Three Men and a Mama

30 Days of DIY- Day 1 Homemade Vanilla Extract

2012-02-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start doing 30 Days of DIY projects. Today I'm going to show you how to make Homemade Vanilla Extract. None of that artificial flavoring stuff, this is the REAl deal. And it's so easy it's not even funny. The only thing is...it takes time! I don't have pictures of the process yet, I'm waiting on a chance to go to the liquor store sans children to buy some vokda!

What you need:
1 cup Vodka (the cheap stuff works fine)
3 Vanilla Beans
Glass Jar with a tight fitting lid, it MUST BE GLASS! Don't use plastic!

Split the vanilla beans down the middle with a sharp knife or roughly chop them and put into your jar. Cover beans with vodka and seal the jar. See it's easy as that, all the hard work is done.

Label your jar so no one uses it and add a date somewhere so you know when it'll be ready. Give your jar a good shake every once in a while and let sit for 2 months at least before using!

I found the original recipe here!

Kidorable Review with a Giveaway!!

2012-02-21T15:35:00.003-08:00

Alright guys! I'm back and I'm going to start right off with a bang. Things are starting to settle down around here (*knock on wood*) and I wanted to give you guys a little something for bearing with my absence!

Kidorable has graciously offered me a bath towel to review, AND they're going to give one of my lucky readers an umbrella of their choosing!

We received one hooded pirate towel, and it has been a HIT! X-man and Bug-Bug fight over who's going to get to use it at bath time, and I'll be honest it's spent more time in the living room than being used for it's intended purpose. They love wearing it just as much as they love their Kidorable Pirate rain coats! Kidorable products are well made and in our experience thus far have held up very well to two little boys. I honestly can't recommend them highly enough!

The towel itself is extremely well made and cute to boot! The little details are amazing, I mean who would've thought to add an eye patch to a hooded towel!? Definitely not me! There's also a nice strong snap in place to secure the towel on your child quickly and easily!

Overall we all love our new towel and I will be ordering more in the future! Keep in mind if you follow Kidorable on twitter you will also receive a code for a FREE umbrella with any $20.00 purchase!

Kidorable has offered up one free umbrella to one of my winners. Winner will be able to choose which one they want! Use the Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received product for review, no other compensation was given. All opinions are completely my own. For more information on my blogging practices please see my disclosure policy located at the top of my blog.

What I'm Listening to... (01/11/12)

2012-01-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

It's time to get back into the swing of things, so here's what I'm listening to/youtube-ing. We'll call this the Britain's Got Talent Issue

Susan Boyle's Audition. Seriously I love this. I love how the judges just 'know' this performance is going to suck...and then the look of pure and utter shock on their faces is priceless.
You can watch it here, embedding has been disabled.

Madonna Decena's Audition. I cried...a lot. The thought of leaving my babies behind to find work tore my heart out of my chest. And then she opened her mouth and sang and I was overjoyed at how wonderful it was.

And last...Connie Talbot in the Finals. She's just too dang cute for words!

What are YOU listening to?

Announcement time!

2012-01-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well...I'm going to have to change the name of my blog soon. Or at least by sometime in August when we no longer are a family of four, but instead a family of FIVE! Yes! I said it! Baby number 3 is on the way and due in early August!

Last month, right before Bug-bugs birthday I had my first midwife appointment. Here's the newest addition to our family at about 6-7weeks along.

And on a super...duper...VERY important note. Everyone think PINK for me! Lets see if we can come a little closer to evening the gender 'score' in this house of blue!

Paypal Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-10T15:07:00.001-08:00

I wanted to take a quick moment and announce the winner of the New Years Paypal giveaway! Carla Sue Thompson was our winner!

A HUGE Thank You to everyone who participated and entered our giveaway. I hope to do another one like this sometime in the near future!

Meal Plan for 1/8/12-1/14/12

2012-01-06T15:11:00.001-08:00

Sunday: Taco Soup

Monday: Cajun Chicken Alfredo w/Linguini

Tuesday: Pot Roast w/Carrots and Red Potatoes

Wednesday: Baked Potato Soup and BLTs

Thurdsay: Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

Friday: Cheeseburgers, Oven Fries, Veggie TBD

Saturday: Beef Pot Pie

Garlicky Dinner Rolls Recipe

2012-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

So, a couple weeks ago we were going to a friends house for dinner. Our friend makes the most delicious...awesome...drool-worthy lasagna ever. Seriously. My job was to bring the bread. I didn't have time to make dough from scratch so I pulled a couple loaves of Rhodes bread dough from the freezer and got it rising. As I sat here I decided plain old bread just wasn't worthy of such tasty lasagna. Something different had to be done.

And then I remembered my great grandma using the same bread dough to make cinnamon rolls. It hit me right then and there. I needed to make Garlic rolls...with Parmesan cheese. It was the only way. The idea formed, the recipe in my little mind followed and those gorgeous babies pictured above were born. They were quick,easy, and oh so delicious!

Here's what you need to do!

Ingredients:
2 loaves frozen bread dough (homemade works just as well too!)
softened butter (about 1 stick or so)
Granulated Garlic
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Dried Parsley
Shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT the powdered kind!)
Parchment Paper
Bread Knife
10x14 pan and possibly another small baking dish or two.

Thaw bread dough if using frozen and let it rise. Once it's doubled in size, preheat oven to 350, then turn dough onto a floured surface one loaf at a time and roll it out so it's about 1/4 inch thick. In a small bowl add the softened butter and equal parts herbs, you can do this to your taste...I used a lot of garlic because we all love it. Spread butter mixture over the top side of the bread dough, sprinkle cheese over the top of the butter.

Starting on one long side evenly roll the dough into a long 'tube'. Slice in equal sized pieces, about 1/2 inch thick (i tossed the ends). Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place the slices cut side up into baking dish try to leave a little space between them. Repeat with 2nd loaf.

(here's a really bad fuzzy pic of mine)

Cover your pan(s) loosely and let the rolls rise once again in a warm place until doubled. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check on them around 15 min for 'done-ness'. Once done pull them from the oven and let them cool as long as you can stand before diving in!

A New Year Paypal Giveaway!

2012-01-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

With the new year starting TODAY (squee!) a few different bloggers and small business owners decided to get together and give our fans something to look forward to! A $75.00 (USD) paypal giveaway!

A big thank-you to all the participants! Be sure to check out their blogs/shops and see what they have going on!

Heather: Life With The Stevens
Heather: Sweet Deals 4 Mom
Alison: Being Alison
Rachel: Yellow Tennessee
Nicole: One Little Mister
Katy: Katys Creations
Erin: Charming Cherubs
Roxana: The Jolly Blogger
Elizabeth: Elegantly Said
Sarah: Shopping In Your PJ's
Lisa: Between The Kids/I Could Use a Deal
Becca: Yellow House Candles
And myself

Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored giveaway, all blogs mentioned contributed. My thanks to all the bloggers and business owners involved. For more information on my blogging practices, please see my disclosure policy.

Time for an overhaul

2011-12-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

Okay! So now that I *finally* figured out how to transfer control of my blog from my blogger account to my new account I think it's time for a serious overhaul! I've got a REALLY exciting giveaway coming up tomorrow as well! Keep your eyes peeled for the newness that's comin' at ya!

Christmas is coming!

2011-11-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

And we're done with our shopping. At least for the boys, I don't think we're doing anything for each other this year. After a 10 month lay off I'm just happy Big Daddy is working again!

This year though I think we did REALLY good. Lots of friends sent me their pampers reward points codes and disney reward codes and the boys really got a haul! We haven't decided which stuff is for Christmas and which stuff is for birthdays but here's what we're getting them:

X-Man:

Star Wars Guess Who- clearance at target for 8.56 then I had a 2.00 off coupon as well as 5% off for using Target Debit card! 6.23 total
Perry The Platypus Wall clock- Free (Disney Movie Rewards)
Veggie Tales DVD- Free (Online Special)
Phineas and Ferb Water bottle 6.00 (sale at the Disney Store)
Perry The Platypus Tshirt 2.97 (Walmart Black Friday deal)
A couple other DVDs (Free with Disney points)
U-Build Monopoly 4.87 shipped (Target online super deal)
Custom Mini-Me Apron with space print and a matching crayon roll 20.00 (from Freckle Face Designs check her out! )
New Pajama pants Free to us with Macys Gift card via Klout
Long Sleeve tshirt to go with PJ pants 12.00 from Freckle Face Designs
Slippers 3.97 (Walmart Black Friday Deal)
Viewmaster 4.97 (no sale)
Total: $61.01 give or take

L-Train:
Mickey Mouse water bottle 5.00 (Sale at Disney Store)
Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Puzzle Free (Pampers Points)
Veggie Tales DVD (online special)
Cookie Monster tshirt 2.97 (Walmart Black Friday Deal)
Slippers 3.97 (Walmart Black Friday Deal)
A few other dvds Free (Disney Points)
New Pajama Pants Free w/Macys Gift Card via Klout
Long Sleeve shirt from Freckle Face Designs 12.00
Mini Me- Apron and Crayon Roll set in Dinosaur Print 20.00 from Freckle Face Designs
Viewmaster 4.97 (no sale)
Total: 48.91 ( and I think I'm missing something from his list too)

For both boys together from "Santa"
Hot Wheels Trio Lift and Go Garage - 24.00 (K-mart Black Friday Deal)
2 Playskool Heroes Star Wars Action figures 5.99 each (Kmart no sale)
GeoSafari Talking Microscope and Outdoor adventure kit (Educational Insights- free to us I won a 50.00 gift cert!)

Total: 35.98

Grand Total: 145.90 Not bad AT ALL in my opinion. For 2 birthdays and Christmas. I'm glad to be done. I might pick up a few small things here and there for stockings mostly but not much!

Meal Plan for 11/27-12/2

2011-11-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Monday: Spicy Dr Pepper Shredded Pork tacos w/fresh pico de gallo

Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan, Salad

Wednesday: Taco Salads

Thurdsay: Spaghetti

Friday: Chili

Saturday: Chili Dogs

American Family Insurance- Stand Up For Family!

2011-11-18T20:00:00.001-08:00

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

American Family Insurance has a special right now, Stand Up For Family. Comedians doing what they do best, making us laugh, but this time with stories from their childhood. And best of all, they're family friendly, everyone can watch them! Check it out here: Stand Up For Family

I've got to say I had a couple favorite videos. They had me laughing so hard I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Bill Bellamys "Take a Bath" had me rolling. The image of his grandma coming through the window with a switch did me in. Absolutely hillarious! The other one I loved was Mark Viera "In the Window", I can see a few older people in my life doing the same thing. Knowing everything about everyone in the neighborhoods business.

I love the fact that this comedy show is family friendly. No swearing or anything of the like. It's something we can watch together as a family instead of waiting for the kids to go to sleep. I love having options out there that bring us together and remind us just how important family is!

The videos are a project from AmFam and I think it's pretty neat! Take a few minutes to watch them. Get your daily dose of laughter, it's well worth it!

Tiny Prints Holiday Cards!

2011-11-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming up fast (and boy is it creeping up there!) it's time to start thinking about Christmas Cards!! Tiny Prints has some awesome new cards this year!

I am in LOVE with the circular cards that look like ornaments and could easily be used as such! I mean how cool is that? Send grandma a card she can hang on her tree for years to come.

I love this card it's my absolute favorite!

You can shop the full selections of Holiday cards here. And on the left hand side there are set filters to make browsing easier. There are SO many options it's easy to spend...well if you're like me, a lot of time looking at them all going "ooooh" and "awwww".

As an added bonus Tiny Prints also offers some really cute address labels AND Holiday party invitations. Seriously a one stop shop! Check it out!

Weekly Meal Plan 10/23/11-10/29/11

2011-10-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Breakfast for dinner

Monday: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Salad

Tuesday: Split Pea Soup, Ham Sandwhiches

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, Fries, Green Beans

Thursday: Spicy Dr pepper Pork Tacos, Pico de Gallo

Friday: Hellmans CHicken, Broccoli Bites, Rice

Saturday: Pulled Pork Sammies, edamame corn and bean salad

What Are The Kids Watching?

2011-10-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

In an effort to save money, and to get away from Comcast who was screwing us, we recently cancelled our cable tv service. It's been a few months now and we're watching A LOT less tv thankfully. Listening to a lot of Pandora and anything we want to watch is on netflix, youtube, or similar websites played via our BluRay player. My question is what are YOUR kids watching? Or are they tv free?

The last 2 days we've had no nap time because of construction going on in our bathroom so we've been surfing netflix during "quiet time" (which isn't so quiet!) Today we discovered this show "Fistronaut" and I gotta say it was pretty cute. They learned to clap a new rhythm, and they learned about keeping water clean and algae free. Both boys loved it, I think we might have a new favorite!

Swagbucks Halloween Collectors Bills

2011-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Starting on Monday and going through Halloween, Swagbucks will have a set of 5 collectible Halloween-themed Swag Bucks that can only be won through search - win them all before the promotion expires and you get a bonus of 13 Swag Bucks.

You can check your progress through the Swagbucks section of your account!

Swagbucks Fall Classic

2011-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

They way the Fall Classic works is simple - there are four ways to earn that count, and each one scores a different number of points for your team:
A Searchwin is worth 1 point

Earning from a Task is worth 2 points

Complete and earn from Trusted Surveys and you'll score 3 points

Earn from Special Offers or buy a Daily Deal and your team gets 4 points.

Of course, you have to join a team first! To do that, go to the registration page and click "I Want To Play" - that will autodraft you to either American Swag or National Bucks - registration will be open until noon on Wednesday, October 26th, but you can start earning for your team as soon as you're drafted.

Just complete as many of the activities listed above as possible and come back to the scoreboard page to check on your team's progress and do a little friendly trash talking with the other team!

You'll have until Wednesday, November 2nd to score those points. After that, every member of the winning team who scored at least one point for their team will get a bonus of 25 Swag Bucks, and every member of the runner-up team who scored at least one point for their team will earn 10 Swag Bucks.

If you use Twitter and sign up, then tweet which team they're on using the hashtag #sbfallclassic, you could randomly be awarded Swagbucks too!

Weekly Meal Plan 10/16/11-10/22/11

2011-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Taco Stuffed Shells

Monday: White Chicken Chili

Tuesday: Chicken and mushroom alfredo

Wednesday: Shephards Pie

Thursday: Roasted Sausage, Potaotes, and Peppers

Friday: Breakfast for Dinner- eggs, bacon, pancakes/waffles, smoothies

Saturday: Chicken Parm and Caesar Salad

Swagbucks 5 for 5!!

2011-10-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Swagbucks is starting a NEW promotional offer through the end of the year! It's called 5 for 5! For every 5 members you bring to Swagbucks with your referral tools you can qualify for a bonus of 500 swagbucks! That's ON TOP of the 1,000 you can get from a referral to begin with!

Here is how this all works!

- Get at least 5 new referrals who are NOT members of your household or sharing an address with you.

- Each referral must earn 50 Swag Bucks after joining, not including any bonuses they may get during sign up.

- Once your 5 (or more) referrals each earn that minimum of 50 Swag Bucks, you've qualified for a bonus of 500 Swag Bucks, which will be applied at the end of each month, so if you've get it done in October, you'll earn your bonus early! If you earn it in November, you'll get your bonus then. Only one bonus per person. This is in addition to the 1000 in matching search bucks that can be earned from each referral.

I've included a registration code for you to use: Any new user who enters the code 5For5 during sign up will get a bonus 70 Swag Bucks, bringing them to a total 100 Swag Bucks to start with. The code is live now and will expire at 12pm PT on Monday, October 17th.

So GO! Go my readers! If you haven't signed up already just click the image below and do so!

Swag Bucks Special Offers!!

2011-10-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

For those who enjoy using Swagbucks reward points to get free stuff, there are lots of ways to earn - have you tried Special Offers?

Special Offers gives you a way to rack up Swag Bucks quickly by taking actions ranging from surveys to free trials to making purchases to liking a Facebook page or simply watching videos. Take the action, get the bucks. It's that simple.

There are plenty of free offers as well as those that reward you for buying something - you have complete control over your Special Offers experience. The Special Offers page has hundreds of offers from recognized brands through a number of different providers, and the Swagbucks Team works hard to ensure that only the most honest and rewarding offers make it to the page.

You can visit the Swagbucks Special Offers page or look for offers on the rotating images in the Swagbucks homepage. From time to time, Team Swagbucks will send you an message to your Swagbucks inbox containing a limited time offer, so check there frequently! If you ever have reason to believe that an offer is not what it promises, please send an email to offeralert@swagbucks.com so their team can take the appropriate actions.

Try it out today!

The Son In My Eyes- Book Review

2011-09-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Title: The Son In My Eyes - Seeing The Light of Jesus in Vietnam
Author: Mai Spencer with Dixie Phillips
ISBN #: 978-1935265665
Publisher: Deep River Books
Publishing Date: 2011
Price: $14.99 (List price)

The Son in My Eyes is a book that details one woman's journey through life and how she found Jesus after being raised Buddhist in Vietnam during the war. Mai was raised Buddhist by her mother and grandmother in Binh Chau, Vietnam. A town about 100 miles east of Ho Chi Minh city, most of it's occupants are very poor. As a child Mai works to help support her family and is exposed to many horrors of war including Agent Orange. Mai and her husband Dennis come to know the Lord after loosing three of their four children. They then work to bring a church to Binh Chau as well as the smaller villages surrounding the town.

Being far from a religious person I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I love books that deal with history and I love to read so I figured I'd give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While it was very religious as I expected it was still very interesting to read! Mai shares her life experiences in a way that you are really able to feel like you were 'there' watching. I'll admit there were times I laughed and times I cried like a baby while reading it! There were a few parts however that were a bit confusing, when she seemed to jump around in time a bit. While talking about an event in childhood she would mention her husband Dennis then go back to talking about the childhood event. Eventually the reference would make sense but it was a little confusing.

This book definitely made me stop and think about the struggles others have in life to overcome. It made some of my own struggles seem to be nothing in comparison. What we consider to be poor here in America is rich in other places, I feel that is something we all need to remember now and then. I do feel truly blessed to have what I have, especially after reading this book.

While this book isn't one I would have picked up at the book store on my own I would be interested in reading more about Mai and her life! If I were a religious person I would potentially have chosen this book based on the fact that it's based on a persons life and true events. I would recommend this book to people who are religious, seeking religion, or are Christians looking for a good book to touch them. In the end it was a very inspiring book overall!

"To read more reviews like this one, go to Tell Us The Truth Reviews!"

Grand Revival Designs, New Book!

2011-09-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Over at Grand Revival Designs Tanya is promoting her new book, Sew what you love! You should really check it out, I know *I* want a copy and will be putting it on my amazon.com wishlist!!

You can find the book on Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon! Seriously check it out!

A Family Reunion and a Recipe!

2011-08-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a drive down to the coast for a family reunion. We only were able to go for the day, but it was so much fun! The boys had a blast playing on the beach and playing with their cousins. The food was awesome, like om nom nom awesome. As we made the almost 3 hr drive home it was near silence in the back seat. All that awesome ocean air, running against the wind, and good food made for two sleepy little guys!

As for the promised recipe, well I made this nom-tastic bean salad to take to the potluck with us. And it was a hit, we'll definitely be having it regularly as a side.

Super Mamas Bean Salad

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Garbanzo Beans, Drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (You could also use about 2 cups fresh corn taken off the cob)
2 tomatoes diced
2 cups cooked shelled edamame,(boil in salted water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse until cool
1/2 bottle or so Italian Dressing

Mix everything together and let sit for at least an hour before serving. I made it the night before the reunion. There are really SO many options for this salad too! You could easily sub out pinto beans or kidney beans for any of the beans, add chicken, keilbasa, bell peppers, cheese chunks, etc.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pizza "Muffins"

2011-08-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

As I said before, I am IN LOVE with this 'muffin' meal concept. Probably nothing new but I still love it. The other night we had pizza muffins and they were a huge hit! I'm totally going to have to buy a ton of stuff and make various "muffins", freeze them before we can just eat them, and get them packaged up for lunches!

Ingredients:
Wonton Wrappers (about 44 for 22 muffins)
Pizza Sauce (1.5 jars about)
Mini Pepperoni slices
Mushrooms diced small
Green Bell Pepper diced small
Shredded mozzarella cheese

As with the Chicken Alfredo Muffins you need to cut your wonton wrappers into circles and line each muffin tin with them, one package of wonton wrappers here was 44 sheets which gave me enough to make 22 muffins. I suggest counting the wontons out and making sure you have 2 sheets per muffin!

After the wonton wrapper goes in, top it with the peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and cheese, then top with sauce. Add another wonton and repeat. Always end with sauce on top! You could totally use whatever pizza toppings you love, you don't have to follow mine! These are just our favorites though I think next time we'll do sausage.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before running a knife around the edge and popping them out!

And the boys LOVED them! Xman was just looking at the pictures with me and said "yummm Mommy! Make those again!"