April 2024 – Page 2

DC Part 2

Posted on April 11, 2024April 10, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. We’ve had really dreary weather which has made the early alarms feel even earlier!

Anyway, I’m picking up where I left off with Part 1 of our spring break in Washington, DC.

We were a bit late seeing about a tour, but through a contact of Trav’s she helped us get a private tour appointment given by an aide to one of the Virginia representatives.

We met him at his office in one of the other buildings.

Then, he got us passes to walk to the Capitol. We walked through the underground tunnels like the representatives do to get to the Capitol building. He told us that high school students can submit artwork to their representative, and then if chosen, their work hangs in the tunnel for a year.

I stopped and took a pic of the Kentucky students’ selected artwork:

Once we got to the Capitol, we traded in our tunnel passes for passes for the Capitol tour. Our guide was really good, and we learned a lot about him, and he asked us a lot of questions about Kentucky.

Some of our favorite pit-stops on the tour included learning about The Statue of Freedom, Abraham Lincoln, and the center point of DC.

The ceiling of the Capitol Rotunda was stunning.

The Rotunda included famous paintings and statues – Washington, Reagan, the Pioneers for Women’s Suffrage, and Henry Clay.

The Old Supreme Court Chamber (1810-1860) was really interesting…

…as was the Old Senate Chamber (1810-859)

Our tour lasted about an hour, and the last stop was at the 9/11 Memorial.

After we left our tour guide, we had access to the House of Representatives chamber of the Capitol. No phones or smart watches were allowed, but it was really interesting to see.

Once we left the Capitol Building,there was just a bit of light rain, so we walked around the National Mall since we’d only seen it at night.

A nice Duke fan took our photo and then gave Travis condolences on UK losing in the first round of the tournament…since Trav was wearing a UK zip up. haha

Hayden had seen his cousin “touch” the Washington Monument, so he wanted to do the same…which meant Hadley wanted to do that as well.

We planned to walk to White House but the rain picked up so we got a snack at the art gallery and then headed to the Natural History Museum.

We were there about an hour and a half. It was nice that the museums were free because we saw as much as we could, but also didn’t feel like we had to see everything. It was kind of crowded, but it wasn’t too bad. Hayden and I like museums a bit more than Trav and Hadley, but they enjoyed themselves too.

When we left, the weather was better, so we continued our walk to the White House.

My mom had sent me this pic of my brother and me at the White House in 2004.

This is what that same spot looks like now:

We’d spotted a Metro stop, and the kids were tired at this point. Well, so was I…haha…but I assumed we’d at least be able to see something on the other side of the White House. It didn’t take long, and we made it to:

…and ta da….

We got a couple of photos.

…for memory’s sake, of course.

The White House was pretty neat to see in person. The kids thought it was cool.

As we walked toward the Metro, we looked back, and the flowers were pretty even on the overcast day.

We made our way to the Metro stop.

Once back at our hotel, we relaxed for about an hour. Then, we headed to Georgetown. We went to the Metro station by our hotel, and the employee said the bus right outside makes stops in Georgetown.

So, we rode the city bus a short drive across the river, and walked to our restaurant for dinner.

We gave il Canale a 10/10. The atmosphere was great, and the food was delicious.

Then, we walked a few blocks to Georgetown Cupcake. I was excited to go there because I watched every episode of DC Cupcakes back in the day!

So many choices!

I settled on Lavender Early Grey, and it was so good.

At this point, it was probably 8:30 or so, and we were tired. Rather than figure out the bus situation, we got an Uber back to the hotel.

While we waited for the Uber, we saw our friends (Hadley’s bestie and fam) who were also in DC for spring break.

Once we were back at the hotel, the kids went back to the room, and Travis and I had a drink at the hotel bar.

It was an earlier bedtime for all…we were tired! I walked over 18,000 steps that day…and the kids and Trav had more.

I guess I will have one more post to wrap up our trip, and I will share that next week.

Inspiration, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, I survived the first day back to school in ten days, and it was a good one. As much as I love a break, it’s always good to get back in a routine.

It’s already the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

How we clean our closets in January
Little things we do every single day in February
What’s in our grocery cart in March

This month’s topic is let’s look…our daily quiet time/prayer time.

This topic got me thinking a bit about my morning quiet time and when it started. Quiet morning time is such an important part of my routine and the “need” for it started when the kids were babies. While I’ve always needed to “ease” into my morning, having two crying babies wake me was not the best way for me to start the day. So, once the kids were on a predictable schedule, I made a point to get up at least a half hour before them.

The years really are short…because on spring break, there were mornings I was up for hours before them and even I was sleeping in a bit! haha

It’s just nice to start my morning with a cup of coffee, eye masks, and reading some blogs!

Anyway, a few years ago…probably 2018 or so, I started incorporating in a bit more “faith” into my morning quiet time routine. I try to start the morning in the Bible app with the verse of the day and the videos and texts that come with it. It’s only about five minutes, but a good way to start the day.

Yesterday’s verse:

I’ve had my Bible for a few years. A couple of years ago, I used the Bible app to guide me through the entire Bible in a year. I was glad I did that, but obviously I could re-read it multiple times for better understanding.

In December, I was scrolling Pinterest and saw this reading plan:

…which prompted me to buy this Bible study journal and these pens…

…and now I’ve been doing a new reading plan every month. Like the morning, this only takes a few minutes, but I usually do this quiet time when I get home from school. This journal is set up using the SOAP method with space for “scripture, observation, application, and prayer.”

I like that there’s a habit tracker which I started in January.

This is my April reading plan:

I tend to be more private with my faith, but once we found a home church over five years ago, I just wanted to know and learn more…for my kids and for myself. Also, for me, my learning style is to take things a little at a time. I like to read, learn, reflect, and write. I guess it’s the teacher in me…wanting to learn, but also wanting to have the time to process information, reflect, respond, and apply to life.

So, that’s a look at my daily quiet/prayer time.

Travel

Washington DC Part 1

Posted on April 9, 2024April 8, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, all good things must come to an end. It’s off to school we go today with around thirty school days left in the year.

Before too much time passes, I want to start recapping our spring break trip to Washington, DC last week.

We are the worst at planning spring break trips. Honestly, as a teacher, I’m tired by the time spring break rolls around. Since the kids started elementary school, we’ve just made it a point to go somewhere nearby for a few days. It is nice to have the family time, but it’s also nice to be home and do things that we don’t normally have time to do.

Anyway, for once, we kind of did plan a spring break trip in advance. A few schools around here take 8th grade trips to DC, and while I knew that wouldn’t be the case for my kids at their school, I always “earmarked” the idea of going to DC during their 8th grade year. I figured it would be something they’d remember for a while and are old enough to appreciate it.

Thanks to a few friends who have been in the past year, we had an idea of what to see and do in a few days in DC.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the beginning of our trip.

Charlottesville, VA

Sunday:

Trav’s aunt wasn’t hosting Easter this year, so we decided to start the drive to DC after church on Easter Sunday.

We left around 1:30 and drove the six hours to Charlottesville, VA.

Our hotel was in a cute part of town…and I immediately spotted a Trader Joe’s, so I knew I’d like the area. haha

Anyway, before we even checked into the hotel, we saw Torchy’s Tacos which looked like it would hit the spot. So, we had dinner there and then went to the hotel to check in and settle in for the night.

Monday:

Monday morning, Trav and the kids got up early for a track workout. Travis had planned ahead and found a high school track for the workout.

Once they were back, Travis hit the treadmill in the gym, and the kids and I hit up the hotel breakfast! I knew it was our only free hotel breakfast, so I told the kids to eat up! haha

Then, we packed up the car and headed to UVA’s campus. We love a college campus, and of course, they wanted to check out the track.

The pic doesn’t do it justice, but it was a nice facility.

We then drove around campus a bit, and spotted the football stadium. It was neat that the stadium was right in the middle of campus.

Then, we checked out the Rotunda which was really pretty.

Multiple people had suggested Citizen Burger for lunch, and it hit the spot!

We’d planned on going to Jefferson’s house, Monticello, while in Charlottesville, but when we left lunch, it was raining pretty hard. We discussed catching it on the way back through on Thursday (which I was afraid wouldn’t happen), but it made sense to start the two hour drive to DC.

Washington, DC

We arrived at our hotel in Arlington, VA after a couple of hours and a pretty easy drive.

We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Arlington, and it ended up being a nice hotel in a great location.

From our room, through the buildings, you could see the Potomac River and Georgetown across the way.

We had about an hour to get settled and get our bearings.

We took an Uber for a quick dinner at DC’s Union Market. This was a cool place with foods from all around the world. We had less than a half hour to eat because we needed to get to our tour, so we just got slices of pizza from Parachute Pizza, and the kids got a cookie for dessert too.

I have a feeling Travis thought this was near Union Station where we needed to go for our tour pickup because when our first Uber driver mentioned it being a couple miles away, we realized we needed to eat quickly.

Anyway, we took a second Uber to Union Station to board one of those open air buses for the tour.

Numerous people suggested a nighttime tour of the monuments, and I’m so glad we did that first. We were able to see so much on our first night, but we also were able to get oriented on where everything was in the city.

It was a chilly evening, but we mostly stayed warm. We wouldn’t have had very good views if the plastic windows were rolled down.

Our tour guide, Jason, was really good. He was funny and of course shared the history and lots of facts (and dad jokes!)

Capitol Building:

Supreme Court:

The National Mall and Washington Monument

There were three stops on this tour. Our first stop was at the Iwo Jima Memorial. It was a powerful sight to see. We were here about fifteen minutes before getting back on the bus.

We drove past other sights and then our second stop was at the Lincoln Memorial part of the mall. Before going to see Lincoln, we checked out the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument all lit up.

Hadley is great at getting a family selfie!

There were quite a few people there, but we were able to get some pics of Abraham Lincoln…

…as well as Abe with the kids and a family pic with him too.

I’d forgotten to get a pic of the entire monument, but Hadley saved the day.

View from Lincoln Memorial looking at the Washington Monument.

After thirty minutes, we got back on the bus, and Jason drove us to our final stop: the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

It was so pretty with the trees…

…and the monument was massive.

We were able to see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial lit up in the distance.

The bus driver mentioned that if we let him know ahead of time, he would drop people off at their hotel if it was on the way. Trav talked with him about a good hotel to catch an Uber, and he suggested the JW Marriott. It meant a shorter Uber ride than if we left from Union Station.

He dropped us off and we hung out in the JW Marriott hotel until our Uber driver picked us up. It was a coincidence, but our driver was the same one that picked us up at our hotel to go to dinner.

It was about 10:15, but we were a bit hungry, so we ate at a bar near our hotel. It wasn’t crowded, the women’s final 4 games were on, and we had a few appetizers before going to bed around 11.

Tuesday:

Needless to say, we were tired, so we slept in a bit. Travis always gets up early, so when we woke up around 8:45, he’d already figured out the Metro system and got us each a card to ride.

The Metro was right outside our hotel lobby, so that was very convenient.

The escalator down to the trains was a sight to see. I feel like we were on it for a couple of minutes.

The kids had fun looking at the maps. I swear riding the Metro a few times was one of the highlights of the trip.

Travis had planned ahead, and a few people had suggested Ted’s Bulletin for their homemade Ted’s tart, similar to a Poptart. Once we got off the Metro, we walked a few blocks to one of the Ted’s Bulletin locations.

Our breakfast was delish! Hadley got the s’mores tart, and Travis got a big breakfast with the cherry tart on the side. I had a bite of both, and they were both really good…but the cherry was delish!

I ordered avocado toast, and it was amazing. Hayden enjoyed his biscuits and gravy.

Then, we walked a bit to the Capitol Building for our scheduled tour.

I was worried about the weather for our few days in DC because it looked like a good chance of rain the entire time. On Tuesday morning, it was mostly overcast but no rain. We arrived at the Capitol Building early, so we checked out…

The Library of Congress and…

…the Supreme Court (in the daylight)

…before meeting our tour guide.

An aide for one of the Virginia reps gave us our tour, and I will pick up there when I get to Part 2 of DC.

Have you been to DC? What was your favorite thing that you saw?

Not Just a Mom, Self-care

Share Our Lives: April 2024

Posted on April 8, 2024April 8, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

And, thanks to the eclipse, we have one more day of break. Per usual, I feel like I could use one more day to get my life together. I was really productive on Friday unpacking, ordering groceries, and doing laundry.

Then, we ended up having a stressful/long weekend and on top of that, I’ve been having back issues…feels like a pinched nerve, so I’ve been moving slowly and not sleeping great.

Anyway, it’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting this month’s Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.

This year, we’ve discussed:

Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
How we met our significant other in February
5 items you can’t live without in March

This month’s topic is…favorite make up and hair products

Well, this post went from “I’m not sure I will have much to share” to apparently I’ve written a doctoral thesis on products I love.

Here are some of my “go to” makeup, hair and skincare products.

Makeup:

I’m a creature of habit, and haven’t changed my makeup in a couple of years.

I still wear Seint makeup, but two other products I love are:

Tarte Shape Tape which I use for under eye and blemish concealer
L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara. I’ve used this mascara for about a year, and it’s thick and lasts all day.

Hair Products:

Like makeup, I try to keep it simple, but I do have a few favorite products.

Hadley uses dry shampoo more than I do, and we prefer the Batiste brand, but we’ll use the Kroger brand too.
A new favorite of mine, and now Hadley’s, is In Common Magic Myst. If Jen Reed shares something, odds are I will love it. I use this on my wet hair as a detangler, and I use it for a heat protectant too. Hadley caught wind of it — literally –the scent after I sprayed it in my hair–and started using it too. I just purchased a second bottle with Jen’s code, and it included a travel size spray too.

Pureology: I’m not a hair person, and my hair never looks as good as when I leave the salon, but I do know that a good shampoo and conditioner go a long way, and I’ve been using the purple Hydrate bottles for years.

I’m such a novice at hair care, that my hair girl still has to share hair washing tips with me…like a little shampoo and conditioner go a long way , use your finger tips to massage in the shampoo on your scalp (not your finger nails), and to put a bit of conditioner on the tips of your hair and then use your fingers to comb the remaining conditioner in evenly.

Hadley needs no hair care tips. haha

Her favorite shampoo and conditioner are from Function of Beauty. There are various shampoo bases like wavy hair, straight hair, curly hair, etc. Then, you add in a booster. There are different “shots”: strengthen, volumize, deep condition, etc. Hadley uses “lengthen,” and she loves it. Of course, she doesn’t do much to her hair to damage it…it’s not highlighted, and she only straightens or curls it occasionally, but I’m very envious of her hair!

Skincare:

Well, I know the topic didn’t include skincare, and I’ve shared skincare in the past…but I just thought it would be nice to have everything in one place.

I still use Dime Beauty pretty religiously…especially these three products:

Dewy Day Cream
Super Firm Serum (I use this at night with…)
Restorative Night Cream

They did change the packaging of the day and night cream…and I’ve gotten used to it…but I still prefer the pump which is also easier to pack for travel.

Other tried and true favorites:

I use Thayers toner morning and night. I have a travel size too.
Vitamin C serum that I use in the morning. It looks like I ordered this for the first time a year ago and am on my fourth bottle.
Gold Bond Neck and Chest Firming Cream that I try to remember to use at least once a day, if not twice! The price is a affordable, and I do feel like it helps!

The real MVP of Hadley’s Easter basket:

This e.l.f. Holy Hydration set. It was perfect to take on on trip to DC, and she loves the products. On the trip, I borrowed the cleanser to use with…
The facial sponges. (Hayden got some in his basket too) These are perfect for travel, and I’ve been using them most mornings when I wash my face.

Other:

Well, while we’re at it…here are a few other “beauty/skincare” products I love:

I bought this Jergens Instant Sun about a year and a half ago, and I still have the same bottle. The mitt is a must as well for applying it. I have “light bronze” which gives a subtle hint of color when needed. I use it the most in the spring and then in October when my summer tan is fading, but a little is just enough to keep color without being obviously tan. I’ve helped Hadley use it just to give herself a little color before the cotillion dances. She says she’s not ready to apply it herself. haha

I’ve been using Billie razors for years. Every other month, I receive four new blades. When Hadley started shaving her legs, I got her a razor too. I also like that they have a cute little travel case for easy packing.
For Christmas, Hadley requested shave oil when we saw it at Target. I’d never even heard of shave oil, but now we both use it!

The razors have a magnet on them for easy shower storage.

I’ve still been using the Jergens Essential Oil sticks in the morning and before bed. I just apply a bit to my wrists and neck, and I love the scent of both. I ordered both in January, and they are nowhere near being close to gone.

Ok…I’m saving the best for last.

I’ve shared these eye masks, and they continue to be my favorite thing. Just recently I realized the “pro tip” of putting them in the fridge. Let me tell you what a treat it is to start my morning with these chilled eye patches and a cup of coffee. It’s the little things!

I even packed a few for our DC trip because I knew our hotel room had a fridge.

Next month…we’re talking about food…favorite and least favorite foods. As always, we hope you’ll join us.

I can’t wait to see what others are sharing today. I love learning about new favorite products.

Happy eclipse day,

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Friday Favorites, Holidays, Travel

Friday Favorites {#201}

Posted on April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, the last Friday of break sure hits different.

That being said, I am happy to be home and sleeping in my bed after a few nights away for spring break.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

This is basically “Friday Favorites: Easter/DC Edition” recapping last weekend and then sharing a couple of pics from our few days in DC.

Easter:

Last Saturday morning the kids dyed a dozen eggs per tradition. They still have a good time doing this…but I’m the only one that eats hard boiled eggs. haha

Saturday evening, we went to our friends’ house for dinner and egg hunt for the kids.

I brought pasta salad and this cute cake from Kroger.

There are plenty of little kids in this group, so the big kids were warned to not hog all the eggs…but everyone had a good time.

Sunday morning, I put the kids’ Easter baskets out. When they woke up, they looked for the eggs, had breakfast, and went through their Easter baskets.

Then, we went to church. My favorite part of Easter service is when the little kids walk down the aisle to flower the cross.

The dogwoods (I think?) were in bloom this year (they weren’t last year!), so we took a couple of pics…

…a family one too…before heading home.

We packed up the car and drove to Charlottesville, VA to pit stop for the night.

On the drive, I made my April book trackers, and saved them to an Instagram highlight. Here’s one of them:

DC:

We were in DC Monday-Thursday, and had a great time. Shew! DC is a lot of work – planning, walking, etc…but we did a lot.

We took a night time monument tour Monday night.

The cherry blossoms were still in bloom, and Hadley snapped this pic on rainy Wednesday.

I’m sure I will recap our trip. We were able to see quite a bit, but, of course, there is still so much more to see and do.

*While we were gone, our area got severe storms with confirmed tornadoes nearby. All is good in our neck of the woods, but others close by lost power and had trees down. I received a few messages; thanks for checking in.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Today, all I’m asking of my kids is that they get their suitcases unpacked! I need to give myself that same pep talk.

Weekly Recap:

This week, I still had a few posts to share:

Prime Purchases

March Workouts

Pinned on Pinterest

Share Our Lives:

On Monday, we’re having our April Share Our Lives post. The topic is Favorite Make Up and Hair Products. We’d love to have you link up and join us.

What are your weekend plans? I’m going to savor the last few days of break. As much as I love a trip, you know I love getting back home. I hope to have some downtime to unpack and get my life in order as we prep to go back to school. That being said, we also have Monday off because of the eclipse.

Spring break…the gift that keeps on giving!

Inspiration, Me

Pinned on Pinterest

Posted on April 4, 2024April 3, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I shared a Pinterest post in January, and I’d intended to share even more ideas that I have pinned to my Pinterest boards, but hadn’t done that yet.

I will still get to that but lately on Instagram I’ve seen some fun Pinterest searches. The ones that I’ve done have really been ones that I think fit my style, and I’m sharing those today.

Here are some of recent Pinterest searches:

My Vibe:

Celebrity: Jennifer Garner. Yes, ma’am! I think I could be besties with her.
Outfit: This outfit is definitely my vibe. Black leggings, sweatshirt, and sneaks…my favorite.
Quote: I’m definitely a work in progress. haha
Aesthetic: Cozy vibes! A book and a cup of coffee are certainly my aesthetic.

Home Edition:

Kitchen: This kitchen looks pretty similar to how we’ve updated our kitchen through the years. We have gray cabinets and white tile.
Garden: Well, I’m not the gardener in the family, and we do have a small one. But if we had more space, I would love raised beds and a cute little shed.
Bedroom: We have a similar headboard and we have gray walls too. That being said, this bedroom is definitely an updated upgrade that I would love.
House: We’ve often talked about painting our brick, and I love the look of gray and white!

How Pinterest Sees Me:

Fashion: This is why Pinterest is an inspiration…I have all three of these pieces in my closet…black sweater, jeans, and tan mules.
Mood: There’s nothing better than a glass of wine and the beach (with friends/family!)
Color: I’m not sure when it happened, but I love light purple/lilac!
Place: A cozy spot by the fire…sounds good to me!
Animal: I love baby goats!
Food: Pizza…yes, please! If a taco popped up in the search, Pinterest also wouldn’t be wrong either!

It seems like Pinterest knows me pretty well! I think it’s a great source for inspiration and ideas.

Do you use Pinterest? See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Health and Fitness

Workout Diaries: March 2024

Posted on April 2, 2024April 1, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Since March is over, it’s time for me to recap my workouts for the month.

This month was pretty good considering all that we tend to have going on this time of the year.

Here’s my March Bodi tracker:

Here are my workouts this month:

March 2: Lower Body Fire

March 6: PiYo: Strength Intervals
March 7: PiYo Define: Lower Body
March 9: PiYo Define: Upper Body

PiYo is a Beachbody program I did years ago. I even owned the DVD’s. I was happy to stumble upon it in the Bodi library, but there were only a few workouts.

March 11: Job 1: 20 Minute Sweat Session

March 12: PiYo Sweat
March 16: Sure Thing: Combination Strength

March 18: 21 Day Fix: Pilates Fix

March 19: Job 1: 20 Minute Sweat Session
March 21: Job 1: Finish Stronger: Chest, Back, Legs
March 23: Sure Thing: Lower Body Power
March 26: Job 1: 20 Minute Sweat Session
March 28: Sure Thing: Upper Body Power
March 30: Sure Thing: Endurance Strength

Like most months, my goal is always half of the days, and I was close with 14 workouts.

There were a couple of days where I thought I’d workout, but then didn’t end up doing so. For example, last Wednesday, I had a meeting after school, and then kind of on a whim, I decided to take Hadley and her friend to my school’s baseball game because some of their friends were playing. Then, they had volleyball. So, while I didn’t get a workout in, having time to go to the baseball game was nice.

As you can see, I did a little bit of everything. Looking back, I did have quite a few shorter workouts. I didn’t feel as motivated this month, and even some of the days I did workout, it wasn’t until 6:00…when usually I’m better about getting a workout in right when I get home from school.

I guess something is better than nothing. I still try to choose cardio exercises on Mondays and Tuesdays.

April is a busy month, but I’m going to keep chugging along…and coloring in my Bodi squares.

Amazon

Prime Purchases

Posted on April 1, 2024March 31, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

To me, there’s nothing better than a Monday with no school!

Also, as a teacher, I’m always grateful that our spring break falls on April Fool’s Day. No one wants to be in a school full of high schoolers pulling pranks…Well, that’s actually a typical day for us sometimes. haha

Did you catch my Saturday post? I didn’t publish it until Saturday morning.

How was your Easter? Ours was really good. It was a little more simple this year, but we dyed Easter eggs and enjoyed Easter service at our church.

Today, I’m linking up to Tanya to share my Prime Purchases of the month.

I saw this meme, and it made me laugh.

Really, this post is mostly brought to you because of Easter basket items and me getting a new phone.

A couple of weeks ago I got a new phone, and while I walked into T-Mobile saying I wouldn’t be talked into an iPhone 15, I walked out of T-Mobile with an iPhone 15. My biggest hesitation was knowing I’d need new chargers, but the deal was too good to pass up with my phone trade in.

Of course, the phone came with a charger, but I went ahead and ordered a new charger (2 pack) for the car.

…and for school.

I had a wireless charger years ago, and as soon as I put my pop socket on, I realized I couldn’t use the charger anymore. That being said, I prefer to place my phone face down at night, so it’s not glowing off and on, and this charger wouldn’t really work for that. So, this is my school charger which I prefer because then I can usually see texts coming in.

I’m loving my new phone case. I definitely need a way to grip my phone, but didn’t want to use a pop socket. This case has worked really well, and I like the design.

Since I was getting the kids mini portable chargers for their Easter baskets, I decided to go ahead and get one for myself as well. I typically have my old one in my purse, especially during long volleyball tournaments or track meets. I believe it still works for my new phone, but I like this one because it’s smaller and shows the percentage.

Thankfully, my new phone holds a charge quite a bit longer than my old one, but it’s nice to have options.

This is the portable charger I got for the kids, but it seems to be out of stock right now.

The number of phone chargers in this post is obnoxious, and I’m sorry for that. 😆

Moving on to other Easter basket items. Both kids got these compressed facial sponges in their baskets. I’m all about promoting face washing…at the least!

Hayden is kind of past wearing PJ shorts, but I got him this gray pair of Hanes cotton shorts to lounge around in.

As you know, Hadley loves all things skin care. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Elf, so I thought she’d like to try the Holy Hydration kit.

Hayden’s microphone on his gaming headset broke recently, so I thought Easter would be a good time to get him a new one.

I already have this pullover in black, and it’s one of my favorites. That being said, when I wear it, I immediately take it off when I get home because of Homer’s shedding. So, I wanted another neutral color to wear that I don’t have to take off as soon as I come home. I’m tempted to buy the purple color too, but it doesn’t ship for a month! I’m going to keep my eye out though.

This tunic style t-shirt is perfect for me in the spring. Once I clean out my closet a bit, I might buy it in another color. It’s the perfect staple.

Tell me it’s track season without telling me it’s track season.

Travis needed a stopwatch to time the kids’ workouts, so he ordered this one. No, he’s not their middle school coach, why do you ask? haha

FYI I have a few of these items in Instagram highlights too. I might add others to it when I have time.

What about you purchased lately?