Sunshine and Sippy Cups

Layers of Smokehouse Brisket Flavors

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby’s for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

In my house, there are two different types of cooks. I’m the casual cook – I prefer throwing stuff in a crockpot, mixing up a simple casserole or pasta dish, or tossing together a quick skillet dinner. The Mister is the meat man. We bought a fancy new grill this year from Sears – it has two sides, one for charcoal and one for propane, giving him a ton of room to work his magic. We’ve got indoor grilling gadgets, he can cook a roast like nobody’s business, and one of his favorite things is a good brisket. So when I heard that Arby’s had a new Smokehouse Brisket sandwich on the menu, I knew he’d want to check it out.

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 23, 2013 Filed Under: Giveaways, Food | 38 Comments

Online Photography Classes that Rock

Do you want to take better pictures? Whether you’re a blogger who wants to take better food photos, an Etsy shop owner wanting to present your products in the best possible light {literally!}, or a mom who wants to capture beautiful photos of your family – learning to take better pictures is a skill on my women’s “to learn” list. I’ve put together tons of tips lately on my Take a Better Photo board on Pinterest – most work for anyone, even if you don’t have a fancy DSLR camera. And, one of my favorite sites, Craftsy, has some really awesome new online photography classes you might like too.

Online Photography Classes for Any Skill Level

You can choose from a ton of different online photography classes on Craftsy – things like Landscape photography, taking better portraits, shooting intimate close-up environments, or this one above that I’m excited to take -“Shoot It: A Product Photography Primer.” I often have trouble getting good photos of items for product reviews, and hope to start an Etsy shop in the next year, so this is a big help for me! Knitter and photographer Caro Sheridan explains it all – from planning before the shoot to editing afterwards, and all the details in between. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn:

How to plan and execute a photoshoot from start to finishMaking a storyboard and shot list to create the story you want to tell
What a pro keeps in her tool kit – from lipstick to legal forms
How to capitalize on the fancy features of whatever camera you have
Directing your model and getting the hero shot
Photo fundamentals like composition and color
The basics of digital editing – without expensive software

What is Craftsy? Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 21, 2013 Filed Under: Crafty | 4 Comments

How to DIY Simple Kid’s Halloween Costumes

Are you a fan of PBS? I am. Some of our favorite shows are on PBS Kids – like Calliou, Super Why, Dinosaur Train, and everyone’s childhood fave, Sesame Street. And a new cartoon we recently have gotten hooked on is Word Girl. Which is why I totally loved this DIY Halloween costume video showing you how to turn simple items into adorably frugal kid’s Halloween costume – WordGirl, the beloved superhero from the show. I’ve also included another super fun costume idea that would be fun any time of year too. Hope you enjoy too!

No-Sew DIY Halloween Costume

Follow along in this video from PBS Parents, as it shows you how to easily transform kids into WordGirl. There’s no sewing or complicated skills needed, meaning it’s easy enough for kid’s to create themselves! [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 21, 2013 Filed Under: Crafty | No Comments

I’m Free to Do Anything… If My Mom Says I Can – State of the Kid Results from Highlights

Who else has fond memories of reading Highlights magazine as a kid? They were some of my very favorite things to read. And I love that they have 3 versions, perfect for kids of all ages – Abby just outgrew the Hello magazine for ages 0-2, and is now reading High Five, the version for kids 2-6. Then when she grows older, we’ll transition to traditional version for kids aged 6-12. We didn’t find a preschool for her this year, so I’m trying to do “preschool at home” – and Highlights are such a great resource to make learning fun! I think one of the reasons that Highlights does such a great job at creating content is that they truly believe in listening to kids, to learn what they like, what they think, what they want to know about. Which is where the State of the Kid survey comes from…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 21, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

How to Make Healthy Eating Fun

This post about healthy breakfasts that are high in fiber is brought to you by Kellogg’s and The Motherhood, and I’ve been compensated for my time. However, all opinions are my own, as always. Thanks for reading.

Nine out of 10 children do not get enough fiber in their diet. Did you know that? Many of you might not have – but fiber intake is kind of a big thing for me, so I’ve heard this statistic for a long time now. It’s gotten pretty easy for me to make sure I’m getting enough fiber – I love whole grain bread, I’ve switched to mostly brown rice and whole grain pasta – and especially in the fall, I make a ton of soup and chili that are packed full of high-fiber beans. But Abby isn’t as big of a fan of whole grains yet {she just turned 3 in late July.} So I just keep introducing new foods, hoping she’ll find new favorites.

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 19, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Food | No Comments

How To Find More “Me Time”

A variety of Celestial Seasonings samples and compensation was received in exchange for this post. But all opinions are mine, like always.

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson… As moms, we all know that we need more “me time,” right? But in between running our households, running our businesses, running around for a boss, or running around after kids – there’s not a whole lot of time to devote to ourselves. Which is why I totally treasure those small moments of peace I get each day. I try – key word, *try* – to add some small routines into my daily schedule that allow me a little bit of me time every day.

I used to think I had a busy life, back in my “previous life”. I worked management in retail, while also doing displays and fashion merchandising. And of course, selling. I had long, crazy hours. I never stood still, all day – not at work, as I ran non-stop to keep everything running, or after work, as I had a crazy-full social life. Work hard – play hard, that was how I lived. But that was nothing compared to what my life is like now – Homeowner, Mother, Business Owner. Ohmyheck. I’ve never faced so much stress, or had so many things in life depending on me to ensure that they get taken care of. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 18, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 12 Comments

It’s Starting to Look a Lot Like…. Halloween!

I love the holidays. I love celebrating. I love parties. I love decorating and crafting and cooking and baking and fun. And Halloween gets me extra excited. Not because it’s my favorite holiday – but because it’s like, the kick off to the best part of the year for me. I mean – Halloween comes with loads of cool stuff anyway, like costumes and pumpkins and treats. But it’s like the door opening to a non-stop extravaganza of holiday fun for the whole rest of the year.

We decorated the house weeks ago. Grandma {my mom} lives with me part of the time, and always helps us put up decorations. I remember helping her when I was a kid {and we still have so many of the same decorations we had back then – I love it.} So it makes my mom-heart happy to watch Abby get so much enjoyment following along with grandma and putting up fun stuff for each holiday too. Priceless. We’ve got a spooky graveyard outside, lights in the bushes and trees, and lots of ghosts and goblins inside the house too. So, while I have lots of awesome pieces to decorate the house {and am trying to cut down on buying more. *Trying*} – you do always need a few new things for a holiday like Halloween. I’m talking costumes, baking supplies, and of course – CANDY.

Abby and I decided to take a little shopping trip to Target yesterday, to pick up a few fun festive additions. I’d already ordered one Halloween costume {Little Red Riding Hood} – but since we have four different Halloween parties to go to over the course of two weeks, I figured it’d be a good idea to have two costumes. I mean, you know how messy a 3 year-old gets with her treats, right? And I am so so so so so so sosososososooso SO in love with her in this Merida costume. {You’ve seen Brave, right?} We love anything with Disney Princesses, but Merida does have a special spot in my heart… She’s a very feisty, independent, fearless girl. Just like Abby. [Read more…]