Summer — Page 8

Home Depot Garden Club: Join for Freebies!

Join Home Depot’s Garden Club!

We’re a member of this club… Hope Depot is one of my favorite stores, and with the new house, we had a LOT of outdoor garden projects to work on!

When you join, they’ll put you on their mailing list, and you’ll start to get really great coupons a couple of times a month. These are usually pretty high-value coupons, like Buy One Get One Free’s, or sometimes even a free product! Really helps out.

Plus, you’ll get updates, usually about once a week, with new DIY events or classes coming up, head’s up on new promo’s and sales, and rebate opportunities.

Sign up today, and get some great savings!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 12, 2011 Filed Under: Shopping, Deals and Coupon Codes, Freebies | 1 Comment

Build Your Perfect Sandwich Contest!

Bacon Cheddar Turkey Toaster

Who else is a sandwich lover?

I love a good sandwich. It’s one of my very favorite summer lunches… A great sandwich partnered with some veggie crackers and a tall, icy cold glass of pink lemonade…. Mmmmm. Perfect.

Enter the Build Your Perfect Sandwich Contest!

All you have to do is go to the Hellmann’s^® Facebook page to share your sandwich-making tips, tricks, techniques and secrets. You’ll also have the opportunity to build your perfect sandwich and enter the Hellmann’s^® Build Your Perfect Sandwich Sweepstakes for a chance to win great prizes including a kitchen essentials bundle, grocery gift cards, and Hellmann’s^®products.

Bacon Cheddar Turkey Toaster

I entered, and the sandwich you see above is my creation… Toasted bread, piled high with turkey and crumbled bacon, lettuce and pickles, three kinds of cheese, slap on a bit of Hellmann’s^® reduced fat mayo and drizzle it with oil and vinegar, love it!

Get YOUR entries in!

Remember- You can enter your sandwich creation featuring Hellmann’s^® products once a day on their Facebook page, and be entered to win tons of great prizes… Including that awesome grand prize of a $5,000 Gift Card! There will be cool new prizes to win each week. So check it out today!

{Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Hellmann’s® prize package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 2, 2011 Filed Under: Contests | No Comments

FREE Sample from Ball Canning!

My Ball Canning House Party

I LOVE Ball Canning Products!

I’ve always been a big fan of their products, and have great memories of helping my mom can peaches and pears when I was a little girl. But I really love the new look on the current line of products, with the bright green, cheerful packaging.

Party Time!

I got to try out some great new canning recipes with my friends during my Ball Canning House Party a while back, and give away tons of goodie bags filled with fun prizes. We made cherry pie filling, salsa, and apricot jam. Loved it!

Want a freebie of your own?

Check out their site to get your OWN freebie- Ball Real Fruit Classic Pectin Sample. But hurry, these won’t last long!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 28, 2011 Filed Under: Product Testing, Freebies | No Comments

{Win it Wednesday} Shave-Free Summer!

Enter to win FREE Laser Hair Removal!

I’ve told you guys about this before… Fill out the quick entry form, and make sure to add a valid phone number so they can contact you if you win!

I had a friend win last year, and I’ve been entering once a month ever since :) Plus, after posting this a couple of times, I’ve heard from a couple of you readers who’ve won too!

They also do lots of other prizes… Coupons and gift certificates for other treatments, and I’ve heard from a TON of you who have won those too.

So get your name in there! You can enter this one once a month, and it’s a super simple entry form. Good luck!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 20, 2011 Filed Under: Contests | 2 Comments

Tech For the Mistress of the Grill

First, let’s put an end to that myth that grills are the men’s domain. We do most of the cooking indoors so why should that be any different when we move outdoors? This week we did a round up of some of the best tech out there to make you a barbecue rock star.

Cookin’ up some summer fun…

First up the Char-Broil Infrared Electric Grill that heats up super hot to sear and lowers quickly enough to seal in flavor, and, ok, it happens to be really cute. Then, onto The Omaha Steak’s Steak Time App which solves the age-old question, how long does this (fill in the blank) need to cook? Lastly we are off to every chef’s nirvana for recipes that… well, let’s just say they’re a very good thing. So check out this week’s episode where Carley gets all up in your grill.

Who’s Ready to Get Grillin’?

I admit it… I’ve always been intimidated by the grill. I do pretty much all of the cooking around our house… But it’s my brother that does all of the grilling for dinners, BBQ’s, and parties. I totally love the idea behind the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Infrared Electric Grill, and how simple it would be to use. I had NO IDEA that you could get a grill that you simply plug-in and go. Easy peasy! Totally the type of grill that even I could handle, since I’ll have to learn to do it myself when my brother moves out. Plus, we host so many get-together’s all summer, from kids birthday bashes to the best pool parties, we totally rock outdoor living.

Yep, there’s an app for that

The Omaha Steak’s Steak Time App sounds awesome! I’ll definitely have to go check it out, and I know we’ll use it a ton. I love that it even reminds you when to flip! And the best part? It’s free. That’s my favorite price. Martha Stewart has some of the most amazing recipes on her site, and you’re sure to find tons of great new grilling ideas and inspiration. Some of her meals are a bit too complicated for me and my lazy cooking, {lol} but I’ve found plenty of simple options too. Both of these tech solutions will help you a ton this summer. {Want more fun party food ideas? Check out my Luau Party Ideas, and other Party Foods inspiration on Pinterest. So much fun stuff…}

Become a Mistress of the Grill this Summer

So, time to get over that fear of the grill, use the Steak Time app to look like a total pro while you’re cooking, {no one needs to know you’re cheating!} and try out some of those great Martha Stewart recipes at YOUR next outdoor party!

Digitwirl.com – Making Tech Work for You!

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

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

{Frugal Fun} Stylish French Picnic for under $12 per person!

How to plan a stylish French picnic for under $12 per person… Sparkling wine included!

Check out the newest post today on LearnVest to find out how YOU can host a fancy-pants picnic on a budget! A picnic is so much fun in the summer… You can pack one for the park, and let the kids run off some energy after dinner, {yayay for easier bedtimes!} or even just put together a great picnic style lunch to entertain at home with friends.

A few of the tips you’ll find on the site:

Have a French picnic potluck! Ask each guest to bring one of the simple items needed… Baguettes, cheese, fruit, and of course, most important, the wine.
Read some of their favorite inexpensive summer wine choices, like the $9 Château Montaud Rosé 2009, and how to keep them chilled during transport.
And how to set up a fun spot for your picnic, including blanket placement, music, and more!

I love LearnVest!

I am such a huge fan of their daily email tips, and I know you’ll love them too. Really helpful ideas for living the frugal lifestyle, while also having fun!

“Delivered to you five days a week, the LearnVest Daily is packed with money-saving tips and financial how-tos to enrich your life. What’s Inside: Discover the best places to travel on a dime. Learn tips to help you build your wealth. Plan the perfect dinner party for under $10 per person. Understand and manage debt. Get beauty tricks for any budget, and more…”

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 14, 2011 Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Freebies | No Comments

{Free Advertising} Interested in having your products featured?

Happy Birthday Abby!

My little girl is getting ready to have her very first birthday! {That’s her in the pic above, when silly mommy made a cake to celebrate her 6-month half-birthday} I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. She is just such a big girl these days… Got her first tooth {finally!} a couple days ago, and started walking last week. It’s hard to believe…

Party like it’s your birthday…

I’ve been planning her party for quite some time now, as many of you already know. Her dad thought it was crazy to be thinking about her birthday months in advance, but this momma is pretty excited!

We have the big in-ground pool up and running finally, so we’re doing a huge Luau Party. I’ve got boxes of decorations, and have made loads of fun stuff. This is going to be a blast…

Would you like to have your product featured?

I have a few companies that have reached out to have me review their items, so to give them more exposure, I’m going to have some of them featured during the party. I thought it would be a fun way to do some reviews, get a ton of feedback from guests, and a share some great products with my too!

I have a fun Luau game pack from Tomoson.com, we will be testing out some new vegetarian dishes with some great products from Harmony Valley, Abby will be wearing an absolutely adorable headband from Wild Crush, and more. If you have a product that you would like to feature too, shoot me an email over at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com. All products donated will be seen and featured in multiple party posts after the event, and will get their own stand-alone review post as well.

Goodie Bags and Swag Bags!

Also, I am putting together bunches of great goodie bags for the kids, and I’m also putting together some amazing swag bags for some of the moms at the party. These will be filled with samples of some great products from companies I’ve partnered with lately, as well as lots of product info, catalogs, business cards, and more.

It’s kind of last minute, but I’d like to open up this opportunity to my readers too: If you have anything that you would like to add to these swag bags, and get into the hands of a great bunch of momma’s, email me with your idea! Even if you’d just like to share your business card, feel free to send them my way, and I’ll include them for the guests to see.

As a work-from-home momma myself, I understand how tough it can be sometimes to get your business out there, and get seen by new faces, so I love to help give other moms new easy ways to promote their business.

Everyone that is in the bags will also get a shout out on the blog, I’ll have a link up of any of you ladies that added something. Just a fun and easy way to get yourself a little bit of exposure. You can send anything from 10 business cards, to 50 samples, whatever you want to share with people.

I also use sponsor goodies in swag bags that I add to every giveaway winner shipment that I send out, to get your info out to more people! If you’re interested now, or in the future, let me know.

Stay tuned… The BIG party is coming soon, July 24th! I can’t wait to share all of the pictures with you….