One of my favorite gifts is a really stellar monthly subscription box that will surprise me each time with fun, unexpected things. I’m not talking about fruit or cheese of the month (though those are arguably pretty awesome in their own right) but more along the lines of toys, beauty products, handmade gifts and goods for guys.

What’s even better? These gifts won’t require you to ship anything right now, or wrap anything, or really even worry if it’s a last minute shopping kindof thing. Just gift a subscription to someone you love and boom – you’re done.

Check out my roundup below, chosen based on my own experience or reviews and recommendations from friends. Happy gifting!

*image from Citrus Lane

Gifts For Mamas

Citrus Lane

This is my favorite service for moms, I’ve had this service for about 15 months (since I was pregnant with my daughter!). I adore the healthy/eco bent to all the products, and each month everything is age-centered so my box is full of items my baby is loving at that time. Sometimes I’ll find lotions or soaps, sometimes food, sometimes clothes or toys – it’s just awesome. Check out Citrus Lane for a great gift of moms of babies or mamas to be!

Kiwi Crate

I have never tried Kiwi Crate, but I have friends who rave about it. This service sends you materials and activities for your kids that are meant to inspire them to use their imagination even more.

Green Kids Crafts

Eco-friendly fun for the toddler to preschool set, Green Kids Crafts looks like so much fun for helping grow little minds without using toxic supplies.

BabbaBox

The boxes from BabbaBox always include crafts for kids in these 4 areas: Create, Explore, Story Tell and Connect. Each activity will guide your child through one of those 4 paths. Love it!

WittleBee

This service looks adorable - Wittlebee sends you clothing for kids each month! You personalize it based on your child. It’s around $40 for $100 worth of clothes. Fun!

*image from Turntable Kitchen

Gifts For Him

Trunk Club

This is a really cool service that will pick out clothes for a guy, send him a box of those clothes, let him pick what he wants to keep (and buy) and have a pre-paid label to send the rest back. Trunk Club is a great gift for a guy that doesn’t have the time (or talent) to shop for outfits himself.

Manpacks

This service is for the dude who doesn’t want to deal with those pesky personal hygiene items that you have to buy each month. It’s funny, because I’d love to buy this for my husband because it would encourage throwing out old worn socks and underwear, which is a GOOD thing, am I right ladies? Manpacks lets you choose the personality/style of the guy subscribing and then sends them socks, underwear and personal products each month.

Birchbox Men

Similar to the Birtchbox for women, the Birchbox Men monthly service is in even higher demand. For that guy who loves to still take care of his rockin looks, I love this idea.

Turntable Kitchen

This service can certainly be for men or women, but I also think it’s great for that guy who is difficult to shop for. The Pairings Box from Turntable Kitchen includes a 7 inch vinyl, a digital mixed tape, dry ingredients with recipes to use them in, occasional treats and other goodies.

*image from ipsy

Gifts For the Beauty Lover

Birchbox

I subscribed to Birchbox (purveyors of all things Beauty) recently and while I’m not ready to marry it, we can definitely start dating. Each box has had at least one item that I swoon over and that makes it worth it, and it’s perfect for beauty product lovers that like to try lots of different brands.

Ipsy

A new competitor of Birchbox, it looks like the “glam bag” monthly box by ipsy is double the size as well as double the price. Still a great deal as far as your savings goes, and I do love bigger trial sizes that ipsy offers (compared to Birtchbox).

*image from Umba Box

Gifts For the Lover of Handmade/Art

Love Club

Each month I receive this lovely little box full of pretty handmade things from Love Club. It might have jewelry, it might have salted caramels, but no matter what I’m always a little giddy when my Love Club box arrives. You definitely want to get on the waiting list to be able to start receiving boxes! It’s also fun to support small business artisans, isn’t it?

Umba Box

I love Umba Box because for a fraction of the cost, I receive 2-3 handmade items that are Etsy-ish and gorgeous. I love being surprised. I love the cool finds.

Art in a Box

Pretty much exactly as it sounds, you can gift Art in a Box to someone who loves new designs in their mailbox each month. They get to say what their preferences and style look like, and enjoy new art in their home on a regular basis.

*image from For the Makers

Gifts for the DIY-er

Brit Kit

Stylish DIY projects that you can do in 30 minutes or less? Brit Kit seems to be speaking my language!

Whimsey Box

I’ve never tried Whimsey Box, and I don’t know what it is, but I’m really drawn to their site and service. I love their videos and project ideas and know I’d love receiving the project materials to do fun DIY’s each month!

For the Makers

A beautiful collection of projects you can use to create things as well as get inspiration from, For the Makers hits the sweet spot for craft lovers.

*image from Conscious Box

Gifts For Eco-friendly/Healthy

Blissmo Box

Looking for a monthly box of organic, eco-friendly items? Blissmo lets you choose between food, beauty/personal care or seasonal, and you get a box that is healthy and in the theme you chose.

Conscious Box

I love the look of Conscious Box – it seems to be more artisanal than it’s competitors, and still delivers planet-conscious goodies. Check it out!

Paleo Pax

I have a lot of friends eating Paleo diets these days (we may be headed there ourselves) so this service caught my eye. Paleo Pax sends out a box of paleo-approved snacks so you don’t have to hunt for them yourselves. Great idea for those folks in your life who’ve taken the paleo plunge.

Have you tried any of these services? Would love to hear which you recommend!