Month: April 2020

Posted in Books and Shows

April: What I’ve Been Reading

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I can’t believe it’s the last day of April. How is that even possible?! I read three really good books this month (while balancing out reading with watching episodes of The Crown and Tiger King) 😉 I think one (or two!) of them may end up in my top 5 of the year.

Regretting You

I’d seen Regretting You recommended on other bloggers’ reading lists, and I’ve read other Colleen Hoover books. I was on the wait list at the library for a bit before I got the chance to read it.

One of the main characters, Morgan, gets pregnant at sixteen and commits her life to her daughter and husband. Morgan is worried her daughter Clara will make the same “mistakes” she made while Clara wants nothing to do with her mother’s advice. Then, a tragic accident happens that both pushes mother and daughter apart, but also forces them to figure out life together. The accident provides a twist in the plot that provides lots of questions that drive the story line to the end.

This was definitely a great book that I couldn’t put down! It lived up to the hype.

Our New Normal

Our New Normal was book I snagged off the shelf on the last day the library was open. This book was a slow start for me, but I did end up enjoying it.

Liz has been a stay at home mom for many years. Just as she is about to send her son off to college and start a new career, her teenage daughter, Hazel, shocks her with the news that she’s pregnant. The plot centers around Liz as she juggles this new development in her life, her aging parents as well as her strained marriage. All of these factors make up her “new normal.” That being said, the ending got me. It was a beautiful wrap up of the story.

The Matchmaker

I always love Elin Hilderbrand books, and keep meaning to tell Travis I want to add Nantucket on places I want to visit!

Dabney Kimball Beech has a full time job at the Chamber of Commerce, but she is also known for being a matchmaker. Even though Dabney is married and has a grown daughter, she still can’t escape her own romance troubles. One of my favorite parts of this book is that stories of Dabney’s successful matchmaking are interwoven within the plot of her life. The Matchmaker may be one of the most touching books I’ve read…and it was certainly one that brought a tear to my eye…a time…or two!

Currently Reading:

I’m currently reading Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna and Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Southern Side of Paradise is the third book in the Peachtree Bluff series that I’ve mentioned before.

Speaking of Kristy Woodson Harvey. I follow her on Instagram, and she’s been sharing about her new book Feels Like Falling which came out this week! I pre-ordered it on Amazon, and I believe it will arrive today! She mentioned on Instagram those who pre-ordered a book would receive a postcard and quote card signed by her. I received these in the mail last week, and they were such a fun surprise in my mailbox. I can’t wait to read this newest book of hers!

What have you been reading? I’ve love to add more suggestions to my list!

Also, did you see my Mother’s Day Gift Idea post from yesterday? Just didn’t want you to miss out 😉

Happy reading!

Posted in What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Wednesday. I can’t believe we are in the last few days of April. This month has both flown by and moved at a snail’s pace! As always, I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

Sunday: It was a cold and rainy Sunday, so I made Shay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup. It’s definitely a family favorite.

Monday: I love this burrito baked recipe, but I hadn’t made it in forever! I’m definitely going to put it back in our dinner rotation. I made Trader Joe’s street corn as an easy side dish!

Tuesday: Leftovers from Sunday and Monday.

Wed: Pork loin, Bob Evans microwave mashed potatoes, and bagged Ceasar salad

Thursday: King Ranch Joes and roasted broccoli

Friday and Saturday: We’ll continue to eat out to support local restaurants

WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

Hadley’s class played Guess the Toddler during their class meeting on Monday. Hadley’s teacher asked the parents to submit a toddler pic! This is the first pic that popped in my mind. Hadley’s mastered the death stare! 😉

Whoever would have thought when we started the school year back in August, that we’d be ending the year on lockdown with distance learning to wrap up the 4th grade? So, I guess I’m reminiscing about the beginning of the year, and, as always, how quickly this school year has flown by! My kids only have one more year of elementary school left. How is that even possible?!

WHAT I AM LOVING:

I shared some things I’ve been loving in last Friday’s post!

Also, the flowers continue to bloom, and they are such a beautiful sight to see.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

Hadley and I made our first ever cookie cake. We are cookie cake people. It’s usually our “go to” for birthdays and other special events….but we’d never made one before! It was pretty delicious and Hadley had fun decorating it.

We’ve been trying to keep Homer out of trouble. He’s a full time job!! The other day, he ate at least six donuts from the box of donuts Travis bought at a local place. He also joined me on a Zoom meeting last week.

Also, we are in a pretty good groove with distance learning and working from home at this point. The kids are usually able to have most of the afternoon for whatever they’d like to do while Travis and I finish up work. I can’t believe this is our new normal, but at least we are hanging in there.

WHAT I’M DREADING:

I’m not really dreading anything at the moment…trying to stay positive over here! 😉 My one “constant” is thinking about the groceries. It’s difficult to plan what we may need a few days out or thinking about dinners for the next week. I did get lucky last week and was able to place a Clicklist order for the next day! It was a miracle.

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

Besides helping with 4th grade math? I’m working on some posts with Mother’s Day gift ideas and about the three books I read in April.

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

I have a few Amazon items arriving soon…mostly comfy pjs and a new books…but a few other odds and ends. I like that kind of mail! Also, it’s almost time to plant flowers. Travis loves doing yard work and planting, so it’s always fun to see the yard spruced up when he’s finished.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

I’m continuing to get caught up on The Crown. Since mid-March, I’ve watched all of season 2 and only have a few more episodes of season 3. I do like the new cast better than I thought I would. Travis and I watched The Tiger King and I was left speechless. haha Dead to Me is coming back to Netflix in May, I believe. I binged season 1 last year in about a week. I’m excited for season 2.

I’ve also been keeping up with American Idol; I’ve really enjoyed this season.

Travis wanted to watch a Beastie Boys documentary, so he went ahead and got the free week of Apple TV. I’m taking advantage of the free week to watch The Morning Show. I just finished episode 5, and it’s a very good series!

I will share my April books tomorrow or Friday, but I’m currently reading Two Girls Down and Southern Side of Paradise (The third book in the Peachtree Bluff series by Kristy Woodson Harvey.)

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

I’m still loving the Even the Rich podcast; I just finished season 1 and am ready to start season 2. I also love The Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, and am listening to the episode with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Also, last week, I listened to the latest episode of Shay and Erika’s The Bestie Breakdown. I enjoy that new series too!

WHAT I’M WEARING:

Well, I’m currently wearing the heck out of this Kentucky sweatshirt. Travis went to the basement on Sunday to look for something. He came upstairs and said, “Good news and great news!” The great news was he found this sweatshirt which was a Christmas gift he’d forgotten to give me! Y’all, practical me told him it could count as a Mother’s Day gift 😉

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

Well, this weekend should have been Oaks and Derby. Travis is usually in Louisville most of this week for work, and I usually join him for Oaks on Friday. Most years, Hayden ends up having a baseball game on Derby Day, so in recent years, we’ve always just gone to a Derby party or hung out with neighbors and friends. The past few years, we’ve had to worry about soggy weather on Oaks or Derby or both! Of course, this Friday and Saturday look to have picture perfect weather, but with no horses to run! Both events have been moved to September 4th and 5th…but I will believe that when I see it.

I went ahead and hung my jockey silk door hanger and garden flag. It just didn’t feel right not to…during these first few days of May.

Obviously, no big plans for the weekend, but hopefully we can take advantage of the nice weather.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

I’m looking forward to Mother’s Day and wrapping up the school year. We don’t get out of school until May 27 which is actually one day earlier than we were scheduled. I know our summer will look different, but it’s nice when the year is all wrapped up…even if that looks differently this year.

Well, that’s it for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday. Don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts too. This is such a fun link up!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Home Updates

Transformation Tuesday: The Sunroom

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, I only have a few more rooms to share on my home renovation tour and while I’m afraid each reveal is less dramatic, it’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint and a few accessories can do for a room.

So far, I’ve shared about the basement bathroom, the living room/office, the kitchen, the basement, and the master bathroom. I’m linking them up again in case you are interested or missed a post.

I think you can see through my little home tour that I’m committed to a color palette (gray/beige/pops of teal) and a theme (“If Joanna Gaines stopped by, she’d be proud of me but I don’t want to live in the middle of Texas!”) which honestly helps in the decision making process…

So on to the sunroom…

After only living here a few months, Travis painted the paneling in the the sunroom. After about a year, the parquet flooring was not holding up with two active kids and two dogs. The sunroom has two doors which is how we get to our backyard, so there’s lots of coming and going activity. When we were ready, our neighbor put down the waterproof flooring.

After the paint and flooring, the sunroom has kind of just remained as is. It’s an area that I wish we used more, but we don’t. Our old house had a screened in porch, and I know we would use this room more if it was a screened in porch. I miss the screened in porch! That being said, I realize most may prefer a sunroom…it’s added square footage with a heat/cooling unit, so it can be used mostly year round.

We’ve had this neutral sectional couch for almost ten years. It was in our basement in our previous house and didn’t fit quite right in our current basement due to the structural pole that I’m guessing holds up the house 😉 So, the neutral sectional takes up most of the sunroom, but it’s still a good spot to take a nap, read a book, or the kids’ have used this space to work on school work recently.

This is a pic of the emptied out sunroom with the new flooring—I believe we did that in spring of 2016, and it’s held up so nicely.

That rug is long gone—because of kids and dogs 😉

Before:

*Side note–I’m looking at this before (house listing) pic–and see blinds. I don’t remember those being there or taking them down. Travis may remember differently 😉

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

We removed the heavy sliding glass doors and replaced them with French doors.

The doors are great to open on a nice day or if we have people over.

After I took all of these pics (above) right before Easter, the kids requested that we dye Easter eggs outside. Well, it was a bit windy, so I moved our coffee table that goes with our back porch furniture inside for them to do that activity. Well, the table combined with good weather and lots of at home time, has now provided a place for us to circle up and eat dinner or play a game. We’ve done that quite a few times in the past couple of weeks.

So, we’ve been using the space a bit more which makes me happy. If only I could get Homer to quit running in from the outside and taking a lap on the couch! 😂

Our future plans…

I don’t know if it’s the quarantine talking or not, but we have started brainstorming how to furnish this area to provide a space that we could use more. I knew all along the sectional was limiting, but we’ve worked with what we have for more than five years. I guess step one will be to sell the sectional. Then, thanks to a few recommendations, I’ve had my eye on this set . We need to measure and check to see if everything will fit. We may just get a couch and smaller chairs. A few friends have a swing in their sunrooms/screened in porches, so we may look into one of those.

After we figure out the furniture, we hope to make room and move the tv stand I painted and tv. That has been a hold up as well. The only wall space (we’d thought about mounting a tv) we have is where the back doors open up…so inevitably, the door will bang into the tv. Also, the French doors take up most of that wall anyway.

I just know for us to hang out there, we have to be able to split up to sit, have a place to eat, play game, put our feet up, and then possibly watch tv too.

So, that’s how we updated the sunroom. Definitely one of our cheaper projects just costing us paint and reasonable priced flooring.

See you back here tomorrow for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday with Sheaffer and Shay.

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals: Side Dishes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your weekend? I can honestly say after being so productive last weekend working on our master bedroom refresh, we were pretty lazy this weekend! The weather was so rainy and dreary, so we kind of took that as permission to be lazy.

We’ve regrouped and are ready to tackle the week ahead!

When the weather has allowed, we’ve been grilling out a bit. Over the past few weeks, I’ve made some of my favorite side dishes, so I thought I’d share them with you ! What I love about these is that that they are all even better the next day for lunch or for leftovers for dinner.

Pasta Salad

I’ve had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for years and make it quite often in the spring and summer months.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Rotini pasta, cooked
  • 1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 c. Italian dressing
  • 1/2 c. of olives, chopped (sometimes I omit these which is what I did this time making it….just due to my personal preference)
  • 1/2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
  • 1 large cucumber, chopped
  • 3 Mozzarella sticks, chopped into bite sized pieces (I think I used four because it’s my kids’ favorite part!)
  • 3 Tblsp McCormick’s Salad Supreme (If I can’t find it, I use the Good Season dressing mix)

Instructions:

  • Boil the pasta.
  • Drizzle with the olive oil and stir.
  • Add salad dressing and stir.
  • Add in veggies and cheese and stir.
  • Add in McCormick Salad Supreme, mix together and then refrigerate.
  • Enjoy!

Wild Rice and Carrot Salad

This recipe, like many of mine, was in a Kroger coupon packet years ago. It’s a family favorite as well….even the kids devour it!

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. cooked, cooled wild rice or wild rice blend
  • 2 c. shredded carrots
  • 1 c. chopped, toasted walnuts (I always use slivered almonds instead)
  • 3/4 c. golden raisins
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced
  • 2 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tblsp. honey
  • 2 c. roughly chopped arugula (or spinach, kale, or any leafy greens)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Enjoy!

Instructions:

  • In a large bowl, combine rice, carrots, nuts, and golden raisins.
  • To make the dressing, whisk together shallot, vinegar, olive oil, and honey in small bowl.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. (Also, at this point, I usually end up adding another drizzle of honey! Again, just our preference)
  • Drizzle dressing over rice and carrot mixture, tossing until combined. (Recipe can be made a day ahead up until this point.)
  • Add greens, tossing until evenly distributed.
  • Serve, refrigerating any leftovers.

Asian Slaw

I’ve had this recipe for years. I believe I got it from a friend at a recipe exchange years ago. It’s actually one I’d forgotten about until I was digging through my recipe box recently. I made it as a side when Travis grilled burgers recently, and it was so delish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small head cabbage (I buy the classic coleslaw)
  • 1 package Ramen noodles
  • 2-3 Tblsp. fresh chives, chopped
  • 4 oz. toasted almonds (I used slivered almonds)
  • 1/4 c. salted sunflower seeds

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 c. oil
  • 1/3 c. white vinegar
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • seasoning from Ramen noodles
  • 1/4 c. water (if slaw seems to dry)…I didn’t feel the need to use water when I made it recently.

Instructions:

  • Crush noodles, set aside.
  • Toast almonds in the skillet for a couple of minutes.
  • Stir together noodles, slaw/cabbage, chives, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
  • Pour dressing on just before serving.

or…

***Toss everything together, minus the noodles, and chill. Then, add in noodles right before serving. (**This is what I did when I made it) Enjoy!

I hope these side dishes provide ideas for you to add into your meal prep rotation!

I hope you have a great week! For us, it’s time for us to start week 4 of distance learning.

Thanks for reading.

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites, Health and Fitness

Friday Favorites {#24}: Things I’ve been Loving

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and of course, Happy Friday. Y’all we made it through another week. This was definitely our easiest week so far. The kids were able to do their schoolwork with minimal help from us, and the weather was pretty nice all week allowing us to get outside a bit more than we did last week.

Of course, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites, so check out their posts too.

For this edition of Friday Favorites, I thought I’d share some things I’ve been loving. A few items I’ve been using for quite some time and others have been recent purchases #quarantinemademedoit

All of these items are, of course, my favorites. ❤️

Health and Beauty

After seeing quite a few people promote the Billie razors, I thought I’d give them a try. I signed up for an every other month subscription ($9+free shipping). This cute box arrived on my doorstep in a matter of days with my starter kit inside. I chose the blush colored razor, and it came with the magic holder and two other blades. The starter kit also included a Wonder Wipe sample that removes makeup and a sample of the Sudsy Body Wash. I will receive four new blades in my June shipment. I do really like this product so far. The razors provide a smooth, clean shave, and I love the magic holder as it’s a magnet that sticks right to my shower wall.

At only $9, I felt good with trying these razors out. I may switch to a monthly subscription, but I thought every other month was a good place to start!

As I’ve mentioned before, I always have my nails painted. I usually stick with OPI Bubble Bath or Funny Bunny which are neutral colors. Andrea has shared about her base and top coats that she uses, and I’ve used them for quite some time now. I feel like the top coat definitely helps an at home manicure last longer. Of course, going to my regular nail place isn’t even an option right now, so I’ve been using my own at home supplies more and more recently.

Nail Polish post
base and top coat polish

Admittedly, I haven’t been putting forth a lot of effort in the hair and makeup department recently, but I’ve been using the Revlon One-Step Dryer since January after receiving it for a birthday present. I’m sure you’ve seen others talk about it or review it, and most everyone seems to love it. Me too. That being said, it’s definitely not something I can use on sopping wet hair. I have always let my hair air dry almost to 75% before using a blow dryer, in the past, or the One-Step Dryer now. So if your hair is mostly dry, this is certainly easier to use.

I find that it gives my hair so much more body and fullness. In the past, I would blow dry my hair with a round brush, then use a straightener where needed and then add some curls with my curling iron. Of course, all of that, is a lot of heat on my hair. Now, I can completely skip the straightener step. Sometimes, I don’t even put curl in my hair because my hair already has enough volume after using this.

One thing that did surprise me once I saw the One-Step Dryer in person….you’ll get a bit of an arm workout while using it! 😉 It’s a hefty styling tool. That being said, it only takes me a few minutes of use to get my hair how I’d like it.

Another product I’ve used weekly over the past couple months is my Nano Steamer. Again, it was a gift, but it’s one I use in addition to my normal skin care routine. Of course, everyone’s skin is different, and I made sure to read the instructions and even viewed a tutorial video because I wanted to know how to safely use all the features. After just 12-15 minutes of use, my skin always feels so refreshed.

REvlon one-step dryer
Nano STeamer

Shoes, Shoes, and, well…more shoes…

I’ve made a few shoe purchases recently. I kept seeing all kinds of great deals that influencers were sharing, and I couldn’t pass the deals up!

Influencers made me do it!
Adidas Retro run sneaker
Adidas REtro run JCP

Jen Reed shared that her retro Adidas were back in stock at DSW, so I snagged them right away. DSW had a code and I purchased mine for $38…and they arrived very quickly!

JC Penney seems to have the same retro shoe with a few other color options as well.

After following Jennifer Todryk for so long, she always shares about the amazing deals shes gets on shoes from Joe’s New Balance Outlet. I now get the New Balance emails and waited until I saw something I liked that was a good deal. My New Balances were only $35!

Then, I used Landyn’s Vici code for a discount on the already reasonably priced sandals she showed one day in her Instagram stories. These sandals seem to be out of stock, but Vici’s shoe and sandal collection has so many cute and affordable options.

I’ve mentioned recently how my sciatica has been bothering me lately, and last time this happened, I had waited too long to purchase new workout shoes. Both of these tennis shoes have already helped with my back pain, and I can tell they are providing my feet with more comfort and support…at least that’s what I tell Travis when he asks why there’s another shoe package on our front porch!

Food and Drinks

This week, I mentioned that I went on a Trader Joe’s run recently. These are some of our family faves! I love the Havarti cheese with dill and the Buffalo Chicken dip.

I also love Trader Joe’s Simpler Wines Rose’ and purchase the four pack in the spring and summer months! It’s a refreshing drink for sure.

Around the House…

Since we are washing our hands on repeat (on repeat, on repeat), I purchased a few new foaming hand soaps from Bath and Body Works. They seem to be having an ongoing 4 for $20 sale. After putting those in my cart, I decided to add in a couple of single wick candles. The soap and candles arrived this week, and both the candles smell heavenly! Also, the candles were 2 for $20, so I was happy to take advantage of that deal as well.

That’s it for my What I’ve Been Loving: Friday Favorites. We are going to take advantage of some nicer weather today before what looks like a soggy weekend!

Thanks so much for reading, and don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts too!

Posted in Life Lately

Life Lately

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! We’re certainly scooting right through this week as we continue distance learning and working from home. Obviously, we’ve been sticking pretty close to home, but I thought I’d share a peek at what we’ve been up to…a bit of our life…lately.

Well, while I knew it was coming, we got the official word that we would finish out the school year at home. I feel like I’m mourning the loss of this school year in a sense. I surprised myself when tears sprang to my eyes when I saw the tweet from KDE.

My kids will only be in the 4th grade once. They have awesome teachers, and I know how it goes…as the school years go on, there’s more stress, school seems less fun, and the memories of elementary school are some of the best. No carnival, no 4th grade field trip, no field day, and no end of the year teacher hugs…the list goes on and on…and I’m sad for them …even if they aren’t too sad right now. It’s absolutely amazing to me how resilient kids are. I’ve said to others that it’s almost scary that we are now kind of used to this new normal (in regards to staying put at home and distance learning) that I’m afraid kids won’t want to do much once we get back to normal, if that makes sense. I know they miss friends and will want to get back to sports, but we’ve started a new, more simple routine.

A friend brought up a good point about how our kids have been so over-scheduled and how content they are now at home. I do agree…but joked that Hayden’s been playing too much Xbox, so I can’t want to over-schedule him once we can get back to it, and that Hadley over-schedules herself!

Anyway, I know it will all be just fine…and I’m thankful this isn’t a milestone year for them, but I know springtime at the elementary level provides some of the best times and best memories.

That being said, the kids are doing a great job learning at home. That first week was rough but we are now in a routine. This week their teachers have incorporated some other activities like Earth Day activities, a video about kindness, and Hayden’s teacher is doing a chapter a day Read Aloud of the first Harry Potter book. Hayden has loved listening to the book this week.

Reading and lunch with Boo
Homer joined Hadley’s morning class meeting

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we’ve been working on our master bedroom refresh. Travis and I wallpapered one wall in our bedroom Friday evening. Then, Hadley helped Travis paint over the weekend.

On Saturday, Hadley decided to try on one of her dance recital costumes. She even put on some makeup (she’s better than me at doing so) and twirled around the house for a bit. Just your average Saturday afternoon! Hayden did ask her why she had a napkin ring on her head! haha

I had a Zoom call with some of my friends on Saturday evening. We had a little 7-8:00 Happy Hour and just caught up with each other. It was nice to see their faces and hear their voices!

Monday afternoon, I picked up by Kroger Clicklist order which included instant coffee. So, I made my first ever whipped coffee. I followed Amy’s directions from one of her recent posts. It was a delicious and refreshing treat!

I stopped by my classroom on Tuesday. I needed to get a few materials, and it felt good to sit and work there a couple of hours in silence…and in what should have been…

There was a birthday parade for one of my friends on Tuesday. Can birthday parades always be a thing? I love this idea! If we are still locked in our houses in July, can someone please organize a half birthday parade for me?!?

The past few evenings, Hadley and I have been watching the Elephants documentary on Disney + (narrated by Meghan Markle) while the guys have been watching the Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

I made a Trader Joe’s run recently and picked up some of our faves! Nothing says warmer weather to me than the canned Rose’ I love from TJ. The other items are family favorites but I’m also oobbbssed with the Havarti cheese with dill and the Buffalo Chicken Dip.

We’ve even kept up our (at least) weekly family bike ride.

Also, this week, I wrote my first ever Tuesday Talk blog post on Why I Started a Blog. It was a fun link up with Erika and Ashley.

Well, I guess that’s it. Just a little bit of what’s been going on with us! See you back here tomorrow for some of my recent favorites!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Home Updates, Projects

Wall Pops!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

So, our master bedroom has been the one room in the house that we’ve neglected. I’d kind of been holding off making decisions until I knew what we may do about an addition to the master bedroom. I think we are putting a “pin” in that for now, so I decided to move forward with a refresh to our bedroom.

This past weekend, Travis and I spent about three hours Friday night wallpapering a wall in our bedroom. Y’all, we’ve lived in our house for five years and only over this past Christmas break, we moved the furniture around a bit. We moved the bed and took off the mirror of our dresser to allow space for the television. Now we can see the tv from our bed easier and there’s more floor space when you enter our bedroom.

I follow Michelle (@ellerydesigns) on Instagram, and she’s often talking about Wall Pops. Wall Pops has peel and stick floor tiles and wallpaper. She updates her mantle seasonly with the NuWallpaper, and she’s used the floor tiles in various spaces in her home. So, I felt comfortable purchasing and attempting the wallpaper. (Also, she often has a Wall Pops code that she shares with her followers!)

I purchased three rolls of the Shiplap NuWallpaper which is exactly what we needed for this wall. Each roll was $35 on sale (usually $50), so that was a good deal. Along with the wallpaper, I did purchase the smoother and utility knife (less than $5 total) to make sure we had what we needed.

First and foremost, we are novice (very novice) wallpaper hangers…even the peel and stick kind of wallpaper. 😂I’ve seen Michelle post her videos, and I watched a You Tube video of a woman hanging her wallpaper, so I did think it would be easier than it was. Travis thought it would be a one person job. At least in our case, it was definitely a two person job. Honestly, the trickiest part was matching up (the best that we could) the lines. For example, after hanging the first strip, we realized the lines that matched up best were at the end of the roll. So, we unrolled the entire roll to find what would match best. Smoothing it out wasn’t a problem…and we can attest to the fact that the strips can be removed easily because we had to do so many times! haha.

Once we got the hang of it, we kind of got in a groove, but it definitely took longer than we thought. I think we worked on it for about three hours stopping for a few minutes here and there. Besides matching up the lines, the end piece where the walls meet was rather difficult (for us) as well.

All I know is the lady in the You Tube video wasn’t sweating and saying the occasional cuss word! 😉 When I shared the before and after pics on Facebook this weekend, I joked that we are apparently at the phase of quarantine where we decide to test our almost fifteen year marriage by hanging wallpaper on ONE wall! haha

FYI one roll provided about two strips with maybe a bit extra.

Overall, we were very pleased with the outcome, and it was a very cost effective transformation.

Before:

The entire house was painted this tan/yellow color, but, like I said, our room was the only room that hadn’t been painted.

After:

The next morning, the daylight, confirmed how much I loved the final outcome. Also, we had thought about putting the wallpaper on a longer wall in our room, but I am glad we went with the smaller wall. The final outcome added just enough “pop” in the room for our refresh.

Close up

Then, on Sunday, Travis (and Hadley!) painted our other three walls Repose Gray which is what we used in most of our main living spaces in our house. I also found some new bedding for us from Chip and Joanna’s Hearth and Home line at Target. Lastly, I hope to hang a few pics of the kids’ artwork in our room for a gallery wall…and then this refresh will be finished!

Even though the project took a bit longer than I thought it would, I would still do it again. I was thinking of maybe letting Hadley pick out a design she’d like on ONE wall in her room 😉

I hope you are having a great week!

Take care,

Posted in Me, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk- Why I started a blog

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Happy Tuesday. Y’all, I’m linking up with Erika and Ashley for my first ever Tuesday Talk. I’ve been reading Erika’s blog for years, and the third Tuesday of the month she links up with Ashley for a Tuesday Talk about whatever topic they want to talk about it. So, I now read Ashley’s blog too! And…she’s fun to follow on Instagram.

Since I’ve been able to post a bit more lately, I thought for my first Tuesday Talk I would just focus on why I started a blog and link some previous posts about myself. So…here we go…

I had been wanting to start a blog for quite some time. Like…I remember in spring of 2010 when I was sad about leaving the kids and going back to school, a couple of people mentioned blogging and how some actually make money doing so. I said, “What’s a blog?” 😂 Anyway, back to school (and to the sitter for the kids) I went…which was best for all of us! 😉 About five years later, I started reading Bev Weidner’s blog as well as Shay Shull’s blog and just loved the recipes, the humor, the family stories, the pictures, etc. As time went one, I found other blogs I loved to read and do so every morning.

Honestly, these blogs bring me joy. They’ve offered insight to topics I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. I’ve read posts and laughed. I’ve read posts and cried. Because of them, I’ve read books that have inspired me. I’ve cooked meals for my family that everyone enjoyed. I’ve started new traditions that are important to me. The list goes on and on.

Through the years, I’ve had people continue to tell me I should start a blog after seeing some pictures I’ve posted or a funny story I’ve told on Facebook. I just kept putting it off because I didn’t know how and wasn’t sure if I’d have the time to commit to it.

Last summer, I made it a priority. Another thing to do before I turned the big 4-0. I love that a blog is a way to share about my family (especially because lots of my family lives in Missouri), share books I’ve been reading, post funny memes, and tell my Homer stories! Also, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a creative person, but this is creative outlet for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m actually pretty introverted and somewhat quiet. The blog is a way for me to share my voice, in some respect.

I hope that people find me relatable, honest, funny, encouraging and more. That’s how I feel about the ladies’ blogs I read daily. I feel like I keep it pretty light and fluffy around here, but I do feel vulnerable at times with some posts. You just never know how someone may interpret what you’ve written or have an opinion about something you’ve shared. I definitely want my corner of the internet to be a place people want to visit for a book idea, a recipe, or to chuckle at the insanity that typically ensues at my house.

Thanks to all those who have followed my Facebook or Instagram pages. Thank you for those who subscribe to blog emails or for the readers who click the “follow” button on the blog. Thanks to those who read an occasional post or write a comment or even just “like” the post. It’s truly encouraging and uplifting to me. After only about 9 months of blogging, I’ve “met” some new (to me) bloggers through link ups, and continued to broaden the topics I try to write about. Also, I’m not in it for the money 😉 I still don’t even know how that works! This has just become a fun hobby for me…and certainly one I wish I had started sooner.

Again, thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for encouragement along the way!

Here are a few previous post about me and some of the favorite blogs I love to read.

About Me
about me: Part 2
introverts post
Favorite blogs

Some additions to my favorite blogs since I did that post at the end of the summer (I think I reposted it yesterday by accident. Whoops! #Imstillanoviceblogger): Grace and Love, Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa, That Inspired Chick, , and Fancy Ashley. Some ladies post daily, others a few times a week, and some just once a week or so. I always love hearing what they have to say!

Definitely check out Ashley and Erika’s posts today too!

As always, thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Uncategorized

Favorite Blogs

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

After starting a blog, I realized there are many people who may not read any blogs…ever…so I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.

The first two blogs are ones that I have been reading for years…and I’m not sure how I stumbled upon either one…but I love them both.

Mix and Match Mama is one of my favorite blogs to read. The author is Shay Shull, and her brother Sean was one of the Bachelors on ABC. She’s the mom to four kids, two of whom are adopted. Her posts on adoption have really opened my eyes to that aspect of parenting. She’s certainly an inspiration as she shares her stories about all of her kids! Also, she has several cookbooks. Her cookbook Simmers is something I use at least once a week! I always thought using the crockpot was only for pot roasts (which isn’t a fave food of mine), but she has SO MANY wonderful recipes. Some of the recipes I’ve probably made fifty times! The King Ranch Joe (chicken recipe w/ corn bread), Chicken Tortilla Soup, Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes, and Beef Enchilada Tacos are all family favorites in my house.

The Kids in the Kitchen cookbook is fun. We don’t use it often, but I usually let the kids choose a recipe or two to try ….usually a dessert, and we will make that on a Sunday afternoon. The Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole, and S’mores Pie have all been a hit! (**You can find both cookbooks on Amazon.)

Also, on Mondays, she always includes multiple recipes for “Meal Planning Monday.” I usually get my groceries on Sunday, so I usually get a few ideas for the next week which is awesome because when the next weekend rolls around, I already have at least one dinner idea!

Besides cooking, she shares about her family, what she wears (which has led to my love of Nordstrom), books she’s read (I get so many ideas from her!), and about the awesome vacations she and her family go on. (She also owns the Mix and Match Travel Agency.) She posts daily (M-F) which I love, and she’s one of the first blogs I read every day.

MixandMatchmama

Another blog I’ve been reading forrrrevvver is BevCooks.com. Bev Weidner is hilarious! Like laugh out loud funny. She’s a Kansas City based blogger. She posts a couple of recipes throughout the week, and there isn’t one that I’ve made that I didn’t love. Then, on Friday, she always posts a “Friday Flotsam” with random pics and thoughts (and questions!) that always have me smiling.

She has also been on the Food Network show The Kitchen cooking various recipes and has an online Food Network show called Mom Wins with quick and easy tips and recipes your kids would love.

Speaking of kids, she’s the mom to boy/girl twins and started her blog before having the kids and struggling with infertility. I connected with her on that level but also the fact that she keeps it real…all of the time…the good, the bad, and the ugly of life.

Lastly, her Instagram stories are awesome. She’s just so funny and light hearted that it’s easy to connect with her. Recently, she’s started a “book club” where she reads books and shares about them with the viewers. I’ve gotten many recipe and book ideas from her along with a good chuckle or two!

Bevcooks

Momfessionals is another blog I love reading. Andrea is the author and mom to three kids and full time middle school math teacher. I believe she started her blog years ago as a way to keep family members up to date with her growing family, but she shares so many other aspects of her life like educational toys and games, recipes, and teacher resources.

She is so artistic and will occasionally post some of her drawings as printables for kids to color. At Christmas time, she had a whole village with various houses and buildings…they were absolutely incredible and a fun way to give your kids something to do as well as let them be creative as well.

She spends so much time with her kids. I can tell that she’s a very hands on mom but sets clear boundaries for her kids while also letting each one of her kids be individuals, and she definitely embraces that. One of her recent posts was about her driving three hours round trip to pick up a bearded dragon for her son!

momfessionals

Other blogs that I love to read but don’t read as often are:

Living with Landyn, Kristy Wicks, Cotton Stem, and A Little Bit of Everything

I know everyone is super busy but these blogs have added to my life–whether it’s a recipe, a parenting hack, a book idea, or looking at life in a different way, and I hope my blog can be a source like that as well.

One last thing–I started an Instagram acct for this blog– @showmeandsweettea To be honest, it may all be too much to juggle–Facebook, Instagram, blog, (and school is about to start!) etc…but I figure it can be a public acct and a way to let you know when I’ve created a new post.

Happy reading!

Posted in Memes

April Monday Memes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How is it already Monday? How was your weekend? I think I feel like this weekend went fast because we were pretty busy. After wrapping up school on Friday, Travis and I started working on our master bedroom refresh…Wall pops wallpaper, fresh paint and some new bedding. Real Talk: he (and Hadley!) did the painting. I’m really good at overthinking which shade of gray comforter will best match the quilt I picked out for the bed! More details on that refresh later when it’s 100% complete.

I can’t believe we are five weeks (I think?!) into social distancing/staying at home/distance learning… Memes give me life while scrolling through social media as well as a chuckle or two. So…I thought I’d share some of my faves.

That being said, I upload funny memes to my post as the month goes on. I sat down yesterday to see what I’ve added to his post throughout this month…and, you guessed it….they are all social distancing/staying at home/distance learning themed.

I hope that’s ok. I guess in a few years, I will look back on this post, and it will be a time capsule of thoughts and feelings for April 2020.

Netflix: I’m almost halfway finished with season 3 of The Crown. That means in the past few weeks I’ve watched all of season 2 and started season 3. I’m getting used to the new cast. I really like the new (older) Philip. Travis and I also started watching The Stranger and the first two episodes intrigued me. Also, we finished Tiger King last week (and truly binge watched it–which is unlike us….finishing all the episodes in a matter of days). I have no words. Speechless. Up next, I’m know Travis is dying to watch Ozark season 3.

Any other Netflix suggestions? Let me know. 🙂

Y’all, I thought Target was closed. You know back when they closed Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx (tear!), HomeGoods (sob!), etc…Well, I thought Target was closed too! For like a whole month…that’s what I thought…until I saw someone post about what they’d picked up at our local Target. Anyway, I’d been on the hunt for some new bedding (and a few other essentials from Target), so I did venture to Target on Saturday. I kept my (social) distance and thanks to Chip and Jo, I found what I needed and got out ASAP! I got my Target fix for now…but back to staying put at home.

Not only do I talk to myself (as well as walk into a room and not remember why…), I now tell myself inside jokes 😉

We still haven’t heard if we will be returning to school this year or not. I’m afraid the writing is on the wall…so there may not be a car line of parents in May, but come August, people will be lined up in the dark at drop off!

I honestly was just starting to think about Mother’s Day and just the month of May, in general. Both my parents have May birthdays, so I was thinking about what I could buy online, etc…and then I saw this meme! Made me laugh.

I saw this on my friend Lauren’s Instagram stories, and I about spit my drink out with laughter! 😂I’ve been on a few Zoom calls with school (and one with my friends this weekend!) and actually those Zoom calls haven’t been boring!

And, a final thought…on a more serious note… I’ve said it before, but now that we are settled in this routine, I know my family will look back on this time and treasure it. I know we don’t have it rough for one second. I’m a homebody, so it’s not a stretch for me to want to be at home anyway. (But…I can’t wait for the day when I don’t feel like I need to take a shower after running an errand!)…but again, we are safe and sound, have food in our fridge, technology to keep up with school and family, and most importantly have our health.

Honestly, my mind drifts to students who are home in an environment that is unstable with various stresses and worries. There are so many kids who want to be at school because those are the best seven hours in their day. It’s where they get a decent meal, where they have someone who encourages them and lifts them up, and where they can put their worries aside for a bit of time.

So…

I hope you have a great week. Week 3 of distance learning…Here. We. Come.

Take care,