Uncategorized — Page 15

New Mom Survival Guide: Free!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Baby Magazine for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Preparing for a baby can be super stressful – especially if you’re a first-time mom! There are so many products to check out, so many decisions to make, so many things to consider – just so many questions:

Cloth Diaper or Disposable?
Breastfeed or Bottles?
Co-Sleeper, Bassinet, or Crib?
What is the safest car seat?
Is there really a difference between the expensive diaper bags and the cheaper versions?
How can I prevent stretch marks?
What is labor really going to be like??

Getting the Best Advice

You can ask around to all of your friends, you family, and even the lady in line next to you – {Trust me, you’ll end up talking babies with everyone soon enough, lol} – But sometimes you need expert advice. You’ll find it in American Baby Magazine.

American Baby Magazine

This magazine brings you monthly tips, advice, and stories you can relate too – Plus coupons, deals, and great promotions too! I know that when I found out I was pregnant, the first thing I did was go out and subscribe to a TON of Pregnancy/Baby/Parenting magazines. I wanted to read everything that I could, to try and get prepared for the HUGE changes that were on their way into my life! This one was one of my very favorites – and I still read it today, even though Abby’s a toddler.

Get a FREE Subscription

Right now you can get a totally free subscription for a full year – American Baby Magazine – What a great way to give a fun, and super helpful, gift to any momma-to-be on your list this year!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 21, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

Meet the NEW Mamma Media Elite Members!

Super Exciting News!

I got some super exciting news this week – I was chosen to be an Elite member of Mamma Media! I was so surprised when I got the notice – and really happy to be part of such a great group of amazing woman bloggers!

What is Mamma Media?

Mamma Media is a panel of mom bloggers with superb writing and organizing skills who have teamed up to offer businesses strong public relations exposure in the form of one or more campaigns.

Two Divisions of Bloggers

Mamma Media consists of two divisions–Mamma Media Elite and Mamma Media Mavens. The Mamma Media Elite division contains 6 mom bloggers who lead the entire panel by ensuring ethical practices are maintained, heading events, reviewing products or services, and penning PR posts. The Mamma Media Mavens division provide content for their readers that serves as advertising for businesses (which may also include product/service reviews or paid posts).

Is this cool, or what?

I’m really excited to be a part of this team – and am looking forward to working with the other wonderful ladies too. You can check it out too –

Are you a business who’d like to work with the Mamma Media Team? Contact them for more information today!

Meet the other Elite Members of Mamma Media!

Meet the Mamma Media Mavens Group Members!

Coupon Codes at Trimback.com

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Right Relief for the Real Problem – Share Solutions & Enter to Win!

“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot

Advil Congestion is putting a putting a twist on its tagline – “The Right Relief for the Real Problem,” and providing literal relief in congested places across the U.S. from undersupplied schools, congested traffic lanes, and more. I love to see companies use the power that they have to do great things – and it’s amazing what their donations are doing to improve local communities! Learn how they helped Chicago get “The Right Relief” for their winter congestion problems –

“For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.” – Millard Fuller

What type of change would you like to see in your own community? Where is your communities congestion? In my town, I’d have to say that one of the biggest problems is fear. That fear causes congestion when it keeps people from moving forward, dreaming big, and actually doing new things. It’s the fear of change, which causes people to vote down and resist new ideas. The fear of spending and investing, the fear or things that are different, the fear that something ‘won’t work’. I would love to see Advil find a way to bring a new enthusiasm to my city – to encourage the people who are dreaming big to keep pushing for change, to break through that congestion of uncertainty, and make our community a brighter place! There are so many good things in my town, and we need to keep building on them, and motivate the whole community to work together to bring some new ideas to life. Just like a winter cold gets your head and chest all stuffed up, a fear of something different can get a city all stuffed up too!

Advil Wants to hear from you!

How can the Advil Congestion Relief Project help your community? Share your story of community congestion –

What’s congested in your community?
How does that affect your community?
How could Advil® Congestion Relief relieve your community’s congestion?

Visit CongestionReliefProject.com and learn how you submit your story sharing why your community needs help. Submit by January 4, 2012, and you will be entered to win up to $30,000 for your community! Open to the US only.

“Average people and the average community can change the world. You can do it just based on common sense, determination, persistence and patience.” – Lori Gibbs

Solve Your families winter congestion too!

Let Advil Congestion solve your family’s winter congestion too – and enter to win a free 10 count package of Advil® Congestion Relief (retail value $7.99)!

Share your community stories in the comments

I’d love to hear from you, and read your ideas for improving your own communities – so please share in the comments, after you enter to win on CongestionReliefProject.com. You guys are such an amazing bunch, and I can’t wait to read your dreams for your own communities…..

{Disclaimer: I am a member of One2One Network and this post is part of a sponsored campaign I received both product and compensation for my time. I make no claims about Advil Congestion Relief as a product or it’s effectiveness.}

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 16, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Frugal DIY Fun: Toddler Exploring Set

“Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.” – William Stafford

I’m a crafty girl – I love glitter and rhinestones, Mod Podge and Tacky Glue, pretty papers and ribbons…. and I have so much fun sharing my love of all things creative with the kiddo’s in my life. And, crafting with kids has helped me see new things – kids are so fascinated with new textures, shapes, sounds, and colors. That led to the creation of our Toddler Exploring Set – a super easy DIY idea, made from totally inexpensive materials. Even if you’re not usually much of a DIY’er, you can do this. So… Let’s get started! {You might remember me mentioning these Exploring Sets earlier this year in 65 Fun Fall Ideas for Kids – we love making new sets!}

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don’t have the top for.” – Jerry Seinfeld

You probably already have most of the supplies you’ll need – But one thing that you will need to get in advance is a set of empty water bottles. We used the mini ones – they’re easiest for tiny toddler hands. You’ll also need a good glue {I used Quick Dry Tacky Glue}, so that you can glue each bottle closed. You also might want to get a small shoe box, or cute basket, for your little one to carry their new Exploring Set around in – they love that. Now – the fun part! Read through the list and find some fun ideas to try. All of the bottles are really simple to make, and will totally delight your little one. Enjoy!

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” – Walt Streightiff

Sound Bottles: In the Red bottle above, I used white beans mixed with some fun red glitter – these are nice and noisy when you shake ’em! You can also use things like rice, popcorn kernels, or jingle bells. Kids love discovering the different sounds.
Bubble Bottles: Fill half full of water, add a little bit of dish soap, and a squirt or two of food coloring. Your little one will love seeing a plain bottle of water turn into a bubble party when they shake it up!
Discovery Bottle: Fill a bottle half way with sand or rice, and add a few tiny toys too. Kids will learn that the toys are there even when they can’t see them – and will love learning how to find them again!
Glow Bottle: Fill a bottle with glow in the dark stickers or glow sticks. Show your kiddo how different it looks when they crawl underneath their blanket – what a surprise!
Silly Bottle: One of our favorites is to fill a bottle up with little Glitter Pom Poms – these are the cutest thing, and Abby loves them! They look super cute in the bottles, and have such bright and vibrant colors!
Snow Globe Bottles: Fill bottles with a mixture of water and glycerin, add food coloring if desired, throw in a pinch {or more, you can never have too much!} of glitter, and add some fun little toys or trees. So much fun!
Slow-Down Bottle: Fill a bottle 2/3 full of clear corn syrup, then add sequins, or tiny toys. As they tilt the bottle, they can relax and slow down while they watch the toys sloooowly slide to the side.
Nature Bottle: These ones are more temporary – grab a tiny branch off of an evergreen tree, some fall leaves, dandelion flowers, acorns – whatever is in season. Your little one will delight in getting to really look at these things up close – you’ll delight in knowing that they won’t EAT them while they have them up close!

Big Kid Options

Magnet Bottle: Fill a bottle with rice or sand, and add a few metallic items, like pennies, old game pieces, etc. Then – let them use a big magnet against the outside of the bottle to ‘magically’ pull those hidden items into view!
Guessing Bottle: Fill a bottle up with tiny pebbles – or something fun like Jelly Beans! – and have your kids guess how many are inside. Don’t glue the top on this one, since you’ll then want to dump it out, count it together, and see how close they were. Our boys love to challenge each other.

Do you have any fun ideas to add?

There are so many different variations you can use – and I’d love to hear your creative ideas! We love to make new bottles all the time, and sometimes it’s hard to keep coming up with great ideas – so I look forward to what you guys come up with. Keep it crafty!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 15, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Keep Snacks Cool with the PackIt!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PackIt for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Busy Mom Solution: The PackIt!

The Challenge: You’re a busy mom, of busy kids, with a busy schedule that keeps you all on the go! You spend a lot of hours each week in the car – dropping the kids off at school, taking baby to playdates, stopping at the grocery, or one of the million other tasks you have each day. You try to eat healthy, but the neon lights of the fast food places can be hard to resist when you haven’t made it home yet for lunch. The kids are always thirsty once you get in the car – which means ignoring the whining, or spending at the mini-mart. And how about a bottle for the baby? This time of year it stays cold in the car just fine – but in the summer? No way!

The Busy Mom Solution: PackIt lunch boxes!! These are super cute, super handy, and super helpful little packs that you can just grab and go! Load one up with a few juice boxes and some string cheese – then you can quickly grab it to toss in the car with the kids, to keep whining to a minimum. You can pack yourself a healthy lunch to bring with you while you run errands, or use it to keep bottles and baby food cool too. This thing solves so many daily challenges – Love it! You might be thinking – “This sounds familiar…” You might have seen it featured recentely on the Martha Stewart show, or maybe you’ve seen one of the fun commercials –

PackIt and Go!

Now that you know what it is, and why you need it – I bet you’re excited to buy one yourself, right? Well, head to their website now for an awesome promotion –

PackIt lunch boxes – Buy one for $19.95, and get a Second One FREE!

What do you think?

What Busy Mom Challenge could the PackIt solve for you? How would you use it – to send a better lunch to school with the kids, for baby supplies, or your own healthy snacks? {I’m excited to use it this summer, when we go to sports events and festivals. The food is always WAY too expensive – it’ll be super cool to be able to bring my own food and drinks, since this will keep ’em cold! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the PackIt!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 14, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

Sprint Helps Make the Holidays Merry!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Android-Powered, 4G-Fast, and FREE!

I’m sure you have a TON of people on your list who would just LOVE to get a new phone this Christmas! From your teens to your husband – you can make all of their faces light up when you head to Sprint to finish up your holiday shopping! {And trust me, you need one too!}

Bring Better Gifts than Santa!!

I did a bit of research on new phones last month {You might remember my post and Google+ album??} – so I know that a couple of this years hottest phones are the HTC EVO 4G and the EVO Shift. If you’re like me, you have no idea what the letters and numbers mean, right? Don’t worry – the most important part is that they mean “Cool Gift!” I’ve got a 3G phone – it was my first smartphone, and now that I have it, I don’t know how I ever lived without it, seriously. I use it for everything – I’ve got recipe apps to figure out dinner in a flash, holiday entertaining apps to help me plan, and favorite websites saved and easy to access. Plus – it’s so cool to be able to capture cute moments with the kids with the built-in camera, and quickly email them to far-away grandparents! I love my phone – but 3G is SLOW. If you’re getting a new phone, these 4G phones are totally the way to go – trust me!!

Deals to make the Holidays Merry!

Get Android™ powered EVO 4G devices – FREE – with waived activation for new lines and FREE Shipping!

Make the holidays brighter with the huge smiles you’ll see on YOUR families faces when you buy them all new phones from Sprint! {And don’t forget to put one in YOUR stocking too!}

Happy Holidays!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 13, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes – 5 $500 Partylite GC!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” – Edith Wharton

I love that quote… One of my favorites. To me, it means that when I have the opportunity to “shine” – by helping others, doing great things, accomplishing my goals – then I am the candle, spreading positivity around my life. And when others are doing great things, that’s my chance to be the “mirror” – support them, encourage them, and applaud their achievements! There’s also a third way of spreading light…. ParyLite!! {Cheesy….. I know. The holidays put me in a cheesy mood!! Lol.}

Affordable way to brighten your home

I seriously love the glow and scent of candles in a home…. When we entertain, I do my best to clean up, then just dim the lights a little, light some candles, and Tada! Magically the house looks a little better, a little cleaner, a little more romantic. And Partylite has an amazing selection – for the holidays, and the rest of the year – to help you brighten your home. And by hosting a PartyLite party with your favorite girlfriends – you can earn totally FREE candles and beautiful home decor. How fun is that, right?

Party Planning Time!

It’s so easy to plan and host a PartyLite party – Check out the PartyLite party page online to get started. You can find your favorite local rep, or they can find a new one for you. Super simple to use. Then you just gather a group of your favorite friends and family for a relaxing and entertaining evening in, shop some amazing products, and earn your own totally free gifts! You can even host a new party each season – to get the latest new trends and seasonal scents. Love it. Make sure to “Like” the PartyLite Facebook page too, to stay updated on fun promotions, new products, and cool giveaways – Like the awesome gift certificate giveaway going on now!

Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes!

Get your entry in today – because this amazing sweepstakes ends on December 15th! That’s perfect, because 5 lucky winners will each receive a $500 PartyLite Gift Certificate that they can use when the new Winter/Spring 2012 Catalog launches on December 16th!! Imagine how gorgeous your home would look after picking out $500 worth of decor from the brand new collection…