Mommy Has to Work

What to look for when choosing the best credit card machine for your business

December 1, 2016 By Anne

Today’s business landscape is irreversibly linked to technology. That is a simple fact, and not one that is likely to go away any time soon. You should take the time to look around and find the right options for your business, then, and buy them from someone who understands what they are doing. Merchant Account Solutions, for example, offers a free online merchant account as well as a whole host of other options. Let’s take a look!

Lowest credit card processing fees

When you are looking for a good credit card machine for your business, you need to consider all angles of the transaction. Make sure that you are looking at providers who offer the lowest credit card processing fees, for example, in order to maximize the money you make from transactions completed using credit cards. This is an important angle to keep in since the number of online and digital transactions completed with credit cards only continues to go up.

Wireless credit card reader

Another thing to keep in mind when looking for the best credit card machine for your business is the credit card reader itself. Is it a big, awkward piece of technology, or one that is more easily moved? A wireless credit card reader, for example, can be used all over the place and is easy to move. Your technology should be just as adaptable as the rest of your business.

Looking for an excellent merchant account service? Consider Merchant Account Solutions. Not only do they offer a free online merchant account, but they also provide a whole host of other awesome features. Their credit card processing fees and new technology options, for example, make them truly a world-class provider. Take a look at their website today!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Get Your Kids Eating A Healthier Diet By Making These Simple Changes

December 1, 2016 By Anne

If you are a mom, you will know only too well the struggle of getting your children to eat healthy food. Many children have a fear or at the very least, a severe aversion to vegetables when they are young. No one is exactly sure where this hatred comes from – some believe it is simply because if children are told something is good for them, they will naturally resist it. Others think that it is because after trying it, they realise they don’t get the instant energy rush that they get from sweets and fast food. But we all know that children cannot grow up purely eating fast food and takeout. All of these types of food contain very high levels of salt, sugar and fat, and can sometimes lead to a lifelong food addiction as well as a whole myriad of different health problems. All of this doesn’t mean to say that you can’t give your children treats. But simply by making a few small changes to your family diet, you can get your kids eating in a more healthy manner – without them even noticing!

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Baking cookies with your children is one of our life’s little pleasures. It is a fun family activity that everyone can get involved in, whether it’s stirring the mixture or simply decorating the finished result. Many families bake together frequently. The downside of being a family that bakes weekly is that your children are regularly ingesting a lot of unhealthy fat and sugar, which can have a negative effect on their bodies over time. But by using some slightly alternative ingredients in your batch of cookies, you can give them to your children with slightly less guilt. Switching regular flour to coconut flour can still make great tasting cookies, as shown in this recipe: blog.paleohacks.com/coconut-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies/. Coconut flour is higher in protein and in healthy fats than regular flour, making it an all round healthier option. Plus, if you or anyone in your family is coeliac, it is gluten-free, too.

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Pizza

Let’s face it: every kid loves pizza. You’ve probably lost count of the amount of times your little ones have pleaded with you to order them a Dominos, after all. There’s nothing wrong with getting takeout every once in awhile. But making a habit of ordering pizza can end severely damaging your family’s health. Next time they ask for pizza, why not try making it yourselves instead? If you’re feeling adventurous, pre-make the bases yourself. But if not, you can just buy them from the store. Let your kids experiment with their own toppings and after half an hour in the oven, you will have some delicious homemade pizza to tuck into!

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Cake

Another sweet treat, nearly everyone would have to admit that they love cake. A lot of us tend to use Sunday as a day to bake a cake for the week – one that we know our kids will love. But think you have to cut out cake completely in order to live a healthy lifestyle? You couldn’t be more wrong. There are now ways to have your cake and eat it, and it’s all to do with changing some basic ingredients. Vegetables such as zucchinis and aubergines are now being used to bake cakes out of, as they can create a moist sponge that rivals a regular cake, with half the sugar. Try your hand at whipping one up and see if your kids notice the difference!

Anne

Christmas Gift Wrap Sets From Zippkids Amazon Store Review

November 30, 2016 By Heather Little

With Thanksgiving 2016 over, the countdown to Christmas is officially on! With the ease of shopping online these days, it seems like it’s almost become possible to buy everything you need right from the comfort of your own home. But while you’re shopping for that perfect gift, don’t forget the supplies you’ll need to wrap them all up. It’s now easy to take the hassle out of gift wrapping with great Christmas wrap bundles available online from the zippkids Amazon.com store.

I picked out two different bundles – one was a kraft style pack and the other a cheerful and bright red, green, and blue set. The kraft gift wrap bundle comes with 44 pieces, including various sized boxes from “robe” to “mug” size, gift tags, stickers, and tissue paper. The festive color bundle has 57 pieces, including several really cute gift bags. What I love about these gift wrap bundles is that the boxes and accessories make gift wrapping so simple – no need for paper. Just put your presents inside the beautiful boxes with tissue and tags that are included and they’re ready to give!

These Christmas gift wrap sets are also an excellent value for just under $17 for the bundle and with Amazon Prime, you can get them shipped free right to your door in just a couple days. So once you’ve picked out just the right holiday gift for your friends or family, be sure to make it a “complete package” wrapped in a great gift bag or box from zippkids.

You can purchase these gift wrap sets from Amazon at the below links:

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Gift-Box-Set-Supplies/dp/B01LFMRJA0/ref=sr_1_1?m=A20YS3S7GIT562&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1477594364&sr=1-1&keywords=44

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Gift-Wrapping-Set-Glitter/dp/B01LZVI7TV/ref=sr_1_1?m=A20YS3S7GIT562&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1477594987&sr=1-1&keywords=glitter&th=1

*I received the above gift wrap sets in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own.

Heather Little

My name is Heather Little and my husband and I have two sweet girls and one crazy dog. We moved to Florida 6 years ago and have loved every minute of it! I enjoy crafting, good food, shopping, and of course travel!

Hard Candy Eye Essential Collection Review (Holiday Gift Guide)

November 30, 2016 By Merrilee Kaminski

Hard Candy has released new makeup sets for the holidays which are available exclusively at Walmart. The Eye Essential Collection comes with 2 eyeshadow palettes, 3 brushes, and a small pouch and retails for $4.88. “Fall in love with these purse friendly eye shadow palettes. Create that smoky look you desire for an evening out on the town or define your eyes with any of these coordinating shades for a natural look.”

I loved all 12 shades in this palette. The colors go on smoothly with minimal fall out and are surprisingly pigmented for this price point. I especially liked the purple shade. In my experience, the purple shades in many pallets are among the weakest shades. Not so in this pallet. Each shade was distinctively shimmery and will help create some fun looks. This is my favorite of the two pallets available in this kit. The eyeshadow had decent lasting power; actually comparable to some of the higher priced pallets in my collection. Swatches were done without primer.

In this particular palette, the shades are all very similar to each other. It’s difficult to get more than one or two looks. Eight of the shades are silvery white shimmers. The blue and purple shades are the standouts here, while the two darker black shades are so similar to each other I couldn’t tell any difference, especially on application to the eyes.

The only brush I found useful in this kit was the eyebrow brush/comb. The other two brushes were so stiff and rough that I couldn’t even get them near my eyes and face. They may be going in the giveaway bin, but the pouch they come in is adorable and I’ll be using it to carry smaller items in my purse.

In my opinion, the neutral shades palette, the eyebrow brush and comb combo and the pouch make this entire kit worthwhile and an excellent value. I plan on giving away the silver/grey pallets to a young friend to play with.

These would make great holiday gifts! Please check out their website here for more information.

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*I received a product in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Merrilee Kaminski

Customized Lockets from Pictures On Gold (Holiday Gift Guide) (Review)

November 26, 2016 By Marijean

Looking for a perfect yet unique Jewelry gift for a loved one this holiday season? Look no further! Check out my review on customized gold lockets from Pictures On Gold.

Pictures On Gold offers beautiful Jewelry of all styles. Some of the Jewelry they offer are ID Bracelets, Fingerprint Jewelry, Graduation, Religious Jewelry, and my favorite: Photo Lockets.

I was able to review a Build Your Own Sterling Silver 2-Picture Heart Locket. If you do not want silver you can choose from 14K Gold Filled, 14K Yellow Gold, Or 14K White Gold. The locket I built in Sterling Silver starts at just $24.95 and goes up depending on locket size. You can customize the FRONT SIDE of the Locket by choosing the Metal and Size, Bail Stone (we will add a synthetic bithstone to the Bail of your Locket) and the Design options. You can add Clipart, Text or Monogram to the front of the locket. I chose Monogram with both of my children’s initials which are the same.

Once you are done choosing the metal, size and design options, go ahead to Step 2. Step 2 and 3 you can add Text, Monogram or Photo to the left and right sides of the locket. I chose 2 pictures, one on each side of my two children. The pictures can be either Color Laser Engraved, Laser Engraved or a Paper Photo. Prices depend on which you pick. I added Color Laser Engraving for each side which was a $35 charge for each side. You can either upload or email your digital pictures. If you want paper photos you can mail them. Step 4 is customizing the back of the locket. I opted to leave it without Text or Monogram. The last step would be choosing a chain for your locket (or you don’t have to choose one). If you decide you would like a chain you will have a few options with size options. You can choose from Sterling Silver Tip Black Leather Chain in different sizes, Standard Box Chain in different sizes or a Rolo Chain. I chose the Standard Sterling Silver Box Chain in 18″ length which added $25.95 to the price.

Color Laser or Laser is 100% Waterproof & Scratchproof and is guaranteed for a lifetime.
Normally Ships in 1 Day.
Message Engraving is engraved with a high definition laser engraver.
If when uploading your photo, your photo doesn’t fit perfectly inside the locket and you see white space, don’t be concerned as we will automatically fill in.
If your photo has people in it that are spaced apart, our digital artists will enhance the photo to bring them closer together.
Color Laser or Laser- we remove the background of the photograph. Let us know in the “Special Instructions” Box (Last Step) if you’d like the background kept in.
On Paper Prints the background is left in by default, if you want the background removed, let us know in the “Special Instructions” box (Last Step).
If there is an object you want removed from the photo or you have any special requests, let us know in the “Special Instructions” box (Last Step).

My locket was shipped fast and I received it within a few days. It really came out beautiful. I received many compliments on it already. The quality amazing and I know I will cherish this locket for years to come.

This locket will make a wonderful holiday gift. The prices are very reasonable and the quality is outstanding.

You can purchase your own Locket and/or many other beautiful gifts here.

Click the below link to receive 10% off your order!

http://www.usfamilyguide.com/coupons.php?bid=12261&dealid=3052

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I received the mentioned locket in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.