Disclosure:  I am a Proud #NSNation Blogger and I received Nutrisystem in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed above are 100% mine.   I have a confession:  I am struggling to lose weight . Whew!  That felt good.  No, it's not a New Year's resolution, I am seriously struggling to lose weight. My weight gain began in my late 20s when I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Disease).  The weight continued to pile in my 30s as Hubby and I started our fertility treatments and then after having twins and a single within a year, the weight wasn't going anywhere. I used to jokingly say "It's baby weight" but my "babies" will graduate soon so I can toss that excuse out huh? Now before you go all "you need to exercise more", let me stop you there.  I have 4 kids.  I work full time.  I'm an avid volunteer and I am ALWAYS on the run which means I'm usually eating on the run and I admit I haven't made the ...

One of my kids favorite books when they were toddlers was Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  That timeless classic is a book I remember my mom reading to me.  New here we are some *cough-cough* years later and I'm reading it to my kids.  Funny thing, I have a feeling it will be a book I'll be reading to my grandkids but this isn't about THAT classic.  It's about the latest release from the authors of that infamous book titled Noah, Noah, What Do You See?   They've taken the classic and given it a gospel flava.   From the bestselling authors of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Chicka Chicka, 1, 2, 3 Noah, Noah, what do you see? I see animals in the ark with me. Moses sees the Red Sea part. Daniel sees lions in the den. Mary sees baby Jesus smiling at her. Noah, Noah, What Do You See? introduces little ones to favorite Bible heroes from the Old and New Testaments. With colorful art from Melissa Iwai and the signature r...

D uring a recent visit to Washington, D.C., the kids and I had the opportunity to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.  The museum is adjacent to the Washington Monument and is definitely worth visiting.  Photo Credit: Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC I have visited many of the Smithsonian National Museums and enjoy them all but it wasn't until a recent uproar over an elected official's decision to forego a visit to the museum  that I felt compelled to speak up and share reasons why everyone SHOULD visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.  The museum isn't a "Black" museum.  The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture showcases many facets of the African American experience but it isn't a "Black" museum.  The museum is houses the threads of many whose lives are woven into the fabric of the United States.  1.  It's a...

Here's another fun team challenge to help you earn SB from Swagbucks! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online.   Swagbucks wants you to join in the fun! Pack your warmest snow gear and pre-register today! The  Swag Slopes Team Challenge  begins  Monday, January 23rd .  All members who participate and contribute at least 400 points to their team’s total will receive a SB bonus in the form of a SB Swag Up Rebate! Members of the 1st place team will receive a 50 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 2nd place team will receive a 25 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 3rd place team will receive a 10 SB Swag Up Rebate. Swag Up Rebate will be made available by  5pm PT  on Friday, January 27th and will expire on Sunday, February 12th at 11:59pm PT My team is in the running and I can't wait to see how we match up against the other teams.  Let's go! ...

If you've been thinking about trying Hulu, this is the time to do it. Thanks to an offer through Swagbucks, you get $20 (paid in the form of points called SB) for trying Hulu for a month. That will cost you $7.99, so you're making $12 on the deal! Hulu has tons of current and classic programming, movies, brilliant original series, and more. Here's how you do it: 1. Click this link . 2. Create your Swagbucks account (takes 30 seconds) 3. Click "Continue" and sign up for Hulu 4. Enjoy Hulu! You should have your points within 30 minutes. Haven't tried Swagbucks yet? They're a site where you earn points (called SB) for doing things like online shopping, watching videos, taking surveys, and discovering deals and services you might like to try (like Hulu!). You then take those points and turn them into free gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash . This is a great time to join because when you sign up through t...

  Can you believe it's January already?  Well, bundle up beloveds and get ready for a new year of giveaways kicking off with the Jeepers It's January! Giveaway Hop hosted by The Mommy Island and The Kids Did It .      To celebrate the blustering cold month of January Three Boys and an Old Lady blog is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky blog reader.  Perhaps, you'll use your gift card to purchase a scarf to keep your warm and toasty.  Or maybe a few pairs of fuzzy socks to keep your tootsies warm.  Or even stock up on some hot cocoa for you and the kiddos.    No matter.  It's your choice to spend as you will.   This easy entry giveaway is open to residents of the United States, Canada and abroad and will end at the stroke of midnight on January 31.   Oh, be sure to check out the other 100+ giveaways and good luck! Entry -Form      For Blogs hosted ...

Several of my friends, who know I review books, often ask me to offer recommendations for books.  As an avid reader and book lover, I am always happy to share.  I know reading changes lives and fostering a love of reading when your child is young opens so many doors for them.   Last month I shared,  5 Benefits of Reading to Your Little One  and featured a pic one of my friends took.  I LOVE this pic of books she has begun reading to her little one.  Her collection looks so much like the collection of books in my kids' rooms with a sprinkling of fairy tales, Dr. Seuss and childhood favorites.  I love the pic so much I decided to use it for a new segment for 2017 titled Bedtime for Baby Book Reviews .  I will post reviews from my partner publishers who are kind enough to provide me with a copy of the book for review in exchange for a post. In this segment, I will feature reviews of new releases written for readers 7 and under. ...

Moviegoers, 2017 is shaping up to be an amazing year!  Disney recently released their 2017 slate of movies and OMG!!!  We're so excited about the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson as Belle and the outstanding cast lending their voices to some of our favorite Beauty and the Beast characters.  March 17, 2017 – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Walt Disney Studios)

It's time for you to unwrap your SB bonus this holiday season courtesy of Swagbucks . This month's Winter-themed Swago board offers a possible 300 SB ($3) Bonus! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. When you complete a task, watch that square change colors. You can then redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great way to learn how to use the site, and it's a lot of fun! Here’s what you need to know to get your 300 SB Bonus : Swago  will begin on Monday, January 16th at 9 :01am PDT/12:01pm EDT , make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item i...

Did you find yourself spending a little more than you had anticipated over the Holidays? It's easy to do, especially when you want to give all your friends and family the perfect gifts. Well, I have an easy way for you to recover from your holiday spending from the convenience of your cell phone.  Swagbucks is the web’s most popular rewards program that gives you free gift cards and cash for the everyday things you already do online. Whenever you shop, watch videos or search the web, Swagbucks gives you points called SB. You can use your SB to redeem gift cards to hundreds of your favorite stores.  With the Swagbucks Mobile and SBTV apps I can use my spare minutes to earn free gift cards on my phone! Like the Swagbucks website, I can rack up SB by shopping, answering surveys and watching videos. Earn SB is easy.  I answer the daily poll for 1 SB every single day (365 easy SB)! I save   money and earn SB when I shop via Swagbucks. f2a29f33d9e0a4296150...

I am so thrilled to tell you that...   DRUM ROLL...      *tosses confetti*   Are you going to BlogHer? Have you ever been? 

One of my favorite things about using Swagbucks is that I can get rewards for searching the web through their search engine. Every now and then they have "Collector's Bills" worth bonus SB points that you can collect by simply searching the web. Collect them all, and you get an SB Bonus! Once you've collected enough SB, you can redeem them for gift cards to stores like Walmart, Target, and many more! Here's all the information for this week's Snow Much Fun Collector's Bills: Search the web   through the Swagbucks search starting   Monday, January   2nd through   Sunday, January 8th , and when you get a search win, you may get a special Collector’s Bill valued at either: 5 SB 7 SB 9 SB 11 SB 16 SB 22 SB When you get a Collector’s Bill you’ll receive the value of the bill and the bill will be added to your “Collector’s Bills” ledger. Collect all 6 Collector’s Bills and you’ll instantly earn a   20 SB Bonus ! Keep searching til you find t...

One of my dearest friends, Janet Jackson, just became a new mommy.  Okay, I've got a confession, Janet isn't one of my dearest friends BUT she did just have a baby.  Anyhoo, welcome to  motherhood beloved.  I'm sure she and her billionaire hubby will have a slew of nannies to take care of their little one and of course Mother Katherine and big sis, Rebbie, will be on hand to offer parenting wisdom but I dare not miss this opportunity to share a little mommy wisdom of my own. Trust me on this Janet, this tip will pay off in many ways. You listening??? READ TO YOUR BABY! That is it.  * drops mic * Read to your little one.  Reading to your little one is a surefire way to spend quality time with your baby and there are so many other benefits to reading with your little one. I remember when my kids were babies and seeing their smiling faces look up at me as I read to them.  It was our special bonding time.  Doesn't m...

Now that the holidays are over, a lot of us have gone into savings mode again as we rebuild our bank accounts from all that gift buying! Some of us have already started saving for the 2017 holidays! If you're looking to extend your budget or just say within it, Swagbucks is a great resource for that. You've probably seen me write about Swagbucks a lot on here. It's a site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash. Here's how you get your bonus: 1. Sign up using this link 2. Earn 300 SB total before 2/1/17. You'll get a $3 (300 SB) bonus for it! 3. If you spend at least $25 through Swagbucks Shop* you'll get another $2 (200 SB) bonus on top of the cash back you'll get from shopping. If you hav...

Happy New Year! Looking for a way to keep the momentum of hope for the New Year? Check out these fab 5 reads from some of the most inspirational speakers in the world. Each of these books is a sure to motivate and inspire you throughout 2017. For several years now, I’ve partnered with FaithWords, a division of Hatchette Book Group, and have the opportunity to review some of the most inspirational books ever written. In exchange for a book, I share my thoughts via my blog and social media channels. Being the avid reader that I am, this partnership is a great way to keep my spirit lifted and share encouragement with others throughout the year.  I glanced over my book collection and found a few of my fave inspirational reads I'm sure will jumpstart your 2017. First, let's begin with  Seize the Day by Joyce Meyer. This fab read was released in Fall 2016 and is one of my most inspirational reads. Through scripture and personal stories, Meyer reminds readers to spen...