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How to Look Trendy in the Kitchen

I love aprons. I have way too big of a collection of pretty aprons, especially considering that The Mister does most of the cooking around here. But, I’m just a sucker for a good lookin’ apron. I feel all clever and domestic and in-control of my kitchen when I’m baking and wearing one of my favorite aprons – even though I’m not a kitchen pro. And we entertain a ton, especially in the summer, and a pretty apron makes me look more put-together when guests show up early than when I’m wearing sweatpants covered in flour-y hand prints :) And my very favorites come from Flirty Aprons. Check out this new one that I am dying over right now:

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 9, 2014 Filed Under: Shopping | 2 Comments

Would You Make Your Dog a T-Bone Steak?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner… It’s true. We call dogs “Mans Best Friend,” but really, they’re so much more. They’re a companion to us all. A playmate, companion, or sometimes almost a sibling to your kiddo {like our family.} And no matter our flaws, they only see the good in us, and jump up and down wagging their tail excited to see us, even when we were just at the store for an hour, lol. Which means, they need to be appreciated just like the rest of the family, especially at a holiday – like Valentine’s Day.

My little fur baby, Deuce, is a pain most of the time. {That’s him above, finding his happy spot in between my Mister’s feet.} He is about as old as Abby, {3 years old}, so should be potty trained, but continues to ruin the rugs in my house. He barks for no reason, and isn’t always very bright. But, he is the biggest lover you’ll ever see – he is the best snuggler, and has to be next to one of us in the house at all times, no matter what. And he’s pretty fluffy and cute. So he gets to stay here :) [Read more...]

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 19, 2014 Filed Under: Family, Shopping | 1 Comment

Give Gifts that Don’t Scream “Last Minute Shopping” – #PCHoliday

I received a complimentary package of products from Personal Creations to create this post abotu personalizing your holidays. All opinions are 100% my own, as always.

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” – Andy Rooney… I’m pretty sure I’ve told you before, like, maybe 200 million times, how much I love Christmas. It makes me feel like a little kid again – I seriously get so excited. And, I love to surprise people with the perfect gift. Seeing even the adults in the family light up when they get something special totally makes my holiday complete. That’s why I work on my holiday shopping year ’round, to be sure I’m not just buying a “something, anything, whatever I’ll just grab this and get out of here!” kind of gift at the mall, last minute. And my favorite gifts are things that are totally personal for the person receiving them – I hand-make a lot of presents, I love to create photo cards and gifts, and one of my more recent personal favorites this year has been choosing an item that I know the giftee will love, then having it customized with their names or family details. To give you an idea of what’s out there, I have a few of my fave gifts from this year to show ya….

Ok, first of all, let’s talk about a little gift I bought for me. Yep, I buy myself gifts “from Santa” every year. Because really, don’t moms always seem to get missed a lot when it comes to gifts? This casserole dish is perfect for me – the thing that I’m best at in the kitchen is a casserole or baked pasta. TI think my casseroles are pretty kick-ass, no lie. [Read more...]

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2013 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Holidays, Shopping | 5 Comments

Choosing Magical Holiday Gifts for Little Girls

It can be hard to pick out the perfect gifts during the holidays. Seriously – whether you’re staring down the crazy-full aisles of toys in the store, or trying to find your way through the overwhelming selection on huge online stores, there are so many choices it can make your head spin. Which is why I’m here to share another of my fave holiday toy picks with you guys.

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 10, 2013 Filed Under: Holidays, Shopping | 4 Comments

How to Get the Best Gifts & Best Deals at Best Buy

I made my list, and checked it twice – then picked it all up at Best Buy! Obviously I’m a little bit biased about Best Buy, since I’ve been part of their amazing WOLF {Woman’s Leadership Forum} Blogger program for over a year now. But the reason being part of that program made me fall in love with them is because I learned SO much about Best Buy that I didn’t know before! I would never have thought to buy my washer and dryer there, since I didn’t realize they carried them. But just a couple of months ago I did – and even after searching everywhere online, I couldn’t find a better deal than Best Buy. I learned about their awesome Geek Squad assistance {which has saved my life quite a few times now.} I learned about their My Best Buy points system, where I earn bonuses by shopping with them. And did you know they have a price match policy too?

The amazing team at Best Buy sent me a gift card to do my holiday shopping with them this year. They wanted to see what real moms really have on their list this year. Instead of them telling us which gifts to tell you about, they wanted us to show off the stuff we were truly excited about. So, I printed out my rewards certificates on MyBestBuy.com, tucked my gift cards into my wallet, and grabbed my Christmas list, and headed out over the river and through the woods, to our closest Best Buy store.

Holiday Shopping at Best Buy Rocks [Read more...]

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 2, 2013 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Shopping | No Comments

How to Make Unique Family Movie Night Gift Baskets on a Budget

I love to give movies as gifts. One – you can always score amazing deals on Amazon, like the big list I have here for you today. And, there are so many fun ways to give movies as gifts… We have an Elf Magic doll that brings little random gifts for the kids during the month of December – things like a new movie to watch that night, candy and treats, or a new holiday story book. Or, they’re perfect for gift baskets – you can go basic and make a family movie night gift basket: Use a big popcorn bowl or bucket, add a movie or two, snacks and popcorn, maybe even send it with a big cozy blanket too. Or, get creative and build a basket around a favorite movie – I’ve added a bunch of ideas below each of these awesome movie deals. {But remember – prices flip fast at Amazon, especially this time of year. I’m posting this on 11/30/13 – the further away from this date, the more the prices may vary!} So whether you just want to buy some classic family favorites for yourself at a total steal of a price, or build some fun gifts, I hope you enjoy my ideas and deals!

Everyone loves The Goonies, right? It’s perfect for all ages – and you can get it right now for only $4. To build a gift around this, get those gold coin candies, candy rings and candy necklaces, Baby Ruth candy bars, truffles {ala the Truffle Shuffle}, pirate eye patches and accessories, a The Goonies T-shirt or two, and pack it all into a little $3 dollar Treasure Chest gift box. Fun, right?

This is one of my favorite movies – I could never watch it enough times: The Princess Bride. Right now it’s on sale on Amazon for only $3 bucks! If you wanted to make this into a giftable basket, here are some ideas of things to add: Princess Bride pub glasses, cute little love notes – “I’d come from mostly dead for you,” a bottle of Princess Bride wine, some Reece’s Peanut “Butter cups”, Pirate Sword Picks with a little ham and cheese gift set, and this awesome Storming The Castle Card Game. And just for fun, add a set of “Hello, My Name Is” Labels that you can personalize to finish the phrase – “Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die…” [Read more...]

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 30, 2013 Filed Under: Entertainment, Shopping | 2 Comments

Which is Better – Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Black Friday versus Cyber Monday – Which Day Reigns Supreme?… I spent about 15 years working in retail. From sales and stocking shelves, to merchandising and displays, and about half of those years in management, I’ve had a lot of experience with the craziness of Black Friday. It was challenging in so many ways, but sometimes I do miss that excitement – like you’re preparing for the big game or something. Cyber Monday is a newer trend – my early years of retail, it didn’t exist. But as someone who spends the majority of her time online, Cyber Monday definitely wins out for me these days. It’s so much easier to comparison shop from home in my pjs. Plus, I love that I can use sites like Ebates to get extra cash back on everything I buy too! But – you decide: Check out this fun infographic comparing Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and tell me which one you prefer….

Cyber Monday VS Black Friday