Wednesday, May 24, 2017

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.  
     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. 

 

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:

Friday, March 31, 2017

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!