Shopping — Page 25

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!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 11, 2011 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Shopping | 1 Comment

BelleChic – The Best of Handmade – Affordable Adorable!

Introducing BelleChic!

BelleChic is your place to buy handmade goods from the world’s best artisans. Be inspired by their artistry, passion, and creativity while you discover BelleChic – “the beautiful style.”

Not only will you find savings of up to 75% off, you’ll meet your new favorite designers. In short, it’s the best of the best of handmade. – This is quickly becoming a huge favorite of mine! I think you’ll love it too, so I had to share.

BelleChic – We handpick the best of handmade, and offer it at 50-70% off. Shop Now! Click Here to see their amazing selection!

Every Day Inspiration — “the Beautiful Style”

Each day at BelleChic brings a variety of product types, from elegant handmade jewelry to luxurious handcrafted bath and body products. They have amazingly adorably affordable tutu’s for little girls, bow ties for little boys, and the cuuutest baby accessories ever. You’ll find everything from candles for the home, to gorgeous one-of-a-kind gifts for your girlfriends. Love, love, love it.

Most sales start at 8am PT / 11am ET and last 48 hours.
Sales are currently happening Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays
Quantities are limited, so shop early so you don’t miss out!
More than just a sale, we’ll introduce you to the world’s best handmade artisans and how they do their craft.

Check out BelleChic today to find your new favorites!

Are Pre-Paid Credit Cards for Kids a Good Idea?

To pre-pay, or not to pre-pay? That is a mom-of-teens question…

I’ve told you guys before that I don’t think enough kids are learning about money management. I remember taking a class in High School called “Single Living”; it taught skills like how to make a budget, how to balance a checkbook, rental agreements, etc. We once did a project where we made our imaginary budgets, and then made a grocery list that we thought would fit our budget – then took a field trip to the grocery store, to write down the actual prices of the foods on our list. 99% of the kids in class were completely shocked by the price of food – and had spent around triple what they thought they would. But, since I’d been helping my mom with grocery shopping for years, I was the only one who actually spent a little less than my budget – and then did a presentation on couponing too!

How I became a frugal momma…

My mom was really honest with us about money. We knew that the reason we couldn’t have everything we wanted was because we couldn’t afford it all. But while we struggled financially while I was growing up, it was never a negative thing – we just worked together as a family to figure out what was most important to each of us, and sacrificed other things to get them. Mom worked 2-3 jobs sometimes – which meant we did more housework, to help her out. We all learned budgeting basics at a pretty young age. But I am SO surprised to see how many people graduate high school with NO understanding of money what-so-ever.

Busy Mom Solution – A tool to help:

I’ve also talked to you before about what a great tool pre-paid credit cards can be. As a young adult, I used them to help me budget. And I really love them as an option to get teenagers used to using credit – once their out on their own, most kids sign up for a ton of cards, rack up a ton of debt, and have no idea exactly how it happened. BUT – giving them a pre-paid card, that you have a lot of control over, can teach them some budgeting basics earlier on. Plus, you take away the temptation to spend their money on drugs, alcohol, or other dangerous activities – you get to see a record of exactly where they’re spending!

Here are some great ways to use them:

School shopping: Load an agreed-upon amount into the card, and let your child to their own shopping. When they don’t have mommy or daddy to spend more, they quickly realize that they don’t need those designer jeans as much, when it means they only get 2 shirts for the year. And if they do splurge on the jeans anyway – they’ll soon learn why it was a mistake. Lessons that are important to learn. Working in retail I saw a HUGE difference in the way kids shop when they’re using moms money, or using their own limited clothing allowance.
Emergency Cash: So many kids might lose cash, or spend it if they’re holding it more than say – 5 minutes. But, they can carry a pre-paid card, and you’ll know that they always have some cash in an emergency situation – peace of mind is worth it.
Allowance: An easy way to give the kids their weekly allowance, without having to run to the bank for cash each week. Or – pay your babysitter each week by loading it onto a pre-paid card. Easy peasy solution.
The most important factor: I remember in school, parents would give their kids lunch money, or spending money, and some would use that for alcohol or drugs. When you’re using a pre-paid card like this to give them cash – you get to see exactly what they spend it on. Much safer.

Cool features:

Lock and Unlock Your Teen’s Card with a Simple Text.
Monitor Purchase Alerts in Real-Time on Your Mobile Phone – so you can quickly catch problems before they get out of control.
Family or Friends Can Reload Funds – which is great for holidays, birthdays, or graduations.
Plus – there is NO risk of overdrafts, and no credit risk for them. It’s a safe way to learn to use a card responsibly.
You can see where they spend it, to ensure they’re being safe.

What do you think?

Have you used pre-paid cards for your kids? Are you for, or against the idea? Are there other ways that you help to teach your kids money management? I’d love to hear your tips! If you’re interested in learning more about pre-paid cards – the one I use is the Bill My Parents card, from MasterCard. You can also use this now at Amazon – which can help the kids learn about safe online shopping too. The rates are totally reasonable, and I’ve used them for a long time with no problems. My boyfriends two other daughters are teenagers now, and budgeting, money, and allowance are topics we’ve been giving a lot of thought too – I’d love for you to share your thoughts, ideas, and tips in the comments….

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 7, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

Weekly Weekend Holiday Shopping Report! Coupon Codes, Cash Back, Deals, & More!

Ok, it’s time again for the Weekly “Weekend Holiday Shopping Report”!

Here are the best deals I’ve found this morning, to help you start knocking out your holiday shopping early! Start now, and when December hits, you can just relax and enjoy the season. I’ve matched up some great cash back, coupon codes, and deal sites – and remember, many of the deal sites will reward you with FREE bonuses for sharing with YOUR friends too. That can be a great way to get your holiday shopping done for FREE! Plus, cash back dollars really start adding up over the holidays, so make sure to check your favorite sites like zuuzs.com, ShopAtHome, Inbox Dollars, or Ebates whenever you shop, to get your rewards! Then you can go do some fun FREE shopping for you after the holidays!

Weekly Weekend Holiday Shopping Report

Victoria’s Secret: Get a FREE Victoria’s Secret PINK tote with any PINK purchase! Add it to your cart, then use code PINKTOTE11 at check out to get it totally free, until November 17th! Plus, use coupon code SHIP50VS to get FREE shipping on all orders over $50 bucks. Make this an even SWEETER deal by starting your shopping at ShopAtHome.com and get FREE cash back on your purchase too! If you’re not earning with ShopAtHome yet, no prob – it’s super easy peasy to sign up. Make sure to check their WILD DEAL each day to find stuff that’s sometimes almost free with cash back! Love that.

Mini Social: HUGE Toy and Book Warehouse Sale on now, until Wednesday, on Mini Social. There is SO much cute stuff here – Choose from some of the very best kids toys from brands like Melissa and Doug, ImagiPlay, Shure Toys and Random House Books. Hurry – quantities are limited! Plus, invite your friends to Mini Social, and get $10 when they join! They’ve also got some really great sale events on kids clothing too. You will love the selection on this site – stuff goes really fast, but if you get there in time, you’ll find really affordable, really adorable, kids stuff!

NoMoreRack: Get a FREE Clear Black iPhone Cover Case for the iPhone4. Very cool. You pay $2 bucks to ship it – that’s it. Awesome, right? Every day NoMoreRack has eight super deep discount items, in limited quantities. Sign up for their email updates, so you can check first thing in the morning, and grab one if you want it. They do lots of freebies like this too. Plus, get points for each friend you refer – that you can use towards amazing free stuff like baking accessories, or even tech stuff like an iPad!

HomeSav Event: Stupell Kids Wall Art over 50% off! Stupell Industries, Inc. is one of America’s premier suppliers of handcrafted decorative accessories for upscale homes. All of their products are hand-crafted And they use only original art work, which is very cool. They’re now taking their super amazing quality, and creating kids art too! These pieces are each only $19 on sale – over 50% off! Plus, invite a friend – they get $10 bucks off, you get $15 in free credit! Great way to share the savings, right?

Totsy: Check out the super cute Angelina Ballerina Sale Event! Ohmyheck – who doesn’t totally love this stuff, right? And with prices starting as low as $3.90 {wow!} you can buy a TON of great stuff! I bought some books, a little toy set, and a matching outfit for Abby, for Christmas! Plus, with Totsy, you can get $15 in credit when you invite your friends to join you there. Check out the deal for 60% off kids shoes, and 66% off Little Divas Hair Accessories too – great time to start pulling together great holiday outfits for parties.

Zulily: Starts today – Disney Sale Event up to 65% off! So many super cute plush character toys – for only $7.99! I had to snag this adorable Cheshire cat for Abby – and of course the Alice Doll too, to go with the movie I got her for free on Amazon with Swagbucks. That’s less than $16 bucks for 2 big plush dolls and a movie. Sweet gift shopping, right? Plus, invite your friends to Zulily by email or Facebook post, and get $15 in credit each time one of them joins you there! They have great deals that are super easy to share.

Bath & Body Works: It’s back – the super duper Buy 3, Get 3 FREE event! Get any 3 of the classic products, including new holiday scents – and get an additional 3 for free. Plus use code SHIP50 at check out to get free shipping on all purchases over $50! To sweeten up this deal, start at ShopAtHome to get 3.5% cash back on your purchase! There are also a ton of great clearance deals going on now – From 50% off accessory items, to 75% off the Pocket Bac’s {great for diaper bags, by the way!} so get shopping before their gone!

Grand Finale: Save 90% off {WOW!!!!} on this cooking deal from Moolala!! Pay only $10, and get: $20 in Organic, Fair-Trade Spices. PLUS get Preferred Spice Club Membership, AND Gourmet Cookbook {$103 Value!!!!} Here’s what that membership gets you: Preferred Spice Club, offering the tantalizing aromas of monthly deals with 50% discounts, a 30% discount on orders of $25 or more, a 20% discount on all orders, free shipping on select orders, and selected, members-only cooking videos. Holy heck! If you do a lot of cooking – this is a serious savings. You can bet I snatched this up super quick!

Ladies – grab your debit cards!

Make sure to start at a site like like zuuzs.com, ShopAtHome, Inbox Dollars, or Ebates when you shop, so you can get FREE cash back on shopping you’re going to do anyway. Even when the percentages are small, it’s still FREE. And it does add up. Plus – during the holidays, all of these sites start ramping up, and giving BIG cash back deals, like up to 25% on some sites! So you’ll want to subscribe now, so you get updates when these types of deals start. I mean, imagine you’re doing to buy $100 worth of gifts online – and you can get $25 in cash back?? On TOP OF the coupon codes and great deals you’ve already found? That’s what I call smart shopping sister :)

Don’t forget – Sign up for UPS MY CHOICE – so you can schedule your deliveries, sign for packages online, and more!

And if you need holiday cards to go with all of these great gifts, get 20 FREE holiday cards with photos, matching address labels, and a super-cute photo pen too, for less than $5 bucks. Have a great weekend! And if you have deal lovin’ momma friends who would appreciate this list – please share it to your own Facebook and Twitter! Friends don’t let friends pay full price!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 5, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | No Comments

Limited Time Event – Melissa & Doug Wooden Toys up to 70% off!

Melissa & Doug Toys and Play Sets – HUGE DISCOUNTS!!

Limited time sale on everyone’s favorite toys from Melissa & Doug, ends on November 8th. You can find these amazing prices until then on HomeSav – one of my favorites for discount shopping on brands you actually want to buy!

Check out the Melissa & Doug event on HomeSave today and get some sweet deals on Christmas gifts!

Melissa & Doug started their company twenty years ago, in the garage of the home where Doug grew up! Now they are one of the leading designers and manufacturers of education toys and children’s products. Their philosophy has remained the same over the years – to make each and every customer a happy and permanent member of the Melissa & Doug family, while offering products with tremendous quality, value and design.

Get these award winners for YOUR children!

They’ve won numerous awards from many noteworthy award givers, like Today’s Parent, Disney Family Fun, and The Wall Street Journal. Buy a toy today and see what all the buzz is about!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 3, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes | 1 Comment

Busy Mom Solution: FREE Meal Planning Help – Save Time and Money!

Busy Mom Solution: Food on the Table

The Challenge:

You know you should start planning your meals for the week, but you never find the time. You know that meal planning can make dinner time less stressful, since you already know what you’ll be making, and know that you’ve got the ingredients on hand. You know that meal planning can save you tons of money, since you match your weekly meals to the sales at your favorite store. But between kids, work, the house – who has time to keep up, right? And what is the worst thing to hear when you’re already tired…. “Mom, what’s for dinner??!!”

The Solution:

Food on the Table is an online, budget-friendly, meal planning service designed to help families eat better and save money. It combines the weekly sales from your favorite local grocery store with your family’s food preferences to create a family-friendly meal plan that is personalized just for you! You can even get a printable grocery list, or download the app so you can view the list on your smartphone. Amazing, right? And the best part? It’s FREE!

Sign up for Food on the Table’s FREE Meal Planning Service today!!

How it Works:

Head to the Food on the Table website, and all you need to get started is your email address.
Then, type in your zipcode to find the partner stores in your area. They had two of my favorites on there, so you should be able to find at least one of yours too!
Next, set your preferences – do you only eat certain types of meat? Have food allergies or special diets to plan for? Love Italian but hate Chinese food? Click the boxes to personalize your meal plans.
Food on the Table will then bring you some great recipes that fit your family – pick the ones you like best, it’ll match your recipes with the best sales, and print you out an easy to use shopping list. Or, do like I did and get the app, so you have the shopping list right on your phone!

What are you waiting for?

It’s totally free to join – no strings! You’ll save time, save money, and have a much more enjoyable family dinner-time! Check out what other busy moms are saying on the Food on the Table Facebook page – and get started today!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on November 2, 2011 Filed Under: Freebies, Busy Mom Solution | No Comments

75% off Creating Keepsakes Kit – Plus FREE Shipping and Bonus FREE Gift!

Improve your crafting skills TODAY!

Order now and receive 75% off Crafting DVD, free shipping, FREE gifts, and bonus buys!

Are you a crafty type, or doing some holiday shopping for a crafter? Either way, you probably know that Creating Keepsakes is a great company, right? And right now they’ve got some GREAT deals that I found, you can snag both for yourself or use them for amazing gifts – You can get a full years subscription for 46% off, and get 9 FREE gifts! – and check out this super fun gift idea:

Get Inspired: New & Exciting Scrapbook Idea Kit!

Get an instruction packed DVD, with over 1-1/2 hours of inspiration, for ONLY $4.95!! Wow, right? PLUS it has FREE shipping too!
Plus – you’ll get a bonus card-making gift kit valued at $17, yours FREE!
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed – so you can’t miss!
PLUS – get the option to add Adding Artistic Touches to Your Scrapbooking to your order too, at 50% off – only $10 bucks!

If you ordered both DVD’s, you’d be getting a $42 value for less than $15 bucks! Or – just order the Scrapbook Idea DVD for $4.95, and still get the card-making gift kit FREE!

Order the SCRAPBOOK IDEA KIT today!!

For more great Holiday Shopping ideas – make sure to check out the Direct Sales Directory! You can use YOUR shopping power to support moms and other women in business this season – and find some really great products and deals too – use the categories to shop for everyone on your list. The personalized service you’ll get when ordering from these ladies is the best!