Free Money

The number one way I get paid to shop is through Ebates, which I have talked about many times before.  To read my last post about Ebates and how I get free cash back when I shop online click here.  Yes, it really works.  I have currently received $916.55 from Ebates and no I don't shop that much online.  Sign up for Ebates here through my referral link and get $10 bonus cash when you make your first purchase.

Today I want to tell you about one way I get free money when I shop in stores with an app called Ibotta.  I mainly use this app when I shop at grocery stores, big box retailers, convenience stores, and pharmacy chains such as ShopRite, Target, Walmart, Costco, CVS, Wawa, 7-11, etc... you get the idea.  Each week participating stores offer different cash back incentives off various items they sell from fruits and veggies, to wine, to household cleaning supplies.  Additionally, most stores offer a $0.25 cash back rebate on any item.  Yep, that's $0.25 for simply shopping in a store.  As far as I'm concerned every quarter adds up.

The Ibotta app is super easy to use and I will give you a quick overview of how it works.  Normally I would recommend looking for rebates at participating stores before shopping, but let's be real... I often forget to do this.  Follow along to see how I redeem a receipt for cash back from my recent shopping trip to Costco.  I find it easiest to manually search for stores, but scroll through the long list if that is your thing.

Nothing I bought at Costco was on rebate and that's when I appreciate the $0.25 on any item cash back rebate!   To add the rebate to your account click the "+" and then "redeem."

This will take you to a new screen that makes you read or watch an advertisement or answer a survey question.  In this case it was an advertisement for Amazon.

After clicking the link for "Add $0.25 Cash Back" I was directed to a screen instructing me to take a picture of the recent Costco receipt and confirm which incentive I was redeeming.

Sometimes you have to scan the barcode to confirm that you bought a specific item, but not in this case.  So collect that money!

And within 24 hours your account will be credited with cash.  

Ibotta is literally the second easiest way to get free money for shopping.  If you can use a smartphone, shop in a store, and follow directions then you can use this app.  Before this current rebate I had $67.70 in my account.

And after my Costco shopping trip I had $67.95.  Get it!

I am on a mission to get to $100 so I can buy groceries without having to spend anything other than cash from my Ibotta rebates.  That would be awesome and I hope to reach this goal by the end of the year.

This is honestly an extremely user friendly app and I would encourage you to sign up for Ibotta.  If you sign up by my referral link here you will receive a $10 welcome bonus for free after you redeem your first rebate.  So what do you have to lose?  Get that money!

DIY Maternity Pants

I fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes during my first trimester.  Sure my pants got a little tight at the waist, but nothing that a hair elastic or Belly Band couldn't fix.  But then I hit 16 weeks and I had to find a solution.  Since I wasn't about to *gasp* buy maternity pants I decided to DIY some old work pants into maternity pants.  Because let's face it, I love a good DIY.

While I had the idea of maternity pants, I can't take any credit for this DIY (shout out to all you awesome DIYers).  There are tons of different maternity pant DIYs available on Pinterest.  I, however, liked the DIY instructions from What's Up Moms and the results were amazing!

While you can use a sewing machine I somehow managed to break mine so I was stuck doing this by hand.  It takes awhile, but I promise the end results are worth the effort, especially if you're like me and haven't gained any weight in your thighs (thank you sweet baby Jesus).  I find that most maternity pants I tried on fit in the waist, but were loose in the butt and thighs and no one wants to have people whisper behind their back that they have a grandma butt.  Then again...my mom, aka soon to be grandma, has an amazing derriere so maybe having a grandma butt isn't such a bag thing...

I've made a ton of DIY pants and shorts this pregnancy and made some modifications to What's Up Moms DIY.

Here are my directions for DIY Maternity Pants:

You will need:
A pair of pants (or shorts) that you don't mind repurposing
Needle and thread
Fabric scissors
Straight pins
4 inch elastic (I bought mine from Amazon)

Directions:
1. Cut out the front pockets.  Starting at the top of the waistband cut along the side seam making sure to remove the whole pocket.  Just be careful and don't cut a whole through the pants.  Repeat on the other side

2. Measure and cut the elastic 1.5x the length of the pocket you just cut making sure the elastic overlaps the seam

3. Line up the top of the elastic with the top of the jeans and pin in place.  Obviously repeat on other side.

4. Starting at the waistband sew the elastic in place along the seam.  Always make sure to start and finish your knots inside the pants.  I sewed the seam twice for extra reinforcement.  Repeat on other side

I matched the thread as best as I could to the color of the pants.  My sewing isn't the best (clearly), but in all honesty you can't see the new seam under shirts, especially long maternity shirts.

5. Trim the elastic on the inside.

6. Put on your DIY maternity pants and show off that adorable baby bump!

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx - Does it work?

So I HAD to purchase Instant FirmX after seeing this item aired on QVC.

I'm a sucker for the power of the live demo.  

Instant Firmx™ temporarily tightens the appearance of skin and reduces the look of forehead creases, “11” lines, crow’s-feet, enlarged pores, and nasal-labial folds. With this revolutionary formula, white residue is splashed or patted away while active firming agents remain behind.  Sephora.com

I've always been aware of my smile lines around my eyes and never had a problem with them since these markings are a sign of a happy person (you know it!).  Recently, however, I noticed that I had fine lines on my forehead that no longer faded away with moisturizer.  I would apply my makeup and within minutes I noticed that I no longer had a smooth complexion as the makeup settled into my forehead lines.  So after seeing this item on QVC I made the purchase on Amazon as it was far cheaper then the $48 price tag that this item is advertised at from most beauty retailers.  Plus, I felt more comfortable starting with a temporary tightener then committing to Botox.  I love the look of Botox on others, but I'm not that comfortable with the idea of botulinum being injected into my face.  

Here are pics of my skin sans makeup immediately after washing my face:

 Those forehead lines!  

You use this product on clean, dry skin where you want your skin to become taunt.  Directions are to apply FirmX and remain expressionless for 3-7 minutes.  I'm not sure you realize how hard it is to remain expressionless...

Within 3 minutes I definitely feel my skin becoming tighter:

 My forehead wrinkles are practically nonexistent.

 Note the write residue that this product leaves behind.

Next I applied BB Cream :

So does it work?  

Overall yes.  What I notice is that once I put moisturizer or makeup on top of the FirmX my fine lines begin to resurface.  I do not think the lines are as apparent as they are sans FirmX, but I do notice them (see pictures above).  Also, my skin still feels very tight in the areas I applied the FirmX for hours post application.  

Would I buy it again?  

I'm not sure.  It works, but I'm not sure if it is worth $48.  Plus this item is marketed as a temporary solution as opposed to a treatment with long term anti-aging results.  While a quick fix is awesome, long term results are what I desire.  

If you have used this I would love to know what you think.  Feel free to leave a comment below.  

The life of my agenda

I have had a planner for as long as I can remember.  I have also had a smartphone for as long as I can remember, but I do not "write" anything down in my smartphone.  In fact, as long as I have Internet access I could probably have the dumbest smartphone and still function quite well in a technology standpoint.  There is something about being able to visually see what I have to do for the day, the week, in October (bridesmaid) etc. that puts me at a sense of ease.  And better yet, that feeling when I check off that little box next to a task makes me feel such a sense of relief.  Perhaps I have turned a little OCD over the years, but hell it keeps me organized in my little world of chaos.  The problem I have when someone invites me to put an event in my google calendar is that I am going to miss it.  In my world, if it is not written down, it does not exist.  Like the old adage, out of site, out of mind.  

So why all this talk about planners?  Two posts back I showed off my new Louis Vuitton splurges.  I decided to upgrade from my Moleskin 12 month weekly notebook agenda to the Louis Vuitton Medium Ring Agenda Cover.  Initially the Small Ring Agenda Cover caught my eye because I am obsessed with the agenda in the monogram vernis.  Only a Virgo would think a planner is sexy.  Issues...  After seeing the small agenda in person, however, I realized that the small size would simply not work with my needs.  I need to be able to visually see a year layout and have a weekly calendar so I can not only have personal calendar appointments, but also my school assignments and requirements.  Unfortunately there is not room to do both with the small agenda.  There are a lot of great youtube videos that go into depth on Louis Vuitton small agenda reviews if you are still interested.  Part of me was tempted to buy it to have an agenda, for my personal calendar, but let's be real, I'm not a baller.  

One thing I chose to do thanks to all the great youtube tips is fill my agenda with filoFax goodies.  After spending a small fortune on a the agenda, I could not rationalize spending another small fortune on gold line paper even though I wanted to.  So again I had to remind myself that I'm not a baller.

Anything filoFax in personal size will fit perfectly in the medium sized LV agenda.  I purchased the:

• Zip Lock Envelope 
• Assorted Sticky Notes
• Month on Two Pages Diary
• Week to View Yearly Calendar (from Amazon)

Personally I prefer the Week to View Yearly Calendar, which was no longer available in the personal size from filoFax, because it has a spot each week for notes.  

I'm starting to realize that I am way more of a Virgo than I ever thought.  The Week to View Yearly Calendar filoFax refill I purchased from Amazon was authentic filoFax and was comparable in price to the filoFax website.  

 For anyone that still has a written agenda I highly recommend Pilot Frixon Erasable Pens.

This video explains how Pilot Frixon Erasable Pens work, but I can assure you, they work.  Justine tested, Justine approved.  Before these pens I wrote everything in pencil since life changes and I don't like to cross things out.  Now I don't have to.  I can roll with the punches and simply erase what I wrote and no one has to know, but me because frankly no one else should be looking in your planner!

Note: picture of the dividers in the first picture were posted on my instagram here, here, and here.  I bought them from etsy seller glitteryjem.  I absolutely adore them and they bring a little bling to my everyday normal.  Her shipping was fast, communication was great, presentation was so cute, and she included some free treats.  Check out her page.

A photo posted by J$ (@justineelise13) on Apr 1, 2015 at 8:16am PDT

Looking good - Adore Me and Vinylux

While picking out my April order from Adore Me I realized that I did not show off my March bra set.    

Susanna Push-Up and Cheeky Thong and Vinylux in Topcoat and Wildfire

The Suzanna Push Up is super cute, delicate, and feminine .  It reminds me of something you would see in Victoria's Secret, but for a fraction of the cost.  Plus Adore Me VIPs get any monthly set for $39.95.  For those of you who don't know what Adore Me is you can check out my other posts on Adore Me here and here.  

Adore Me gives you the option of purchasing an extra pair of underwear in the style of your choosing for $9.95.   The first time I ordered I made the mistake of not buying an extra pair of underwear with my bra set.  I have since learned my lesson and now always purchase an extra set of skivvies.  Often there are different styles of underwear to mix up your ensemble, but frankly I buy the extra pair of undies because I'm a fan of matching sets.  Nothing is quite as sexy to me as knowing you look damn good under your clothes.  

Well the perfect red nail also does it for me.  I have fond memories of my great aunt who always had perfectly bleached blonde coiffed hair and freshly painted fire truck red nails.  Maybe that is where my obsession with the perfect red nail started?  All I know is you haven't met red until you try Wildfire by Vinylux.  

Not only is Wildfire the perfect red, but Vinylux is also my absolute favorite nail polish.  Vinylux can last for up to a week chip free and dries in 8 minutes.   If I do get a tiny chip, however, I can touch it up during a commercial and it is dry by the next commercial.  I know it sounds too good to be true, but this product is awesome.  I personally buy it from Amazon because you can't go wrong with free 2 day prime shipping, but there are many online retailers who also sell this product.   I love this nail polish so much that I recommend it to everyone and will never go back to gel nails (they ruined my nails!).  If could be their spokeswoman I would be.  Vinylux call me!