It's how we Roll

On any given day you can find our toilet paper trailing down the hallway, in a pile on the bathroom floor, or stuffed in the toilet. And I mean the entire roll!  It's all courtesy of our Tiger. I guess he's made it his mission to unroll every roll we ever buy. He's gotten so good at it that he can unroll a roll in 20 seconds flat.

So if you visit our house on any given day, this is what our toilet paper roll will look like. That is my attempt at rolling it back on the roll after Tiger has gotten a hold of it.  Please be aware of this occurrence. Lock your toilet paper up when we come to visit. I'm just say'n.

Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway

Did you know that in the United States the average age of cars and light trucks on the roads today has reached a record high of 9.4 years? That means it´s more important than ever to take proper care of your vehicle.

With the informative Web site www.MotorOilMatters.org (created by the maker of industry-leading brands Pennzoil and Quaker State) you can easily locate key information about how quality motor oils can help prolong your engine´s life and improve overall efficiency, as well as help answer other questions you may have about motor oil. In addition, the site offers a fun, educational game for you to play called "M.O.M. Knows Best" where you can put your motor mind to the test with an interactive quiz.

Did you know?

• According to a recent survey from the Automotive Service Association, more than 54 percent of customers who take their vehicles for service and repair are women.

• Using a high-quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy

• Low-quality oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer´s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle´s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer´s warranty

• Another reason to look to a high-quality motor oil - like Pennzoil and Quaker State - is that it is designed to meet the demands of today´s engines. 

I learned the hard way how important it was to make sure that my car's oil was changed on a regular basis and with high quality oil. I was young and had never had the responsibility of taking care of my own car. My dad always did that for me (Thanks Dad!). I was on my way to the beach when my engine froze. It never recovered and I was out a car for months. I have never let my oil go like that again. It's was a major costly mistake.

 The people at Shell Lubricants and MotorOilMatters.org have graciously offered to give one of you readers a $35.00 gift card to Jiffy Lube so that you can take care of your car. All you need to do is go to www.motoroilmatters.org and play M.O.M Knows Best game. Come back here and tell me your score. 


To earn more entries you can do the following:

• What motor oil misconception did you have that was put to rest through the M.O.M site info?
• Add your next oil change to your calendar so you won't forget.  
• Sing "wheels on the bus" to who ever will listen 
• Tweet about this giveaway
• Follow me on twitter

Please leave me a separate comment for all the items you have done. This giveaway is open to US residents and will end on May 24, 2010. Please leave me a way to contact you in your comment. 

 The information and Jiffy Lube gift cards were all given to me from Shell Lubricants and MotorOilMatters.org through MyBlogSpark.

Pringles Multi Grain

Pringles have been a favorite of mine for a very long time. I won't tell you how long  since that might hint at my age. We won't go there. I have enjoyed the sour cream and onion, original, and yes even pickle flavor. YUMMY! And now they have some out with some healthier options. Multi Grain Pringles.

They come in three delicious flavors: Original, Creamy Ranch and Cheesy Cheddar. Personally, I liked the original and the Cream Ranch. My kids devoured the Cheesy Cheddar before I could taste one bite. So I'm assuming that was their favorite flavor.  It was the perfect compliment to a turkey sandwich topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and some spicy mustard. Fabulous!!!

Pringles has teamed up with Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence and Share Our Strength to launch the "U taste. We Donate" campaign. Enter the UPC code from any can of Pringles Multigrain between now and June 20, 2010 and Pringles will donate one dollar to Share Our Strength, the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. They connect families with nutritious food by weaving together a net of community groups, activists and food programs. Visit Strength.org and learn more about making NO KID HUNGRY a reality.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Pringles Multigrain and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Cascade Complete - Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

I personally hate doing the dishes. I totally believe in delegating that's what kids are for, right?  I did not live 38 yrs to become a dishwasher. That was not my life's ambition. Did I just tell you how old I was? Strike if from your mind right now!!!

 What I hate most is emptying the dishwasher only to find the dishes still dirty. The caked on potatoes,  melted cheese, noodles, mushed cereal. EWWWWW!  My life is a busy one with keeping on top of two little boys. I don't have time to pick out the dirty dishes out of the clean batch only to wash them again. Not happening here. 

I decided to give Cascade Complete All-in-One ActionPacs a try.  This particular load of dishes was full of dried on broccoli, pasta, and lettuce from the night before. I'm too tired by the end of the day to do dishes. So I put them in the sink and let them sit over night.  I used one ActionPac the next morning and everything was clean! There was not a dish that I had to wash over again. YAY!

Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs give you the confidence of a job done right. It breaks down, dissolves, and rinses away tough food particles with out the need to pre-wash. Now you can focus on enjoying meals and not the clean up. 

•  No Pre-Washing
• More tough food-cleaning ingredients (vs. regular Cascade ActionPacs)
• Rinse Aid Action
• Powers away 24-hr stuck-on food

I want to give you a chance to win a $25.00 Walmart Gift Card so that you  can try Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs for yourself.  We can all use a Gift Card to Walmart, right? So here's the deal. Leave me a comment and tell me what the dirtiest dish you have had to date and how many times you had to wash it to get it clean. 

You can earn more entries by doing the following and leaving me a seperate comment for each:

•  "Like" Three Peas in a Pod on Facebook
• Follow me on Twitter
• Sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" to anyone who will listen to your silliness
• Subscribe to my feed
• Follow me on Google Friend Connect
• Delegate the dishes to someone else tonight

This giveaway is open to US residents. I will pick a winner on May 21 . 

This product review was based on using complimentary Cascade product provided by P&G. Bloggers also received a Walmart gift card to share with their readers. P&G does not represent or warrant the accuracy of any statements or product claims made here, nor does it endorse any opinions expressed within this blogsite.

Aquafina Flavor of the week: Wild Berry

This week's Aquafina Flavor is WildBerry.  Personally, I like any fruit with the word "berry" in it. So this one is a must for me. The point of drinking water is to be healthy right? So why not make a WildBerry Smoothie?? It's healthy and the kids will really go for this. Just make sure you make enough to share with them. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 pineapple slices
• 6 fresh strawberries
• 15 frozen raspberries
• 10 frozen blackberries
• 15 frozen blueberries
• 3 oz. favorite berry yogurt (optional)
• ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until SMOOTH. Pour into
chilled glass and serve.

Do want to share your Wildberry recipe ? Post it on your blog and come back here and sign Mr. Linky. I may just give three of you a coupon for a free six-pack of Aquafina FlavorSplash and a tube of Aquafina Lip Therapy in WildBerry. 

You have until Saturday May 22 to post your recipes. 

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Aquafina FlavorSplash and have received various FlavorSplash samples to facilitate my participation. Mom Central will send me a gift card at the end of the program.”

Wordless Wednesday

Save the Rainforest with Tropicanna Juicy Rewards!!!!

I saved 100sqft of rain forest by donating 3 of my Tropicana Juicy Reward Points. It's just another way to use your points. You can choose to donate as many points you want and they will tell you how many square feet that you saved. How cool is that?

And get this. I can now use my points for dining deals in my own town. I live in a very small town but we are listed in there demographics. There are deals like getting a free kid's pizza at Blue Naples Pizza, and Get a complimentary item free when you purchase one of equal value. We love Blue Naples Pizza so that's a given in our family!

Just enter the code on the cap from any Tropicana product and start earning points towards awesome savings in your town!

I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a $50 Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review. 

One World, One Love Michael Bolton Giveaway

I am a music mama. Seriously. Ever since I was a girl I was either singing or listening. I was in chorus from middle school till college. I traveled and performed in Washington DC and Macey's Thanksgiving Day Parade just to name a few. 

I remember my friends and I would sing along to our favorite musical artist. One of them being Michael Bolton.  I loved his voice and he was a favorite among my circle of singing friends. He was awesome then and he's awesome now. He's sold more than 53 million records, won multiple Grammys for Best Male Vocalist and countless other honors. 

His new CD , One World, One Love came out on May 4th. This album is a collaboration with Lady Gaga and Ne-Yo. I received this CD from Universal a few days ago and already I love it! I think my favorite song is "Murder My Heart". 

I have been given the opportunity to give one lucky reader a copy of Michael Bolton's "One World, One Love. All I need you to do is tell me in the comments what are you listening to at the moment. To earn extra entries you can:

• Tweet about this
• Tell me a favorite Michael Bolton Song
• Become a Fan of Three Peas in a Pod on Facebook
• Dig in the dirt with your kids this afternoon
• Subscribe to my feed

Leave me a comment for every item you accomplish. I will pick the winner on May 18th. This giveaway is open to US residents only.

I received the CD from Universal as a member of Music Moms

One Little Word

My mom said yes when the county asked my parents if they would adopted me. Knowing I had medical issues. Even though they were told I may not live to see my second birthday. She fought for me to get the best medical care . She was twenty five and my dad was thirty. I was there first child. I know from experience the worry the heartache and the many sleepless nights spent pleading to God to heal her daughter. I know because I've been through it myself.

Even after that crisis was taken care of she still fought for me . Even when I fell off a two story balcony and the doctors told her I was fine. She knew that not being able to walk or see was a sign that something was wrong.  She fought for me. Turns out I had a skull fracture. She always made sure I was healthy and that she did everything she could to keep me that way.

She was there through all my heartaches . I could talk to my mom and she would always point me in the direction I needed to go. She reminded me daily that I needed to look up and pray. She would tell me often that she prayed for me before I was even born. That God put us together for a reason. He chose us to be a family. And He knows what He's doing.

She taught me to cook, clean and do my own laundry by the age of ten. Back then there was a lot of eye rolling, and feet stomping. But I'm so grateful for her. When I got to college I knew what most girls my age didn't know how to do. It was then I started to realize that Mom was actually right.


My mom and I went through the dissolving of our marriages together. It was tough on both of us. How can a mom be there for her daughter when she's going through the same thing. But we held on to each other . We cried together and we prayed not only for ourselves but for our spouses. We both forgave them and we moved on. Together.

My mom was there when my Little Monkey was born. She was there to hold me when I was 25 weeks and in preterm labor and bleeding. I was scared to death but she was there. She prayed without ceasing. She was there when LM spent ten days in the NICU. She was there when he was transported by ambulance two hours away back to my home town for testing. She was there everyday keeping my spirits up while my husband was home working. She was there for every surgery. Holding our hands and praying. She was there when my son stopped breathing in the PICU and the doctors sent us out. She was there to hold us and let us cry knowing that this could be the end.

My mom fought for me when I was pregnant with Tiger. She talked to the doctors and made sure I got the care I needed. She was there when I was in the ICU with my heart problems from birth. She was there to pray with me and to hug my husband and take care of my kids when I couldn't.

One common thing in my life has been my mom. Through everything I've been through, every tear every heartache. And it all started when she said yes.

                                 I love you mom. Thank you for fighting for me.

U by Kotex

When I was a girl, no one in my circle of friends discussed getting there period. I knew about it from my mom. She was very good at explaining things.  Thanks Mom!! But when the day came, I remember it very clearly, I was totally mortified. I was at school, playing kickball, when one of my fellow students (thankfully a girl) let me know. I was escorted to the office to call my mom who brought me clean clothes. For years, my mom bought my necessary "girl stuff" (as my daughter and I call pads, tampons, etc.). But when I learned to drive it was my responsibility to get them if I needed them. 

Talk about being utterly lost not to mention embarrassed. Every time I picked up a package I felt like everyone was looking at me and new that I had my period. Today it's not the case. It does not affect me that way. It's just a necessity I need just like getting toilet paper. But now I'm blessed with a teen-aged daughter myself. And she has me shopping for her "Girl Stuff" because she too is embarrassed. It's not the idea of having to purchase them it's the packaging that screams "I have my Period!". 

With U by Kotex that's not an issue any longer. U by Kotex is a new product line by Kotex consisting of tampons, liners and pads. They are slim, thinner design which make them easier and more comfortable to use. The packaging is bright and bold to appeal to the younger generation. Visit http://walmart.com/ubykotex to learn more and get free samples! While you're there you can download a Daily Journal iPhone or iTouch application that lets you take pictures, add play lists and geo-target your location for each entry. Next time you are in Walmart, pick up a box of pads, tampons or liners from U by Kotex and try them out for yourself (or give them to your daughter to try).


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kotex and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.” 

Aquafina FlavorSplash

I hate drinking water. 

I do. 

It all tastes bland and metallicy to me. 

Hey, I made up a word! Seriously, this should be added to the dictionary. I'd be famous.

Oh yeah where was I? 

Right, water. 

It's good for me. It helps me feel full, helps me flush out those nasty toxins, and I it doesn't add to my hips like some drinks do. 

I still don't like it. I will drink Iced tea, or a TON of lemon juice added to it before I will drink the stuff. 

There's this new concept of drinking flavored water which I totally was not sure about. I have tried some of them when they first came out. But I hated the fake sugar after taste. And promptly went back to my Iced Tea and water drowned in Lemon Juice. 

Since then, flavored water has become better tasting.But I still hadn't found the perfect one. 

Until now. I have to say Aquafina Flavored water is really good. Virtually no aftertaste. It's so good my husband will drink it. And he is a worse critic of water than I am. 

For the next few weeks I'm going to share with you the great flavors of Aquafina, coupons, recipes, and maybe even a giveaway. So keep on the look out.

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Aquafina FlavorSplash and have received various FlavorSplash samples to facilitate my participation. Mom Central will send me a gift card at the end of the program.”

Bound for Stardom

My mother in law is a wonderful singer. In fact she sings at her church and on the radio. My sons love to hear her sing. In fact, Little Monkey will go to church with her when he visits and when she gets up to sing he is given a microphone. We won't tell him it doesn't work. SHHHH no spoiling the fun.

During spring break my boys visited my in laws for the week and while they were there they had an impromptu recording session.  Little Monkey was the star. You can hear my mom in law in the background and LM following along with her. He has the working microphone and she doesn't this time.

So do you think he's bound for Hollywood???

Note: LM has been singing this song over and over for weeks and I couldn't figure out what he was singing. Yesterday, a package arrived with a CD of this recording.

Bruchetta Stacks ~ Old London Melba Toast

Every other Tuesday my husband and I go to our Journey Group from church. And we always bring an appetizer. I'm always looking for fast and easy recipes.  When I was asked to try Old London's Melba Toast I thought this would make a great appetizer for my small group. I can not wait to make this for next Tuesday's meeting. YUMMY!

Makes 10 snacks

8 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup each, coarsely chopped fresh basil and finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp each fresh olive oil, lemon juice and chopped onion
10 Melba Toast Classic

Mix tomatoes, basil, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and onion.
Spoon over garlic toasts.

Old London Melba Toast is even great with hummus, tuna, and crab meat. Just check out their site for more great recipes. I personally love the Melba Toast with Seat Salt and eat it with hummus. So Good! Using the flavored tuna pouches with the Classic Toast is awesome too! 

Old London is sending one lucky winner to Hollywood with the "Dance your way to Hollywood" contest. You can get details and enter to win, here.

I wrote  this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Old London Melba Toast and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Things Remembered

I figured that since Mother's Day is coming, I'd give you an idea for those last minute shoppers!Since I was a teen I have gone out of my way to purchase gifts at Things Remembered. I remember the first thing I bought from their, a  locket that I had engraved for my mother for Mother's day. I think I was about 13 or so. As a girl I didn't have much money and I was surprised to find out that I could afford something special for my mom and have it engraved.

Over the years I have purchased gifts for my grandmother, bridesmaids, groomsmen, client etc. And I have recieved some very special gifts from friends and family. One special gift I remember was from my sister in law. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding and I received a beautiful silver jewelry box that she had engraved. I sits on my dresser and every day I'm reminded of how special she is.

There lots of manly gifts as well like this personal jotter that you can have engraved. There are compasses, pens, wine stoppers and so much  more. You can order on line or go into there many stores throughout the country. Everything ranges from $9.99 and up. I have a really hard time picking out something because everything is so beautiful.

I was not compensated to post about Things Remembered this is strictly my opinion!

Belly Buds

Since I am done having kids I gave this really cool pre-natal device to my sister in law to try out. She loved the idea of introducing her little peanut to music in the womb. She tried using her own phone as she doesn't have an MP3 or iPod. But she found that her husbands phone was the only one that worked with the Bellybuds since it had MP3 capability. She loves letting her baby listen to praise music any chance she can. She did say that the cord could be a tad longer but all in all she liked the product.

Bellybuds consist of a pair of simple, two-inch modular bellyphones that plug into any standard mp3, digital music player or sound device, and can be placed anywhere on the abdomen. The circular disks gently adhere to the growing belly with a medical-grade reusable and skin-safe hydrogel.

Bellybuds have a fixed, maximum sound level strong enough to penetrate to the womb. They reach the baby at a decibel level roughly equivalent to a casual conversation and lower than the mother's heartbeat.  Along with playing music, they can be used to share sounds such as recorded voice messages from loved ones.

When mom is done sharing music and sounds with her baby, Bellybuds are easily stored on the included "dock" and placed in the accompanying pouch for portability and safe keeping. Bellybuds bellyphones are the first of what will be a full line of audio products from the company for expectant moms and their babies .

I thought the idea of letting your baby listen to recorded messages from other family members is such a neat idea. I wish that this device was around when I was having kids. It's a perfect give for the new mom for Mother's Day or for that baby shower gift.

Hershey's S'mores/Rascal Flatts Giveaway

My husband and I are planning our mini vacation trip with the kids. We are going camping at the beach.  Which I am totally looking forward too. My daughter has requested that we bring the ingredients to make S'mores while we are there. You can't go wrong with chocolate, marshmallows (or "smashmellows" as Tiger calls them), and graham crackers. YUMMMY. I love sitting around the fire with friends and family making this fun and interactive dessert.

Hershey's brand and Rascal Flatts have partnered to help fans celebrate summer time S'mores with the release of a free exclusive downloadable song, "Your Day to Get Away," Go get your free song here.
The site has tips on making S'mores while camping,  for your next backyard get together, as well as awesome recipes to make the most of your S'mores!

The wonderful people at Hershey's are graciously giving one of you a Hershey's S'mores prize pack. This includes a six pack of Hershey’s chocolate, a bag of Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, a box of Honey Maid Graham Crackers, four telescoping S’mores skewers in a branded Hershey’s case (I have a set of these and they are awesome), and Rascal Flatts’ newest CD “Unstoppable.” .

All you have to do is tell me what your favorite summer  dish is. Want more ways to enter?

• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway
• Turn off the tv and make something with your kids
• Blog about this giveaway
• Subscribe to my feed
• Ignore the Laundry today and do something for you

I will pick the winner on May 11. This is only open to US residents. 

Don't forget to download your free song by Rascal Flatts here.