As a BzzAgent I have the opportunity to try new things and I was glad to hear I was selected to review Kroger Skillet Meals.  This was a great BzzAgent campaign as I received coupons for Kroger Skillet Meals, Kroger garlic bread and a bag of Fresh Express salad.  A COMPLETE MEAL!   Choosing which Kroger garlic bread and Fresh Express salad proved to be easy tasks but with so many flavors of Kroger Skillet Meals to choose from, well, that proved to be quite the challenge.  My local grocer carried the Tuscan Style Penne, Shrimp Lo Mein, Chicken Fajitas and Sausage Rigatoni.  I settled on the Shrimp Lo Mein.   I'd love to say the Three Boys and an Old Lady family loved it, but *sigh* we didn't.  There were probably about 6 teeny, weeny shrimp and quite honestly the dish took a long time to prepare.  You have to thaw the sauce in one cup, heat the noodles up in another, do this, do that, blah, blah, blah-blah, blah-blah. ...

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. One of the secrets to my marriage is date night.  Hubby and I have been married for 16 years and you'd think we'd probably run out of unique date ideas but we always find a way to keep things fresh.  Glad I was introduced to Datevitation and this is his stocking stuffer this year.   Datevitation.com is the web's first online platform to create a custom love coupon book. Unlike the pre-packaged love coupon books on the market, you pick the dates and can customize the text to your liking. Once you are done customizing the text in your book, Datevitation will print it out and ship it to you. Our library contains over 500 date ideas ranging from skydiving to stargazing to steamy adult-only activities. We also have over 100 book cover options to suit any occasion. In addition to being the perfect romantic gift for your sweetie, Datevitation now has "boy" and "girl" characters with over 200 ...

The WCS Toy Drive - Everyone can use some extra love this season! From November 16th through December 31st, join the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo in their efforts to spread a little love this holiday season. All five parks will be accepting new, unwrapped toys for donation to help support local families in need. The Bronx Zoo will be participating in the Bronx Borough President’s annual toy drive in support of families of local veterans and active duty military members. Central Park Zoo will join the fun and donate to families of local veterans and active duty military members as well. In addition, The New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo will be collecting toys to donate to some of the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. For every new toy donated you can receive one free general admission ticket.* Toys can be dropped off at the gate; admission is not required. Your donation can make all the difference. ...

Dress your Boon FLAIR High Chair in its best Thanksgiving attire and share via social media using #turkeyflair and you will be entered to win $150 in Boon products. Check out the creativity at tagboard.com/turkeyflair. Boon knows how crazy things can get during the holidays, so they’ve already done some of the work and created a handy feather template for you... Or, show ‘em what you got and make your own feathers. Use any materials you have laying around including construction or scrapbooking paper. Boon encourages any Thanksgiving themed FLAIR! Hurry, the contest period ends Nov. 30, so get going! Details are on Boon’s website, and official rules are available here .

Bimbambu is the moving story of a bird of many colors who shares his feathers with other animals in order for them to knit an article of clothing for themselves so that hey can be protected during the winter months. As time goes by, having barely any feathers left, Bimbambu begins to fear that he will freeze. Just as he finds himself thinking that things couldn't get worse, he encounters true friends and realizes the value of helping others. This story is ideal for ages 3-8, but the lessons are valuable even for older children. The book is beautifully written and the art is both rich and original. The mixed media that combines photography, colorful and lively ceramic characters, and paper art as the background, along with other features, will captivate and lift the imagination of even the youngest readers. This timeless yet original tale is sure to become a literary gem and a favorite among your child's books. Our Thoughts:   Besides being creatively illustrated, Bimb...

“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.” – from Completely Flappable Don’t you just hate it when you have a thousand little thoughts rattling around your brain, good for nothing but keeping you up at night? Ideas, worries, mental reminders for the next day? My voices can get pretty insistent, and mostly this is a nuisance, but sometimes it’s okay, when there’s a story idea or two among the ramblings. And rarely, very rarely, I get what I think is a really good idea, but one that I don't know what to do with. For instance, a while ago it occurred to me that it’s probably not governments or big corporations that wield the world’s greatest financial power. I think it’s us. All the little people together. Then I started wondering what could happen if we all decided to set 1 month of our incomes aside towards fixing this place up a bit. How many of the world’s problems could we actually solve permanently? Half of the...

Night on the town...    Dark club, low-lighting in the restaurant...        Lips could use a touch up... What's a diva to do? If you've got lipgarb light up lip gloss it's no prob at all.  lipgarb features shiny gloss or lip color, a mirror and a light.  Let me repeat that.  Gloss or color, a MIRROR and a LIGHT. Keep reading to check out my review...

If you've never had Jamaican Rum Punch, it's a really easy recipe sure to bring Island happiness to all of your guests.  Funny thing, Rum Punch day is celebrated in September but Rum Punch is served mostly during Christmastime.  One of my friends recently returned from a trip to the Caribbeans and she was raving about this rum punch she had so we tried to recreate the recipe. A couple of months ago, I received a sample of Diplomatico Anejo Rum as part of a Rum Punch Day campaign.  The sample was about 6-8 oz. and just enough for about 4 glasses of rum punch.  Not enough for a punch bowl full of Jamaican Rum Punch but just enough for a couple of the divas to have a taste.  Road trip!!!  Well, it wasn't really a road trip, it was more of a 10-minute drive to the local wine and spirits store.  I asked the clerk his thoughts on Diplomatico Anejo and he complimented my taste and also shed a little light on Venezuelan rums.   ...

Last year while visiting family in Indianapolis, we visited a Sam's Club and I was introduced to Kentucky Woods Bourbon Barrel Cake courtesy of sampling event.  Rather than buy the cake then I decided to wait til I returned home to buy it from my local Sam's Club.  Imagine my horror when I found out my local Sam's Club didn't carry Kentucky Woods Bourbon Barrel Cake.  I went to the Kentucky Woods website and found it...for $40 + shipping.  It was near Christmas and I knew the cake would never arrive unless I paid for overnight shipping which was another $40 and well, $80 for a cake, ummm...nope. I used the store finder on their website I phoned every store in my state to see if anyone had it in stock.  To my dismay, every single store responded with "No ma'am we're sold out."  So I didn't get my cake last year. * insert sad face here* This year while planning our Thanksgiving dinner menu, my mind drifted to ...

I'm sure you're probably wondering why I chose to include O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet and Working Hand products in my 2013 Holiday Gift Guide, well keep reading for the answer. I love to snuggle up to hubby and rub my cold feet against his warm feet but sometimes he gets occasional dry, rough, callous heels and ouch.  I was so excited to try O'Keeffe's and promised hubby a foot rub if he'd help me sample O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet .  He NEVER turns down a foot rub especially after a long day's work.   I'm not much of foot rub person but after a few days of using O'Keeffe's I noticed my feet were softer so I thought I'd try them on hubby's tired feet.   Guess what?  O'Keeffe's really worked magic on his feet.  

Chicken Soup for the Soul: It's Christmas! 101 Joyful Stories about the Love, Fun, and Wonder of the Holidays Christmas is an exciting and joyous time of year, a time of family, friends, and traditions. You will delight in reading these 101 festive stories about the joy, wonder, and blessings of the season. This collection is filled with merry and heartwarming stories about holiday traditions, family, and goodwill. Remember, all of our stories are "Santa safe" so they can be enjoyed by the whole family. A fantastic holiday gift and a great way to start the season! Keep reading to enter this giveaway

I don't knit. I don't wear crocheted scarves or hats. BUT... I admire anyone who can take a skein of yarn and create something beautiful.  My friend, Itally, is that creative person.   Recently she began posting her works on Facebook.  Word spread of her quality craftsmanship and then folks started asking to purchase her work.  After seeing a few pieces of her work I asked if I could share them with my blog readers as I know many would love to ward off Old Man Winter with a custom scarf.   Funny thing is Itally lives in Cali, in the S.F. / East Bay Area and it doesn't exactly get scarf wearing cold.  I, on the other hand, live in the Southeast and today temps are in the mid 60s but next week temps will dip into the low 40s.  Winter is on its way.  Check out a few of her pieces she's created   Custom made cap Another custom made cap Knapsack - in progress Knapsack - finished product Bounty of earrings The blogge...

According to the National Retail Federation, American consumers will spend over $6 billion on holiday decorations. Holiday Specs make those decorations look like they’re worth every penny! Holiday Specs 3D glasses transform Christmas ights, city lights, streetlights, or any bright single point of light into dazzling holiday images of snowflakes, reindeer, Santa, candy canes, elves, ornaments, gingerbread men, snowmen, angels or Christmas stars. They add true holiday magic to any holiday party or greeting card and they're just perfect for stocking stuffers.

As a BzzAgent I get to sample products all the time.  I often share my thoughts on these products via Facebook and Twitter but recently I was offered a product that I wanted to share with my Three Boys and an Old Lady blog readers.  Maggi So Juicy is a no mess solution to mealtime.    What makes Maggi So Juicy so easy you ask?  You simply put the chicken in the bag, pour the seasoning over the meat and bake.   Maggi So Juicy comes in 4 flavorful varieties: Garlic and Tomato Italian Countryside Mediterranean Medley Tomato and Paprika As a BzzAgent, I received samples of all four flavors plus some coupons to share.  I've tried cook-in-a-bag products before and they usually require you to add water, but Maggi So Juicy doesn't and I was skeptical.  I mean how could this little packet of seasoning flavor all this chicken.  Well, I prepared the product according to the directions and was surprised.  Not only was the chick...

Last week some friends and I were having lunch and as soon as the meal arrived, every one of us reached in our purses to grab our hand sanitizer.  Every single one of us had a bottle of hand sanitizer at our disposal.   Keep reading to learn more and enter a fab giveaway

  Give a child gifts that will last a lifetime — self-esteem, tolerance, values, and inner strength. The values that children learn today will stay with them for the rest of their lives. This collection gives kids positive role models to follow in its 101 stories about doing the right thing and making healthy choices. You and your child will enjoy discussing the stories, making it a family event. Great for teachers to share with students too. Keep reading to enter this giveaway

The Sparkle Box - A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, looking forward to holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift: a sparkly box sitting on the mantel. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's mom explains that the things that they've been doing are, in fact, a gift for Jesus, for Jesus said that whatever we do for those in need, we do for Him. Author Bio Author Jill Hardie and her family began placing a gift for Jesus under their Christmas tree as a way of bringing more meaning to the holiday. The first time they opened His gift, the commercialism of the season melted away and they felt a profound joy and peace. Jill hopes that The Sparkle Box will spark a new Christmas ...

Guess who's releasing their first Christmas album EVER? THE INCOMPARABLE MARY J. BLIGE READIES FIRST-EVER HOLIDAY ALBUM Keep reading for more info about this CD and a fab giveaway

Are you still listening to music on your electronic devices with the pair of earbuds that came with them?  If so, you are missing out.  Oh, and there's absolutely nothing worse than headphones that slip and fall out of place.  That's the worst.   You pay a lot of money to have the latest device, so why not invest in a good pair of headphones.   Jaybird creates state of the art headphones for active lifestyles. Headphones that stay in place and sound like none other. Jaybird offers several varieties of headphones, including the small but mighty Bluebuds X. The Bluebuds X has several unique, one of a kind features that make it premier in the world of sound. Check out these features: The Bluebuds X model comes with a patented ear cushion to keep it in place Bluetooth audion which allows for the purest sound possible X-Fit which offers versatility of wearing your Jaybird Bluebuds X in your ear or over your ear while still keeping them in place Sweatproof ...

Scott Stapp, frontman for Grammy-winning CREED, is releasing his memoir, Sinner's Creed, in softcover next month. In the book, he shares about his fundamentalist upbringing, the rise of Creed, his ongoing battle with addiction, his fall from fame, the rediscovery of his faith and the launch of his solo career.  Stapp released a new solo album, Proof of Life. Proof of Life in November reaffirming the realizations and the stories in the book and puts them to music in an emotional journey. "This is the most meaningful record of my career," said Stapp. "I've made a lot of messes in my life, but I've learned I can take a mess and turn it into a message. This album chronicles my struggles, my journey and it's the most honest record I have ever written. The fans have always meant everything to me and over the years they've come to me and told me how through my music they've gotten through the worst of times, and that hit me. With this album, it...