Sunshine and Sippy Cups

How To: Get a FREE Credit Score Thats Actually FREE!

So many sites advertise FREE credit reports.

The most memorable I’m sure is freecreditreport.com from all of those commercials, right? But then you go to the site, and they ask for your credit card info, and want to enroll you in credit monitoring to be able to access your so called “free” report. Boo.

I learned about this site last night, and just signed up today myself!

Credit Karma DOES NOT ask for you credit card info! It really is actually free. Read on:

Credit Karma believes consumers have a right to know this information with no charge or without the bait and switch of 30 days free followed by enrollment products with confusing opt outs. We subsidize our cost of pulling the credit scores by selling advertising on the site.

Love it. Plus, they offer other info too:

Use the free credit report card to learn more about your credit report and score.
Compare individual credit report categories to national averages.
See how the various items on your credit report affect your credit score.

Check it out today at the Credit Karma site here. You fill out a little info, super quick, and then they send a verification email to you. You click on that, then enter address and other info. Then you can access your Credit Report from TransUnion right away! You also see all of the credit tools… I got to see how my credit score compares to others nationally, and how they rate my score {not so good}.

I encourage you to share this post with your friends…. So many people are looking for a legit free way to get their credit score, and it can be tough to find one. This one rocks. It is the VERY best one that I have used.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

How a Budget Momma Can Afford Designer Fashion

Check out Beyond the Rack!

This is an AMAZING way to get designer stuff that would normally be out of your budget. I got a purse here for over $200 off the regular price… I NEVER could have afforded a bag like that otherwise.

Get up to 70% off designer retail. Join for free now! Invitation only shopping portal for high end brands. Consumers join to save up to 70% off. Limited Time Designer Events up to 8 new brands daily.

Get signed up today to get a daily email with their new deals. If you don’t like it, it’s super easy to unsubscribe again. But I think you’ll love the selection. And it gives you a way to splurge on something super awesome once in a while, without feeling too guilty about it :)

{TEN!!} New Samples, Freebies, and Deals!

New Samples, Freebies, and Deals Today!

John Frieda: Get a FREE sample of Root Awakening. Free Sample.
Bath & Body Works: Get a super cute tote filled with over $100 worth of goodies for only $20!! See details here, plus the rest of their awesome Mom’s day deals. Bath & Body Works Deals.
Shout: Get a FREE sample of Color Catcher detergent product. Get it here.
Ebates: If you’re shopping online for Mothers Day gifts, make sure to sign up with Ebates first, so you can earn a cash back check for YOU!! Get Up to 25% Cash Back at Over 1200 Stores – Sign-up Free at Ebates.com! Click Here.
Crowdtap: Super fun, I love it. Earn cash for you, partner with brands for promotions, and earn for a charity of your choice. Sign up here to get started!
Vocalpoint: Vocalpoint.com gets you free samples, coupons, recipes, DIY ideas, and more. Sign up today. Click Here.
RedPlum: New Coupons!! Print Free Grocery Coupons from RedPlum! Click Here.
Kmart: Check out the new Kmart Sample Center! Get Samples Here.
Zantac: Get another FREE sample of this stuff, it rocks. Sample Here.
Credit Karma: A FREE credit score option that is ACTUALLY free. No hidden costs, and it doesn’t ask for a credit card. Great service too, I’m signing up today! Sign Up Here.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Your Daily Bit of Sunshine…

New feature…

I love quotes. A lot. All of my scrapbooks and albums feature tons of quotes. I have an email folder filled with my favorites. I love to share favorites by adding them to cards at holidays. I love how such a little string of words can sometimes be just the right thing that you’ve been needing to hear.

So every day I’ll be sharing a new quote with you guys. Something motivating and happy to brighten your day. You know, a Daily Bit of Sunshine.

Todays Daily Bit of Sunshine:

“When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the Eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud.”

–Author Unknown.

I love this. I love the picture that it brings to my mind… Everyone else huddled away hiding from the rain… But not that eagle, strong enough to rise up above those clouds.

This reminds me not to let myself get knocked down or caught up in the daily stress of life. To remember to stay above the negative, and out of the rain.

My brother has a friend who just this weekend lost everything that he owned. He came home late to find the fire department at his house, but that they had not been able to save it, and it had burned to the ground. I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible it would be to lose it all.

But he is thankful for what he does have… His dog got out out safe, and is ok. He is ok. He has a really great group of friends that are pitching in to help him out. He realized that maybe he didn’t need as much stuff as he had. He is taking it day by day. Making a list each morning of what he needs to get that day… Dog food, socks, shirts. And little by little, he’ll put things back together.

I think that it is so important to remember that everything is temporary. A wonderful moment will pass, so enjoy it while it lasts. And those bad moments will pass too, so just do your best until things clear up again.

Yes, I’m a little bit like a wise old Yoda or something this morning. I know. And staying positive is easier said than done. But life is too short to let problems get you down, no matter how big or small they are. You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can ALWAYS change your attitude towards them.

Choose to be happy. Smile. Tell someone you love and appreciate them. Have a wonderful day today…. :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Coupon for 50% off Mothers Day Flowers!

Sign up for Blooms Rewards Today and get all of this:

50% Savings on Today’s Order, New Members Only
$10.00 Savings on All Future Blooms Today Purchases
Discounts & “2-for-1” Deals on Dining, Shopping, Travel and More
Instant Access to Over 500,000 Discounts from Blooms Rewards’ Exclusive Database of Merchant Offers!
All for Only $9.99 a Month

The Blooms Rewards gets you discounts at places like Nutrisystem, Domino’s, Dunkin Donuts, Alamo, Enterprise, and more!

If you were thinking of sending flowers, this is a great way to do it! You’ll get 50% off of your purchase today {making the cost of a really pretty flower arrangement about $17} PLUS get discounts EVERY time you send flowers the rest of the year, AND get the bonus discounts at the other merchants too!

I’d never heard of Blooms Today before, but I checked them out before posting this offer… {The coupon said “details at checkout” and I wanted to find out what those were for you first!} But they have really pretty flower arrangements, and lots of cool add on gifts too. An example: You can pay just $2.50 at check out to add a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation and have a tree planted in honor of mom. Great, right?

Check it out today… Remember, Mothers Day is this Sunday, May 8th! It seems so early this year! And since florists get super busy this time of year, make sure to get your order in soon. Happy Mothers Day!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

New From Digitwirl: Using the Cardstar App!

Get your loyalty cards out of your wallet and into your Smartphone!

From the pet store to the bookstore everyone seems to have loyalty cards these days. They’re great. They get you discounts and exclusive deals, which may be why your wallet is jammed full of them. Or, you may be the type who hates carrying them all around with you, but inevitably the one you need is stashed in a drawer at home.

Cardstar (www.cardstar.com) is a simple, yet brilliant, app that puts all your loyalty cards in the palm of your hand (assuming that hand is holding your smartphone).

Download it for free to your iPhone, Blackberry or Android and then using your phone’s camera just scan the bar codes on the back of your cards. Boom! Cardstar reads the barcode and stores them where they can be scanned at the checkout counter just like you would your plastic card. Cardstar will also show you which of your stores is offering special deals and help you score coupons to save you even more money. No wonder the loyalty card program we’re most loyal to is Cardstar.

Check out this week’s Twirl and see how easy it is to ditch the plastic and hold on to more paper–you know, the kind with dead presidents on it….

Ok, I admit it… I’m a bit old school, and I don’t even have a smart phone just yet. I’ve been thinking about upgrading to an iPhone, because my brother has one, loves it, and is always showing me all of the cool app’s that he has on it.

After watching this new video, I’m pretty much convinced that it’s time to upgrade! I LOVE this app idea!

I do all of the shopping for our household. So obviously, I’m always looking for new ways to save and earn rewards. That means that just like in the video, I have a TON of those little loyalty cards in my wallet!

I looked this morning, and this is what I’m carrying around:

Safeway Club Card
Albertsons Preferred Savings Card
Shopko My Extra Savings Card
Rite-Aid Wellness Plus Card
Kmart Shop Your Way Rewards
Sears Shop Your Way Rewards
Buckle Loyalty Card
Toys R Us Rewards R Us Card

And more!! That takes up so much space in my wallet, and it is always so hard to find the one that I want when I need it. Ugh. I hate being “that lady” in the checkout line… You know, the one everyone is waiting on while I fumble through my purse trying to find my card. Yikes. This app would solve that problem.

I also love that they not only make it super easy to store and access all of your reward cards quickly, but they also help you find deals and coupons when you get to the store to shop. Super cool, right?

I’m a bit technically challenged (which is funny right, since I’m a blogger?) which is why I LOVE Digitwirl, and the way that they find stuff that is relevant to me and make it super easy to understand.

What do you guys think?? Share some thoughts in the comments!

Have you ever used this app before?
Are you excited to check it out?
What other app’s make your life easier? Share them with us!
Have you heard of Digitwirl yet? If any of you are already fans, share some other fun tips that you’ve learned from them!

I hope that you guys loved the video as much as I did, and that this app helps you out! And stay tuned for next weeks video from Digitwirl, so you can learn another great tip :)

Want to check out more from Digitwirl right now? Read more:

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 May 4, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments