Busy Mom Solution

10 Things Every Mom Needs In a Summer Pool Bag

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Huggies, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HuggiesSwimmers http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

In my family, summer means a lot of time in the water. We just bought a camper, and are super excited to spend more time up in the mountains on the lake. {We’re actually thinking of buying a boat ourselves soon too.} My dad lives on a sailboat that he’s getting fixed up, and ready to take us sailing on the Washington coast soon. And we have a big in ground pool that is the main gathering place each weekend for all of our friends and family. Now that Abby is almost three, we’re finally teaching her to swim too – check her out in her first time swimming {in a life jacket, of course} without someone holding her, for the first time. So much fun… {And yes, her nickname is Chunkamonk, lol.}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 5 Comments

No Matter Where You Roam – These Tips Keep You Connected to Home

How do you stay connected to family and friends who are far away?… Friends and family are so super crazy-important to me. I’m lucky that the majority of my family lives right in here in the same city that I do, and at the farthest they’re just across the state of Washington, a few hours away. But my Mister has a big family – 11 brothers and sisters! – who all live over in Ohio. We were super lucky to be able to bring his dad and one of his brothers over to visit recently, to see Mike’s oldest daughter graduate from high school. It was so great to spend a week getting to know them – and Abby adored them both! I know we were all pretty darn bummed when it was time for them to leave, knowing that they would be so far away again.

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Tech Tips, Parenting | No Comments

Can TV Kill Your Child?

We all know the risks of kids watching too much TV… Studies show that babies and toddlers need to really limit their amount of screen time. Some experts claim that playing violent video games or watching violent movies can lead to an increase in aggressive behavior in kids. And the childhood obesity epidemic is yet another reason why we should try to get kids off the couch and away from the screen. But, do you know about an even more serious risk to your kid’s from TV?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 19, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Parenting | 8 Comments

3 Ways to Do Dishes – Plus a Chance to Win a Kitchen Makeover

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

There are three different ways to do dishes. You can make your kids do them – but unfortunately, my little girl is only two. She’s not even tall enough to reach the sink. You can make your partner do it – but that doesn’t work for me either. He doesn’t believe in pre-rinsing anything, and it leads to a dishwasher filled with not-so-clean dishes. So that leaves the third way, the one moms end up with more often then any of us would like – do it yourself. But this doesn’t work for me either. I absolutely – more than any other task in the house – hate washing dishes. I sometimes look at an overflowing sink filled with dirty dishes and wonder how much it would cost to just buy new ones…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 18, 2013 Filed Under: Giveaways, Busy Mom Solution | 2 Comments

You’re Not a Person, You’re a Mommy…

“You’re not a person. You’re a mommy!”…. My almost three year-old told me this a few days ago. And honestly, doesn’t that pretty much totally and completely sum up motherhood? You’re not a person with rights that ordinary Americans take for granted. You’re now a servant. You have small masters who suffer from crazy mood swings, and are irrationally demanding at all hours of the day. They are tiny, adorable, and sometimes terrifying. But, unlike traditional servants, you do at least get some pretty darn amazing perks… hugs and kisses, lots of love, and an overwhelming sense of joy {you know, until they have a toddler break down again. The perks are so epic, but in between, there is constant chaos, lol.}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 12, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Parenting | 2 Comments

Moms Love Shaving their Legs, Right?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Remington, to share hair removal tips. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating….

What mom doesn’t love shaving her legs, right? When you’re enjoying a nice, quiet, relaxing bubble bath at the end of a long day – a day that consists of things like shopping, lunch with girlfriends, and maybe a stop at the spa for a massage and pedicure – and you pull out your favorite plastic drugstore razor, and soothingly swipe it up and down your legs, effortlessly removing those unwanted hairs. Those plastic razors always leave you with legs that are smooth, silky, stubble-free and ready for summer swimsuit season every time. We all love it.

Baaaahahahahahaha.

Just kidding. For most moms, the only bubble bath they are a part of is the one they give to their toddler after they’ve gotten themselves into some type of crazy-outlandish mess. Like, say… a little time spent playing in a sandbox they discover while you’re over to a friend’s house for dinner. A sandbox that’s actually a kitty litter box. After playing in the toilet. So the kitty litter gets wet and sticks in their hair and in between their toes. {Yes, this happened recently. Thankfully they are nice friends, lol.} And your day – unless you’re one of those Real Housewives types – probably has less spa day, and more work day. Whether that work is managing employees, or managing to run 327 errands in a day, it’s work. And plastic razors? I’m pretty sure we all have the same issues with those – sure, they’re a cheap way to get rid of hair. But you get what you pay for. And what you get is razor burn and rashes, stubble left behind, and legs that are way less than smooth. So what’s a busy mom to do?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 4, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 2 Comments

How to Create a Vertical Hanging Succulent Garden

Gardening inspired by Pinterest – Learn how to create your own succulent container garden… I’d always heard about the free workshops at the Home Depot, and they sounded super fun, but I’d never actually attended one before. Why? Well, I don’t really know. I suppose just because I’m always so busy. I always said, “Next month I should check that out…” Then a few weeks ago I was invited to help host one of the Do-It-Herself Workshops here locally. It was all about gardening inspired by Pinterest, and would be teaching attendees how to create their own succulent container gardens. The Home Depot experts would be on hand to share tips and advice – and they wanted me to offer up some fun design tips, to help the women at the event learn how to make their garden unique. I am SUCH a fan of succulents – {remember the ones I planted in mason jars recently?} – so of course I jumped at the opportunity!

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