Summer 2018 Pusheen Box | Review

Hi lovelies! You may have read the title of this post and thought Summer? It's no where near Summer yet! And of course, you'd be right :D However today I am bringing you guys a little helping of Summer vibes! As you all know, well if you're one of my wonderful regular readers, my 'blogging game' was very much depleted in 2018 and there were a lot of posts in my schedule that never got written, photography that didn't get taken, and notes full of scribbled ideas that are now lost. You guys voted in a poll over on my Twitter that you still wanted to see what I got inside last year's Spring and Summer Pusheen subscription boxes, despite it being quite a while since I received them. And although I posted my Spring one (you can read it here if you're interested), stressful life situations got in the way and the Summer Box Review never came. It might be many months since Summer has been and gone, but I said I'd share it, so here we are! In a way, today's post is akin to those 'see past boxes' options on subscription box websites, and I always like to look at those before I deciding whether or not to order them for myself, so think of my post like that! I also love a good nosey at what people get in their subscription boxes, even if I don't plan on getting it myself :D Whatever you're reading for, I hope you enjoy what I have to say! I'm sure those of you who are not fans of the colder seasons will appreciate the theme anyhow :) 

I always like to kick start these kinds of posts by explaining more about the subscription box service itself and how it works, so if you like what you've seen once you have finished reading, you have the information to go and grab one for yourselves :) Many subscription boxes out there are received monthly and although they can still be fabulous, it means they are usually filled with items that are valued according to the subscription fee you pay. This often results in you getting fewer items, especially if they are high quality or official branded merchandise. Some subscription boxes are therefore prone to pack more 'filler items' into their boxes, that lots of people don't enjoy as much. This is not always the case of course and I have gotten monthly subscription boxes in the past that I was very happy with... 

Anyhow before I get too off point, the difference with the Pusheen Box is that it's one of the quarterly subscriptions that are becoming more and more popular. You basically receive a box once every season (three months approx.) and I think that you get a lot more value for your money with this type of subscription. It works out that you pay an upfront fee for each season that would work out at around £20 per box if it was divided monthly, which I think is very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the items that you get inside the Pusheen Box. There is a theme to each of the boxes and that is always fun! With every edition, you get a vinyl figure that matches whatever the theme is, and I have found that each and every other item in the box to be useful in some way. This is rare with subscription boxes, where you can receive things that you are not really sure what to do with :D Before you all get bored, haha, it's time to talk about what I discovered inside 2018's Summer Pusheen Box!

Voila! No matter what the theme, the contents of the Pusheen Subscription Box is always very aesthetically pleasing, especially if like me, you're a fan of all things pastel and cute! Despite having been subscribed to the box for ages now, I am still surprised by how pretty everything is each time I unbox them :) I feel like I say this everytime, but something that I really appreciate about the Pusheen Box is how much they think about the presentation and packaging of, not only the box itself when they make it match the theme, but also in the way they pack all of the individual items inside. The more fragile items are always in a box, which includes whatever protective 'padding' is required to keep the item safe, and they always make sure to put other items inside plastic so that they don't get scratched, etc. There are other companies that do this too to a degree, but CultureFly, the manufacturers of Pusheen Box even decorate the packaging, with descriptions and pictures of the items inside, VS the plain boxes that other companies typically use.  

As you can see from my photo above, I received 8 items in the Summer 2018 box: Pusheenicorn pot, a plushie, a pack of super adorable paper straws, USB desktop fan, Pusheen & friends tank top, the exclusive vinyl figure that comes in every box (with a different design each time of course), a Pusheenicorn water bottle, and lastly, an inflatable drink float. The overall theme of this box seems to be Summer vacation, with a dash of unicorn fabulousness randomly thrown in, which is not something I'm going to complain about! Unicorns plus cat equals a happy Sarah! 

Another cute touch to the Pusheen Box is the artwork on their item information card/postcard. It is always super adorable, and would look awesome pinned up on a notice board or art wall, or even put into a frame. It makes me wish that I was still living at university or just living in my own place in general, so that I could put them up on the fridge, and change them up with each new season :) Don't you agree that they'd look great on the fridge? Haha :D Oh my gosh, how cute is the sloth on this postcard though!

Here's what the exclusive vinyl figure that we received in the Summer 2018 box looks like up close. Something that I like about these vinyl figures, other than the fact that I am a collector of vinyl figures and so always appreciate adding more to my ever-growing collection, is that they still reflect the simplistic, iconic look of Pusheen the cat that we know and love, but just make little additions that are awesome! 

Based on the previous vinyl figures we've gotten in past boxes, I'm not going to lie and say that I love this Summer 2018 edition, but this might just be down to my personal opinion. It is a very cool design and I like the translucent blue part of the figure that represents the wave that Surfer Pusheen is riding. As a toy photographer, I am excited about how this figure might look on photos when taken on a beach, and it is very summery, so I think it would be great to display in your house around this time to bring a little bit of the joys of Summer indoors :) I don't know, I am more of a fan of pastel or darker shades, so the vibrant colour scheme of the figure does not appeal to me like the previous figures have. What do you all think of this figure? 

It's always really nice to find a cuddly Pusheen hiding inside the subscription box, and this one is lovely! The design is very simplistic, which I like as it doesn't distract away from the incredibly adorable expression on Pusheen's face! The plushie feels very soft and is made from high quality material, just like every single Pusheen plush I have ever seen in person. They do a really good job with designing them, and I would love to get more! I've been tempted to purchase one of their Pusheenimals ones for a while now :) 

I really like when plushies are squishy and this one is, however the material that the ring is made out of isn't so that's a shame. It is a much more rough fabric, which makes sense because it's supposed to stand out against the soft texture of Pusheen herself, but I wish they'd made it with the same silky smooth fabric of the plushie regardless. I love the colours they've chosen, and the item reminds me of myself in a way :D I am chubby like Pusheen and also I cannot swim, so I'd just be floating around in the water with something inflatable to keep me from drowning like this ring, haha! Thanks Pusheen Box for another fantastic addition to my plushie army! 

Seriously, how flippin' cute is this design of Pusheen & her friends, well brother and sister, enjoying one of the best things that Summer has to offer, ice-cream desserts!? Look how sweet they are, with their excited little faces! I might have squeeee'd a little when I first looked at the design on this tank top, or vest top, as we more usually refer to them here in the UK. Each Pusheen Box includes some sort of clothing item, whether it be a t-shirt or a jumper or a hat, etc. I am really happy because unlike other subscription services/companies, the makers behind Pusheen Box actually understand that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that plus size people want to enjoy their boxes just as much as anyone else (I am looking at you Harry Potter subscription boxes...). The clothing that I receive in the Pusheen Box always fits me well and makes me feel adorable when I'm wearing it, and how could I not with their brilliant designs! 

I wish that this vest top would have been a tee to be honest, but that's only because I don't really wear vest tops/tank tops, I don't like how much of a gap there is under the arms, but I can still rock it under a thin cardigan throughout Summer though I guess. I don't want to miss out on wearing it anyhow because the design is lovely; I really like the blue and yellow colour scheme and how it represents sky and sand, and the fluffy white clouds are a sweet addition too. The fact that the colours are bright and cheerful, but are still pretty pale in shade is something I like too. But my favourite thing about the vest top is the fact that Pip is on it!! Pip is my favourite Pusheen character; he's the black kitty you can see above, and is the little brother of Pusheen and Stormy (middle cat). Pip is eating the best dessert on the print, a huge ice-cream sundae, which is what I'd choose to eat too! I'm curious, what's your favourite ice-cream flavour? Let me know in the comments. Mine's mint chocolate chip! 

I have literally wanted a desk fan for what feels like forever now, in preparation for whenever I manage to get my bedroom decorated and my new desk set up (I know I know, it's starting to look like it won't happen for years at this rate! Oops). I know I wanted one with a cute and/or geeky design, but I just couldn't find the right one that wasn't too expensive to both buy and then ship to the UK. Pusheen Box have now saved me from the endless searching! I like that this one is USB-powered, because it means wherever my laptop goes, the fan can too, which is going to be super helpful in the hotter months, but also in general because being a blogger means spending a lot of time typing away on your laptop or computer, and these things get hot! I like that the Pusheen Box desk fan is much larger than other versions I was looking at, and overall it has a simplistic design that will go well within any bedroom décor scheme :) 

I am trying to make little changes to my life that are more friendly to the environment, which you may already know if you've seen my first post of 2019 all about using brown paper for wrapping presents (check it out here). One of the things I've been very interested in for a while is getting one of those metal drinking straws that you can fold and store away in a little capsule case thing, to take with me to restaurants, etc. However they look very tricky to clean, even with some companies providing special brushes to clean inside the straws, and as an alternative I have been looking into using paper straws instead, until I can find out more about the metal option. So this item is perfect for helping me make that change :) If I can ever bring myself to use them that is, because they are gorgeous! 

It's excellent that you get fifteen straws in the pack, so I can always use them but save a couple to keep, because I like to hoard random things that look cute and never use them apparently XD I have a problem. As you can see, you get three different designs, five of each, and they are all equally as pretty. I love how colourful they are, and they feature so many wonderful things like ice-creams, rainbows, stars, fluffy clouds, gemstones and Pusheen herself... in the form of Pusheenicorn too! I cannot even choose a favourite, but I'd love to know which one you guys like best :) These paper straws are going to come in handy in the Summertime, when it feels somehow more refreshing to sip cold drinks through a straw when you're out and about in the sunshine, or dealing with the sweltering heat in the shade where I am normally to be found! 

This item is listed simply a Pusheenicorn pot, even though it is a multi-purpose item and very wonderful indeed! Firstly, look at all of the eye-catching colours in this cat-unicorn's mane and tail! It looks so nice and makes me think of sweets, and just makes me smile whenever I look at it. This 'pot' can be used, without the lid, as a pen pot or to store little bits and bobs in. But it's also a tea pot and can double as a watering can! 

When I first saw it, it reminded me of an item I received in my first ever Pusheen box, which was another small multi-functional ceramic pot, however that one had a hole in the base so that it could be used as a flower pot, whereas this one doesn't. You could totally use both items in tandem, one as a planter and the Pusheenicorn to water your plant :) How cute! 

The size of this little tea pot makes me think of tea parties and I feel a mighty need to take it along to a picnic in the park! Hopefully that can be arranged once the weather improves :) Again, I love that Pusheen's typical simple, grey design has been subtly enhanced, and isn't too garish because of the use of more pastel colours. I really adore this item! 

What is more useful an item in Summer than a water bottle, and who doesn't want to show off this one whenever they are forced to endure the blazing sun! Haha, I'm kidding, Summer has it's wonders like any other season, and sunny weather can be amazing... but yeah, it's very important to keep hydrated, especially if you're a spoonie and so you can't go wrong with receiving a water bottle in a Summer subscription box. 

This one has such a stunning design too, from the rainbow sprinkles, to the Pusheenicorn eating an ice-cream, and the bright sunshine-yellow cap! It is narrow and won't carry as much water as some other bottles can, so it's a good item to take with you on short outings or if you know you're going somewhere that you can refill it. The pink rubber handle looks very sturdy too, so you can have a firm grip on your water bottle if you are running or bike riding or during whatever outdoorsy activity you may like to participate in when it's nice out. 

With the design that was on the front of the box, the sprinkles/hundreds & thousands, I was hoping to see some similarly decorated items in the box so I was very glad to uncover this water bottle in my Pusheen 2018 Summer box, as it is the only item that has sprinkles on it! I don't mind too much though because all of the items are great, but I feel personally like it would have been better if the makers would have designed an ice-cream themed vinyl figure, maybe a sundae with Pusheen sitting on top, decorated with sprinkles and with a scattering of other yummy dessert toppings. Sorry Surfer Pusheen! 

So, these three items are my favourite of all those I got in my Summer 2018 Pusheen Box subscription. I think they are the sweetest and most adorable additions, and I am really over the moon to have received them. I cannot wait to have them displayed in my bedroom once all my decorating is done and I can finally stop living out of cardboard boxes, not being able to find any of my possessions when I need to, ugh >.< In conclusion, there has never been a Pusheen Box that I did not love, even when the theme wasn't really something that appealed to me per se, it is impossible to not love something with Pusheen on it, because I am pretty obsessed with this loveable, round ball of fur :3 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the inflatable drink float thingie! I couldn't photograph it because it is the only one of the items I received that I'm not really going to get any use out of. I cannot swim so I won't be spending my Summer days in a pool, unless it involves sitting in a kid's paddling pool in my garden complaining about the heat XD so I would rather gift the item to a friend if they are going on holiday or something, and so I wanted to leave it sealed in its packaging. However, I do think this item is great, even though it's not something I can use, so many people will be able too, and I mean you could technically inflate it and stand it on the grass and whatnot to use as a little table for your drink, haha. I think drink floats for a pool look rather fancy, and Pusheen Box is helping people be their best fancy yet kawaii selves over Summer with this item! 

Well, that's all I can say about the Summer 2018 Pusheen Box! Apologies guys, for taking so long to share it with you all. I hope you enjoyed this post, regardless of the fact it's early 2019 and currently Wintertime :D I feel like the fabulous items in this box deserved to be showcased, and I love writing about subscription boxes! It's going to be very interesting to see what Pusheen Box will come up with for this Summer. I have received an Autumn Box and a Winter Box since this one arrived, and I will blog about them too as soon as possible, so keep a look out on my social media for those if you're a fellow lover of all things cutesy and cat related. Have a wonderful rest of the week everyone! 

Thankyou for reading! 

♥

Are you a fan of Pusheen the Cat? Do you prefer the warmer months or the colder ones?

What is your favourite item that featured in today's post?