Hi, I’m Kelli!
I’m the founder and publisher of 3 Boys and a Dog, a family lifestyle website I started in 2006. What began as one mom sharing pieces of family life has grown into a trusted resource for easy recipes, free printables, practical family ideas, seasonal inspiration, shopping guides, and deals worth knowing about.
For nearly two decades, I have written for busy women who want useful ideas without unrealistic expectations. The goal is simple: help you feed your people, teach and entertain your children, celebrate the seasons, find products that make sense, and make everyday life a little easier.
The Family Behind the Name
When I named this site 3 Boys and a Dog, that title described the noisy little household surrounding me. Those three boys are grown now, and our family has expanded in ways I never could have predicted when I purchased the domain. Today, eight people call Ricky and me Mom and Dad.
The name stayed because it represents where this all began. However, the people, stories, and experiences behind it have continued growing right along with the website.
Life Behind the Website
I live in Southern Alabama near Mobile, where family ties run deep and food often becomes part of the story. These days, I am living on a 12-acre pecan orchard while caring for my 95-year-old grandmother in her home.
Between caregiving, running the business, and everyday family life, I am also slowly redoing little pieces of her house. It is not a dramatic television-style renovation. Instead, it is the kind of gradual work that happens between responsibilities, interruptions, and whatever needs attention that day.
That season of life has made practicality even more important to me. I understand what it means to need meals that do not require an entire afternoon, activities that are genuinely usable, and ideas that fit into real homes with real budgets and complicated schedules.
What You’ll Find on 3 Boys and a Dog
3 Boys and a Dog covers several parts of family life because family life itself does not stay inside one neat category. Here, you will find:
- Easy family recipes and Southern-inspired food
- Educational printables and activities for children
- Holiday ideas, party inspiration, and seasonal resources
- Shopping guides and curated gift ideas
- Deals, product finds, and practical household solutions
- Real-life observations from someone balancing family, business, caregiving, and home
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I am not a chef, dietitian, teacher, or perfectly organized homemaker. I am a longtime writer, publisher, business owner, mother, wife, and caregiver who has spent years finding and creating things that help families.
About the Recipes
My cooking is rooted in the Southern food I grew up eating, with plenty of Tex-Mex influence from Ricky’s family and new favorites collected through the years. The recipes on this site focus on approachable ingredients, familiar flavors, and meals that ordinary home cooks can make.
You will not find perfection for perfection’s sake here. Instead, you will find food meant for busy evenings, family tables, church gatherings, holidays, and the moments when you simply need something everyone will eat.
Building a Business Around Helping Families
Blogging may have started as a creative outlet, but 3 Boys and a Dog grew into a real publishing business. Over the years, I have learned how readers search, shop, plan, cook, teach, and return to the resources they find useful.
Today, I create content for an established community across the website, email, Pinterest, Facebook, and X. I also work with select companies through paid campaigns, sponsored content, affiliate partnerships, shopping-guide placements, and other collaborations that fit my audience.
Brands and agencies can learn more on my Work With Me page.
A Few More Things About Me
I have always been a writer and an idea person. I love books, crafts, dollhouse miniatures, planning new projects, building systems, and finding connections between ideas that may not seem related at first.
I also believe a useful resource does not have to be complicated. Sometimes the best thing I can give a reader is an easy dinner idea, a printable that keeps a child happily learning, a gift suggestion that saves an hour of searching, or a deal that makes the family budget stretch further.
Let’s Connect
Whether you have been reading 3 Boys and a Dog for years or discovered it today, I am glad you are here. I hope you find something that makes your next meal, lesson, celebration, shopping trip, or ordinary Tuesday easier.
Have a question or want to introduce yourself? You can send me a message here.