Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 156 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Family Movie Night Ideas – Feed Your Zoo! #iLovemyK9

Family Movie Night Idea – “We Bought a Zoo”

We love family nights – every Friday night we have a movie or game night. We usually rent something from Redbox, but this week we were excited to buy a new movie – the kids love, love, LOVE animals, so after we watched the trailer for the new release We Bought a Zoo, I knew that it would be perfect for us. I headed out to Walmart to see if I could find it, and grab fun snack stuff too – we always do themed foods and treats to go along with our movies or games. Makes things a little more fun – and it leads to some pretty silly family nights, like our recent Super Mario Bros Wii party night! Good times.

Family Movie Night – Feeding MY Zoo!

I sure feel like I have a zoo around here – my goodness! I’ve got two incredibly wild little nephews, 5 & 8. I have a super spunky little toddler – she turns 2 this summer. Then my Mister, my younger brother, and grandma all live here too – Plus the 5 dogs! Whew. That’s a lot of super hungry tummies to keep full! To feed the kiddo’s, I bought fun animal-themed snacks – Goldfish Chocolate Crackers, Teddy Grahams, and frosted Animal Cookies. We mixed ’em up in a big bowl, and let every scoop a few handfuls of zoo animals into their own little bowls. I also made some super fun dipped peeps, little bunnies, to keep with the animal theme. {You can see our full Walmart Shopping Trip in my Google+ album, for more ideas and info.}

Family Movie Night – Dogs are invited too!

No, this is not a zebra dog. This is my little four-legged baby – his name is Deuce, and he’s a Shih-Tzu, not a swiffer mop. It’s easy to confuse the two, lol. He loves cuddling up on his pillow to watch movies with us – which is why I made sure to pick up some great snacks for him to share with grandma’s dogs. We got a couple of boxes of Milk Bones, since those are his favorite, and a couple packages of Milo’s Kitchen snacks too. It was an awesome time to purchase them – right now at Walmart, selected packs have a coupon on them – If you buy 2 participating Del Monte pet products {which includes Meow Mix, Kibbles ‘n Bits, Milo’s Kitchen, Milk Bone, and PupPeroni} – you’ll save $4 bucks when you purchase We Bought a Zoo on DVD. Awesome, right? You can also find some cool features on Del Monte Pet Products in Women’s World magazine and Parade magazine this month.

Family Movie Night – Healthy Treats!

One of our favorite treats are these little Del Monte mandarin orange cups, partially frozen, with a little dab of whip cream on top. The kids LOVE it, and it’s so much healthier than ice cream. If you’re a big fan too, check out the new First for Women magazine to find a .50 cents off coupon. {And, some of my spring gardening tips will be featured in an article there soon – watch for that too!}

I hope you enjoy these tips & ideas – and have a great family movie night of your own!!

Remember – Watch for the great Del Monte coupons to see some sweet savings on snacks for everyone in the family, even the furry ones – plus use them to save $4 bucks off of We Bought a Zoo for your own family movie night. And – let me tell you – this movie is a must-see. It was so sweet, but without being sappy. Even my Mister enjoyed it fully, which means it’s super good, lol. The kids loved all of the fun scenes with the wild animals – and Abby played scared where the lion came on, and hid under the blankets. I loved the emotions in it, and am now totally excited to read the book, too. I don’t want to give too much away – so make sure to buy this one yourself, to see how great it is!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions, ideas, and photos are my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 8, 2012 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Weekly Bloggertunities – 4/4

“Opportunity is always knocking. The problem is that most people have the self-doubt station in their head turned up way too loud to hear it.” – Brian Vaszily

In the blogging world, there are SO many amazing opportunities out there to find. The more networks you join, the more people you connect with, the more posts you write… They all lead you on new paths – and many times to some amazing things. So, in everything that you do, every day – be the type of person that others want to work with. There are so many people that I’ve met over the past year that are awesome – always there to help me, answer questions, or just give me a cyber-high-five when I have cool news to share – there are also other people who seem to want to tear down every idea anyone comes up with, and make sure that everyone knows that they – and their ideas – are the best. But, while being pushy and domineering may get you ahead for awhile, in the long-run, being someone who is known as fun, positive, and helpful will bring you far more success and happiness. So my tip this week is to make sure, in every online interaction that you have, that you are the kind of person that others will want to work with again! :)

Freelance Writing and Guest Posting

Finding new places to share your writing can be a great way to reach new readers, drive new traffic to you site – or just a fun outlet to write about other topics that don’t fit your blog’s niche. {And there area a couple sweet writing contests to enter too!}

Bloggy Momazine: BloggyMoms.com is looking for new writers to add to their current line-up. There’s no info included on whether this is a paid writing opp, or if it’s just a great way to guest post and build traffic – But you can apply here if interested: Write for Bloggy Momazine.
Real Simple: The Simply Stated Blogger Contest – Write a post telling them the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to give up to balance your schedule, and be entered to win a chance to blog for them, and a cash prize. Very cool.
ProBlogger: Enter to win 1 of 10 spots as a Queensland Blogger Correspondent. This is an over-the-top amazing opportunity, and one that I would love so much. I’ve wanted to visit Australia since I was a little girl – it totally intrigues me.
Examiner: I love being able to connect with more local readers through this column, and share some of the really cool things that are going on in my city – that might not be that interesting to readers on my blog. If you’re an expert on a fun topic in YOUR city – sign up as a writer for Examiner.com today.
Blogger LinkUp: This is a cool way to find new opportunities for guest posting, and get quality back-links to your site. Really diverse stuff to choose from – Join Blogger LinkUp.
Squidoo: I’ve heard that this gets addicting really quickly – and I’m eager to get started writing here. The pages you make – called “lenses” – look really cool, and are fun to create. And you can earn bonus extra cash and Amazon sales too.

Have you found some great ways to earn extra income from writing, other than your own blog? Do you do free guest posting, in an attempt to connect with new readers? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!

Monetize Your Site

While there are a million reasons why we blog – and so many amazing experiences that are out there, just waiting to be connected with new bloggers – we do still all have bills to pay, right?

Amazon: This isn’t available in some parts of the country, but if you live in a state that is still eligible, I definitely suggest that all bloggers sign up as an Amazon Affiliate, no matter what type of blog you have. If you have a recipe, you can link to some favorite kitchen gadgets or utensils that are helpful, if you’re writing a review you can link to the product on Amazon, etc.
Integrate: I really like the unique tools available here, and the wide variety of higher paying offers. Plus, for me, the conversions are MUCH better than on many other networks. Join Integrate.com today. {Already using Integrate, but not sure how to work it well? Read How to Get Started with Integrate.com.}
Escalate: My favorite thing about this network? That they pay out around the 10th or so of each month, for the previous month. I don’t know anyone else that pays that fast! Very cool. Join Escalate.com.
MySavings Media: If you post a lot of freebies and deals, this is a perfect network for you. And if you DON’T post those types of deals, you’ll still find some great things here to promote – cooking, baby stuff, crafts, and more. Join MySavings Media.
Logical Media: This was one of the first sites that I joined when I started blogging, and still use it today. Wide variety of offers, and very responsive management team. Join Logical Media.

If you have a favorite network that you use to earn with, feel free to leave a comment with some info on why you love it – with your affiliate link, so we can all join too.

Other Cool Stuff

Here are a few more randomly cool things that I thought you might find helpful, fun, or informative.

Mamavation: They’re looking for some super motivated mommas to join their weight loss bootcamp-from-home course. You’ll turn your life upside down, in a good way! – and they’ll get some awesome swag and support. Apply for Mamavation.
Moo.com: These are the BEST business cards I’ve ever used, and with a busy conference season coming up, it’s a perfect time to upgrade your own business cards to something really rad. There are so many unique ideas, the paper quality rocks, and I totally recommend these – Get awesome blogging business cards. {Check out the mini-cards too – so fun!}
Pinterest: I’ve got a whole board devoted to just Blogging & Social Media tips – there are a ton of really great articles, videos, tips, and tutorials on there. Check it out, and maybe you’ll find some of them helpful too!

Got any randomly cool tips or finds of your own this week? Feel free to share them in the comments! I love reading tips from you guys.

Have a great week!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 5 Comments

Easter Fun: Dipped Baby Chick Cookies

Easter Fun – Treat Recipe

Ok – We didn’t make these ones. This is a fun photo from the Free-n-Fun Easter ideas section on Oriental Trading Company. Super cute, right? They looked like they’d be pretty simple – and since I have pretty wild helpers in the kitchen, {my nephews are 8 and 5, and Abby is 20 months. The combination leads to a lot of kitchen craziness!} – I need things that are simple. And, they mostly were, but ours weren’t quite as successful as these ones. But that’s the usual result around here – I’m much more enthusiastic in the kitchen than I am skilled, lol.

Making Easter Baby Chick Cookies

While our version isn’t quite as adorable as the original, they were still a ton of fun – and came out pretty cute. The kids LOVED them!! We did this as a trial run, and will be making more for our big Easter Egg Hunt party on Saturday. For the body of the chick, you can use any type of sandwich cookie – But since the kids at my house LOVE the Newman-O’s, we used those.

The Newman-O’s are a way healthier version of the traditional sandwich cookie, which is great for me – I’m on the Nutrisystem diet, but am going to splurge on a couple of Easter treats this weekend. {I’m so super-duper busy, hopefully I’ll burn off the extra calories quick, lol} – They even have a Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free cookie, for kiddo’s with food allergies. That’s a huge bonus when we’re having a ton of kids over!

Dipped Chick Cookie Recipe

The ingredients are simple, and you can make easy substitutions if needed. The process is pretty easy too – and they’re still pretty fun even when they don’t come out perfect! {Hint: Get some great spring candy and baking coupons right now, printable from Coupons.com – they have a lot of great ones through the weekend!}

Easter Fun: Dipped Chick Cookies

Ingredients

Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies
Pretzel Sticks, broken in half
Mini Chocolate Chips
Orange Conversation Heart Candies - or icing
White Chocolate Candy Melts or Almond Bark
Yellow Gel Food Coloring

Instructions

Melt your candy melts or almond bark according to the package directions. {Add a bit of Crisco, if you have some, to make the dipping easier!} Stir in a couple drops of the yellow food coloring, until it's the color you want it.
Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place them on a big piece of wax paper.
Add the mini chocolate chip eyes, and the pretzel legs. Also add the candy hearts if you have them - if not, wait until they cool and add frosting instead, like we did.
Display, enjoy, then eat!

https://sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/04/easter-fun-dipped-baby-chick-cookies/

For More Fun Easter Ideas

Check out more Easter Fun Ideas and Inspiration on my Pinterest board – and if you’ve got a favorite Easter craft, recipe, or activity post to share – drop by and post it up on my Facebook wall, so everyone can check it out too! Have a cool idea to share but it’s not in a post? No worries – Post a pic on my wall too! I love seeing your fun creations – Happy Easter!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 4, 2012 Filed Under: Holidays | 3 Comments

Daily $200 Grocery Gift Card Giveaway! #iloveavocados

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

Wake Up A Winner Sweepstakes

Rise, Shine, & Enter – It’s that easy. You can enter the Wake Up a Winner Sweepstakes every single day, for a chance to win the daily prize – a $200 grocery gift card to the store of your choice. Imagine how much THAT would help your budget, right? Plus, the more days that you enter, the more chances that you have to win the Grand Prize – a Napa Valley, California Bed & Breakfast vacation for you and a guest! You totally deserve a weekend away – so make sure you enter each day.

How to Enter to Win

To enter, visit the Avocados From Mexico on Facebook page, and fill out a quick form to get into the daily drawing for the $200 Grocery Gift Card. The giveaway runs from April 2, 2012 – May 6, 2012. I entered today – Fingers crossed!

Avocados from Mexico make a great breakfast too – which you can enjoy each morning before entering the Wake Up a Winner Sweepstakes. {See what I did there? Wake up, to breakfast and then enter to win? Get it? Lol.} Check out this tasty idea that will be filling enough to keep hunger away ’till lunch – while being super healthy and full of crazy-nutritous stuff.

Avocado Toast Recipe

1 full ripened avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted, and peeled.
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
2 large slices of bread, toasted
Optional: 2 slices of cooked bacon, or 2 tablespoons chopped tomato

This is super simple – grab a bowl, and mash up the avocado with a fork – then season to make your taste buds happy with the desired amount of salt and pepper. {I like very little salt, lots and lots of pepper} Then divide the avocado mix evenly onto the two slices of toast, and spread to cover. Cut each slice in half, eat, and enjoy a ridiculously healthy start to your day!

Start Your Day with a Smile!

And don’t forget – each morning after enjoying a healthy & hearty breakfast with avocados from Mexico – get more Avocados From Mexico recipes to try here – head over to enter the Wake Up a Winner Sweepstakes too! What a rockin’ way to start each morning, right? {Feelin’ lucky? Enter to win all the fun prizes that I’m giving away this month too – right over in the sidebar!} Have Fun, and Good Luck!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 3, 2012 Filed Under: Contests | No Comments

What Does Your Lawn Say About You?

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

Your lawn is one of the first things that people notice about your home – and part of the first impression when people come to visit. Ever wonder what kind of message your lawn is sending about the people who live there? See which one of these categories you fall into, and discover if you’re sending out accurate signals about your family…

Perfectionist. This is the home with the greenest grass, and it’s always perfectly trimmed. It’s probably lined with very square-shaped hedges, and few flowers – since flowers are harder to force into growing in a symmetrical way. There might be a couple of those stone lions guarding the entryway too. This might look impressive to some – but to most of us, it screams, “I’m a control freak!” Lol. Loosen up just a bit, and let things grow a little more naturally, and people will have a much easier time relaxing at your outdoor BBQ’s.
Wild & Free. You tell everyone that you’re just really eco-friendly, and are keeping your lawn in it’s “natural state.” But your neighbors don’t consider it organic – they see it as a jungle! They get the impression that you’d rather spend the weekend on your Xbox than mowing the lawn. Letting your plants grow freely can contribute to a really pretty garden – in moderation. Make sure you keep the grass trimmed, and the branches from falling over onto neighboring yards.
Whimsical. You fill your lawn with ornaments, trinkets, and bobbles. You’ve got an army of gnomes, a flock of flamingos, and enough decor for three flea markets. You call it fun – you’re neighbors call it crazy :) Yes, adding a few silly garden accents can contribute to a really laid-back environment – but please, take down that wooden cut-out of a lady bent over, ok? {I admit it, I used to have one too….. }

Now that you know what type of lawn you have, and what it’s saying about you – here is a great solution you can use to upgrade!

Smart Summer Lawn Care Solution – Scott’s Snap Spreader System!

How cool is this, right? I’m a busy mom, so everything in my life needs to be as simplified as possible – and I LOVE clever problem-solving products like this. I need yard and garden tools that are lightweight, easy to maneuver, and simple to use and store. This system totally hits all of these requirements – awesome, right? Here are a few more reasons why I’m pretty excited to add this to my Frugal Gardening must-haves list for spring:

The Scotts® Snap® Spreader System is totally no-mess. If you’re like me, and have to grab a bit of time to work in the garden in between other tasks during my crazy-busy days – so it’s great to not have to wrestle with big messy packaging, or a process that’ll be a pain. The Snap Pac connects right to the spreader – no cutting, no opening, and no pouring from heavy bags – mean no spilling, no waste, and no sweating in your clean shirt. {Yes, some days I do manage to be wearing a clean shirt…}
I love that edge guard feature. This has been a problem for me when using my little hand-held spreader gadget. It’s super old, but I hadn’t seen any affordable options that I liked to replace it, so I kept using it. But I hated that it was hard to keep it where I wanted it around the edges of the flower beds. This system is going to be a really helpful upgrade for me – finally!
There are perks! Check out the awesome Snap perks on Facebook! You could win a trip for 2 to the 2012 All Start Game and World Series, an Outdoor Patio Set, or even an instant win prize of a $25 Walmart gift card. Super cool, right?

A totally unique product that is easy to use, and ensures that your yard gives off a great first impression – telling people how awesome you are, before you even open the door! Love it.

Share YOUR tips too!

Do you have any great gardening tips to share? Leave me some comments – I’m always looking for clever new ideas to try. And if you’ve already used the new Scotts Snap Spreader System – let me know what you thought of it! I’ll be getting one soon, and will share some video of it in use, but I’d love some feedback if you’ve used it yourself.

{Photo Credit: Greg’s Landscaping, Flickr, Creative Commons.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 3, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Easy Iced Coffee Swap Saves Big Bucks! #IcedCoffee #Cbias

“A morning without coffee is like sleep.” – Author Unknown

You guys know by now that I’m a total coffee junkie. I don’t just drink it – I chug bucket loads of it. All day. Every day. Without it, I’m like a tired mommy jellyfish, slithering along the kitchen floor. But with it, I can almost function normally, and act like a responsible adult. {Notice I said “almost”…. Lol.}

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.” – Flash Rosenberg

I drink all types of coffee – I’ll drink a full pot of regular brewed coffee by myself in the morning, I like a hot mocha drink when it’s cold out – But I definitely prefer an iced coffee drink. The problem is, I’ve never been able to make a good iced coffee at home. And I don’t have the extra budget to invest in a fancy espresso maker. So I end up buying a lot of coffee house drinks – but since I’ve been using some of the awesome free financial tools available on LearnVest.com to help me track my spending, I realized that those $4+ drinks each day are taking a HUGE bit out of my monthly budget! We have some big expenses coming up this summer, and really need to save every penny we can, and cut out the extras. But I just can’t give up my beloved Iced Coffee drinks!! So, you know me – where there’s a mom-life challenge, I’ll find a Smart Solution, right?

“Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.” – Terri Guillemets

My Smart Solution?? Switching from coffee house drinks that cost around $4 EACH, to the totally amazing new Iced Coffee drinks from International Delight, that are around $4 bucks per CARTON!! Can you say, “Big ol’ Savings!!??” Oh yeah. Plus, since I’m on the Nutrisystem diet right now, and am super excited to be losing some pounds, drinking one of these iced coffee drinks saves me a boat load of calories versus one bought at the coffee shop. More dollars in my wallet + more inches lost on my waist = Happy Momma. For reals.

“Decaf? No, it’s dangerous to dilute my caffeine stream.” – Author Unknown

I’m super excited to see my savings add up – check out the awesome little gadget over in my sidebar… That little baby will be adding up my savings all month long, to show how much money YOU can save by simple swapping out ONE coffee house drink a day, and enjoying an International Delight Iced Coffee drink at home. {What? You’re a momma on the go? Get a sweet travel mug or cup like I have, and bring your iced coffee with you. Easy peasy.}

Follow International Delight on Twitter and Facebook – to stay updated on new products and promotions. You can also see everyone else who’s doing this coffee-swap savings challenge too, by following the hashtag #IcedCoffee!

Share Your Thoughts –

Have you tried the awesome new iced coffees from International Delight – I’m so lovin’ all 3, but I think that the Original flavor is my fave. Do you love ’em? How much do you think you spend every month on coffee house drinks – and are you ready to try this savings solution too? Share some comments – I love hearing from you guys!

{This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All photos, opinions, and savings results are 100% my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 3, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 8 Comments

Spring Dresses are Here – Are You Ready?? #DialNutriskin

Are you ready for spring fashions?

Of course we’re all ready for the great changes that come along with spring – flowers, sunshine, fun outdoor events – but are YOU ready for spring? Spring fashion means sandals, dresses, bright colors – and smooth skin! Are YOU ready to rock your spring look? I know that for me, my skin gets a little bit neglected during those cold winter months, when it’s bundled up under loads of snuggly layers. Plus, I have pretty dry skin, and it always acts up a bit as seasons change. To be able to rock the fun spring dresses that are popping up more and more frequently at my fave shopping spots, I needed to get my skin smooth, soft, and lookin’ good again. I have so many events coming up – including a spur-of-the-moment trip to Texas in just over a week – so I’ll finally have opportunities to wear great outfits that I’ve been putting together on Polyvore, like this fun spring look above.

Shopping for Spring Fashion Essentials

There are a few things that I consider spring fashion essentials – Flip flops, sunglasses, a new pair of great wedges, a dress or two, bright accessories – and some fun beauty products including some moisturizing body lotions. You just can’t throw on those dresses if you’ve got yucky winter legs, right? I’ve heard some pretty awesome things about this new NutriSkin line of lotions from Dial, and love trying the newest products, so I was excited to give it a try.

Checking out the choices

My Walmart did NOT have a very wide selection of the new NutriSkin products to choose from – and I was pretty disappointed that they didn’t have my first choice, the Firming Replenishing style. {See the rest of our #DialNutriskin shopping trip on Google+} But that’s ok – I picked up a couple of others; I got the Extra Dry Skin version for me, and the Men’s style for the Mister. {He loves it when I remember to buy “dude products”, lol} – I had an outdoor party to attend later that week, so I was hoping that this stuff would be as good as I’d heard, and get me lookin’ good with a quickness – I had a cute denim skirt that I was eager to wear!

Lovin’ the results!!

I’m totally pleased to let you know that this stuff ROCKS!! I was totally able to let my legs out of their winter hibernation, and out into the sunshine at the party. Seriously – I used this stuff twice a day for 5 days. There is such a huge difference! I wish I could show you better photos – but since I’m working with just an iPhone for a couple weeks here, I couldn’t get any good close up photos. But if you suffer from a bit {or a lot!} of dryness, this stuff is going to get you ready for spring and summer, and all the awesome fashions that come along with it – and it’ll give you results fast. Love it, right?

Want to see more examples of great results? Check out StyleBeautyLife.com.

Follow Dial NutriSkin on Facebook & 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 photos, opinions, and results are 100% my own!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 2, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 1 Comment