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Busy Mom Solution: Toddler-Friendly Cleaning Products!

Green Works Products

The Problem –

We all want a clean house, right? For the last few months we’ve battled grass stains, mud from the yard tracked into the house, and other summertime messes. Now, with the return of school, and the changing of the weather, we face a whole new set of challenges!

You can no longer get away with dressing the kids in the same shirt 3 days in a row, {hey, in the summer they wear what they want! Don’t judge… :)} -plus, they bring home LOTS of germs from school each day. And if you’re like me, and have little ones in your home, you know that it’s important to use safe cleaning products to take care of all of that mess!

Green Works LogoThe Solution –

Clorox Green Works new line of cleaning products! The amazing team over at Mom Bloggers Club sent me a big package of these new cleaners, so I could test them out, and see if they could keep up with my super-challenging housekeeping routine. We got to try the Compostable Cleaning Wipes, the All Purpose Cleaning Spray, the original scented Laundry Detergent, and a great Bathroom Cleaner. Can I say- LOVE??

Becoming Greener, one step at a time….

Most of you know that I’ve been slowly but surely making small changes towards a cleaner, greener, more frugal lifestyle. It started when I found out that I was expecting – I wanted to be super careful about what I was eating, drinking, and breathing, since it was all getting passed down to this teeny, tiny, little baby. I told you about using products from The Ultimate Green Store to set up a new space for my baby girl. {FYI, enter to WIN a gift certificate from them here.} And now that she’s a toddler, it’s super important to me that I use safe cleaners – if I wouldn’t want her drinking scary chemicals, why would I want to clean the floors that she plays on with them?

Tough on Dirt, Gentle around kids!

Green Works Cleaners still need to be kept out of reach of kids, of course. But they are made from 95% natural ingredients like coconut-based cleaners, citric acid, essential oils, and other plant-based cleaning agents – meaning you don’t have those super scary toxic warning labels on the package, like you see on most cleaners. And they don’t give off those awful fumes, or have harsh residue. But they still pack a lot of cleaning power!

What Other Moms Think….

My little Abby is JUST like the cutie in this video – EVERYTHING she finds makes it’s way into her mouth! And now that she’s a toddler, and fully mobile, she is a busy girl. She has ridiculous daily ideas to do things like:

  • Lick the refrigerator door, just for fun.
  • Attempt to eat her blocks, rattles, and toy dinosaurs.
  • Dump Cheerios on the floor and eat them while mommy’s not looking.

You know, fun toddler stuff. So it’s super important to me to keep things clean, and ensure that I don’t leave icky chemicals behind when I clean up. The Clorox Cleaning Wipes are perfect for wiping down the high-chair, car seat, toys – and everything else she gets sticky, crummy, or dirty during the day.

What do YOU think?

Do you give much thought to the cleaning products that you use in your home? Is using green products a priority for you? If you’re ready to try some of these new Green Works products in your house – sign up for the Green Works Newsletter for some instant savings coupons, and make sure to follow them on Facebook too, to stay updated on cool promotions!

{Disclaimer: As mentioned in the post, I did receive a complimentary set of these products, so that I could try them out, and give an honest opinion of them. When I say I love ’em, I mean it!}

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Don’t be the only one missing out on this….

MySurvey Free Product TestDo survey sites really work?… There are a few reasons why I LOVE survey sites. I am on an incredibly tight budget – and the free gift cards, cash, and rewards that I earn from filling out quick surveys make a BIG difference in our life. These rewards help me do pretty much all of my Christmas shopping, which is amazing.

I also love the chance to do in-home product testing! So cool. Most of these sites will send you out FREE Full Size products, and you try them out with your family, then give your opinions. Then, they PAY you for sharing your thoughts about the FREE stuff they sent you. How can you not love that?

Don’t Miss Out!

Don’t be the only one missing out on all of this good stuff! As you can see from the pic’s here, these companies really are legit, and you really do get free stuff. Every site listed on this page is one that I use myself, and have gotten rewards from.

You can see that my recent tests have included a new natural teething gel for baby, Bounty Paper Towels, Cover Girl Mascara, Brand Name Dog Foods, and Salad Dressing. I’ve also done several diaper tests in the past month. I’m super excited for the new line of Pantene products that are coming soon too….. And I DO NOT want you guys to miss out on stuff like this!

Tips Coming Soon….

I’ll be sharing a post in a few days about how to get the most out of these types of sites when you don’t have a lot of time – so stay tuned for my best tips.

Until Then…

Check out this huge list of my trusted survey sites, and sign up for as many as you can. The more you sign up with, the more chances you’ll get for free stuff. You only do the surveys you have time for- just delete ’em if you’re busy! All of these sites are ones that I have used, earned at least one reward from, and that I can recommend confidently to you. There are a few of them that are referral links, and I earn a few cents when you’re join me – you’ll get links like that to share with your friends too, once you sign up. It’s not big bucks, but it does add to your earnings when you share your favorites with others, and help them learn how to use them too!

Free Products:

  • MySurvey – Take Surveys, Get FREE Products to try out, and Earn amazing Rewards!! {See the Cover Girl Mascara I got in the pic? Super cool.}
  • Synovate Opinion Panel – This is my VERY favorite! If the link doesn’t work – then they’re not currently taking apps. This can be tough to get into, but SO worth it!
  • Shoppers Voice – Join and you will automatically be eligible to receive exclusive money-saving coupons, free product samples, and other special offers by mail and email. Plus, you’ll also be instantly entered into the Grand Prize draw for $10,000 cash!
  • Global Test Market Panel – Test free products in your home and earn rewards. After you get to see new products and ideas before anyone else, it’s easy to understand why businesses don’t want their new ideas to leak out!
  • Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel – Must be over 18. Earn points that you can redeem towards seriously amazing stuff: I used to do this, and redeemed points for kitchen appliances and other cool home stuff. Been trying to get approved again forever!
  • Toluna – I just got the baby teething gel from Toluna, to test out at home. Plus, last week I got to do an interactive survey session, and earned $50 for it!!
  • Survey Spot – Frequent opportunities, average of 24 surveys a month. You’ll earn sweepstakes entries for each survey, to win $12,000! I get TONS of baby products to test from them!

Earn Gift Cards!

  • Valued Opinions – Every survey earns you points, and you turn those into FREE gift cards!
  • MyPoints – Earn with surveys, shopping, and SO much more. Then turn those points into FREE gift cards, hundreds to choose from! {One of my favorite sites!}
  • Consumer Advisory Panel – Earn gift cards for sharing your opinions, and enter to WIN $50 gift cards for completing surveys too!
  • SwagBucks – the easiest way to earn free stuff on the web! Redeem for my favorite, Amazon gift cards, or even PayPal cash!
  • Ipsos I-Say Young Adults Survey – Only for young adults, which means ages 18-30. That means I am now an “old” adult, since I’m over 30. No fair.

Earn CASH rewards!

  • Vindale Research – Earn from $5 to $75 per survey!
  • Inbox Dollars – Earn $5 bucks cash today, and request a check every time you hit $20. Plus, earn .10 cents per coupon you print and redeem. Sweet!
  • DollarSurveys – Take free surveys and earn a dollar for each survey you complete! Visit everyday for more surveys, and you can cash out via PayPal every Friday!
  • Opinion Outpost – Join the survey research panel and start taking surveys to earn cash!

Sign up today!

It is SO easy to earn a really huge amount of cash, gift cards, and free products – all just by sharing YOUR opinions on products you use every day. Companies are all competing for the attention of busy moms, and want to learn what they can do to get it, so your opinions are VERY valuable to them! There is no “catch”, it’s easy to do, and you will love the rewards.

Questions?

You can check out the FAQ section on any of these sites for more info, or feel free to ask me some questions in the comments! I’ve been using these sites for years, and should be able to answer almost any question you have!! And make sure to use the social buttons to share these great opportunities with your friends on Facebook and Twitter too! They’ll love you for it :)

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Frugal Tips: Slay the energy vampires in your home!

Digitwirl NEW Episode

This is the problem-

Oh sure, your electric toothbrush, toaster and TV look innocent enough, but do you realize they’re robbing you blind? It’s true! In fact all your electronics are pulling power even when they’re not on. Which means you’re paying for a lot of electricity unnecessarily.

Don’t worry! I’ve Got Your Solution-

We found the perfect solutions. First the Belkin Conserve Socket which shuts off the electricity when you’re done toasting your toast, brewing your coffee or charging your phone. Second, the Belkin Conserve Smart AV, a power strip so smart it stops your TV, stereo and gaming system from drawing energy when you’re not using them, but keeps your DVR and cable box on so you won’t miss any of your favorite shows. Whatwill those Kardashians do this week?

Watch this week’s Twirl and watch Carley destroy all the energy sucking vampires around her house, no wooden stake required….

Good For Your Wallet, Good for The Earth!

What great ideas, right? I have been on a mission to cut back all of our expenses this past year – since, as a blogger, I’m not exactly rich yet. I annoy the family on a daily basis, reminding them to turn off the lights when they leave a room, turn off the TV, etc, close the windows when I have the heat running – what’s wrong with you guys!! Whoops, slipped into mommy-mode there for a minute… :)

I am totally in love with these new little gadgets, and am excited to see what kind of difference they’ll start making in my monthly energy bill. And – if you’re using SwagBucks, and earning free Amazon Gift Certificates like I am, you can get these FREE! Check ’em out on Amazon:

And if you’re still unsure, read the reviews on Amazon — one happy customer called the controls on the outlet “idiot-proof”, which is pretty important for me when buying tech stuff, lol.

What do you think? Are you lovin’ this idea 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.

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New Advertising Options for Women’s Small Business Month

Women's Small Business MonthOctober is Women’s Small Business Month!

According to Mompact.com, “Moms are not only responsible for over 80% of consumer spending, but they are also starting new businesses at a faster rate than any other group.” With all of that spending we’re doing, we have the opportunity to have a HUGE impact on other women trying to support their families, just by using our dollars to buy products from women-owned business’s!

When I learned that October is Women’s Small Business Month, I wanted to put together a great opportunity to help other small business owners be more successful!

Advertising Options for Every Budget and Business – Coming Soon

I will be rolling out a whole new page later this week, filled with new advertising options, marketing help, and promotion opportunities. I’m very excited to start offering these services – and I really hope to be able to help out some great mom-owned shops, blogs, and business’s. If you have suggestions of something you would like me to include in my new offerings, I’d love to hear your thoughts – email Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com with your ideas.

By the end of the week, I will have all of the packages listed in one place – but I’ll be sharing some of the new services each day as I put it all together.

Trusted Direct Sales Directory

I am so excited to be creating this new resource! SO many of my readers ask me about work-from-home opportunities- Which companies do I recommend? How do they learn more? Who can help them get signed up and started earning an income? How do they find a reliable rep to order from? When I myself was looking for a new direct sales company to join, I wanted ONE place where I could compare different options, but couldn’t find it. So I decided to build one myself!

If YOU are a direct sales rep, I would love to partner with you for my new Trusted Direct Sales Directory. I can only accept ONE representative per company, and you must have at least 6 months of experience with your company. I want to ensure that the resources in this directory are all women who will be reliable and provide a helpful service to my readers. {If you have less than 6 months experience, but are serious about your business, email me and we’ll chat!}

To join the directory there will be a start up fee of $40 to join, and $25 per month to continue in the directory. Once your spot is locked in, you will be the ONLY representative from your company in the directory, and will have the ability to continue as long as you find it valuable – there are no strings or commitment!

Benefits of Joining the Trusted Direct Sales Directory:

  • You will be provided a space on the directory with a graphic ad and 100 word description of your business, including links to your website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • This directory will be highly promoted across all of my networks of moms, bloggers, and business owners – as well as to all of the local groups that I belong to, to drive maximum traffic to your business.
  • You will receive one dedicated post when you join, to introduce you to my readers, and share your business with them. You will also receive one dedicated post for every additional month you continue on the directory. The content of the monthly post is up to you – you can share information about how to get started as a rep, or a great sale or event that you are excited to promote. You can see an example of the first Direct Sales Member to be introduced – Support Women in Business: Welcome Lucinda from Scentsy to the Directory! As a member of Triberr, my blog posts are retweeted each day by my network of women bloggers, ensuring a dramatically larger audience see’s your business!
  • You will receive two “Shout Out’s” per month – one on Facebook, another on Twitter, to promote your social media sites and drive new fans your way.
  • I will also, as time permits, be doing interviews with my Direct Sales Directory members, to share how they got started in the business, why it’s a great opportunity for others, what makes their products special, and just allowing them a place to tell their story and promote themselves!
  • All Directory Members will get discounts off of additional marketing and advertising options from Sunshine and Sippy Cups.
  • Each directory member will be able to run one product giveaway each month – value of $25 or more – free of charge, for additional traffic, if they choose to. You do NOT have to send me product to review – You choose the prize and entry methods, I’ll set it up and host it with Rafflecopter, then send you the winner info to ship! Just another way to draw attention to your business!

Ready to be the FIRST to join?

If you are interested in joining my new Trusted Direct Sales Directory, please email me at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com.

Requirements:

  • Have 6+ months of experience in direct sales. {This is negotiable, email me for more info.}
  • You must be SERIOUS about your business. This directory is a service for my readers – whether they’re looking for someone reliable to purchase products from, or a great leader to get them stared with a new company, it is very important that you be able to offer professional service.
  • Only one representative per company – If I already have a rep from your company, I can place you on a waiting list. Email me for info.
  • Payment must be made via PayPal before your Listing will be added to the Directory, and must be made each month by the 5th to continue on the Directory.

Why Advertise on The Trusted Direct Sales Directory?

You could pay for ad space in someone else’s side bar – but let me tell you from experience, side bar ads get very few clicks per month. By spending your marketing dollars to instead place a Listing in my directory, you will ensure that you are reaching an audience that is actively looking for your information – whether as a consumer, or as a potential new sign up!

This directory will also be promoted as a “Support Women in Business Holiday Shopping Guide!!” My own company, Discovery Toys, will be listed, so I have a personal motivation to make this a success!

Sunshine and Sippy Cups Stats:

  • Page Views: Consistently over 12,000 per month, increasing each week.
  • Facebook: Over 5,000 fans on my Facebook fan page, growing at a rate of 20-50 per day.
  • Twitter: Over 4,000 Twitter followers, and as a member of Triberr, my reach is 325,405! Over 50 other amazing women blogger retweet out my posts each and every day – helping you to reach a vastly wider and more diverse audience.
  • Klout: Current Klout score of 68 – Most influential in Moms, Blogging, and Social Media. Klout classifies Sunshine and Sippy Cups as a Pundit: “You don’t just share news, you create the news. As a pundit, your opinions are wide-spread and highly trusted. You’re regularly recognized as a leader in your industry. When you speak, people listen.”

To secure your spot in The Trusted Direct Sales Directory, please email me, Meagan, at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com today.

I look forward to hearing from you, and working together to promote your business, and boost your earnings to the next level!

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BIG News from a Favorite Baby Site!

Planning Family- A New Mom Resource!

If you’re a momma-to-be, a new mom, or even like me – the busy mommy to a little toddler! – you can benefit from the wonderful content over at Planning Family!

Tons of free baby stuff from the brands you know and trust. Click Here to join!

Freebies and Coupons, but also so much more…

I started using Planning Family for the baby samples, to stock up before my little girl even arrived. And oh boy did those come in handy! When you realize at 2am that you’ve run out of formula, and don’t have another canister – it’s a lifesaver to be able to grab some from your sample stash. Plus, all of the samples we stocked up on were great for filling the diaper bags with trial size products too.

Free Baby Stuff from Planning Family

After the baby came, I started using Planning Family to find diaper coupons. Then I realized how much more there was to the site – I could find answers to most of my baby questions, fun information on Abby’s development, feeding and sleeping advice, and more. It really is a great resource!

Big Announcements Coming!

I got an email from Planning Family today, and is says, “Something big is coming…” It doesn’t give much detail of what is going to happen, but it does mention that “they will soon launch some wonderful new features that will make using PlanningFamily.com quicker and easier than it has ever been!” Making one of my favorite sites even better? Love it.

So, if you’re already a member, stay tuned for the big excitement. If you’re not a member yet, join me there today! If you’re not a mom – you can sign up anyway, and pass those freebies onto your friends, or just share this post to your Facebook and Twitter, so they can join too!

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Busy Mom Solution – Keep your home fresh!

Febreze Set & Refresh

Check out the New Febreze Set & Refresh!

I love a clean house. I’m a little bit {ok, maybe a LOT} OCD about organization. I organize the books and dvd’s by color. All canned goods must be in rows by category, all labels facing forward. I could go on, but I’ll stop before you think I have too much time on my hands…

Point is, it’s super important to me to have a clean, organized home. BUT- with 4 adults, 2 kids, a toddler, and 5 dogs- this can be a challenge. No, challenge is too light of a word. It’s near impossible for me to keep my house clean and tidy! But, it doesn’t stop me from trying.

Love this new Set & Refresh!

Since it’s so tough keeping things clean and fresh around here, I’m always looking for new products and gadgets to make it a little easier. When I got this little Febreze freshener, I honestly didn’t think I would be much impressed. I thought it seemed to small to really do much.

Big Surprise

This seldom happens, but…. I was wrong. Wow, right? I know, I was shocked too.

I put this Febreze Set & Refresh in the kitchen, on a little ledge we have in there. With all of the cooking, the constantly overflowing trash can, and the dogs running in and out from the patio- this room can always use a lot of help staying fresh!

When I walked into the kitchen later that afternoon, I was super shocked that it smelled like fresh laundry. The laundry room is near by– but I wasn’t even DOING laundry. Then I realized- the Febreze Set & Refresh had a “Linen & Sky” refill in it. Ohmyheck- it really worked!

Learn what makes it so cool-

There are a ton of home fragrance products out there, and there are tons of them that I really love. One of my favorites is the Febreze Air Effects, in Sunflower & Sunshine- it really does smell like Sunshine, if you can imagine it :) And this little gadget really is new and different- it’s super cool that it doesn’t have to be plugged in- you can set it anywhere. And it isn’t ugly like those cones, it’s totally unnoticeable. Love it.

You can get the Febreze Set & Refresh for about $2.99 at most major retailers. There is a great refill called Apple Spice & Delight that I’m pretty excited to try next – perfect for fall holidays! This is totally a Sunshine approved product – and a great solution for busy moms!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Febreze and received a Set & Refresh unit plus refills to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

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Busy Mom Solution: It’s like having your whole filing cabinet in your pocket!

It’s like having your whole filing cabinet in your back pocket!

“Help for busy moms.” Oh, isn’t that a phrase that you’d like to hear more often? Well, AboutOne is a super cool new service that can seriously make your life easier. Read on to learn how to get organized with some help from AboutOne…

How it works:

You sign up here: Join AboutOne -for a FREE subscription. Then you enter in as much information as you want; things like health records, address book, family memories, education history or vehicle records… And more. Then, AboutOne stores all of that important info in ONE safe place, so when you need to find it, you don’t have to waste time digging through folders or boxes, trying to remember where it is! It’s a digital filing system, and more!

Easy, peasy.

When you sign up with AboutOne, you can also choose to just enter info as it happens. You can upload pics and videos from your cell phone, set alerts or reminders of events coming up, scan receipts, kids artwork, or other records directly into your account.

It’s like having your whole filing cabinet in your back pocket!

They store your info with bank-level security, and you can access it from anywhere! If you have a smart phone, that means that you would be able to get any of your family info you need, anytime, from anywhere. So great, right?

There are other “fun” features to this site too!

It can “auto-magically” create great stuff like:

  • Multimedia family newsletters, digital scrapbooks, and hard copy memory books.
  • Paper greeting cards and invitations that mail themselves.
  • Education summaries for college applications.
  • Health summaries and babysitter instructions.
  • Home improvement reports for tax reporting.
  • Plus, with AboutOne’s patent-pending service, you’ll have all the information you need, right at your fingertips, to make informed decisions and respond quickly to an emergency.

Get a Great Start this School Year!

Kids bring home SO many calendars, forms, menu’s, lists, and more… It can be really tough for even the most organized mom to keep track of it all! Watch this video to learn how AboutOne can help you stay on top of it all this year…

How great does this all sound?

I just signed up for my own free account, and honestly, have been having SO much fun trying it out. I’m actually a really organized person, but I still like the idea of having all of this info in one easy to locate spot, and the tools available on it are really cool, and super simple to use. I love that this shows me how to declutter all of my piles of paperwork… that is my biggest are of clutter in the house!

What do you think? 

What are YOUR biggest challenges to staying organized? Do you think AboutOne could help you stay on top of things? How great would it be to NEVER have to search through piles or paper or filing cabinets again? If you love it, share it with a friend using my easy peasy share buttons up top, or under this post :)

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