National Geographic™ Owl Teaser Cat Toy Review

I just recently adopted two five month old kittens and was recommended a "teaser toy" in order to help them build trust with me. I bought this product for $8.99, I chose  a more pricy option as compared to similar products since I assumed it would be built with a more durable quality. With the brand "National Geographic" you'd expect a solid product, since the brand is so well known for their quality magazines.

National Geographic™ Owl Teaser Cat Toy

Within two hours my two kittens had already torn more than half the feathers out of it, causing a major choking hazard. I had to keep a close eye on them when they played with it. I considered returning it, but the store I bought it from (PetSmart) has a horrible return policy - so I was forced to try and make the best out of my purchase. I will now no longer purchase toys that can be dangerous when damaged from PetSmart.

A few short hours after that my kittens had torn the owl plushy portion right off the string and ripped it, thus making the toy absolutely useless. I had to throw it out immediately. For the price I paid I expected at least a few weeks of play, not a few hours. Absolutely disgusted with the quality - I don't think it should even be sold!

I can't recommend this product to anyone, for any reason. It has horrible durability, is unsuitable for playing and can be potentially dangerous if the animal swallows the feathers! If I could give it minus stars, I would. For some reason the "reviews" portion of the product on Petsmart.ca has been blocked... Not impressed whatsoever. National Geographic™ Owl Teaser Cat Toy

Country Market Crafts Indie Company Review

One of my News Years Resolutions was to take this blog more seriously and to post more often. Along with this, I wanted to start featuring some lesser known indie brands. So to start this year off, I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful indie bath and body company called “Country Market Crafts”. 

I stumbled across this brand while browsing Etsy and then started following them on Instagram. Country Market Crafts is run by a woman named Stephanie Thain, along with the help and support of her husband. Stephanie has an absolutely empowering story behind the creation of Country Market Crafts and I recommend you check it out on her Etsy profile.

Her prices are incredibly competitive and reasonable and that’s what drew me in originally. She also had a New Years coupon code that would save 10% off your purchase so I took the plunge and purchased a wide range of her products to test out and review. She runs sales every few weeks from what I’ve seen, but her products are definitely worth their regular prices!

I’d like to say I did message Stephanie on Etsy beforehand to ask about doing a custom order. Lately my skin has been really dry and flaky, so I’ve been using a ton of body scrub… But the scrubs I’ve been using are so abrasive on my hands that I can’t get the desired intensity without irritating or drying out my hands. I asked Stephanie if she could put her sugar scrub in a twist-up deodorant container, that way I could scrub as hard as I needed to without the issue of hurting my hands. She was more than happy to accommodate my request and together we came up with the scent and product. It's a sugar scrub in a soap base, fragrances with apple and cinnamon.

 My Custom Scrub - $10

Stephanie responded quickly and was incredibly lovely to chat with.  Overall she made me feel really confident about my purchase by answering all my questions and addressing any concerns. I asked her what products she would recommend I try to get a good impression of her product collections and together we curated a box of ten products. She has a couple more products I have yet to try, but if/when I do I will be sure to post reviews about those as well!

I made my purchase on January 1st and it was shipped out on the 3rd. I received the box three days later on the 6th. Shipping was $13.50 which I found a bit expensive, since Orangeville (where Country Market Crafts is located) is only a 30-45 minute drive from my house and I don’t believe the package was shipped via eXpress. Next time I’d probably make the decision to pick up my order instead of have it shipped. But on the plus side, I was not charged any taxes.

Overall, I’d give Country Market Crafts a 4.5/5. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was how expensive the shipping was! The customer service is personalized, friendly and timely. Stephanie was very accommodating with my custom request and her prices are very reasonable. Her products are free of parabens, cruelty free and vegan! If you’re into brands such as LUSH, I’d absolutely suggest you check out Country Market Crafts. I love supporting home businesses and this one was no exception.

You can purchase Country Market Crafts products from Etsy here: CountryMarketCrafts Etsy

Or Stephanie’s Personal Site, here: http://www.countrymarketsoaps.com/

Also, feel free to follow their social media to stay up to date on all new products and sales! Instagram 

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