Bells will be ringing....

It's Christmas time again!  I just wanted to take some time and share with you some of my favorite shots of Christmas morning.  I hope you enjoyed your time with your family on this day, as much as I did. These kids are the reason I live and breathe!  I am so incredibly thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon me!  I love my life!

 

Santa's Coming!!

Hey ya'all!  This is just a quick little post, I wanted to share.  The kids and I spend the day making cookies for Santa's arrival!  Check out how cute they are!

This is my first Christmas since my Mom (step mother technically) passed away.  In her honor we decided that the cookies we left out would have to be snicker doodles because those were her favorite. 

 

We're ready for the big show!!!

 

Merry Christmas,

 

Pennie

Happy Haunkkah

Happy Hanukkah!  Today is officially the last day of Hanukkah, and we have truly enjoyed ourselves!  We did things a little different this year, mostly for financial reasons (see my post below about leaving your car running) but I'm glad we switched things up.  Instead of gifting to each child every night, we set up family gifts. 

 

One night they got a new XBox game (daddy picked it out because I suck at those), another night they got a new movie, a couple nights of board games, Family swim night at our local indoor pool, Barns and Noble gift cards, and the last night TONIGHT was the big one!  We finally told them that the second weekend in January we are taking them to Great Wolf Lodge up in Washington for the night! The point of this was to show them how much it means to have family time.  Chris and I are making a point to our children, of how incredibly lucky they are to constantly be surrounded by people who love them. 

At times having such a large family is exhausting, and annoying to say the least. But when you are feeling down, and really low there is always someone there to pick you up and remind you of all the things that you do wonderfully! We have an amazing built in support system that a lot of families these days are missing. 



Usually I don't make new years resolutions, however this year I just may have to put a little more emphasis on family time.  As they get older it does get harder, but I am determined not to let important time pass us by. 

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, HAPPY EVERYTHING!!!!

Don't leave your car running.....EVER

Go ahead, say it!  I give you permission!  Okay, lets say it together....."Pennie is a flaming idiot!  Being naive is not an excuse for stupidity!" 

So, this might be a little harsh.  I have made some bad decisions in my life, but this one MUST take the cake!  Tip of the top!  I think I should start at the beginning. 

I live in a very nice community.  We are in a suburb of Portland, so we have great access to all things Portland and urban with a touch of weirdness.  I drive to the office every morning, leaving my home just before 5am, stopping to get a coffee at the local 7-11.  The family that owns and runs the one on my block is very kind and is always asking about my kids.  This morning was like any other, I left my car running ran into the store bought my coffee, shared a quick laugh with the cashier like usual.  Walked out of the store to get into my car, and it was GONE!  MY CAR HAD BEEN STOLEN!

I am such a naive imbecile that the thought "Oh no, someone accidentally drove off with my car." ran through my head for about a second.  I called the cops and the nightmare began from there.  My iPhone was inside of my car, luckily the police officer had an iPhone as well and we tried tracking the thieves that way.  It was fruitless, because they turned off the location services as soon as they realized it was there.   The only thing that I had with me was one debit card.  They had EVERYTHING, my purse, credit cards, cash, Christmas gifts, car seats, everything that you would normally have in your car!  Everything was gone in one quick second. 

I have spent the entire day trying to get my life back, all because someone stole.  Stole from me, stole from my children.  I am feeling so angry, so frustrated, so disappointed, so MUCH of everything!  I am emotionally exhausted.  Quite literally, I have no idea who does this to people. 

Why am I telling you all this?  Because I needed an outlet to vent my anger and frustration.  I am a mother who has to be perfect all the time, never showing fear, I always have to stay strong.  This is my moment of weakness.  I needed to get this out, so I can let it go.

Pretty Peacock Perfection

 

I have to admit, even if I do not craft another gift, I am proud of the ones that I have created so far! Considering that I have never done DIY gifts before!  Wreath's are a bit expensive, however I know that my mother really does like them!  I wanted to create something pretty that they would see often, and think of me.

 

I spend an insane amount of time and money at Michael's.  I adore that place, and today I was able to score everything that I needed in one shop! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I honestly don't know anything about creating wreaths, but I love burlap, and the Peacock feather's called to me, The "P" is for their last name, and the glitter is several  shades of blue. 

 

The burlap was super easy to work with, and the feathers are just stuck in there and secured with hot glue.  I secured the ribbon with hot glue so it would not pull. 

 

I just love peacock feathers!  For the "P" I used ModPodge then sprinkled the glitter combination that I liked best, don't forget the top layer as the sealant!

Viola!  Another one down, and another name crossed off the list!  I'm pretty proud so far, and I'm not even done yet! 

Fab or Fail?  What do you think?

Cheers!

 

 

I have been known to enjoy a glass of wine, or three.  May that be in the comfort of my home, while out to dinner, with breakfast (?!?!)  Nah, I'm not quite that bad.  But I do enjoy my wine.  I have a couple of step sisters who also enjoy a glass every now and then.  Plus I love any excuse to play with glitter! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These, are incredibly easy to create!  All you need is: ModPodge, Glitter, Tape, and a Paint Brush. Start by deciding how far up the stem you want the glitter to go then place a piece of tape.  I used painter's tape, however masking tape would work as well. 

 

 

 

Once you have that settled, paint on your ModPodge, don't make it to thick or it will take to long drying.

 

 

 

 

Cover with glitter and leave to dry.  I left mine on the windowsill for about 45 minuets.  

 

 

 

 



  Set aside to dry, mine took about 45 minuets. I then did another layer of modge podge and glitter. 

 

 

 



 

Once both layers were completely dry, I did one layer of ModPodge and left to dry.  This final layer of ModPodge created a sealant so the glitter won't come off.  That being said, these are hand wash only. 

 

 

Viola!  Another project done!  These I will pair with a bottle of wine each, and I have two more step-sisters to cross off the list.  Onto my mother and step father!

 

What do you think?  Fab or Fail?



Seasons Greetings

I love this time of year, the kids are so happy and well behaved as Christmas is just around the corner.  We are a blended religion family, in that I mean I am Jewish and my husband is Baptist. Although he does not practice regularly he cannot imagine NOT celebrating Christmas.  I know, I know BAD JEW!

I am tolerant of all religions, and although I would be perfectly fine with only celebrating Hanukkah and not having a Christmas tree I do not see a problem with allowing my children the freedom of religion.  Plus, now that my in-laws are with us all the time, my mother-in-law would pitch a fit if we didn't have a genuine Christmas tree. 

 

 

 

So I strapped on my Ralph Lauren rain boots, and bundled up in the warmest scarfs and hats I could find and off we went to find us an AWESOME Christmas tree!

 

 

 

 

 

We went to this cute quaint little tree farm out in Boring Oregon. Yes there is literally a town up here that is really called Boring, and yes it's quite boring from what I've seen.  It was family owned and they offered us hot apple cider, and coco for the kids!  The Manley men even offered to load the tree into the truck for us! 

 

 

 

 

It's very hard to find one that every member of the family agrees on!  But once we did, I think we over estimated the height of our ceiling, because the tree was WAY to big for our front room, it would have looked better in our entryway hahaha!

 

 

 



 

I have found joy in Christmas decorating over these past couple of years, and I'll admit the gaudier the better!   I love decorating all the time, but there's a warmth that comes with filling your home with twinkling lights and the smell of a tree in your living room that just makes the long Northwest nights seem a little more bearable. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday whichever way you choose to celebrate it!

 





Staching Through the Snow!

 

 

 

 

December is here and that usually means Christmas Shopping is in FULL SWING!  I like to start my shopping and crafting before Thanksgiving, but I have a LOT of people to gift!  I made these babies up for my coffee obsessed step-sister Melissa.  I have to admit I am quite jealous of these and will probably make myself a set as well.  

 

 

 

 

I did a quick google search for Mustache photo prop printable and had a ton of options to choose from.   

 

 

I liked these ones the best, and because I do not have any talent at drawing a traced these babes onto the cups and then filled them in using a black sharpie. The mugs, I purchased at the dollar store. 

 

I baked these at 350 for 20 minuets.  Viola!  I had fun playing with these, and I hope she will have fun drinking from them as well. 

 

 

My favorite Sugar!

 

I have never created gifts before, but this year we are watching our pennies closely, and I hope that the gifts are enjoyed even more because they were home made.  Stay tuned for more DIY Christmas Gifts....except if your family.  IF YOU'RE FAMILY STAY AWAY!  <3

 

 

If you chose to re-create this project will you use moustaches or do you have another idea?  I saw animal noses, quotes, and all kids of cutesy things.  What will you make?

Thanks for....

I started on the path to Thankfulness on November 1st to document all of the things that I am thankful for, and alas Somewhere during week 3 I could not go on.  Honestly, I think November was against me from the start and it's not even over yet!  I swear, it must have all started on Halloween, it was the very first year I would ever brave the crazy night alone (and by alone I mean Chris would be working).  I enlisted my mother in law to round up the kids, even though she can only watch 1-2 at a time, an extra set of eyes is ALWAYS needed.  On my way there, I was in an accident. Nothing major, and everyone was fine.  I didn't even hit anyone!  Some cars slammed on their breaks, and I just didn't in time.  I ended up hitting the guard rail, and no other cars were involved.  I should have recognized the warning signs.  STOP!  APPROACH NOVEMBER WITH CAUTION!!! 

When I was younger I believed in signs and premonitions of the future.  Maybe I would still if my children would stop screaming long enough for me to pay attention.  Well I didn't approach with caution, and we are all paying for it now.  Do you ever feel like one of those plate spinners?

 

Yes, just as dramatic as this!

 

 

I do have a fear that everything will come tumbling down on me at any moment.  And of course, you know who's left to clean it up.  Mom! 

 

I'm trying to avoid that, and after consideration have decided to take the rest of the month off. I'm going to enjoy my family during the breaks of my juggling act. 

 

Enjoy your November!

Hi, my name is Ruby!

"Good Morning, this is Pennie.  How may I help you?"  This is a line that I repeat several times over the course of my day as I speak from Attorney's in New York, Real Estate Agents in Connecticut, or perhaps a marketing director in London.  You see I have this amazing place that I go to every day, called work.  No, you don't understand.  I actually enjoy being there. 

Today I am incredibly thankful for Ruby Receptionist for giving me the opportunity to let my freak flag fly and thinking I'm awesome for just being me.  I'll quote a client here, when I say "Ruby, is like having a cupcake on your phone!"  This is a compliment that has stuck with me every day for over a year, and I still quote it when I gush about my amazing company.  Recently were were rated the #1 small company to work for in the nation by Forbes magazine.  Now, that is pretty impressive when you think about the fact that most of the receptionists (myself included) are complied of quirky, artsy, down home, sweet ladies.  Whether we're the 19 year old knitting fanatic, or the gardening grandmother of 3.  We are diverse because we are not judgemental.  Do you like helping people?  Are you kind spoken and patient?  When your boss called in sick from work, did you write them a "get well soon card" with a package of hand tissues?  If so.....girl you're a RUBY!  Now you just have to live in Portland (we aren't national or home based)

I am so thankful that I found Ruby, and that they saw all of those qualities in me.  I am lucky enough to have found some of my newest and closest friends since relocating to a new city.  I have never had the luxury of walking into the room and feeling completely accepted.....no matter what.  I am blessed to have such supportive women surrounding me every second of my work week. 

Sunday Nights!

Sunday's are lazy day's for the B-crew, and today was a bit of an exception to the rule. Things were crazy with me having been sick for a couple of days, I am playing catch up.  I never like to start behind, and this weekend I was!  After running around like a crazy mom, yelling, barking orders and making threats my house was finally clean and children were nicely tucked into beds with new sheets and clean bodies.  Tucked into bed is a bit of a strech because there is no school tomorrow, but they are in there rooms doors shut and I can't hear fighting.  So either they are getting along of they have killed oneanother, either way.  I'm taking a moment to myself sipping on a bottle of Hard Cider (my new obsession) and cuddle up with the episode of American Horror Story that I missed last week. 

 

 

Cheers Friends!

Crafty Family!

Today I am thankful for my amazing family who has taught me that making something with your hands gives you a satisfaction unlike any other.  My mother and grandmother began making beautiful beaded earrings and selling them at craft shows when I was a small child.  They were gorgeous, I am only sorry that I do not have any pictures on hand or I would be showing those babies off!  My grandfather started taking metal framed lawn chairs and stripping away the plastic webbing, and replacing it wtih  macrame cord in stunning patterns and colors.  He too would sell these at craft shows, and my grandparents even started their own business for the company. 

 

 

For my coffee obsessed sister.

As a child my mother would have this large bright green box filled with crap.  Feathers, bells, string and yarn, noodles glitter, everything that you could think of and I would sit there and make art for hours.  Now as I craft with my daughters I can't help but look at there art and see some familiar patterns. 

 

 

For my drinking sisters.

 

Over the week I have started several crafty projects that I will blog soon, but as I looked at them today I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  I am giving my family items that they can and will use quite often and (hopefully) they will think of me for a moment.

 

For my mother and stepfather.

 

 

I will be blogging my Crafty Christmas Gifts, if you follow me on twitter (see above) I'll try and tweet  #DIYchristmas. 

 

Cheers and Happy DIYing! 

Alex

Today I am so incredibly thankful and lucky to have Alex in my life.  He is my eldest and most mature, supportive, thoughtful, and caring child.  I had been sick over the past couple of days, I was feeling cruddy, bummed, and a bit down in the dumps today.  Without missing a beat this kid picked me up and had me smiling and laughing in no time. 

I may  have been sick, but he made me smile just for caring.  This is the child that will round up the twins and put on a movie in their room, set them up with some barbies so mom can catch a few winks.   This is the child, that See's mom struggling with laundry up the stairs, so offers to take the other side of the basket. 

When Alex was 5 I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, it was rare and we caught it early but it's an aggressive cancer.  I was heartbroken and beaten down one day, I hadn't lost my hair yet, but I had begun the vomiting and the exhaustion and body aches had kicked in.  I sat outside one day in the shade, because the medication I was on would burn me in the sun, trying to feel a little sun on my face.  I was crying and just didn't have words to express anything.  Alex, who was aware of what I was facing picked a dandelion out of the grass closed his eyes tight and made a wish.  He came up and sat in between my legs on the step below me, hugged my legs tight.  "It's OK Mommy, I made a wish that you won't have cancer anymore, don't worry."  He was just 5 years old.  He was my biggest supporter through my fight, and could NOT have done it without him!

 

As I am recovering from this flu that knocked me on my butt, I am reminded of those days when thoughts were dark, and I looked inside myself for the answers that my family held the entire time.  I'm once again reminded of how amazing my life is, and the people I choose to share it with.

Chicken Soup and 7up

 

 

 

Today I have been struck with the flu that infected my daughter over the weekend.  I feel like death, but my wonderful husband was kind enough to bring me chicken soup, oyster crackers and 7up.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for solids tomorrow.  Sorry, this is all I have tonight.

Family Movie Night!

Today is Wednesday, and that usually means Movie night for the B-crew! I created this tradition with the beginning of school this year.  Wednesdays are called "Hump Days" for a reason, they are hard to get through, and by the time the kids come home, its apparent that we have reached the half way mark. 

If last years homework routine taught me anything, it was that we need incentive on Wednesdays.  Movie Night acts as the perfect incentive to get your work done quickly and correctly so we can get this party started!  We eat dinner a little bit earlier, because we set up blankets in the front room and have a buffet style dinner.  I find that this small break in routine especially on a school night has saved us house of meltdowns and tantrums, or what have you. Plus it gives me an hour to sit down with my kids and watch a movie that we should all enjoy as a family and because Mom picks the movie there's never arguments!

Last week was Halloween, so we celebrated on Tuesday to accommodate for trick or treating, we decided to build movie night around Halloween.  I showed Shrek's Swamp Tales, and served Mummy dogs, Mouse Brains, and Witches Fingers as they sipped on Zombie juice (which I don't have a picture of sorry). 

This week we watched Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts, it was a cute movie, but the cuddelz are the best! 

Ang the Amazing!!!

Today my poor lil girl is home sick suffering from a horrible stomach bug. My poor lil' lady has been up with an upset stomach for a couple of days.  So I called my boss bright and early (4am early!) to let her know I would not be in the office this morning.  Being woken up from a sound sleep, at that hour, by someone telling you that they will not be in to do their job is not the most pleasant experience. 

My boss, who I am lucky enough to call a close friend, is never cross or annoyed with me.  In fact my boss is such a wonderful that she hoped my little girl would feel better soon and topped it off by wishing me luck for the day.  All that at 4am!  That's pretty awesome!

Even more super amazing is I know when I return to the office tomorrow, she will, in true " Ang Fashion" check in to see how my lil' lady is feeling. This is not something that is taught to her, this is who she is, she is my friend and she cares about me.  I am grateful for the few true friends that I have managed to find in the world. 

Best Invention EVER...

Today I am extremely thankful for the invention that is............

 

 

Sometimes I feel like my wold revolves entirely around laundry.  With a family my size, and the mysterious missing maid (oh that's right, that's me too!) I am continuously under a mountain of endless laundry!  I have absolutely NO tips to help in this adventure.  I'm sorry, I have racked my brain for 10 years on how to conquer this challenge.  I got nothing.  If you have one child you have far less laundry than me and your priorites are differant. 

 

 

 

 

 



 I do have a few tricks in my arsenal if you happen to have an abnormally large family like myself.  I am, however yet to prove if I am hindering or  hurting myself.  I do not match socks, I do NOT have time for that!  Omit bedroom laundry baskets, they will be ban of your existence, lets face it they don't take it out until it's about 3X the size of the basket.  Make them sort out whites, darks, and colors if they are able to.

 

 

 

When all else fails, get the kids in on the action!  It's never to early to teach them good housekeeping skills, (boys too!). 

 

At the end of the day I am grateful for the invention of the washing machine and the dryer.  You keep me sane, and my life remains on track for most of the day. 



From Penelope to Phineas....

What's in a name?  The name you give your baby is so incredibly important to you and him.  It can be the most difficult decision, or perhaps one of the easiest.  You can fret about it for the entire 9 months, and come home with a nameless baby, or, you can forget about it the entire 9 months take one look at that round little face and say "Amelia" and all is right with the world.  You may have a thousand injected opinions floating around your head, or possibly be left to your own devices. 

I recently came across the baby name lists that Chris and I made when I was pregnant with the kids.  Our baby stuff is still (after 10 years) sitting it a Rubbermaid boxes waiting to be sorted into baby books.  (see, sometimes I'm not on top of my game)  It's interesting to see the names that we considered while each of them were in my belly.  I look at the lists again and wonder what made us choose the names we did over the alternatives. 

Alex was our first borne, and with his name classic was what we were looking for.  He was my first, and I was so worried about screwing him up, I didn't want him to have to live up to a name, or feel pressured to be artistic if he was more of a computer nerd.  How many times have we met adults, and when they introduce themselves do you say to yourself "What were your parents thinking?"  I was so concerned about what other people would thing, looking back on it, I'm embarrassed honestly.  Our list for him was:

Jordan
Joseph
Michael
Alexander
Dylan
Caleb
Blaine
Thomas
Jackson
Dominic

We ended up choosing Alexander Ryan for our little bundle of joy.  I remember going over names with my mother and her disliking all but Alexander, so that's the one that stuck.  I do regret my decision, for the simple reason that did not choose the name I ultimately gave my child.  I won't dwell on the past, but I will say that if I had went with my gut, I would have a son named Blaine Joseph, just FYI. 

When we were expecting Jaydyn, Chris decided to learn from his original mistake, and took the reins on the baby name.  Again we knew we were expecting a boy, and Chris decided on his name pretty quickly.  Anthony Lee, would be the newest member of our family come March.  However, one look at this babe, and we knew it wasn't right so we were back to the drawing board:

Anthony
Jaydyn
Elijah
Ezra
Gavin
Taylor
Owen
Hunter
Silas
Jack

We took a day before we decided on Jaydyn Lee.  This taught us a valuable lesson, we never again gave a baby name until we saw them. 

Noah's list was brought to the hospital along with baby name books just in case they didn't fit. 

Noah
Taylor
Connor
Chase
Parker
Brody
Finn
Max
Grayson
Jude

We decided on Noah Michael.  I had watched he Notebook" the day before I delivered this kid, in fact that may have been the very last thing that I had watched.  That may have had something to do with it, because I do remember saying that I hoped he found his Allie one day hahaha.  I wish I could blame that on the drugs, but alas I didn't have any.

That brings us to the twins, and naming twins is hard.  Not only were we looking for names that sounded well with our last name, we also were looking for names that sounded well together without sounding the same.  I assumed that having twins would be difficult enough without having to differentiate between Ashley and AshLynn. I was also convinced that I was only caring one girl, the ultrasound technician MUST have checked the same baby twice.  There was no way, after 3 boys I would finally be blessed with TWO girls! I made two lists, one with two girl names, and another with boy girl names. 

GIRLS:
Cecilia and Grace
Harper and Olivia
JackLynn and Izobel
Adelaide and Madeline
Sophia and Stella
Ella and Ava
Quinn and Coral
Cara and Carly
Olive and Willow
Lola and Mia

GIRL BOY:
Ava and Ashton
Gabriella and Grayson
Harper and Hunter
Leah and Levi
Mia and Mason
Maci and Max
Ava and Elliot
Vivienne and Harlow
Phoebe and Tristan

We decided with JackLynn Lorraine and Izobel Marie for our little ladies, and I guess the technician was right after all, both babies were girls :) 

When it comes down to it, you are the only one that can name your baby.  Chances are good that your child will hate you for it at one point or another before they are 18, and that's OK.  Maybe the name won't fit them, and maybe it will.  They may want to change it when they are older, and that's OK too, after all they are the ones that have to live with it for the rest of their lives. 

Mackey Cheesey

Today I am thankful for box macaroni and cheese.  No, it's not pretty, it's not even edible as far as I am concerned.  It is easy!  After two weeks of sick kids I am so incredibly thankful for the fact that I did not think about dinner, I grabbed it, made it, and best of all they ate it.  I ate a sandwich but at the end of the day, I am happy with the fact that my children had second helpings, and there was no fighting at the dinner table, and i didn't even have to think about it. 

As a mom who normally spends 45 minuets- 1 1/2 hrs every night on dinner, the option for a boxed alternative is greatly appreciated!  It's not one that I use often, less than once a month but it sure felt good. 

 

What's in your bag of mommy tricks?  What do you do to get a lazy day every now and again?  

Love

Today I am thankful for Chris. This coming January we will celebrate our 10th Anniversary!  I'm just a bit proud of that ;)  We have had a rough go of it off and on, but everyone does.  I believe that you shouldn't expect perfection very many places (difficult concept for me to grasp) but you most certainly should NOT expect it from your spouse!  Pick your battles, and know your partner.  Don't fight in front of the kids, and once in a while it's OK to go to bed angry (but sex usually solves everything).  Learn empathy, and think about how your words will affect your partner.....adjust them accordingly!  The point of arguments is not to make you feel better individually it's to make you stronger as a couple. 

 

 

 

Sometimes I am so wrapped up in work, the kids, housework, the dogs, everything else that is going on around me that I forget to stop for a moment and realize how good it really is to be me.  I am married to my best friend!  When something happens my mind immediately goes; "I can't wait to tell Chris!" still, no matter how big or how small.  We have NO secrets from each other, and we have created and built our relationship to be that way. 

 

 



 

 

 

Chris makes me feel sexy (yes even like that ^)  Let's face it, my boobs are less perky, by stomach has stretch marks, my arms are flabby and I don't have the time to get to the gym to make myself look like I think I should look.  Chris never puts the kid of pressure that I put on myself.  I'm grateful that my husband thinks I'm sexiest in sweat pants and a tee shirt.  That he's turned on by my love of the Lakers.  This poor man was ridiculed by all of his friends for standing in line with me at midnight for every single Twilight opening nights. 



 

 

Remember this movie? Oh how I adore Bettie Midler, my fav gal!

 

 

At the end of the day I am blessed with an amazing love.  We have worked so incredibly hard to be at the point we are in our relationship and we could not have gotten there without both of us working hard every day.  Marriage is not a 50/50 job, it's a 100/100 commitment!  Thanks Chris for always being by biggest supporter, my loudest cheerleader, and the best thing that has ever happened to me!  Thank you for loving me.