Busy Mom Solution

Busy Mom Solution: Stomp Out Stains!!

Introducing the new BISSELL Stomp ‘n Go!

Another amazing Busy Mom Solution product that I am super excited to share with you guys – the new BISSELL Stomp n’ Go is a totally different way of getting tough stains out of your carpets and rugs! Here’s how it works – pets or wild children make a messy stain on the carpet? Just quickly grab one of the individually wrapped Stomp ‘n Go pads, place it on the stain, then – this is my FAVORITE part! – stomp on it! Yep, show that stain who’s boss around your house – stomp on it, and it starts to get to work on that stain with it’s built in oxy-based cleaners!

A few fun facts:

Pads are portable and safe for use on all carpets including nylon, wool and stain resistant carpet.
Spots and stains are gone in about 30-minutes; tough stains may take up to 24 hours.
Permanently removes tough set-in stains like red wine, food stains, fruit juice, pet messes, mud/dirt and more!

BISSELL Stomp ‘N Go pads are currently available at Kmart, grocery stores and select Wal-Mart stores for $4.99. Each package contains five individually wrapped pads.

Why it’s a great busy mom solution:

I have a puppy with horrible manners, my mom lives with us with 4 more little dogs – plus a toddler and 2 wild nephews – so I have a TON of carpet stains! I’ve tried so many different combinations of products over the last 6 months, and have to shampoo the carpets every other week. So of course I was super-duper excited to try these out {is it weird that I get so excited about cleaning products? Like seriously excited? Do I need to get out more?}

My days are SO busy, and I have a hard time keeping up with all of the stains on the rugs. When I saw a new stain today, I decided to try out my new BISSELL Stomp ‘n Go – Love being able to grab it, unwrap and throw it on top of the stain, give it a stain-hatin’ stomp, and leave it to work it’s magic! No hands and knees, no scrubbing, no hassle. And it worked amazingly too! It was a pretty bad stain – the little one spilled juice in the living room – so I left the cleaning pad on for a few hours. Came out perfectly! Just make sure to use this at nap time, or keep the kiddo’s away from it until it’s done.

What do YOU think?

Have you used the new BISSELL Stomp ‘n Go yet? Do you struggle with carpet stains too? How excited are you to try this out if you haven’t yet? Share some comments!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of BISSELL and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 17, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Santas Coming! 10 Tips to Get Ready for the Holidays…

Let me just throw this out here…. I. Love. Christmas. Like, reeeaaallly love Christmas. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, the Christmas Tree goes up. We have a 25 foot wall in the garage, lined with shelves filled floor to ceiling with boxes of Christmas decorations. Yep, we’re that kind of family.

My Favorite Part of My Favorite Movie:

When this movie came out, everyone told me that Buddy the elf must be my twin brother, lol. And it’s true, I’m so much like this. And like Buddy says later – “Santa is coming!! There’s so much to do!!”

Top 10 Holiday Planning Tips:

1. Make lists! Get a notebook, and make a few master lists. Your first is Christmas Cards – make a list of everyone you want to send them to, and start getting addresses. So many of us wait until the last minute, and this becomes a stress-inducing chore instead of a fun way to keep in touch.

2. Now make a Christmas Shopping List too. Write down all of the people you’ll want to buy gifts for – from friends and family, to teachers and coworkers. Do they need holiday cards with their gifts too? Then add ’em to your first list!

3. Take Pictures! Getting professional pictures done is great, but if you can’t afford it – Don’t worry. Trust me, you can still get amazing photos on your own. Check out How to photograph holidays and special occasions and Tips for Capturing Great Family Photos for some great tips and advice on getting great pic’s for this years holiday cards. It’s all about capturing that special moment to share with friends and family!

4. Choose your cards! There are some amazing options for Festive Christmas Cards to be found online – and yes, you can wait until the last minute, and order them with express shipping to get them in time. But you can save a ton by preparing early, and ordering them sooner. Plus, getting them by early November gives you enough time to add a personal message to each one too – which is the best part!

5. Make a Holiday Baking List! There will be TONS of great sales coming up over the next couple of months, and you can match them up with coupons from sites like Coupons.com or RedPlum to save a TON of money. You’ll almost always find coupons for cake mixes, frosting, and cookie mixes. So make a list of everything you’ll need, and start stocking up when your local store has some great deals. Hate clipping coupons? Use my new favorite, SavingsStar, to load digital coupons right onto your store loyalty cards! {Check out my favorite cookie recipe – Peek-a-Boo Cookies!}

6. Start Shopping! Yes – I know it’s not even Halloween yet, lol. But starting early gives you a chance to find the best deals, and get gifts you know they’ll love – instead of overspending at the last minute just to get it finished up! Some tips – Sign up for email updates from sites like Totsy, Zulily or HomeSav to find some totally unique items at HUGE discounts! I watch these all year, and buy great stuff to hide away for birthdays and holidays – you can find kids toys at up to 70-90% off. Wow, right?

7. Yep – another list! List all of the events you want to attend, and set dates for all of your own holiday entertaining and parties. But – make sure not to overextend yourself! Leave some “family” time, at home too, for things like baking cookies and watching movies!

8. Give back to your community. There are so many people in need, and while they of course need your assistance all year long, it takes on extra importance during the holiday season. Imagine being a parent who doesn’t have the resources to get your child a holiday gift, a winter coat, or prepare a Christmas dinner. Heartbreaking. Find out how you can help by visiting sites like Toys for Tots and Coats for Kids. Or check out VolunteerMatch.org to get connected with other local groups who need your help!

9. Another list! Are you a crafty type? If you plan on making gifts for the holidays, you definitely need to get started now – so figure out what you’d like to make, and make a supply list. Make sure to pick up some fun stuff that the kids can make too – they LOVE giving handmade gifts! For some fun ideas check out Handmade Christmas Gifts and 100 Christmas Gifts to Make. And get some great coupons to save at Michaels Crafts.

10. Finally – relax! The holidays are a time for family, celebration, and appreciating what you have. Don’t get too caught up in the frenzy of more, more, more – {unless you’re talking about glitter or tinsel!} – start planning now, use these tips to save bunches of cash, and enjoy the season!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 17, 2011 Filed Under: Holidays, Busy Mom Solution | 4 Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Skype is the easiest way to video chat

Do some of your closest friends live far, far away?

Do some of your closest friends live far, far away? You probably connect through email or status updates, but wouldn’t it be better to connect face-to-face? For that video chatting is the way to go, but if you’re not on the same email provider it’s not going to work. A simple solution? Skype.

What’s the best thing about Skype? It’s FREE!

Skype has a free basic service that allows you and any other “Skyper” to chat and instant message no matter where in the world you both live. For a small charge you can even group chat, call mobile and land lines, and if you download the free cell phone app, you can call anywhere in the world for a fraction of traditional costs.

Check out this week’s Twirl and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to shooting an episode when we’re missing a key ingredient…or are we?

What do you think?

I think I’m ready to sign up for Skype – finally! I’ve had quite a few people ask me if I’m on Skype lately – from my web designer, to affiliate managers; from my cousin in Seattle to blogging partners across the country – Now I can finally say YES, and chat with them easily using Skype.

So much easier than I expected!

Setting up Skype sounded like it was the kind of thing that would be a big confusing headache, so I’ve just been putting it off. But after watching this twirl, I realized I’m craaaaazy for not having done this sooner. It’s easy peasy as can be!

Do you use Skype?

What’s your favorite thing about Skype? Or, if you’re NOT using it already, does this video give YOU the confidence to get started too?

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.