For Mom — Page 5

Design Trends: Black & White, Zebra, and Pretty Prints!

“Just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t be cute!” – Laurie Noel Meek of Office Candy… As a professional organizer, Laurie Noel Meek had a super tough time finding a the type of fun, modern, and totally functional office and home products that she needed for her clients. So finally, she did what so many other women do when faced with a challenge that has no good solutions available – she started her own company! Office Candy has seriously cool gear that will liven up your office space, or any kids back-to-school supplies.

Hot this Fall: Zebra print supplies for home and office

How much do you LOVE this stuff, right? Black and white is always a winning color combo – every year, every season. And these fun zebra print accessories just give it a little more pizazz! I’m totally going to have to pick up one of these great file folders – such a sleek way to carry my files to meetings with clients, or even just to Starbucks to work {you know, without a bunch of kids running around the house wild while I’m trying to think….Lol}. And since I’m a bit of a clipboard junkie – I use ’em for so many things to organize our home! – the pretty selection on Office Candy makes my heart smile a bit.

Life is too short to be boring!

One of my fave products from Office Candy is this stinkin’ adorable iPhone cover from Lilly Pulitzer. I am SUCH a big fan of Lilly Pulitzer prints – so pretty and feminine, yet still modern and right on trend. I adore this preppy color combo for summer – the pink and green are just so bright and fun. And it wears well – My cell phone goes through a ton of abuse, being thrown in purses and diaper bags, traveling, and being chewed on periodically by a toddler. {And yes, I have been known to spill a drink or two on my iPhone before. I claim that my phone is lush, and does it on it’s own. But that’s another story…} A few of the “pretty” covers I’ve used ended up looking worn out really quickly, so I had to stick with my industrial looking black rubbery cover to protect it. But – I’m very excited about this one from Lilly Pulitzer. Two months in, still perfect. {The pic above is what it looks like TODAY, after two months of use.} Rockin’.

More Lilly Pulitzer Products

If you’re a big fan of Lilly Pulitzer too – check out some of the other fun supplies you can stock up on to make your office space a little prettier too! {And, wouldn’t a big basket of these goodies make an awesome gift for a new grad heading off to college this fall?} There are a couple of other prints to choose from too – all totally deliciously pretty like this.

For great tips on getting (and staying) organized, check out Laurie’s Blog, or sign up for her “Organizing Tip of the Day” weekly recap email on her Organizing site: www.LNMOrganizing.com. And you can stay updated on new products and promotions by following her on Facebook and Twitter too!

And for more awesome office inspiration and ideas – check out my board on Pinterest!

{Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary product from Celebrity Baby Trend Expert, Rachel Florio-Urso to evaluate for consideration on this site – Only the best products make it onto Sunshine and Sippy Cups! All opinions here are 100% my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 13, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 1 Comment

Custom Little Girl’s Birthday Bash Giveaway Package – $500 Value!

The Girls are So Much Fun & Addilyn’s Turning 1 Birthday Bash Giveaway is now LIVE… This super sweet event will run from July 10th – July 31st, 2012. I am so excited to have partnered with the amazing bloggers, crafters, and brands to to bring you guys this seriously huge prize package – check it out…

Brought to you by This Girl’s No Expert, This Mom’s No Expert, Wiregrass Parenting, Swanky Moms Club and Just A Marketing Momand Co-Hosted by There’s A Contest For That, Mom ‘N Daughter Savings, Giveaway Overload, Cherished Handmade Treasures, Adian’s Brain Balance Journey & Writer, Mother, Other.

Sweet little Miss Addilyn Rose, is turning 1 year old and we are kicking off her birthday with a BANG by bringing you this CUSTOM LITTLE GIRL GIVEAWAY WORTH $500!! [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 10, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 10 Comments

Daily Mom-ivation Quote: Making Mistakes is Good

Daily Motivational Quote: All moms need a little encouragement each day, right? Just a few words of motivation, to help us keep folding that laundry, washing those dishes, changing those diapers, and cooking those dinners… So, here’s your daily dose of inspiration. I call it Mom-ivation:

{Credit: Real Simple Magazine Daily Quotes}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 3, 2012 Filed Under: Mommy Thoughts | No Comments

Celebrate with a Free Wines by Wives Membership!

About A Mom is having a one year anniversary this week!

Angela over at About a Mom is one of my best-est bloggy buddies – and it’s crazy to think that as awesome as she is, I’ve actually been blogging for a few months longer than here. I never would have guessed it – she seemed like such a pro! She says, “It’s hard to believe that a whole year has gone by, since our first blog post went up. Over the past year we’ve met a lot of fabulous people, learned a lot, and have improved so much along the way. About A Mom has given us the opportunity to experience many amazing things, but it would all be nothing without YOU – our beloved readers. So come on…lets CELEBRATE!” Wines by Wives is generously donating a one-month membership to their celebrity wine club, to help commemorate this event! [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 3, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 1 Comment

A personal assistant for the 99% of us…

Delegate daily tasks to a part-time personal assistant – Empty fridge. Piles of laundry. Unassembled Ikea furniture and a leaky bathroom faucet. When the odd jobs and errands pile up around Casa Knobloch, I dream of a legion of personal assistants who can take care of it all for me. We’ve talked about apps that help you delegate to friends, and services that deliver your groceries, but it all falls short of delivering a real, live human to do your bidding a an affordable price.

The stuff of dreams and celebrities, right? Or is it?

TaskRabbit offers a more affordable way to delegate all the tasks you’d rather not do

Post a job on their website and eager contenders will try to outbid each other for the job so you can get that swedish furniture assembled for the absolute lowest price. Want your work shirts ironed every week? Set up a recurring task, and a kindly neighbor looking to make a little extra cash might step up to help you out for less than a few lattes. You can breathe easy knowing everyone has been pre-screened and thoroughly background-checked. And if you’re looking to make a little extra cash yourself, becoming a rabbit is an easy way to find jobs that you’ll enjoy doing. Hey, if you can swing a full-time personal assistant, all the power to ya, baby. For everyone else, check out TaskRabbit.

What do YOU think?

I am SO excited to spend a little more time over the next week checking out this site a little more. I love the idea of having an affordable way to delegate out some of my tasks – both online and off – that I don’t have time for, or simply do NOT like to do. And I’m super intrigued to see what types of tasks are available for me to do… I mean heck, if I’m going to iron a weeks worth of shirts anyway, it’s no big deal to add a few more to earn a few bucks, right? I’m all about bartering, and love keeping my money local – so this seems like a perfect way for me to trade daily tasks!

Have you used this service as a more affordable personal assistant option? Would you? Leave some comments!

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 June 9, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 9 Comments

Simple Tricks to Sneak Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Most of you know that I’ve been on a Momma Makeover Mission this year. I’ve made a lot of improvements, but still have a long way to go to hit all of my goals. Nutrisystem has been helping me lose some of that old baby weight {toddler weight? She’s no baby anymore…} – and seeing the number on the scale drop a bit has helped motivate me to get more active. I’ve never been the type to do an actual “work out,” and I’ve never been to the gym. But, I am big on multi-tasking, and on finding Smart Solutions for my busy mom challenges. Keep reading to learn my tips for sneaking more exercise into your busy day…

From Workout to Out and About…

I used to dress cute. Seriously, I did. But after switching from working in fashion merchandising to working at home, I started dressing more casually. Add in the stress of keeping up with housework all day, and a crazy wild toddler – and I’m lucky to have a clean shirt on some days. That was part of why I started my Momma Makeover Mission – to snap out of that frump-mom slump. I love these new pieces from Russell Athletics – they’re uber comfy, have a great Dri-Power moisture wicking technology that keeps you cool even when the temperature is sky high, and can easily be jazzed up a little to head out of the house to run errands. Love it! Shown above are my Dry-Power 360 Round-Neck Tee in Shockwave Green – {awesome color for summer!} – and my new Semi-Fit Performance Capri. Totally cute, right? The pants even have this sweet little zippered pocket along the back waistband, where you could add a bit of cash, keys, and lip gloss when you head out for a walk or day at the park. They’re comfy enough for my daily exercise – but with a cute bag, scarf, and sandals, it’s cute enough for going out, too.

How to Sneak Exercise into Your Daily Routine

You just won’t add any extra exercise into your day unless you’re wearing clothing that moves. Plus – if you have kids, you’re doing a ton of running – {do NOT dig in the houseplants with your new Dora shovel!}, lifting – {yes, of course I’ll pick you up for the 111th time so that you can yell that you want down}, and squats – {who else loves picking up Legos?}. Your clothes need to be ready to move with you – and you’ll find so many great women’s workout gear options at Russell Athletic. Now that you know where to get the gear, let me share my tips and tricks:

Morning Dishes: Squat while you load the dishwasher. Yes, you look funny. But the kids need a good giggle in the a.m. anyway.
Vacuuming: I do this daily. One, because I have a toddler, so I must watch my floors like a hawk, always looking for danger – coins, tiny heads ripped from action figures, and gross things the dog drags in. Two, because it’s SUPER great exercise. Turn on some tunes, and vacuum FAST. Do lunges while you go. You will totally feel the burn in your glutes and your arms.
Laundry: Lift each basket filled with perfectly folded laundry over your head in reps of 10. Yeeeaaaahhhh – pretend that you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger, so amazingly strong.
Dinner time: I do all kinds of exercises while I cook. Waiting for veggies to steam? Arm circles. {My nephew caught me doing this once, and asked if I was trying to fly. He still wonders about it…} If I have to grab the step ladder to get a specialty pot – I do a quick step workout, up-down, up-down. You can do leg lifts, squats, even run laps around the kitchen island. Whatever works for ya.

See how easy it is? Once you’ve got some super smart workout clothes that have innovative technology to keep you cool – and that are cute enough to wear out and about when you run errands too – you’ll be ready to start adding tons of sneaky new exercise into your daily routines. You’ll be squatting while brushing your teeth, washing your windows with big arm circles – Karate Kid style. And soon enough, you’ll find new muscles in those arms, and be surprised by pants that have grown too big! {When they do, stop by Russell Athletics online to pick up a new pair – scroll to the bottom to sign up for special savings offers. You will not be disappointed!

How do YOU sneak exercise into YOUr daily routine? Share in the comments!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Russell Athletics and received a product sample to facilitate my review.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 31, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 2 Comments

The Skinny on Dining Out

Who doesn’t want a perfect evening out, away from the kitchen and the mass of dishes? Most Americans love dining out, but even those who can afford the luxury are finally beginning to cut back from restaurant fare in an effort save cash and stay healthy. And while it’s always a temptation as a busy mom to stop in and grab dinner to go – let’s take a look at what you’re really getting when dining out….

Infographics by CouponCabin.com

Learning Smart Spending Habits

Many of us as busy moms have gotten so darn busy that we don’t have time to really notice where some of our spending habits have gotten off track. Things like dining out a few times a week, or that extra latte each afternoon, can really add up. Between getting the kids to soccer practice, getting dinner on the table, and getting the cheerios out of your hair…. it’s hard to keep track of everything you have going on. If you’re in need of a little extra help staying on track financial – check out my two favorite solutions:

Daily Worth

Daily Worth is a super smart daily email with a few easy to follow financial tips targeted at busy women like ourselves. From which fashions to buy this summer to take you into fall, to the best ways to save on salon hair care services – you’ll find great tips to look fab without overspending.

LearnVest

They make budgeting as easy as spending. {Ok, not quite – but very close!} My favorite part of having a free membership to LearnVest is that you then get access to all of their totally FREE financial bootcamps – from Baby on Board to Getting Hitched, there are tons of great go-at-your-own-pace bootcamps to help guide you to better budgeting.