Reviews — Page 14

Fun Printable Luau Party Games!

Who loves printables?

I sure as heck do! I found a {SUPER FUN} new site for the rest of you printable-lovers to check out… Python Printable Games has TONS of great party games for tons of occasions!

Luau Party Games

I was lucky enough to get a chance to check out the Luau Party Games Pack, and I’m LOVIN’ it! Many of you know that I am planning a H-U-G-E First Birthday Party Luau for my little girl next month, so this will be a PERFECT addition to my party goodies!

This set includes super cute games like Pin the Parrot on the Pirate {which I’ll use at our Pirate Party Birthday too!}, Printable Luau Paper Dolls {I’ll even use some of these in the decorations!}, a bunch of fun trivia games {I’ll give out prizes for each winner!}, a cool gift exchange game, Luau-themed Mad-Libs, and more!

Why use Python Printable Party Games?

Value: When you buy a party pack, you get to print unlimited copies of all of the games, invites, and materials. That means whether you’re entertaining for 4 or 40, you’ll have enough!
Simple: Their instant download system means there’s NO shipping cost or wait time, you get your games right away!
It’s the “green” way to party: No shipping or packaging required, no fuel used, you print as much as you need and no more.

Get the FREE ebook and more!

Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll get thier ezine update once a month, with new party packs and ideas, FREE games, and coupons!!

Printable Games For All Occasions! | Python-Printable-Games.com

{Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 18, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized, Shopping, Fun Stuff, Reviews | No Comments

It Works!… Does It Work?

The Ultimate Body Wrap!

The super amazing Heather, an independent distributor with It Works! sent me over an Ultimate Body Wrap to test out, so that I could share the results with you! And you just KNOW I was excited… This momma loves anything that promises to shrink this post-baby-tummy.

I just started the weight loss and lifestyle Bootcamp over at Lean Green Mama last week, so I thought that this was a great time to also try out this Ultimate Body Wrap, to help give me a little boost!

What does the Ultimate Body Wrap Do:

Firms, tightens and tones problem areas of your choice.
Minimizes the appearance of cellulite and skin slackening.
Restores youthful-looking body contours.
Leaves skin supple, soft and satin smooth.

Sounds pretty great, right?

I applied it last night, and it was super easy to do. You unfold the wrap from the package… And it’ll be a little messy, with the lotion on the package. But the good type of messy, since that lotion feels uh-MAY-zing.

{Make sure to take your measurements before applying, so you can really verify the results. Measure in 3 places: above hips, around your middle, and upper abdomen.}

Now, apply the wrap around your middle, smoothing out any bubbles, so it lays nice and flat against your skin. Feels great, I tell ya. Like, a really refreshing, spa type of feeling. Ahhhhh…..

Then, all you need to do is put on something really snug, I used a super tight spandex-y tank, to keep it from moving around. Or you can wrap yourself with plastic wrap, {sounds silly, but works!} literally wrapping it around yourself 3 or 4 times, to make sure it stays in place and doesn’t get on your clothes. {That lotion is doing some serious work, girls. You want it to stay put!} You’ll need to wear it for at least 45 minutes, but longer is even better. I wore mine for about 3 hours last night. It was comfortable enough that I really didn’t notice that it was on!

So, did it work?

My expectations for this product were just kinda medium. I figured it would work at least a little, but probably nothing to extreme. But I thought it was a cool idea, definitely worth a shot, and maybe, just maybe, it would be amazing.

Um, it is SUPER amazing!! Heather had told me to expect to see results at about 24 hours, and the best results would come at 48 or 72 hours. But ALREADY, when I measured this morning, I am a half-inch smaller around my waist!! No way?? But seriously, I am. I couldn’t even believe it!

Change of Plan.

My intention this morning was to just post some info about the wrap, and how it works, and leave you in suspense for a couple of days until I could tell you about the results. But obviously, I already had some results to share!

I’ll update you again after the 72 hours has passed, with the final measurement results!

If you’re interested in trying this too, you can check out more info about it and the other It Works! products on the site.

If you want to order the Ultimate Wrap, Heather is being super nice, and giving a discount just for you guys! The wrap will cost you $29 retail on the site, but if you email her at heather@banishthebulge.com and tell her I sent you, she’ll give it to you for only $20, and $2 to ship it out! Awesome, right?

Stay tuned for more results….

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 15, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews | No Comments

Credit Karma: Reader Story, plus seen on CNN, USA Today, and more!

Ok, I’ve told you guys about Credit Karma before.

It is an amazing site where you can get a FREE credit report and score, and they’re actually free, no strings.

I get asked ALL. THE. TIME. about how to get a free credit report, since all of the major places you hear advertised want your credit card info, and to enroll you in some BS when you try to get it.

Random and only sorta related pic...

I used to advise you to just get it directly from the companies, since by law, you are able to get one copy per year FREE from each one. But then I found Credit Karma!

This is SO much better than how I had been doing it! They not only give you access to your report for free, but they give you a really cool chart to access, comparing your score to averages across the country, and other details. It really is a super cool report, and gives you a credit score and tips to raise it!

Read a Sunshine and Sippy Cups readers story here:

Several years ago I found myself in a messy divorce that sadly landed my
credit in the garbage. I spent some time researching a way to monitor and
improve my credit and came across Credit Karma. And from that day forward,
it has changed my life!

The site is free to join, NEVER a fee or charge to review your scores,
monitor your credit, etc. I log on every month to check my score and ensure
my report is accurate. I have also utilized their “savings” suggestions and
have saved at least $500 on insurance(home and auto). And by monitoring my
credit and working to improve the huge financial burden that my ex-husband
“left” me, I was able to improve my score by 3 points in just a few months.

I continue to utilize them and my scores continue to improve.

I highly recommend this site for anyone and everyone that wants to take
control of their credit and stay “in the know”.

A Credit Karma Fan,
Dana Partaker

You want to check it out for yourself?

Head over to Credit Karma today and get started. It is 100% legit, so it is safe to enter your info. {If you’re worried, Google it and you’ll see it’s safe!} Then verify your info by confirming with the email that they send you, and you get to see a very cool, colorful, and easy to understand layout of your credit score info!

If you have any questions about how this works, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll get back to you!

I know you guys spend a lot of time trying to save money for your families by doing things like clipping coupons and searching for deals. Saving money that way is super important, but the money that you can save in the long run by improving your credit score is HUGE.

Another way to improve your families income is by educating
yourself. Look into some online accounting degrees
that can really help you make it through these tough economic times.

More and more traditional institutions have started offering flexible online college degrees, which is what I did when I went back to school. Next week I’ll graduate, and will have completed my whole degree online :) If you have questions about that too, ask me in the comments and I’ll get back to you!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 11, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Reviews | 4 Comments

A Wireless Color Printer With Multiple Personalities

This weeks Twirl…

If you thought Cybil had multiple personalities wait until you get a load of our latest must-have gadget–the HP Photosmart Premium e-Printer, one of the most interesting home printers we’ve seen yet. On the one hand it thinks it’s a high-quality wireless color printer that knows the difference between documents and photographs, on the other it believes it’s a computer whose touch screen interface (with apps!) allows you to order movie tickets, download recipes and print news articles without a computer in sight. It has delusions of being able to print anything emailed from anywhere and, if that weren’t enough, it claims to scan and copy too.

It’s madness. Madness we tell you. Well, watch this week’s session, uh we mean Twirl, to see if Carley can get to the root of the many personalities of this personal wireless home printer.

So, what do you guys think about the amazing product this week??

I’m not gonna lie. I’m in love. Is it weird to say that I’m in love with a printer? Of course not, not when it is clearly so super awesome, right?

Oh HP Photosmart Premium e-Printer, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways….

I love that you can send things to the printer while you’re away from home, and they’ll be printed and waiting for you!
I love that it knows the difference between photos and documents, and prints them on the correct paper.
Oh yeah, I love that it holds BOTH types of paper in one tray, so you don’t have to switch all of the time!
I love the modern design. Super cool. The touchscreen with the app’s? AWESOME.
AND, I even love the price!! $199 is a steal for this.

So there you have it. Another amazingly super rad product brought to your attention by the Digitwirl girls! They find the best products out there, and then show you how to use ’em. Why? Because they rock.

What do you think? Have you seen a better printer? {I haven’t!} What is your favorite feature? Leave some comments and lets chat!

Carley's Byline Pic

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.

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

Free Mom-Approved Movie Night!

This looks like such a great idea! Family Values Cinema is now offering Family Movie Night Packages, and you can get your first one FREE.

Family Value Cinema

This sounded like a really cool idea, but I am always skeptical of new “free” offers, so I did some digging around for the details… And I was happily surprised to see that it really is a legit deal :)

Here is a little more info about this company, from their question and answer section:

How do you select your movies? In partnership with the National Board of Mothers, we literally review thousands of movies, and we choose the best, most entertaining films that we’d be proud to watch with our own children. We look for movies that both entertain and inspire families. No profanity, no sex, no violence! Only movies with messages promoting positive family values are pre-selected each month to send to our members.

What do I receive with my Free Trial Offer? A complete movie night package! You will receive a free Mom Approved Movie with a Family Discussion Guide, Interactive Family Activity, and a Movie Inspired Recipe from Auntie’s Kitchen. The movie will be pre-selected and approved by the National Board of Mothers. You are only charged $1.95 for shipping & handling. No obligation whatsoever, you can cancel at any time!

So, what happens if you like your FREE Mom-Approved Movie Night Package? There are two monthly subscriptions that you can sign up for, two movies and package extras for $12.95 per month plus shipping, or one movie per month plus the extras for only $7.95 per month! And whats cool is that this is not like Netflix… They send you out your monthly movie, the family activities and matching recipe, and you get to KEEP the movie!

I don’t consider myself to be very conservative at all, but even I get a little uncomfortable with some of the things that I see in “family” movies sometimes… I hate being surprised by inappropriate content. So I love the idea of a council of moms approving all of these videos before adding them to their movie list, so I know that they will all promote good values.

I think it is also such a great idea to add family activities and games that will help reinforce the positive messages found in the movie, this is a great way to get kids to pay attention to that kind of talk. And adding in a matching kid-friendly recipe is a bonus!

You have NO obligation to continue the program after getting your free movie. I figured spending $1.95 for shipping to check this out was totally worth it… If I don’t like it, I’ve hardly wasted anything. I mean, even a so-so movie is worth two bucks! And if it is as good of a program as I’m hoping it is, then I will definitely be signing up for the subscription!

Check it out, and let me know your experiences with it. You can sign up just by clicking on the box above! If any of my readers have used this service already, I’d love for you to leave feedback on it in the comments! Looking forward to my first movie :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 16, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Reviews, Freebies | No Comments

Recording Memories in a Moment Garden

Sharing Memories and Special Moments…

Moment Garden is a new website that I came across this weekend, and I think that it is such a wonderful idea. I love scrapbooking, photo albums, memory boxes… And so I save EVERYTHING, especially when it comes to my new little girl. But sometimes it can be tough to get all of those special moments and memories written down and saved, in between diapers, bottles, spit-up, tantrums…. You know.

Moment Garden gives you a new way to easily keep track of those amazing little moments! It only takes a minute to get signed up for a new account. You are then able to start logging in to quickly leave little markers in your “garden” each time some random adorable moment happens that you want to remember! Read Moment Garden’s description of their service…

“Children are amazing! From day one their pictures and the little moments throughout their life are priceless. Looking at an old picture, or even reading a quote from when they were 4 years old and commented “Don’t worry Daddy, I’ll teach you” can bring a smile. Our vision is helping parents collect, save and share these precious moments with the people that matter most.”

You can send messages by email or from your phone, making it so easy to keep things updated. You can add authorized users, like dad or grandma, so that they can log on and add new memories and stories too!

I love that this gives me a way to keep track of my little girls achievements, and a fun way to see how she is growing every day into such a big girl!!

Moments like this have to be saved and shared, right?

There is also a brand new feature that lets you share individual moments to your Facebook page! You choose the moments to share, and they show up as a post on your Facebook page. All of the comments that your friends leave on that photo will also be saved into the Memory Garden, as part of the post. I love this!

{Update: I’ve been using this for awhile now, and it is so great. I love that they send you an email every once in a while, with a question to help prompt you to add a new memory. Today I got an email asking, “What did Abby have for breakfast today? What else does she like to eat?” I realized that this IS something that I’ll want to remember later. So I added a picture of her eating/squishing/playing with her breakfast banana today. This timeline will be so much fun to look back at later….}

To get started, go check it out at Moment Garden or on Facebook. Let me know what you think…. :)

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

HAPPYFAMILY $10,000 Scholarship Contest!

I love HAPPYFAMILY products!

This is a company that truly cares about making every baby a HAPPYBABY. They do that by providing parents with award winning baby foods, using environmentally safe packaging, and by partnering with Project Peanut Butter to help provide healthy foods to hungry babies in Africa. They are such a socially responsible company, which is hard to find these days!

Foods you can feel good about feeding your baby!

All HAPPYFAMILY products are Organic and BPA Free, and are developed with the help of one of the most respected pediatricians, Dr. Sears, to ensure that your baby gets the most nutritious choices possible! For more information about feeding your baby, check out their book, HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months

My Happy Baby

My own happy baby loves HAPPYBELLIES Oganic Baby Cereals, DHA + Probiotic, Organic Oatmeal Cereal, 7-Ounce Containers (Pack of 6) We have a hard time finding HAPPYFAMILY products where we live, and the HAPPYBABY website is temporarily closed for some upgrades, so I use Amazon to get everything we need. You can most HAPPYBABY foods there, from baby cereals, to toddler snacks and pre-school meals.

Join the GenerationHappy Movement!

HAPPYFAMILY recently launched a new campaign called GenerationHappy. Read more about this great new movement that is encouraging parents to raise their children to make a difference in the world:

“GenerationHappy invites moms and dads to take a pledge and join HAPPYFAMILY in educating today’s children to understand the importance of eating organically, living sustainably and respecting the earth from early on in their lives. By taking the pledge, parents will gain access to expert advice and helpful ideas for living a healthy, balanced lifestyle that extends beyond nutrition, as well as exclusive offers and giveaways to support them in their journeys.”

Win a College Scholarship!

To celebrate this new program, HAPPYFAMILY is having a video contest on Facebook where parents can submit a video to show off their little one’s special moments, and enter to win a $10,000 college scholarship! Woo hoo, right? There will also be weekly prize pack winners, so make sure to check it out! The Happy Video Contest launched on February 15, 2011, and you can submit your videos until March 25, 2011. You can enter once a day, and vote for your favorites! The lucky winner will be anounced on the HAPPYFAMILY Facebook page on March 28, 2011. Will it be YOU?

Learn More about HAPPYFAMILY:

To learn a little more about how HAPPYFAMILY does business, check out this cute interview with their founder at Natural Products Expo West, in 2009, on YouTube .

HAPPYFAMILY is the leading premium organic brand of baby and toddler foods sold in the United States. They take their commitment to parents seriously, and work to provide you the best products for your baby.

To learn more about HAPPYFAMILY, their mission, and products, visit their website HappyBabyFood.com.

Please leave some comments about HAPPYFAMILY! Do you use their products in your home? Did you enter the contest? I love to hear from you guys….. :)