Busy Mom Solution

The Secret to Getting Kids to Listen Without Nagging or Yelling

Why is it so difficult sometimes to get kids to listen? You know she heard you, but she ignores you. You ask again and still . . . no response. If you’re tired of nagging, reminding, and yelling to get kids to listen – this session is for you! I am so excited that Sunshine & Sippy Cups is partnering with Amy McCready – founder of Positive Parenting Solutions & TODAY Show contributor – to offer a FREE LIVE training webinar on Thursday, May 24th, at 9PM Eastern.

Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling

Join us to learn easy to implement strategies to correct misbehavior and reclaim the calm voice you had before kids. Discover proven tools for your most frustrating discipline dilemmas including the 5 R’s of Fair & Effective Consequences. All you need is your computer. (No webcam required.) You’ll see and hear Amy on your screen and you can even ask questions and she’ll make them part of the presentation. Parents RAVE about this session.

RSVP today and then kick back and learn from the comfort of your home.

Webinar seating will be limited so learn more and RSVP now! I’ll look forward to welcoming you. I know that I am super excited to learn some new tips and tools from Amy that I can use in my home – Abby has hit the toddler stage, and I’m not sure how to teach her wrong from right without feeling like I’m saying “No!!” all day long. My oldest nephew who lives with me is only 8, but I swear he’s already getting the attitude of a teenager. So I’m hoping to learn some great info that I can put into action right away.

In the meantime, we’d love it if you could let your Facebook friends know about this exciting webinar – just click this link to share on Facebook.

About Amy McCready: Parenting expert Amy McCready is the Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and a “recovering yeller.” She is a champion of positive parenting techniques for happier families and well-behaved kids. Amy reaches a worldwide audience with her Positive Parenting Solutions Online course and is a frequent guest on the TODAY Show and has also appeared on Rachael Ray, CNN, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and elsewhere. In her most important role, she is mom to two teenage boys.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 22, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 8 Comments

A Modern Moms “Must Have” for Dining Out with Toddlers

“You put this over a highchair, and you’ve got a place mat that you can easily wipe down.” – Joy Behar… There’s a reason that celebrity moms like Joy Behar from The View are loving this new mom-invented product – because it is a total Smart Solution for Busy Moms! Have you ever taken a toddler out to eat at a restaurant? You know that crazy mess that they make as they throw food on the floor, spill their drink, and use the complimentary crayons to draw on the high chair instead of the coloring sheet? And have you ever wondered how clean those high chairs really are? Then you, my friend, are ready to meet the Neatnik Saucer.

How clever is that, right?

And it seriously works that easily. Sometimes you see a video like this, love it, but it does NOT work the same way when you get it home, right? But this is super fun and just pops open and shut easy peasy. It’s a life saver when dining out, because it really helps prevent that embarrassing mess that toddlers make all over the floor. And – while there are a ton of really great options for toddler high chair covers on their site, my favorite one, the Rome, has an added feature – It’s a blank canvas for little ones to color on while they wait for their dinner. This really helps keep tantrums at bay when you’ve got a hungry tummy or grumpy kiddo.

“A two-year old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it. – Jerry Seinfeld

The Neatnik has worked perfectly on every restaurant high chair we’ve used it on so far. But I also love, love, LOVE using it at home to keep Abby occupied and out of trouble. Her new favorite thing lately is coloring, but it’s amazing how quickly she would lose interest in the coloring book I’d give her, and start sharing her artist skills onto the kitchen floor. But when I set her into her chair with the Rome, she’ll color away forever. Really helps when I’m trying to cook dinner and don’t want a little one running under my feet, you know? It doesn’t fit quite the same on our home high chair, but it honestly works good enough to entertain her, and give me a few minutes to work. The suction cups under the tray portion keep it in place no matter what type of chair you attach it to. Awesome.

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” – Franklin P Jones

If you want to get this smart solution to make dining out less of a mess, you can check out the Rome, and all of the other cute designs of Neatnik Saucer online. And – if you’re feelin’ lucky, you can also enter to WIN one today too! Just use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in – the more you complete, the more chances you have to win.

Have fun & Good luck!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 21, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Giveaways | 16 Comments

Does Blogging Give You Bad Posture?

As a busy blogger, you spend a ton of time at the computer, right? Which can lead to hunching over to see the screen, slumping back in your office chair while you browse social media, or even the weird positions you get into while balancing your laptop while working. So – here are a few tips to building better posture that will hopefully help save you from potential problems down the road…

Find More at the Greatist Fitness Blog

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 17, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Quick Beauty Tricks for Flying in Style

Beauty Travel Tips Just in Time for Summer

Are you gearing up for a busy summer of travel? Whether it’s a fun summer vacation with the family, or an awesome conference like Reviewer’s Retreat or BlogHer ’12 – if you’re going to be flying, you need these quick travel tips! Benefit is my total favorite when it comes to cosmetics. You know I’m all about Smart Solution products that solve the challenges of my busy life as a mom, right? Well, Benefit makes the BEST in smart solutions. From my all time favorite beauty kit – Confessions of a Concealaholic – to the new They’Re Real! Mascara – the products have fun packing that makes me smile, work total magic even on super tired mornings, and are perfect for everyone. So – if you’re like me, and getting ready for a TON of flying around the country this summer – check out this video where Benefit, the beauty experts, teamed up with the ultimate air travelers, Southwest Flight Attendants. Love it!

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” – Gwyneth Paltrow

Now, if you’re a strategic shopper like me, and have loads of free Amazon credit earned from places like Swagbucks and Survey Spot, then you can find all of these products on Amazon, with free shipping – Some of the featured picks were Stay Don’t Stray and Posietint – both mini sizes to try out. Or, you can shop directly from Benefit – Find all of the pretty products in the Beauty on the Fly video, AND get a couple of freebies:

Get your choice of a FREE velvet eyeshadow in tickled mink with any $60 order using code TICKLED at checkout or a free creaseless cream eyeshadow/liner in strut with any $60 order using code STRUTUP at checkout.

Offer expires May 22, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST, and whenever you order over $50 at Benefit, you’ll always have free shipping included, no promo codes needed! And the Tickled Mink eyeshadow is my total go-to shade – it works on every skin tone, and glides on so smooth. You’ll love it too!

What’s your best Mom Solution beauty product? Share in the comments!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 15, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Having a Baby? Join the Free Baby On Board Bootcamp

“Families with babies and families without babies are sorry for each other.” – Edgar Watson Howe … This is so true. Before I became a mother, I thought that it would be the hardest job in the world. And it is. But it’s also the best – as all you mommas out there already know. But when you’re pregnant for the first time, planning a pregnancy can be super scary – trying to prepare for all of the immense life changes that are headed your way! We all know that having babies is expensive – but I have an awesome tool that will let you rest easier, by helping you to take a look at how your baby will affect your finances. Keep reading to find out how much it really costs to raise a child, and how to figure out how to manage all of those expenses.

“A baby is born with a need to be loved – and never outgrows it.” – Frank A. Clark

One of my favorite sites, LearnVest.com, has a great program called Baby on Board Bootcamp – and it’s totally free to join. Awesome, right? You’ll get tips on things like how to estimate what you’ll need for your new baby, how to reduce other spending to free up that cash, the best way to save on kids clothing, whether it’s more expensive to raise a boy or a girl – and so much more. I’ve done a few of their free bootcamps before, and they are super helpful. {It’s hard to believe that they’re free, right?}

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Eda J. Le Shan

One of my favorite parts of this free Baby on Board Bootcamp is the Maternity Leave Basics section. This can be SUCH a confusing part of planning for a baby, and many mommas-to-be don’t know enough about the laws, their rights, and what they’re entitled to. This section also goes over the pros and cons of being a stay at home mom versus working outside the home, and helps you determine which one will be right for your new family. Great resources.

How To Join the Free Baby on Board Bootcamp:

Sign up for a free account at LearnVest today. The next screen you’ll go to will have budgeting tools – you can use those to enter your info now {it’s awesome}, or click the button on the bottom right to skip it and come back later. Next you’ll see a big screen with paid subscriptions – You can just click the bottom right again, to continue without upgrading. Now you’ll get a cool screen showing you a bunch of the free tools that are available to you in LearnVest – click “take me to my dashboard” in the upper right of that pop up box. Now – see that big list of FREE bootcamps available to you on the right side of your screen? Yep – you get all of those free! Things like:

Get out of Debt – How to figure out what you owe, and how to pay it off fast.
Priceless Style – Look like a million bucks, without spending it!
Getting Hitched – How to merge both of your finances, and plan for wedding expenses.
Ace Your Taxes – What to save, what to toss, and how to prepare.

And tons more. You’ll also find the latest articles filled with financial info that’s actually fun to read. Things like 7 Reasons TV is Ruining Your Life, or Why I Became a Mom at 44. You’ll get a weekly email with tips on staying stylish on a frugal budget, the best way to save on fresh fruits and veggies, and how to totally ace a job interview. You will love this site – pinky promise.

Be sure to enter to win in their big end of summer giveaway too!

Are you using LearnVest Yet? Let me know what you think of it!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 15, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 10 Comments

The Secret to Curling Your Hair with a Flat Iron

I recently got a new early Mother’s Day gift – a Titanium Flat Iron. It’s a 1″ size, it’s pink, and it’s awesome. You know that I’ve been on a Mom Makeover Mission this year – making the switch a year and a half ago from working in fashion merchandising, to becoming a mom and working at home led to me looking…. Um, not so cute. But I’m busting out of that frump-mom territory, and getting this sweet straightener makes it super simple to get a little dolled up each day!

How to Curl Your Hair with a Flat Iron

I thought about making a video for you guys, to show you this cool trick on how to use your flat iron to do more than JUST straighten your hair. Because really, as busy moms – every gadget in the house, from the kitchen to the bathroom, needs to have more than one purpose, right? I’m short on space, money, and time to search for things – which means the products I do buy better be pretty awesome. But – instead of making my own, I’m going to share this totally amazing one from Kandee Johnson, the superstar behind Kandeej.com. She is just the cutest thing ever – Love her videos.

Want to try it too?

This is my new beauty, it’s from Karmin Hair Tools, and it rocks. There are a lot of places in my budget where I cut corners with spending – I buy the store brand pop, my favorite lip liner is an off brand that I buy at Rite-Aid for $1.99, and I use drugstore shampoo. But, when it comes to styling tools, you seriously need to get the best hair irons, dryers, and curlers. Here’s why this straightener is so awesome:

It has ultra hard titanium plates that are smooth like a mirror, so you don’t get that snagging or friction that cheaper irons sometimes give you.
The titanium warms up to the perfect temp in seconds – which is important when you can only sneak in a few minutes of mom-time while the baby plays with a stacking toy, right?
This tool has a variable heat setting too, so you can use it for a ton of different styles, and it works great for all the girls in your home, no matter how different their hair types are.

AND…. Remember that adorable teasing brush she uses, the Teasing U Brush by Monroe? Well, I found it in PINK to match my new straightener, for less than $10 bucks right now on Amazon. Rockin! And, I know everyone has a favorite – But I totally and completely swear by L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray. A stylist friend recommended it to me about a year ago, and I haven’t used anything else since!

Do you have any cool style tips? Share ’em in the comments!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 11, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 14 Comments

The Secret Trick to Using your Smartphone to Stop Junk Mail

“Buy, buy, says the sign in the shop window; Why, why, says the junk in the yard.” – Paul McCartney

Catalogs, phone books, postcards, coupons… when fighting the war on junk mail, one can feel a little outnumbered. Before your mailman gets all bent out of shape, let me introduce you to a deceptively pacifist app that fights the war on junk mail with a powerful punch. Paperkarma puts the power to reduce your paper junk mail in your smartphone— just download the app and in a few steps, you’ll be getting rid of the unwanted paper that inundates your mailbox.

Snap, Send, and Simplify!

How stinkin’ cool is this, right? If you’re like me, and have a bit of freebie addiction, you probably end up with tons of extra junk that you just don’t want! I mean, I love getting one of those great beauty bags from Target, stuff with make-up samples. But I DON’T like getting a million ads for sales at stores I don’t even shop at. I have never seen an easier way to stop my junk mail than this sweet app!

Tell me – Are you excited to grab this app today too?

Find more Smart Solution tips for busy moms on my Pinterest page!

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.