Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 270 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Blog Bash Winner… Is it YOU??

I hope you guys all enjoyed the Blog Bash 2011 Party as much as I did!!

I found bunches of other great blogs to follow, met loads of amazing new fans, and had a blast getting to know so many new people.

I entered {almost!} all of the other giveaways…. But it doesn’t look like I won any of them, bummer! {But who knows, maybe there are a few other blogs out there like me, who are getting their winners picked late…. Maybe I’ll still get an email telling me I won something!}

The winner of MY Blog Bash 2011 Kitchen Package Giveaway is…

Nicole Carter!!

Congratulations Nicole!! You’re gonna LOVE your prize package!!

I’ve emailed the winner, and she has 48 hours to respond before an alternate will be chosen….

Also… Welcome to all the NEW fans, and a big THANK YOU to all of my current fans who helped spread the word about the Blog Bash!! You guys rock!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 27, 2011 Filed Under: Winners!, Contests | No Comments

Ever wondered how the Credit Card companies decide who to approve?

Introducing a cool new feature that the credit card companies will hate…

Ever wondered how credit card companies decide who to approve? Well, Credit Karma has been busy crunching billions of data points and we’ve come up with a way to help you avoid being declined for a credit card….

Introducing Approval Odds!

Tailored. Credit Karma uses key factors from your credit profile and some mind-numbing math to calculate your approval odds for over 30 of our top credit cards.
Up Front. The Approval Odds badge appears right next to Credit Karma’s credit card offers to help you understand how likely you are to be approved for that offer.
Credit Smart. Too many inquiries on your credit report can impact your credit health. Following the badges to the best offer is a good way to keep inquiries down by avoiding declined applications.

And just like the rest of Credit Karma, this is a completely free new feature. Just update your score every month and Credit Karma will instantly calculate your latest Approval Odds. Take the mystery out of getting credit, and put some power back in YOUR hands.

To get started, sign up for a totally free account at Credit Karma today:

Is it safe?

Credit Karma has been featured on shows like CNN and Good Morning America, and I use it myself. I seriously love it. People have asked me many times how to get a “real” free credit report… So many sites make you sign up for something to get it.

I used to suggest using the links to the credit places directly, since by law you can get one free copy from each, every year. But now that I’ve found Credit Karma, that’s all I will use from now on!

It is so easy to read and understand, and it’s completely safe. Read more about Credit Karma on wikipedia, on CrunchBase, or on Wisebread. And get signed up today! Knowing your credit score and having a copy of your own credit report, is such an important thing to do for your family!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 27, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Reviews | No Comments

Bloggers: Looking for new Affiliates?

I’ve had a TON of people ask me about affiliate programs lately, so I thought I’d share a quick bit of info!

New Blogging Series

I’m putting together a series of posts about how to earn extra income with your blog, how to run great giveaways, and some cool networks to join. It will start Sunday, July 3, so stay tuned!

I’m no expert, obviously. But I’ve learned a lot of great tips that I’d love to share. I get so many emails with questions from you guys, and I feel bad that I don’t always have time to get back to people quickly. So hopefully putting together this series will help answer a lot of questions!

Affiliate Programs

These are top 3 easiest affiliate programs to get started with:

I was a fan of MySavings daily email updates before I had a blog! {Check them out here: Free Samples, to see what type of goodies they share daily.} I’ve had a really good experience with them.

Logical Media is another great one… Not quite as simple to use, in my opinion. I don’t like the way you search for campaigns, but a lot of people love the way they do it. Maybe I just am not smart enough to “get” it, lol.

And finally, Escalate Media, which is my favorite. What I love about them is the personal attention… They are super quick to respond to email questions, and they do webinars regularly to give you helpful tips. Love ’em.

Post Your Questions!

If you have any questions about how affiliate’s work, or one of these companies in particular, leave me a comment! Or if you have questions about anything blog related, or a helpful tip you’d like to share… Comment away, ladies!

If I use your tip in the series, I’ll definitely credit you and link to your blog. I’d love to know what you guys would like to learn more about, so I can make sure to put together as much helpful info as I can!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the sunshine!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 26, 2011 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Freebies | 5 Comments

New Product Tests: Diapers and Detergent!

MySurvey

The longer I use MySurvey, the more I’m a fan! I used to only check in with their surveys once in awhile, because they were a newer company for me, and I guess I just wasn’t used to using them much. But oh boy, lately they’ve been rockin’ my socks!

Make-up and diapers and detergent, Oh My!

In the past couple of months, I’ve gotten to test a full size Cover Girl mascara, and a set of three really great plug-in fragrance units.

Then, last week or so, I took a survey that ended with a message stating that I would get to test out a FREE package of 24 diapers in my little girls size, and give feedback. Diapers are pricey, so you KNOW I loved that! They should arrive any day.

Then tonight, I took a survey that ended with a message that I’ll get a FREE 3 week supply of detergent AND a fabric softner, to test and give opinions on! Love it, right?

Join me at MySurvey!

MySurvey – Take Surveys, Earn Rewards, It’s Easy & Free! Click Here to join me.

You get points for every survey you complete. And I love that you get points EVERY time you attempt a survey… If you don’t qualify, you still get a few points for trying. And they screen you really quick, so you don’t waste your time!

Then, you sometimes get the FREE product to test out and keep. AND you get rewarded with more points for sharing your thoughts on what you try out.

Those points can be redeemed for cool merchandise like tshirts or DVD’s, or even cool kitchen goodies. Or just swap ’em for gift cards like I do… It only takes a few surveys to have enough for a $10 Amazon card!

Love it… What are YOUR favorite survey sites?? Any more good ones I should know about…??

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 25, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Product Testing | No Comments

The best way to shop, for all us procrastinators

Check out this weeks Twirl…

Gah! Who hasn’t been there? The baby shower that snuck up on you. The birthday party present you forgot to buy for the party that’s this afternoon? Or even the special crafts paints that you need to bring in for school tomorrow. So much to buy, so little time. What you need is Milo.com. A dog (well technically a website) that is part Bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out exactly what you need and part Pointer, as in it will point you to a local store that definitely has that specific item in stock. And we’re talking retailers like Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom, Toys ‘R Us, and Crate & Barrel… not too shabby, huh?

**Then all you have to do is fetch!**

While online shopping is the domain of bargain hunters and planners, Milo is the perfect solution for us folks who are willing to trade all that for convenience and instant gratification. Watch this week’s Twirl to find out how Carley avoids a near Baby Shower debacle in light of the fact that she also has about a bazillion other things to do.

Sound familiar?

I’m definitely a HUGE fan of online shopping. I love that it’s easy, I love being able to search for the best price, and I love that shopping online earns me great rewards, {you know, by using sites like Ebates, Inbox Dollars, or MyPoints to earn rebates. You ARE using them right??} But, there are times that I’m just like Carley in this video, and totally need something NOW.

Milo is a total Busy Mom Solution!

You know that I’m all about finding smart solutions to solve busy-mom challenges – and I can see how using Milo.com could be SUCH a time and sanity saver. I can definitely relate to the video example, but there have also been times that I have found the PERFECT thing online, and would LOVE to know if it was available somewhere near-by so I could have that instant gratification, you know? Like, when I see the ab-so-lutely perfect dress online, and realize that I MUST have it for a party coming up in a couple of days. Now that I’ve seen it, nothing else will do. It MUST be that dress. Using Milo.com, I could find it locally and go pick it up, easy peasy! Love that.

So, check it out the next time you find yourself in a sticky spot and need something right now, today, this minute! Milo is such a good dog…. :)

Carley's Byline Pic

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3-minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 25, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Lovin’ Deal Nation!

Deal Nation

I’m not sure if Deal Nation is a new deal site, or if it’s just new to ME, but I only found out about this one last week.

LOVIN’ it

I’ve checked out the deals over the last week, and I’m totally lovin’ this one, so I thought you might too!

Great selection of deals are offered, and the prices are some pretty sweet savings… And you know it takes a lot to impress me, right?

Check it out, I think you guys will love it too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 25, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | 1 Comment

22 Summer Craft Projects for Kids!

Summer Crafts

Crafts are not only fun for kids, but they also help encourage self-confidence, creativity, and other valuable skills. FaveCrafts.com has put together this fun Summer Crafts for Kids eBook resource for parents, babysitters, camp counselors, troop leaders and others with 22 different craft projects for kids.

Great for all ages!

These craft projects are the perfect way to keep kids entertained and challenged while out of school, especially on rainy afternoons, and many of the crafts are easy enough for younger children. Click Here to sign up and check out their other freebies too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 25, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Freebies | No Comments