Sunshine and Sippy Cups

HAPPYFAMILY $10,000 Scholarship Contest!

I love HAPPYFAMILY products!

This is a company that truly cares about making every baby a HAPPYBABY. They do that by providing parents with award winning baby foods, using environmentally safe packaging, and by partnering with Project Peanut Butter to help provide healthy foods to hungry babies in Africa. They are such a socially responsible company, which is hard to find these days!

Foods you can feel good about feeding your baby!

All HAPPYFAMILY products are Organic and BPA Free, and are developed with the help of one of the most respected pediatricians, Dr. Sears, to ensure that your baby gets the most nutritious choices possible! For more information about feeding your baby, check out their book, HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months

My Happy Baby

My own happy baby loves HAPPYBELLIES Oganic Baby Cereals, DHA + Probiotic, Organic Oatmeal Cereal, 7-Ounce Containers (Pack of 6) We have a hard time finding HAPPYFAMILY products where we live, and the HAPPYBABY website is temporarily closed for some upgrades, so I use Amazon to get everything we need. You can most HAPPYBABY foods there, from baby cereals, to toddler snacks and pre-school meals.

Join the GenerationHappy Movement!

HAPPYFAMILY recently launched a new campaign called GenerationHappy. Read more about this great new movement that is encouraging parents to raise their children to make a difference in the world:

“GenerationHappy invites moms and dads to take a pledge and join HAPPYFAMILY in educating today’s children to understand the importance of eating organically, living sustainably and respecting the earth from early on in their lives. By taking the pledge, parents will gain access to expert advice and helpful ideas for living a healthy, balanced lifestyle that extends beyond nutrition, as well as exclusive offers and giveaways to support them in their journeys.”

Win a College Scholarship!

To celebrate this new program, HAPPYFAMILY is having a video contest on Facebook where parents can submit a video to show off their little one’s special moments, and enter to win a $10,000 college scholarship! Woo hoo, right? There will also be weekly prize pack winners, so make sure to check it out! The Happy Video Contest launched on February 15, 2011, and you can submit your videos until March 25, 2011. You can enter once a day, and vote for your favorites! The lucky winner will be anounced on the HAPPYFAMILY Facebook page on March 28, 2011. Will it be YOU?

Learn More about HAPPYFAMILY:

To learn a little more about how HAPPYFAMILY does business, check out this cute interview with their founder at Natural Products Expo West, in 2009, on YouTube .

HAPPYFAMILY is the leading premium organic brand of baby and toddler foods sold in the United States. They take their commitment to parents seriously, and work to provide you the best products for your baby.

To learn more about HAPPYFAMILY, their mission, and products, visit their website HappyBabyFood.com.

Please leave some comments about HAPPYFAMILY! Do you use their products in your home? Did you enter the contest? I love to hear from you guys….. :)

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 28, 2011 Filed Under: Contests, Reviews | 8 Comments

Who Loves Freebies?

Who loves free stuff?

You know I do. Freebies ROCK my SOCKS.

Ignore the bad photo quality… My digital camera is throwing a tantrum, so for now I have only my cell phone camera… But I wanted to share a pic of all the freebies I got in the mail last week! Woo Hoo, right?? Some natural baby goodies for a product testing party, bunches of samples, a couple random prizes, all my magazines… All in all, a pretty good week!

Subscribe to my newsletter, so you never miss out on new freebies!

Here are some awesome freebies for today:

Free Shampoo! Get your Cream of Nature Shampoo sample here!

Free Dog or Cat Treat-Pack! Overby Farms is giving away your choice of a dog or cat treat-pack. Click Here to get one!

Mystery Gift! Tylenol has a program called Keep Moving. Sign up for their newsletter, and get a free gift Here. It doesn’t state what it is, but I’ve heard that its either an exercise band, or a full size bottle of pain reliever.

Free Mascara! Clinique is giving away 100,000 mini High Impact Mascaras to randomly selected people! Go “Like” them on Facebook Here to enter your name too!

Free Fragrance! Get a free sample of Lacoste Perfume for girls or guys.

Free Paint Sample! Check out Windsor & Newtons site for a Free Sample of their artists acrylic paint. Love this one!

Free Cards! Go to Shutterfly today, pick out five 5×7 cards, personalize them with your own pictures, and use the code 5FREECARDS at checkout. I LOVE Shutterfly! This offer ends on March 7th.

Free Printables! Oh how I have fallen in love with printables lately! Go sign up for the Free Newsletter Here and you’ll get links to a few freebies from Living Locurto. She has such amazing stuff! Or for free Oscar Party Printables, check out the fabulous Hostess with the Mostess blog for ideas!

“Into each day, put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor! ” ~H.M.S

Have a great day guys! If anyone has any other sweet freebies to add, post ’em up for everyone to see!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 24, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | No Comments

Fun at the Park

Get outside and enjoy the sunshine!

The weather is finally getting nicer, so get out and enjoy it…

Going to the park is an easy way to get the kiddo’s out of the house, away from the video games, and breathing some fresh air. It also has the added bonus of encouraging some physical activity, so they wear themselves out enough to be ready for nap time – which is always my favorite time of day!

But after a few trips to the same ol’ park, you’ll probably hear the dreaded phrase, “Mom, I’m bored!” Here are a few fun ideas to try to change things up:

*If you’re park has a sandbox, bring along some summer beach toys like a shovel and a bucket. Buy some dollar store toys, bury them in the sand, and let the kids “dig for treasure“. Extra points for mom if she remembers to bring her little pirates an eye patch or sword!

*Play some games! Remember “Mother May I?” For a reminder of how to play see Instructions Here. Another fun one from when I was a kid is really simple, “Red Light, Green Light“. The kids line up a ways away from you, and when you yell GREEN LIGHT, they start running towards you. But once you shout RED LIGHT, they have to stop… The last one to stop has to go back to the starting point!

*Give each kid a paper bag and a list for a scavenger hunt. List easy to find stuff like pinecones and bird feathers, and let them race to see who can find everything first. Another great way to tire them out!

*Let the kids gather rocks to use for some cute craft projects later. Check out Martha Stewarts Crafts for Kids for some amazing ideas!

*Don’t let baby miss out on the fun. Even though my baby girl is too little to sit on the swings by herself, she LOVES to ride in the baby carrier while I swing us both. Its a little workout for mom – I forgot how much work swinging was! – and a fun new experience for baby.

*Bring some toys… Sidewalk chalk can lead to lots of fun games. Football or basketball have obvious uses. Or even bring a board game to play while sitting in the shade with a little one who’s running out of energy.

*Speaking of sitting in the shade, when was the last time you had a picnic? It doesn’t have to be fancy… If nothing else, grab a bucket from KFC and take it with you! Kids love to do things that are out of the ordinary, so eating lunch outside will entertain them.

What else does your family do at the park to keep the kids entertained? Share you ideas here!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 23, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | No Comments

Freebie Friday!

Its Freebie Friday! The sun is shining outside today, making me excited for the weekend. Here are some goodies to brighten up your day too!

New P&G Sampler Pack available! The items available in these Sampler Packs can change quickly, so check it out right away to get some goodies! P&G Sampler Pack

Free Sample of Exoderm Baby Skin Care… This looks like a really great product. Get a freebie to check it out here Exoderm Sample

Free NatureMagix All Purpose Cleaner! This is a concentrated, natural cleaner, and you get a full size sample bottle, they even pay the shipping! NatureMagix Sample

It’s MEGA SWAG BUCKS day! Every Friday you get bigger and better rewards for searching, so take advantage of that today!

Michaels Craft Store has a big Presidents Sale this weeked, and they’ve got some great coupons to use ON TOP of the sale prices! Go print off a coupon for an extra 40% off of one item, and another coupon for 20% off the rest of your purchase. Michaels Coupons

A bunch of freebies at Kodak right now! You can get 50 FREE Mommy Cards, 20 FREE baby announcements, and FREE Contact Cards too! Kodak Freebies

Free Kindle copy of the kids book “I Love You This Much” at Amazon.com! You don’t need to even have a Kindle to take advantage of this… You can save the book to your computer or Smartphone too.

I’m in finals week in school, so those are all the freebies that I have time to post today! Have a wonderful weekend! ~ the Money Saving Mommy

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 18, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | 1 Comment

Mondays Sweet Deals!

Happy Valentines Day to all my Sunshine and Sippy Cups readers!

Here are some new freebies and deals from around the web:

*Zazzle Deal*

Check out the Valentines Day Sale at Zazzle today! So much cute stuff, and save 14% off when you use the code IHEARTZAZZLE!

Today only: Zazzle Valentines Day Sale

*Snapfish Freebies*

Awesome deal at Snapfish today! Click on the link, select Posters, and then Collage Posters, and choose the 11×14 size poster. Make it pretty with your photos, and then at checkout use the code POSTERBABY to get it for FREE! You’ll just pay $1.99 for the shipping! Plus, if you’re a new customer, you’ll get a code for 50 free prints!

Check it here: Snapfish Deal

*Taco Bell Freebie*

Free Taco at Taco Bell! Simply go “Like” their Facebook page, and print the coupon.

Go here: Taco Bell Facebook Page

*Crayola Giveaway*

While you’re on Facebook, go on over to the Crayola page too! They’ll be giving away prizes to random fans soon… Make sure you “Like” them for a change to win!

Here’s the page: Crayola Facebook Page

*Magazine Deal*

Tons of great Hearst magazines, only $5.99 each! Oprah, Cosmo, Redbook… and more!

Check it out here: Magazine Sign Up

*New House Party*

Have you checked out House Party yet?? This is such a great way to get fun new product to try out and share with your friends. They have an amazing new party to apply for, and I am SO hoping to get chosen for this one…. The BareMinerals House Party, with lots of goodies to freebies to try out. I LOVE BareMinerals! Go apply here, and sign up for the newsletter so you can be notified of new parties as they come up:

*Seven Slings Freebie*

Check out Seven Slings today, pick out a baby carrier, and when you enter the code HEART today only, you will get it for free! All you pay is shipping.

Go here: Free Baby Sling

“Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” ― Franklin P. Jones

Have a great Valentines Day! ~ The Money Saving Mommy!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 14, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | 1 Comment

Seven Ways to Get Freebies Online!

People are always asking me how I get so much free stuff, so I’m going to share some of my secrets with you! There are so many places out there that make big promises and fail to deliver. After a few years of experimenting, I’ve discovered what works. Here are a few of my favorites, with tips on how to maximize your earnings!

SwagBucks:

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Megsp22

This is an amazingly easy way to earn some freebies! All you need to do is install the Swagbucks toolbar, (which is totally safe… I’ve been using it for over a year now) and then use that toolbar to search online. Randomly, you’ll get a notice after searching that you have just won some “swag bucks”, which go directly into your account. Then, you can redeem those bucks for free stuff. Easy, right? I use them for Amazon gift cards, and I earn a new $5 gift card every couple of weeks. Each time you earn a gift card, you can take the code that they send you, enter it into your Amazon account, and let them add up until you are ready to use them!

Inbox Dollars:

http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref3483816

I’ve been using Inbox Dollars for years now. This site rewards you for your activity with actual cash! You earn cash for checking out the emails they send you, shopping, watching videos… But the fastest way to earn free money is to fill out the surveys that they send you. The more often you fill out a survey, the more often they will send them to you, and each one is worth $1-$2, and takes about 10-15 minutes. After you have earned $30, you can request a check, which only takes a couple weeks to reach you.

Ebates:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Io%2BQNwnBCD8oq1qEzg6ssg%3D%3D

This is one of my FAVORITE ways to earn money when shopping online! I am new to Ebates, but have been using it for about 4 months, and have already earned enough for my first $40 check! (I admit, I do shop online a lot!) The sign up process to start using Ebates only takes a couple of minutes. Then, every time you shop online, you go to the Ebates site first. Search for the retailer you want, and if they participate, Ebates will give you a list of coupon codes to use, and show you how much cash back you will earn on your purchase. So you get codes for a great deal, and earn money back for shopping you would have done anyway! Love it :)

BzzAgent:

www.bzzagent.com

This site is a great way to get free products and services to try out, and to learn about new companies or promotions before anyone else does. After signing up, it’s up to you how much you want to participate… They only send a few emails a month, with invites to new campaigns you can choose to be a part of. I’ve gotten some cool stuff from BzzAgent, and am a big fan!

House Party:

www.houseparty.com

House Party is amazing! You sign up to host parties for products or companies that you are interested in. If chosen as a host, House Party sends you a really great party pack filled with free products, coupons, decorations, and other fun stuff to help you throw a sweet party for your friends while sharing the featured product. I’ve had a few HouseParties, and I can tell you, it is definitely something worth doing. This is a great way to entertain on a budget!

MySurvey:

https://www.mysurvey.com/

This is another great survey site! It is really clean and easy to use, and has a great assortment of rewards. One thing that I really like about MySurvey is that they reward you for EVERY survey you attempt, even if you do not qualify. Another great way to earn Amazon gift cards!

MyPoints:

This site offers so many ways to earn points! Like Ebates, you can start here for shopping, and earn points for each purchase. MyPoints will also send you emails with companies to check out… You always get a few points just for clicking on the ad, and earn more if you make a purchase. You can also play games, complete surveys, and sign up for some of their free offers to earn additional points. Those points can then be redeemed for FREE gift cards! I have earned so many rewards from MyPoints over the last couple of years!

These are just a few of my favorite sites! I’ll be posting many more. But I do personally use all of these companies, and have earned rewards from every one, many times. Let me know if you use any of these already, and what you think… And please post about any other great ways to earn freebies that are not on my list!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 10, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies | 2 Comments