Busy Mom Solution

How to dress up a basic tee this summer!

Old Navy BEST-TEES by megsp22 featuring t bar sandals

Old Navy BEST-TEES are summer essentials!!

I love light-weight summer tees. But, for me, they can be hard to find, because I’m really picky about my tees. Here are the must-haves for me:

Really light and breathable.
LONG. I’m long waisted, and need a tee that is long enough to be comfy and NOT pull up to show my tummy.
Great colors. When I find a top that I love, I want to buy it in every color, so I love a big selection.
Easy to care for. I hate shirts that don’t wash up well, that shrink or fade or lose their shape.

Well – I have found my perfect summer solution – Old Navy BEST-TEES!! Ohmyheck ladies, these are the best tee I’ve found in a few years. I was super excited when Mom Central sent me one to test drive – since it was from Old Navy, which is one of my fave stores for summer stock-up shopping, I had high hopes. And when it arrived, I was NOT disappointed – it totally hit every point that I need in a summer basic. So what did I do? I ran out and bought 7 more colors :)

These tees might be basic, but they’re NOT boring!!

Above, I used one of my fave colors in the new Old Navy tees to make two totally different outfits using some super fun Old Navy spring fashion pieces. On the left is a great casual outfit, with a fun striped hoodie and flip flops, and on the right is an idea of how you can dress up a basic tee a little too, for a fun afternoon out with the girls. These BEST-TEES have a really nice finish to them, making them totally versatile and easy to mix and match with tons of pieces.

Who’s the best tee of all time…

Mr. T is an awesome T, but I have to say that I think these new BEST-TEES are even better, lol. They come in crew or v-neck, in sizes from XS to 4X for women, 3X for men, in petite or tall, with kids sizes too! You can even find this same cut and fabric in tanks, racerbacks and layering pieces. LOVE this!!

Get your own – Visit Old Navy today to stock up on this awesome spring into summer {and into fall, and into winter…} essential today!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Old Navy and received a product sample to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 11, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 5 Comments

Love your kids, but hate their toy clutter – Smart Storage Solutions!

Love your kids, but hate their toy clutter? Then keep reading…. Most of you know about my Master Bedroom & Playroom Makeover Challenge I’m working on…. Due to some extra family living with us for awhile, Abby is sharing the Master Bedroom with me for another year. I thought that babies had a lot of gear – but transitioning to a toddler has brought SO many more storage challenges! Toddler = Lots and lots of toys. I rearranged our space to make more of a playroom area for her and I wanted a way to store all of that toy clutter out of sight, while still making it easy for her to access to play and put away. I have found a PERFECT solution – The ClosetMaid Cubeicals 9-Cube Organizer.

5 Ways ClosetMaid solves your toy storage challenges

This ClosetMaid Cube Organizer comes in 5 different finishes, and the fabric cubes are available in single or double packs in over 20 awesome colors – which means you can totally customize this piece to match any space in your home. I love that it coordinates perfectly with our Catskill Craftsmen Black Storage Chest & Bench, and I was able to find a fabric bin that matches our storage buckets too! {Those are a fun dollar store find, that we personalized with stickers to spell Abby’s name.} Here are a few of the reasons I’m lovin’ it –

It’s well made. This organizer is made of laminate, but is so much more sturdy than a lot of other laminate pieces I’ve looked at. It’s strong, without the slightest hint of a wobble – which is incredibly important when it’s going to be used by a toddler.
It’s durable. I have a laminate desk in the same finish, that scratches SO easily. In over a month of use, there is not a single mark on the ClosetMaid organizer. The finish has a great texture to it, and holds up great with a toddlers wild playtime antics.
The bins are super helpful. This gives me a way to hide all of Abby’s toy clutter out of sight, but it’s still easy for Abby to access things when she wants them, and simple to pick things up when playtime is over.
Fun way to display. The cubes without the fabric bins in them give us a super fun way to display some of Abby’s favorite dolls and toys, and make the playroom area look super fun!
Easy to reach. The organizer is just the right height for a toddler – she can easily reach all of the cubes, to get all of her favorite toys!

So, it’s a well built piece that gives you a fun way to store toys, while keeping clutter hidden out of site – what more could you ask for, right?

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” – Jerry Seinfeld

See how easy it is for little hands to pull out a bin of toys at play time? Each fabric cube is sturdy enough for storage, but also can collapse down flat if you decide not to use them. And, since they’re fabric, they can take some abuse – like when my little girl crawls inside one of them to read a book, lol. They have handles on them too – which is great if you want to bring a toy bin to another room to play. We’re thinking about making decals for the bins, like the ones on the toy buckets, to label what goes in each one – Dolls, Cars, Blocks, and Music – as she gets a little bit bigger.

ClosetMaid is a busy moms dream come true…

ClosetMaid is known for durable storage solutions at affordable prices – perfect for busy moms. They even have some cool tools on their site to help you design your own perfect spaces and places in your home – check out the uDesign tool to create your own one-of-a-kind organization designs, very cool.

Want one too? You can get the ClosetMaid 9-Cube Laminate Organizer online today, or look for it in major retailers like Target and Fred Meyer.

More Fun Ideas and Get Connected

Stay updated on cool new products and promotions by following ClosetMaid on Facebook and Twitter. And for more super fun toy storage ideas, check out my Playroom Storage inspiration board on Pinterest – and feel free to pin these ideas to your own boards too.

{Disclaimer: I received a complimentary organizer product to review – all opinions, photos, and tips are 100% my own! Love this product, and I know you will too.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 10, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 6 Comments

Best New Must-Have’s for Moms & Babies: $150+ Giveaway

I have another amazing Mompact giveaway for you all this week – Filled with some of the very best products for moms and babies. This ginormous prize package includes everything you need to prepare for your delivery and hospital stay – as well as some fun products that will be really helpful once your precious little one arrives.

One Lucky Momma will win it all…

One winner will receive a prize package, delivered right to her door, with ALL of these great products included – over $150 value! Read a little bit more about the prizes, and keep them in mind for any baby showers and events you have coming up this spring – they would all be very appreciated gifts!

LaborLooks: I remember my delivery – and the icky, scratchy hospital gown that I was given, that has of course been worn a million times by other people. LaborLooks gives new moms a much more comfortable option – not to mention they’re really stylin’. I would have been much more comfortable during all of those hours of labor in a clean, fresh, totally new gown of my own! Learn more about the LaborLooks Maternity Hospital Gown, and read the other great reviews.
Push Pack: I love, love, LOVE this idea. I had no clue what to pack in my hospital bag, and kept putting it off until the last minute. Then my water broke 3 weeks early – and I was totally unprepared. What a great gift this is – it’s a reusable tote filled with pretty much everything that a new mom will need during her hospital stay. Read a great review of the Push Pack, and see all of the items that are included in this package.
Pump-A-Pair: These nursing bra straps look like such a helpful solution – If you’ve ever pumped, you know how time consuming it can be – and how tiring it is. Being able to at least have your hands free to do other tasks would help so much! Learn more about Pump-a-Pair, and order them with free shipping too!
Sticky Bellies: This is one of my very favorites – these adorable milestone stick-ons make for super fun photo shoots. You can use them while pregnant, to do monthly baby-bump photos, or use them to chronicle your new babies monthly growth. So adorable. Read more, and see a Sticky Bellies photo shoot idea.
Drool Monkey: It doesn’t take long for babies to start teething – which means a lot of drooling. Yes, a drooling baby is still pretty adorable – but that yucky rash that sometimes accompanies it is NOT adorable. One easy way to prevent that is by using the Drool Monkey – it’s organic and eco-friendly, cloth teether, rattle, burp cloth and baby blanket all in one loveable monkey. Learn more about how Drool Monkey can help prevent a drool rash on your baby.

What a great group of products, right? There’s a reason that they all feel like such super helpful, “Why didn’t I think of that??!!” type items… It’s because they’re all invented by moms!

Moms Supporting Moms… in Business

Visit Mompact.com today to find so many amazing tools, resources, and links to awesome products that solve your busy mom challenges. On Mompact, you can…

Shop at the Mompact store.

Get help with your business.

Find a mom blogger.

Register to be a Mompact consultant.

List your mom business.

Submit your mom invented product.

Whether your a busy mom looking for time-saving solutions, a mom-inventor looking for help in getting your product launched successfully, or a mom blogger looking to join a great network of supportive women – Mompact.com is a great place to learn and connect!

Enter to WIN!!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in. To enter, click the button that says, “Do it!”, and complete that task. Bam – that’s one entry! Then continue on, and do as many – or as few – tasks as you like. The more you complete, the more entries you’ll get into the drawing – and ONE LUCKY WINNER gets a big prize package with all of these products included!! {Feelin’ lucky? Enter to win all of the other prizes that I’m giving away to my fans this month, listed in the sidebar.}

Have fun & Good luck!!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 10, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways, Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

What Does Your Lawn Say About You?

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

Your lawn is one of the first things that people notice about your home – and part of the first impression when people come to visit. Ever wonder what kind of message your lawn is sending about the people who live there? See which one of these categories you fall into, and discover if you’re sending out accurate signals about your family…

Perfectionist. This is the home with the greenest grass, and it’s always perfectly trimmed. It’s probably lined with very square-shaped hedges, and few flowers – since flowers are harder to force into growing in a symmetrical way. There might be a couple of those stone lions guarding the entryway too. This might look impressive to some – but to most of us, it screams, “I’m a control freak!” Lol. Loosen up just a bit, and let things grow a little more naturally, and people will have a much easier time relaxing at your outdoor BBQ’s.
Wild & Free. You tell everyone that you’re just really eco-friendly, and are keeping your lawn in it’s “natural state.” But your neighbors don’t consider it organic – they see it as a jungle! They get the impression that you’d rather spend the weekend on your Xbox than mowing the lawn. Letting your plants grow freely can contribute to a really pretty garden – in moderation. Make sure you keep the grass trimmed, and the branches from falling over onto neighboring yards.
Whimsical. You fill your lawn with ornaments, trinkets, and bobbles. You’ve got an army of gnomes, a flock of flamingos, and enough decor for three flea markets. You call it fun – you’re neighbors call it crazy :) Yes, adding a few silly garden accents can contribute to a really laid-back environment – but please, take down that wooden cut-out of a lady bent over, ok? {I admit it, I used to have one too….. }

Now that you know what type of lawn you have, and what it’s saying about you – here is a great solution you can use to upgrade!

Smart Summer Lawn Care Solution – Scott’s Snap Spreader System!

How cool is this, right? I’m a busy mom, so everything in my life needs to be as simplified as possible – and I LOVE clever problem-solving products like this. I need yard and garden tools that are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and simple to use and store. This system totally hits all of these requirements – awesome, right? Here are a few more reasons why I’m pretty excited to add this to my Frugal Gardening must-haves list for spring:

The Scotts® Snap® Spreader System is totally no-mess. If you’re like me, and have to grab a bit of time to work in the garden in between other tasks during my crazy-busy days – so it’s great to not have to wrestle with big messy packaging, or a process that’ll be a pain. The Snap Pac connects right to the spreader – no cutting, no opening, and no pouring from heavy bags – mean no spilling, no waste, and no sweating in your clean shirt. {Yes, some days I do manage to be wearing a clean shirt…}
I love that edge guard feature. This has been a problem for me when using my little hand-held spreader gadget. It’s super old, but I hadn’t seen any affordable options that I liked to replace it, so I kept using it. But I hated that it was hard to keep it where I wanted it around the edges of the flower beds. This system is going to be a really helpful upgrade for me – finally!
There are perks! Check out the awesome Snap perks on Facebook! You could win a trip for 2 to the 2012 All Start Game and World Series, an Outdoor Patio Set, or even an instant win prize of a $25 Walmart gift card. Super cool, right?

A totally unique product that is easy to use, and ensures that your yard gives off a great first impression – telling people how awesome you are, before you even open the door! Love it.

Share YOUR tips too!

Do you have any great gardening tips to share? Leave me some comments – I’m always looking for clever new ideas to try. And if you’ve already used the new Scotts Snap Spreader System – let me know what you thought of it! I’ll be getting one soon, and will share some video of it in use, but I’d love some feedback if you’ve used it yourself.

{Photo Credit: Greg’s Landscaping, Flickr, Creative Commons.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 3, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Easy Iced Coffee Swap Saves Big Bucks! #IcedCoffee #Cbias

“A morning without coffee is like sleep.” – Author Unknown

You guys know by now that I’m a total coffee junkie. I don’t just drink it – I chug bucket loads of it. All day. Every day. Without it, I’m like a tired mommy jellyfish, slithering along the kitchen floor. But with it, I can almost function normally, and act like a responsible adult. {Notice I said “almost”…. Lol.}

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” – Flash Rosenberg

I drink all types of coffee – I’ll drink a full pot of regular brewed coffee by myself in the morning, I like a hot mocha drink when it’s cold out – But I definitely prefer an iced coffee drink. The problem is, I’ve never been able to make a good iced coffee at home. And I don’t have the extra budget to invest in a fancy espresso maker. So I end up buying a lot of coffee house drinks – but since I’ve been using some of the awesome free financial tools available on LearnVest.com to help me track my spending, I realized that those $4+ drinks each day are taking a HUGE bit out of my monthly budget! We have some big expenses coming up this summer, and really need to save every penny we can, and cut out the extras. But I just can’t give up my beloved Iced Coffee drinks!! So, you know me – where there’s a mom-life challenge, I’ll find a Smart Solution, right?

“Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.” – Terri Guillemets

My Smart Solution?? Switching from coffee house drinks that cost around $4 EACH, to the totally amazing new Iced Coffee drinks from International Delight, that are around $4 bucks per CARTON!! Can you say, “Big ol’ Savings!!??” Oh yeah. Plus, since I’m on the Nutrisystem diet right now, and am super excited to be losing some pounds, drinking one of these iced coffee drinks saves me a boat load of calories versus one bought at the coffee shop. More dollars in my wallet + more inches lost on my waist = Happy Momma. For reals.

“Decaf? No, it’s dangerous to dilute my caffeine stream.” – Author Unknown

I’m super excited to see my savings add up – check out the awesome little gadget over in my sidebar… That little baby will be adding up my savings all month long, to show how much money YOU can save by simple swapping out ONE coffee house drink a day, and enjoying an International Delight Iced Coffee drink at home. {What? You’re a momma on the go? Get a sweet travel mug or cup like I have, and bring your iced coffee with you. Easy peasy.}

Follow International Delight on Twitter and Facebook – to stay updated on new products and promotions. You can also see everyone else who’s doing this coffee-swap savings challenge too, by following the hashtag #IcedCoffee!

Share Your Thoughts –

Have you tried the awesome new iced coffees from International Delight – I’m so lovin’ all 3, but I think that the Original flavor is my fave. Do you love ’em? How much do you think you spend every month on coffee house drinks – and are you ready to try this savings solution too? Share some comments – I love hearing from you guys!

{This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All photos, opinions, and savings results are 100% my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 3, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 8 Comments

Spring Dresses are Here – Are You Ready?? #DialNutriskin

Are you ready for spring fashions?

Of course we’re all ready for the great changes that come along with spring – flowers, sunshine, fun outdoor events – but are YOU ready for spring? Spring fashion means sandals, dresses, bright colors – and smooth skin! Are YOU ready to rock your spring look? I know that for me, my skin gets a little bit neglected during those cold winter months, when it’s bundled up under loads of snuggly layers. Plus, I have pretty dry skin, and it always acts up a bit as seasons change. To be able to rock the fun spring dresses that are popping up more and more frequently at my fave shopping spots, I needed to get my skin smooth, soft, and lookin’ good again. I have so many events coming up – including a spur-of-the-moment trip to Texas in just over a week – so I’ll finally have opportunities to wear great outfits that I’ve been putting together on Polyvore, like this fun spring look above.

Shopping for Spring Fashion Essentials

There are a few things that I consider spring fashion essentials – Flip flops, sunglasses, a new pair of great wedges, a dress or two, bright accessories – and some fun beauty products including some moisturizing body lotions. You just can’t throw on those dresses if you’ve got yucky winter legs, right? I’ve heard some pretty awesome things about this new NutriSkin line of lotions from Dial, and love trying the newest products, so I was excited to give it a try.

Checking out the choices

My Walmart did NOT have a very wide selection of the new NutriSkin products to choose from – and I was pretty disappointed that they didn’t have my first choice, the Firming Replenishing style. {See the rest of our #DialNutriskin shopping trip on Google+} But that’s ok – I picked up a couple of others; I got the Extra Dry Skin version for me, and the Men’s style for the Mister. {He loves it when I remember to buy “dude products”, lol} – I had an outdoor party to attend later that week, so I was hoping that this stuff would be as good as I’d heard, and get me lookin’ good with a quickness – I had a cute denim skirt that I was eager to wear!

Lovin’ the results!!

I’m totally pleased to let you know that this stuff ROCKS!! I was totally able to let my legs out of their winter hibernation, and out into the sunshine at the party. Seriously – I used this stuff twice a day for 5 days. There is such a huge difference! I wish I could show you better photos – but since I’m working with just an iPhone for a couple weeks here, I couldn’t get any good close up photos. But if you suffer from a bit {or a lot!} of dryness, this stuff is going to get you ready for spring and summer, and all the awesome fashions that come along with it – and it’ll give you results fast. Love it, right?

Want to see more examples of great results? Check out StyleBeautyLife.com.

Follow Dial NutriSkin on Facebook & Twitter for updates on new products and promotions!

{Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All photos, opinions, and results are 100% my own!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 2, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 1 Comment

New Campaign Supports Busy Moms & Healthy Families

Source: aubutfamily.com via Sunshine and on Pinterest

So true, right?

If you’ve read this site for very long, you know a few things about me – That since the day I found out that I was pregnant with Abby, I started on a journey to making my life cleaner & greener. That no matter how hard I tried, I was not able to lose the baby weight {or do I call it toddler weight now?} on my own – until I found the Nutrisystem plan. That a healthy lifestyle has become so much more important to me now that I’m the role model for another little person, who for whatever crazy reason, thinks that I’m the person to look up to. So, while I am FAR from perfect, I am proud of the fact that I am consistently making small changes that move me towards a better life. Like this quote says – No matter how slow I go, I’m doing better than all of those people who don’t even start. And to me, that’s what’s important – the journey!

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

If you’re like me, and doing your best to move towards a better, healthier, more exuberant way of living – You will probably be as excited as I am to hear about a really cool new campaign to help motivate families towards healthier lifestyles called Together Counts. I’ll let them tell you a little more about themselves –

“Together Counts is a nationwide program inspiring active and healthy living. The principle behind our program is Energy Balance, which means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we burn – {which is the smartest way you can live!} – It’s a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together more than 195 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations.”

What I really love about this campaign is the focus on moderation. We all know that our lifestyles have room for improvement. {Ok, so there’s probably a 1% of you out there drinking a celery smoothie while doing Yoga with your toddler and not relating. But this is for the rest of you, lol} We are also all super busy Super Moms who are doing out best to juggle those crazy demands of life/kids/spouse/work/home – and that causes us to sometimes feed out kids chicken nuggets or mac and cheese from a box. That doesn’t make us bad moms, and advice that causes us to feel that way usually just gets ignored – for good reason. But no, this campaign is all about finding realistic ways to make positive changes to balance your family’s life. You will LOVE the tips, ideas, and resources you’ll find!

If you’re ready to get your family movin’ together, and eatin’ healthy more often, then join the party online!

There are tons of super fun ways that you can get involved in this great campaign, and they can provide you with loads of resources, tips, support – and even fun prizes! – to help you and your family get on a path to better living!

Together Counts is holding a fun sweepstakes on their Facebook page to celebrate their first anniversary. Prizes include gift cards, George Foreman Grills and a membership to Anytime Fitness. Super cool stuff for summertime!
You can also follow Together Counts on Twitter for fun daily updates and tips, and find some AWESOME ideas on their Pinterest boards, like this super simple fruit palm tree that totally encourages kids in a fun way to try new foods!
Join Together Counts as they celebrate Child Nutrition Month at a Twitter party on 4/3 from 8-9 PM EST. Prizes include $50 same-as-cash gift cards. For more information and to RSVP, visit ResourcefulMommy.com.

Now that you have some awesome tools to help you, you’re ready to make this summer a season of fun, fitness, and fantastic fresh foods. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this too – What are the biggest obstacles to your family in being healthy? What are your biggest successes? Do you have tips to share? I love hearing from you guys!