In this case, thinking inside the box pays off

A single box costs $30; an annual subscription is $300. Kim is in Boston, but five employees work from Chicago.

The sample box had an insect theme. It included craft materials to make a ladybug and a butterfly. There was a plastic magnifying jar, intended for collecting bugs and inspecting them, and a hardcover book called “Earl the Earthworm Digs for His Life.’’

There were coloring sheets about butterflies and an iTunes Store credit for a specific app, Paint My Wings, that works on iPads or iPhones. Plus, there’s always a small gift inside for the mom. This box had lip balm from Burt’s Bees.

“We include everything you need for the activities, too,’’ Kim said. “I’m a busy mom, and I hate the ‘batteries not included’ thing.’’

Kim has two children, 4 ½ and 19 months.

Kim has been having conversations with Boston-area venture capitalists. “We know competitors are coming out, so I’ve been talking to a couple VCs now, just to know what our options are,’’ she said.

Web-based trash pickups
If you live in Boston, you have probably used BigBelly Solar’s product: stout-looking trash receptacles with a solar panel on top. When the can is about half full, a compactor smashes it down, using solar power. The company says BigBelly compactors can hold four to five times the trash of a typical can, so they don’t need to be emptied as often, saving money. More than 12,000 of the cans dot Philadelphia, Chicago, and the campuses of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University.

Perhaps realizing that recurring revenues are better than one-time sales, the company is repositioning itself. BigBelly is integrating wireless connectivity into its trash and recycling cans, which allows them to report their status to a Web-based software system. The company has dubbed it a “smart grid for waste and recycling.’’ By sending crews to empty only the receptacles that need it, BigBelly says it can eliminate at least seven of every 10 pick-up trips.