Penny's Passion

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - August 10, 2022

Has school started for your area? It's a busy time of year! Take a break and check out some of these fun articles and if you'd like leave an article below.

Hope you enjoy this week's Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!

Five on Friday - August 5, 2022

Happy Friday! Glad you stopped by for Five on Friday today.

1. Back to School Tax Holidays

Back to school is right around the corner. Several states are hosting a tax holiday to help save on all the items you might need like computers, clothes, and school supplies. In Missouri, you can even get your graphing calculators (up to $150) tax-free! Check your state's department of revenue website to get all the limits and details.

2. Bullet Train

Brad Pitt's latest movie releases today and it's going straight on my watch list. We've seen the previews and I'm more excited about seeing it than Eric is, but I'm sure he'll be happy to go with me. Here's the summary from Rotten Tomatoes ~

In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe -- all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives -- on the world's fastest train. From the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch, the end of the line is only the beginning in a wild, non-stop thrill ride through modern-day Japan.

3. National Friendship Day

Sunday is National Friendship Day! Make it a point to let your friends know how much you appreciate them. A simple text is enough to brighten someone's day. Here's a little history of this holiday ~

National Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards. However, by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually, it died out completely. Then, in 1998 Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations. In April 2011, the United Nations officially recognized 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August!

4. Bedsure Satin Pillowcases

This week I purchased a set of Bedsure Satin Pillowcases from Amazon. I kept seeing things about how satin pillowcases are so much cooler and better for the skin on your face. At a weak moment, I put a pair in my Amazon cart and checked out before I changed my mind. I'm not going to lie, I love them! They are truly cooler and if I'm getting any benefit with my skin that will just be an added bonus. Definitely don't have buyer's remorse on this purchase!

5. Something to ponder...

Let's get this weekend started! On Saturday, we are going to my hometown for the annual Old Settlers Picnic. While there we will enjoy playing bingo, walking the cake walk, and watching the kids in the pedal tractor pull. Sunday we're going on a little adventure. Pop in next week to read all about it!

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

What I Read in July

Happy August! Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something I'm thinking out loud about and invite you to link up and do the same. Today I'm reflecting on the books I read in July.

In July I discovered Colleen Hoover. I honestly don't know how this author never made my reading list before now. I read two of her books last month and can't wait to read more! The first one was Reminders of Him. It's free if you have Kindle Unlimited, but even if I would have paid for it the book would have been worth it. I had a hard time putting this one down! Warning: there are a couple very steamy parts, so heads up if that's not your thing. Here's the summary from Amazon ~

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

The second Colleen Hoover book was Regretting You. This one was free with Kindle Unlimited too! Again, this book held my interest and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Here's the summary ~

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris―Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

Our library book club selection this month was The Hilarious World of Depression by John Moe. I say this all the time, I love being in book clubs because it forces me to read books I typically wouldn't have even picked up. This is one of those books. It was an interesting take on depression and how people inflicted with this disease see things. John Moe had a podcast talking about this same subject so you might have heard of him. Here's the book summary ~

For years John Moe, critically acclaimed public radio personality and host of The Hilarious World of Depression podcast, struggled with depression; it plagued his family and claimed the life of his brother in 2007. As Moe came to terms with his own illness, he began to see similar patterns of behavior and coping mechanisms surfacing in conversations with others, including high-profile comedians who’d struggled with the disease. Moe saw that there was tremendous comfort and community in open dialogue about these shared experiences and that humor had a unique power. Thus was born the podcast The Hilarious World of Depression.

Inspired by the immediate success of the podcast, Moe has written a remarkable investigation of the disease, part memoir of his own journey, part treasure trove of laugh-out-loud stories and insights drawn from years of interviews with some of the most brilliant minds facing similar challenges. Throughout the course of this powerful narrative, depression’s universal themes come to light, among them, struggles with identity, lack of understanding of the symptoms, the challenges of work-life, self-medicating, the fallout of the disease in the lives of our loved ones, the tragedy of suicide, and the hereditary aspects of the disease.

The Hilarious World of Depression illuminates depression in an entirely fresh and inspiring way.

This program features podcast interviews with Maria Bamford, Guy Branum, Neal Brennan, Dick Cavett, Margaret Cho, Ana Marie Cox, Whitney Cummings, Mike Drucker, Solomon Georgio, Chris Gethard, John Green, Gary Gulman, Hannah Hart, Jenny Jaffe, Jen Kirkman, Jenny Lawson, Aimee Mann, Rhett Miller, Reggie Osse, Kryssy Pease, Andy Richter, Peter Sagal, Scott Thompson, Paul F. Tompkins, Jeff Tweedy, Baron Vaughn, Wil Wheaton and Mara Wilson.

Lastly, I listened to Mitch Albom's The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. Mitch Albom's books always make me reflect on my life and this book was no exception. Many musicians are woven into the story, which made it fun to read.

Narrated by the voice of Music itself, the story follows Frankie Presto, a war orphan born in a burning church, through his extraordinary journey around the world. Raised by a blind guitar teacher in Spain and gifted with a talent to change people’s lives—using six mysterious blue strings—Frankie navigates the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from the 1950s jazz scene to the Grand Ole Opry to Elvis mania and Woodstock, all the while searching for his childhood love.

As he becomes a famous star, he loses his way, until tragedy steals his ability to play the guitar that had so defined him. Overwhelmed by his loss, Frankie disappears for decades, reemerging late in life for one spectacular yet mystifying farewell.

Part love story, part magical mystery, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is Mitch Albom at his finest, a Forrest Gump-like epic about one man’s journey to discover what truly matters and the power of talent to change our lives.

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

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - August 3, 2022

Welcome to this week's blog hop full of inspiration and features from dozens of bloggers including a delicious blueberry muffin breakfast cake recipe.

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

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

Please follow the hosts on at least 1 social media channel!

Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
Pam - AN ARTFUL MOM | 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
Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

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!

Weekending - July 29, 2022

We sent July off with a final weekend of fun. Here's the rewind ~

Friday night we crashed on the couch with takeout as soon as we got home. It had a full week and we were ready to do nothing. We started watching the Hulu series called The Dropout and binge-watched until way past our normal bedtime. Have you seen this show? It's the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her rise, and fall, from fame. Amanda Seyfried earned her first Emmy nomination for her role as Elizabeth and I can totally understand why. She did an amazing job!

Saturday morning I spent some time getting ready for my niece to be's shower that was coming up on Sunday. I love showing up with a pretty wrapped gift!

The afternoon was spent at a friend's house enjoying her pool with other friends from our church group. Not a single picture was snapped! The hostess had a delicious spread of food for lunch and then we floated around in her pool catching up. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

That evening we caught the most spectacular sunset from our patio. Great ending to a wonderful day!

Sunday was my niece to be's shower and it was lovely! We are so excited to be welcoming Kristian into our family!

My dress is from Amazon. I picked this up at the beginning of summer for a rehearsal dinner and it's become my go-to dress. It's been washed several times and still looks as good as the day it arrived. Maybe it's time for me to get it in one of the other many colors it comes in!

Sunday night we finished The Dropout and got ready for the week ahead. It's hard to believe we are in August already! Hope you were able to end July on a high note!

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Five on Friday - July 29, 2022

Coming at you today with the last Five on Friday for July! Look what I have for you today ~

1. National Lasagna Day

Wondering what to have for dinner tonight? Have lasagna because it's National Lasagna Day! This is one of my favorite dishes to make and one of my family's favorite dishes to eat, so it's a great combo. It's one of those things that I even have a special pan we always make it in. Do you have a recipe like that?

2. Choco Taco

Klondike broke the hearts of many this week when they announced they were stopping production forever on their Choco Taco. Once stores sell out of their current supply, they are gone. So if you're a lover of the Choc Taco and you see some, grab them up fast! Time is limited on how much longer they will be available.

3. Mega Millions

In case you haven't heard, the MegaMillions jackpot for tonight is over a billion (that's BILLION, with a B) dollars. Boy, the things I could do with that! But if you win, don't expect to become an instant billionaire. The cash payment for a jackpot in the 1 billion range is $648.2 million, minus the mandatory 24% in federal taxes which would reduce your winnings by $155.6 million. You'd end up pocketing about $492.6 million. Even with the deductions, that's a pretty hefty amount!

4. Beyonce's New Album - Renaissance

Beyonce's new album, Renaissance, releases today and I can't wait to hear it! Apparently, there was a leak earlier this week, but it is officially available today. The tracklist includes 16 new songs and is her seventh album. Happy listening!

5. This is me...

Have a great weekend! I'm going to a pool party tomorrow and a bridal shower on Sunday. It's going to be a fun, fun weekend! See you next week.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - July 28, 2022

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.

I've been in a little funk lately and decided to focus on doing some things that make me happy. One of the things I love to do is make cards. This week I took a minute to put some cards together.

Not only do I love making cards, but mailing them to friends is just as fun. It's great to have a few cards on hand for when I want to drop a note to someone and my stash was completely depleted. It makes me happy that I have a few ready to go!

Late in the pandemic, I hopped on the sourdough trail but over time had stopped baking. For some reason, pulling a loaf of homemade bread out of the oven brings me joy. So I got some new starter from a friend and hopped back on making sourdough.

What are some things that make you happy? I'd love to hear so maybe I could try them too!

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