Wednesday, February 3, 2021

How I Got Over My Fear of Negative Reviews and more...

“This was the worst garbage. I picked this up as an audiobook to listen to. Her voice is exceptionally annoying.” This was one of many similar reviews of my second book. While there were lots of kind reviews, all I could hear was that I should not ...

Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

How I Got Over My Fear of Negative Reviews

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

“This was the worst garbage. I picked this up as an audiobook to listen to. Her voice is exceptionally annoying.”

This was one of many similar reviews of my second book. While there were lots of kind reviews, all I could hear was that I should not ever narrate an audiobook again because my nasally voice irritated people. I was embarrassed that I had ever considered doing it myself.

So guess what I did? I told my publishers that I didn’t want to narrate my third book and they hired a professional voice artist to record it.

Over the past 5+ years since my third book came out, God has done a lot of life-altering work in my heart. He’s helped me to stop living my life to please, appease, and perform for others. He’s taught me that I don’t need to chase after the approval or affirmation of others. That I don’t need 5-star reviews or glowing accolades to be enough.

I am enough in Him. He loves me for exactly who I am because of Whose I am. And I can stand confident in Christ and live as loved, because I am already pre-approved by Him.

And that’s why I stopped letting negative reviews stifle me in insecurity. Maybe my voice isn’t professional voice actor level, but I’m not going to let that hold me back from sharing the message God has laid on my heart through live video, Instagram story, and podcasts.

I want to improve and grow and work on honing my craft, but I’m not going to sit around and wait until I can please everyone to show up on video and podcasts. Because if I wait until I can please everyone, I’ll be waiting the rest of my life.

Recently, I had the privilege of recording the audiobook for my soon-to-be-released book, Love-Centered Parenting. As I spent hours behind this mic, I felt such quiet confidence, passion, and excitement for this message… and such gratitude that I no longer have to live in fear of what others will think. I am loved by my Heavenly Father and that is enough. Period.

This week on the podcast, Jesse and I sit down and have a conversation where I share more about this journey and why I’m not living in dread of the negative reviews I know will be coming for my new book. If you’ve ever experienced negative reviews or critical comments of any kind, I think this episode will encourage you.

Plus, we also talk about the Bible reading plans we are using right now, a 5-star book I recently read, being the parents of a newly-16-year-old, and a tip from one of our listeners on jalapenos. Listen in to this week’s episode at the link below…

 

In This Episode: 

[01:10] We are now the parents of a 16-year-old. What??

[03:03] Some quick tips to make jalapenos less spicy from one of our listeners.

[05:19] The She Reads Truth/He Reads Truth Devotional Bible plans are saving our lives.

[10:51] I’ve been reading Something Needs to Change by David Platt.

[13:05] Learn more about the 10-day challenge that I ran for becoming a happier mom.

[14:56] We are talking about negative reviews. Learn why!

[17:37] Why I looked at the 1-star reviews of my past audiobooks.

[19:58] It’s so important for me to realize that we can’t please everyone and that’s okay.

[22:44] Don’t make it the goal to offend people but know that you aren’t for everyone.

[23:47] What to do when you get negative feedback.

[27:15] Negative reviews also do their job in keeping you humble.

Links and Resources:

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on iTunesAndroidStitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player here. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.

    
 

Earn Gift Cards with Shopkick + FREE $5 Gift Card!!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’re looking for honest Shopkick reviews, this is your go-to post on all things Shopkick! And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for a RARE Shopkick promo code to get a FREE $5 gift card of your choice!

{Looking for other ways to earn gift cards? Check out our list of The Best Legitimate Paid Online Surveys!}

My Honest Shopkick Review

If you’ve been really curious about Shopkick but you’re not sure how to get started, this post is for you!

The Shopkick app can be a little bit overwhelming to navigate when you first get started, so in this post I want to walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to get started!

What is Shopkick?

Shopkick is an app that you can download to your mobile device and use to earn gift cards.

And the best part of Shopkick? You don’t even have to buy anything to earn gift cards!!

All you have to do is walk into stores and scan products (if you want to) — and it can be done when you’re already out and about running errands and doing your shopping. Or if you’d prefer not to have to be out & about right now, you can earn online or in their Discover tab (more on that below!).

Is Shopkick Legitimate?

Yes, Shopkick is 100% legitimate. I’ve been using Shopkick for a couple of years now and love it!

And many readers have commented in the past with positive Shopkick reviews, too:

Shopkick is great! I’ve gotten lots of $50 Walmart gift cards which I then use for Ibotta! I’ve made over $300!” – Suki

I LOVE Shopkick! I like saving points for Target gift cards, then use them towards diapers/wipes in conjunction with their baby sales.” -Heather

I really like the ShopKick app. I trade in my points for Starbucks cards.” -Victoria

I have earned close to $500 in gift cards and cash. You can earn kicks and get a PayPal gift card which you can transfer to your bank account if you need cash.” – Ramona

See more reviews here and here.

If you’re looking for a legitimate way to earn some extra gift cards without much extra effort, Shopkick is a really great app to try.

How Does Shopkick Work?

To get started with Shopkick, you simply download the app, turn on Bluetooth, and look under one of the three tabs at the bottom of the screen (pictured above) to see what kind of kicks are available for you:

  • Choose the Nearby tab to earn kicks by walking into stores and scanning products (including grocery & drug stores!).
  • Use the Online tab to earn kicks by shopping online (similar to cash back sites).
  • Explore the Discover tab to perform actions in the app that earn you kicks.

{Psst! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and use the Shopkick promo code to get a bonus $5 gift card when you first sign up!}

My Favorite Way to Earn

My favorite way to earn is by earning walk-ins and scanning products, simply because it’s SO easy to do — especially if you’re already out and about doing your regular weekly grocery shopping! Plus, you don’t have to link your debit card and no purchase is necessary!

{Hint: Sometimes you don’t even have to walk all the way in. You can just walk by the store and you’ll earn your walk-in kicks!}

So that you don’t waste a lot of extra time, I recommend that you only Shopkick at stores that you’re already planning on shopping at or that you’re nearby when you have a few extra minutes to spare.

New Ways to Earn!

Since I first started Shopkicking, they have added several new ways to earn that are perfect if you don’t feel comfortable being out in public right now.

Shop online and get kicks for your purchases — sort of like cash back!

Or check out their Discover tab to read articles, watch videos, or explore offers. You’ll earn kicks just for performing actions in the app right from the comfort of your own home! It’s really simple!

Shopkick Promo Code for FREE gift card

How Do I Redeem Kicks on Shopkick for Gift Cards?

It’s super easy to redeem your kicks for rewards in the Shopkick app. Just select which reward you want to try to earn kicks towards, and the app will let you know when it’s time to cash in! It’s SO simple.

And there are some great rewards to choose from, including Amazon, Starbucks, TJMaxx, Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, and more!

When you’ve earned enough kicks to redeem for a reward, here’s what to do:

  1. Go to the “kicks center” in your app by clicking on your number of kicks at the top center of your screen.
  2. Click on the image of the gift card you’ve chosen as your reward.
  3. Click on “redeem kicks” at the bottom of the screen.
  4. (Or you can choose to “change goal” if you’d like to keep earning towards a higher valued gift card.)

You can find all of your rewards under the “my rewards” tab in the kicks center! When you’re ready to use one, just have the cashier scan the barcode of the gift card right from your Shopkick app!

Download the Shopkick app to earn gift cards

How Much Can You Realistically Earn With Shopkick?

Here’s the cool thing! By simply walking into stores and scanning products, you can easily earn at least one $5 gift card per week! And that’s not even counting all the new ways they now have to earn!

Shopkick is one of the quickest and easiest ways to earn gift cards of just about any app I’ve tried.

And you could choose to spend your smaller gift cards on splurges as you receive them OR save them up throughout the year to stretch your Christmas budget! (If you earn $5 per week, you’ll have almost $250 to use for Christmas gifts when December rolls around!)

And honestly? You can definitely earn more than that, but I like to keep it simple and not waste extra time. I only use Shopkick when I’m already out and about, shopping in a particular store, or have some extra time to kill. I never go out of my way to get kicks!

{And I’ve heard SO many Shopkick reviews from readers who report these similar earnings!}

Pro Tip: Walk-ins and scans are the most prevalent and highest in value on the weekends. And you can even get higher value bonus kicks on holiday weekends!

Shopkick Promo Code: FREE $5 Gift Card

Interested in signing up for Shopkick after reading this review? Great news! You can currently get a FREE $5 gift card when you sign up! Here’s how:

  1. Go here to sign up.
  2. Download the app.
  3. During sign-up, use Shopkick promo code MONEYSAVINGMOM.
  4. Earn at least 35 kicks within 7 days — by walking in to a store, scanning products, shopping online, or using the Discover tab in the app.
  5. You’ll automatically be credited a bonus 1250 kicks — which is enough to redeem for any $5 gift card!

That’s it!! And you can choose from lots of different $5 gift cards, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, and TONS more!

Sign up here with Shopkick to get started.

What’s your experience with Shopkick? Leave your Shopkick reviews in the comments! I’d love to hear!

    
 

ButcherBox Discount Code: FREE Game Day Bundle (Ribs, Pork, & Bacon!!)

Have you been wanting to give ButcherBox a try? If so, don’t miss this ButcherBox discount code to get a FREE Game Day Bundle in your first box!!

{This post is sponsored by ButcherBox and contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.}

This deal ends in a few days!! Don’t miss out!

After doing my ButcherBox review last year, SO many of you were excited about trying ButcherBox and asked me if there’d be more discount codes in the future.

And I have GREAT news!! They’re offering a new deal to get 3 FREE cuts of meat right now!

ButcherBox Discount Code: FREE Game Day Bundle

ButcherBox is running a special deal through February 7, 2021. When you sign up to try ButcherBox, you’ll get a FREE Game Day Bundle of Meat — which includes three FREE cuts of meat! You’ll receive a rack of St. Louis ribs, a pack of pulled pork, and a pack of bacon — all for FREE in your first box.

Just go HERE, enter your email address, and click on the “claim offer” button to get the ButcherBox discount code automatically added to your order. (For more detailed instructions on how to go through the checkout process, see below!)

ButcherBox discount code with different box choices

How to Sign Up for ButcherBox

If you’d like to sign up and take advantage of this deal, just follow these instructions!

After claiming your FREE Game Day Bundle offer, you’ll be taken to the sign-up page, where you can choose between five different types of boxes:

I recommend doing a custom box because it allows you to customize the meat that they send and you are able to get exactly what you know you will use.

ButcherBox pricing options

Once you choose which box you’d like, then you pick your monthly box size. You can choose between a Classic Box ($128-$149/month) or a Big Box ($238-270/month). The price varies depending upon which type of meat box you chose.

meat choices

After you’ve chosen your box size, then you can customize what they will send you. I like that you can see exactly what your options are and you can figure out how to get the best bang for your buck!

Then, just input your payment information and you’re done.

If you’re still hesitant about signing up with ButcherBox, be sure to read my honest ButcherBox review! It goes into more details, plus you’ll get my honest thoughts on the quality of meat and our overall experience.

Go here to get started with ButcherBox and take advantage of this deal.