Nike iD Shoes Review & How to Get Them Cheap!

I'm so excited! My new shoes came!  Honestly, I was a little nervous ordering them because there are a lot of #nikeidfails on social media.  But I am so happy with mine and think they are a #nikeidwin!

So here's a little review of my Nike iD experience...

     First off what did I order?

• Women's Nike Roshe One Essential iD
• Toe/Tounge:  Cool Grey
• Quarter:  Cool Grey
• Lining:  Cool Grey
• Swoosh:  Metallic Silver
• Laces:  Wolf Grey
• Midsole:  White
• Midsole Speckle: No Speckle
• Size:  Women 7.5

  

Preview on nike.com

Actual shoe received

     My notes/thoughts:

•  The fabric on the top of this shoes (by where your toes are) is thin.  I use thick socks when I wear this shoe.
• The shoe is lightweight. Good option to pack in luggage for a trip.
• The inside bottom is neon yellow-green (is NOT labeled NIKE iD like other styles)
• The back heel of the shoe can be personalized with embroidered text
• Took 16 days to arrive. They do send you updates on the progress of your shoes.  

How can I justify getting new shoes?...not paying full price is a pretty good reason. Well I saved a lot of money using a few tricks.  The pair of Nike Roshe One Essential iD shoes I got would originally cost $103, but I got them for $78.87! How did I save $24.13?

     First, I signed up for a NIKE+ account.  Having a NIKE+ account includes many benefits but most importantly FREE SHIPPING and hassle-free 30-day trials on every order. This saved me $8 for shipping. 

     Secondly, I saved by purchasing and using Nike gift cards. I discovered this app called Raise about a year ago.  You can buy/sell gift cards and save/make money doing it.  I purchased (4) $10 nike gift cards for $37.92 and (1) $50 nike gift card for $47.35, totaling a value of $90 but paying $85.27.  Note: the percentage of savings and gift card values varies.  I got the $50 card at 5.3% discount and the $10 cards at 5.2% discount.  By using the Raise app I saved $4.73.  

Click here to sign up using my referral code "LLO192" and receive $5 off your first order when you make a purchase within 30 days of signing up! (Doesn't have to be Nike gift cards)

     Lastly, I used ebates to get cash back.  This saved me a whopping $11.40!  At the time that I placed my order ebates was offering 12% cash back! That's amazing!  Ebates is such an easy way to save money for buying online.  Simply sign in to ebates, search for "nike", click "Shop Now", then shop nike.com like you normally would.  Ebates tracks your purchases and will send you a check (or you can choose paypal) for your cash back savings. 

Click here to use my referral code and get a $10 bonus for signing up after making purchases totaling $25 or more within a year of signing up.

 

TIP: If you use both my Raise and Ebates referrals link you could save a total of $15 more than I did! 

Here is a short unboxing video I posted:

Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Bites

Today I tried out a recipe for coconut oil bombs that I found on Pinterest. The original recipe can be found here.  This was my first time trying to make/eat coconut oil.  I have only tried using coconut oil for oil pulling and cosmetic purposes.  After reading all the many health benefits of eating it I decided to try this approach rather than just scooping it out a the jar with a spoon.

These are the 5 ingredients I used:

• 2 cups Coconut Oil (Organic, Virgin, Unrefined)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (Natural)
• 1/4 cup Honey (Raw)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Dash of Pink Himalayan Salt

I blended all of the ingredients listed above in my Ninja blender then poured mixture into molds I ordered on Amazon.  Then they sat in the freezer for 15 minutes. This recipe made 60 pieces! Next time I might half the recipe.

According to this resource I should consume 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil daily.

Each little bite contains about half a tablespoon, so I will eat 7 throughout the day.  I have read that if your body isn't used to coconut oil it is best to start eating a small amount then gradually increasing.  Eating a lot of  coconut oil without letting your body get accustomed can cause nausea.

As for the bites...they taste really good! I taste more peanut butter than coconut.  The amount of vanilla can be decreased.  But overall I'm liking them!

 

C25K Results and Thoughts

Here are my body measurements after completing C25K:

So I lost 8 pounds and a total of 8 inches! Honestly I thought I was going to lose more weight but I'm happy to have lost anything.  I don't regret doing the C25K program but I think that if you want a dramatic weight loss you need to supplement this plan with other programs.

C25K Finished!

Today I finished week 8 day 3!  That is the last workout for the program.  I didn't actually run a 5K but I hope to next year.

So here it is...my C25K finished badge!

 

If you have completed the C25K program, proudly copy and paste this badge!

Yeh!

I can't believe I actually finished the program.  I went from huffing and puffing trying to run 5 minutes straight to running 30 minutes straight!  That is a huge accomplishment to me!

A Happy Halloween 🎃

     OMG I am so ecstatic right now!!! I just got home home from my doctors appointment and my blood test showed that all my hard work is paying off!  Not only did I lose 10 pounds, my triglycerides went from 188 to 119, cholesterol 208 to 198!  I am not diabetic. Which I wasn't sure because I didn't do a blood glucose test after I gave birth since I had gestational diabetes.  My doctor says I'm doing a great job and to keep it up!
     Then when I came home from the doctor's office my fiance said he ordered something for me and he got the call that it came in so he had to go pick it up.  He got me a Fitbit Alta!  I REALLY wanted one but a) too expensive and b) I didn't know if I would benefit from it that much.  But I love it!  

He even got me the GOLD one! Awesome!

     It was surprisingly easy to setup and is not too bulky.  I might do a review if I have time.  You can go on youtube and there are a lot of videos about Fitbits and other activity trackers.  My mom was going to get this for me for Christmas but I guess she will have to figure out something else and I'm glad I don't have to wait 2 months. 
     I am one happy girl! :)  With the good news from my blood test and this present I am even more motivated to be healthy.  No Halloween candy can tempt me today!

C25K Week 6

Today I completed week 6! Maybe I drank too much coffee or something but today's workout actually felt easy.  Like I wasn't gasping for air or tanking water.  I kind of felt like I could run another mile (but I didn't.)  Jogging for 22 minutes straight sounds like a long time but I downloaded some new songs on to my phone so that made the time go by faster.  Am I ready for week 7? I hope so!!

Finally Lost 10 Pounds :)

It feels like it took forever but I finally lost that one stubborn pound, bringing my total weight loss up to 10 pounds!  I feel happy but I also know I still have a ways to go before reaching my goal.  My body is starting to change.  The maternity jeans that I usually wear are getting too lose but my regular pants are still on the tight side.  I don't want to spend money on new clothes hoping that I will be able to fit my pre-pregnancy clothes soon.

Oh ya, I'm also excited that I got a chance to shop at Costco.  There's only one Costco on the Big Island which is a two hour drive from where I live.  I usually go to Costco once a month.  Anyway, I found a big bottle of Suja Mighty Greens!  Green Delight is my favorite flavor but Costco only has Mighty Greens flavor.  I personally don't care for celery and Mighty Greens definitely has a celery taste but I can tolerate it.  At Target it comes out to $0.25 per ounce (using 25% off cartwheel, 5% off Redcard, + $0.06 HI deposit).  At Costco it comes out to $0.16 per ounce (including 4% tax, $0.06 HI deposit).  So I end up saving a little bit but I wish Costco sold 59 oz. bottles of Green Delight.