Penny's Passion: September 2015

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Weekending - September 28, 2015

Oh my -- I don't know how the weekend can be over already.  Weekends are just one of my favorite things.  I was thinking on Sunday evening that I really need to work on finding more joy during the week and not just wishing for the weekend to get here.  There's five good days between Monday morning and Friday so I'm going to try very hard to start finding some joy in each of those days.  Anybody with me on this?!?  Before I start looking forward to the week ahead, let me recap my weekend.

Friday night Eric had to work late so I swung by the mall on my way home to cash in some coupons.  Free panties and travel size lotion - yes please!  Love free stuff!  Then on to the grocery store to pick up what I needed to whip up dinner.  I had seen a recipe for French Dip sandwiches over at A. Liz Adventures that I had been dreaming about all week long and couldn't wait one more day to fix them. They were delicious!


I don't want to steal April thunder, so check out her blog and make these sandwiches.  They were super easy and come together quickly.  Perfect thing to make when you want to get a simple dinner on the table fast.

Saturday was an action packed day.  I met my friends Tracy, Carol and Sherri on Sherri's deck for mimosas, quiche and fruit before heading to the Strange Folk Art Festival.  Mother Nature got the message we wanted to sit outside and sent us perfect weather - it was a gorgeous morning!  The four of us enjoyed sitting and chatting before heading out.



Spending time with friends is just the best and Saturday night I had a very special treat.  My college sorority sister, Jeanette, was stopping by for a visit.  I had not seen her in almost 30 years and, I swear, it was like we had never lost touch with each other.  It was so great seeing her and catching up.  We laughed until our cheeks hurt.  My heart is just so happy that we got to spend an evening together.  I have high hopes we can get together again sooner than 30 years!


Sunday morning Eric and I decided to take it slow.  With a cool breeze blowing in our bedroom window, we lingered in bed reading and playing Candy Crush (yes, we are hooked).  When we finally rolled out of bed, we hit the ground running.

Our first stop was World's Market to pick up a few things.  One of the things I needed was a little birthday gift for a party we were attending in the afternoon.  I'm in love with their magnolia exfoliating soap and lotion.  The smell is fabulous!


Then we headed to IHOP for some body fuel.  When we were full, we headed to the pumpkin farm to pick out our pumpkins for the season.  Thank heavens Eric is patient with me because I swear I have to look at every pumpkin and pick the most perfect ones.  My vision is to place pumpkins on each side of the front door, so of course we had to have pumpkins that looks exactly the same for both sides.  I was beginning to think that pumpkins were like snow flakes and no two were the same, but after very close inspection I think we found the perfect ones.  I'll show you a picture soon and you can be the judge.


Due to the slowness of me picking pumpkins, we were just a tad bit late to the birthday party.  Glad we didn't miss the cake cutting because it was so lovely!  I would have been sad if I hadn't been able to see this creation before it was cut.  The creation came from LaBonne Bouchee and was as delicious tasting as it looked.  This particular cake was their strawberry Mousseline cake which consists of yellow cake layered with vanilla mousse and strawberry slices, iced in white buttercream, sliced almonds and then topped with fresh fruit.  Oh my word was it good!




We toasted the birthday girl with sparkling grape peach juice.  Yum!  It was simply delightful.


The party was definitely a success!  It was so special to be invited and I'm so thankful Eric and I were able to attend.  Happy birthday Karen!


From the birthday party, we headed to the theater to see The Intern.  Eric and I both thought it was a great movie.  Did you get a chance to see it this weekend?  If not, you should add it to your list.  Any movie that can make me cry and laugh is a winner in my book!



Speaking of book, I've had The Girl Who Chased The Moon on my reading list for a while.  It's on sale right now on Amazon for only $1.99.  If it's on your reading list too and you haven't purchased it, not might be a great time to snag this deal.


Thanks for stopping by today to check out my weekend.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  We're having dinner with Eric's mom tonight and I'm looking forward to catching up with her.  Who knows what other fun things might come up this week.  I'm looking forward to seeing what comes my way.

Check out what others were up to this weekend.
More Pieces of Me
Bella and the City
Oak and Oats
A Cute Angle
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
Tuesday Talk
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Five on Friday - September 25, 2015

Can you believe this is the last Friday in September?!?  I swear it was August yesterday.  This month has truly gone by in a blur.  I have to admit, I'm ready for Fall.  I love the colors and weather we've been having here in St. Louis.  Just a little cooler and I can break out my scarves and boots!

Speaking of Fall, here's my first Five on Friday for this autumn season.

1. The Intern
This one has been on my radar since the first time I saw the preview.  I love Ann Hathaway and Robert De Niro!  Seeing them together on the big screen should be wonderful.  Here's what they are saying the movie's all about:  "70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin."



Ann Hathaway

2.  Premiere Week
My DVR is running on overdrive as I type!  This is premiere week for many of the shows I watch and I'm so excited to reacquaint myself to my friends Olivia, Meredith and Penny.  I know, I tape a lot of shows.  But I'm not even going to feel guilty about that.  Sometimes it just feels great to escape into pretend land and watch the doctors work their miracles in the ER, or escape from whole CIA coming after you, or realize you have never had a roommate as anal as Sheldon.  You know what I mean?  BTW, have you heard that Shonda Rhimes is supposedly developing a new drama that's about a team of military doctors working in Baghdad during the Iraq War?  I just hope it's not on Thursday nights because I think I've reached my limit on the number of shows I can record at one time.



3.  Poo-Pourri
Okay, this one is just intriguing to me.  The concept is you spritz a little in the toilet bowl before you go and there will be no smell.  Think about it -- if you had this in your purse at an office party, you could use a little and not have to worry about opening the door and your boss standing there waiting to go in behind you.  Just a thought.  One 2-ounce bottle is good for up to 100 uses.  I don't know about you, but for me that would last a really long time.


Click HERE to purchase
4. S'mores Candy Corn
Brach's what are you doing to me?!?  I'm picking some of this up this weekend for sure.  The taste of a s'more in a little bite of candy corn - YUM!!  Has anyone tried it?  Please tell me it's great!

s'mores, candy corn

5.  I think I've found my next business....


Enjoy this last weekend in September!  I'm heading out with some friends tomorrow to go to the
Strange Folk Art Festival.  We try to go every year and every year I've found something cool.  Can't wait to see what's out there this year.  Then on Saturday evening I'm meeting up with a friend from college that I haven't seen in 30 years a very long time.  So excited to see her I'm giddy about it!  Sunday we have a little birthday party to attend.  This is shaping up to be one fantastic weekend!  Stop back by on Monday to read all about it.

Linking up with:
Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday 
The Jenny Evolution
The New Mrs. Adventure
The Evolution of Mom
Why Girls Are Weird
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

A Little Fall Thinking Out Loud

Welcome to another week of Thinking Out Loud Thursday!

Is anyone else struggling to get through this week?  Just one week ago I was SOOOO excited to be meeting my new nephew after work.  This week seems so anti-climatic in comparison.  Oh, are you wondering what he looks like at one week old.  Thought you'd never ask!


Now that Fall has officially arrived, I've been thinking about the things I want to make sure I get accomplished before the season is over.  Fall brings a whole new feel at our house.  I'm a seasonal cook, meaning I tend to only make chili, stews and comfort food in the fall and winter.  Hello roast and mashed potatoes!  I'm looking forward to doing some fall cooking.  If you missed one of my favorite roast recipe from last October, you can check it out HERE.

Crock Pot Recipe, Roast, Beef Roast Recipe.

Here are some other things on my Fall To Do list.

~ Weekend get away to enjoy the turning leaves
This one is booked.  Now I just have to hope and pray that the leaves cooperate!

~ Clean out my closet and get it ready for the new season of clothes
My friend Mary is visiting in October to help me take a hard look at my wardrobe and make some decisions on what should stay and what really needs to go.

~ Plan ahead for purchasing Christmas presents
Can you believe we are only 91 days away from Christmas!  Really hoping that I can get the shopping done early so I can set back and truly enjoy the holiday season.

~ Purchase a planner for 2016 before all the good ones are sold out
Any ideas on a good one that is reasonably priced?

~ Lay on the couch one entire Sunday afternoon and watch football
Oh, just the thought of this one makes me smile.  Finding a Sunday that nothing else but watching TV can happen is a bit tough though.

~ Celebrate the Cardinals winning the World Series
This one is a little out of my hands, but keeping my fingers crossed!

What are some of the things on your Fall To Do list?  I'd love to hear from you.  Link up to Thinking Out Loud Thursday with me and Vanessa at X-tremely Vanessa . The rules are simple.  Link back to me and Vanessa in your post and add your favorite post(s) below.  Super easy!  Tell all your friends to link up too.  The more the merrier.  We'd love for you to follow us too!  #ThinkingOutLoudThursdays
~
Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at

Monday, September 21, 2015

Giveaway and Swapoween

Hey guys -- I have a could great opportunities for you today.  A giveaway AND a swap!

There's only one more day left of entering to win some cash and some other great treasures.  If you haven't entered, now is your chance.



Here is what this fabulous giveaway has to offer...

$80 paypal cash

First of all, how does EIGHTY dollar bills sound?
Not shabby. Especially when it is sent directly to your paypal account.
Those super pretty gals above are to thank. 
Click on their name ^ to go and see their wonderful blogs also. 
Show them some serious love.


Layered + Long

How about a gorgeous necklace from Layered and Long? Yes please.
SO many great colors to choose from… which you will get the opportunity to do if you win!
This shop has the most beautiful, simple, and versatile jewelry.
I am seriously in love with every. single. piece. 
Their instagram alone makes me swoon at every post.


AD Space

Katie from A Worker At Home is offering up a 250x150 ad space on her beautiful blog.
Extra exposure with some shout outs from this beaut and your mug on her sidebar… only positive outcomes friends.


Centime

And last but certainly no least we have a $50 voucher to Centime.
This shop has the coolest sentimental jewelry that I have ever seen.
Take a look at just a few of my favorite items:
 The options are totally endless for these pieces.
And they carry so much special meaning.
You can get 20% off any piece of jewelry using the code FARMERS20 {valid until 10/31}.
You can use the code multiple times and it will apply to all items in your cart.
I mean… best Christmas gifts EVER?
Yes.
Hop on that.


Ok friends.
it's totally time for you to enter and win all of these fabulous goodies now.

Also, I love a great swap.  The fun of putting together a box of Halloween goodies and sending them to someone is great - and it's even greater when you go to the mailbox and retrieve YOUR box!  I'm currently participating in the Swapoween over at Chaotic Goddess.  If you, too, love a little swapping and Halloween, you have until September 28 to get yourself signed up.  Wouldn't it be fun if we were paired up?!?   Pop on over HERE to join the fun.

Here's the dates to remember for this fun event:
Important Dates to Remember
Sign-Ups Close on September 28th, 2015
Partners Assigned on September 30th, 2015
Packages Ship by Saturday, October 17th, 2015
Swap Show-Off Post/Linky goes live on October 21st, 2015



Sunday, September 20, 2015

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Monday guys!  Hope you had a great weekend and are ready to cruise into the week.  It's hard to believe we are on day 21 in September.  Where is this month going?

This past weekend was one of my favorite kinds.  Friday night I stopped by the hospital before going home to get in a few more hugs with my new nephew, Liam.  He is the sweetest little thing!  Just look how adorable he is.


Our dryer broke earlier in the week.  Eric got the part for it on Friday morning and I was so grateful he was able to fix it Friday night.  Don't you hate when appliances stop working?!?  Thank goodness we were able to get the part quickly and make it all better before we had to hang wet clothes all over our house again to let them dry.

Saturday morning I did what I love to do on a Saturday morning.  I laid in bed and caught up on a few blogs while sipping a cup of Teavana's Pumpkin Spice Brulee hot tea.  Oh my goodness - this just started my weekend off perfectly!  


Seeing the bright sun shining in, I decided to move to the outside and spend a little time reading.  Well, a little turned in to quite a bit because I could not put my book down.  I was reading Heaven Is Here by Stephanie Nielson.  This truly inspirational story is told by Stephanie herself on her life after surviving a plane crash.  If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend adding it to your list.

Stephanie Nielson
To purchase, click HERE
When I finished the last page, it was time I kicked it in gear.  We were headed to my parents on Sunday to celebrate my dad's birthday.   My brother and his family (and the new baby) live in the same town so I wanted to make a couple meals to take to them.  One of the things was the Apricot Pork Chops I blogged about HERE.  This is a wonderful recipe to whip up if you would like to gift someone with food that can easily to prepared later.


Sunday morning I rose early in anticipation of going home.  We were celebrating Dad's birthday and I wanted to click a few more photos of baby Liam.  I had props and banners and high hopes of getting some of those touching baby pictures that go viral on the internet.  I mean, I had the perfect model -- Liam is a little doll.  Well, my photographer skills are NOT "viral" photo quality!  That became VERY clear from near the beginning of our little photo shoot.  Probably soon after Liam managed to pee all over me did I realize I am not a good photographer.  However, that will definitely not keeping me from trying!  Here's a few of the good ones.






I would also like to wish my Dad a special 77th birthday today!  He is the most honest, hard working person I know.  I was once in a pageant and the judges ask me who I admired most.  Without any hesitation I said my dad.  If I was asked the same question today, my answer would be the same.  Happy birthday, Dad!
Me and Dad when I was 3

Dad giving Ian his first car when he turned 16
Dad and Mom with Ian at his college graduation
Me and my brother,Ernie with Dad last year on his birthday
Just a reminder - if you haven't entered Krysten's birthday giveaway, you only have a few hours left.  Here's your chance:

Hope you have a fantastic week!  Enjoy the last bit of summer because fall officially begins on this week.

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Five on Friday - September 18, 2015

Happy Friday!  Let's hear it for the weekend!!  This has been a fantastic week.  We welcomed my newest nephew yesterday and I was able to wrap my arms around him when he was just a few hours old.  Just take a peek at how handsome this little guy is.



Congrats to my brother, Ernie, and Carina!


I could easily make this sweet little baby all five of my Five on Friday items, but I'll save more of the pictures for later.  Let's see what other things I have on my list.

1.  Crosseyed Heart
It's here!  The third studio album by 71-year-old Keith Richards is released today.  We've been waiting a while since his last album -- a while being like 23 years.  If you're a Stones fan, you won't want to miss this.

Crosseyed Heart

2.  Not Your Father's Root Beer
Beer isn't typically one of my favorite things, but if Not Your Father's Root Beer is being served that's what I'm ordering.  This beer is flavored to taste just like root beer.  Now that's a "beer" I love!  It's been selling out fast in our area.  Have you seen it on your shelves?  Tried it?  I'm stocking up the next time I find it in the store.

Root Beer Beer

3.  National Cheeseburger Day
Let's hear it for National Cheeseburger Day!!  This is a day I'll gladly celebrate!  We have several great places near us that serve up a tasty burger.  I believe I'll try to talk Eric into hitting up Five Guys tonight to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day in style.  Where's your favorite burger joint?



4.  Zulily
I feel like I'm late to the game on this one.  Has everyone bought stuff from Zulily already but me?  I had seen the ads and even clicked on the site a couple times, but had never pulled the trigger and purchased anything.  Well, that changed recently!  I bought two adorable tunics for fall and a pair of Toms boots.  The prices are extremely competitive and the tunics I purchased were great quality.  I hadn't seen anything like them in the stores and I'm excited to add them to my wardrobe.  If you haven't checked out Zulily before, hop on over and see their products.  Great prices on all kinds of things!


5.  My life...


We have a pretty big weekend ahead of us.  We'll be travelling back to my home town to celebrate my Dad's birthday.  Hopefully I'll get to sneak in another trip to cuddle my new nephew too.  Hope you have some fun stuff on your agenda.  And just because I can't help myself, I'll leave you with another picture of my sweet new nephew.  Is he not the cutest?!?


Linking up with:
Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday 
The Jenny Evolution
The New Mrs. Adventure
The Evolution of Mom
Why Girls Are Weird
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Oh my goodness -- do you know how long I've been waiting for this day to get here?!?  Do you know why?!?  Well, today my fifth nephew will be born (don't you just love planned c-sections)!  Eric and I are so excited to meet him.  Little Liam Jackson Talbot should be making his debut around midday.  September 17 -- what a great day to have a birthday!  I'll flood you with pictures as soon as I can get my camera pointed at him.

Speaking of birthdays, if you saw my post from yesterday you know I'm helping my friend Krysten from Why Girls Are Weird celebrate her 32nd birthday with a fabulous giveaway.  Get entered -- who would love to win some cash?


And speaking of giveaways, I'm actually helping host ANOTHER great giveaway that's happening right now over at The Farmer's Wife.  Win this one and you'll get some more cash plus these other wonderful things.

Giveaway day = my favorite day.
I love offering up so many goodies to you all…
and today is no exception.




Here is what this fabulous giveaway has to offer...

$80 paypal cash

First of all, how does EIGHTY dollar bills sound?
Not shabby. Especially when it is sent directly to your paypal account.
Those super pretty gals above are to thank. 
Click on their name ^ to go and see their wonderful blogs also. 
Show them some serious love.


Layered + Long

How about a gorgeous necklace from Layered and Long? Yes please.
SO many great colors to choose from… which you will get the opportunity to do if you win!
This shop has the most beautiful, simple, and versatile jewelry.
I am seriously in love with every. single. piece. 
Their instagram alone makes me swoon at every post.


AD Space

Katie from A Worker At Home is offering up a 250x150 ad space on her beautiful blog.
Extra exposure with some shout outs from this beaut and your mug on her sidebar… only positive outcomes friends.


Centime

And last but certainly no least we have a $50 voucher to Centime.
This shop has the coolest sentimental jewelry that I have ever seen.
Take a look at just a few of my favorite items:
 The options are totally endless for these pieces.
And they carry so much special meaning.
You can get 20% off any piece of jewelry using the code FARMERS20 {valid until 10/31}.
You can use the code multiple times and it will apply to all items in your cart.
I mean… best Christmas gifts EVER?
Yes.
Hop on that.

This looks like a day when everyone could win!  You could win all these lovely prizes and I win a new nephew.  Doesn't get much better than that!

Oh, but wait -- it does get better!  It's Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  Please link up below and let us know what's on your mind.  Link up to Thinking Out Loud Thursday with me and Vanessa at X-tremely Vanessa . The rules are simple.  Link back to me and Vanessa in your post and add your favorite post(s) below.  Super easy!  Tell all your friends to link up too.  The more the merrier.  We'd love for you to follow us too!  #ThinkingOutLoudThursdays

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at