10 Week Organizing Challenge

I was browsing Pinterest the other night, one of my hobbies, and I came across this, A Ten Week Organizing Challenge for Your Whole House. I know I've written about things like this before where I said I was going to do something every week or month, but this one I'm actually sticking with!!! We just reorganized our living room (post to come soon) and I'm determined to organize every other part of my house!!! So this Pinterest find couldn't have come at a better time!!

So week number 1 is paperwork and command centers. I definitely need to organize this area because I feel like there is paperwork everywhere!!

There are 3 main areas I'm working on this week: the table, the hutch, and (not shown below) the filing cabinet in the master bedroom. At the link above, it shows how to organize paper clutter so I'm definitely reading that and getting some ideas for how to stay more organized with all of our paperwork! 

Today is just going to be a day of planning out what I'm going to do. I will start organizing tomorrow and then post my results when I'm finished!! Happy Monday everyone, have a great day!!

Bathroom makeover!!

Happy Monday everyone! In my post from yesterday, I mentioned that my hubby put in a new vanity and sink in our downstairs bathroom. After, let's see...4 trips I think it was, the sink is finally installed! And I am loving it! It allowed me to free up some space that was in the cabinet above the toilet so it isn't so cluttered in there. And I think it's going to be easier to clean! There was actually something around the drain that both my husband and I didn't think was going to come out. We were both like "Great, it's ruined before we even got to use it." We really thought that it wouldn't come off. My Thieves cleaner didn't even do anything to it! But I was determined to get it off! So I poured some baking soda on it, sprayed a mixture of vinegar and water on it, and let it sit for a minute or so before scrubbing it with a sponge. And guess what, it came off! See what natural cleaners can do? You don't need those harsh chemicals. Actually you can't see what it did because I forgot to take a before and after picture.

But I did take a before and after picture of the bathroom so that you can see what our bathroom looked like before and what it looks like now.

The first time we were at Lowes I asked my hubby "So what are we replacing next?" Our house was built in 2000, so it's only about 17 years old, not too bad. But there are a few things in it that I would like to replace sometime. We already replaced 3 appliances in the kitchen: the dishwasher when we moved in because it took forever to wash our dishes, the oven because we wanted a gas range, and the microwave, we weren't really looking to replace it but my mother-in-law found one at a thrift store that was new and cheap, so she got it for us.

I just love doing makeovers and organizational things so be on the lookout for future posts like this one! My New Year's resolution was to organize my house and keep it cleaner so I've been slowly going through the house to see what can be improved! And trust me, there are tons of things that need to be improved! That's all for now, have a great day!

One more week of Elf adventures!

Can you believe that Christmas is almost here?? It's crazy!! 6 days away!! We had our first Christmas celebration yesterday with my dad, step-mom, and her dad and sister's family. We had a great time! Big E got the Fisher Price Code-a-pillar (which I'm going to enjoy playing with) and Little E got the Fisher Price Dance and Move BeatBowWow. Big E got BeatBo last year for Christmas and Little E has been loving that so my step-mom figured he would love the puppy version of it, and he does!

Well, here are some pictures of Elf from this past week. Have a great Monday everyone!!

Money Making Monday

This may be my last post for Money Making Monday because I'm running out of ways that I make money from home. But this week I'm going to talk about Shopkick. This one is especially great for people who love to shop! This is an app that you can download on the App Store and Google Play.

Once you download the app, there are 4 ways to earn kicks, or points.

1. Walk into a store

2. Scan products

3. Purchase items

4. Submit receipts

How simple are those 4 things? If you go to Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Kohl's, etc, check the app to see if there are any walk-in kicks available or items to scan. You don't have to buy the items, just scan the barcode, it's that easy! 

Once you are at a store, see what that store has under the "Scans" tab. Find those items in the store, scan the barcode, and earn kicks.

To get kicks by purchases, just link your credit or debit card to Shopkick and then at stores that have the credit card icon beside it, use your card as credit and you'll get kicks for that purchase. I think I've only done this once because I forget to use my card as credit instead of debit. I'm just so used to using it as debit that I completely forget!

While looking at the list of items to scan at a store, if you see a pink receipt icon listed with the item, that means you get extra kicks when you purchase that item. After you make your purchase, just snap a picture using the app making sure to include the store name, date, and total.

Shopkick can be a great way to earn gift cards for a bunch of different places like Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Old Navy, and more. You can even earn items such as headphones, purses, and even a kitchen aid mixer! (That one takes 125,000 kicks though, that would take you a while!) But the key to earning lots of kicks and earning them fast, is to make sure every time you go shopping, open up the app! If you don't have the time to scan any items in the store, at least see if you can earn kicks just by walking in. Most of them require you to be right at the entrance to get the kicks. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to Walmart or Target and missed out on kicks because I didn't open the app. So starting now, I'm going to try and remember to open up Shopkick whenever I go shopping! And maybe I will start doing more of the scans so I can earn more kicks!! Go and download Shopkick today!!

Money Making Monday

I forgot to write my Money Making Monday post last week but I'm back again this week with another way that I make money while staying at home. In case you missed my first 3 posts about how I make money, here is the one about Quick Thoughts, ibotta, and Receipt Hog.

This week is similar to my previous post about Receipt Hog. It's called Yaarlo. There are 3 ways to earn money through this app, available on both the App Store and Google Play. I have only explored one way so far, scanning receipts. Like Receipt Hog, you can scan your receipts and earn money. I joined on August 24th of this year and so far am only up to $4.62. So this one, like Receipt Hog takes a while to earn money with it, but it eventually adds up. I already scan my receipts once a week to Receipt Hog so I just upload them to this app. This app is a little easier to upload because all you have to do is take a picture of the receipt and hit upload. Receipt Hog asks you who was with on the shopping trip and then asks you to rate your trip.

There is also a "Gift 'n Earn" section on the app. You can buy gift cards for you or as a gift and earn cash back. Again, it isn't that much, but it eventually adds up. It varies by store on how much cashback you earn per gift card, but from what I saw when looking at it, you can earn from 1-5% cashback from buying gift cards.

The final option is "Shop 'n Earn". This is like Ebates, where you earn cashback on your online purchases. So before you buy something online, open the app and see if the store you are buying from is on the list. If it is, then make sure you click on the store through there so you can earn cashback. You can also go to their website on your computer and click on the link through there. I will be buying our holiday cards from Shutterfly soon and when I do, I'll be earning 4% cashback from Yaarlo!!

So go check out this app for yourself and use my referral code NICOLENE390. 

Money Making Monday

It's Monday yet again but it's only a 3 day work week for my hubby, yay!!! Then we get a 4 day weekend with him!!

Today I'm going to share with you the app called Receipt Hog. This is an app available from both the App Store and Google Play and it is simple! I save all my receipts (and my hubby's when he remembers to save them) and put them in a folder until Friday.

I have a reminder set up on my phone for every Friday to enter my receipts into Receipt Hog. Depending on where your receipt is from and the amount of it, you will get tokens and sweepstakes entries. Not all receipts are accepted such as service invoices, hand-written receipts, or movie tickets and they have to be entered within 2 weeks of the date on the receipt. This is why I like to do it every Friday because then I know my receipts won't be older than 1 week and I don't have to upload each receipt as I get it. You also earn spins occasionally and then you use them in the "Hog Slots" to win some extra tokens. 

I entered my first receipt on July 2nd of this year and I'm up to 1,895 tokens which I could cash out for a $10 gift card for Amazon or transfer $10 to my Paypal. But I'm not going to cash out quite yet because instead of needing 5,400 tokens to get $30, you only need 4,500. It may take me a while to get there, but I'm not really doing anything but saving my receipts and taking a few min out of my day each Friday to upload them to the app. So download this app and remember to save every receipt you get so you can upload it and earn some tokens!! Have a great Monday everyone! Please follow my blog by clicking the follow button on the right!

Money Making Monday

It's Monday again, the day that just about everyone dreads. Even as a stay-at-home mom I dread Mondays a little bit because that means my hubby goes back to work and then it's just me and the kiddos (and Aunt Katie, of course). Don't get me wrong, I love that I'm able to stay home with my kids but the weekends are so nice because then I don't have to do it all on my own like I do Monday-Friday.

So anyway, I'm here to share another way with you on how I'm making money from being at home. This one is an app called ibotta. Now if you go grocery shopping (and who doesn't?) then you definitely need to check out ibotta!

This app gives you cash back for things you buy at the grocery store. It features stores such as: Walmart, Target, Foodlion, Giant, Weis, Sams Club, Dollar General...the list goes on and on. I'm pretty sure that if there's a store you shop at, it's on the list! Some stores have you link your loyalty card to your ibotta account but for other stores you just have to scan the product and take a picture of  your receipt. But before doing that you have to "unlock" items that you are going to buy by watching a video, answering a question, or just by simply clicking on the unlock button. There are mostly brand name items on the list and sometimes it is stuff that I wouldn't normally buy, but it's a great way to try new things and earn some cash back at the same time. They also have items that will say "Any Brand". You typically only get 25 cents for this, but hey, every little bit adds up, right? I joined back in September of 2014, but that year I only earned 50 cents. Then in 2015 I earned $2. I really got into ibotta this past July bringing my lifetime earnings to $47. Next September we are taking a family trip to Georgia and I plan on waiting until then to cash out my earnings and spend it on our trip! So check out ibotta today and when you do, use this referral code: sdqdq. Not only does it help me get $5, but when you sign up and redeem your first rebate, you get $10!! (Note, to get the $10 the rebate has to be for a brand name item, not an "Any Brand" item)

So download the app today, available on both the App Store and Google Play! Referral code: sdqdq

Also, don't forget to hit the "Follow" button on the right side of my blog! Have a great rest of your Monday!!

Money Making Monday

Hi there! So as you may or may not know, I am a stay-at-home mom. I love being able to stay home with my kids and spend so much time with them. But a small part of me wishes that I could be contributing financially to our family. I know that I will be able to go back to work eventually, but that may not be until both kids are in school or at least till my oldest is in school. That's anywhere from 3-5 years from now. So for now, I've been finding easy ways that I can either make money from home or save money on things we buy and do. Starting today, each Monday I will post about one of those ways that I make or save money!

Today I am going to start with an app called "Quick Thoughts". My mom introduced me to this app and I'm so glad she did! This actually works and you can earn a ton from it, depending on the amount of time you spend using it.

This app can be found on both the App store and Google Play. I have it downloaded on both my iPhone and my Android tablet. This is a survey app and for most surveys you get $1 once you qualify and complete a survey. For mostly all surveys you don't qualify for, you get 10 cents. Then once you reach $10, you can redeem it for a $10 iTunes gift card on Apple devices or $10 Amazon gift card on Android devices. I take surveys on both devices but then cash out my $10 on my Android tablet because I would prefer to get Amazon gift cards. 

I redeemed my first $10 Amazon gift card on April 14, 2016 and since then have gotten a total of $170 in Amazon gift cards! I don't normally buy a lot from Amazon, but since I downloaded this app and started earning money from it, I have been able to buy things for myself, the kids, and the house. I bought some roll-on bottles, spray bottles, and coconut oil for my essential oils, a waterproof baby sling to use in the pool and in the summer, a bib for my oldest that covers her whole torso, Coca-Cola salt and pepper shakers, storage bins for my refrigerator, and my latest item, a card game called Kinder Perfect. It's like Cards Against Humanity, but for parents! 

I definitely recommend downloading Quick Thoughts today so you can start earning Amazon and/or iTunes gift cards! All it takes is doing a few surveys a day and you'll be at your $10 in no time!