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20 Awesome Freebies for Moms

Freebies, Samples, Free stuff

How to Get Free Stuff

Yep – Everything you see in these pictures was free. Shipped right to my door, didn’t pay a penny for any of it. Awesomesauce, right? Free stuff is much funner to find in your mailbox than bills – But it’s more than just fun, it can also help with your budget. I have a few baskets in the bathroom, filled with shampoo and conditioner samples, toothpaste freebies, face and body lotion trial-sizes, and more. Since the freebie baskets are almost always full, I save money by not needing to purchase these items. So – Use this big list of resources to start seeing YOUR mailbox filled with fun free stuff every day too!

Health & Beauty Freebies

Baby & Kids Freebies

Food Freebies

  • Samples: Find the best new free samples on MySavings today – Free Mac n Cheese, Cadbury Chocolate Bar, Panda Express, and more. That’s just the first page – there are loads more!
  • Nutrition App: Download this free app from Kiwi Magazine – Tips and help to live a more natural and organic life, easily!
  • Bake Pops: Love these trendy new baked desserts? Get my totally favorite new kitchen gadget to help you make ’em like a pro – Buy one kit, get the second bake pops kit free! Use it as a gift like I did, or keep ’em both for yourself. You’ll love it.
  • Nutrition Bar: Get a free sample of the new Life Choice Nutrition Bar from Walmart – Fill out the form to get yours.

Other Fun Freebies

  • Craftsy: Fun free email each day with craft project ideas – and get super sweet discounts on materials and classes when you sign up for a free account!
  • Tide: First 500,000 get a free sample of the new Tide pods detergent! It was working when I tried it just now – So hopefully you get them too!
  • Shout: Get a free sample of the new Shout Color Catcher sheets for laundry day. I’m a big fan of these since I tried a sample last month!
  • Free Martini Shot: No, I’m not handing out free drinks today… Although that WOULD be a nice way to end the post, and start your weekend, lol. This is a free app you can download to listen to music, check out photos and videos, read blog posts, and more. VERY, very cool – so I wanted to share it with ya’all too!

Love these freebies? Finding fun free stuff for you is just one of the many “Simple Solutions for Busy Moms” that I share every single day. Make sure you never miss anything cool by following me via email, on Facebook, Twitter, or my new obsession – Pinterest!

H&R Block

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Posted by on February 17, 2012 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

$500 Giveaway with Real Moms Real Deals!

Deal sites for moms

New Giveaway Event to Celebrate Moms

I want to introduce you to Real Moms Real Deals – They are 100% committed to bringing fantastic REAL deals, to REAL mom’s, like you!

What does this mean, exactly?

It means squeal-inducing savings, up to 90% off… {nope, not a typo!} …on products you actually use and love! They also proudly support hand crafted items right along with brand name items, so for those of you who have an affinity for beautiful craftsmanship that comes only from hand crafted items, they’ve got you covered!

Their first deals land on February 28th, 2012…mark your calendar!


We have teamed up with Real Moms Real Deals for a BIG Giveaway, $500 in prizes in fact!

Use the Rafflecopter box below to enter to win. And, if you’re feeling lucky today – Check out my HUGE list of giveaways that are also going on now, you’ll always find it right there in the sidebar. You can win everything from diapers to cash – and the more you enter, the more chances that you have to win!

Have fun & Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by on February 17, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | No Comments

Pampers Gifts to Grow Giveaway Event!

**If you do not have a Gifts to Grow account here is a post with sign up information and a list of codes to get you started!**

Hi and welcome! I have teamed up with a wonderful group of bloggers to bring you this fun event. You will be entering to win one of two 60 points Pampers Gifts to Grow codes. If you are saving to redeem your points – this is a great boost or if you are new to Pampers Gifts to Grow – this is a great time to sign up!

Easy Peasy Entry Form!

The entry process is easy just use the Rafflecopter below. There is one mandatory entry and the remaining entries are optional but the more entries completed = more chances to win! And, if you’re feeling lucky – Enter the rest of my awesome giveaways, over in the sidebar!

Thank you for being a fan and good luck!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by on February 16, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | No Comments

Huggies Squirmy Baby Round-Up & Giveaway

Huggies, Baby, Diapers

The Great Squirmy Baby Round-Up from Huggies!

Changing a squirmy baby can be tough – We’ve all been there, right? Once they learn how to start movin’, you’re always struggling to keep up. From those first attempts at crawling, to a toddler running wild – getting them to hold still for a diaper change can be a challenge! Since here at Sunshine and Sippy Cups we’re all about finding new “Busy Mom Solutions” – I want to share a great one with you today… Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers!!

Why These Diapers Rock

It is getting to be almost impossible to get my little girl to lay down and stay put long enough to get a regular diaper strapped on right – and I’m constantly getting them on crooked, with a baby booty cheek hanging out! Yikes. I absolutely love that these diapers can just pull on and off super quick – and no more ripped tabs as I try to wrap ’em around a squirmy baby. I wish I’d found these Slip-On’s sooner!

Squirmy Baby Video Round-Up

Huggies has a super fun promotion going on right now – Upload a video of your favorite squirmy baby, and Huggies will add some fun clips to it – and post it live on their YouTube channel. You can check out mine of my little goofball dancing around the kitchen here – Abby’s Squirmy Baby Video on Huggies YouTube – and then upload your own too! {Ignore the messy kitchen, we were moving at the time I took this. It’s not the best quality, but it cracks me up with her little “super-star” dance moves. Funny girl.} There are easy peasy buttons that you can then use to share your fun video on Facebook and Twitter too – so you can show off your little cutie pie!

Enter to WIN from Huggies

Huggies wants to give YOU the chance to try out these awesome Slip-On diapers to solve your own squirmy baby challenges too! Two winners will each win a package of the new Little Movers Slip-On Diapers – Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter, and if you’re feeling lucky – Check out the rest of my super awesome giveaways, right over there in the sidebar! The more you enter, the more chances that you have to win!

Have fun & Good Luck!

[Read more…]

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Posted by on February 16, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 1 Comment

Weekly Bloggertunities – 2/16

Blogging Opportunties

New Weekly Blogging Opportunities

New weekly round-up of opportunities for bloggers – Fun events and linkys to join, review opps, sponsored post companies to partner with, and more. If you have any great events that are open for sign ups, be sure to leave a link in the comments! And feel free to share this post in any of your own networks or groups too – The more we support each other, the more successful all of our blogs will be!

Writing Jobs

  • Women’s Website: Freelance bloggers needed to write content for a women in business focused magazine. Pay runs from $15-$100, based on quality, experience, and length of article. Apply here – Freelance Bloggers Wanted.
  • Examiner: Choose a local topic that you are an expert in – I’m the Frugal Living Examiner in my city – and apply to be a writer for Examiner.com with your very own column. It’s a great way to connect with local businesses, and you can earn a steady income from a successful column too!

Reviews & Giveaways

  • Bright Starts: Calling all thrifty mom bloggers! Do you have an infant and want to review our newest value gear collection? Email brightstarts@kidsii.com. You can also see and respond to tweet if interested.
  • Social Moms: Recruiting for African American and Hispanic/Latina bloggers. If this is you, or you have someone you’d like to refer – Fill out the form to be considered for new fun campaigns!
  • Brad’s Deals: Sign up for new blogging and review opportunities with Brad’s Deals. It requires you to enter full referral info – If you’d like to use mine, it’s Meagan Paullin, sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com… Website I think you can figure out on your own, lol.
  • Shaklee: Sign up to be a part of their blogger product review team – You have to commit to their privacy standards, but those are easy and things you should be doing anyway. Great products!
  • Mompact: I’m still looking for some really great new bloggers to join our review team at Mompact.com! Check out the products – and if you think that your blog would be a good fit, email me {Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com} to let me know a little about you and your site, and why you would like to partner with us. All products are mom-invented, and we would love to add some really professional bloggers to our team!

Sponsored Posts and Paid Opps

  • McDonalds: Join the Family Arches focus group. After you sign up, you’ll see the opp to give feedback on a new Happy Meal idea. Leave a comment that you’re interested – If chosen, you’ll be rewarded with a $25 McDonalds Gift Certificate!
  • Coupon Cabin: Sign up for their blogger outreach program, to be the first to learn about new events and opportunities.
  • Blog Friendly PR: Sign up for a free account here, or upgrade and get access to more PR contacts for only $5. Learn more here – Blog Friendly PR, and feel free to use my name as a referral if you’d like {it’s Meagan Paullin}.
  • Social Spark: One of my new favorites – It only took a few months to move up in their system, and I now get very well paying opps with them. It’s super easy to apply, the posts are always simple to put together, and they pay out directly to PayPal. Monetize Your Blog with Sponsored Posts.

Great Tips & Resources

  • Improve Your Blog: This is my new favorite article, and I’ve been referring to it all week – 103 Ways to Improve Your Blog in 15 Minutes or Less – All easy peasy updates you can do. Love it.
  • Link Medic: This is a huge list of 120 links to free blogging resources. From keyword tools to Twitter tools, it’s got some amazing info.
  • Pinterest: Check out my Blogging Tips board on Pinterest for tons of great stuff – All of the articles I find that I think are super helpful. Do you have a blogging board on Pinterest too? Leave me a link and I’d love to follow you!

Events to Join

  • Stumble Tumble Tuesday: Join us each week, link up your favorite post, and learn how Stumble Upon helps drive traffic for bloggers.
  • Click, Color, Capture: Another fun weekly link up – Learn new photography tips and share your own favorite photo in each weeks color theme!
  • Reviewer’s Retreat: I am SO excited to hear that so many of my bloggy friends are going to be at this event – If you haven’t bought tickets yet, learn more about this awesome conference for review bloggers and get yours today!

Build a Better Blog

I hope that some of these tips, resources, and sites help you find some great new opportunities to grow your blog, improve your traffic, and earn an income! If you have any favorite tips or opps that you’ve come across this week – Please feel free to share in the comments below!

MySavings Media Super Affiliate Program

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Posted by on February 16, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 8 Comments

Improve Photography Skills, Share Your Best Pics: Color, Click, Capture Challenge!

This Week’s Color is Yellow

Welcome to Week 3 of the Color, Click, Capture photography challenge hosted by East9thStreet, A Helicopter Mom, Nap Time Is My Time and Sunshine and Sippy Cups.  This week our color is YELLOW! Yellow reminds me of sunshine – so this week is my favorite so far! The photo below is from the garden at my old house – I love the way the lighting is so incredibly bright and cheerful! I sometimes miss that garden – But we’re working on the one here at the new house, and in a couple of years it will be just as pretty as our old one.

Sunflowers in Summer Sun

This Weeks Photography Tip

This week’s photography tip is from Faith Massey.  Faith owns and operate Images by Faith Portrait Art, a boutique studio nestled in the Lake Norman area, just outside Charlotte, NC. Her passion for art started early and she explored many different mediums but found her true love in photography after having my first child in 1994. After moving from California in 2004 she opened her studio in Huntersville. As a mother of 5 beautiful children, she is very comfortable working with babies and new parents alike. Her style has been described as natural, refined and unpretentious and she loves to highlight every sweet detail of children,using primarily natural light to capture the soft sweet beauty found in children.

When photographing small children, get out from behind the camera….

Children, particularly young children, react to your facial expressions. If they can’t see your face, they are less likely to make eye contact with the camera or have the expressions you are looking for. Try to engage with the child and move the camera up quickly, take your shot and then move it again quickly so you keep your subjects  engaged.

Want to Join the Challenge?

Want to participate in our challenge?  It’s super easy!  Here’s how It Works:

  1. Take a picture the represents the color of the week.
  2. Write a blog post that features your picture and link it up.
  3. Visit other people’s posts and hopefully find some inspiration!
  4. You can put the button and link code on your blog if you wish but it’s not a requirement.

Our color for next week is GREEN! – So get started taking some new photos this week, so you’re ready to share your best next Wednesday!

Join the Party – Share your best Yellow photo

Linky code –

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Posted by on February 16, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blog Hops | 3 Comments

Learn How to Use StumbleUpon for Your Blog: Stumble Tumble Tuesday

Stumble Upon for Bloggers

STUMBLE TUMBLE TUESDAY

This fun weekly event is hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic. It’s fun, it’s a big boost to your best posts, and you can find new great friends to follow too!

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, thanks!

TO TAKE PART IS SIMPLE

  1. Add a link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble to the linky below. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT your main site. Please do not list giveaways.
  2. Stumble as many other posts as you care to, check to make sure that your stumble went through by clicking on the “Info” icon. If you’d like to, you can leave a comment on their post saying something like, “I’m stopping by from Stumble Tumble Tuesday and just stumbled you – great post! My post is _____(add link)”. That makes it easier for them to return the love! The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar.
    PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR LINK IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO STUMBLE ANY POSTS – Let’s all have fun and play fair :)
  3. Remember, link directly to the actual post, not your home page.
  4. PLEASE – Don’t list any giveaways. StumbleUpon is for Evergreen posts.
  5. PLEASE – Only one link per blog.

Feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your blog and help us spread the word – The more people are stumbling, the more traffic we’ll all get, and, hey – the more, the merrier, right?

HAVE FUN WITH IT AND LET’S DISCOVER AND STUMBLE SOME POSTS!

The first person to “like” a post on StumbleUpon assigns it a category. If your post has not been discovered yet, please leave the category you would like, in your link to help the discoverer assign it correctly. Example: Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (food).

If you have ANY questions on how this works – remember to read the post above, which covers some great basics. If that doesn’t answer it, leave me a comment here or on my Facebook wall – and I’ll get back to your right away. StumbleUpon can be an uh-MAY-zing new way to increase traffic to your site – and this is a fun way to use it!

STUMBLE TUMBLE TUESDAY LINKY

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Posted by on February 16, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blog Hops | No Comments
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