Parenting

How to Raise Healthier, Happier Children

One of my favorite quotes about parenting is this one, “Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.” – David Bly. I was so terrified to become a mom, and had a long, winding road that brought me to motherhood. But this quote was one I clung to – there are a lot of small things that, really, in the long run, don’t matter that much. Whether I cloth diaper or use disposables, whether I buy the coolest new baby gear, whether I know the “best” ways to do every thing… Well, she’s still going to make it through in one piece. The more important thing in the whole world to me is that she grows up to be kind. Someone who treats others with understanding and compassion, who gives back to those around her, who does her small part to make the world a little brighter and better. Oh yeah – and I want her to be funny. :) Which she totally is. So, I try to set the best example that I can, apologize when I’m wrong, and explain when I make mistakes. And along the way, I hope I’m teaching her some important lessons about living healthy and happy…

“The Best Way to Make Children Good is to Make them Happy” – Oscar Wilde [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 4, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

I’m Free to Do Anything… If My Mom Says I Can – State of the Kid Results from Highlights

Who else has fond memories of reading Highlights magazine as a kid? They were some of my very favorite things to read. And I love that they have 3 versions, perfect for kids of all ages – Abby just outgrew the Hello magazine for ages 0-2, and is now reading High Five, the version for kids 2-6. Then when she grows older, we’ll transition to traditional version for kids aged 6-12. We didn’t find a preschool for her this year, so I’m trying to do “preschool at home” – and Highlights are such a great resource to make learning fun! I think one of the reasons that Highlights does such a great job at creating content is that they truly believe in listening to kids, to learn what they like, what they think, what they want to know about. Which is where the State of the Kid survey comes from…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 21, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | No Comments

8 Clever Mom Tips that Went Viral

“All mothers are working mothers.” – Unknown… This is one of my favorite mom quotes. Because, no matter how much the media wants to talk about the “mommy wars” – we’re all working moms. We’re all tired. We’re all doing our best to make the best for our families. Right? So – I wanted to share my absolute most popular posts and tips – the things that have gone viral, having over 30k repins on some of these posts. Others are newer – but seem to be helping solve mom-probs already. And others are some of my best freebie tips that people asked for updated codes and info on. So – whether you’re a new mom, a tired mom looking for extra tips, or a friend of a mom looking for cool gifts and info to share – you’ll find it here. Pin it at the end to share it with your other mom friends – we all need a boost, right?

Some of you might remember when I won the StartupNation Home Based Business award in 2012 – when I shared my story of becoming an unexpected work at home mom. I had to use every tool I had – from survey sites to selling on ebay, to make enough money to get by. As I did that, I learned an amazing amount of ways to be an awesome mom on a small budget. Check out some of the most popular tips of the past two years… Pin ’em, share ’em on Facebook, or tweet, google +, or whatever else the kids do these days, lol.

Get a free nursing pillow – pick your choice from 9 different prints. Once you’ve added your favorite to the shopping bag, you’ll enter promo code “ENBABY”, and it’ll automatically take 100% off of your purchase, leaving just the shipping charge for you to pay. These are seriously gorgeous – and Abby still uses hers, even as a big girl :) [Read more…]

You’re Not a Person, You’re a Mommy…

“You’re not a person. You’re a mommy!”…. My almost three year-old told me this a few days ago. And honestly, doesn’t that pretty much totally and completely sum up motherhood? You’re not a person with rights that ordinary Americans take for granted. You’re now a servant. You have small masters who suffer from crazy mood swings, and are irrationally demanding at all hours of the day. They are tiny, adorable, and sometimes terrifying. But, unlike traditional servants, you do at least get some pretty darn amazing perks… hugs and kisses, lots of love, and an overwhelming sense of joy {you know, until they have a toddler break down again. The perks are so epic, but in between, there is constant chaos, lol.}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 12, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Parenting | 2 Comments

There are Man-Eating Sharks in Every Ocean – But We Still Swim

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

Motherhood is a challenge, to put it mildly… Whether you’re a first-timer figuring out how to adjust to life with a new baby, dealing with the toddler “it’s mine!!” phase, dealing with stubborn teens – or maybe doing all three at the same time! – being a mom can be exhausting. But, even with all of the craziness, we all still decided to become mothers anyway. Why? Because in between the chaos, it’s still a beautiful adventure…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 6, 2013 Filed Under: Uncategorized | No Comments

What I Learned About Motherhood from Dory on Finding Nemo – #FindingDory

Parenting Advice from Dory, of Finding Nemo… I loved this movie before I even became a mom. I used to watch it all the time when my nephews would stay with me…. And admit to watching it a few times on my own too. {And yes, I cry every.single.time when the mom dies at the beginning. Darn these Disney-Pixar films pulling at my emotions!} And, with Mother’s Day around the corner {this Sunday!} I thought it was a great time to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from watching this movie so many times. Dory may or may not be a mother {would she remember?} – but she has some great lessons to teach us about motherhood….

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 10, 2013 Filed Under: Parenting | 2 Comments

Tips for “Spring Cleaning” Your Toddler

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” – Margaret Atwood… Ah, spring. Seriously, one of my favorite times of year. I live in central Washington, where we have four VERY distinct seasons – so spring brings a wonderful break from the snowy cold of winter. And, it means it’s time to get the garden going again! Abby adores helping grandma and I plant flowers and dig in the dirt… I actually just bought her a little Garden Playhouse, since she loves grandma’s planting shed so much. But, while we love working in the dirt, and transforming a big patch of it into something beautiful and full of color – I don’t really want us all to smell like dirt at the end of the day….