Memories — Page 2

MyPublisher: Coupon Codes for Photo Books

“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.” – Erma Bombeck

I love photos – scrapbooks, photo books, framed prints, ornaments, mugs – my awesome free mousepad from Vistaprint with Abby’s face on it – and so much more. So this week – today through next Wednesday – I’ll be sharing loads of photo tips, ideas, coupons, deals, and some fun giveaways too!

MyPublisher Deal

I’ve made a lot of photo books as gifts – and MyPublisher has some of the best quality in photo products that you can find. Seriously beautiful. You have to do a quick install of their program to get started – but it’s totally safe, I’ve used it forever, and it’s super easy to get started. And you can use these coupon codes to get a great deal on photo books and gifts this week:

Spend $50 – Save 15% off your purchase.
Spend $100 – save 30% {that’s $30 bucks!} off your purchase.

Use code JOLLYSAVE at check out to get the savings!!

This deal is only available until December 12th, so take advantage of it today!!

My Favorite Quotes About Love..

I Love Quotes About Love…

“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.” – Marilyn Monroe

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“Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.” – Michael Leunig

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“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” – Elbert Hubbard

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“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

And my All Time Very Favorite Quote About Love…

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love.” – Robert Fulghum

Do you have a favorite quotes board on Pinterest too? Leave me your link in the comments – I’d love to follow yours too!

Something Special for Your Someone Special…

If you have a special someone – Mom, Daughter, Partner – that you’d like to surprise with an amazingly special gift this year, check out the beautiful selection of handcrafted diamond jewelry on Seventy Seven Diamonds. They can provide you with a little piece of perfection…. Their huge selection means that you can find the right piece that’s as beautiful as the person you’re shopping for. The free worldwide delivery, Best Price Guarantee, and 60 day return policy mean you also get piece of mind with every purchase. Shop www.77diamonds.com today – and make the holiday more magical for that special someone!

{Disclosure: Photo Credit on main photo – Marley Grosz, lower photo, 77diamonds.com. This article is written in behalf of Seventy Seven Diamonds.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 6, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff | 1 Comment

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

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

Santas Coming! 10 Tips to Get Ready for the Holidays…

Let me just throw this out here…. I. Love. Christmas. Like, reeeaaallly love Christmas. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, the Christmas Tree goes up. We have a 25 foot wall in the garage, lined with shelves filled floor to ceiling with boxes of Christmas decorations. Yep, we’re that kind of family.

My Favorite Part of My Favorite Movie:

When this movie came out, everyone told me that Buddy the elf must be my twin brother, lol. And it’s true, I’m so much like this. And like Buddy says later – “Santa is coming!! There’s so much to do!!”

Top 10 Holiday Planning Tips:

1. Make lists! Get a notebook, and make a few master lists. Your first is Christmas Cards – make a list of everyone you want to send them to, and start getting addresses. So many of us wait until the last minute, and this becomes a stress-inducing chore instead of a fun way to keep in touch.

2. Now make a Christmas Shopping List too. Write down all of the people you’ll want to buy gifts for – from friends and family, to teachers and coworkers. Do they need holiday cards with their gifts too? Then add ’em to your first list!

3. Take Pictures! Getting professional pictures done is great, but if you can’t afford it – Don’t worry. Trust me, you can still get amazing photos on your own. Check out How to photograph holidays and special occasions and Tips for Capturing Great Family Photos for some great tips and advice on getting great pic’s for this years holiday cards. It’s all about capturing that special moment to share with friends and family!

4. Choose your cards! There are some amazing options for Festive Christmas Cards to be found online – and yes, you can wait until the last minute, and order them with express shipping to get them in time. But you can save a ton by preparing early, and ordering them sooner. Plus, getting them by early November gives you enough time to add a personal message to each one too – which is the best part!

5. Make a Holiday Baking List! There will be TONS of great sales coming up over the next couple of months, and you can match them up with coupons from sites like Coupons.com or RedPlum to save a TON of money. You’ll almost always find coupons for cake mixes, frosting, and cookie mixes. So make a list of everything you’ll need, and start stocking up when your local store has some great deals. Hate clipping coupons? Use my new favorite, SavingsStar, to load digital coupons right onto your store loyalty cards! {Check out my favorite cookie recipe – Peek-a-Boo Cookies!}

6. Start Shopping! Yes – I know it’s not even Halloween yet, lol. But starting early gives you a chance to find the best deals, and get gifts you know they’ll love – instead of overspending at the last minute just to get it finished up! Some tips – Sign up for email updates from sites like Totsy, Zulily or HomeSav to find some totally unique items at HUGE discounts! I watch these all year, and buy great stuff to hide away for birthdays and holidays – you can find kids toys at up to 70-90% off. Wow, right?

7. Yep – another list! List all of the events you want to attend, and set dates for all of your own holiday entertaining and parties. But – make sure not to overextend yourself! Leave some “family” time, at home too, for things like baking cookies and watching movies!

8. Give back to your community. There are so many people in need, and while they of course need your assistance all year long, it takes on extra importance during the holiday season. Imagine being a parent who doesn’t have the resources to get your child a holiday gift, a winter coat, or prepare a Christmas dinner. Heartbreaking. Find out how you can help by visiting sites like Toys for Tots and Coats for Kids. Or check out VolunteerMatch.org to get connected with other local groups who need your help!

9. Another list! Are you a crafty type? If you plan on making gifts for the holidays, you definitely need to get started now – so figure out what you’d like to make, and make a supply list. Make sure to pick up some fun stuff that the kids can make too – they LOVE giving handmade gifts! For some fun ideas check out Handmade Christmas Gifts and 100 Christmas Gifts to Make. And get some great coupons to save at Michaels Crafts.

10. Finally – relax! The holidays are a time for family, celebration, and appreciating what you have. Don’t get too caught up in the frenzy of more, more, more – {unless you’re talking about glitter or tinsel!} – start planning now, use these tips to save bunches of cash, and enjoy the season!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 17, 2011 Filed Under: Holidays, Busy Mom Solution | 4 Comments

Rafflecopter: Postcardly Prize Package #giveaway!!

Introducing – Postcardly.com!

This is such a super-cool new site, and I just KNOW that you guys are going to love it! What it does is allow you to take any of those amazing pictures you have stored in your computer, have them printed onto a postcard with just a few clicks of the mouse, and then automatically mailed out to anyone in the world! Awesome, right?

“We wanted to find an easier way to get pictures to our relatives that aren’t on email or Facebook,” says Tom Marshall, co-founder of the Seattle start-up. “People love getting the pictures they can hold in their hands, but printing and mailing pictures is a pain. But email is easy, and using Postcardly is just like using your email.”

This gives you an easy way to stay in touch with friends or family who don’t use computers. And even if they do – how fun would it be to find something like this in your mailbox, instead of just bills and junk mail?

How Does it work?

When people sign up, they create Postcardly email addresses that correspond to physical mailing addresses. It’s a one-time set up. After that, when you email grandma at, for example, grandma@postcardly.com, your grandma gets a postcard mailed to her house. You attach a photo to an email the way you normally would — then they print and mail your postcard with your attached photo on the front, and your words on the back. Easy peasy – and imagine how quickly you can turn into grandma’s favorite, right?

Fun Facts:

You can send postcards from anywhere that you have email access – meaning you can also send them right from your phone too! Love that.
There’s no app, nothing to download, no commitment.
They have a great free trial – send your first 3 postcards totally free! They know you’ll love it once you try it.
They have some great packages you can get, and all prices include the postage too!

I can’t wait to try it!

Postcardly.com is giving me a free package, so that I can try out their service, and share my thoughts with you guys. It is SO easy to set up, super easy to use, and I can’t WAIT until people get the first postcards that I sent out! {I had one sent to myself too, so that I could show you guys the quality when I get it. So stay tuned!}

What I love most:

Abby’s doesn’t get to see her Grandpa as often as I’d like, and he’s getting ready to move even farther away next month! I am absolutely lovin’ that when I snap a cute pic of her on my phone, with just a quick email, I can have Postcardly.com send it as a postcard to him! This is just such an amazing idea. Instead of heading to Hallmark to get overpriced holiday and birthday cards, picking up stamps, and then remembering to get them in the mail – I can snap pic’s, add a personal message, and have them mailed for me. I KNOW that friends and family would MUCH rather get cute pic’s of the kids than a card from the store anyway!

Win it!

One lucky winner will WIN a full package of 10 Postcardly postcards! Use the Rafflecopter Entry Form for your chance to win – and remember to come back once a day for your BONUS daily Tweet entry!

Love the frugal tips and giveaways here? Then share some love and give me a vote today! All you do is click the pic, and you’ll see my profile! If you like it, click the big pink heart to vote – easy peasy! If you LOVE it, you can vote daily until the end of the month too! Thanks guys – You rock!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 16, 2011 Filed Under: Giveaways | 2 Comments

Mixbook Up to 60% Off- Photo Books Starting at only $6.29!

Big Savings from Mixbook!

Do you remember the review I did awhile back for Mixbook? I LOVED that with Mixbook’s Online Tools you can make some super cool personalized photo books- they give you so many options to customize your products, to get really unique stuff. Seriously, so cool.

And right now you can use coupon code MYSAVE60 at checkout for some BIG savings!

Let them tell ya-

“Mixbook is here to give you a up to 60% discount on their high quality photo books, cards, and calendars. No matter your skill level, Mixbook is there to meet your custom photo book, cards, and calendar needs. Take advantage of this exclusive offer, as it will not last for very long! Click Here to get started!”

Amazing Deals

You can get photo books as low as $6.29- But my favorite book deal is that you can get a HUGE 11×14, Hardcover Coffee Table Photo Book for only $20- it’s normally $49.99!!
Or, customize your own holiday cards, with photos and text, in one of their amazing designs, for as low as .35 cents each! You won’t find THAT at your local card store!

The best holiday gifts!

This is a perfect time to start stocking up on gifts for the holidays- Every year I make a photo book of all the best moments from the past year, and order copies for everyone in the family. These are especially great for that person you never know what to get- who wouldn’t love a personalized photo book, right? Check out their selection, and start your shopping now too, and save big bucks!