Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 189 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

MasterCard wants to Reward YOU this Season! #Heres2Mom #CBias

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill

Moms: You do so much for everyone else – year ’round, and especially at the holidays. So, MasterCard decided you deserve to get a little something nice too! Their Here’s to Mom promotion is a quick and easy way to get rewarded for all of the nice things you’re already doing this holiday season – Keep reading for the details!

“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls

Here’s how it works – If you’re like me, you probably love doing as much shopping as you can online, to avoid the crowds, the cold, and the crazy! And now, when you shop for your families gifts online with your MasterCard, you can earn a free bonus just for you! Yep, when you spend $200 or more online with your MasterCard, they’ll send you a $20 Gift Card that you can spend on a little something nice for yourself. Super fun, right?

“I know how to do anything – I’m a Mom.” – Roseanne Barr

How to Get Started: You have to register your card first, before your spending can count towards the $200. To register, simply go to their website – Here’s to Mom MasterCard Promotion – Add your info and card number, submit, done! It’s seriously so quick and easy. You can shop anywhere online that MasterCard is accepted, and spend any way you want – One BIG purchase, or a ton of little ones – and as soon as your total reaches $200, you’ve earned your freebie. This promotion is valid until December 31, 2011 – so you can earn with your post-holiday clearance purchases too!

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie

My very favorite part of the holidays is getting those perfect gifts that make the kids light up when they open them. Last year was Abby’s first Christmas – and we got her this amazing bouncy car. Daddy cut custom-made vinyl to add her name to the bumper too. She totally squealed with little-baby excitement when she saw it!! That was the very best part of my entire day. So this year, Grandma got her a super cute pink-plush rocking horse, that makes horsey sounds – and we got her a Tricycoo, that she can use now and grow into over the next year. I can’t wait until Christmas morning – and it’s awesome that our holiday toy spending can earn me a free gift card too!

Remember –

Register your MasterCard today! This offer is valid until 12/31/11.

{This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions, ideas, and photos are totally mine – Happy Holidays!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 19, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Shopping | 1 Comment

Meet the NEW Mamma Media Elite Members!

Super Exciting News!

I got some super exciting news this week – I was chosen to be an Elite member of Mamma Media! I was so surprised when I got the notice – and really happy to be part of such a great group of amazing woman bloggers!

What is Mamma Media?

Mamma Media is a panel of mom bloggers with superb writing and organizing skills who have teamed up to offer businesses strong public relations exposure in the form of one or more campaigns.

Two Divisions of Bloggers

Mamma Media consists of two divisions–Mamma Media Elite and Mamma Media Mavens. The Mamma Media Elite division contains 6 mom bloggers who lead the entire panel by ensuring ethical practices are maintained, heading events, reviewing products or services, and penning PR posts. The Mamma Media Mavens division provide content for their readers that serves as advertising for businesses (which may also include product/service reviews or paid posts).

Is this cool, or what?

I’m really excited to be a part of this team – and am looking forward to working with the other wonderful ladies too. You can check it out too –

Are you a business who’d like to work with the Mamma Media Team? Contact them for more information today!

Meet the other Elite Members of Mamma Media!

Meet the Mamma Media Mavens Group Members!

Coupon Codes at Trimback.com

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Tips on Staying Slim Throughout the Holidays!

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber

The holidays are a festive time of year filled with celebrations and parties that seem to center around food. This isn’t a time when you should be concerned with dieting, instead place the majority of your focus on maintaining your weight. The following tips will help you stay slim throughout the holidays and keep those pounds from doing damage to your waistline.

Parties:

Never come to a party or gathering ravenous. Instead, eat something healthy and protein rich at home before the party and once you arrive choose healthy snacks to nibble on like vegetables and fruits. If the party is a pot luck type of gathering, bring a healthy dish to pass like hummus, vegetables and low fat pita chips or a salad loaded with vegetables, legumes and low calorie dressing. Also, keep cocktails to a minimum as they are loaded with sugar and empty calories. Better yet, pair your festive beverage with a glass of water to keep you full and help you cut back on portions.

Hit the Gym:

The holidays are an excellent time to hit the gym a little harder. This is a busy time of year with parties, holiday shopping and wrapping presents and most people usually choose this month to skip exercising. Make time in your hectic schedule to work out as you not only will help keep the pounds at bay, but you will feel better about yourself and will think twice about indulging on that extra holiday treat.

Don’t Deny Yourself:

Being too strict with your eating regimen during the holiday season won’t help you keep the pounds off. This could backfire and cause you to overindulge and gorge on a favorite treat. If you have a favorite cookie or snack during the holiday season, go ahead and enjoy within moderation. This doesn’t mean it until it’s gone, but instead enjoy a piece of cheesecake or chocolate fudge and be done. Maybe you don’t even need to eat the entire thing, but could be satisfied with just a bite or two.

Keep Track of Your Weight:

Manage your weight during the holiday season and keep track of your weight by stepping on the scale. By weighing yourself every other day, you’ll be able to see if the pounds are creeping on or if you’re keeping your weight under control.

Load Up on Fiber:

Foods rich in fiber are not only healthy for you, but they will also keep you full longer. Enjoy foods like whole grain rice or pastas, cabbage, spinach, beans and pumpkin.

Christy Levine currently writes for Edrugstore MD, an online facilitator for discreet medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra online, where they offer an ask a physician section on Edrugstore.md. Laura has extensive background in health and wellness and enjoys offering her tips on the eDrugstore.MD Blog.

{Disclaimer: This is a sponsored guest post. Graphics from Dinner Tool – Drop Holiday Pounds with Low-Calorie Recipes.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Mommy Thoughts | No Comments

Busy Mom Solution Giveaway: Win a Cool Gear Prize Package! {12/31}

“A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car for ever after.” – Peter De Vries

Cool Gear: Innovative Products for Today’s Lifestyle – Are you a busy mom? Of course you are – is there any other kind? And as moms, we’re often on the go – in the car, at the park, grocery shopping, in the car again – you know how it goes. That’s why Cool Gear is another Busy Mom Solution brand – not only do they have some super innovative and unique on-the-go products that you’ll love, but they have tons of other great items to solve your Busy Mom Challenges! Read on to learn about a few of my favorites…

Cool Gear EZ-FreezeWater bottle

This is a super cute 10 oz Infusion 10 oz bottle for little hands. It’s safe – BPA Free and Non-Toxic Freezer Gel. It’s fun – 4 great color combos and a squeezable body. And it’s cool – the freezer stick attaches right inside, to keep juice or chocolate milk cool and fresh – even when your toddler forgets it behind the couch for an hour. These are going to be an amazing helper in the summer too! {Check out more great problem-solving kids products on Cool Gear.}

EZ-Freeze 24oz Pure Water filtration bottle

This is an uh-MAY-zing water bottle, seriously. I’m a bit of a water bottle junkie – I don’t drink soda, and carry a water bottle with me all day long – but this really impresses me. It combines some of my favorite features of other bottles into just one great product – BPA Free. Filters up to 100 gallons of water, removing cholorine taste and odors from your tap water. And it doesn’t just filter the water – it filters it through the inner freezer stick insert, giving you fresh and icy cold water right away! This comes in 4 sizes – from 14 oz to 64 oz – I love the 24 oz bottle I’ve been using, but am going to pick up the 64 oz too, for summer outings to the park and sports fields. {Read details, check out the Water Filtration Bottles in colors, and other options too.} And watch the video to see just how awesome these are –

Ready to WIN??

One lucky fan will win a prize package from Cool Gear with products similar to what I received – and I can tell you, very confidently, that you will LOVE them!! Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to get your entries in, remember to come back daily for your bonus entry – and make sure to enter the HUGE list of other giveaways I have going on right now too!! You can find them all in the sidebar – come back each day to find more to enter too. Happy Holidays – and Good Luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | 4 Comments

Tired of Being Tired? Busy Mom Solution: WIN a Healthy Energy Gift Pack!! {12/27}

“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls

What kind of mom are you? A working mom, trying her best to balance the needs of her work and her family? A stay-at-home mom, doing her best to keep up with housework, homework, nap times, and dinner times? Maybe your a work-at-home mom, which is a crazy combination of it all? Well – whatever type of mom YOU are, I’m going to make a bet that you’re tired. If your kids are under 5 – I’m gonna bet you’re really tired. So you rely on quick pick-me-ups, like sugary energy drinks, coffee, or other caffeinated drinks. Ready for a better option? Keep reading….

“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” – Phyllis Diller

Being a mom is a challenging job – which is why I search out the best Busy Mom Solution products each week. And I’m pretty excited to share FRS Healthy Performance products with you! They’re fueled by Quercetin, a powerful antioxidant found in foods like blueberries, red apples and grapes, that works by naturally triggering your cells’ ability to produce sustained energy, so it’s a healthy alternative. So, you avoid the yucky chemicals and high fructose corn syrup you’ll find in most energy drinks – but still get that boost to help you make it through another super-busy day as a Super Mom. Christie Rampone, the 35-year-old mother of two who has served as captain of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer team, has joined the FRS Healthy Performance Team as an FRS Ambassador to inspire others to fuel their best with the healthy benefits of FRS products. If it’s good enough for a super-DUPER-mom like her, then I’m sure it’ll give me the extra energy I need too!

Disclaimer:

While I’m really lovin’ these products – the cans are super easy to grab on the go, and I love the flavors. The chews and powders travel great in my purse too! – I am not giving up my morning coffee, lol. You guys know that would be like deciding to cut off my arm – coffee is a totally necessary part of who I am. Need it. But – These energy drinks give me a healthier boost of energy during the afternoons, and are a great change from my afternoon latte!

“I know how to do anything – I’m a Mom.” – Roseanne Barr

Check out the FRS Healthy Performance website to get a FREE Performance Pack of these great energy products – pay just $3.95 for shipping.

And then – Enter to WIN a full set of products!!

Three lucky winners will receive a Moms Healthy Energy Package worth $35!!

4 Healthy Energy Shots!
2 Full-Size packages of Chews!
10-Day supply of Low-Calorie Powdered Drink Mix!

Good Luck, and Happy Holidays!!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | No Comments

From Daughter to Blogger – #Humor

This cracks me up….

Is this what all of us bloggers grew up to be? Lol. If you relate to this too – share it to give others a laugh today too!

Happy Holidays!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Blogging Resources | 6 Comments

Hot Pants 2 Week Challenge – #hotinhotpants

“I really don’t think I need buns of steel. I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.” – Ellen DeGeneres

Have you heard of Hot Pants yet? These are a super cool new design from the UK – they’re a pair of fitted black cropped pants that you wear while exercising, and even around the house, and they help you lose pounds, inches, and cellulite. Um, sign me up!! Lol. I was super excited when I heard that I was getting a pair of these to try out – It’s now been over a year since I had the baby, but my body has NOT bounced back to what it used to look like. You’d think that by the time toddlerhood hits, we’d all be skinny as a stick – hours of chasing a high-speed toddler is a lot of cardio! – but nope, I went from an hourglass to a big momma pear. I miss my old jeans….

“Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.” – Author Unknown

“Take the Hot Pants 2 Week Challenge!” – That’s the message that called out to me when I opened up my eagerly-awaited package from the UK. The 2 Week Challenge goal is to lose 2 jean sizes in 2 weeks, with no crazy diet or exercise programs. Here’s how it works – Hot Pants are made of a revolutionary material containing something called Celu-Lite technology. It reflects the heat you naturally generate back into the the body, to promote warming of your deeper tissues, higher level of perspiration, and the break down of fat and toxins. These fat cells and toxins under the skin are what contribute to the appearance of cellulite. The technology works the same way that cellulite spa treatments work – it just helps promote better circulation and lymphatic drainage. Wearing these during your workout totally maximizes your weight loss – but you can also wear them all day while you run errands or do house work, or even while you sleep!

Skeptical?

I was too. I mean, there are a million new products, programs, diets, and exercise ideas that guarantee to help you lose weight – but most of them don’t live up to their claims. So I wanted to hear from some “real” people, before getting too excited about this awesome-sounding idea. I headed to their Facebook page to see what types of comments they’ve been getting…. Ohmyheck. That made me SUPER excited to get my Hot Pants on! You will find SO many testimonials about what an easy way to lose weight this is – I guarantee you’ll be wanting to try them too by the time you’re done reading!

Stay Tuned for My 2 Week Challenge Results!

I got these Hot Pants a few weeks ago – but with the rush and craziness of the holidays, I kind of slacked off on checking them out. But after reading the Facebook comments – I’m ready to rock this! I took measurements yesterday, and started wearing my Hot Pants today. {The fabric feels kinda like wet suit material, but is surprisingly comfy when you get it on.} In two weeks I’ll measure again – and share the measurements pics as proof, so we can all see if I really lose the inches or not!! Stay tuned….

Order your own Hot Pants today – see results in 2 weeks!

Check them out on Facebook to read real results stories.

{Disclaimer: I received a complimentary pair of Hot Pants from Mom Bloggers Club to review for this post – all opinions and research are 100% my own – and I can’t wait to share some honest results with you soon!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews | 1 Comment