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Busy Mom Solution Giveaway: Win a Cool Gear Prize Package! {12/31}

“A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car for ever after.” – Peter De Vries

Cool Gear: Innovative Products for Today’s Lifestyle – Are you a busy mom? Of course you are – is there any other kind? And as moms, we’re often on the go – in the car, at the park, grocery shopping, in the car again – you know how it goes. That’s why Cool Gear is another Busy Mom Solution brand – not only do they have some super innovative and unique on-the-go products that you’ll love, but they have tons of other great items to solve your Busy Mom Challenges! Read on to learn about a few of my favorites…

Cool Gear EZ-FreezeWater bottle

This is a super cute 10 oz Infusion 10 oz bottle for little hands. It’s safe – BPA Free and Non-Toxic Freezer Gel. It’s fun – 4 great color combos and a squeezable body. And it’s cool – the freezer stick attaches right inside, to keep juice or chocolate milk cool and fresh – even when your toddler forgets it behind the couch for an hour. These are going to be an amazing helper in the summer too! {Check out more great problem-solving kids products on Cool Gear.}

EZ-Freeze 24oz Pure Water filtration bottle

This is an uh-MAY-zing water bottle, seriously. I’m a bit of a water bottle junkie – I don’t drink soda, and carry a water bottle with me all day long – but this really impresses me. It combines some of my favorite features of other bottles into just one great product – BPA Free. Filters up to 100 gallons of water, removing cholorine taste and odors from your tap water. And it doesn’t just filter the water – it filters it through the inner freezer stick insert, giving you fresh and icy cold water right away! This comes in 4 sizes – from 14 oz to 64 oz – I love the 24 oz bottle I’ve been using, but am going to pick up the 64 oz too, for summer outings to the park and sports fields. {Read details, check out the Water Filtration Bottles in colors, and other options too.} And watch the video to see just how awesome these are –

Ready to WIN??

One lucky fan will win a prize package from Cool Gear with products similar to what I received – and I can tell you, very confidently, that you will LOVE them!! Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to get your entries in, remember to come back daily for your bonus entry – and make sure to enter the HUGE list of other giveaways I have going on right now too!! You can find them all in the sidebar – come back each day to find more to enter too. Happy Holidays – and Good Luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 17, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | 4 Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Silk Soy and Horizon!

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” – La Rochefoucauld

The Challenge – The kids only want to drink soda, eat cookies and chips, and avoid their veggie’s like their life depends on it. You want to encourage them to prefer better snacks, and you want to make sure they’re getting loads of good vitamins, minerals, and healthy stuff in their little systems. You try to set a good example – but as a busy mom, you sometimes skip meals too. Or you grab a soda as a quick pick me up. Clearly – you need a new, easy to find, simple to grab, snack option. Well – you’re in luck! Keep reading to learn more about this Busy Mom Solution….

“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley

Horizon Organic and Silk Soy both make super portable, super healthy, and super YUMMY single-serve drinks – and they are the perfect snack solution! Here are a few things that I love:

No artificial junk.
8 whole grams of protein in each serving – total wow!
Lots of great Calcium and Vitamin D in each box.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

After I learned more about these single-serve shelf-stable boxes – I realized what a great addition they would be to our current snacks and drinks. I assumed they’d be in the dairy section, which is where I usually buy our other Horizon and Silk Soy products – so that was the first place that I headed.

“High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?” – Annita Manning

Nope – these super convenient little boxes are not in the cooler section with the other dairy products – in both Walmart and Safeway {I checked both} they were located next to the other shelved beverages. I found them near the juice boxes and chocolate milk packs – they were BY FAR the healthiest option in the whole aisle! The fact that they’re shelf-stable means that they’re easier to stock up on, since you don’t have to find room in the fridge. And they’re perfect for lunch boxes, in the car, or on the go!

“Life is not merely being alive, but being well.” – Marcus Valerius Martialis

These easy to grab boxes are perfect for snacks – since they’re so packed full of good stuff, you feel great about serving them. And because they come in fun flavors like chocolate and strawberry, the kids feel great drinking them!

Learn More –

Now that you know how amazing these products are – {organically good for you and filled with vitamins and good stuff, convenient, and super yummy!} – I’m sure you want to learn more, right?

Check out my full shopping experience, and learn more about these great products – including more serving ideas, a fun giveaway, and a great opportunity to give back – in my Google+ Albums – Safeway and Walmart.

Connect with them on social media – Silk Soy Facebook, Horizon Facebook, and on Twitter, @WhiteWaveFoods.

{Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts, photos, and overuse of exclamation points is totally my own!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 12, 2011 Filed Under: Reviews, Busy Mom Solution | 3 Comments

{Direct Sales Directory} Save on Advocare Products!

Advocare Savings!!

Tiffany and Sean from Advocare want to share a special promotion with you – this is only available for a limited time!! This is only available until December 6th – but check out their site for more great products, and stay tuned here for the next savings announcement coming soon!

Save on Joint ProMotion – keep your joints healthy from the inside out!!

You can come by and shop from Tiffany and Sean’s Advocare site anytime by visiting them in the Weight Loss and Natural Products section of the Directory – you’ll also find their contact info, if you have any questions at all about how their products work, or if you’d like to get started building your OWN Advocare business in the new year!

Reminder: Get all of your holiday shopping orders in before December 16th for Christmas Delivery!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 4, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes, Green Living | No Comments

How to Keep Your Fridge Clean and Organized

The kitchen is the one of busiest rooms in the house – which means it can also be the toughest to keep clean. And one of the biggest challenges in the kitchen during the holidays is the refrigerator – Between holiday baking, parties, and leftovers – that fridge is probably pretty overflowing! And since for many families food plays a pretty central role in celebrating the season, you definitely want your fridge to be ready – so you can keep your food fresh, your leftovers organized, and find everything else you need in a hurry. Watch this great video for a few tips…

Busy Mom Solution: Tips for your Fridge!

This video shares some great basic tips {can’t see the video? Watch it on YouTube} – and here are a few more of my favorites:

Get into a habit of cleaning the fridge each week before grocery shopping – that’s when it’s the emptiest, making it easiest to clean out! {I love those canisters of kitchen wipes – makes clean-up easy peasy!}
Speaking of clean-up: A few easy tips can help keep the mess to a minimum – Line your drawers with paper towels, to make it easy to clean them out each week. Always remember to wipe off bottles and containers before putting them back on the shelf. And always wipe up a spill when it happens – if you let it set, it’ll be twice as much work when you come back to it!
Use storage containers to hold similar items. Just like you keep all of the veggies together in the crisper drawer, or store all of your condiments on the same shelf, you can use clear storage containers to hold kids juice pouches, yogurts, string cheese, etc. This keeps things neat and tidy, and super easy to find!
Label those leftovers!! This is extra important at this busy time of year. We use a roll of white tape and a marker – When I’m cleaning up after a party, I put a strip of tape on each container, and write the date on it. Then everyone knows at a glance what’s still safe to eat.
Keep your fridge fresh! With the fridge getting such a workout during the holidays, it can be a challenge keeping it fresh – but you don’t want your guests reaching into a stinky fridge when they are grabbing drinks! That brings us to my next Busy Mom Solution Product – The Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier! Keep reading to learn more, and get a chance to win your own…

The Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier!

Why do you totally need one of these? Well, it gets rid of odors and bacteria to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh, and your food even fresher! It’s super affordable, fits easily into even the most crowded fridge, and is just plain cool. Read more…

Top 5 Reasons I LOVE the Oransi in my fridge!

It’s super easy to use. Even my mom, who still can’t figure out that darn VCR, figured out how to put batteries in this gadget and get it turned on and working.
It’s affordable – there are no filters to replace, and it runs on two AA batteries that only need to be changed a few times a year.
It works great! I live in a full house, with a bunch of extended family. So, I have two men, and two boys ages 5 and 8, in addition to myself, Abby, and my mother. Boys are messy and stinky – it’s a true fact. And they do NOT clean out the fridge. Ever. There is a totally noticeable difference in the freshness of the fridge now that I’m using the Oransi purifier – and that impresses me. A lot.
It’s smart! It’s super high-tech – read this, “Patented Piezo-electric technology allows for a high negative ion output to freshen your refrigerator without the harmful side effects of ozone that is found in standard ionizers.” – Sounds cool, right?
It’s got a great design! I love the look of this little gadget – very clean and modern, and totally fits into my super crowded fridge easily. Love it. When people see it, they ask “What is THAT?” – in an impressed and inquisitive type of voice, because they think it’s cool.

Overview…

A totally affordable gadget that is easy to use, works great, keeps my fridge and food fresh, and makes people think I’m just a little bit cooler when they see it in use? Awesome, right?

You can learn more about the Fridge Air Purifier, and all of the other cool Oransi products on their website.
Purchase the Oransi Ionic Fridge Air Purifier today on sale! Save $10 off the regular price – Get it for only $29.99 plus FREE shipping!

Win One for Your Kitchen!!

~~Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter Form to enter to WIN your own Oransi Fridge Purifier – and make sure to come back each day for the daily BONUS entries!! Good luck!!~~

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 29, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | 38 Comments

Busy Mom Solution: Switch your Sippy Cups from Plastic to Stainless Steel

The Challenge:

As moms, we want the best for our kids. That means the healthiest foods, the best new educational toys, and the safest products available. I’m sure you’ve heard the scary reports in the news about the potential dangers of the BPA that’s in many common plastic kids items – but maybe you’re not sure what your other options are. I mean, most sippy cups are plastic, the water bottles you buy at the mini-mart are plastic, and so many kids sports bottles are plastic too. Where do you find better products to switch to? That’s where Kid Basix come to the rescue!

Why Kid Basix is a great Busy Mom Solution:

“At Kid Basix, we started a revolution when we rethought the sippy cup and created the Safe Sippy™ no-spill bottle from clean, non-leaching stainless steel. But while BPA-free products are still important to parents, the world is changing. Safety, value, the environment – they are all important now. And Kid Basix will continue to be at the forefront of that conversation as we !rethink: EVERYTHING.”

7 Reasons we LOVE Kid Basix:

There is something for everyone! Kid Basix has the Safe Starter for babies from 0-6 months, the Safe Sippy and Safe Sippy2 for toddlers, and the Safe Sporter bottles for athletic kiddo’s ages 4 and up.
They are safe! You can read more about the possible dangers in kids plastic products, and why stainless steel is such a great option. A few important facts – Stainless steel oes not interact with the foods and fluids it comes into contact with; meaning that what you put into the container is exactly what you get out of it, no chemicals. Plus, it’s one of the most recycled materials on the planet, making it a great “green” choice.
They are fun! The Safe Sippy2 that we received to try out is Abby’s new favorite cup. It’s easy and comfortable for her to hold, and it’s cute as can be! Everywhere that we go, people ask us where we got it – most people aren’t aware that you can get stainless steel sippy cups.
They are convenient! I love that the Safe Sippy2 comes with a lid that snaps on secure – so that I can throw this in the diaper bag – and no leaks! And, because it’s stainless steel like my own favorite water bottles, it keeps drinks super cold. The outer sleeve helps keep little fingers from getting too cold when holding the bottle – and helps to keep it cold longer too!
They are easy to clean! The Kid Basix products are all dishwasher safe – I’d recommend using the top rack – and remove the small parts first. {Great tip: Pick up a Munchkin Dishwasher Basket for less than $5 bucks – makes it SO much easier to clean all of those little parts in the dishwasher!} You don’t even have to take the outer sleeve off – but you probably will want to remove it once in awhile, just to clean inside of it. {Toddlers get sticky stuff in the most amazing places, lol.}
They are budget-friendly! The Safe Sippy2 comes with a straw adapter – so when your little one is ready to upgrade to a straw-style “Big Kid” cup, you don’t have to run out and buy a new one.
They are parent invented! “Our founder created The Safe Sippy cup because he knows how dangerous plastics are, and it drove him crazy that he was giving his two year old son water every morning in a cup made from toxic chemicals.”

Where to buy Kid Basix:

Learn more about the great line of Kid Basix products on their website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on cool new products and promotions, like their weekly weekly Fab Friday discount of 20% off select products from their website!!

You can order any of the amazing products from Kid Basix on their site, or find them on Amazon if you’re like me, and use your Swagbucks for Free Amazon Credits….

The Safe Starter by Kid Basix – Ages 0-6 months.

The Safe Sippy 2 – The one we have!

The Safe Sporter Bottle – Great for big kids.

Already a big fan of Kid Basix products?

Then be sure to leave a helpful comment on Amazon, to let other moms know what a great product these are, or stop by their Facebook page to tell them how much they rock!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 29, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No 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

Support Women in Business: Welcome Nicole from Miessence to the #directsales Directory!

Welcome Nicole from Miessence to the Direct Sales Directory!

The brand new Direct Sales Directory launched a couple of weeks ago, and I’d like to introduce you to another one of the AMAZING women who are a part of it! {To check out the Directory – click the tab up in my navigation bar to go directly to it!}

The Directory:

My new Direct Sales Directory is a great place for you to check out a bunch of different options, and find the company that is right for you to join and start earning an income with! All of the women joining are total pro’s, and can answer your questions, and get you started on your way to success. Plus, what a great way to support other women in business – Do your holiday shopping by ordering amazing products directly from these great ladies!

Why Direct Sales?

Direct Sales is SUCH a great option for busy moms – you have total flexibility on your hours, which is so important. Whether you want to earn a part-time income, or build a full-time career for yourself, the sky is the limit! And when you shop from a Direct Sales Rep, you are able to use your purchasing power to help other great women in business!

Meet Nicole – and Learn more about Miessence!

Hi! I’m Nicole and I’m an independent representative for Miessence. Miessence is the world’s first company that sells Certified Organic skincare, haircare, personal care, health care and cosmetic products. Miessence’s certified organic personal care range is unique, because it is the world’s first extensive Certified Organic personal care range, certified to International food standards. What does that mean? It’s good enough to eat! How many companies can say, “Sure, go ahead and eat your facial wash!”??

Of course, I don’t recommend you actually eat Miessence products, but I do find comfort in the fact that I could if I so desired. What you put on your skin soaks in to your body. Some of the ingredients in personal products are quite questionable, even the ones in so called natural products.

Why She Joined Miessence

I was drawn to be a representative for Miessence, because they have products I can stand behind 100%. Commitment to be green doesn’t stop at the ingredients in their products. They also use green manufacturing, have green offices, packaging and more. I feel so good about using products that are so great for me AND care about the earth too.

I would love for you to check out the products on my site, but I would be thrilled if you also checked out all of the great information about the company too. There is way too much information for me to share here!

If you are looking for a new way to make money from home, please consider Miessence. You can get all the products you need to be chemical free in your home, help your friends and family accomplish the same AND make some cash too! Yay!

Learn More and Connect with Nicole:

Visit Nicole’s personal Miessence site to learn more about the products, the company, and find out how to join her team. You can also connect with Nicole on her Miessence Facebook page to stay updated on new products and promotions.

Are you a Direct Sales Consultant who is excited about sharing your business? Learn more about the how to join the Direct Sales Directory today!