Fun Stuff — Page 24

Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop!

Join in the fun in the Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop!

If you want to be a part of Welcome Wednesday, just follow these 5 simple steps:

1. Follow the Welcome Wednesday Host (Take It From Me) as well as the 2 Spotlighted Blogs of the Week. (These will make up the top three slots on the Linky).
2. Link up your blog name and URL with our Linky. (You only need to add your info once for it to be seen on all the blog hops)
3. Grab our Welcome Wednesday button and include it in a post about the event on your blog.
4. Go to as many blogs on the MckLinky as you want and Follow them. Be sure to tell them that you are visiting from Welcome Wednesday!
5. Be sure to Follow Back any new friends you make from our Welcome Wednesday event!

If you link up, please leave me a comment here, so I can go and say hello on your page too!

And if you’re a social media junkie like me, you can also check out Sunshine and Sippy Cups on Facebook or Twitter. I love new faces!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 11, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t be afraid of looking silly, of not doing it “right”, of failing. Remember that feeling you had when you were a kid? When EVERYTHING was possible? When putting on an old football helmet, and giving your little brother a 5-sizes-too-big racing helmet, and fighting each other with empty wrapping paper rolls was a good idea, and the most fun you’ve had all day?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain, American writer

Do it. Whatever you’ve been wanting to try. If your child told you that they didn’t want to try something because they were scared they couldn’t do it, you’d tell them something like this, right?:

“You won’t know what you can do until you try!”
“Even if you don’t do well, I bet it will be fun to try it out!”
“Give it a shot sweetie, you can do anything you put your mind to!”

So tell yourself that. Tell yourself that right now. Out loud. Loud enough that the guy in the office next to you thinks you’re weird. Because it’s true.

What dreams/ideas/goals do you guys have that you’ve been just waiting to get started? And what has kept you from going for it?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 11, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Your Daily Bit of Sunshine…

Todays Daily Bit of Sunshine Quote:

“I am because you are.”
-African Proverb

This is definitely a quote that must have been first spoken by a mother. It goes both ways… She only exists because of me, because I was able to carry her and allow her to grow for those long 9 months. But really, I now am who I am because of her.

Having a baby, when I never thought that I would, changed everything about me. I love life so much more, and am so happy every day, all because of her. So, it is true. I am, because she is.

How has motherhood changed your life?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 10, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

3 Ways to Get in Shape on a Budget

I got these tips today from LearnVest, a daily newsletter filled with fun and frugal tips. It’s one of my favorites…

My New Goal Inspired by these Tips!

These are three {super easy} ways to get yourself in shape without wasting time or money. I’ve been working on getting our days on more of a schedule lately…. I’m a new stay at home mom, and also take care of my two nephews. Plus, we’re all living in this big new house, with lots of projects that need to be done. PLUS, I decided to take on a new project for myself and started this blog a couple months ago. PLUS, I’m an online student too! Woah. So not a lot of time to get everything done!

And, I’ve been wanting to lose that last big of baby weight, since our new home here has a really great in-ground pool. So, my new goal that I made today after reading these tips, is to combine my housework with my workout, and do it all in one hour each day!

That means, for one hour, I will clean this house so dang fast… Like, Batman fast. Just vacuuming the whole place once a day is a workout in itself! Plus, I’ll get the kids to help… We ‘ll put the music on loud, and wash windows, put away toys, dust, swiffer, and take out trash. Good times, right?

I really feel like doing this is going to be a great sanity-saver too. I won’t be always worrying about cleaning the house, because I know I’ll get it mostly done (and “good enough” is how we do it around here!) each day during that one hour. After that, I’ll stop worrying about it :)

So read on for the tips from LearnVest and see if they can help you make a new goal too!

Spring-Clean Year Round.

No reason to pay for a cleaning service when mopping and vacuuming could work off that extra serving of pasta from dinner. Turn up the volume on your iPod to get some pump-up favorites going as you choose a project to tackle, like reorganizing the junk closet or scrubbing down the bathroom. Take a few trips to the trash and recycling bins to maximize your movement, and remember that running up and down the stairs is actually a good thing.

Go Outside.

If you’re an avid gardener, you already know about the hard work involved in outdoor upkeep. Otherwise, try planting and maintaining a garden (think trundling around with flower pots and squatting to pluck weeds), which gives you the added benefits of fresh flowers or fresh food. Experts have already proved that spending time outside your four walls can improve your mood, lower stress, and boost energy. If you do have outdoor acreage to maintain try mowing, raking, shoveling, trimming, and pruning it yourself.

Do Just A Little Extra.

Instead of starting to do something you hate (your laundry), try adding exercise potential to things you already do. If you like being in the kitchen anyway, knead and roll your own dough instead of getting the pre-made quick fix. For the busy woman always fielding phone calls, walk or lunge as you talk instead of taking it easy. Make the bed instead of leaving it sloppy. And if you do love laundry, dance around as you hang up your fresh items.

Great stuff, right?

If you love this tip, and want to get more like it {you do, trust me!} sign up really quick for their daily newsletters right here: LearnVest Sign Up.

And if one of these tips helped YOU make a new goal today, share it in the comments to inspire everyone!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 6, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

{Funny} Mothers Day Poem

I have to give credit to Living On A Dime for this cute Mothers Day Poem that I think most of us can relate to…. I read it in her email update this morning, and just had to share it with you guys!

Mother’s Day Cake Recipe

Light oven, get utensils, and measure two cups of flour.

Remove Johnny’s hands from flour, wash flour off him.

Remeasure flour. Put flour, baking powder and salt in sifter.

Get dustpan and brush up pieces of bowl Johnny knocked on the floor.

Answer doorbell. Return to kitchen.

Remove Johnny’s hands from bowl. Wash Johnny.

Answer phone. Return and remove 1/4 cup salt from greased pan.

Look for Johnny. Grease another pan.

Answer telephone. Return to kitchen and find Johnny.

Remove one hammer from bowl.

Take up greased pan and find layer of nutshells in it.

Head for Johnny who flees, knocking bowl off table.

Wash kitchen floor, tables, walls, and dishes.

Call Baker. Lie down.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 5, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Your Daily Bit of Sunshine…

New feature…

I love quotes. A lot. All of my scrapbooks and albums feature tons of quotes. I have an email folder filled with my favorites. I love to share favorites by adding them to cards at holidays. I love how such a little string of words can sometimes be just the right thing that you’ve been needing to hear.

So every day I’ll be sharing a new quote with you guys. Something motivating and happy to brighten your day. You know, a Daily Bit of Sunshine.

Todays Daily Bit of Sunshine:

“When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the Eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud.”

–Author Unknown.

I love this. I love the picture that it brings to my mind… Everyone else huddled away hiding from the rain… But not that eagle, strong enough to rise up above those clouds.

This reminds me not to let myself get knocked down or caught up in the daily stress of life. To remember to stay above the negative, and out of the rain.

My brother has a friend who just this weekend lost everything that he owned. He came home late to find the fire department at his house, but that they had not been able to save it, and it had burned to the ground. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible it would be to lose it all.

But he is thankful for what he does have… His dog got out out safe, and is ok. He is ok. He has a really great group of friends that are pitching in to help him out. He realized that maybe he didn’t need as much stuff as he had. He is taking it day by day. Making a list each morning of what he needs to get that day… Dog food, socks, shirts. And little by little, he’ll put things back together.

I think that it is so important to remember that everything is temporary. A wonderful moment will pass, so enjoy it while it lasts. And those bad moments will pass too, so just do your best until things clear up again.

Yes, I’m a little bit like a wise old Yoda or something this morning. I know. And staying positive is easier said than done. But life is too short to let problems get you down, no matter how big or small they are. You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can ALWAYS change your attitude towards them.

Choose to be happy. Smile. Tell someone you love and appreciate them. Have a wonderful day today…. :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

New From Digitwirl: Using the Cardstar App!

Get your loyalty cards out of your wallet and into your Smartphone!

From the pet store to the bookstore everyone seems to have loyalty cards these days. They’re great. They get you discounts and exclusive deals, which may be why your wallet is jammed full of them. Or, you may be the type who hates carrying them all around with you, but inevitably the one you need is stashed in a drawer at home.

Cardstar (www.cardstar.com) is a simple, yet brilliant, app that puts all your loyalty cards in the palm of your hand (assuming that hand is holding your smartphone).

Download it for free to your iPhone, Blackberry or Android and then using your phone’s camera just scan the bar codes on the back of your cards. Boom! Cardstar reads the barcode and stores them where they can be scanned at the checkout counter just like you would your plastic card. Cardstar will also show you which of your stores is offering special deals and help you score coupons to save you even more money. No wonder the loyalty card program we’re most loyal to is Cardstar.

Check out this week’s Twirl and see how easy it is to ditch the plastic and hold on to more paper–you know, the kind with dead presidents on it….

Ok, I admit it… I’m a bit old school, and I don’t even have a smart phone just yet. I’ve been thinking about upgrading to an iPhone, because my brother has one, loves it, and is always showing me all of the cool app’s that he has on it.

After watching this new video, I’m pretty much convinced that it’s time to upgrade! I LOVE this app idea!

I do all of the shopping for our household. So obviously, I’m always looking for new ways to save and earn rewards. That means that just like in the video, I have a TON of those little loyalty cards in my wallet!

I looked this morning, and this is what I’m carrying around:

Safeway Club Card
Albertsons Preferred Savings Card
Shopko My Extra Savings Card
Rite-Aid Wellness Plus Card
Kmart Shop Your Way Rewards
Sears Shop Your Way Rewards
Buckle Loyalty Card
Toys R Us Rewards R Us Card

And more!! That takes up so much space in my wallet, and it is always so hard to find the one that I want when I need it. Ugh. I hate being “that lady” in the checkout line… You know, the one everyone is waiting on while I fumble through my purse trying to find my card. Yikes. This app would solve that problem.

I also love that they not only make it super easy to store and access all of your reward cards quickly, but they also help you find deals and coupons when you get to the store to shop. Super cool, right?

I’m a bit technically challenged (which is funny right, since I’m a blogger?) which is why I LOVE Digitwirl, and the way that they find stuff that is relevant to me and make it super easy to understand.

What do you guys think?? Share some thoughts in the comments!

Have you ever used this app before?
Are you excited to check it out?
What other app’s make your life easier? Share them with us!
Have you heard of Digitwirl yet? If any of you are already fans, share some other fun tips that you’ve learned from them!

I hope that you guys loved the video as much as I did, and that this app helps you out! And stay tuned for next weeks video from Digitwirl, so you can learn another great tip :)

Want to check out more from Digitwirl right now? Read more:

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.