Happily is a monthly subscription that delivers everything you need for a unique, creative date designed to help you reconnect with your partner as you spend quality time together.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Happily
The Subscription Box: Happily
The Cost: $39.95 a month + free shipping. Save with 3- and 6-month subscriptions.
The Products: Everything you need for a creative date night activity with your significant other.
Ships to: the U.S.
Happily October 2020 Review
How on earth can it already be the middle of October? It seems like just yesterday I was writing the September review for this box, and here November is almost upon us. With our garden all buttoned up and school in full swing, things have settled a bit and there has been a bit more time to relax. Pre-snow (we just received two more inches this morning!) we would pack up the truck and take the kids fishing, but now it's time to stay nice and cozy in the house. Like I mentioned in previous reviews, our date nights out were few and far between even before the pandemic, so now they are unthinkable. Our date nights now consist of movies, cribbage, and this box. Let's see how this month's date turned out...
This month's color theme was mustard yellow and included a card welcoming us to our date. Considering the pretzel pattern, I was tipped that we were maybe making soft pretzels for our date, and lo and behold I was right... how did they turn out you ask? Read below to find out!
On the opposite side of the card, we have a list of the contents included in the box. This month we received a custom playlist, conversation starters, gluten-free pretzel mix, yeast, baking soda, salt, blocks, game cards, and rule cards.
I was obsessed with last month's custom playlist, as it included awesome hits from AC/DC and The Rolling Stones. When I discovered we were making soft pretzels this month it gave me an "Oktoberfest" vibe and I thought for sure we'd have some German tunes on our playlist, but instead we were greeted with Mariachi-style music. While it wasn't the kind of music we typically listen to, it was something different, and we found ourselves dancing along in the kitchen.
Our conversation starters this month sort of lead into the game we received. They were fun and easy to answer, and questions we typically wouldn't ask each other in everyday conversation. Plus when they are written down, it makes it feel more serious, where the other person must answer.
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Can't Help Falling Game
This month we received a Jenga-style game that incorporates a truth-or-dare-style twist. We received numbered wooden blocks, some wooden dice (although there was no instruction for what these were for), and a deck of truth or dare style cards. To play, you set the blocks up like you would in the game Jenga. Using the box to straighten the stack, you pull a numbered block out and read the following question to the other player. Each card features a "Partner's Choice, Truth, or Dare" type question. At the beginning of the game, each player comes up with what the other player has to do if they knock over the tower. This game is fun, easy, and you learn a lot about one another!
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In our game, if I knocked over the tower, I had to go outside and get hubby a beer to drink, and if he knocked over the tower, he had to do the dishes on Saturday night. I'm sad to say... I knocked over the tower and while I generally have no problem running outside to get a beer from the garage, it had snowed four inches, and I was all snug and warm in my blanket... Anyway, the game was pretty fun, and even though some of the dares were really goofy, we had a good time. Something a little different from our normal cribbage game, and a little more romantic!
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Homemade Pretzel Kit
The special treat we made this month was gluten-free soft pretzels. I am obsessed with soft pretzels, and could seriously eat them daily - I don't, but I could. Have I ever had a gluten-free version? I don't think so, but I was excited to give these a whirl. We received the pretzel mix, salt, yeast, and baking powder, but had to supply our own egg, oil, and dip ingredients.
To make our soft pretzels, I first went ahead and preheated the oven. Mixing the warm water, and yeast in a bowl, I let it stand for 5 minutes until the yeast dissolved. Next, we stirred in the egg and olive oil, adding the pretzel mix until well incorporated. We then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, we put the dough onto a lightly floured pastry board and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Rolling the dough into ropes, we shaped them (the best we could...) Once the dough was shaped, we dropped them into a boiling water/baking soda mixture for a second and placed them on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkling on a bit of salt, we then put them in the oven for about 18 minutes.
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While the pretzels were baking, we started on our cheese. Because I don't particularly care for beer cheese, we skipped that ingredient and made a Monterey cheddar version. After I melted the butter, we put the flour in the saucepan and added the milk. Once it thickened, we added a little mustard and salt with the Monterey cheese. This cooked until melted, and we were ready to eat our pretzels!
How were the gluten-free pretzels you ask? They were pretty good. We did feel they had a bit of a multi-grain feel over a traditional pretzel, but we enjoyed them anyway. Plus the kids were happy to wake up to the leftovers the next day!
The Verdict: Happily was pretty fun this month! Both of us had fun making (and eating) the pretzels and the game was pretty fun and can be played again with or without the cards. The playlist was okay, and the conversation starters were another aspect to get a couple talking more, but I felt this box needed more physical items. I totally get that this is an "experience" box, and our experience was lovely, but I would like more. At $39.95, I feel the price point is too steep, and hope to see more value in the future.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. According to Happily's FAQ, boxes ship on the 10th of every month, so you'd likely receive the November box.
Read our other Happily review right here, and for more options like this, check out all of our date night boxes and the Lifestyle Subscription Box List!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Happily? What do you think November's theme will be?
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