Product Testing

Weekly Bloggertunities – 1/11

“Other people and things can stop you temporarily. You’re the only one who can do it permanently.” – Zig Ziglar

I’m excited to share another weekly round-up of bloggertunities to help you earn more income, build more traffic, and have some fun too. If you’re a business or a blogger interested in having your event, brand opportunity, or blogger outreach program connected with my readers in next Wednesday’s post – email Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com for rates and details. And, if you have a cool opp that you’ve come across this week that you have permission to share, feel free to leave it in the comments here! {Remember – it is incredibly important that you have permission from your contacts before sharing their information with other bloggers. It’s a professional courtesy, and the right thing to do.} And feel free to share THIS list with other great bloggers you know too.

Product Review Opportunities

WOLF @ Best Buy Bloggers: Apply to join this cool blogging program – Get the opportunity to review new gadgets and products from Best Buy.
Join SponsoredReviews.com: Fill in your info, set your rates and categories, and they’ll contact you with cool new opportunities that you quality for – Buy Reviews.
WB Word: Apply to join the WB Word of Mouth Marketing Team! Partner with them to promote your favorite shows and movies.

Awesome Events to Attend

Reviewer’s Retreat: I’m going to be speaking at this event – sharing my best tips on how to increase your traffic and fan base. {Super excited about it!} This event is targeted directly at review bloggers – something many other conferences don’t cover. Learn more – Reviewer’s Retreat 2012 – and use code RR12MSM to receive $30 off the already discounted Early Bird pricing – limited time!!
AdSense: There are AdSense events planned in different cities around the country. If you could use some training in maximizing your AdSense earnings – check it out and see if there’s an event near you!

Giving Back:

Mom Bloggers for Social Good: I’m so proud to be a founding member of this new group – and would love to have you join us. If you are passionate about spreading helping to promote great campaigns that give back in communities around the world – learn more, and join us today.
Love Yourself Giveaway: I’m co-hosting this one, and part of the money goes to a charity that’s very near to my heart – Learn more, and sign up here – Join Now.

Twitter Leads:

Check out ShePromotes Twitter Lead Tuesday – and find a ton of great leads you can follow up on.

Affiliates to earn cash money!

Deal Junkies: Do you love finding great deals and sharing them with your friends? Then you’ll LOVE zuuzs – you get rewarded with cash. Very cool – Learn more here.
Social Spark: Get offers weekly for sponsored posts – Only write about the products and services YOU are interested in. Payouts are great. Join Social Spark.
Coupon Lovers: If you’re a total pro at couponing, and love sharing that knowledge with others – this might be a perfect fit for you. The Couponizer is adding new affiliates, where you earn a percentage of sales. And, they have another very cool opportunity – Become a Couponizer Coach. You buy a kit, get access to support and some cool programs, and earn money by reselling the Couponizers. If you teach coupon classes, this could be a money-maker for you!
Escalate Network: I love the quick payouts – Fastest of any affiliate I work with. Check them out – Escalate.
zuuzs: If you’re not yet a member of zuuzs.com, you’re totally missing out. I earn a consistent monthly income with them, and love getting my own cash back when I shop too! Plus, for a limited time, you can earn a bonus of .10 cents per blogging referral, on TOP of your regular earnings. Learn more about how you earn money with zuuzs, or sign up here.
Integrate.com: This is an amazing affiliate company – I think that they track their conversions better than anyone else. Sign up here – Join Integrate. Or if you’re already using them, read my How to Get Started with Integrate post.

Events to Join

Stumble Tumble Tuesday: I get incredible traffic to my blog from StumbleUpon! Come learn how to use it, and link you YOUR favorite posts each week. {Just started yesterday – come join us!}
Love Yourself Giveaway: As I mentioned – I’m co-hosting this one, and part of the money goes to a charity that’s very near to my heart – I’d love to have you sign up to be a part of this – Join Now.
Couponizer Giveaway: Only $1 to join – Starts on Monday, Jan 15th. Sign up Here.
Let’s Get Cooking Giveaway: This one is SO much fun! For entries, people will leave their favorite recipes, that can then be shared on your own blog! Read the post for full details and sign up info – Let’s Get Cooking.
Twitter Blast: I was in the last one, and it’s a rockin’ event! Only $1 to join, Twitter link only. Sign up – Twitter Blast Giveaway.
Fatten Your Wallet Friday: This is a weekly event, and the prize is $50 cash! Learn more and sign up – $50 Friday Giveaway.

Build a Better Blog in 2012

We’re finishing up the First Week of Blogging ebook from Probloggers – and getting ready to do a 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge! Read more, buy the ebook, and link up to join us – this is going to be an awesome way to boost your blog to the next level this year!

Blogger Only HOT Giveaway

Click to head over and enter this giveaway – It’s for bloggers only – and there are some totally awesome prizes. Let them know that I sent you their way – then share it with YOUR bloggy buddies too!

Good luck – and enjoy the rest of your week!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 11, 2012 Filed Under: Weekly Opp's | 3 Comments

Celebrating Motherhood – MommyParties Sponsored by Pregnancy 2.0

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” – Sophia Loren

As moms, we always want the very best for our kids. Most of us are on tighter budgets than we were a few years ago, so finding the highest quality baby products, that can grow with our kids, and provide the best benefits – is so important. That’s why I was incredibly excited to be a part of the latest event from MommyParties – a party to celebrate Motherhood, sponsored by Pregnancy 2.0! I set a date, and invited a big group of my best mom – and momma-to-be! – friends, and eagerly awaited the products to arrive. Well, I was blown away by how amazing everything was! Check out the products that we tested at the party…

“Making the decision to have a child – It’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”– Elizabeth Stone

A stroller and car seat are two of the most important purchases you make for a new baby. Safety is top priority, obviously. You also need products that are durable, since they get used daily. You need something that is easy to use – when you’ve got a fussy baby, you do NOT need any extra hassle. And something that looks good is of course a bonus, right? Well – the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat partnered with the Britax B-Ready Stroller are one of the best investments that you can make. I cannot say enough good things about these – this stroller is the best that I have ever tried. Like, way better.

“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls

This stroller is a total Busy Mom Solution products, and I’ll do a full review on it soon. But here are the basics of what I love: It’s made of amazing material – looks great, and is really stain-resistant. It snaps together quickly – about 5 minutes from box to baby. It handles well – super smooth to keep baby comfortable and safe. And as you can see above – it’s totally innovative, and folds up quickly with one hand. It’s so small and easy to carry around when it’s folded up – surprisingly light for such a durable stroller! And the Britax B-Ready Car Seat snaps right onto it, easy peasy.

“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Mermillod

Another awesome product that we were able to try on and test out, was the Britax Baby Carrier. I have used 4 different carriers with Abby – but this is by far the best. What I really like about is how easy it is to put on by myself – with other carriers I needed help getting them on and secure, or to get Abby into it. But this is very simple – you slip it over your head, put your arms through the openings, then latch it in the back. To put the baby in, there are two super easy clasps – to crazy buckles to fuss with when you’re trying to maneuver a baby. And, it comes with a little zip-in pouch inside, to hold an infant securely, and can zip out when baby gets bigger. There is also an extender you can purchase to help it be more comfortable for toddlers like Abby. I love products that can grow with baby like this.

“To a child’s ear, “mother” is magic in any language.” – Arlene Benedict

We tried out some other amazing products too – you can check out the rest of my party pics on Google+ –

Google+ MommyParties sponsored by Pregnancy 2.0 Party Album!

After having some time to try everything out, the guests all had a chance to fill out a Britax survey, to share their helpful feedback on the products. All of the surveys went into a bag, and one lucky winner got to take home a big prize from Xlear and Spry – {You may remember that I did a review of their products a few months ago. Love them!!} and a couple of other momma’s won super adorable Snuggle Buddies too – which Abby loved so much, I had to go and buy her one after the party.

“Only mothers can think of the future – because they give birth to it in their children.” – Maxim Gorky

I am so glad that I was able to check out all of these great products and great brands. It was awesome to get to share them with other moms who are in search of the best new items for their own babies – and I hope that some of this info helps you too. If you have used any of these products, I’d love for you to leave a comment with additional feedback, to help other moms who might be considering them. Or if you have a question – feel free to post it, and I’ll answer the best that I can. Investing in baby gear can be intimidating, and I totally understand how much work goes into finding the best fit for your family!

Thank you MommyParties and Pregnancy 2.0 for sponsoring this event!

Check out the full album of party pictures on Google+!

Follow MommyParties on Facebook to see more parties!

{Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary products to evaluate, review, and share with friends. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 20, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Weekly Blogger Opportunities – 12/14

“Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along.” – Hugh Allen

Sorry I’m late on this weeks post – this holiday season has totally overwhelmed me this year! I’m so behind on everything, and am working waaaay too many hours trying to keep up. But, too busy is always better than too slow, right? Anyway…. I don’t have as much to share this week, but I hope that you find something helpful on this list! And if you have a great opp that you’ve come across this week, feel free to share it in the comments. If you’re a brand or business that is interested in partnering with some great bloggers, feel free to email your info to Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com, and I can help connect you with some new faces next Wednesday!

Review/Giveaway Opportunities

Mom Blog Society: Another fun opp from a great site – this one is all about the holidays! Read more here – Santa Video, Bloggers Needed. {FYI – You must be a member of Mom Bloggers Society for this opp. Sign up, you’ll love it!}
Mom Fuse POP Alerts: Learn more, and sign up to get their weekly updates with new opportunities. Totally free to join – Blogging Opps.
Saline Ambassadors: They are now recruiting for product ambassadors, this includes Saline Soothers and Boogie Wipes – both totally amazing products. I’m an Ambassador and love it – applications accepted until December 31 – Apply for Saline Ambassador.
OmegaSmooth: Interested in sampling a bottle and sharing your opinion? Email sbray@ascenta.ca for more information.
Children’s Book Review: Learn the details, and apply to review a great new kids book.

PR Fun

Interview: MommyPR shared a great opp – Needed: mommy blogger for a local upstate NY newspaper( Kingston, NY). Also, Need a mommy blogger from Johnstown/Altoona (Philadelphia Allentown) Email parentswithstyle@gmail.com asap. {Sign up for MommyPR blogger outreach emails!}
Working Mother Magazine: Looking for fun ideas and travel products to make travel easier with kids. Email Jennifer at jennifer.parris@workingmother.com.

Blog Hops and Giveaway Events to Join

Lots of Love Giveaway Hop: This is a free event to join – you supply your own prize valued at $25 or more. It doesn’t start until February, so you still have time to come up with a great prize package! Read details – Sign Up.
A New Year, A New Me Giveaway Hop: Another great event that’s free to join, and again, supply prize of $25 or more. This starts late January – so get signed up today! New Year Sign Up.

Happy Holidays!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on December 15, 2011 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | No Comments

Fresh Ideas DIY Panel Accepting New Members!!

The Fresh Ideas Panel is Accepting New Members Again!

Ugh – I actually really want to be a part of this one – but again, I wasn’t approved :( I’m not sure if it’s the part of the country I live in, or what…. But maybe some of you guys can get accepted!!

“Become a member of our Fresh Ideas Panel! Please share your thoughts with us on our product ideas and offerings. By sharing your opinions with us you are eligible for monthly giveaways! Click Here to get started.”

From what I hear, this is a panel about DIY type stuff – and it’s super cool. If any of you who are members want to leave some feedback about it, I’d love to hear more about what I’m missing. {Lol} – And if YOU get accepted, let me know! Good luck!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 30, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Contests, Product Testing | No Comments

Super Simple Meal Options for Super Busy Moms!

Are you a Super Busy Mom?

I am a busy mom. Like, super, duper, uber busy. I’m also trying to be a healthy mom. A mom who finally loses the baby weight – from the baby that I had a year and a half ago. {Everyone started out saying, “Don’t worry about it – It takes 9 months to put the weight on, give it 9 months to take it off too.” Then, it turned into, “Oh, most women lose the baby weight by baby’s first birthday.” Now, there is no excuse. Do I call it toddler-tummy? How long can I call it “baby weight”….} Anyway, like I was saying – I am always looking for new products that solve a problem in my life. So when I heard that Healthy Choice had a new line-up of Café Steamers that were inspired by the amazingly mouthwatering recipes from Top Chef – I knew I had to check ’em out.

Does that look totally delicious, or what?

We tried several of these new steamy and delicious meals – And while it’s hard to choose… this Chicken Margherita with Balsamic Vinaigrette Sauce has got to be my favorite! The texture of the noodles and the chicken were seriously perfect, the veggies were crisp, and the flavor of the sauce combined them all into a super delicious meal! Want to know why they’re so good? A few facts…

The unique steaming technology separates the sauce from the rest of the entrée to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing for crisp vegetables, tender meats and al dente pastas.
The line of great-tasting dishes features quality ingredients such as slow roasted garlic, asparagus and grilled eggplant.

And all of this at an affordable price, too! The meals are starting to appear in grocery stores nationwide right now – Look for the Top Chef Marking on the package. They sell for a suggested retail price of $2.75 – $3.50, which is waaaaay cheaper than going out for fast food, and way healthier too.

Check out Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers Today!

These meals are so good, and such a life-saver. You’ll definitely want to stock up on a bunch of them, so you always have an easy, tasty, yummy dinner option, even on the busiest of days! And make sure to print the $1 Off Café Steamers Coupon – from the Healthy Choice website too. These meals are so quick and simple, but they’ll leave you feeling like you made time for a “real” meal. I like to sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on the top, and pair them with an easy salad, and maybe even a glace of wine. The exclusive new line includes eight delicious options – here are a few of my other personal favorites:

Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes
Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

Learn more:

Check out the other Healthy Choice products, and see some of your favorite moments from Top Chef!

You can also find Healthy Choice on Facebook and Twitter – where you can stay updated on new products and promotions!

{I received complimentary Healthy Choice meals to sample for this review – Hey, I can’t tell you about them if I haven’t tried them, right? But all options on the deliciousness of these Healthy Choice meals is totally honest and 100% my own, as always.}

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

New Feature: Weekly Blogger Opportunities

Weekly Blogger Opportunities

I’m going to start a weekly feature, each Wednesday, with new opportunities for bloggers. If you find a great one that you don’t mind sharing, please leave a comment on the post each week, so that we can all benefit. Some of these will be limited-time sign-ups for campaigns, but some will be ongoing brand programs – Starting next week there will be a new tab in the “Blogging Resources” section in the navigation bar, so you’ll be able to look back at past weeks opp’s. I’ll have the new opportunity list up each Wednesday by 5PM, PST. If you’re a business that would like to have your family-friendly blogger outreach program listed, please email me – Meagan, at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com – and I’ll add it to the weekly list.

This week’s Opp’s:

OXO Blogger Outreach – Enter your info to get onto their Blogger Outreach Database, so they can contact you with new opportunities.
Rubbermaid Buzz – Join this ambassador program from Rubbermaid and tell them what YOU would do to spread buzz about their awesome products.
zuuzs.com: Sign up an account, then scroll to the bottom to find the Blogger sign up tab. Earn cash for referrals. Very cool.
Tiny Prints: If you’re not already working with Tiny Prints, sign up for their Holiday Card Campaign.
Label Daddy: Sign up to do a review and giveaway of your favorite Label Daddy product.

Share these Blogger Opportunities

Feel free to share this list in any of your own networks or groups – All opportunities that will be listed each week are either brand programs that are currently open to new sign-ups, or contacts who have requested to have their information shared. If you have a great opp to leave in the comments, please be sure that the contact is comfortable having their information shared with others. If so, add it here, so we can all find some great new resources and opportunities each week!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 16, 2011 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 2 Comments

Become a Savvy Sampler with Naturally Savvy – Blogger Opp too!

Join Naturally Savvy!

I was a member of Naturally Savvy all of last year, and got a bunch of great shipments of products to try out with my family. We got to try things like natural, non-toxic cleaners, vitamins, snack foods, and more. They’re enrolling people for the coming year right now, so make sure to sign up and apply for a spot!

What is Naturally Savvy Sampling?

Are you interested in sampling natural and organic products in the comfort of your home and giving us your feedback? If so, the our Savvy Sampler program is for you! As a Savvy Sampler, you are helping to provide natural health manufacturers with feedback on their products. Help us to make a difference!

To qualify as a SAVVY SAMPLER you must:

Have a U.S. address
Have an interest in trying and using natural and organic products
Be 19 years or older
Not have any relation to the companies making or distributing the product(s) we are asked to review
Agree to sign our release form
Sample the products and answer the survey questions honestly
Agree to receive our monthly newsletter

Apply to be a Savvy Sampler today!

Make sure to check out their giveaway too – you can enter to WIN a gift-basket filled with FULL-SIZED products!! They give away a ton of great stuff from their sponsors on a regular basis, so make sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook too – you’ll find lots of fun ways to win!

Are you a blogger?

Naturally Savvy is looking to partner with bloggers to help review and blog about their favorite natural & organic products. If you have a blog and are interested in reviewing some great products, fill out their blogger application form. I just signed up tonight – hoping to hear back soon!

Sounds Awesome, right?

Feel free to use the social buttons to share this to your own Facebook and Twitter too – so you’re friends can apply to be Savvy Samplers too! Signing up doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get to join – but I think most people get accepted. Good luck!

{Nope, I have no affiliation with Naturally Savvy at all – except that I was a Savvy Sampler member last year, and got some amazing goodies! Just wanted to share this opportunity with you guys too!}