Penny's Passion: February 2023

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - February 29, 2023

Welcome to another week of the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! We are so glad that you stopped by.

Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more. A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature!

Before we get this party started, let’s meet the hosts and check out this week’s featured favorites.
MEET THE HOSTS

Ahna – HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Emily – LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tara – STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST
Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER

TOP VIEWED

A Little Thrift Store Water Pitcher

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Strawberry Champagne Floats

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.

Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please. Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.

Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive. Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let’s Party!

2023 St. Patrick's Day Tiered Tray

Last week our Valentine's tiered tray got swapped out for the St. Patrick's Day decorations. As sad as I was to put away all the hearts, I wasn't so sad after I got the green in its place!

If you saw the Valentine's Tiered Tray post (HERE), you'll recognize the teapot taking center stage. I left it right where it was and worked around it.

The tiered tray itself got a new topper this year. The hat came from Hobby Lobby and "caps" off the tray. 😀

Little leprechauns, also from Hobby Lobby, are scattered all over the place!

One of my favorite pieces is the vintage-looking sign wishing St. Patrick's Day greetings.

This corner of green screams St. Patrick's and I'm here for it! I'm sure when the time comes to take it down I'll be a little sad. Easter is next and I love all the bunnies and eggs. But for now, I'm soaking up the shamrocks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday, February 24, 2023

Five on Friday - February 24, 2023

I'm so excited Friday is finally here! We have friends coming to stay the weekend and I can't wait for their arrival! Before they get here, let me share my five for this week ~

1. Juniper

I'm adding Juniper, which releases today, to the list of movies I want to see. The last few movies I've picked have been bad, so hopefully, this one will redeem me in Eric's eyes. Here's the summary ~

Ruth (Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling) is a worldly former war correspondent now bored in retirement with a drinking problem and a newly fractured leg. Sam (George Ferrier) is her unruly grandson, recently kicked out of boarding school and grieving the death of his mother. When the two are brought together under the same roof, they form an unexpected bond.

2. Things We Hide From the Light

Lucy Score's sequel to Things We Never Got Over was released this week and I'm already well into it. So far, I'm loving it and am very intrigued to see how it ends. I'm also loving that both books are free with Kindle Unlimited! Here's the summary ~

Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn't about to let anyone in his life know he's struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she's not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash's touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.

Too bad Lina's got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she's in town, he'll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn't do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she's after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people's skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he's not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.

3. RainX Windshield Repair Kit

Eric recently got a chip in his windshield and bought a RainX Windshield Repair Kit to fix it. In a short amount of time, he had the chip filled in and you would never even know it was there! Fixing it was so much easier (and cheaper) than having to get your windshield replaced. The fear of the chip spreading is gone!

4. Shamrock Earrings

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and you don't want to be caught without green on! Remedy that with these adorable shamrock earrings! I'm loving the beaded earrings and these just might have to be added to my collection. They look so fun!

5. I definitely have multiple personalities...

Have a fabulous weekend! I'm going to be basking in the joy of having my friends here and doing all kinds of fun stuff with them. We are going to a cooking class on Saturday and a comedy club that night. Fun times ahead!!

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

2023 St. Patrick's Day Mantel

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday. Today I'm sharing our newly put-up St. Patrick's Day Mantel decorations.

I had fallen in love with our Valentine's Mantel, so disassembling it and replacing the decorations with our St. Patrick's Day things wasn't high on my list of things to do. But I'm hosting a girls' weekend at our house this weekend and wanted the decorations to be holiday appropriate. This week down came the pink and red and up went the green, orange, and white!

The decorations were all things that we had already. There hasn't been much extra time to shop for anything new, but I managed to fill it all in with items from our current stash. One of the things I've been using for years now is the garland I made. We have definitely got our use out of it!

Hobby Lobby has been carrying little leprechauns figurines for years and I've managed to collect quite a few. They are so darn cute!

A few years ago, I picked up a couple signs from Hobby Lobby too. I didn't know when I bought them if they would work anywhere. I think they work great on the mantel!

My friend, Carol, showed me how to roll up a felt placement and put it in the apothecary jar for a pop of color. Genius!

Now that the mantel is done, it's on to the tiered tray! I'll be posting it soon.

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share!

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - February 22, 2023

Welcome to another week of the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! We are so glad that you stopped by.

Ahna – HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Emily – LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
Tara – STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST
Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER

TOP VIEWED

2023 Spring Home Tour Inspiration

VERY POPULAR

Some Thrift Stores

13 Amazing Planters

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.

Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please. Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.

Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive. Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let’s Party!

Monday, February 20, 2023

2023 Hawaii Trip - Day 2

Day 2 in Hawaii did not disappoint! Our second day was the Sunday of the AFC championship football game. We knew whatever we did that day, we wanted to be in a spot to catch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Because of the time difference, we rose early and decided to take a walk. This view was steps away from the hotel ~

Because of the milder temperature, we decided it would be the perfect day to conquer The Pink Pill Box hike. On our way out of the resort, look who we spotted - Mickey! I don't know what it is, but seeing him always makes me giddy!

If you're not familiar with the Hawaii pill boxes, they were defensive bunkers used during World War II. They are scattered across the island and many have hikes leading to them. The views looking in, out, and around them are phenomenal!

Let me just declare this - Eric and I are not experienced hikers! We occasionally will hike around, but this was a true hike - up the side of a mountain. Thank goodness we had our trekking sticks because several times I needed them for balance. The short ridge hike is on the west side of Oahu and overlooks beautiful stretches of beaches. The terrain is rocky and uneven, but we took it slow and steady and reached the top! By the time we reached the top, I felt like Rocky did when he ran up all those steps.

The trip down was much faster than the trip up. We were back at the resort in time for the game and decided we would watch the first half at Off the Hook. They had outside seating and large televisions. Perfect!

At halftime, we moved into the infinity hot tub and propped a device up to stream the second half. It was one of the best places I've ever watched a sporting event!

After enjoying the big win by the Chiefs and our skin being completely shriveled from all the time in the hot tub, we made our way back to our rooms to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at the Italian restaurant, Noe, in the Four Seasons Hotel next door to Aulani. I ordered the Noe Signature Tagliatelle (seasonal truffle, mushroom, Parmigiano Reggiano). It was divine!

When dinner was over, we walked back to our resort and called it a night. Monday was going to be another big day. Day Three was taking us to Pearl Harbor. Post on that coming soon!

Friday, February 17, 2023

Five on Friday - February 17, 2023

Happy Friday! Some of you might be looking at a three-day weekend if you're off for Presidents' Day on Monday. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people but I'm still pretty darn excited about the weekend. Let me kick it off with my five for this week ~

1. Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs

We've been walking around with big smiles on our faces all week because our football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, brought home a win last Sunday. Every year I wonder why the Super Bowl is played on Sunday night. If anyone knows the reason, I'd love to hear it. But I digress...

At the end of the game, Jerik McKinnon stopped just short of the goal line, allowing the clock to tick down until there was just enough time to kick a field goal. I wasn't thrilled with the play call, but it worked! The below explains it. Jerik McKinnon - way to go!

2. Daisy Jones and The Six

If you're a reader of Taylor Jenkins Reid - how excited are you that Daisy Jones and The Six is going to be a mini-series on Prime! It will be released on March 3 and I'm here for it! If you haven't read it, here's the order you should read Taylor Jenkins Reid's novels ~

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - 50s
Daisy Jones and The Six - 70s music scene
Malibu Rising - mostly 80s
Carrie Soto is Back - 90s

The books aren't sequels, but they all exist within the same fictional universe.  You'll notice a few reoccurring characters woven into the four books.

I've read all four and loved them all!  Add them to your TBR list if you haven't already read these books.  By the way, Riley Keough is slated to play Daisy Jones.  You might remember hearing her name recently because she's the daughter is Lisa Marie Presley.

3.  The Lives We Actually Have

One of the podcasts I love is The Next Right Thing, with Emily P. Freeman. This week she has Kate Bowler on the show with her talking about her new book, The Lives We Actually Have.  I couldn't order it fast enough.  I even bought a few extra copies to give to friends.  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

We live in a world that demands relentless perfection. Happy marriages and easy friendships. Bucket list–level adventures and matching family photos. But what if our actual lives don’t feel very #blessed? Might our everyday existence be worthy of a blessing too? Even an average Tuesday?

Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie offer creative, faith-based blessings that center gratitude and hope while acknowledging our real, messy lives. Formatted like a prayer book, The Lives We Actually Have is an oasis and a landing spot for weary souls, with blessings that focus on the full range of human moments: garbage days, lovely days, grief-stricken days, and even (especially) completely ordinary days. These heartfelt blessings are a chance to exhale when we feel everything from careworn to restless, devastated to bored. Let’s have a reminder that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have.

4.  TRUSTFALL

Pink's newest album is releasing today.  It just might be playing nonstop at our house this weekend!  The thirteen-song collection has been highly anticipated and marks her ninth studio album.  With the new album also comes a new concert tour.  She'll be kicking off her North America tour starting in July of this year.  St. Louis isn't one of her current stops.   This might be one worth a road trip!

5.  Some days go like this...

Have a wonderful weekend!  We have our small group from church meeting tonight.  A few of my girlfriends are getting together Saturday night and I'm hosting wedding workday at our house on Sunday.  Lots to do this weekend!  See you next week.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

2023 Hawaii Trip - Day 1

Aloha! We are just back from a week in Hawaii and what a trip it was! Last fall, our son and daughter-in-law gifted us with this adventure. The best part was they went with us and planned our entire stay. It was one of our best trips EVER! Today I'm thinking out loud about Day 1.

The trip started bright and early on Saturday morning. Our Southwest flight left St. Louis at 5:50 am, went through Phoenix, and landed in Honolulu at 1:45 pm. When we left St. Louis, the temperature was 33 degrees. When we arrived in Hawaii, the temperature was a perfect 73 degrees. Ahhh, it was so wonderful to be in warmer temperatures!

After picking up our rental car, we headed straight to our resort. Our home away from home for the week was Aulani, the Disney resort.

Aulani was a magical place to stay! Disney just knows how to do everything right. From the moment was stepped into the gorgeous lobby, I could feel my body and soul start to relax. Check-in was a breeze and we were soon on our way to our room.

I really can't say enough good things about the resort. If anyone has specific questions you would like me to answer, please feel free to direct message me and I'll share my honest feedback. It was fun and impressive when we walked into the room and saw our name on the television.

The room has a small frig, microwave, and dishwasher. It also has a toaster and coffee maker. It would be possible if you wanted to do some simple meal prep in the room. And the site from the ocean view rooms is breathtaking!

We decided to head to one of the restaurants right away to celebrate our arrival with a cocktail. Off the Hook has outdoor seating and a fun environment. Oh, and they have awesome cocktails!

There were plenty of things to explore around the resort so we took some time to walk around and soak it in.

For dinner, we had reservations at Makahiki. Makahiki is one of the restaurants at the resort so it was easy to leave our rooms and walk to dinner. We sat outside under string lights and enjoyed the live music while eating a fabulous meal. I could really get used to this Hawaii life!

After dinner, we called it an early night. The four-hour time difference was starting to catch up to us and we were going hiking the next day.

Next up will be our Day 2. Hopefully, I'll get to it soon!

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share!