Sunshine and Sippy Cups

Magically make family videos on your smartphone in minutes

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting, to share how Magisto makes it easy as magic to create family videos on your smartphone. I received a promotional code for premium features to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

New app for smartphones makes editing and creating family videos super simple: Meet Magisto!!… One challenge that most of us as busy moms have is figuring out what to do with all of the million photos and videos we take of the family on our smartphones. {I have HUNDREDS of family photos on my iPhone!} And so many of my videos are just random clips, short moments, long videos where there are only a couple of fun parts – you know what I mean, right? Well – I have a super smart solution that you’re going to love, I just know it. {I’m crazy in love, and I’ve only been using it for a couple of days! It’s called Magisto – it’s available for Android and iPhone, it’s free, and it magically takes any videos and photos you give it, and edits it all together to make super fun videos. You can check out an example below…

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Why Mom Bloggers Don’t Sleep…

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

“The phrase “working mother” is redundant.” – Jane Sellman... This is one of my favorite quotes. {If you look up in the sidebar at my About Me box, you’ll see that I use this quote to kick off that section.} I love it because it’s such a truth when it comes to motherhood – I don’t care if you work from home, work outside the home, or “just” stay home with the kids – we’re all the CEOs of running our homes. We work, all day. And while not all of us are paid for our work, our work still has crazy-high amounts of value. We’re raising our kids to be amazing people as they grow up; teaching life skills, helping them explore the world around them and make sense of it all, imparting our family’s values, helping with homework, listening, cuddling, comforting. Not to downplay the role of daddies – {I am BLESSED beyond belief that Abby has the most amazing dad in the world. And a good dad as your partner makes the job of being a mom so much easier} – but I do have to say that moms kind of rock.

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Does Your Toddler Need a Nursing Pillow?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort and Harmony for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
“Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.” – Bill Cosby… Ah, motherhood. I remember the excitement I had when I was pregnant with Abby, waiting to finally meet her for the first time. I also remember the absolute terror I felt the first time I walked into a Babies R’ Us store for the first time… OHMYHECK. There are 237 different types of bottles. Why are there so many different rattles? Do I need a bouncer and a swing and a vibrating swing and a jumper to hang in the doorway too? With all of that gear, do I even get to hold my baby sometimes?? It was overwhelming, all of those choices. But, I was lucky – we had extended family living with me at the time, so Abby would have to share a bedroom with me, her daddy, and our fluffy little dog. Why was that lucky? Well, it forced me to be super selective about what I purchased – meaning I didn’t go overboard, and I bought things that transitioned well to toddler life. Today I’ll share one great product that you’ll use the heck out of with your new baby, that will be just as popular when they grow into toddlerhood.

Mombo nursing pillow with slipcover and vibration unit [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 19, 2013 Filed Under: Reviews, Parenting | No Comments

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 1 Weight Loss Kick Off!

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James… This quote is SO true. And I’m trying to keep it mind as I write this post, since it’s a scary/terrifying/embarrassing one to write. I’m going to kick off my new weight loss adventure here today – and to keep it real, which is what we all want to see when it comes to weight loss stuff, I’m going to post a photo of me standing on the scale. Like, an un-photo shopped photo. Like, where you can see how much I actually weigh. And while I LOVE you ladies who read my posts here, and feel safe with you all… Posting it means not just you guys can see it. The whole big ol’ web can see it. The INTERNETS can read it. And that’s scary. I mean, if I get a ticket I lie about my weight. When the nurse weighs me at the doctor office I ask her to whisper the results so others don’t hear it. But here I am, getting brave, shouting {err, typing?} to the world about how big my ass is these days. So, why in the freakin’ heck would I do that?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 15, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 5 Comments

12 Summer Sweepstakes and Giveaways – Vacations, Cameras, and More!

Enter to win summer giveaways – Trips, swimwear, cash – maybe even a brand new Canon Rebel camera to capture all of the great memories of the fun you have this summer: That’s what you could win today when entering this list of awesome summer giveaways. Have fun, and good luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 14, 2013 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

4 Ways to Use Baskets and Bins to Organize Your Home in a Flash

Tips on organizing your home using bins and baskets…. Ok. I admit it. I have a little bit of an OCD problem. I like my books and dvds organized by color, my drinking glass in order by height, and all of the clothes in my closet have to be facing the same direction, in categories marked with dividers. Maybe it’s because of all of the other chaos that I deal with daily – running my own business from home, Mike running a business of his own from home too, and life with an incredibly energetic toddler. So keeping the house clean, neat, and organized helps me feel a little more in control. And the best tip I’ve found for helping keep things picked up and put away is to use baskets and bins to organize around the house – they work in every single room, and can solve just about any challenge you have. Check out a few of my favorite ideas…

Home Office by Minneapolis Interior Designer LiLu Interiors
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Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 14, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Homemaking | 4 Comments

Why I Filed for Bankruptcy at 25, and What I Learned

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Aflac, to share my personal experience with insurance and medical debt. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Can you afford a medical emergency?… The average cost of a heart attack and the care needed to recover is $65,427, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. A broken leg costs around $10,000. Some cancer medications can cost upwards of $10,000 per month. Add those up, and it’s no surprise that medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy is this country. I know from experience that even with insurance, the bills add up quickly, and can become overwhelming. Because it’s not even just the medical bills – it’s also the money you lose if you aren’t able to work for awhile. Many people believe that if they have health insurance, they’ll be ok if a health crisis hits – but do you have a real idea of what out of pocket costs will be if someone in your family gets sick or injured? I didn’t. And that’s what led to me filing for bankruptcy at the young age of just 25.

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