I haven’t posted here in awhile.
And I’m trying to think up a good excuse or two why I haven’t.
But my brain is running a little slow right now,
So I thought maybe instead I’d just have a sale!

Does that make sense to you?
Because somehow it makes perfect sense to me.
I’m weird that way.

Anyway.
Bonbon Charms just celebrated its 7th anniversary.
7 years.
That’s hard for me to believe.
It’s like my little baby is growing up.
Okay, maybe not.

But we should probably have a sale, right?
To celebrate?
I think so.

In fact, I think we’ll have sales on 7 charms.
For the 7 years.
Makes sense.
There will be 4 charms for sale this week.
We’ll put the other 3 charms on sale next week.
Just to space out all the goodness.

This week our 4 sale charms will be $10 each.
Such a deal.
We have our Descriptive Initial.

These charms are so great.
Simple, clean, and fun to give as gifts.
Choose an initial for the front and a descriptive word for the back.
These are actually our original charms that started the whole business.
Gotta love em.

Our next $10 charm is our vintage print charm.

These charms are great too.
Vintage style images printed on old book pages.
What’s not to love about that?
We’ve got the two styles pictured above, plus newer styles…a camera, bicycle, and more.
You’ll have to look on the website for all the fun options.

Charm #3 is our sugar drop charm.

This is one of my favorites.
Initials or images under bubble glass.
So unique.
These are great with jeans and a t-shirt.
I wear mine a lot!

The last $10 charm is our mini madeleine.

This is a longer charm with an inspirational word on the front.
All of our stock charms will be on sale.
There are several to choose from, so you might want to take a look here.

These charms will be one sale for one week.
And when that sale is over, we’ll be announcing the next 3 charms to go on sale.
Exciting, right?
Okay, well it’s time for me to get busy soldering.
And you need to place your order,
So get to it, people!

Valentine’s Day is coming.
And there are some great gift options at Bonbon Charms.
Check out just a few of our sweet charms!

I’m loving all of these…been wearing them a lot lately.
We’ve actually extended our annual Valentine Sale.
Just go to the website, enter VALENTINE (all caps) for the discount code at checkout,
And you will receive 15% off your entire order.
This sale will be on through February 1st.

And we also have one brand new option…

Gift cards!

Maybe you have a friend to buy for, but you’re not sure what she’d like.
Or you want some charms from your husband,
but don’t quite trust him to pick out what you want.
Not that your husband would pick the wrong thing…I’m just guessing here.
Anyway, this is the perfect option.

Our new gift cards come in two denominations…$25 or $50.

Already gift-wrapped in a cute box.
And if you’re only ordering a gift card, the shipping is free!
What could be easier, really?
Oh, and one more thing.
Orders need to be placed by Feb. 5th
To get them in time for the big day.
So get on it, people.

Yesterday was one of those days.
The lazy kind.
The kind where the husband and all the kids are home.
And you all sleep in.
And you have high hopes for all the things you can get done.
Things you didn’t do over the weekend.
Things you’ve been putting off to do on a day just like this.

I had plans.
To go to the grocery store.
To get my bills sorted out.
To get a good hour of exercise in.
To get the laundry done.
(That would have been a miracle, because I think I had about 47 loads to do)

But things do not always turn out like you think they are going to.
The sleeping in part?
We got that down.
No problem.
Other than that, I think the only thing that got done was two loads of laundry.
Only because my 13 year old was begging for clean underwear and socks.
He is so demanding, that kid.

What did I get done?
Well, there was some lounging,
Some laughter with the kiddos.
Some looking at our family calendar for the week.
Followed by some extreme strategizing on how we might fit everything in.
There might have been a few cups of tea.

It got to dinnertime and there were only two of us in the house.
The boys had gone to Portland for a basketball game.
One daughter was at work.
One was on a date.
That left me and Hope relaxing on the couch.
She was watching Tarzan on TV.
I was watching Downton Abbey on the iPad.

Now, here’s a little secret about me.
If there isn’t anyone else around,
I don’t need a real meal.
I’ll have yogurt.
Or a bowl of cereal.
And I’m fine.
Most of my family does not agree with this philosophy, however.
When I try to convince them that cereal is a satisfying dinner,
They protest.
Stinkers.

So last night, I started quizzing Hope about what she wanted for dinner.
Pasta?
No.
Soup?
Huh uh.
Grilled cheese?
Hmmm….
I know, I know.
I was going to go all out for this meal, right?

Then I just mentioned off the cuff…
Or, we could just have popcorn.
What?
Her eyes lit up.
Yes! Let’s do it!

I couldn’t believe my good fortune.
A child after my own heart.

I made her a bowl.
I made myself a bowl.
We settled back on to the couches.
Life was good.

We always spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s with my family.
Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, Mom, Dad…21 of us in one house.
It’s a blast.
You know what happens when 21 people are under one roof?
A lot of fun.
A lot of noise.
A never-ending supply of food.
And ice cream.
(We are at Grandma’s house, hello.)

You know what else happens when that many people are together?
If one person gets sick,
There’s a good chance we’re all going down.
Oh yeah.
This was the year for it.

I don’t know who started it.
We’re not laying any blame here.
In fact, maybe it’s best we don’t try to figure it out.
But one by one, it started taking us out.
We tried to power through as best we could.

There’s always one day during our week together that all the girls go shopping.
We’ve got Christmas money to spend, you know.
And there’s the sales.
All those glorious sales.
Throw in a few outlet stores, and you’re golden.
It’s an all day event that we look forward to the whole year.
Three generations of women, shopping together.
It’s magical, really.

The guys watch the little kids at home.
I think they usually take them for a fast food lunch.
And there’s probably a lot of video games and TV watching.
Who am I kidding?
We don’t really care what they do…
Because we’re out spending money.
With each other.
And having a leisurely lunch together.
As long as the kids are still alive when we get back,
They can do whatever they want.

This year on our shopping day, there were a few of us who were not feeling too great.
My sister-in-law had been sick for a couple of days,
But she had rested up and was determined to make it.
She powered through the day, made some good purchases.
Had a lot of fun.
She did end up at urgent care the next day, but she did not miss shopping day.
I believe she has her priorities straight.

I had this little cough that started on shopping day.
But I thought maybe if I ignored it,
It might just go away.
I had not counted on the persistence of this particular virus.
It would not be willed away by all my good intentions.
By the time we flew home from Colorado,
Three of the six of us (including myself) were down for the count.

In our living room we have two couches and one large comfy chair with an ottoman.
We each claimed one.
Alyson had the couch on the left.
Claire was on the couch to the right.
I claimed my husband’s chair and ottoman in the middle.
He’s a good man, my husband.
While I laid there for several days,
He never complained that I had taken over his special spot.

That chair was mine.
In my jammies.
With my cup of tea.
And blanket.
And could someone hand me the remote?
Then it was time for a nap.
Don’t mind if I do.
And then we do it all again.
This went on for days.

I think my family was a little surprised.
You see, I never get sick.
I actually believe I have a “mom shield.”
When everyone else gets a cold, I’m good.
When they get stomach flu,
I never succumb.
So this time, when I was laid out,
And got dibs on the good chair,
No one complained.

But things are easing up around here.
I’ve actually showered and dressed the last few days.
That’s a step in the right direction, I do believe.

When they said on the radio,
As I drove my kids to school this morning,
That it was January 10th already,
I was a little shocked.
January 10th?
How could that be?
These first few days of January have been lost in a haze of Dayquil.
And Nyquil.
And then Dayquil again.

Usually the start of a new year really gets me going.
I have plans.
And dreams.
And ideas.
And New Year’s resolutions.
What about my New Year’s resolutions?
Not this year.

This year I’m thinking maybe Valentine’s Day resolutions.

There was a lot of staying up late this week.
A lot of thrown together meals
And kids left to fend for themselves.

It’s the week all the Christmas orders go out, after all.

This is what my office looks like right now.
I’m just about to load these puppies up and send them off.
Hooray!

I usually have a few more days to get orders out before Christmas,
But not this year.
Because tonight, this family is packing up and going on a road trip.
After the errands have been run,
Bags have been packed,
Car loaded,
We are first going to a Christmas concert.
Four out of the six people in the family are involved.
Then a quick change out of fancy clothes
And pile into the car.
And drive.
And drive.

I believe our total car time in the next four days will be about 30 hours or so.
Yikes.
Oregon to Southern California and back.
In record time.

It’s a lot of quality time packed into a Honda Pilot,
That’s for sure.
And we wouldn’t do it, except for one thing.

This is my nephew, Adam.
And his sweet fiance, Brittany.
They’re getting married on Sunday afternoon.

Adam was born three weeks before my oldest, Alyson.
Adam and Aly have been a pair for the last 21 years.
Hanging out at family gatherings.
Playing.
Fighting.
Apologizing.
Most of that was when they were younger, of course.

Adam went to Southern California for college a few years back.
And found the love of his life.
It happens, you know.

And now it’s time for the big day.
The celebration.
The start.
And I am so excited for them.

So taking off on a trip the week before Christmas?
Yep.
Getting orders shipped out earlier than usual?
You bet.
Driving I-5 from top to bottom
And back again?
Of course.

I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

If my Mom walked into my house right now,
She would say, “This place looks like the Wreck of the Hesperus!”
I don’t really know what that means,
But she used to say it when I was a kid.
And I’m pretty sure it means that things look bad.
Messy.
Disastrous.
Actually, I just googled it.
It was a famous shipwreck.
Yep, we’re still in the ballpark.

Actually, my Mom is really nice and she probably wouldn’t say that.
But she might think it.
Because that’s what I’m thinking right now.

I’ve been getting ready for my first ever
Bonbon Charms Christmas Open House.
And boy, is it going to be fun.
If I can ever get things straightened up around here.

You know how when you have a big cleaning or organizing project?
And things always get worse before they get better?
Yeah.
Well, we’re in the worse stage over here right now.

There’s furniture everywhere.
(Trying to figure out traffic flow)

And empty displays waiting to be filled.

But there’s progress, too…

Chain has been prepped.

Christmas decor is up.
(Props to second daughter, Claire, for the artwork)

New pewter pieces are ready and waiting to be stamped to order.

So really I need to get off the computer and finish some things up.
Make some lists.
Rearrange some more furniture.
Pick up coffee and cupcakes.

Oh, and get rid of incriminating evidence from the late night work session last night.

If you’re in the area,
I’d love for you to come!
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
If I can pull things together in the next 24 hours, that is.

We measured this morning before he left for school.
Because when he went to give me a hug,
My son Sam put his arms over my shoulders
And my arms went around his waist.
What?

We stood back to back.
And it has happened.
With shoes on, he’s as tall as I am.

Now, seeing that I’m only 5’3″, this is not a giant accomplishment,
But it is a marker.
In growing up.
It’s a milestone.
Both of my older girls have done it.
Alyson passed me up by only half an inch,
But she is taller.
And that’s all that matters.

I know we hear it all the time,
But time flies by.
And the little munchkins I once had aren’t munchkins anymore.
They’re looking down at me.

When our family was here for Thanksgiving,
We enjoyed our annual Clements Family Turkey Bowl.
Everyone played.
Except for Nana and Papa, of course.
And me.
Someone has to be the cheerleader, right?

We took a photo of the whole clan afterwards.
And as I looked at it,
And all the kiddos there,
I thought, “Where are all the little kids?”
And, “Who are all those adults?”

Umm…those adults are your children.
Crazy.
Especially since I’m still 25.

And so in this holiday season especially,
I’m going to treasure it all.
Every hot chocolate sipped together.
Every present picked out.
Every family dinner.
Because it’s speeding by, people.
And I don’t want to miss a minute.

Lots of great discounts to be had today!

Lots of deals coming your way in the next couple of weeks!
First one is coming at you today.
$10 Charms, people.
Yep, you heard me right.
$10.

Five of our most popular charms are selling for $10.
Today only.
Sugar Drops.
Vintage Prints.
Descriptive Initials.
And two of our new pewter line.
The Small Circle Charm and the Tiny Circle.

You can take a look at them all here.
No discount code needed.
Just go to the Website and place your order.
Get going!