Start each month of the new year off right with a subscription that ensures you have the things you want and need, while keeping your distance from others during the ongoing pandemic. Not to mention, you'll be providing small local businesses with reliable income in these crazy times.
> For foodies who aren't comfortable dining out during the pandemic, the owner of Chatt Taste Food Tours recently launched Taste of Chattanooga, which is sort of like a food tour in a box delivered to your door. Each box contains five to eight full- or sample-size goodies worth at least $45 from local food artisans. It all comes in a box featuring a hand-drawn, Chattanooga-themed illustration.
Order at: tasteofchattanooga-box.myshopify.com
Cost: Starting at $37.50 per month
File photo / Lost Art Stationery> Get on board with the handwritten note trend that has emerged during the pandemic with a greeting card subscription from Lost Art Stationery, featuring a selection of four greeting cards each month from local designer Chris Lykins. The fun designs include a quarantine birthday card collection, apology notes for poor dog behavior, and all-purpose notes that could be described as anything but basic. You'll also get four stamps, because they're never around when you need them.
Order at: lostartstationery.com/collections/subscriptions
Cost: $20 per month, $51 for three months, $96 for six months or $180 for a full year
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Mad Priest coffee> Even the pickiest of coffee drinkers will never be without their curated caffeine fix with Mad Priest Coffee Roasters' subscription service. Have the freshly roasted coffee of your choice delivered to your door at your preferred frequency, with the ability to change your selections easily on the company's website at any time. In addition to saving time you'll also save money, as each shipment is 10% off what you'd pay for a one-time purchase. Single-origin mixed subscriptions are also available for more adventurous types, allowing you to try a new coffee or two from Mad Priest's rotating selection with each shipment.
Order at: madpriestcoffee.com/collections/subscriptions
Cost: Starting at $13 per bag
Photo by Abraham Rowe Photography / Crystals from Almanac Supply Co.> Bring good vibes your way all year long with Chattanooga-based Almanac Supply Co.'s crystal subscription. Get one large specimen per box with the "Rock Collector" option, or pick the "Rock Hound" subscription for one to two smaller, handheld or display pieces per box. Choose quarterly or monthly delivery.
Order at: almanacsupplyco.com/collections/crystal-subscription
Cost: Starting at $44 per quarter
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Local clothier Alice Blue now curates subscription boxes for customers.> Blue Box, a fashion subscription service for men and women that pulls from several Riverview retailers, is like having a personal stylist at home with the added benefit of a discount on everything you buy. Create an online style profile and a stylist will select 8-10 pieces of clothing and accessories from the stores based on your profile. The box arrives at your door within a week of your request, and you then have five business days to choose what you want to keep and return the rest. Choose to receive new boxes monthly, quarterly or on demand.
Order at: thebluecollection.com, email bluecmo@aol.com, or call Alice Blue and Hanover Blue at 423-531-2120 or Electric Blue at 423-805-3022
Cost: A $50 fee is charged per box and then subtracted from the cost of items you choose to keep. Individual items are 15% off retail price, or 25% off for customers who choose to keep everything in their box.
Photo courtesy Cutting Edge Firewood / Cherry cooking wood subscription box from Cutting Edge Firewood> Cutting Edge Firewood, a Norcross, Georgia, business founded by Chattanooga native Leroy Hite, has the luxury you never knew you needed: a firewood subscription. It's the easiest way to prepare for all those nights quarantining at home this winter, and you'll always be ready to light up that fire pit you got for Christmas on a moment's notice. Each box is intended to supply two to four fireside experiences and comprises 16-inch standard-cut wood, a sampling of fire starters, and kindling. Choose from cherry, oak or hickory firewood subscriptions at frequencies of one, two or four times per month. Cooking woods and wood sized for small stoves is also available, as is artisan delivery service for racks of wood fueling 15-25 fires. Cutting Edge claims all its wood is pest- and fungus-free and that it burns brighter and longer and produces less smoke than most firewood.
Order at: cuttingedgefirewood.com/product/firewood-box-subscription
Cost: Starting at $39 per week
