Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 126 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Bloggertunities: Opportunities & Leads for Women Bloggers 7/19

“She Believed She Could So She Did.” – Pinterest Quote.

I believe that each one of us are in charge of our own success. Anything that you dream of doing – You can do it. This big ol’ web has opened up SO many opportunities for stay at home moms that we didn’t used to have. So take advantage of them, dream big, and build your business to be the perfect fit for you and your family. For online publishers like us – the sky is the limit, so don’t ever limit yourself. That’s your goal this week – to keep your goals big, and visualize any obstacles as small, so you can jump right over ’em. I hope that these opps and leads each week do a little bit to help push you over those obstacles… And remember – as always, feel free to share your favorite blogging tips post, event sign ups, hops or linkys, and anything else helpful in the comments below!

Making Money:

Monetize Your Blog: Get some of my best tips on earning an income with your blog in this post: How to Monetize Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps.
WingsPlay: This is new one – I just joined, so I can’t give too much personal feedback yet. But since it looks interesting I thought I’d share – You earn money by sharing videos to Facebook and Twitter. Based on what they calculate your influence as, after you finish the one minute sign up, you’ll see what they think you’re able to earn each month. Looks cool.
Infostable: Earn cash by sharing their affiliate offers – which are mostly products and giveaways that target women and moms with babies. Very simple to use – and the offers are safe, not spammy. I signed up for a few myself to test it before sharing it.
Paper Coterie: This is my fave affiliate ever. Beautiful paper products, and awesome promotions = Super easy content to promote and share. It’s simple to use and get started – learn more here: Paper Coterie sign up.
Logical Media: I admit, this used to be one of my lesser favorite affiliates to work with. But, lately they have had the best banners, great service, and just really good quality offers that I feel comfortable sharing with my readers.
Social Spark: I’ve told you guys before – this is one of my super easy peasy income earners. The posts are very quick to complete, the payout is great and pretty quick. Love it.

Use your influence to earn cool swag

Open Sky: I promote all of these deal sites all year, and do almost ALL of my holiday shopping for free. I buy serving dishes, party dresses and accessories, toys, home decor, and gifts. Open Sky is one of my faves – pick a few favorite designers, fashionistas, or chefs that you love, follow ’em, then get access to their best pic each week at a huge discount. Earn $25 in credit each time someone you refer makes their first purchase. {These credits add up FAST.}
Sharing Spree: Pick your local area to promote. Their site has some seriously fun deals each week – AND, you can feel good buying and promoting since they donate big bucks to your own local charities. Love that. Earn $10 for each referral.
Plum District: I don’t even work with their affiliate program, I just share the sweet deals daily, and earn the referral credits. Cash is nice, yes. But earning free credit to use at these AMAZING deal sites during my holiday season are way better for me :) Learn more about Plum District, and sign up to share today.
Moolala: This one is pretty cool – you earn bonuses each time someone purchases their sweet deals {Like a $59 value smartphone underwater case for only $4 bucks today. Wow.} – plus you earn when THEY add friends too. The deals are good, I’ve ordered several times and was very happy with the service, and it’s a nice way to let money add up quick.

Events and Giveaways to Join

Mompact Twitter Party: RSVP today for the upcoming Mompact Twitter Party – then click to send the embedded tweet, and you’re entered to win Amazon gift cards! Sweet, right?
Motherhood Twitter Party: This one is TONIGHT! Join us for a great time discussing summer pork recipes – RSVP now for chances to win: Each prize pack will contain a $20 Walmart gift card, slow cooker, cutting board, three-piece BBQ tool set and sauce bucket/brush. Awesome.
Social Moms: If you’re a member here, fill out this form if you’ll also be heading to BlogHer ’12, so you can connect with them there. {Not a Social Moms member yet? Sign up here.}
Summer Pinterest Party: Join the Simply Sassy Media Pinterest Party for a chance to win some awesome prizes while helping to launch their new blogger outreach program!
Babywearing Event: If you have readers with babies, this is a GREAT event for you to join! They are giving away 8 different baby carriers – one to each winner. Very cool – sign up here.
Fitcation: This is an AWESOME opportunity to attend a sweet event – only $200 to head to the Fitcation 2012 event in Los Angeles. This is a very cool conference put together by Bookieboo, sponsored by sponsored by Dole.
Giveaway promotion: Link up your giveaways on Just Another Hat’s weekly linky – it’s updated every Sunday, so you know you’re getting current stuff. Love it – Link up here.

Good Reads and Resources:

Food Bloggers: This is a great site that I recently came across, with tips and tricks to help you take better food photos. It’s written by a professional food photographer, aimed at helping those who DON’T have pro cameras or skills. Lots of good info.
5 Days of PR for Bloggers: This sounds awesome. I learned about it from the super amazing gal behind the Biannual Blogathon Bash -You sign up here with this quick form, and each day she’ll email you a new lesson to accomplish. {See the first one here, with a 360 Blog Assessment Worksheet.}
Finding your Niche: While some disagree with me, I know – every time I talk to brands about building blogger campaigns, I hear how they want to find bloggers not with the biggest numbers – but with the most targeted communities. I mean – if you have a new organic baby product to review, do you want a blogger who blogs about everything, or someone who has a really active following of like-minded readers who are passionate about green living? Something to think about… Blogging what you love: Finding your niche.

Love it? Share it!

Share anything that you’re loving right now in the comments – an event sign up form for your next big thing, a great tips post you’ve written, or a new network you’re finding super helpful. And if this post was helpful to you – please give it a tweet to share it with your own blogging buddies too! Have a great weekend!

Want to get the best new blogging opps & leads? Click here – sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/blogge… Awesome #BloggingTips

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 19, 2012

WANT MORE? CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER WEEKLY BLOGGERTUNITY POSTS TOO, OR BROWSE MY BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA BOARD ON PINTEREST.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 19, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 14 Comments

Enjoy #PlatesofPork This Summer {RSVP for the Twitter Party & Prizes!}

Join @AllAboutPork, @theMotherhood & Me – to discuss tasty slow cooker pulled pork, a great dish for summer picnics and potlucks, and win prizes!

What: I am co-hosting a Twitter party with the National Pork Board and The Motherhood! We’ll be talking about recipe ideas for pulled pork – a tasty and versatile summer staple for potlucks, picnics and group gatherings – and giving away great prizes.

When: Thursday, July 19, 7-8 p.m. ET

Where: The party will take place on Twitter, using the #PlatesofPork hashtag.

Who: The National Pork Board (@AllAboutPork) and The Motherhood (@theMotherhood) will be hosting. You must follow both Twitter handles to be eligible to win prizes.

Prizes: Five prize packs will be given away throughout the hour, based on responses to trivia questions. Each prize pack will contain a $20 Walmart gift card, slow cooker, cutting board, three-piece BBQ tool set and sauce bucket/brush. You can see the prizes and official rules here: http://bit.ly/MnjOWv

RSVP: Let us know if you’ll be there! Click this link and press the orange “count me in” button on the right-hand side –http://twtvite.com/platesofpork

Share the fun!

7/19 at 7p ET – join a #PlatesofPork Twitter party about pulled pork! Win a $20 Walmart gc, slow cooker & more! RSVP: sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/enjoy-…

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 19, 2012

It’s not just Baby Talk! #Mompact Twitter Party July 26 – Join US!

One of the most difficult times I had after my first daughter was born was a couple months in when the “new baby” novelty wore off. I was sleep deprived, stressed, and lonely from missing all the “adult” time I had been used to for so long. Are you feeling that need for more connection with other adults? Then join us for a #Mompact Twitter Party on Thursday, July 26 at 9pm ET. We’ll talk about babies, have prizes, connect with moms from all over, and focus on YOU too! Grab some wine, or tea, and tweet away with us.

We’ll be highlighting some great products for babies that were all invented by moms — regular moms like you who had a problem and discovered a solution.

It’s not just Baby Talk! #Mompact Twitter Party!

Date: Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Time: 9-10 PM ET
Moderator: @Mompact
Assistant Moderators:
@TheIQMom, @SunandSipCups, @HorridHousewife
Topic/Focus: Baby and Mom
Hashtag: #Mompact

Prizes: Baby Dipper Bowl, Sticky Bellies Milestone Stickers, Baby Fashion from Liv and Lily, DiaperBuds
PaciPlushies Universal Pacifier Plush Attachment, Babee Cover 6-in-1 Covee, and MORE to be announced soon!
Questions: Email Nicole at mompactpromo@gmail.com
Join Us: TweetGrid

Pre-Tweet to Win!

Join @Mompact for the #Mompact Twitter Party 7/26 at 9-10 PM EST for the chance to win Baby swag! sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/its-no…

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 19, 2012

Anyone who tweets this from now until the #Mompact Twitter Party will be eligible to win $10 Amazon gift card!

About the Party:

Check out our current giveaway which ends Sunday. You could win the whole bundle for baby including a CuddleCloth, HappiTummi, Appeteether, Babee Covee, PaciPlushies, and Bunvelope! Join us as we chat about our summer plans, great ideas for keeping kids entertained during those long summer days, and great products to help make it all easy!

RSVP NOW!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 19, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Blogging Events | No Comments

Potty Training Tips: Keeping It Going & Making it Fun

Potty Training: Phase 2, Keeping it Going… So, last month I told you guys about our start to this new adventure in Potty Training. And, while we haven’t seen as much success so far as I’d hoped – I have to remind myself, it’s only been about a month. SHE is ready. And I AM ready too. It’s just that potty training a toddler isn’t as simple as you both being ready – you also need a plan, the right gear and info, and some cool resources to make the whole process a little bit more fun.

The right gear for potty training a toddler

Part of having a good plan for potty training is to get the right gear. I totally advise having your little one help you pick out a potty chair, since that makes them more excited about using it. We LOVE ours from Munchkin – {disclaimer: We got this one free, since Abby was a member of the Munchkin Bunch.} It has a spot for flushable wipes, a deodorizer tablet that pops right in the lid, and will also work as a step stool once Abby moves to the big potty. Another great product to check out is Tidy Tots – this makes clean up when potty training amazingly simple, seriously. You can use the Potty Timer on the Pull-Ups site that I told you about last time to schedule in your plan – and it will give you a fun alert when it’s time to head to the potty again. Very helpful when you’re a busy mom trying to remember a million things each day! {For more potty training tips, see the infographic at the bottom of the post too.}

Disney Character Call makes Potty Training Fun!

I’d heard that having a “Character Call” from the Pull-Ups site was super helpful in keeping kids excited and motivated for potty training, so we scheduled one for ourselves. You have the choice to pick Cinderella, or Mater, from Cars. Since our DVD player still isn’t working, and Abby doesn’t know one of my favorite princesses, but she watches Cars all the time with her cousins – I chose to have Mater call her. And as you can see… She was super super surprised! She never gets to talk on the phone {we use Skype to keep in touch with our far away family} – so at first she was kind of confused as to why we were handing her the phone, lol. It cracks me up how worried she is for a minute… Then at the end, she realizes who it is, but she calls all of the cars on that show “McQueen.” She listened intently to the rest of the message, and finally got a smile. Then when it was over she was upset and wanted to call him again! She told us all night – “McQueen? Phone? Potty time?” We’ll have to try this again so she can hear the whole message – you can hear it yourself on the Pull-Ups Potty Break site – it gives kids a “Keep up the good work!” type of encouraging call to keep them excited about their progress. This is definitely a tool we’ll keep using!

Schedule your own Potty Break call with Cinderella or Mater today!

Browse more data visualizations.

Tell me, what are YOUR best potty training tips?

{Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Pull-Ups. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating. All video, opinions, and experiences shared here are 100% my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 18, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 8 Comments

Daily Deal Site that Brings Deals to Cities the Other Guys Often Miss

Good looking AND smart? Sign up, and you can be both!… Ok, there are a million daily deal type sites out there, I know. But admit it – you might say you’re not interested in signing up for any new ones – but secretly, you’re always still on the look out for the next best thing. {I know I am… } Well, when I heard about this new site, SpottedFox.com, I was a little skeptical. But let me tell ya why I’m totally a fan now, and what made me add them to my must-watch list of awesome deal sites…

$49 for $200 of Furniture at Mor Furniture for Less – OVER 75% OFF!

Ok, the first BIG thing that sold me was this deal – this is available at any stores here in Washington or Oregon, and is seriously pretty freakin’ amazing. They have some gorgeous room sets, so this money could go a LONG way towards upgrading your space. Plus, I have a really hard time finding deal sites that actually have things for cities like mine that aren’t the BIGGEST city in the state. So that fact that this is a daily deal site for Yakima & the Tri-Cities is pretty awesome. {Loads of other smaller cities too – check for yours today!}

With Spotted Fox you are in charge of the deals that you receive

Instead of wasting time reviewing deal after deal that is not relevant to you, we allow you to tell us in advance which deals will interest you. During the sign up process, we give you the option to customize your account so that you only receive the offers that match your interests! We also make it easy to sign up for other cities that you visit, so you can take advantage of our offers when you travel.You can change these any time you like in your Account Settings page. If you haven’t already, sign up and give it a try. If you have signed up, make sure that you have customized your Account Settings so that we send you ONLY the deals that you want.

Ready to check it out?

A deal site that caters to smaller cities that the other guys often miss, has HUGE discounts on stuff that you actually want to buy – and sends you ONLY the deals you want to see? Yep, that’s what you get when you sign up at Spotted Fox. Hope you join me today!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 17, 2012 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | 2 Comments

Keeping Baby Happy & Healthy: $150 Prize Package! #Mompact

Raising a happy, healthy baby

One of the best cards I got when I was pregnant had this note in it… “You have new life ahead of you soon. Not only is there a new babies life babies, but your life will be filled with new experiences, joys, and learning too. Cherish the challenges. They’ll help you both grow…” So sweet, and so true. I thought of that little bit of advice when looking at this giveaway package – such a great bunch of products that are just perfect for solving some of those early challenges, while making life a little more comfortable for you both.

Baby products that do double duty for mom too

One of my fave mom-invented products from this giveaway is the Bunvelope – It’s a perfect example of the type of smart solution I love, a product that does it’s job during the baby days, and then easily transitions to a great everyday item for mom too. It’s meant to be a diaper wipes holder – and I LOVE the little plastic insert that keeps a perfect portion of wipes handy. But once you no longer need the case to hold diapers, it’s designed in such classy prints that you can totally use it as a cosmetics bag for you. {It’s a great solution when you travel too – since you can’t bring many liquids on a plane, baby wipes are your perfect make-up remover.}

Read my full review on this product line here – Buti-Bag: Structure with Style.

Want to know more about the other great products in this giveaway too?

All of these great products are mom-invented by women just like you, who saw a challenge in their busy life, and came up with a smart idea to solve it! And aren’t we all so glad that they did? Learn a little more about some of these great ideas on Mompact.com – or read reviews from other moms who tried them out in their real life:

Paci-Plushies: Adventures in lost pacifiers
Cuddle Cloth: Bath time tips for you and your baby, and Brilliant bath finds
Appeteether: Teether, Teether on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?, and Happy Healthy Baby review
Happi Tummi: Homemaidsimple.com, and Do you have a happy healthy baby?

Want to win one of these adorable bags – PLUS all of the other smart products listed in the graphic above?? Then use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in. You can do as few – or as many! – as you’d like. The more you enter, the more chances you have to win, so bookmark this page to come back daily for the bonus tweet entry! One lucky lady takes home this WHOLE prize package – worth over $150 bucks! Have fun & Good Luck!

Feelin’ Lucky? Enter to win all the other prizes I’ve put together for you guys this month – listed in the sidebar!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 17, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 1 Comment

Turn a Diaper Wipes Holder into a Cosmetics Bag for Mom

Chic and modern accessories created for women & babies. Mom-designed with today’s active lifestyle in mind…. Baby gear is cute, right? So darn cute actually, that you probably bought double the amount of baby stuff you actually needed when you were in those early days. I remember thinking that it seemed totally logical to have a fully stocked diaper bag for dad, and two for me – {a mini for quick trips out, and a full size for day trips} – even though we both work from home…. What was I thinking?? Lol. But it’s not totally your fault – it’s also partly due to the barrage of marketing that you face as a new mom – it can be super hard to wade through that and figure out exactly what it is you truly need. And that is why I’m here to share the first of a new series of posts to show you some great products that are worth your bucks – things that easily transition from baby, to toddler, and then into pieces that you can use yourself too! Ready? Ok – first product is from one of my FAVE brands: Buti-Bag.

The Bunvelope from Buti-Bag

This is such a smart solution – which is how you know it was invented by a mom, right? Yep, the Buti-Bag line of super trendy gear was started by a totally awesome chick named Nicole, {who I was lucky enough to get to meet and hang out with a bit at Reviewer’s Retreat recently} – read a little more about how her quest for a bag that could hold diaper essentials that was not only smart and versatile, but stylish too, led her to start her company. Love it. And I love all of her products too – here are a few reasons why:

Prints: Baby patterns and character designs are cute, but I’m more of a fan of modern prints. I had a super tough time finding gear to match the decor of my home, or diaper bag accessories that could transition to my purse without screaming “MOM OF A BABY” – which is why I absolutely adore all of the prints and materials that are used in all of Buti-Bag’s products.
USA: All Buti-Bag products are made right here in the USA. We all complain about how hard that is to find these days, so make sure to show this great company some support!
Multi-Taskers: I love, love, LOVE that since these don’t look like a baby product {although there are so many cute prints you’re sure to find the perfect one to match your theme} – so you can totally use them after that first year or two. They’re made so well that they last that long too!

So, well-made products created right here in the USA, in gorgeous fabrics and trims, that give you more than your money’s worth by pulling double duty after baby gets bigger? How much better can you get, honestly?

Trendy Diaper Wipes Case that looks sleek in your bag

Abby is almost 2, and we’ve started the potty training phase, but are still using Pull-Ups – which means I still haul a diaper bag with us when we’ll be away for more than a couple of hours. But I also like to have a stash of supplies in my regular purse – because as you know, an accident can happen even when you’re only out of the house for 5 minutes. But since I want something that can stay in my purse all the time, I want something that still looks cute – It’s embarrassing to finally get a girls night out, and have the waiter at a trendy new club see your nursery-rhyme covered wipes holder in your bag. Ugh. So I love that this just looks like a cute make-up bag or clutch.

Turn a Diaper Wipes Holder into a make-up bag for mom

As Abby gets bigger – I’ll be able to use this fun holder for my cosmetics… Which is what I’ve been doing when I travel. I love that I can have the wipes in the little resealable envelope – perfect for removing cosmetics – and it fits a surprisingly big selection of my fave pretty products. This makes it absolutely perfect for heading out to the gym, or traveling by plane. And – remember when I said it’s really well made? Well, the pics above were taken just a few days ago, but I’ve been using this bag for a few months. I throw it in my bag with TONS of other junk, toss it in the wash when needed, and it’s still looking new and crisp. This little Bunvelope rocks.

The Buti-Bag Co – Structure with Style

As you can see – the selection of prints and patterns is just perfect. The product line also includes the Bundle bag, super soft blankets, accessories like the Binkmeister, and the most stinkin’ adorable little iron-on bell bottoms you’ll ever find. {Stay tuned for Abby’s fashion shoot for back to school to show those off too!}

Shop the Buti-Bag selection of mom-designed modern accessories for moms and babies today – Sign up for their email to stay updated on new products and promotions too!

{Disclaimer: As a consultant working with Mompact.com to support women in business, I receive a complimentary sample from Buti-Bag to review and share with you. Only the best products make it onto this site. All photos, opinions, and over-use of the words like “amazing” and “awesome” are my own. Love this brand!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 17, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments