Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 127 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

How to project videos from your phone to any surface – #3MSummerFun

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” – The Wonder Years…. Here are a few things that I love – Family and friends, photos and videos, tech that’s simple but super smart. Combine those all into one amazingly cool gadget, and you’ve got the new 3M Mobile Projector. This is one of the most awesome ideas that I’ve seen in a very long time – and as a blogger, I get introduced to a TON of new gadgets and products every day. So when I tell you that THIS is one of the best I’ve seen, you know it’s goooooood…..

“We do not remember days; we remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese

As you can see, this baby is a powerhouse – there are SO many rad ways that you can use it!! When we got ours to test out for a couple of weeks, my big plan was to do a super fun outdoor “Drive-In” style movie night. When I was a kid, I just adored watching my fave films at our local drive-in, but it closed down about 10 years ago, so none of the kiddos in my family have had that experience. But, we’ve had a rough week around here. Every single one of us has been sick, and we’ve had crazy rain and lightening storms. {Check the news for Washington state lightening storms – it’s been a mess!} So I had to settle for checking out the fun photos from my friend Jennifer at Makobi Scribe – I was totally jealous of their kid’s Make Your Own Drive-In party. Super cool.

So I asked: “What else can you do with the 3M Mobile Projector?

And oh baby, there are SO many answers to that question! Let me share some of my favorite features of this sweet gadget, and some cool ways that we used it in my home. But warning: if you read this, you are going to be so in love that you will grab your wallet and head out to buy one of these right away too. So only keep reading if you’re ready for a little tech shoppin’….

It doesn’t get much cooler than this

So, I love gadgets, but I do tend to be a little bit tech-challenged. Since this looked so uber duber cool, I thought it would be tricky to get started with. But, all I did was unpack these few pieces that came in the package – the Projector itself, a couple of instruction guides, a cord to attach the projector to my iPhone, and a charger. That’s it. Plug one end of the cord into the projector and the other into your phone, pick a video to watch – from YouTube, Hulu, or your own personal videos – and BAM! when you hit play on your phone, you’ll see it projected! Um, that’s it??? Yep, that easy. I was in love at first byte… or something like that. {I’m not totally clear on what a byte is?? Anyway…}

“There are lots of people who mistake their imagination for their memory.” – Josh Billings

Since I was totally unprepared for this to be so simple, I was as surprised as Abby was when a video of her and our puppy Deuce showed up on the kitchen tile. She was hysterical – she jumped right down there on the floor, pointing at our doggie, just a gigglin’ away! Honestly one of those priceless moments. So sweet. I snapped a couple of quick pics, but I had to use Mike’s phone, since my iPhone was already in action with the projector. The photos weren’t real clear, so I thought I’d get a few more to show you how crazy-awesome this is, but I really couldn’t get any to do it justice. When it’s dark enough to see the projected videos clearly – it’s too dark for his phone to take pics. When there’s enough light for good pics, you can’t really see the videos. I guess not ALL tech situations can be as perfectly put together as this projector is! You’ll have to trust me on how cool the images look, but let me share a few cool ways we used this:

Bedtime: Abby has a tough time getting to sleep lately. She never wants to stay in her crib {which is still in our bedroom until my brother moves out of the other bedroom} and usually ends up with us. But when I set up the projector to shine a movie onto the ceiling above her bed, she is able to calm down and drift off to sleep watching Tangled. Thank you 3M!
Family Videos: Grandma can’t see those bitty images on my iPhone, no matter how adorable they are. But she was so amazed to watch them projected up onto the living room wall. This is an awesome way to share fun photos too.
Running Errands: We had a couple of doctors appointments this week, plus sick kids to go to them, which usually leads to crabby demeanors. But when I projected videos onto the back of the seats while we drove, then shined funny YouTube clips onto the floor of the waiting room – I made not just ours but all the OTHER kids pretty darn happy too!

I can see this being a huge hit at our backyard BBQ parties too – to share old videos and pics of the guests, funny videos or music clips to liven things up – or a great movie beamed up onto the patio wall! Love, love, LOVE everything about this projector. {Did I tell you that I love it?}

Family fun just got epic

The 3M Mobile Projector connects to Apple products like your iPhone or iPad. You have about 2 hours of juice per charge – plenty of time for almost any movie – {if you wanted to watch a super long one, just use it somewhere that it can be plugged in to charge while playing, no worries.} You can watch your own videos, share your photos, or view flicks from YouTube, Netflix, iTunes, and more! You can even purchase an additional tri-pod to make set up even easier. To learn more about how insanely cool this is – plus get specs, and more cool visuals of it in use – visit 3Mmobileprojectors.com today!

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter too to stay updated on new products and promotions!

How to project videos from your phone to any surface –sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/how-to… #3MSummerFun

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 17, 2012

{Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of 3M and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Tech Tips | No Comments

Movies On Demand Summer Schedule + Giveaway!!

This summer – stay cool with family movie nights!… I love, love, LOVE family movie night here in our house. Every other week I pick a new movie we’re excited to see, put together a fun themed dinner and snacks menu, then save time and money by renting it that night, right when we’re ready to watch it, through Movies On Demand! It’s a simple and inexpensive way to make regular weeknights a little more fun for me and the kids. Plus – I’m a big fan of On Demand for most of my other movie watchin’ needs too – I’m one of those people who has a tough time with places where you pick movies to be mailed to you. I’m never in the same mood when they arrive, they sit there for a week, then I send ’em back and get more that I’m not really in the mood for either, lol. So being able to pick my movies right when I want to watch them is a much better solution for me!

There are loads of great movies available right now in Movies On Demand – like John Carter, Mirror Mirror, and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. And one that looks totally hilarious – featuring one of my fave funny guys Jason Segel – is available to view until 9/29… And you can WIN a party pack to have your own movie night with friends too!

The hilarious and critically-acclaimed film Jeff, Who Lives At Home is available from On Demand from 6/15 – 9/29!

To make your experience of this laugh-out-loud comedy even more awesome, we’ve got everything you need to throw your very own “You Don’t Have To Leave Your House-Party!” This at-home viewing kit includes a branded backpack and koozie, bags of candy, potato chips, a t-shirt that says “The first step to finding your destiny is leaving your mother’s basement”, “Hello, My name is Kevin” nametags and wood glue (trust us, the last two will make sense when you see the movie). So fire up the big screen and invite your friends over—you might even get inspired to leave the house.

Want to win it??

Of course you do! So use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in. You can do as few – or as many! – as you want to do. The more of the entries you complete, the more chances you have to win. And what will you win?? Check it out my friends – one lucky winner gets ALL of this:

A $25 Visa Gift Card for movie night supplies
Sweet Jeff, Who Lives at Home Prize Pack, which includes:
Branded backpack
Wood Glue
T-shirt
Candy & Snacks for movie night munchin’!

So – get your entries in today, share this giveaway with your friends online too, and make sure to catch Jeff, Who Lives at Home, and the other great summer movies in the Movies On Demand line up this month. {Get the whole Movies On Demand schedule on their site!}

Have fun & Good Luck!

{Disclosure: This sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. I was compensated for my time investment and work on this campaign. Thoughts are my own. All prizing for MSM giveaways is handled by a third party unless otherwise noted. For this reason prize fulfillment can take up to 90 days after the winners information is received.}
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Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 27 Comments

Who was the Wizard of Oz, Really? Find out in Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful… Ok, I’m not usually much of a fan of my favorite childhood classics being remade, or new movies based off of the original stories. As a child, you grow so attached to the characters, that it’s hard sometimes to watch any new imaginings of them, you know? But this new film – from the producer of “Alice in Wonderland”, and the director of the “Spiderman” trilogy, doesn’t remake anything – what it does is give us a background story of one of the more elusive characters in the original movie – the Wizard of Oz himself.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013

Here’s a little hint of what’s to come… “Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.” Want to see a sneak peek? Check it out:

How awesome is this?

I can remember watching cartoons on a black and white TV when I was a little girl. We grew up pretty darn poor, and it was awhile before my mom was able to upgrade us from our fuzzy little black and white box to a big full sized color TV. I remember one of the first movies that we watched on it was Wizard of Oz… I was SO mad when it started out in black and white! Heck, we just got a color TV, I didn’t want to watch movies that were black and white on purpose! But my mom told me to just hold on, be patient, and to keep watching, and that I’d be happy I did. And like mothers always are – she was right. When Dorothy arrived in Oz, and everything suddenly brightened into vivid color – I knew just how she felt, finally seeing things in color like that :)

So – I am just super excited to see this when it arrives in theaters!

I spent hours as a little girl reading my Wizard of Oz books, playing with the Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch dolls that mom had sewed for me, and dreaming about a wonderful world of Oz. And it’s now one of Abby’s favorite movies too! She watched it for the first time months ago with Grandma and I – she cried “Oh no!!! Come back!!!” when Toto runs away, when he’s scared of the storm. She was frightened of the witch and the flying monkeys, and simply delighted by the singing munchkins and the funny scarecrow. It was seriously wonderful to watch it with both of them, and relive that feeling of being a kid. I can’t wait to see how this new story, telling how the Wizard of Oz came to be, brings more depth to my old favorite. This is going right onto my serious MUST-WATCH list!

Do you remember the first time you watched Wizard of Oz? Share with me in the comments….

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

How do you keep the love alive through the years? #HopeSprings

“It’s not too late for anyone who truly wants it and is willing to try.” – ‪#HopeSprings…‬ I don’t talk about my relationship much on this site. Mike’s kind of a private guy, so I try not to spill the beans on that part of my life too often. {Ok, maybe I share some secrets with my bestie girlfriends sometimes, even though I tell him I don’t. But that’s different… Lol.} But, to celebrate the launch of a seriously great new movie coming out that I’m pretty excited about, I agreed to do a few posts sharing a little more about us. So here goes…

Our Story…

I met Mike at the completely wrong time. I was just coming out of a bad breakup, and had no interest whatsoever in meeting anyone new. I went out with a girlfriend for drinks one night, and while I honestly almost never notice guys while I’m out {seriously, I don’t. I’m vary wary of guys I don’t know. There are just too many creeps out there.} – I did notice Mike. He’d walked by a couple of times, and it surprised me that I did notice him. He was cute. Nice eyes. But again – not interested. Not a good time. So when my best friend who worked at the bar came over to bring me a drink, and told me that Mr. Nice Eyes had bought it for me – I was a little thrown for a loop. Should I say hi? Invite him to join us since he was sitting alone? No, I didn’t want to meet anyone, right? So I ignored him.

Change of plans leads to change in my life…

20 minutes later my best friend came back and told me to get my booty over there and at least say thank you – that I wasn’t allowed to be rude to one of her favorite customers, lol. So… I get my courage, head over and ask him to join us, and guess what he says? He says, “No thanks. I’m just going to eat my nachos.” Ugh. And this is why I don’t talk to boys!! Turns out he was just embarrassed I’d ignored him, and wanted to quickly eat his food and leave. Poor guy. And lucky for me, he didn’t… He came to chat. We exchanged numbers. After a couple of lunch dates, we exchanged the best kiss I’d ever had – and I knew, this was the guy I’d been looking for. After an almost-disasterous first meeting, we’ve been together for almost 7 years now, and a beautiful little girl joined us 2 years ago. Expect the unexpected, right??

Celebrating Good times and bad

During those 7 years together, we’ve had tons of ups and downs. So I totally relate to this new Hope Springs movie coming out. It’s about an older married couple who have reached that point where the passion has kind of died down, that spark has dimmed, and uncertainty kind of sets in… Check out the clip, and I bet a lot of you ladies – even if you’re in the earlier stages of your relationship, can still relate to some of this –

Showing appreciation

To keep your relationship rockin’ – and not rocky – I think it’s super important to show your appreciation to each other as often as possible. I know that for us, he thinks I don’t notice the things that he does – like keep the pool clean, the car running smooth, and the house in great condition. But while he might fix the squeaky door or a broken cabinet, I feel like he doesn’t notice that I vacuum the room behind that door, or clean the dishes that go into that cabinet. So, while we work on remembering to say thank you daily for those basic little tasks – we also make sure to use holidays and anniversaries as a chance to give a big thank you to each other for all that we each contribute. And what bigger thank you date is there than your anniversary, right? {It’s September 27th honey, if you forgot….} And since we’re talking about celebrating the ups and downs, I’ll share my best – and worst! – gifts I’ve gotten these past 7 years:

Worst Anniversary Gift: Um, the year he forgot! That would definitely be the worst, lol. I had a really thoughful gift for him {I won’t mention it here, since there’s no need to brag. Let’s just say it was definitely awesome…} and I’d waited all day for him to bring up our anniversary, give me my card or gift, or invite me to dinner. Something. Anything. By 9pm that night I realized that there was no big surprise coming – tossed his gift bag at him and went to bed with a pout. I of course then felt like a meanie pants in the morning when I woke up to flowers and a beautiful card to start my day… He’d gotten the date wrong, and thought it was the 28th. All was forgiven :)
Best Anniversary Gift Ever: The first year we had Abby. He planned a special day for all three of us as a new little family – we got some professional pics done, which I’d been really wanting, I got a mani-pedi, a wonderful dinner for the 3 of us at my favorite restaurant – just perfect. He’s still a keeper.

Share some comments with me – what are your best and worst anniversary memories? Do you relate to the movie clip – trying to keep that first-met first-love type passion going in your relationship after real life settles in? I want to hear your thoughts…. And if you’d like to see more clips of the movie before it comes out next month – connect with them on Pinterest and Facebook too!

Sony Pictures Presents “Hope Springs”, A new comedy from the director of “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s22_Mvikl8.

{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by SONY via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of SONY.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Win a $50 AMEX Gift Card for Summer Entertaining!

The Do’s and Don’ts of Summer Party Hosting

Looking for some ideas to spice up your summer parties? Rentals.com has entertaining tips and how-tos for entertaining at home. They’re also the #1 place to visit when you’re ready for a new place to call home – Rentals.com has all the information that you’ll need to find the perfect property for your family. They can help you choose from rental houses, apartments, condos, and townhouses. And to kick off the summer entertaining season with you – in addition to bringing you great entertaining tips, they’re also going to give one of you lucky readers a free $50 AMEX Gift Card to throw a fun summer celebration with your fave friends and family!

How to enter

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to get your entries in – Remember, you can do as many, or as few, as you want. Each entry gives you more chances to win – so the more you complete, the better odds that YOU will be the lucky winner! And, if you’re feelin’ lucky today, check out the other prizes I’m giving away this month, listed in the sidebar.

Have fun and good luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 48 Comments

Planning Tips for Hosting a Perfect Summer Party

There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them… Who loves to party? You know that I sure do, right? I love any type of party – from a fancy wedding dinner party event, to a barefoot camp out on the beach. But my favorite parties happen right here in my home – with my best-est, most favorite-est friends and family. {Yes, I know I just made up a couple of words…. :)} We entertain here throughout the year, but summertime is my favorite, since we have a pretty awesome outdoor space. So if you’re ready to spice up your summer entertaining, keep reading for some of my fave tips for planning the perfect party:

Looking for some ideas to spice up your summer parties, Rentals.com has entertaining tips and how-tos for entertaining at home!

The most important essential for hosting a successful summer party is planning! A great plan doesn’t have to be complicated, but you want to cover all of the bases – cleaning before and after, a theme, menu and drink choices, decorations, games, favors, and guests. So, here are some easy peasy tips to help you plan ahead for your own perfect party this summer:

Cleaning: We all know that this is a super important part of having guests over, right? Check out a great post on Step-by-Step Quick Cleaning Tips for your Rental Home – these also apply to home owners too. This includes a room-by-room break down on quickly getting your house ready for guests! And, to make clean-up after the party simple too, read my tips on making any party a one-bag party!
Theme: Any party is easier – and much more fun! – with a theme. Whether you go super simple and just pick a couple colors to tie things together, or get more elaborate with a theme like a Summer Luau party, a fun Football party during Superbowl, or a family game night, a theme makes it much simpler to pick your menu, drinks, games, and other fun party stuff.
Food & Drink: If you need some inspiration for super cool party foods and unique drink ideas, check out my boards on Pinterest. You’ll find super fun creations to make for your next summer party – including great ideas for kids foods too.
Decorations, Games, & Favors: These are totally up to you… I personally love to make most of my decor and favors myself – with a little help from fun Dollar Store finds, and party packs from Oriental Trading Company. You can also use free printables for many of your party needs, from invitations to banners, to cupcake toppers. Love these.
Guests: As I mentioned in Neighbor-Friendly Entertaining Do’s & Don’ts, it’s super important to make sure you invite the kind of guests who will not only be respectful of your home, but also of your neighborhood too. If your guests leave empty bottles and cans along the sidewalk as they leave, your neighbors are going to consider that your mistake – and will rightly expect you to clean it up. Not a great way to make friends in your ‘hood, you know?

So, armed with these great tips, anyone can put together a great plan for their next summer party – or a party any other time of the year. One of my favorite sayings has always been, “Failing to plan is like planning to fail,” because it’s just so true. Yes, a party can be put together on the fly, and sometimes you get lucky. But even a last minute party can benefit from just a few quick minutes of planning – make a couple of lists, divide up the tasks between a few trusted helpers, and things should flow much more smoothly!

“Like” Rentals.com on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @Rentals_com to get their latest tips on making the most of your home. When you’re ready for a new place to call home, Rentals.com has the information you’ll need to find the perfect property for your family – choose from rental houses, apartments, condos or townhouses.

What are your best tips for planning a perfect summer party? Share ’em in the comments!

{Disclosure: Rentals.com and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products featured, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.The winner of this giveaway will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party. Photo Credit: Chronogram.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 16, 2012 Filed Under: Celebrations | 55 Comments

Neighbor-Friendly Entertaining Do’s & Don’ts

“I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.” – Nancie J. Carmody… As you know, I love to entertain. Especially during the summer months, since we have a pretty great outdoor space with the pool and patio here in our new house. But, while entertaining at home can be a blast, it also comes with quite a few challenges too! So, with a little inspiration from my good friends over at Rentals.com and Apartment Guide, I’ve put together a smart set of solutions for your next party – check ’em out:

“Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor’s noisy party than being there.” – Unknown

Even though our home is on a pretty big piece of land, we still have neighbors that are close enough to hear all of the good times happening out at the patio and pool. And if you’re living in a neighborhood where the houses are really close to each other, or even an apartment building or duplex, then you know that it’s NO fun listening to someone’s big party when you’re trying to sleep! So here are a few tips to solve that problem during the next party your throw at home:

Meet & Invite the Neighbors: This is especially important if you’ll be entertaining while living in an apartment – and it’s a great way to meet your neighbors if you’re new to the area. {Want tips on how to break the ice with new neighbors? Easy peasy ideas that really work.} So, DO head on over and introduce yourself, give them an invite to your upcoming party, and be sure to leave them your number if they won’t be able to make it – so that they can let you know if things get too noisy. When approached in a friendly way like this, most people are a lot more likely to overlook a little extra noise. DON’T just party away all night long and expect the neighbors to still love ya in the morning!
Plan Ahead: We’re lucky to have a big area out back for parking – but at my old house, we could only fit 3 cars in the driveway. That meant people had to park on the road, which sometimes would block my neighbors parking – which is NOT a good thing! So, if you have limited parking too, DO come up with a plan before the party, and make sure to communicate that to all of your guests. And, make sure that you plan your seating areas well – DON’T put a bunch of tables and chairs right next to your neighbors fence, where the talking and jokes may be loud enough for them to bothered by. Keep seating closer to your own home, and make sure to have areas to move inside when it gets late.
Mind the Music: Loud music is part of having a good time, I know. But, if you’re entertaining outdoors, please remember that other families nearby may not appreciate those sweet tunes you love so much when they’re keeping their toddler awake at 11pm. So, be fair to those around you, DO drop the volume after 10pm.
Know your Friends: Remember that your neighbors will see your guests as an extension of yourself – if they are outside being obnoxious until late hours, use a lot of profanity where children can hear it, leave empty cans or bottles in the yard or along the street – your neighbors are going to consider that your responsibility. So DO make sure that the buddies you invite over will be respectful of you, and your neighborhood, and DON’T invite that friend who always drinks too much and starts a fight.

With a little bit of extra care and planning, you can make sure that your next party isn’t just fun for you and your guests – you’ll also ensure that it’s a great experience for your neighbors too! Whether they decide to join you in the festivities, or are just pleasantly surprised by the care you take to keep things calm, cool, and under control when guests stay late – either way, you’ve definitely made some new friends in the neighborhood! And hey – maybe they’ll invite you to their next sweet party too, right? Good times.

“Like” Rentals.com on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @Rentals_com to get their latest tips on making the most of your home. Rentals.com is the #1 online source for single family home rentals, apartments and houses for rent. You can also find tons more sweet tips for entertaining in a smaller space on the Rentals.com blog.