idea for giving an extra oomph to your warm holiday beverages.

This frother takes two AA batteries, which are not included.

Casa Fomini milk frother comes with a stand

The Fomini is comfortable and easy to hold, and I love that it comes with a stand– that makes it easier to quickly wash and leave to dry after using, plus it'll be ready for the next person who wanders over to refill their coffee cup.

Casa Fomini milk frother detail

The teeny whisk on the bottom is also bigger than the one I've currently got, and the motion was more powerful. I usually pour a bit of half-and-half into a mug and heat it briefly in the microwave before frothing. It adds a little something special without taking more than an extra minute to your coffee routine:

Frothy after dinner coffee

I only wish I'd added a tiny bit of the hot cocoa mix on top of that foam!

Mosser Red Glass Bowl

Mosser Inverted Thistle Berry Bowl – Retail Value $28.99

This piece is made in America and definitely has a retro feel to it. It made me recall a similar candy dish that my great-grandmother always had filled with licorice and caramel candies.

Mosser Red Glass Bowl detail

The bowl features an elegant floral cut glass design. I am loving the festive bright red; it catches the light beautifully in person.

Glass bowl in situ

It's a smaller size, so perfect for after dinner mints and candies, just like my great-grandmother would have used it.

8 Oak Lane Dessert Plates Set

8 Oak Lane Dessert Plates – Retail Value $36

Finally, we have this set of 4 dessert plates from 8 Oak Lane.

8 Oak Lane Dessert Plates Stacked

These have a black and white plaid print with a delicate golden rim, and come neatly packed with bow and tag.

8 Oak Lane Dessert Plates Set of 4 Plaid pattern on dessert plate

I love this pattern! It goes perfectly for fall and winter holidays, but I could see myself using these year round.

Back of dessert plate

They are hand wash only and cannot be microwaved, which is typical of other metallic rimmed ceramics I've owned.

Macarons on our dessert plates

They're the perfect size for a slice of cake, or as a mug saucer with a few cookies or macarons on the side.

Verdict: Mostess always seems to have great curation and packaging, and my first time reviewing this box did not disappoint. The items all felt unique and of high quality (like the amazing hot cocoa mix and really unusual olives), and everything will definitely add some much-needed flair to my holiday entertaining this year.

The retail value for the items in the box works out to about $150, which is the range we've come to expect for this $125 subscription box (and above the price tag even at the $135 one-time purchase price). Together with the whole presentation and the booklet of inspiration and ideas, Mostess is a really fun quarterly package, whether you host get-togethers yourself or are looking for a thoughtful housewarming gift.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of publication, this box was still available!

Coupon – Get free shipping on your first box! No coupon needed, just link here.

Value Breakdown: For the $125 price point of the box (which ships free), here's about how much you're paying per item:

  • Moonstruck Hot Cocoa - $10.38
  • Disco Stirrers - $28.24
  • Jack Rudy Olives - $11.63
  • Milk Frother - $20.77
  • Mosser Glass Bowl - $24.08
  • Dessert Plates - $29.90

What do you think of the Winter Mostess Box?

Check out all of our Mostess reviews and the Women's Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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"Mostess sends seasonally curated home decor and hosting products in a luxuriously wrapped box each quarter (4 boxes a year). You will enjoy full sized and perfectly coordinated items such as: cocktail ingredients, glassware tableware, linen, stationery, bar cart items and more. In addition to fan... read more.
Lacey Volk
Lacey Volk
Lacey's introduction to the world of subscription boxes was Julep Maven, but she quickly moved on once she discovered there were subscriptions for cooking, coffee, and art supplies. Current favorites include Crate Chef and Ecocentric Mom, and she's looking forward to trying more.

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6 comments

Molly

This is usually such a cool sub but, I’m not too impressed with the winter box. I’ve always thought it was overpriced & this month the value isn’t there for me at all.

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Michelle

While it is all lovely there is nothing I couldn’t pick up for much much cheaper.

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Missy

Very nice curation and nice items but when I see the value breakdown I just think that this sub is overpriced. I mean 28$ for 4 stirrers is obsurd even though there cool that’s 7$ a stirrer & that’s a crazy amount

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Blondie

Great review and beautiful photography!

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Nina

Great review! Did you mean to type that there are 4 plates? You listed 8 but showed four.

I love all your pretty photos!

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Lacey Volk

Yep, I totally typed 8 because the brand name is 8 Oak Lane. Thank you for catching that! Will fix it now!

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