Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 184 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Become a Playmanitarian – Giving Back

Playmanitarian – Making a Difference While Having Fun!

I love when a brand makes it simple and easy for you to give back, do good, and help others. So many of us want to do the right thing – but we don’t always know how or where or what to do. TrashCanKidz is a new company with a social conscience, with a passion for changing the way that children around the world get involved in social causes. Their mission is to be Ambassadors for the world’s abandoned generation of children – the orphans of the world, the kids living on the streets or in dumps, the children who need to be drawn out of the shadows, and shown that they DO matter.

“When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.” – Carol Bellamy

TrashCanKidz are totally adorable characters that you can only “adopt” with an invitation from an Ambassador. {Which you can get from me – I’ll give details in a minute, keep reading…} When you adopt your new Trash Can Kidz, you get a unique code that allows you to register online, get your own Ambassador invitation code, and then join The Forgotten World – an online game that teaches your child how they can make a difference in the lives of other children, and help make their world a better place! Every time you purchase a TrashCanKidz, 20% of the revenue from your purchase is donated to EarthKids International.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” – Helen Keller

I chose to adopt Rose from the Trash Can Kidz site – and Abby loved her as soon as she arrived! She stands about 14″ tall, comes packaged in a trashcan style backpack, and includes an adorable little teddy and blanket. The details are so well done – this is a really high-quality item. She is dressed in rags, to help your child learn empathy towards those orphaned children that are being supported with this purchase – yet still, she is a totally adorable doll. From the pretty pink flower in her hair, to the gold buckles on her tiny sandals – she is perfect. Abby is still too little to understand the meaning behind this doll – but her older cousins that live with me get it. I’ve showed them the website, and they have played the game – and I was so proud when they later began asking questions…. “How do kids become orphans?” and, “Are there other ways that we can help those kids?” – Giving back is incredibly important to me, and organizations that help children are where I direct most of my time and money. To see such great thoughtfulness, compassion, and interest from the boys made me really happy.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

EarthKids International – The Heart of TrashCanKidz – partners with the amazing World Vision to use the donations from each purchase made to learn where the greatest need is, and support projects that can provide for the basic needs of these abandoned kids.

Did you know…

There are an estimated 143,000,000 orphaned children around the world.
Every single day, 5,760 more children become orphans.
There are in excess of 100,000,000 street children in the world.

These children are the forgotten, abandoned generation of our world today. With all of the attention paid to issues to protect unborn children – we need to also remember those children who have been born into countries where they are thrown aside, and barely able to survive. It can seem like a depressing issue, the type of overwhelming problem that you can’t do anything about – But when you make the choice to invest in a TrashCanKidz doll for your child, your purchase can directly support the work that Earth Kidz International is doing to change things!

Your purchase can make a real difference in the life of a child!

Visit TrashCanKidz.com – Click Shop, then click to buy a Carry Me Kidz.
There are several great styles of Kidz to choose from, and right now they are each $20 off.
Use this access code when prompted: 325898560 – this is your exclusive invitation code to get into the site!

Now – sit back and wait for your new friend to arrive! I hope that you love it as much as we love ours – and THANK YOU for using your purchasing power to make a difference!

Find TrashCanKidz on Facebook – and connect on Twitter!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 6, 2012 Filed Under: Reviews | No Comments

Simple Routine to Brighten Your Family’s Smiles!

Listerine Oral Care Challenge

Oral health is one of those things that you don’t think about a whole lot – Until there’s a problem. Things like cavities, and fillings, and gum disease are not just super painful, they can also be super expensive! I’m always looking for new “Solutions” – products, services, sites, and systems to simplify life, and make things better. When I heard about the Listerine Oral Care Challenge – it definitely sounded like something I wanted to check out!

How it works

The idea behind the challenge is simple – Start a routine of brushing, flossing, and rinsing twice a day for three weeks, and involve the whole family. Sounds easy enough, right? But once we committed to this, and started tracking it on the family calendar, I realized how often we used to skip a step or two. But this routine really is so simple, and so effective, that it’s a great addition to every families schedule!

Awesome Products Make it Fun

To build some excitement for this challenge from Listerine, we were sent a big box of cool products – And with characters like Batman, Phineas and Ferb, and Barbie, these were a huge hit with the kids! {My favorite product? The Total Care Whitening Floss – totally different than any other floss I’ve ever tried. Super cool} So, armed with new brushes, fun rinse products, new floss, and great attitudes – We started the challenge 3 weeks ago. I’m happy to report that it was a total success!

Brighten Your Family’s Smiles!

Abby is almost 18 months, and her little teeth are filling it fast. She LOVES brushing her teeth – and as you can see in the picture above, she will steal any toothbrush she finds in the house, and wander around brushing!! We just upgraded her from her Baby Banana Toothbrush, to a new “Big Girl” Barbie toothbrush from Reach. She loves it – and I love that she makes it so easy to brush those little teeth! The boys thought it was super cool to use the Smart Rinse Mouthwash – since it actually tints the particles and germs in your mouth, so you see “proof” of it working in the sink after rinsing. And I’m happy that this challenge made brushing, flossing, and rinsing into a FUN new habit for us all!

Take the Challenge with Your Family

Learn More about Listerine Products – and get some fun coupons too!

Use those products to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day for three weeks – It’s that easy!

{I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Listerine and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 6, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

My Sunshine, and my Diamond in the Rain…

My Sunshine, and my Diamond in the Rain

A year ago, when I was planning this blog I wanted to create, I totally struggled with finding the right name. I went through sooo many, but nothing seemed seemed “right”. So I made a list of things that filled my days – which at the time were pretty crazy. I was a brand new, first time, totally unprepared mom. As I looked through that list, the words Sunshine and Sippy Cups popped out at me – This little girl had instantly become the total sunshine of my life.

Sparkles Make Me Smile

So – She is my sunshine. She is my motivation. She makes me smile when no one else can. This picture makes me think of her, and will hang in on her wall when she moves to her “Big Girl” room later this year. I have always said that Sparkle is my favorite color – and she is a little treasure that definitely sparkles!

Better than a diamond

It’s fitting that this site is named after her – She is the reason I started it. I was laid off while I was on maternity leave, and I had no idea what I’d do. I was a full time college student, with an infant, looking for a job in a terrible economy. So, I figured I’d jump into this new adventure on the web – I love sharing the “Busy Mom Solutions” that I’ve learned along the way, the things that have helped make my life easier. I hope that some of my posts have helped you too. And I love that doing this new job that I absolutely love allows me to stay home with her, and be here every day to watch her grow and change. I treasure those moments more than any diamond I could ever own.

Who takes away your rainy days and fills them with diamonds?

Linking up on Pretty on Pinterest on Sassy Mama in L.A. – Join us!

{This image can be found on my “Quotes I Love” board on Pinterest. Are you a Pinterest addict too? Leave me your link so I can follow you!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 4, 2012 Filed Under: Mommy Thoughts, Blog Hops | 2 Comments

10 Blogging Goals for 2012 – Starting with “Be More Awesome”

My 10 Blogging Goals for 2012

1. Be More Awesome! Yep, that’s right. This year is all about simplifying – in life, in work, in relationships, in my daily chores, everything. If it makes me smile – then I need to find ways to add more of it to my days. If it only causes me stress, then I need to figure out ways to fix it, get rid of it, or just let it go. I’m going to fill each day with awesome. This year is going to be a rock star year for me, I can just feel it….

2. I Love Social Media. It’s true. I am a total social media junkie. And this year has brought NEW social media sites for me to get hooked on. I’m now totally addicted to Pinterest – I’ve lost count of the hours I’ve lost there. And I’m starting to kind of get into this whole Google+ thing too. So – my social media goals this year: 10,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter by the end of March. Reaching that goal would be a pretty cool way to celebrate my one year anniversary of my blog, right?

3. Attend my first blogging conference! This one is pretty easy, since I was recently invited to speak at Reviewers Retreat this summer!! Woo – Super exciting! It’s in North Carolina, and I’m in Washington State – so that’s a lot of travel. I’m hoping to find a sponsor to partner with for this event, as well as for BlogHer, which I’ll be attending in August. But I want to make sure if I partner with someone, it’s a good match, and we can both bring each other huge benefits, so I’m still planning….

4. Get new business cards. This may sound boring – and that’s the point! So many business cards are boring as can be. I want to put together a new set of SUPER cool cards. If that’s my first connection with someone, I want it to let them know that I’m anything BUT ordinary! {Have you seen the amazingly creative business card ideas at Moo.com?}

5. Connect locally. I had the chance to partner with a couple of local business owners this summer, and loved it. Most of my blog readers are from out of the area, but I’m going to work on connecting more with moms in my local community. I’m hoping that I can meet some great local women to promote this year!

6. More “real life” promotion. While I LOVE what I do online, and am amazed at the way my posts can reach across the country – and sometimes even farther! – I’m excited to come up with some new ways to promote the brands I work with offline too. I’ve got a few ideas I’m cookin’ up – but I’d LOVE to hear your ideas too. {Which is my way of saying – Leave me a comment with some advice! Lol}

7. Get more organized. Last year was a total whirlwind, and I’m still trying to catch my breath. I’m going to start menu planning to make more time in the evenings. I set up a new account at Manilla to help me organize my household accounts. Email can be crazy – so I’m using OIB to sort it for me. I’ve finally figured out a system for a blogging binder that works perfect for me. Hopefully getting some good systems in place will help me feel less overworked and overwhelmed!

8. Learn SEO skills. I’m incredibly tech-challenged. My brother was helping me with a project the other day, and asked me how many pixels of padding I wanted on the image. I said – I don’t care how many pixies you use, just get it done. He replied – “And your the successful website owner, while I’M the web designer who can’t find a job….” Lol. I’m amazed every day at what I’ve learned – But my next big goal is to get better at Search Engine Optimization. I bought a book. So that’s a start :)

9. Media Kit. I need to make a new one. One I actually like. I may need to hire someone for this. If you have a good suggestion, I’d love to hear it – Leave me a link in the comments!

10. Time Management. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. And I have more enthusiasm and ideas then I do time. These combined mean that I sit at this computer WAY more than I should. I told you how I struggle with housekeeping routines, even though I’m a total clean freak. And I want to make more time to take Abby fun places around town. So I’m going to really work on sticking to a time limit on how many hours I spend online. {That doesn’t count my iPhone though… Words with Friends anyone?}

What are YOUR goals for 2012?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Tools | 17 Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012 – Day 2: Finding Systems and Building Presence

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am very excited to be a part of a great group of bloggers as we challenge ourselves to “Build a Better Blog in 2012!” Today is Day 2 & we will be going over Chapter 2 in ProBlogger’s “Guide to your First Week of Blogging”. I highly recommend purchasing and reading this e-book {and subscribing for email or RSS updates from Problogger.net too!} Click here to view more details on how to get a copy of the ProBlogger’s ebook. {And if you missed Chapter 1, read more – Build a Better Blog in 2012 Intro Post.}

Chapter 2 – Publish and Build Presence

Since I didn’t get the copy of this first book, I’m following along by using the notes on CEO of Me, Inc – So if you’d like the full run down of all of the key points from Chapter 2, read her post first. She covers everything really well – So I’ll just add some of my thoughts to the points that she covers.

Reviewing Your Posts

This is SO important. Errors happen to the best of us – and if you’re blogging full time like I am, plus keeping up with the house and family, you sometimes write posts in a rush, which leads to mistakes. But – Spelling and grammar errors make your blog look unprofessional, so do your best to avoid them! A few tips:

1. Spell check! This is such a simple tool, it only takes a moment, and there is no reason not to use it. I use Google Chrome as my browser, and it has a built-in spelling and grammar check – Love that!
2. Proof read. I admit, I don’t always have time for this. I sit down with an idea, and I write until I’m done. 90% of the time I go back through and read my post again, and usually find a few spots to change up – so I’m sure that mistakes are getting through on the other 10% of the time. If you can’t proof read every post – that’s ok. The most important posts to double check are the ones that are “Evergreen” content – This means, a post that won’t get outdated. A post about a sale at Macy’s = Not Evergreen. A post about tips on cleaning your kitchen = Evergreen.
3. Effective closing. Make sure that you close with a call to action. This can be as simple as saying – “Like this post? Use the buttons below to share it to your favorite networks!” I guarantee you’ll see a jump in sharing, just for asking. Or close your post with an open-ended question, to encourage comments and discussion. Are you selling a product or service? Then remind them why and how to buy. Whatever you want a reader to do with the information you’re sharing – remind them of it at the end of the post.
4. Set up a Post Checklist. This is great for beginners, and can even be a great activity for advanced bloggers too – Sit down and make a list of what you should be doing on every single post. After awhile, you won’t need your list – it will become a habit.

What should be in a Post Checklist?

The following are just some ideas that you can use – Add your own too, print out a list of them all, and add it to your blogging binder, planner, desktop calendar, or just pin it to the wall above your desk! {And watch for a post next week on how I set up my blogging binder to stay organized…}

Make sure your title is not too long, and has loads of keywords.
Include an image that’s relevant and high quality.
Spell check!
Does your closing encourage interaction and sharing?
Did you cross link to other related content on your site, if possible?
SEO – are you optimizing your post to be found in search engines? {Hint, get a Plug-in like Yoast for WP!}
Are you adding the right categories and tags to each post?
And are you sharing posts to social media?

Building a Presence on the Web

The more addresses you have on the web, the more likely people are to find you. Some people ask – “Why should I get a Twitter account? I already share everything to Facebook – can’t they check it out there?” But it’s important to remember that everyone has a favorite network, make sure your readers can follow you where THEY want to follow you! Here are a few places where you can find me – some networks I’ve had for a long time, and have built a large fan base. Some are brand new, with few followers. Some of them I use daily, and some I have only used a couple of times. A goal for 2012 is to get them all built into fun communities, where I can interact with some new faces. If you’d like to join me, I’d love to “meet” you too!

Facebook – My favorite social media site!
Twitter – I’m new to Twitter {8 months} – and finally “get” it.
LinkedIn – Great networking site.
Google+ – I’m excited to see what happens here.
Pinterest – I am a total Pinterest junkie – LOVE it!
YouTube – Very new, but video reviews will be rolling out in February!
Tumblr – Brand new, and ready to have some fun setting it up.

Closing Notes – Day 2

The main lesson of Chapter 2 is to get into good habits, and find systems that will work for you. {I talked a little about how to stay organized in yesterdays post too – Building a Better Blog Day 1} Setting up some great systems will make you MORE efficient, and make you LESS stressed. My big goal for this month is to take on very few new projects, so that I can really get organized again, set very ambitious goals for the new year – with monthly steps to achieve them! – and find some new systems, apps, sites, and gadgets to help me work smarter – so that I actually have time to live a life worth blogging about! Lol.

What do YOU Think?

What are your biggest challenges to staying organized in your blogging? What solutions have you found that work best for you? Share them in the comments – they might be just what another reader has been looking for!

We’re starting the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge next week! If you’d like to join us, just purchase the book from ProBlogger so you can follow along {Click here to view more details} and then add your link below!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Tools | 3 Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012

Join Me in Building a Better Blog in 2012!

I’ve partnered with a group of bloggers to follow the advice from the super duper amazing guys at Problogger, to follow the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog book together – And I am SUPER excited to take on this challenge! I started my blogging journey in late February of 2011, and what a fun {and sleepless!} year it’s been so far! Now that I feel like I’ve got my feet planted pretty firmly here on my little patch of the web, I’m ready to take things up a notch. I think that the 31 days of ideas, tasks, projects, and posts is going to be pretty darn cool. I’m also participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month too – And again, I’m a day behind – {I’ve got a sick baby, so I’m lucky to get anything done at all!} – so this is my post for Day 2 – share a resource that’s been super useful to you.

Getting Started

I bought the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook to use for this challenge – Then learned that some of the ladies in the group wanted to also get a jump start on our big Blog Improvement project by starting out with ProBlogger’s Guide to your First Week of Blogging. I didn’t buy this one, and wasn’t planning to join in on this – But have had a last minute change of mind after reading a few of their posts. While the information in the ‘First Week’ book is geared towards beginners, it’s always helpful to get back to basics, to make sure that you’re still on track and headed the direction you intended to go.

Chapter One

Since I didn’t buy this first book, I’m following along by reading the notes and main points from the book that the totally amazing Misty has been posting over in CEO of Me, Inc. – Read Day 1 of Building a Better Blog here. {Sign up for her email updates if you’d like to follow along too!} You can start this at any time too – each days info will be linked up at the bottom of this post as we go, so if you are finding this after we’ve completed the First Week, you can still learn the material!

CEO of Me, Inc = Rock Star

Since Misty already covered the key points from the chapter really well, I won’t share it all again. But I’d like to add my thoughts and tips to some of the points that she covered. These are things that are super helpful to me – and I hope that some of my tricks can help YOU this year too!

Build an Idea Folder

This is an idea that you simply MUST act on! At first, you find yourself with a million and one ideas that you want to post about – how could you ever run out of things to say! You finally have your own website! Hooray! …. But eventually, like any new adventure, reality sets in. Sometimes you lose a bit of the excitement, and struggle to create new content. If you build up a collection of inspiration and fun ideas, you always have something to come back to. Here a few ways you can do this:

1. Paper and Pen – Keep a notebook on your desk, in your purse, next to the bed, everywhere. Whenever someone asks a great question that you could answer with a blog post, write it down. Funny story you’d love to share? Write it down. Totally world changing great idea? Write it down, so you can share it on your blog. Trust me, if you don’t capture it – odd’s are that you’ll never remember it again.
2. Press This – This deserves it’s own blog post, coming soon. Press This is a super duper amazing little gadget that you simply add to your toolbar – then you use it to collect little shiny tidbits you find around the web, like a Magpie! {Yes, my name is Meagan. Sparkle is my favorite color – everyone knows that. So I’ve of course been nicknamed Magpie many times, lol} If you get distracted easily when online the way that I do, this is a total must have, since it helps you organize all of those cool ideas you come up with while surfin’ around.
3. Pinterest – I also use Pinterest to help me organize my ideas. I have tons of boards, and am always adding more. Instead of filing all of those helpful articles, fun tips, and creative ideas into email folders, I can Pin them to different boards – which makes it SO much easier to find post inspiration! If I’m looking for fun holiday ideas – I’m building boards for each holiday! If I want to write about kids crafts – there’s a board for that. Blogging tips? Yep, I have a new board for that too! If you’re a Pinterest addict too, come and visit me!

Get into a Posting Rhythm

This is very important – and there is no “Right” answer. You have to find what works best for you, and stick to it. This is important for you, so that you can plan your weekly schedule. It’s also important for your readers, so they know what to expect. Here are a few ideas:

1. 10+ times per day: This is a necessary part of the game if you’re a deal blogger: sales, coupons, and freebies expire quickly, they’ve got to post the hottest finds as they come across them. Don’t judge yourself because you post less often – The majority of deal or coupon posts are short and sweet, making them easy to pop out a bunch real quick. I know this, because during big shopping seasons, I post like this too!
2. Once a Week: If you blog is mostly crafts or cool DIY projects, it might work best to post just once a week. It takes some time to complete those amazing projects, take pictures, edit them, put together tutorials, and the make it all work together in an informative post. Try posting on the same day each week, so that your readers know when to come visit and find your latest creation.
3. Post Daily: This one is a little tougher. It takes a lot more planning and organization to post daily. If you’re trying to come up with original content every single day, if you have to find new ideas to write about every day – you need to do some prep work. And that’s what the these two books are all about!

Build on the Basics

Before I started Sunshine and Sippy Cups, I bought a few books to help me get an idea of how to get started. I was {and still am!} totally tech-challenged. I read a lot of blogs, I felt like I had a ton of great info to share, but I had no idea where to start. The first two books that I read are still my VERY favorite – ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, and Using WordPress, which now comes with a DVD – awesome. In Using WordPress, Tris Hussey has such an easy to read, funny way of explaining all of the tech stuff – I was totally encouraged, and realized that I could do this whole blogging thing. Then I read Darren’s ProBlogger book – and ohmyheck! I was so excited to get started. It is seriously a must-read. So I am totally excited to get back to basics like this – The First Week of Blogging book reminds me to make sure I have a good foundation, to get more organized, and ensure that I’m moving in the right direction. I’m positive that this challenge is going to set me up for a great 2012!

What do YOU think?

Have you read any of the books? Excited to check them out? I’d love for you to share your goals or challenges in the comments here – I learn so much from other bloggers! And, If you are participating in our Building a Better Blog Group, please add your blog to the linky below, so I can read your posts too. Who’s ready to Build a Better Blog in 2012??

Building a Better Blog – Day 2, Finding Systems and Building Presence

Building a Better Blog – Day 3, Concentrate on Content

Building a Better Blog – Day 4, Understanding Your Blog as a Product

Building a Better Blog – Day 5, Putting Yourself Out There

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 3, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blogging Tools | 4 Comments

Super Style Giveaway: Win $175 in Prizes!!

Win prizes from sneakpeeq!!

I am SO super excited to share this great new giveaway with you…. For this event – Everyone wins! sneakpeeq is giving away 20% off purchase codes to EVERYONE just for entering – how cool is that? Plus, one of you will win the Grand Prize – a $50 sneakpeeq Gift Card to shop your favorite food, style, and home products!

There’s more!

THREE Second Place winners will each get a $25 sneakpeeq Gift Card, and FIVE more lucky fans will each get a $10 Gift Card – which goes a LONG way in sneakpeeq’s amazingly low-priced boutiques!

Come see all the things you love but haven’t discovered!

To enter this super fun giveaway, use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below! Your first entry asks you to visit the sneakpeek site – and that’s where you’ll get your exclusive 20% off code to use on your next purchase! Then, there are a few other bonus entries you can complete if you want to – the more you complete, the more opportunities to WIN!

{P.S. Make sure to check out the other giveaways going on right now too – Check my sidebar to see the most current ones each time you stop by!}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 3, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 7 Comments