Family — Page 19

The Importance of Family Photos at the Holidays…

“We do not remember days; we remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese

This quote is so true for me – and looking at my favorite family photo’s can make those great moments totally fresh in my mind. Photos become especially important to me at the holidays – to remember people who are no longer with us, to reminisce over pictures of Christmas when I was a kid, and to cherish the memories that I’m now making with my own little family. A picture can totally capture those moments worth remembering – so I wanted to put together a whole series of posts over the next week that will focus on holiday photos!

“She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes.” – Frank Deford

Yesterday we took Abby to the annual Holiday Lighted Parade downtown. Last year she was just a baby, only 5 months old, and I’m not sure that she shared my holiday enthusiasm from her bundled up spot in her car seat. But this year she loved it. She loved having Daddy boost her up high so she could see the lighted trucks and tractors, the horses pulling carriages, and especially the parade of dogs in lighted vests. {She’s a HUGE fan of doggies. A seriously huge fan.} I forgot to bring my camera, so thank goodness for my iPhone. The pictures weren’t great, since I had no flash – but I’m so glad to have captured the evening in photos.

“Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.” – From the movie An Affair to Remember

So, over the course of the next week, watch for tons of great photo related posts! The amazingly talented Amber Miller will be sharing some great photo tips. I’m going to search out some great deals and discount codes that you can use to print favorite family photos, create memorable holiday cards, or make other fun photo-themed gifts. I have a few reviews and giveaways I’m pretty excited about too! So watch for more “Holiday Photo Week” posts from now until the 12th.

A few of my favorite holiday posts:

Holiday Card Freebies: Use this resource to get up to 50 different holiday cards for free. I posted this last week – so I can’t guarantee that all of the offers and codes are still available!
Family Photo Day: This is a super fun new idea from Shutterfly that I think is so cool. Check it out, learn how to get some discounts, and set up your own “Family Photo Day” event!
Elf Yourself Video: Use your favorite family photos to create a totally free – and totally funny! – video.
10 Tips to Get Ready for the Holidays: Yep, that’s exactly what this post is about. I share 10 holiday-prep tips – Because it’s only 20 days until Christmas!!
DIY Holiday Gift Ideas: 8 cool ideas for DIY Christmas gifts to make this year, that people will actually want to receive!
Holiday Baking Deals: Some of my very favorite holiday baking items, at big discounts!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 5, 2011 Filed Under: Holidays | 4 Comments

Party Time with Thomas & Friends! #Megabloksparty

‘Play is the highest form of research.’ – Albert Einstein

Thomas & Friends + Mega Bloks = Another super fun event from MommyParties! We received a ton of awesome stuff to host a great party for the kiddo’s, their friends, and my mommy friends too. We’ve actually never played with any of the Mega Bloks sets before, so I was super excited to check ’em out – And I’m definitely impressed! I had pictures Mega Bloks as more of a “Little Kid” type toy – but these were fun for ALL of the kids, from 16 months to 9 years old. I love how easy it was for the kids to follow the directions, and they loved that they could create the set on their own. Keep reading to learn more about these super cool toys, plus some ideas you can use for your own party.

‘Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.’ – Kay Redfield Jamison

Each of the kids got to pick a new toy – They could choose from Mega Bloks Diesel Works Set, or the Mega Bloks Thomas Set – both are super cool. The box that they blocks are in opens up, and flips over, to become a little ramp for the train to cruise down… And Abby thought this was the COOLEST thing ever! She says, “Chooo Chooo!” and runs to chase it after it rolls away. The bigger kids set theirs all up in a row, and had races to see who’s train could go the farthest. The moms all loved that this was a great travel set.

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” – Plato

We also got one “Big” set for the kids to check out – Megabloks “Day at the Dieselworks” – and it was definitely a hit with both the kids and the moms. While lego sets can be a challenge even for some of the bigger kiddo’s, this Mega Bloks set was perfect – the older boys helped to guide the little one’s, and while they could put the whole thing together without any help from the grown up’s, it was just challenging enough to make them feel really accomplished when they finished it!

“Make each day your masterpiece.” – John Wooden

Another thing I thought was pretty cool about these toy sets is that they all fit together. So, if you’re little one is going to a playdate, they can bring along one of the smaller toy sets, and it’ll hook right up to the bigger toy sets, as you see in the picture. This would be a great way to set up a Mommy Group playdate, or birthday party… Have each of the kids bring their own Thomas toys in a smaller travel case set, and they can all hook ’em up to play together! Here are a few other ideas you can use to host your own party:

Thomas-Inspired Snack ideas:

Chugga, Chugga, Choo-Choo Chocolate Cups: We made these Dirt & Worm style, which you’ve probably made before. Very simple, but always entertaining – especially if you’ve got little boys at the party!
Railway Trail Mix: Any type of Chex Mix would work great for this – find a ton of different varieties here: Chex Mix Recipes.
Steamin’ Engine Fuel Punch: Pour 2 64-oz. bottles of fruit punch into a big bowl. Add a 16-oz. can of frozen OJ, and stir until it’s mostly melted. Then add half of a 64-oz bottle of pineapple juice. Right before the party, add in 2 bottles of ginger ale, add ice and some sliced oranges on top – stir and enjoy!

“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the child is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” – D.W. Winnicott

Check out my Google+ Album for the rest of the party pictures, or check them out on Facebook.
Sign up for the Mega Bloks Newsletter for fun product updates, and promotions.
Check out the other amazing parties on the MommyParties Facebook page.

{Disclaimer: Thank you to MommyParties and Mega Bloks for providing us with some super cool new toys, ideas, and party materials for this event! All photo’s and opinions are 100% my own!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 5, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews | 1 Comment

{Christmas Countdown} I Love Christmas Lights!! #Searsrealcheer

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale

I love Christmas. For me, as cheesy as it sounds, it truly is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” While some people complain about the crowds, the expenses, and the commercialism – I instead look towards the brighter side of the holidays. In our home, Christmas means family. It means the excitement of finding the perfect gift for someone special, the suspense of keeping those surprises a secret, and the anticipation of what you’ll find under the tree! We still wrap presents from Santa. We bake – working together we bake, arrange, and wrap enough cookies, bread, fudge, and candy to create over 50 giant cookie plates to deliver to friends and family. And we decorate. Oooohhhh, do we decorate!!

“People really act weird at Christmas time! What other time of year do you sit in front of a dead tree in the living room and eat nuts and sweets out of your socks?” – Anonymous

Like Buddy the Elf, we decorate the heck out of everything we can get our hands on!! Just yesterday I told you more about my big, blended, overcrowded house filled with family – {Bloggers Have Messy Homes, and other Thoughts on Housework…} – so you know that my house is filled with not just Me, Mike, and Abby – but also with my brother, my two crazy nephews, and my mother. While we have challenges at times, with so many people and opinions crammed in one house – at the holidays I’m more than happy to let my mom take over! I pride myself on being a little Christmas elf, and I clearly got it from her – she is the total Queen of Christmas. Seriously. She’s good.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
**–Charles Dickens, Ebeneezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol**

In our house – tradition is to put up our Christmas tree as soon as our belly’s have all settled from Thanksgiving dinner. We made the switch years ago to an artificial tree, since we keep it up so long. And we are always one of the very first houses on the block to have our lights up! We moved into this house late last November, so we didn’t have much time to decorate the outdoors. So this year, we had to pull all of our gear and outdoor decor out from the garage, and made a plan on how to make out the lights from our old home fit our new one. We did a quick inventory, made a list, and headed to the Sears Christmas Department to stock up!! When I was a kid, we had a really cool older home, and mom would take charge in directing us on how to decorate it – she did such a great job that we would be on our towns “Festival of Lights” directory. So I totally let her be the boss of this lighting business.

“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” – Larry Wilde

We mistakenly thought that the mall was already on holiday hours – so we had a short {super cold!!} wait outside. Abby was a little fussy at waiting in the frosty weather – but the other shoppers joined us in singing her some Christmas songs! {Love the holiday spirit!} – Once we got inside, all tears were forgotten when she saw the amazing selection of outdoor decor at Sears – especially these big inflatables!! I wish I had a video of her giggles – totally priceless.

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – Burton Hillis

Other than the Lighted Christmas Pig – see my Google+ story for details on the rest of my shopping trip – these Reindeer were my favorites. We live on a hill, and it’s incredibly windy. So I’ve got the Mister of the house working on a project to make these guys more stable and secure, so I can place a few of them out in our back field. I think they’ll look amazing out there in the snow at night. And with all of the sales and deals at Sears this season, I can totally afford to go back and get a few of them.

“At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.” – Thomas Tusser

We found everything that we needed – including a super cute reindeer hat for Abby! – and headed to check out. We bought their entire shelf of icicle lights, some super cute snowmen lights to line the walkway, and much more. I can’t wait to show you more pictures after we finish decorating this weekend! {Moms boyfriend was in a terrible hit-and-run accident, and things have been a bit turned upside down around here lately – so we’re late getting our lights up. But by Sunday evening, it’ll be a masterpiece! Stay tuned…} Mom and I are both pretty loyal Sears shoppers, and earned points and an extra discount for using our Sears cards. Total bonus!

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!” – Santa Claus

This was Abby’s biggest shopping trip ever – and as you can see, all of the excitement totally wore her out! She fell asleep with her new Reindeer {another impulse purchase of the day. She grabbed him, hugged him, called him her bay-bee, and gave him a kiss. Of course I had to buy him!} as soon as she was in the car seat. I can’t wait for her to see the lights outside when we’re done – Last year she was just a baby at the holidays. She’s now 15 months, and old enough to really have a lot of fun. So, I’m off to finish some work, get some sleep – and get up early tomorrow and get my decorate on!

Do you have some amazing holiday displays at your home?

Then stop by my Facebook page and share ’em! Post pictures of you fun holiday decor – so the rest of us can be inspired too!

And don’t forget to stop by and see the rest of my shopping trip on Google+ – and if seeing what I got makes you excited for some shopping too – head over to Sears.com and use code REALJOY for free shipping! {See site for details}

{This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias -I received some promotional items for sharing my experience – All photos, thoughts, and opinions belong 100% to me! Happy Holidays!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 2, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping | 5 Comments

Bloggers Have Messy Homes & Other Thoughts on Housework…

“My House was clean yesterday. Sorry you missed it.” – I want this wooden sign. I want to hang it over the front entry way of my home, so people know what to expect. But, I saw this picture on Facebook, with no link, so I’m unsure of where to buy it. I searched the web, and all I can find is some shopping site from the UK, but I don’t have UK money. I don’t know what those little L shaped dollar signs even mean. So if you find this for sale in US dollars, please let me know. Better yet – Tell Santa. He knows where I live.

“A Messy House is a sign of Creativity”

There are tons of bloggers who have beautiful homes. People like the couple over at Young House Love – they blog, and they blog about the amazingly creative upgrades that they do to their home. And their home is clean. Not while they’re doing projects, of course. But even when they’re ripping out a wall and building something from wood that probably came from a tree that they grew from a seed, and then cut down themselves with hand tools {they’re amazing, and I’m sure that they do this} – Even during those big remodels, I’m pretty sure their house is still less of a disaster than mine is. So, while many people say “A Messy House is a sign of Creativity” – the creative bloggers I’ve seen all have amazing homes. I try to keep up with housework – while I wait for my camera to upload new pictures for a review, I throw a load of laundry in. I blog while I cook dinner. I multi-task. Yet still, between bottles and snacks and backpacks and homework and writing and giveaways and bath time and story time and answering emails – the housework lingers. It mocks me from the messy corners, knowing that I don’t have time to leave my computer chair and tackle it. I should tackle it too. Football style.

“I hate housework. You make the beds, you wash the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again.” – Joan Rivers

Surprising fact – I like cleaning. I get excited over new kitchen sponges with cool designs. I love buying the latest cleaning gadgets – the Black & Decker Steam Mop thrills me ten times more than my new iPhone. I’m a bit {ok, my family would say a lot} OCD – I insist on all of the drinkware being put away on the shelf in rows: juice glasses, mugs, then tall drinking glasses. In rows, people – we’re not animals. You don’t just stack a drinking glass in front of a mug? Who does that? And the canned goods should also be in rows, according to type, with all labels facing forward. Who puts a can of corn in the green bean row? Right? Books and DVD’s should be organized according to color. Why is this so hard for the savages that I live with to understand?

“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” – Phyllis Diller

The problem is this – 2 years ago, I lived alone. Just me and my cat. She was a neighborhood stray that adopted me when I moved into my new house. I asked her what her name was; she said “Meow.” Weird name, but I don’t judge. So I lived in a clean, neat, and organized home for a couple years, just me and Meow. Then life threw some curve balls, as it tends to do when things are going along too comfortably. First, my mother moved into the spare bedroom – with her 4 little dogs. Then, my brother and his 2 boys remodeled my basement, and moved in too. They brought a few fish – but they had a tank, so that was ok too. Then I found out I was pregnant. Woah. So my boyfriend moved in with me. He brought a dog. My house was now a bit different. And by “a bit”, I mean like flipped upside down. Flipped like one of those rides at the fair that I’m much too old to ride.

“I will clean house when Sears comes out with a riding vacuum cleaner.” – Roseanne Barr

What at first was going to be a temporary arrangement has become the new normal. Our house is filled with messes, craziness, and mayhem – but it’s also filled with love. I drink much more coffee now than I ever have before – {and if you know me, you know I drink it by the bucket!} – just to keep up with it all. My mother and I decided to buy a new home together last November – it’s not that much bigger, but it has a pool, and a really big property, and is in a much better area. I love this house. I love the view from my back door, of the beautiful snow-covered fields and trees. And I love the view inside – of Abby smile when she’s dancing in the kitchen with Grandma, while Daddy cooks us a great dinner, and Uncle James plays with those wild nephews of mine. My brother and the boys will probably move out sometime this next year – so for now, I try to ignore the chaos, and enjoy having them all here. With a full house, Abby can’t yet move to her own room, and is sharing the Master Bedroom with her Daddy and I. But while she may not get her own room – she gets to play with her cousins every day. She gets to see Grandma and Uncle James every night. She’s surrounded by a big bunch of people who adore her. And a house full of family, love, and happiness is about as good as it gets. So, I suppose the cleaning can wait…

“And this mess is so big
And so deep and so tall,
We cannot pick it up.
There is no way at all!”
―Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

What do YOU think?

Share your stories in the comments… Are you a blogger who actually has a clean home? How do you feel about cleaning up after kids? Do you clean up after kids? Or do your children play board games with the dust bunnies? I love hearing from you guys.

A few more things you might like….

“A Clean House is a Sign of a Broken Computer” – Get Mugs or Tshirts from Zazzle today, 50% off and free shipping over $50. Use code HOLIDAYSALE1.
How to Cheat at Cleaning – Perfect solutions to your challenges. Cheating is ok when it comes to housework.
Monsters Eat Whiny Children – It’s true, and the children should be warned.
Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay, and other things that I had to learn as a new mom. – Important lessons to learn, indeed.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 1, 2011 Filed Under: Mommy Thoughts | 42 Comments

Use ‘Family Movie Night’ to Get Your Kids Talking

Family Movie Night

Family Movie Night from Walmart and P&G is such a great idea – It’s exactly what I hear so many moms wishing for, yet so many people haven’t heard of this yet. The idea is to make amazing movies that teach valuable lessons, share important values, and inspire children to reach for great things. P&G partnered with Walmart to get these great movies broadcast on network TV, for free, to make sure that every family gets a chance to enjoy them. One of my favorite parts of the Family Movie Night programming is that they ensure even the commercials are family-friendly. I find it so irresponsible when there are beer commercials, or other adult themed stuff, during programming that is meant for families.

Game of Your Life

Game of Your Life is the newest Family Movie Night program, and is on this Friday night, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. As a partner at Mom Central, I got the opportunity to check out this new movie early, so I could share a review with you guys. Well…. I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but I can tell you that you will NOT be disappointed in this one. The kiddo’s all piled onto my bed with me to watch this, and it actually kept everyone’s attention. {Well, except for the one time when little guy hit bigger guy with his toy truck, and then baby girl fell off the bed. Thank goodness for the pause button. But no one was hurt in the viewing of this movie, and the little bump was cured with more popcorn, so all was well….} Here’s the “official” movie description…

“When gamer Zach Taylor lands a scholarship to an exclusive video game design program, his future looks promising…as long as he can survive the freshmen project that will eliminate half the class. But when Zach learns that his father is in financial trouble, he has to make a choice that will affect his future and the lives of everyone around him.”

Did someone say, “Video Games??”

My oldest nephew was completely excited to learn that you can go to school and learn about video games. He now tells everyone he is going to start reading more, because he has to get ready for college {he just turned 8} – His seriousness is pretty funny, but I am delighted to see his excitement about school – he’s never mentioned college before. So THANK YOU Family Movie Night, for helping that little idea grow in his brain!

Great Message & Great Entertainment

Just like the other Family Movie Nights we’ve tuned in to, this movie gave us a lot of great things to talk about when it was over. We started out talking about school, and why it’s so important to study and pay attention in class. We talked about family, and the different ways that we all help each other out. We live in a really blended house right now, with my brother and his two boys joining my boyfriend, me, and Abby – plus my mother, and her 4 little dogs. And my dog. And the fish. {I know, right? It’s very tough on my organizing OCD, but I manage, lol.} So we talked about how lucky we are to get to spend time together, and help each other – and brainstormed new ways that we could show everyone how much we appreciate them. We talked about how the choices each of us make every day affect the rest of us – good and bad. The kids shared so many great thoughts, it was wonderful to listen to their ideas. Loved it.

All of that from a movie?

Yes sir – which is why I recommend you check it out this Friday night, and enjoy a fun movie with your family! You can learn more about Family Movie Night on their website, or follow them on Facebook, so you never miss a great show!

Remember, “Game of Your Life” – Catch it this Friday night, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

{Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. But as always, all thoughts, ideas, and opinions here are 100% mine!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 30, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews | No Comments

{Giveaway!} Win a $25 Gift Certificate to Dapper Snapper!!

I am VERY excited to be able to give away a gift certificate to Dapper Snappers to one super lucky fan this holiday season – This is one of my favorite companies – Mom-Invented products, Made in the USA – All of these simple products will totally solve your families wardrobe challenges! Read more to learn how to win…

Win a $25 Gift Certificate to Dapper Snappers!

You can read a little more about why I am totally in love with this product in my review here:

Busy Mom Solution: Dapper Snapper Rescue’s Droopy Drawers!

Something for Everyone!

Dapper Snapper is best known for the snappy little gadgets that keep kids pants from drooping – but they’ve got a ton of other great products too!

You can find great options for the whole family on DapperSnapper.com – These fun products are the perfect “Busy Mom Solution” to tons of daily wardrobe challenges. Do you totally hate that gap at the back of your jeans? Clip the women’s version to your favorite pair – problem solved. They’re a great maternity solution too – see how they can loop and snap right on, and give you an extra month of two of wear from your “regular” jeans? Wish I’d known about these when I was pregnant with Abby! They’ve also got a clip-style snapper, for little girls skirts that don’t have belt loops – plus one of my current favorites – the Mitten Clips! These totally solve the “lost mittens” problem we have ever year – you just clip the mittens or gloves right to their jacket sleeves – done! They hold really well, and have been working great for us. My littlest nephew is the most forgetful kindergarten kiddo of all time – but with the Mitten Clips he actually gets home from school each day with everything he left with.

My fans can use this exclusive discount code – SSC15OFF – at check out to save an extra 15% off their total order!! Sweet savings – expires December 31st, 2011!

Win Your Favorites!

One lucky Sunshine and Sippy Cups reader will WIN a $25 Gift Certificate that they can use to buy their own favorite products! Use it for Holiday shopping, or for yourself! Good luck!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 30, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | 11 Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Swap Your Bottled Water for This!

The Problem:

You want your kids to eat healthy – and that includes not just the foods that they eat, but also the beverages that they drink. So, you switch from sugary soda and juice to bottled water. Problem solved? Nope, not quite. Bottled water uses a ton of resources, and causes some really big environmental problems. It’s also bad for your wallet too. You can read the full story about the negative consequences caused by the over-consumption of bottled water in my post about saving the world, {I’m like a super hero!} – but I’ll share a little bit of info here, to give you an idea of the real cost of bottled water.

What you’re really paying for bottled water:

For this example, I’m using an average family of 4, where each member drinks a couple bottles of water each day. Say they’re buying Nestle Purelife Bottled Spring Water, at $6.99 for a case of 24. That’s only .30 cents a bottle, great deal right?

Four people drinking 2 bottles per day = 56 bottles per week.
56 bottles per week at .30 cents each is $16.80 per week.
That’s $67.20 per month.
And a whopping $873.60 per year – just for some water bottles you throw away! How crazy is that, right??!!

The Solution?

Now that you know what the problem is, you need a Busy Mom Solution. And of course I’m here to bring you one – {didn’t I just tell you I’m like a super hero?} – the Filtrete 8-Cup Water Pitcher! Well, all of the Filtrete water products are amazing, but this one is my personal favorite. Read on to learn why…

Top 5 Reasons why I love My Filtrete Pitcher:

It’s Fast! It quickly filters my tap water and changes it into really clean, fresh tasting water that I can use to fill my other reusable water bottles. I drink a TON of water every day, so I love that this can be refilled super quick.
It Fits! The 8-Cup Water Pitcher is really slim – as you can see in the picture. It’s so much skinnier than of the other pitchers I’ve looked at – but still holds a ton of water. The slim shape makes it a great choice for mini-fridges – like in a dorm room, or in an office.
It’s Frugal! You can find the Filtrete Water Pitcher on Amazon for less than $25 bucks, with Free Shipping. Just a couple of weeks of not needing to buy bottled water will make up the price of the pitcher!
It’s Filtered! Our last pitcher took up too much room in the fridge, so I’ve been just filling most of our reusable bottles straight from the tap. I love that this slim pitcher makes it a breeze to filter our water – plus, the filter is easy to change, and really affordable too.
It’s Fun! Well, maybe not for everyone – but the kids looove watching the pitcher fill up and filter the water into the base. And I love anything that brings giggles instead of fits, you know?

Great Gift for the Holidays!

This would be a perfect gift for a college student, since it’s a great way to keep them healthy and hydrated, and it fits in those skinny dorm room mini-fridges. It’s also a great idea for anyone you know who’s trying to eat healthier – many of us grab a soda out of the fridge when we’re thirsty simply because it’s the most convenient option. But the Filtrete Pitcher makes grabbing a glass of great tasting cold water much easier and more fun. It’s a great gift for families, for singles, for couples – for everyone. Seriously. I love this pitcher!

What do you think?

Do you think that the Filtrete Water Pitcher could be a great option to help your family stay healthy? Would you buy it as a gift this season?

Share some comments!

{I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Filtrete and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 28, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments