Family

How to Be Prepared When Kids Get Sick – #SickJustGotReal

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

I think everyone had started back to school by now, right? I’m amazed at what a difference there is in school start dates across the country. But now at the end of September, we’re fully into fall, and here in the PNW the weather decided to start matching the calendar. Chilly mornings that call for hoodies and boots, early morning bus stops with backpacks full of books, and pumpkin spice everywhere you look.

But, the cooler weather brings more than just school days and lattes – it also brings coughs and colds and kiddos with a runny nose. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten through a winter without at least one cold – and now that I have a little one in elementary, the germs are everywhere. So, it’s pretty inevitable that someone in your home, somewhere, at some time this season, is going to come down with a cold, or at least cold-like symptoms of stuffy head, body aches, coughs, and more. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 22, 2017 Filed Under: Giveaways, Family | 32 Comments

Celebrating Motherhood and Your Baby’s First Moments

Thank you to JOHNSON’S Baby for partnering with me to share some awesome #favbabyfirsts with you guys in a compensated post. Hope you enjoy – and I hope you share your own too!

Ahhhhhh…. Motherhood. A burden and a blessing. Almost all good stuff though – right? Except for “those days,” … I know you know what I mean <3 There are so many “firsts” that are absolutely wonderous to behold – first words, first steps, seeing them grow into kiddos that discover new things. But there are also so many “firsts” that are exhausting – they learn to speak so they can back talk you, they walk so they can run away from you, they discover things they have no business messing with… It’s a huge process of love and frustration. But so totally worth it.

To celebrate these firsts, and the wonder and joy of being a mother, JOHNSON’S Baby has a campaign called #FavBabyFirsts – which is all about sharing your most special first memories of your little one. To kickstart it, they invited me, and a couple of other awesome mom bloggers – Crazy Adventures in Parenting, and That Chic Mom – to join a live Google+ Hangout with the absolutely lovely and down to earth Tammin Sursok from Pretty Little Liars. It was kind of surreal to chat with someone who’s a celeb like that, with my hair in a messy bun and totally not prepared, lol. But it was awesome that as we chatted, you can see that no matter who you are – all moms go through these SAME types of feelings when you have a baby. I’ve always found that so beautiful and amazing. Check it out:

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 19, 2014 Filed Under: Parenting, Family | 9 Comments

When it Comes to Girl Scouts – Together Counts!

Big thank you to Together Counts and the Girl Scouts of the USA for giving the compensated opportunity to share my thoughts about the new #HealthyHabits campaign!

I think that it’s super important for kids to be active. Not just physically active, but also active in their communities, active in their world. Which is why a new partnership between the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and the Girl Scouts makes perfect sense to me. And, as a former Girl Scout, I might be biased, but I do love the Girl Scouts. {I was a rockstar Girl Scout, and sold the most cookies in our county. Now, I eat the most Girl Scout cookies in our county. But that’s a separate blog post….} I love that it gives little girls a sense of belonging, a role model, in case they don’t have one at home, and a set of goals and adventures to embark on. {The experience stuck with me so much that about a year ago I bought You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls, which I can’t wait to finally get started on. I’ll be blogging it, don’t worry :)} And next year when Abby is old enough to start, I’ll be leading our own Daisy troop. I can’t wait! {They can become a Daisy Scout as early as Kindergarten.}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 9, 2014 Filed Under: Uncategorized, Family | No Comments

Five Ways to Get Free Disney Stuff

This post contains affiliate links….

I went to Disney World for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. I played the flute in the marching band, and every 3 years they went on a major trip. I lucked out that my first year in high school they had one, and I was able to march in the daily parade at Disney World, and play in a concert at Epcot Center. I’d never been on an airplane or even stayed at a hotel before that! Crazy, right? Then a few months ago, we were blessed to be invited to visit Disneyland as part of the Disney Social Media Moms event. It was my family’s first time there – and we only got the invite a few weeks before the event! We had little time to prepare for it – but it really didn’t matter, since everything they put together for us was SO over-the-top amazing. {If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you saw the BOATLOAD of amazing photos I shared while we were there!} It was seriously the most incredible experience I’ve ever had, and I cried seeing how happy Abby was being a part of it all <3 {Because I’m a sap. And I cry a lot. Have you seen me watch the movie Armageddon? Oh my….. }

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 6, 2014 Filed Under: Entertainment, Family, Featured Disney, Freebies | No Comments

DIY Pencil or Marker Holder

This post to share cool new ways to use Palmolive is sponsored by Lunchbox. All opinions are my own. As always :) #PalmoliveWM

I love being crafty. I love being frugal. I love when I can be frugally crafty. Which is why, ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a big fan of “junk crafting” – taking things you would normally just throw away, and creating something nifty with them. Which also explains why I can’t throw away a jar to save my life. I’m a jar-aholic. True story. But seriously… Think about our grandparents. My grandma lived by the saying, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” You didn’t just buy new pants every season – you patched up last seasons. Let out the hem to make them longer. Or hemmed them shorter to hand down to the next kid. You know? So, in that spirit, I have a fun little DIY project for ya today. Super simple, perfect for back to school, and will cost you almost nothing. Perfect, right? :)

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 28, 2014 Filed Under: Giveaways, Frugal Living, Crafty, Family | 1 Comment

Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Back to School Simple

Back to School Made Simple with Quick and Dirty Tips… This post is totally not compensated, I just thought the info was super awesome and helpful, and that you’d like it as much as I did :)

Free, curated collection of back-to-school tips for students, teachers, and parents – from Grammar Girl, Mighty Mommy and the experts at Quick and Dirty Tips!

Whether you’re an English teacher looking for grammar insight, a parent worried about your child’s kindergarten anxiety, or a student looking to stay organized this school year, Quick and Dirty Tips can help! [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 27, 2014 Filed Under: Family | No Comments

Kid’s Academy App Makes Learning Fun!

Kid’s Academy is all about helping children learn verbal, writing and math skills in an easy and fun manner. Which is why I’m such a big fan of theirs. I mean, I do love “unplugged play” – like with our Lilliputiens Sensory Toys. But, I’m also a huge lover of technology, and love the way cool apps and programs can get kids totally engaged in learning – especially on the go! Apps such as 123 Tracing and Bingo ABC have been top-50 educational apps in the App Store, and Kid’s Academy has also brought the well-known stories and nursery rhymes The Three Little Pigs and Five Little Monkeys to life with interactive apps. Keep reading to learn more about Kid’s Academy, and why it rocks….

The simple interfaces of the Kids Academy apps allow children to take the reins and play all on their own, but the sing-a-longs and other activities are perfect for parent or teacher engagement as well. Research has shown that singing along with nursery rhymes has cognitive and physical benefits for children. Not only are children learning new words and the context in which to use them, but strengthening tongue and mouth muscles at an early age will help with pronunciation skills. My nephew who is autistic learns SO much better when things are in a rhyme or song – and my little girl, Abby, who just turned 4, is totally engaged when things are set to music. So this is so perfect for us!
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