Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 152 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Girls Night Out + Cinco de Mayo = Good Times #CoronaRita

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Cinco de Mayo is coming up soon – {Please don't ask me what date it's on. It's the 5th of May, silly.} – And, you know that I LOVE any reason to celebrate and party it up! We usually do a big BBQ at the house – but with the weather so rainy this year, I'm thinking that instead, I'll plan a girl's night out. While I was looking for spots to gather my girls at – I found a PERFECT party place – Chilli's! Want to know why it's perfect for a Cinco de Mayo Girl's Night Extravaganza? Keep reading and I'll tell you…. {Oh the suspense! I know.}

Do you love your margarita so much that you want to buy it a beer?

Then you are going to love my new favorite drink that makes Happy Hour even happier – The CoronaRita at Chili's. Sounds good, right? Pair it with the $20 Dinner for 2 options, and you've got some good times. The $20 Dinner for 2 is my favorite because each pair splits an appetizer like chips and salsa or guacamole, then gets to pick their own entree. To keep with the theme, grab something like the Margarita Grilled Chicken, or Quesadilla Explosion Salad. Seriously, you cannot find many better dinner and drinks options for a Cinco de Mayo night out than this. Love it.

Check in with Friends for a Free Appetizer

If you're a FourSquare junkie like I am – make sure to check in to Chilli's during Happy Hour any day of the wek to get a totally free appetizer! Free is my favorite price. And – every location is a little different I'm sure, but our local Chilli's has tons of daily specials on drinks and dinners – and always has awesome deals during Happy Hour. So – grab your girls from their boring cubicals, and bring 'em to Chili's ANY night this month, for some good times, good food, and amazingly good drinks!

Have fun – but be smart

You already know this – but remember – You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages, and as always – PLEASE remember to drink responsibly. A cab is way cheaper than a DUI ladies. But you're all super duper smarty pants types, so I don't need to tell you that, right? :)

Want more awesome Cinco de Mayo party ideas and fashion inspiration? Check out my board on Pinterest!

Google Image Result for http___www.findthatlogo.com_wp-content_uploads_2011_07_chili-large-logo.jpg.jpg

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 1, 2012 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

Stumble Tumble Tuesday – 5/1

Stumble Tumble Tuesday!

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday hosted by Acting Balanced and me – Sunshine and Sippy Cups! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic. So read on, link up, and join the fun!

NEW TO STUMBLEUPON?

Please read this post to learn how to check to see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, which takes away the fun for everyone. Take a sec to read it if you’re unsure – thanks! Now learn – How to Join the Party:

Add a link. Link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT just a link your main site.
Make sure your link is StumbleUpon appropriate. SU is for “evergreen” content – posts that are just as interesting and relevant next year as it is today. Topics like recipes, crafts, tips, and humor are all great. There are loads of categories that also work well on StumbleUpon too – to see more, check out your homepage on StumbleUpon for ideas.
Stumble other posts. You don’t have to Stumble them all – The whole point is to find posts that you truly do like. StumbleUpon only works well for you if you’re giving thumbs up’s to content you truly enjoy – so check out some posts, and thumbs up the ones you love!
Check to make sure that your stumble went through. You can do this by clicking on the “Info” icon. It’ll tell you if it was discovered or not. The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar – most posts should already be discovered, so you just quickly give ‘em a thumbs up, and move on to Stumble more fun stuff. Easy peasy.
Please – Do not add your link if you aren’t going to Stumble anyone else’s posts. That’s like showing up to the party and forgetting to bring the drinks. It’s just not cool, man. And remember – One link per blog please.

When everyone participates, this is a super fun way to find really cool new content, fun new blogs to follow, and learn new things. And, if you have a great post to share, StumbleUpon can be a wonderful tool to bring new traffic to your best work too. Love it, right?

THE MORE THE MERRIER!

Parties are more fun with friends – so feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your own blog, and help us spread the word. The linky code is down below! TIP: The first person to “like” a post on StumbleUpon has to assign it to a category. If your post has not been discovered yet, please leave the category you would like it to be discovered in next to your link title. Example: Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (food). Thanks!

HAVE FUN WITH IT AND LET’S DISCOVER AND STUMBLE SOME POSTS!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 1, 2012 Filed Under: Blog Hops | 2 Comments

Learn how the #IcedCoffee Challenge put $121 bucks in my pocket

You guys know that I love coffee, right? I’ve told you what my life is like when something happens and I don’t get my coffee, and about my crazy life that drives me to drink…. too much coffee each day. But, while I am totally and completely content to drink regular home-brewed coffee in the mornings most days, I have serious iced coffee cravings in the afternoon – and prefer it in the mornings too as the weather gets warmer. The trouble is, those iced drinks at the coffee house add up really quickly! So, since I’m a finder of “Smart Solutions for Busy Moms” – I found a solution!

The Iced Coffee Challenge Results

Remember way back at the beginning of the month when I started this Iced Coffee Challenge? Well, I estimated that I spend around $4 bucks a day on a coffee house drink – although there are quite a few days when I drink more than one! But based on JUST one per day, the awesome little counter widget in my sidebar shows me that I’ve already saved $121.87 this month!!! Can you believe that? Over $100 extra bucks in my pocket, just by switching to the International Delight Iced Coffee, that comes in a carton so I can serve it at home. And the best part? This stuff is seriously good. Like, addicting good. I’ve never ever found an iced coffee drink that I could buy off the shelf and actually enjoy – but this totally rocks.

My new morning routine

Pretty fresh flowers from our garden, my local daily paper, and a big glass of creamy and delicious iced coffee at home = Perfection. With the weather finally getting warmer, there is nothing better than relaxing on the deck in the early morning, feeling some sunshine on my face, while drinking this stuff over ice. And, it’s not just me lovin’ it and savin’ big bucks. Check out everyone else’s stories and savings results on Twitter – just search #IcedCoffee.

Seriously delicious savings

There is no way that you can tell me that doesn’t look amazing. And if your dreaming of how good it might be right now – you will NOT be disappointed when you try it in real life. It’s my new favorite drink – and in total honesty, it’s better than most of the coffee house drinks I used to buy anyway! And since I’m on a super strict budget to save for our airfare to Reviewer’s Retreat {where I’m speaking – yay!}, and BlogHer, the $100+ bucks a month that I’m saving will be a HUGE help in paying those expenses. What could YOU do with an extra hundred bucks next month? Find out by switching YOUR coffee house drinks to new International Delight Iced Coffee too!

Follow International Delight on Facebook and Twitter – for updates on new products and promotions!

{Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All experiences, results, overuse of the word “awesome”, and photos are my own!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 30, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 7 Comments

How to Build a Better Smile – #CrestSponsored

Keeping Kids Smiles Bright!

About a month ago, I told you guys about a new challenge we were doing – We started following the Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control regimen, where we’d try out some of the new products, and build some better brushing habits in our house. Well, I can tell ya – the kids and I loved every single product we tried out. And we are definitely switching to this floss – we were all really impressed with how easy the Glide floss is to use.

How to Build a Better Smile

I love seeing those great big grins on the kiddo’s faces – so it’s totally important to me to protect them from yucky stuff like cavities and stains. The video above shares some great info – and here are a few tips we use at my house:

Make sure that everyone has a good routine – brushing, flossing, and rinsing both morning and night. {A fun way to make sure kids brush long enough is to get the Twooth Timer, a cute little gadget that has made my life SO much easier!}
Use the best products. The Pro-Health line from Crest and Oral-B is awesome because most of the products do double duty – cleaning, whitening, and even protecting!
Brush smart: You should brush for about 2 minutes, twice a day. Harder is NOT better – that can lead to over-sensitive teeth. Use a rinse with fluoride – swish about 2 teaspoons full in your mouth for 1 minute, twice a day. And remember to change to a new toothbrush every 3 months. {We write the date on the handle when we purchase new ones!}

There are also some great books to get little ones excited about brushing time, like Brush Your Teeth Please Pop-Up Book. Abby loved that one, and she thinks that brushing her teeth is so cool that she steals the other toothbrushes out of the cabinet and walks around the house brushing with them. {That means I’ve been buying everyone a lot of new toothbrushes lately, lol.} So – get your family motivated to do a Pro-Health Challenge too! Pick up the products at your local drugstore or Walmart, and see how well they all work together – it’s an awesome little system. And build brighter smiles for your family this year too!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and Oral-B and received product samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 30, 2012 Filed Under: Reviews | No Comments

What did YOU expect when you were expecting? #Giveaway

What did YOU expect when you were expecting?

I think we all probably read at least part of the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting when we were pregnant, right? Whether you were like me and bought it the minute you found out you were having a baby, got it as a shower gift, or just browsed it in a waiting room before for one of the many doctors appointments – It’s a safe bet that most women who’ve had a baby relied on the advice in this book. And now, it’s being updated into a movie – Check out a trailer…

What to Expect when You’re Expecting – Premiers on May 18th

The movie looks hilarious – and while it’s not really based on the book, it does fit perfectly – It’s all about that nervousness and anticipation we all felt during our first pregnancy.

To celebrate the launch of the movie, Playtex Baby is doing a really fun giveaway!

What did you least expect when you were pregnant or a new Mom? We all have great stories to share, and Playtex Baby wants to hear them! Starting April 16th Playtex Baby is holding a contest on their Facebook page, asking Moms to share candid, unexpected moments of pregnancy and motherhood. They will be selecting daily winners, as well as a grand prize winner who will be flown to LA for the premiere of What To Expect When You’re Expecting. The film will feature Playtex Baby products including the Playtex® Nurser with Drop-Ins® Liners and the Playtex® Diaper Genie® Disposal System! So what are you waiting for – log on and share your story today!

I’d love to hear YOUR story too – What surprises did you have during your pregnancy or delivery? Share in the comments….

{Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Playtex Baby. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 30, 2012 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Six Movies. One Epic Day. $40 Ticket: #TheAvengers Movie Marathon Event & Giveaway!

Six Movies. One Epic Day. $40 Ticket.

How cool is THAT, right?? If you’re an action movie fan, or have kiddo’s who love Marvel movies – then you cannot miss this event. Starting at 11:30 a.m. on May 3, AMC Theatres will show the Ultimate Marvel® Movie Marathon: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger —followed by the midnight premiere of Marvel’s The Avengers!

Marvel’s The Avengers Official Movie Trailer

I am super excited to see this when it comes out, and the boys in our house are going crazy for it already. I’m sure there are a ton of you moms out there who know what I’m talking about, lol. So, if you’re big Marvel fans, here’s some info for ya:

Find participating theater locations: AMC Theaters showing the Ultimate Marvel Movie Marathon. Scroll down towards the bottom to find your closest theater, and click to see if tickets are still available.
Win a Red Carpet Trip: Enter to win a trip for 4 to the Marvel Movie Premier in 2013, $2,000 spending money, a signed movie poster, and 1 Million Wyndham Rewards points to use towards hotel and transportation! {If you’re not a rewards member yet, you can quickly sign up for free to enter!}

Super cool stuff, right? This movie event is going to be pretty darn epic! We don’t have ANY theaters in Washington where I can go and see this – but I had to share with you guys when I heard about it this morning, because I know some of you will be able to go. If you buy tickets, let me know how it was!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 29, 2012 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Kate Spade Spring Fashion Giveaway – $425

Are you ready to own a sweet new Kate Spade handbag?

I’ve joined up for another fun giveaway event with some great blogging buddies! We teamed up to give you a chance to win this awesome navy Kate Spade purse, perfect for spring, valued at $425! Can you say, amazing!!

Powered by Madame Deals and Slop Swap

Thank you to our hosts for helping run this great event: Become a Coupon Queen, Deals In Heels, Coupons For Your Family, Shopping Tips and Tricks. You know that I’m totally excited for spring fashions, and this bag would be the perfect addition to any outfit, from casual to super dressy! I’m super in love.

Giveaway will run April 30 12:01 am EST – May 10 11:59 pm EST

You have a lot of chances to WIN! To enter, first complete the mandatory entry, the click “I did it!” Then it will unlock the bonus entries, and you can enter as few, or as many, as you like. And – if you’re feelin’ lucky, check out the list in my sidebar of all the other awesome prizes I’m giving away this month!