Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!
“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane.”… Wait a minute – that’s not Santa! Nope, it’s a team of awesomesauce bloggers who’ve teamed up together to bring you an amazing prize package perfect for holiday gift giving! What is this exciting Giveaway? Well, just in time for the holidays, we’re giving away a Wii U Nintendo gaming system to one crazy-lucky winner!
“The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten... Giving back is so incredibly important to me. If you’ve been following my site for very long, I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about it before – I grew up in pretty sever poverty, but my mom was an amazingly resourceful woman, and found a way to make the absolute bare-bones lifestyle we lived seem magical and full. Growing up, I realized how poor we had been, and how happy we had been able to be even without all of the things that “everyone else” had. This helped me appreciate things more, and work hard for what I wanted. It also made me more compassionate than many other people my age – I was always the one helping to organize fundraisers, rally coworkers to raise money for good causes, or buy a coffee for the person in line behind me.
And now as a mother – my heart has grown even larger. I realize how incredibly hard it is for so many other moms across the world – how the problems I face in my life are so small compared to things like starvation, lack of medical care, and minimal access to things like clean water or education. I do my best to give back in every way that I can, and am always in awe of those people who have found a way to spend their lives making a BIG difference….
This awards program absolutely touches my heart. In the US, we put way too much emphasis on the importance of celebrities – athletes, actors, musicians, reality stars. Yes, many of them have amazing talent, and are deserving of attention and fame. A beautifully written song sung with true emotion can touch people in a very real, raw way, and can sometimes change lives. Watching an athlete who has trained for years, and performs in a way that very few people ever can – that can be incredibly inspiring. But what about the true heros in the world? Those people who live or travel to work in rough conditions, to help save lives, and make a real difference in our world? I’m talking about health workers.
“Frontline health workers are often community health workers and midwives who provide access to healthcare locally or in the home, although they can also include local pharmacists, nurses and doctors. In the developing world, where well-equipped doctors and hospitals are scarce, frontline health workers are the first and often only point of contact to the health care system for millions of people.” – SavetheChildren.org.
I’d love for you to join me in supporting this amazing awards program – The Real Awards. Let’s celebrate the accomplishments of frontline health workers across the world, and applaud the real difference that they are making in the lives of other mothers and their families in every country. Let’s show them that they are appreciated. Let’s help The Real Awards grow into something as big as the other awards that get so much attention – the Acadamy Awards, the Oscars, or the Golden Globes. Don’t these amazing people doing awesome things and changing lives deserve just as much attention? If you agree – be sure to spread the word with a tweet, and click the links below to learn more. Thank you for helping the world be just a little bit better and brighter….
Forget Reality TV Stars – I’m Supporting the Real Heroes in the World. Join Me – sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/11/forget… #theREALawards #GlobalTeamof200
— Meagan Paullin (@SunandSipCups) December 1, 2012
{Disclaimer: Photo credit: SabianMaggy. I learned about this cause through Mom Bloggers for Social Good – an amazing group of women using their social media power to do great things and promote amazing organizations. I received no compensation, and all thoughts shared are my own.}
Did you know that Preemie Awareness Day is November 17th each year?… I think that it’s amazing that we set aside a day for this – to help educate people about healthy pregnancy tips, why it’s so important to bring babies to full term, and the dangers that preemies can face once they arrive. My own little girl, Abby, was born 3 weeks early – a big surprise, since everything had been going just fine until then. She had a really traumatic delivery – they’re not exactly sure what went wrong. Her oxygen levels dropped, so I had to wear an oxygen mask to help. Her blood pressure dropped, and everything suddenly started spiraling downhill. The NICU team was called into the room, to stand by for her arrival…
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort Zone® products for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Does your cat get a little high strung? Nervous about new people? Nervous when there's too much noise, commotion, new activity going on? If so, I have some great tips I've learned about keeping cats calm when we entertain that I'm sure will help you too going into the busy holiday season too….
PICTURE
This is my brother's girlfriend's cat – she is a sweetie pie, but when she first moved into our house, it was a bit stressful for her. But a "bit" – I mean she moved into a house with a dog and a toddler. Scary stuff, am I right? She was having some bad behavior issues – which were to be expected. But we used the Comfort Zone® with Feliway® – which is a diffuser that spreads around some pheromones that calm cats to keep them relaxed. It works great weather the problem is a multiple cat household, new pets, kids, or just lots of holiday guests. Plug the diffuser in wherever your cat spends most of it's time each day – and be amazed at the improvement in attitude and behavior.
Click here to visit Comfort Zone on Facebook, or get this sweet Comfort Zone® with Feliway® coupon online. These products are 95% effective at stopping excessive chewing and barking in dogs – and they really made a difference in my little fur baby's behavior over the past month. Totally recommend them if you have a fur baby that gets rattled easily – as we go into the busy holiday season of parties, guests, coming and going – this is a great way to help them stay calm and well behaved. Giving you one less thing to worry about, right?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort Zone® products for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Does your dog get a little high strung? Nervous about new people? Nervous when there's too much noise, commotion, new activity going on? If so, I have some great tips I've learned from trying to keep my own little fur baby calm when we entertain that I'm sure will help you too going into the busy holiday season….
My little guy, Deuce, is about two years old now – just a little younger than Abby is. We got him when she was just a baby – they've grown up together, sharing toys, playing, and are bestest buddies. So he's definitely a very important part of our little family! But, when we moved to this new house, my mom moved in with us too. She had 5 other little dogs – Deuce loved them, but I think it stressed him out a bit. He stopped peeing outside, starting making big messes inside, started barking and whining anytime I wasn't home. *Sigh* So we tried the Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® {Dog Appeasing Pheremone} that plugs right into your wall. It's perfect for when pet's need some comforting – anytime their environment changes, like with the extra visitors during the holidays.
Click here to visit Comfort Zone on Facebook, or get this sweet Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® coupon online. These products are 95% effective at stopping excessive chewing and barking in dogs – and they really made a difference in my little fur baby's behavior over the past month. Totally recommend them if you have a dog that gets rattled easily – as we go into the busy holiday season of parties, guests, coming and going – this is a great way to help them stay calm and well behaved. Giving you one less thing to worry about, right?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kraft Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.
Kraft foods and Walmart have partnered to regularly bring you new and exciting products ranging from full meal solutions to easy peasy ways to pack lunches. As busy moms, we need things to be simple, healthy, and delicious – which is why I know that you're going to love the new Kraft Foods Everyday Delicious as much as I do. Learn what it's all about…
This new partnership brings together some of my favorite things – and combines all of the tips and resources into one super handy site to simplify my meal time planning. Learn how Everyday Delicious can help you:
What do you think – Ready to check it out? Visit Kraft Foods Everyday Delicious online, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for fun updates on new products and promotions, and pin their amazing recipes from Pinterest too!
A few months back I told you guys about my ambitious plans to totally overhaul my bedroom – {Mildly} Extreme Master Bedroom & Playroom Makeover, and I haven’t posted any updates since then. Why? Well – life has been pretty darn crazy. Abby had a seizure about 3 months ago – and has a few more since then. They’re not sure why, and all of those appointments are keeping us pretty busy. Then last month my brother and the boys moved out – giving us two extra bedrooms. So a lot my effort was directed towards setting up a new guest room, and a new playroom for Abby. And since we were able to move her toys to the new space, that opened up new possibilities in our Master Bedroom too. We’re in the buying/prepping/re-planning stage right now, and will finish ALL of the projects during January and February, after the holidays. Let me give you a look at where we’re at, and the fun that we have planned!
"The phrase "working mother" is redundant." I'm Meagan - a Momma, a Blogger, a Freelance Writer, and a total Social Media Junkie. I love sparkles and … [Read More...]
