Penny's Passion: September 2025

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - September 24, 2025

 

Welcome to 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, then 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
  1. Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  2. Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  3. Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X
  4. Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE
  5. Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE

HIGHLIGHTS LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Five on Friday - September 19, 2025

Happy Friday!  I'm so excited for the weekend because we have a friend coming to visit.  As soon as the work day is over, it's going to be fun times the whole weekend!  Let's kick things off with my five for today ~

1.  Black Rabbit
We’ve always been big fans of Jason Bateman, so I’m really looking forward to checking out his upcoming Netflix series Black Rabbit. To make it even better, he’s starring alongside Jude Law in what’s being described as an eight-part thriller. The story follows two brothers—Jake, played by Law, and Vince, played by Bateman—whose lives intertwine in dramatic and unexpected ways. The series is set against the backdrop of New York City, which should add a gritty, atmospheric layer to the suspense. This one is definitely on my must-watch list!


2.  The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
Elin Hilderbrand's newest book was released this week.  She wrote The Academy with her daughter Shelby Cunningham.  It went straight on my TBR list!  Here's the summary ~
It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news arrives: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.

As if high school wasn’t dramatic enough...As the year unfolds, bonds are forged and broken, secrets are shared and exposed, and the lives of Tiffin’s students and staff are changed forever. The Academy is Elin Hilderbrand’s fresh, buzzy take on boarding school life, and a thrilling new direction from one of America’s most satisfying and popular storytellers.
This week I needed to restock my nail top coat, and it reminded me that it’s the perfect time to share my tried-and-true favorite again. For years, Seche Vite has been my absolute go-to, and honestly, it’s still one of the best beauty products I’ve ever used. It gives your nails such a beautiful, glossy shine while also protecting your polish so it lasts longer without constant touch-ups or repainting. One of the biggest perks is how quickly it dries—no more sitting around forever waiting for your nails to harden. If you’ve never tried Seche Vite, you’re definitely missing out on a true nail game-changer!

4. Play
Guess who had a new album that released on September 12 - Ed Sheeran!  His brand-new album is out and it's called Play.  I’ve been so excited to give it a listen. It’s got that classic Ed vibe we all know and love—emotional lyrics and super catchy melodies—but he also mixes in a few fresh sounds that caught me by surprise. Some songs feel really personal, like he’s letting us peek into the ups and downs he’s been through lately, while others just make you want to hit repeat because they’re so fun. Honestly, it feels a little like catching up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while—comforting and familiar, but with some new stories to tell. If you’re an Ed Sheeran fan, I think you’re going to love it.

5.  Yep...


Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Tomorrow night we’re heading to an Autumn Glow event, and I can’t wait to experience it and see what it’s all about. Catch you next week!

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

A Day Among Giants: King’s Canyon Adventure

Hello and welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  This is a time when I share something I'm thinking out loud about and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm continuing my recap from our recent vacation to California and our day in King's Canyon.  If you missed my previous post on our days in Sequoia or where we stayed, you can catch up here:



Disclaimer on our visit to King's Canyon:  I spent most of the day curled up in a fetal position in the car sick as a dog.  When I woke up, I had a horrible headache, but was hoping it would go away as the day progressed.  It didn't.  It got worse to the point where it was making me sick to my stomach.  But I didn't let that stop me from getting as much out of the day as I could!

Our first stop was at the visitors' center.  I stayed in the car while Eric and our friends enjoyed a park ranger chat and got the lay of the land.  We were hoping that if I sat in the car for a bit I would feel better.  No such luck.

Our next stop was Big Stump Grove, where a simple trail winds through the woods past numerous fallen stumps. Eric and I took our time strolling along the path, while Jill and Craig ventured farther in and discovered the historic tree that visitors can actually walk across.


The rest of the day felt like a bit of a blur for me, but what I did manage to take in was truly stunning. I hope we’ll have the chance to return to this park someday, because the scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. I’ve always said I’d do just about anything to see a waterfall, and I proved that to myself on this trip when I pulled myself out of the car and hiked the short trail to witness a gorgeous cascade.



Another especially memorable moment was spotting two playful bear cubs scampering along after their mother!


The beauty of this park is something I’ll never forget. I’ll always be grateful to Eric and our friends for their kindness and patience while I wasn’t feeling my best, allowing me to still enjoy the day as much as possible.





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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - September 17, 2025

 

Welcome to 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, then 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
  1. Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  2. Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  3. Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X
  4. Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE
  5. Denise – THIS IS MY EVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | X | YOUTUBE

HIGHLIGHTS LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Five on Friday - September 12, 2025

What a week it has been. I usually like to keep this space light and uplifting, often choosing to focus on the good rather than the bad. But the tragedies our country has faced this week feel especially heavy. My hope is that, together, we can move forward with compassion, decency, and unity.

Here's my Five on Friday for this week ~

1.  Downton Abbey:  The Grand Finale
I’m so excited that the new Downton Abbey movie is finally here this weekend! Ever since the very first episode aired back in 2011, I’ve been captivated by the characters and their storylines. Now we get the chance to enjoy them one last time on the big screen. Here’s a look at the movie summary ~
DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE, the cinematic return of the global phenomenon, follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. When Mary finds herself at the center of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.

2.  Honey Roasted Peanut M&M's
M&M’s has done it again—and I am here for it! Their latest flavor is a sweet-and-salty twist that’s sure to be a hit—Honey Roasted Peanut. Just when you thought the classic peanut M&M’s couldn’t get any better, they’ve added that irresistible honey-roasted crunch we all know and love. I can already tell this one is going to be a favorite for movie nights, road trips, and anytime those chocolate cravings strike.
3.  The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore
The fifth book in the popular Dream Harbor romance series just released this week! You might recognize it as the Pumpkin Spice Café series. I absolutely adored the first three books, while the fourth one was just okay for me—but now I can’t wait to dive into book five! (Fair warning: these stories definitely have their spicy moments!) Here’s the summary ~
As owner of her beloved Gingerbread Bakery, Annie Andrews should have a love life to match her business; sugary and sweet. But instead, she’s locked in a game of words with the irritatingly upbeat bar owner down the street.

Mac Sullivan has everything he wants, except the girl he dreams of. It’s easier to argue with Annie than get her to talk to him but with Jeanie and Logan’s wedding coming up, they're about to spend a lot more time together.

As the snowflakes fall and with romance in the air, will Annie see that the one she loves to hate might just be her perfect match after all?

With holiday cooking and baking just around the corner, I’m seriously thinking about adding a few silicone mixing bowl liners to my kitchen must-haves. Whenever I’m in the middle of a big baking session, it feels like I’m constantly stopping to wash out the mixing bowl. These handy liners would let me keep right on mixing without the extra cleanup in between.


5.  Yep...


We are just back from a fantastic trip to Disney!  There will definitely be some resting up this weekend to recover.  We also have a dinner party on Saturday, church on Sunday and the Chiefs game.  Hmmm...I'm not sure how much "resting up" there will be time for!  See you next week.

Friday, September 5, 2025

Recent Amazon Purchases - Disney Edition

Hi there! Today I’m giving you a peek at a few of the Amazon deliveries that arrived for our Disney trip.



Let’s kick things off with Bonine. Honestly, this little bottle is a total lifesaver for me. Without it, the trip just wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable. These tablets completely take away any motion sickness I might get from traveling or hopping on rides, and the best part is they don’t leave me feeling drowsy. It’s like having a bit of magic in pill form that keeps me feeling great the whole time!


Next up are these adorable Disney Hair Bows!  My niece has really long hair and I can't wait to put it up in ponytails and clip on these bows.  The pack comes with 4 different colors.  Every outfit I'm taking for her is covered!


The night before we left, I painted my and my niece's nails.  Then I popped on some of these Cartoon Nail Art stickers!  It was super easy and our nails look adorable!  The packages comes with a ton of stickers.


We will be getting the refillable mugs at our resort and I'll be able to keep them clean with these Camp Soap for Dishes and Hands.  The package is small so they fit perfectly in our tight suitcases.



I blogged about these a couple weeks ago in one of my Five on Friday posts.  I feel so much safety having these Kids Shoes Air Tag Holders on the kids shoes!



I'm so excited that our Disney adventure is finally happening! I just know it’s going to be filled with so many fun moments, new memories, and probably a few surprises along the way. I can’t wait to come back and share all the details with you—the highlights of the trip, the little tips and tricks we picked up, and of course, all the magical experiences that made it extra special. Stay tuned, because I’ll have plenty to tell once we return!

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Five on Friday - September 5, 2025

Happy Friday!  We are so excited over here because tomorrow is the day to leave for Disney!  Our niece and nephew will be joining us and this is their first time visiting the parks.  I can't wait to see their excitement and share the experience with them!  Before we head out, let me share my five for this week ~

1.  The Paper
There's a new comedy on Peacock starting yesterday titled The Paper and I can't wait to watch!  If you loved The Office, you are probably going to want to catch it too.  Here's the summary ~
Do you miss The Office? Well, Greg Daniels (creator of the US version we’re talkin’ about) is sending the documentary crew that chronicled the exploits of Dunder Mifflin’s variously wacky employees to follow around the staff of a Toledo, Ohio newspaper. With Dunder Mifflin’s own Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez) on the paper’s masthead, it sounds like Daniels and co-creator Michael Koman (Nathan for You) wanna recapture some of The Office’s lightning in a bottle. I hope they do. The Office (and Parks and Recreation) are two comfort comedies I sorely miss. Recycled ideas or not, I’m ready to subscribe to The Paper. Four episodes debut today, then two eps will drop weekly until September 25.


We always seem to cook more once fall and winter roll around. This new cookbook feels like the perfect fit for the season! Packed with over 100 quick and easy one-pot and one-pan recipes—each inspired by the Blue Zones and ready in 30 minutes or less—it’s a great way to add fresh variety to our recipe collection.  Here's the summary ~

After more than 20 years spent uncovering the secrets of the blue zones—the happiest and healthiest places around the world—Dan Buettner puts the lessons he's learned into practice with 100 research-backed recipes designed to boost your longevity.

Inside you'll find easier-than-ever plant-based breakfasts, dinners, snacks, and sides inspired by the blue zones, with grocery store-available ingredients and made with flavors Americans love best, including:

A protein-packed Tex-Mex Breakfast Skillet
The perfect crunchy snack: Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Good-for-the-soul Creamy White Bean and Tomato Soup
A twist on a classic: a Deluxe Blue Zones Minestrone
Veggie-loaded Spanakopita Pasta
Crowd-pleasing Southern Style Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu with Sweet Corn and Green Beans
An easy Slow Cooker Bourguignon
No-Bake Peanut Butter and Honey Cookie Bites
Written with busy households in mind, these one pot, one pan, or one baking sheet recipes enable you to eat like the world’s longest-lived people without spending hours in the kitchen.

Perfect for busy families, health-minded home cooks, culinary enthusiasts, and anyone interested in eating the Blue Zones way, this is a cookbook that will change your diet—and your life.
3.  Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Aldi’s seasonal section is brimming with autumn goodness right now, and it’s making me so ready for cozy mornings and crisp evenings. I can’t wait to try the pumpkin spice waffles—they seem like just the right mix of comfort and fall flavor.  Next trip to Aldi's, these are going straight in my cart!

Rock painting is such a fun and creative craft for the kiddos, and I have to admit—I might just enjoy it myself! There’s something so satisfying about picking up a plain rock and turning it into a little work of art. Right now, these markers are on sale, making it the perfect opportunity to grab a set for the whole family. They’re not just for rocks either—they work beautifully on fabric, wood, and glass, so the possibilities for creative projects are endless. Whether you’re decorating the garden, personalizing gifts, or just enjoying a relaxing craft session, these markers make it easy and fun to get creative.



5.  My poor husband...


Have a great weekend!  We will be on vacation, but I'm hoping to have an Amazon purchase post for you on Monday.  See you soon!

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

What I Read in August 2025

Hi friends! Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday. This is my little space to share what’s been on my mind and to invite you to join in by linking up and sharing your own thoughts. On the first Thursday of each month, I like to look back and recap the books I read in the month before. So, here we go ~


Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
I loved this book so much!  As a matter of fact, I'm going to be recommending it to every book club I belong to!  I can totally understand how it became a Reese's Book Club Pick.  Here's the summary ~
“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

This was our August library book club selection, and it was a big hit with everyone. The book was packed with fascinating stories and details—I especially enjoyed gaining a deeper understanding of this period in history!
Timothy Egan turns his historian's eye to the largest-ever forest fire in America and offers an epic, cautionary tale for our time.

On the afternoon of August 20, 1910, a battering ram of wind moved through the drought-stricken national forests of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, whipping the hundreds of small blazes burning across the forest floor into a roaring inferno that jumped from treetop to ridge as it raged, destroying towns and timber in the blink of an eye. Forest rangers had assembled nearly ten thousand men to fight the fires, but no living person had seen anything like those flames, and neither the rangers nor anyone else knew how to subdue them. Egan recreates the struggles of the overmatched rangers against the implacable fire with unstoppable dramatic force, and the larger story of outsized president Teddy Roosevelt and his chief forester, Gifford Pinchot, that follows is equally resonant. Pioneering the notion of conservation, Roosevelt and Pinchot did nothing less than create the idea of public land as our national treasure, owned by every citizen. Even as TR's national forests were smoldering they were saved: The heroism shown by his rangers turned public opinion permanently in favor of the forests, though it changed the mission of the forest service in ways we can still witness today.

We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes
JoJo Moyes’s newest release was another winner in my eyes! From the very beginning, I felt connected to the characters and completely invested in their stories. The pacing kept me turning the pages quickly, eager to see what would happen next. It’s one of those books that pulls you in and doesn’t let go—I didn’t want it to end!
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.

 
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
I have to admit, reading this book made ME a little bit anxious!  There were a lot of words that seemed, at times, to just go on and on.  That being said, the ending was very sweet and I'm glad I hung with it.  
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Monday, September 1, 2025

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - September 3, 2025

 

Welcome to 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, then 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
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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter