Vitacost vs. iHerb

A colleague joked about my posts about stuff related to my kids. Sorry here it yet another on kinda related to my kids, so “Thomas” you can stop reading now.

vs

Some time ago I posted about my positive experiences with ordering organic smoothie pouches from the US-based company iHerb (my posts here). BabyL is now big enough to consume atleast a pouch a day, so  I thought I would replenish my stocks. To my dismay iHerb has changed their shipping rates. Going from a flat international rate (sponsored) to actual shipping costs. They sent out information about this when customers complained about the jump in shipping costs. Needless to say, I no longer order from iHerb due to the high postage costs, as stuff I order are pretty heavy. Even with VIP-status and shipping discounts when the order exceeds certain amounts, shipping is still too expensive. See that there are groups on Facebook that are as unhappy with the change in international shipping rates as I am. Hopefully iHerb will take it to heart, and reinstate the flat rate international shipping option.

Rant over, back to the point. As I lost iHerb as a reasonable option to order organic smoothies in pouches from, I was tipped about another site. Vitacost offers flat rate shipping, though the rate is higher than what iHerb offered (iHerbs 4 USD vs. Vitacost 7.99 USD)

Their selection is very similar to what I found on iHerb. Much of what I have ordered earlier from iHerb is available and at similar pricing. So far I have made one order to Vitacost and my experience is so far good. They pack and ship orders reasonably fast. I like that they have Paypal as a payment options, adds a level of security.

Not sure what more I should write about, so let me know if you have questions.

As I’m still very new to Vitacost I don’t know all the ins and outs. But I have made a note that all new referrals can get a 10 USD discount on their initial order over 30USD(before discounts, shipping etc.) by using this link: http://goo.gl/nm5D50

That’s it for now.

- what are your experiences with Vitacost?

Free stuff @iHerb

Once again I forgot to claim some free stuff when placing my iHerb order….

A while back I came across a blog mentioning the free samples when ordering from iHerb. Well everytime I do place an order I forget to check out the free samples. They add new products all the time. So here is a friendly reminder from me to you, remember to check out the free samples area here when placing an order. You might come across something great.

In need of a coupon code for a little discount on your first iHerb order?

here you go!

- what have you gotten in free samples from iHerb?

Another dollar saved

Great news fellow iHerbers! Today I got an email informing me that iHerbs flat rate shipping option to Norway has been lowered from 6 US$ to 4 US$. Even more savings when ordering from iHerb.

Haven’t ordered from iHerb yet? The website is www.iHerb.com
First time orderer? Here’s a coupon code for further savings WGB528

In pouches

With BabyS becoming a bigger eater I’ve started ordering larger amounts of food online (from iHerb.com)

A little note about iHerb: In January all customers are VIP customers, thus enjoying even more discounted prices. So if your considering ordering from them HURRY UP. Offer lasts to midnight January 2013 – yes, that’s  two more days if you live in Norway.

Ordering from iHerb for the first time? Have a coupon. Good for your first order.

use coupon code WGB528 for a few dollars off on your first order

Last time I posted about BabyS eating from pouches it was all about pouches by Ella’s Kitchen. When browsing the iHerb site I found that they also stock other brands of baby food pouches. As they were a little cheaper I thought I would give them a try. They come in other blends, so nice to have other options.

Last week a few boxes came from iHerb with a whole lot of pouches. BabyS seems to like food that comes in pouches with no concern when it comes to brand. So MommyS will be ordering more.

With several different pouches in the house BabyS has a lot to choose from.

Haven’t tried food pouches?
Can definitely recommend having a few at hand. They are great to have in the diaper bag in case baby gets hungry and your out and about. When your baby learns to suck from the pouch there is just about no spillage! They come with a screw on cap, so if your baby doesn’t eat all in one go, just put the cap back on and back in the bag it goes. And the pouches take up no space at all!

- how does feeding from food pouches work for you?
- does your baby have any favorites?

Ella, Ella, Ella

I’ve hopped on the latest craze amongst friends and family, Ella’s kitchen organic baby food.

 
picture borrowed from www.nymomsworld.com

What I love about these is the packaging and the combinations for flavors/ingredients. So far BabyS is still just tasting different things…so she doesn’t eat a whole bottle at a time. But when she does … MommyS will have a bottle ready in BabyS’ diaper bag.

After doing some recon on prices in the local grocery stores I found that the there are two “flavors” that are widely available - The Red One and The Green One, are the cheapest ones. At only 8 Norwegian krones pr. bottle.

Consists of:	Apples, pears, bananas and kiwi	Strawberries, raspberries, apples and bananas

Unfortunately if you want the other varieties available, they are almost double the price. Well I came across a blog that recommended to buy from the website www.iherb.com. Where they had many flavors to choose from at about 2 US$ pr. bottle.

My notes on buying from iherb
If you buy for less than 200 Norwegian krones –> no customs fees (yay!)
Shipping is flat rate, cheapest option = 6 US$ just remember to keep weight under 4 pounds/1816 grams
Don’t forget to use a coupon code if you’re a first time buyer, and get 5 US$ off  (Don’t have one? here’s one: WGB528)

A quick calculation from iherb.com…
10 x Ella’s kitchen = 22 US$
Shipping = 6 US$
Discount = 5 US$
--------------------------------
Total = 23 US$ = ~140 NKr (with November exchange rate)

compared to Ella’s kitchen bought in a local grocery store…
10 x Ella’s kitchen = 150-220 NKr

Iherb.com also has another brand that is very similar to Ella’s kitchen, called Happy Baby. These have many similar flavors to Ella’s kitchen, and they are even cheaper! At only 1,50 US$ pr. bottle.

Well I placed my order today. Estimated shipping to Norway is about a week. So look forward to receiving my first package and testing the different flavors on BabyS.