2010 January | 3 Boys And A Dog

Potluck Picks: Pizza Dip

January 28, 2010 By Kim Young 4 Comments

My friend makes this and I MADE her give me the recipe to share with you.

What you will need:

2 pkgs of cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

8 ounces of pepperoni (chopped)

2 tomatoes (chopped)

10 large pitted black olives (sliced or chopped)

1 loaf of Italian bread cut in pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix everything (NOT the loaf of Italian bread) together. Put the mixture in a casserole dish or baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and a tint of brown.

Let it cool just a little and serve with the cut pieces of Italian bread for dipping. This is awesome and a great dish to serve at a certain large football function or potluck event.

The best thing about this is that you don’t have to use olives and pepperoni. You can make this Hawaiian pizza dip and put ham and pineapple in it. Get creative and have fun. Be sure to come back and tell us what toppings you used.

Enjoy it!

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Recipes

Top 10 Things I am Looking Forward to at Blissdom!

January 27, 2010 By Kelli 16 Comments

I have mentioned it and if you follow me on Twitter, you have seen it a TON… but, I am going to Blissdom and I am STOKED!

As an International Exchange Coordinator, I have been to numerous conferences and I have been to a few eBay Live events, but I have never attended a Blog Conference. So, in one week, I will be going to my first ever blog conference!

There are going to be so many things going on that are not actually Blissdom related, but that hasn’t stopped me from registering for them!

Here is my list of what I am most looking forward to:

1. The Long Drive – yes, it sounds funny! The drive is really close to 10 hours for me and I have conned my (non-blogging) mom into going to Nashville with me so that I don’t have to drive alone. She and her 2 exchange students will have a great vacation, but we will have fun driving together!

2. Meeting so many women in the same boat as me. A stay-at-home mom, turned blogger, trying to make my place in the HUGE world wide web.

3. The Country {INN}troduction Party! This, before Blissdom, party is going to be great fun! The last time I looked, there was still space available! Click above to register! So many people will be in attendance and there will be swag and door prizes like you wouldn’t believe:

Country Bobs
Ideal Sweetener
Carolina Pad
Go Girl
Steaz
Skin Free
Sweetbird
Country Inns and Suites
Cohutta Springs Winery
Jovan Fragrances
Fiber Gummies
Its a Glam Thing
Wi-Ex
Firefly Vodka
and attendees can bring swag from THEIR sponsors!

4. Savvy Blogging! On Friday night, I will be attending the Savvy Blogging Roundtable Dinner. This event is full, but you can still learn bunches by following the #SavvyBlogging hashtag on Twitter. These girls stay busy answering questions to help bloggers and asking questions to make us think. I am going to learn so much at this dinner and meet many interesting ladies! Plus, come on, gotta love SWAG! Their sponsors are:

5. Meeting Mandi of Organizing Your Way! I LOVE her blog.. seriously, I read it religiously! Plus, I love Busy Body Books and Mandi is the dear that has some FREE printables on the BusyBodyBook site. Mandi will be at Blissdom and has even created a 26 page Blissdom Planner that I have already printed! I WILL be organized at my FIRST CONFERENCE EVER!

6. I get to pull out all my cute clothes! I worked in an office moon ago… yes, a REAL one that I went to every day! All those adorable skirts, slacks, jackets, shifts, sweaters, etc have been hanging (lonely) in my closet. I am able to pull them out and wear them again! You know, instead of Ricky’s sweatpants and t-shirts! Wondering what to wear to Blissdom? Musings of a Housewife has written a wonderful post!

7. Harry Connick, Jr. Seriously, I am not THAT impressed about it being Mr Connick himself, guess I am just too young or too country to appreciate him. I mean, I am kinda nervous about meeting a star, because I live in the country and we just don’t have stars down here. I haven’t said anything, because many of the Blissdom-goers have been doing some serious drooling over this fact and I haven’t wanted to deal with the wrath of 500 women in love, by stating my opinions… But, if we had George Strait, oh my gosh!!! We all “need a Little Twang” honey! My husband would have to be worried. Yeah, I said it. LOL!

8. Meeting Jyl of The Post-It Place! I have spent many hours on the phone with her over the past several months, she will be my roomy, we are teaming up to bring you the CountryParty and the We Blog! Conference, yet we have never met in REAL LIFE! I am so excited about this and simply can’t wait!

9. All the Sessions! I can’t decide if I want to do the writing track or the business track. There are many that I want to do on both… wonder if I can switch them up or if I have to choose one track and stick with it. If we have to choose just one track, I think I will go with writing since I know Jyl is going with Business and we can share knowledge in the evenings. LOL!

10. Me Time! Yes, I am going to miss my kids and my husband! Plus, although mom is driving up with me, she is not rooming with me so I won’t see her from the time we arrive until we get ready to head back out. This is the first time I have ever done anything totally on my own (yes, I am 30 LOL!) and I am really excited about it!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: blissdom, blog, carolina pad go girl steaz, conference, conferences, country inn, country inns and suites, cracker barrel, ebay live, exchange students, home moms, human interest, i am, international exchange, looking forward, meeting, things, top 10, Twitter

Blogging Basics: 5 Tips To Constant Content

January 27, 2010 By Kelli 4 Comments

For a ton of bloggers, it is sometimes difficult to decide what to write. Personally, I NEVER run out of content, but sometimes run out of things I actually want to write. LOL! So, this Blogging Basics is about finding and using content.

I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can scribble ideas or draft out posts. As I use one, I mark it out or rip out the page. Anyway, here are a few ideas you can use to help you keep the content ideas coming!

Tip #1 – Scour The Internet! Don’t print it, don’t save it, just scribble the idea or your thought on it! Later, you can write your post. If you saw some good points that you want to refer to, scribble the link! This way you can give them link-love and credit for their post!

Tip #2 – Compile! Make a Top Ten list of some of your older posts. This is one of those 2-fold tips. Not only are you bringing old posts to the front of your blog, but you are writing a post.

Tip #3 – Revamp! Pull an old post, update it, change it, add to it… I prefer to write a new post and link to the old one, but some prefer to redo the entire post.

Tip #4 – Subscribe! Subscribe to HARO. This is an awesome tool! Journalists send in a pitch to find experts, etc on a specific topic. You can share your knowledge, or write down their idea to make your own post.

Tip #5 – Link Up! Have you written a series of posts? Link them up in a single post! Sort of the same as #2, but number two can be any random posts and this one is a series of posts. My Blogging Basics post last week was an example of a Link Up!

Do you have a way that you keep the Blog Juice flowing? I would love to hear your Blogging Basics tips!

Filed Under: Blogging Basics Tagged With: awesome tool, basic, blog, blog hosting services, Blog Tips, bloggers, blogging, BLogging 101, Blogging Basics, computing, constant content, content, ideas, internet, scribbles, social information processing, sometimes, Tips, tons, world wide web

Join Me At The Country Party!

January 26, 2010 By Dezi Allen 3 Comments

Kelli and Jyl will be in Nashville!

We have worked hard to set up a really fun gathering for anyone attending the conference at Gaylord Hotel and bloggers that live near Nashville that are on Thursday, February 4th.
The Country {INN}troduction Blog Party will be at Country Inns and Suites in Goodlettsville, TN on Thursday evening from 7 PM until approximately 10 PM.

Country Inns and Suites will provide transportation to and from the Gaylord Hotel from 6 pm until 11 pm and also offers the {INN}troduction Party attendees free parking during the event!

Emily, the face of Country Inns and Suites will be in attendance to talk to us about our wants as bloggers and their wants in Social Media from a Corporate view. Emily is not only THE corporate contact for Country Inns and Suites, but she runs their Twitter account.

Heidi and Dave of Axiom PR will also be in attendance to talk with us about their tips and wishes from a Marketing Company’s point of view.

The Country Inns and Suites will have a conference room available simply for us to give out and receive swag! So, if you have been racking your brain to think of another way to represent your company to hundreds of influential bloggers during the weekend, this is your chance!

Country Inns and Suites will be running a room special for $69.99 per night for up to 4 adults! Unfortunately we have to do things the old fashioned way and you actually have to use the phone. All you have to do is call the property– 615 851 4444–and ask for the Country {INN}troduction rate. It is $69.99 for a standard guest room. They are ready to take calls and get you the rate!

Jyl and Kelli will be hosting a Twitter Party on Jan 26th from 8-9 EST…

We are up to 7 prizes for Twitter Party attendees to win including 2 nights stay at Country Inns and Suites!

If you wish to attend the Country {INN}troduction Party on February 4th, please fill out the following form to R.S.V.P for the event. Oh, BTW… the party is FREE!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: bloggers, conference, conferences, country inn, country inns and suites, country party, gaylord hotel, goodlettsville, inn, inns, join me, joins, nashville, party, suites, tennessee, the country, Twitter, world wide web

I Resolve to Improve My Wifely Ways

January 26, 2010 By Kelli 7 Comments

Kelly at Wisdom Begun has written a wonderful post for keeping the peace in your household! Please be sure to show her some bloggy love! ~Kelli

Tips to Keeping the Peace

There are five things that I often forget in my marriage. I wish I could remember them always because doing so would lead to much improved marital bliss. Don’t get me wrong. My marriage is a happy marriage and it is blessed. But like any relationship in this sinful world it is not perfect. I thought I would share with you these five things in the hope that it will help you in your marriages as well. I am speaking specifically to wives.

1. Ensure that your relationship with your Lord and Savior is pleasing to Him. Have you given Him your all? Do you obey His commands with a whole-hearted love? If not, then take some time to really focus and pray on where you need to improve and what you need to repent of. Give your life totally to God.

2. Remember your role. (Ephesians 5:23 “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.”) The Bible is very clear on this and no matter how much humans want to change it, it can’t be changed: in marriage, men were made to lead, women are made to follow. Ladies, our husbands are “in charge.” Just as Christ is head of the church, so our husbands are our heads. You may not like it – in fact most of the world hates this! – yet it is just the way God made it and we need to embrace this fact joyfully. Support your husband in what he does. Help him pursue his dreams and his vision for his family. Do not be afraid to speak up at times. Offer your opinion honestly when he has asked for it (no “That’s fine dear.”)

3. Be respectful. Again, ladies, I am pulling from the Bible here. In your words, actions, and deeds, be respectful of your man. To his face and behind his back ensure your words are God-honoring. Don’t become one of those women who do nothing but tear her husband down with her words.

4. Do not treat him as one of the kids. You are not his mother. You are his companion and the mate God made especially for him. Nitpicking every little thing he does? Don’t do it. Nagging? That needs to stop, immediately. Fussing at him for his every little fault will get you nowhere and will only cause stress and tension in your marriage.

5. Hubby first, kids last. As mothers it is so hard to put this into practice. Ask me how I know! The hubs comes home, we hand him a screaming kid, and turn back around to do dishes, make dinner, and get the table set. Why not try greeting him with a kiss and a smile? A “so glad to see YOU!” and a hug? If your husband starts a conversation with you and the kids interrupt ask them to wait till you are done speaking with Daddy. Show them that he is first in your eye.

As I wrote this I was prompted of how I need to work on each one of these things in my own marriage. Do not take these tips and let them burden you into an endless cycle of guilt but rather use them as reminders on where you need to improve! Remember that God sees your hard work and will bless you because of it!

Kelly is the intensely happily married woman to her husband of 7 ½ years. She is also the mother of 4 children ages 6 and under. She writes at Wisdom Begun (http://wisdombegun.com/) where she shares her struggles with being a young mom and tries to encourage other young moms to “keep on keeping on.” Every aspect of being a mother with young children is covered: health and well being, faith in God, homeschooling, organization, and more! Please be sure to visit her there or follow her on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/WisdomBegun).