Penny's Passion

Monday, October 10, 2016

Weekending - October 7, 2016

Oh my goodness -- this Monday came way too quick. This weekend was full of fun, family, friends and food. Great times!

Friday night I had the opportunity to meet my friend, Lauren's, new baby. She is the sweetest, cutest, most adorable little one! You might remember I had a gender reveal party for Lauren with our friends last May. If you missed it, you can see it HERE. Can't wait for the opportunity to hold her again!

Saturday morning Eric and I headed to see The Girl on the Train. We love going to movies on Saturday morning and chose a dine in theater to catch this flick. I had not finished the book, so the ending was a surprise to me. Overall, I give this movie a 7 out of 10. Did you get a chance to see it? What did you think?

When we left the movie we drove to Long Row Lavender Farm. This lavender farm is located in Wright City, Missouri. Great find! The shop, which is open on Saturdays, is full of wonderful lavender products. Eric and I enjoyed walking the rows of fragrant plants and checking out the items for sale.

Since we were so close to my home town, we drove on down to get our niece and nephews fix It was fun to surprise my parents with a drop in visit. The babies are growing so fast and I'm so glad we are close enough to watch them grow.

Sunday after church we met up with Ian and Kayla for a quick lunch. We chose Twin Oak BBQ and Pizza to dine. It was the first time any of us had been there and have to admit, it was just okay. We ordered the Cheese and Beer soup, Mac and Cheese with burnt ends and a pizza. The pizza was the best thing we had.

After lunch, Kayla and I broke away to do some shopping. We accidentally stumbled into a shop that I'm so excited about - Nothing Bundt Cakes. The shop was adorable and the cakes were delicious. Trust me, you will be seeing these little babies at a party at my house in the near future. I don't know how this shop hasn't been on my radar before now! I purchased a small lemon bundlet for Eric and I to share. Their little bundtinis would make perfect desserts for a party.

After visiting a few more shops, I needed to head home so I could head out with Sherri and Tracy. We had tickets for the Tribute to Prince at the St. Louis Symphony. Oh.My.Goodness -- great night!! Jason Tenner flew in from Vegas to sing along with the orchestra. The lively crowd sang, danced and were able to enjoyed a special "Purple Rain" cocktail. I totally blew it on my outfit. Should definitely had worn purple. What was I thinking?!? Truly enjoyed every second of the show.

Monday is here and it's back to work. The weekend was a blast and hard to believe it's over already. How was your weekend? Hope it was great! Oh -- regarding the bundlet, Eric and I devoured it while watching the debate which we had recorded. So, so good!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

Champagne and Suburbs

B Loved Boston

More Pieces of Me

Bella and the City
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
Over the Moon

This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Five on Friday - October 7, 2016

Welcome to Friday! This week has flown by and I would be lying if I said I wasn't so excited for the weekend looking at us in face. I have a list a mile long of things to do and but some really fun stuff happening too. And I'm excited to share my five with you today ~

1. Register to Vote
Are you registered to vote this November? Many of the state deadlines to registered are fast approaching (Missouri is October 12), so if you're not registered you should hop on it. Having the right to vote is such a privilege - don't waste your chance!

2. OPI Breakfast at Tiffany's Nail Polish
OPI has done it again - the new Breakfast at Tiffany's colors are out. Twelve magnificent colors just in time for the holidays. There are several collections available at Ulta. How fun would these be to tuck in someone's Christmas stocking. Hey - it's not too early to start thinking about Christmas. Only 78 more wake ups until the big day.

Click HERE to purchase

3. Hands Free Life
Over the last several days, I've listened to Rachel Macy Stafford's Hands Free Life as I'm getting ready for work. I wish I could place a copy of this book in every young mother's hands! Really, it is a great book for everyone. The thought-provoking messages are well written and interesting. It is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. Want a copy? Click HERE to get yours.

4. The Girl on the Train Movie
I've been waiting for this one! The book got so much hype, but I really never got into it. To be honest, once I saw the previews for the movie I stopped reading and thought I'd just wait for the movie release. Well it's released! Hoping to find a time to see it this weekend. Here's the summary,
"Commuter Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple, Scott and Megan, from the window of her train. One day, Watson witnesses something shocking unfold in the backyard of the strangers' home. Rachel tells the authorities what she thinks she saw after learning that Megan is now missing and feared dead. Unable to trust her own memory, the troubled woman begins her own investigation, while police suspect that Rachel may have crossed a dangerous line."

5. Something to think about.....

Have a great fall weekend! I'm hoping to visit a lavender farm tomorrow and am going to the symphony Sunday for a Prince tribute. Fun, fun and more fun! My goal is to tell you all about it on Monday. I haven't been the best at sharing my weekending adventures with you lately, but hopefully I will be able to fit in a blog post on Monday. Toodles!

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a R eal Housewife

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

5 on Friday
The Triplet Farm
Why Girls Are Weird

This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks!

Friday Favorites Linky Party - October 7, 2016

Boy, do we have some great features for you today! Hope you enjoy checking them all out and adding your blog post below.

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin

Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin

Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

photo Friday Favorites Featured Button.jpg

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - October 6, 2016

Happy Thursday! Thanks for popping in to Thinking Out Loud Thursday and joining me and Vanessa from X-tremely V for this week's installment.

So today I'm thinking (I should say STILL thinking) about how exciting the day was last Friday. Eric, Kayla, my parents and I gathered in Jefferson City, Missouri to witness Ian taking his oath of attorney in front of the Missouri Supreme Court. Tears still gather in my eyes as I reflect on what a wonderful day it was.

As parents, we all wonder if we're "doing it right". These children of ours don't come with instruction manuals and we all have those moments when we look back and know we could have handled certain situations differently. But last Friday, as I watched Ian reach for his certificate certifying him as a member of the Missouri Bar, I felt somewhere along the way I must have done something right. Pride oozed from every fiber of my being. After years of hard work and determination, Ian had reached a goal he had wanted since he was a little boy.

If you're read my blog, you might remember that I was a single parent from the time Ian was 2 until he was 10. We've all read the negative impact divorce has on children and those statistics would literally keep me up at night with worry. By divorcing his father, what had I done to my child? Would he be able to live as normally as a household with two parents? With the high school dropout rate of children of divorced parents being roughly two times higher, would he finish high school? Go to college? Would he become part of the statistic that children are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems than two parent families? All of these things are very scary. Things no one wants for their children!

Now, let me make something VERY clear -- I am NOT suggesting that everyone should run out and get a divorce. But what I am saying is if you are a single parent laying awake at night worrying about the welfare of your children, there is hope. More than hope really, there is promise. You can make their lives as wonderful and magical as you want it to be. There may not be money for extravagant trips or new clothes for every occasion, but you can love them as much as humanly possible and find ways to make their lives full of happy memories. Don't let the fact that you are a single parent stand in your way of raising truly magnificent children!

What are you thinking out loud about today? Join us by linking up below and sharing your thoughts.

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Bows and Clothes

Party at My Place
This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Five on Friday - September 30, 2016

Can you believe it's Friday!! I'm off work today for a very exciting reason. Eric, my parents, Kayla and I will be in Jefferson City to witness Ian taking the Oath of Admission and officially become an attorney. Can you feel the pride oozing from my fingers as I type that sentence?!? It will be a day we will always remember and I'm so very grateful to be able to be there to see it.

Before all that excitement, here's my five for today ~

1. Emoji Cookie Cutter Set

Check out these super cute emoji cookie cutters from Pampered Chef! How much fun would it be to make emoji cookies with the kids?!? Or think of taking emoji cookies to your next party! What makes them even better is the fact that Pampered Chef will contribute $1 for each set sold to Feeding America. Want some? Click HERE to purchase.

2. Deep Water Horizon

Many of you might be excited to see Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children that's opening this weekend, but I'm more intrigued about Deep Water Horizon. This flick is based on the true events that happened on the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010. It stars Mark Wahlberg, who I could watch on the big screen all day long. Also in the movie is Kate Hudson and Kurt Russell. Rotten Tomatoes is giving this film a pretty good review and I sure hope we can squeeze it in this weekend.

3. Pintuck Swing Dress by Old Navy

With the arrival of fall, I have a desire to add a few casual dresses to my closet. This one from Old Navy is calling my name! How cute is this?!? It's adorable with the flat as shown in the picture, but I'm also seeing it with leggings and boots. Perfect to kick around in over the weekend when we go out for a relaxing dinner. I'm pretty confident I'll be hitting the purchase button and own one of these by Monday morning. It comes in gray (Carbon) and maroon (Marion Berry). Want one too? Click HERE to purchase.

4. Two by Two

The newest Nicholas Sparks book, Two by Two, is scheduled to release on October 4

(that's Tuesday folks), so if you want to pre-order now if the time. Here's how Amazon describes it: At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding-one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined. I see another Nicholas Sparks movie deal, don't you?!?

5. Where I am....

Have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to try very hard to make sure to get a weekending post up on Monday. I did an fun thing for dinner on Wednesday night that I want to share with you. See ya later!

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a R eal Housewife

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

5 on Friday
The Triplet Farm
Why Girls Are Weird

This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks!

Friday Favorites Linky Party - September 30, 2016

This week we have some wonderful favorites! My favorite from last week was the Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes. How great do those sounds?!? Hopefully I'll have a chance to whip some up this weekend. Hope you find many, many things you enjoy in this week's linky party.

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin

Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin

Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - September 29, 2016

Hey, hey! Welcoming to Thinking Out Loud Thursday! Thanks for stopping in today and glad you joined me and Vanessa from X-tremely V for this week's version of Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

I honestly don't know where the month of September has gone. The trip to Hong Kong kept me busy the first half of the month and the last half I've been busy with work. A reminder of fall arrived in St. Louis on Monday with much milder temps and I'm determined to not let the month of October just slip away without enjoying the spectacular display of autumn sights, sounds and tastes. So today I'm thinking out loud about my fall to do list.

~ Family pictures
For the last gosh knows how long, I've wanted to get family pictures taken against a backdrop of fall leaves. Well, this year I'm well on my way! The date is booked with my favorite photographer, Erica Turner of Turner Creative. Now, I just have to figure out what we are going to be wearing!

~ Go to the drive in
I absolutely love sitting under the stars watching a movie on the big screen, especially in the fall when there a chill in the air and you can wrap yourself up in a blanket. We have a drive in very near us and don't go there nearly enough. Time to get this accomplished before they close for the season and I'm not able to cross this off the list.

~ Pick apples
Eckert's is our go-to apple picking spot and while we're there gathering apples there is a ton of other fun things to do. Their restaurant has the best fried chicken around! We also typically take a spin around their country store. Great way to spend part of a day!

~ Try some new soup recipes
You've probably heard me say this before, but I'm definitely a seasonal cook. In the heat of the summer, I never cook soups. But as soon as the temps head south, bring them on! Two of my favorites are the Tuscan Tortellini Soup and Loaded Potato Soup that I've blogged about before. This year I have a couple more in my recipe box that we'll be trying and if they are worthy, I'll share them with you on the blog.

~ Clean out my summer clothes

What better time to sort and donate summer clothes than when you're putting them away for the season. The American Red Cross will be in my neighborhood picking up donations mid-October and that is the perfect time for me to ditch all the clothes from summer that I never even put on my body. I'll be honest, getting rid of things is NOT something I do well. I hang on to far more than I should and I'm going to make an honest effort to release some of those garments I know in my heart I will never, ever wear. Do you have some of those hanging around your closet?

~ Be a better blogger

I've been a bit lax in the blogging world lately...and frankly, I've missed it. I've let the daily grind of life bog me down and I haven't been as intentional as I'd like to be. As much as I absolutely love reading your comments, I'm not so good about always leaving them for others or commenting back. My bad! And I hope to change that moving into forward.

So that's the highlights I'm hoping to hit this fall. What about you? Do you have a fall to do list? Would love to hear about some of the things you are hoping to cross off your list.

Now it's your turn -- link up your favorite post and let us know what you're thinking out loud about today. I promise to visit and comment each and every post. :)

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Bows and Clothes

Party at My Place
This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks!