Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 224 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Mommy Thoughts: Toddlers and Ringing Phones…

So true, right?

A friend of mine shared this quote today, from www.icanrelate.info, and I loved it.

It’s funny how babies, toddlers, -heck even big kids sometimes-bring out the soft side in even the toughest guys.

My daughters dad is definitely a “tough guy”- not a lot of smiles, race car driver, construction worker- you get the idea. When I hear him down on his hands and knees, playing with Abby and her tea set, it melts my heart.

Kids are amazing….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 3, 2011 Filed Under: Mommy Thoughts | 1 Comment

Rafflecopter Giveaway- Win The Homeschool Planner! #educational #homeschool

The Printable Homeschool Planner, by Heather Bixler

I have two little guys in my house that are in school- my youngest nephew just started Kindergarten, and the older one is in Second Grade this year- Gosh I cannot even believe that they’ve gotten so big!

I don’t homeschool the boys; they both attend the public elementary school around the corner from our home. But, since I’m the one who is here each day when they get home from school, I dedicate afternoons to helping them with their homework, and hearing about what they’re learning in class. On the days that they don’t have homework, I like to have fun activities lined up, to help reinforce the skills they’re learning.

“Heather Bixler has been homeschooling since January 2006 and knows that organization is key to a successful homeschooling experience.”

When I heard that the amazing Heather from www.thehomeschoolplanner.com was looking for people to review her Printable Homeschool Planner, I knew right away that this was just what I was looking for! And I was not disappointed- it is SO incredibly helpful to have this binder- I can have our activities, games, and worksheets all organized in one spot.

What Makes The Printable Homeschool Planner so Great:

You all know that I am a BIG fan of printables- from crafty goodies, to calendars and to-do lists, I use printables almost every single day. I put together both my blogging binder, and my “Mommy Central” binder {which you’ll learn more about soon!} from printables, and I love the way that using them allows you to fully customize your planner.

When you purchase pre-made planners, there are almost always sections that you don’t need, or sections you need more of. When you purchase The Printable Homeschool Planner from Heather Bixler, you get access to download ALL of the printable sections, so that you can add and subtract pages as needed! Plus, you’re set for years- since you just print more as needed.

The The Printable Homeschool Planner is available for only $4.99 – what an amazing value for everything that is included!

Putting it together:

If you have a sturdy 3-ring binder, ink in your printer, and some dividers to get organized, the Printable Homeschool Planner will supply everything else you need!

The Cover Page – PDF Printable
Art Project Planner – PDF Printable
Attendance Record Keeper – PDF Printable
Book Report Worksheet – PDF Printable
Field Trip Planner – PDF Printable
Project Planner – PDF Printable
Science Experiment Planner – PDF Printable
Scripture Verse Planner – PDF Printable
Student Project Notes Worksheet – PDF Printable
Thematic Unit Planner – PDF Printable
Lesson Planner – PDF Printable
Password for unlimited access to our current and future homeschool printables in our exclusive member download page.

Win a Copy for Your Family!

This is a great tool if you’re currently homeschooling, but it can also be a great help to anyone- if you’re like me, and do after school activities, this can help you stay organized and on top of things!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter entry form to enter to WIN your own copy today!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 3, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews, Printables | 19 Comments

Rafflecopter Giveaway: Winners Choice from Rock ‘N Learn!!

Rock ‘N Learn – Rocks our Socks!

About a month ago, our family got the chance to review the new “Sight Words” DVD from Rock ‘N Learn. I was super excited to share it with the kids- The youngest little guy in my house just started Kindergarten, and is really struggling. I figured that this had the potential to be a BIG help!

A little about Sight Words:

Sight words are the most popular words in the English language- words like come and go, in and out, up and down, and you and me. The idea is that kids should learn to recognize these words on sight – helping to build a great base for their beginning reading skills!

The DVD is from the great people at RockNLearn.com– where you can find tons of other great DVD Videos, Audio CDs and iPad apps to “Capture Kids’ Attention and Get Results.”

I’d read great things about them, but this is the first time we’ve gotten to experience it for ourselves. I’m very happy to tell you- this video totally lived up to the positive reviews that I’ve read!

See it in action:

The Reaction in My House:

Abby: Abby is 14 month months, which is a bit too young for this video {it’s meant for Pre-K and up}- but she LOVES her Baby Signing Time videos, so I thought she might like these too. I was SO right! She giggles and claps, and dances along to the songs. It’s never too early to start learning to recognize words, right?
Little Guy: He’s the perfect age for this, and since he’s struggling with school so far, I was really hoping he’d like these. He was totally engaged with the video the whole time! And, even after a month of watching this a few times a week- he still loves it! He says, “Reading is ROCK AND ROLL!!” {Translation- his dad is in a rock band. He thinks that rock music is the coolest thing ever. So, if he says that something is rock and roll, that’s his highest compliment.} He seems to be really starting to grasp the words and their meanings, and is getting better with his skills when doing schoolwork too. So grateful that Rock ‘N Learn contacted us to try this out!
Big Guy: The older little guy in my house is 8, and is starting to become “too cool” for some of the things that interest his brother- making it a challenge to keep them both entertained. But- he really enjoys this video too! He is a really advanced reader, so he doesn’t really need to learn these sight words- he knows them. But he gets a big kick out of helping his brother learn them- and I think it really helps reinforce the meanings of words that he already knows. I love the way the words are taught in context- the character goes up when showing the word UP, then back down to show the word DOWN.
Me: These don’t drive me crazy, like many kids video’s do – which means that I love them! They’re really cute, the songs are catchy, and the educational value of them is very obvious. They keep all three kids entertained and engaged after school, they’re teaching the kids some wonderful reading skills, and they’re totally pleasant to listen to- I give Rock ‘N Learn – Sight Words a rating of 5 Suns out of 5!! {Remember, I don’t do “star” ratings, I do suns :)}

You can purchase your own copy of Sight Words on Rock ‘N Learn for $19.99. And bonus- use this special coupon code- JQ7711 – at check out, to save an additional 25% off of any purchase at Rock ‘N Learn!!

Win It!

One lucky Sunshine and Sippy CupsA fan is going to WIN their choice of DVD or CD from Rock ‘N Learn!! Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to enter to win! Good luck!!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 1, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Reviews | 29 Comments

HUGE RESOURCE: How To Get Free Stuff Every Day!

Welcome to another HUGE Freebie Post!

I get a TON of freebies each day. I absolutely LOVE going out to get the mail, and finding a bunch of boxes on my front porch, and a mailbox overflowing with fun stuff.

Our mailbox is actually way bigger than all of the neighbors- we had to upgrade it to fit everything!

Today I’ll share pictures of my free stuff from last week, and some of my favorite sites to watch for free offers! So, grab a cup of coffee {pumpkin spice latte, anyone?} and get your freebie on this morning!

{Quick tip- did you know, you can right click an offer to open it in a new tab or window, so you don’t lose your place on this freebie list? Makes it easy peasy to work your way through and get ’em all!}

Favorite Freebie Resources:

In the first pic here, you see some really great stuff! I got the Chef Boyardee Chef hat as part of my big party package from HouseParty.com. Check with them often to apply for the newest parties!
There’s also a really great set of products from Scrubbing Bubbles- I got this cleaning kit FREE as a member of BzzAgent.com. They have loads of great campaigns you can get!
I also have loads of free magazines, free catalogs, and great samples! Get a free subscription to Baby Talk Magazine which is always filled with coupons, and a Free Subscription to Website Magazine. Find tons of MySavings.com!

More Great Free Stuff!

On this day, I got my shipment from Walmart, with the super hot deal I told you about from RainingHotCoupons.com– I ordered both of these for around $9 bucks each, and they come with a coupon for a free magazine subscription. You can choose to simply get a rebate instead- which makes these FREE! She’s a great resource for coupons and deals.
I also got an assortment of samples that I found on offers from Freeflys – sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on the BEST new samples!

More Freebies!

Obviously I don’t remember where everything that I get each day came from! But on a big sample day like this, most of them probably came from sites like these-
MySurvey: I get tons of great Free Products to Test from MySurvey!
TFS: Check back daily at That Freebie Site for new cool stuff- you never know what you’ll find here!
Woman Freebies: I love the assortment of beauty and make-up samples here! Sign up for their newsletter updates to get the best new offers sent to you!
MySavings: Tons of cool free stuff, sorted by category. Check them out today- Free Stuff at MySavings.com.

And Even MORE Free Stuff!

I am LOVIN’ this new Scotch Thermal Laminator– and what makes it even better is that it’s regular price is over $80, but I got it on a flash deal at Amazon for less than $10!! {I shared this on Facebook and Twitter- did you get one too?} And what makes it even BETTER than THAT? I got it totally free, since I get FREE Amazon Gift Cards from using my much-loved SwagBucks!!
The Swiffer Duster was a freebie that I got as a member of the awesome Vocalpoint.com– sign up if you’re not a member yet, to get in on some great full size product freebies!

A few more great sites too:

Baby to Bee: Great name brand samples and offers for moms, and moms to be! FREE baby stuff.
CafeMom: Find moms to swap coupons with, start clothing or toy swaps, learn new tips, and more! CafeMom.
Cool Savings: Watch the savings pile up thanks to free, printable coupons for groceries, kids, pets and more.. Click Here to join.
Planning Family: Tons of great stuff for parents, my favorite is the great free diaper coupons!
Savings Star: Save on your groceries with SavingStar! SavingStar is a new eCoupon service that’s totally paperless – so there’s nothing to clip or print. Get over 30 eCoupons worth over $50! Click Here to get started.
Toluna: I just got approved to do a Free In-Home Product Test of Pantene‘s new line of products- plus I’ll earn $15 bucks for trying them! Love this place.
LearnVest: Free online financial bootcamp, and great daily tips. Sign up for their Daily Frugal Living Tips newsletter, and get fun ideas, and suggestions for the best FREE services and sites out there!
Inbox Dollars: Get $5 bucks free cash today for signing up. Earn more for referring friends, checking out ad’s, and my fave- .10 cents per coupon you print and redeem!

What do you think?

Do you use some of these sites already – which ones are your favorites? Do you have some favorites that I forgot to mention? Share ’em in the comments!

Make sure to use the social buttons to share this on your Facebook and Twitter too- so you’re friends can learn how to get all of these great freebies too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 1, 2011 Filed Under: Uncategorized, Freebies, Product Testing | 1 Comment

BIG News from a Favorite Baby Site!

Planning Family- A New Mom Resource!

If you’re a momma-to-be, a new mom, or even like me – the busy mommy to a little toddler! – you can benefit from the wonderful content over at Planning Family!

Tons of free baby stuff from the brands you know and trust. Click Here to join!

Freebies and Coupons, but also so much more…

I started using Planning Family for the baby samples, to stock up before my little girl even arrived. And oh boy did those come in handy! When you realize at 2am that you’ve run out of formula, and don’t have another canister – it’s a lifesaver to be able to grab some from your sample stash. Plus, all of the samples we stocked up on were great for filling the diaper bags with trial size products too.

After the baby came, I started using Planning Family to find diaper coupons. Then I realized how much more there was to the site – I could find answers to most of my baby questions, fun information on Abby’s development, feeding and sleeping advice, and more. It really is a great resource!

Big Announcements Coming!

I got an email from Planning Family today, and is says, “Something big is coming…” It doesn’t give much detail of what is going to happen, but it does mention that “they will soon launch some wonderful new features that will make using PlanningFamily.com quicker and easier than it has ever been!” Making one of my favorite sites even better? Love it.

So, if you’re already a member, stay tuned for the big excitement. If you’re not a member yet, join me there today! If you’re not a mom – you can sign up anyway, and pass those freebies onto your friends, or just share this post to your Facebook and Twitter, so they can join too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 1, 2011 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Busy Mom Solution, Freebies | No Comments

Swag Code Extravaganza – Coming Monday! Get Free Codes Here!!

BIG Swag Bucks Event Coming Soon…

This Monday is the newest Swag Bucks Extravaganza! What does that mean? It means that SEVEN different codes all throughout the day, and a total of 60 Swag Bucks in codes being given out!!

Not using SwagBucks yet to earn FREE stuff like Amazon Gift Cards, PayPal cash, or other great prizes? Sign Up Today!!

What is SwagBucks?

SwagBucks is a super fun way to earn free stuff. Seriously, it is one of the EASIEST ways I’ve ever found to earn freebies – use the toolbar to search instead of using Google or Yahoo, and you randomly earn “SwagBucks” for your searches. That’s just about the only thing I do, and I earn enough points for at least one new $5 Amazon Gift Card every single week. I earn that totally free for searches I’d be doing anyway!!

You can really boost your points and get free stuff quicker by doing surveys, games, shopping, and more – there are loads of ways to earn!

Sign Up Today and Get a BONUS!!

Use the sign up code BIGTIMEBUCKS – it’s worth and additional 70 Swag Bucks!! – meaning that you’ll get to start your account with 100 points instead of the usual 30. It only takes 450 points for your first Amazon Gift Card! So this is a HUGE reason to finally get started if you haven’t already!

Use Code BIGTIMEBUCKS when you sign up for Swagbucks today for BONUS points!!

Stay tuned on Monday for the Swag Bucks Extravaganza — I’ll share more tips when it starts! Feel free to use the share buttons to post this to your own Facebook and Twitter, to pass the bonus code onto your friends too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 30, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

Test FREE Shampoo at Home – Earn $15 Cash!

BIG Survey from Toluna!

Check your email for a new survey tonight from Toluna– it has a points value of 15,000 – which means about $15 cash for completing it!! – and if you qualify, you get to test out a NEW Shampoo and Conditioner from Pantene.

Awesome, right? Get paid $15 bucks to try free shampoo? You can’t beat that.