Posted on February 26, 2021February 25, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hey! Hey! We made it to Friday. I can’t get over the difference in weather in a matter of just one week. Last week, the kids were sledding and our streets were covered in ice and snow. This week, Hayden has been excited to wear shorts most days and both kids haven’t needed their winter coat!

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

As I occasionally do, I’m sharing the “little” moments as favorites this week. Here’s a look at some small, but meaningful, moments from the week:

Sunday:

On Sunday, the sun was (finally) shining, and the snow began to melt! We needed the milder temps after 2+ weeks of frigid temperatures and ongoing winter weather events.

Monday:

On Monday, I started Muscle Burns Fat: Advanced. I did Muscle Burns Fat earlier in the month, and I loved the program. Since the beginning of January, I’ve lost almost 6 total inches and a few pounds, so I’m hoping MBFA will help me keep chipping away at my #quarantine15!

Tuesday:

Hadley started attending the God’s Girls Reading Group at our church. It was fun picking her and two friends up afterwards and hearing about how the session went for them. The “mini chapters” in this book are perfect for Hadley and provide opportunities for some nice conversations.

Wednesday:

With in person learning on the horizon, the kids’ pod teacher gave them this sweet gift on Wednesday. I love a good hashtag: #podsquadforever

Hand sanitizer, Kleenex, pencils, and a candy necklace…perfect for 5th graders in 2021! I know they will always remember their time at pod, and we are thankful to have had that option and experience.

Another favorite from Wednesday, was I was able to catch up with one of my friends! We met at Agave and Rye for their Happy Hour specials. We had a great time catching up, sipping margs, and eating chips and queso!

Thursday:

My candle pedestal from The Nested Fig arrived a couple weeks ago. The small wreath I ordered from Amazon arrived and was the perfect finishing touch for the candle and pedestal.

I’m enjoying slow mornings at home with this Butterscotch Toffee scented candle from Bath and Body Works while I can.

I also tried cinnamon rolls in the Air Fryer, and they were a hit! Well…for Hayden and Travis, anyway. Hadley doesn’t like cinnamon rolls. (crazy, but true!) They were ready in five minutes. Five minute cinnamon rolls isn’t necessarily a reason to buy an Air Fryer, but I am appreciating being able to make some breakfast favorites during the week instead of just on the weekends.

Favorite Mom Meme:

That mom life though…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

February 2013 when Hadley came to school with me for a few hours. I loved when she let me put her hair in little pigtails!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week in case you are interested…

Monday Memes

What’s Up Wednesday

February books

Also, I feel like I have a bit of the “blogging blahs…” #workingtitle

Let me know if there are any topics or ideas that you have that you are interested in reading about or that you’ve seen other bloggers share. I always plan around certain link ups or some of my regular posts like books, meals, memes and other ideas, but I’d love to hear some new fresh ideas!

This weekend we have four basketball games to keep us busy, Hayden has also started back with baseball, and Hadley’s working hard on her competition dance routines. We’re also gearing up for in person learning next week, so I feel like there won’t be much rest to be had over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks so much for reading,

{this post contained Amazon affiliate links…}

Books and Shows

February: What I’ve Been Reading

Posted on February 25, 2021February 24, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How’s it going?

Today I’m sharing the three books I read this month. They were all very different, and I enjoyed them all.

Friendly reminder that I’m using the Good Reads summaries of the books as well as a few of my thoughts and a rating!

This month I read…

The Lies that Bind:

The Lies that Bind

Summary:

It’s 2 A.M. on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar in New York’s East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city–and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew.

As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it–you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours–and shots of tequila–the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, their timing couldn’t be worse–Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head.

Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn’t who heseemed to be?

The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth–in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.

Quick Thoughts:

This book takes place during 9/11 which kept me thinking about what I was doing on that day. 9/11 seems like yesterday when reading the description of events from the book. Overall, I thought this book was good, but the ending felt odd/unrealistic. I did read it quickly and thought the characters were interesting.

Rating:

A Hope More Powerful than the Sea:

A Hope More Powerful than the Sea

Summary:

Doaa and her family leave war-torn Syria for Egypt where the climate is becoming politically unstable and increasingly dangerous. She meets and falls in love with Bassem, a former Free Syrian Army fighter and together they decide to leave behind the hardship and harassment they face in Egypt to flee for Europe, joining the ranks of the thousands of refugees who make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded and run-down ships to seek asylum overseas and begin a new life.

After four days at sea, their boat is sunk by another boat filled with angry men shouting threats and insults. With no land in sight and surrounded by bloated, floating corpses, Doaa is adrift with a child’s inflatable water ring around her waist, while two little girls cling to her neck. Doaa must stay alive for them. She must not lose strength. She must not lose hope.

Quick Thoughts:

I can’t remember who shared this book, but after hearing about it, I moved it to the top of my reading list. Much like when I read American Dirt, I was overcome with emotions thinking about what Doaa and her family went through to flee their country. I caught myself tensing up and reading quickly through the chapters where she was at sea. This book definitely provided such a vivid and gripping perspective on the determination and heartbreak so many go through to leave their homeland in search of a better life.

Rating:

Troubles in Paradise:

Troubles in Paradise

Summary:

After uprooting her life in the States, Irene Steele has just settled in at the villa on St. John where her husband Russ had been living a double life. But a visit from the FBI shakes her foundations, and Irene once again learns just how little she knew about the man she loved.

With help from their friends, Irene and her sons set up their lives while evidence mounts that the helicopter crash that killed Russ may not have been an accident. Meanwhile, the island watches this drama unfold — including the driver of a Jeep with tinted windows who seems to be shadowing the Steele family.

As a storm gathers strength in the Atlantic, surprises are in store for the Steeles: help from a mysterious source, and a new beginning in the paradise that has become their home. At last all will be revealed about the secrets and lies that brought Irene and her sons to St. John — and the truth that transformed them all.

Quick Thoughts:

This is the third and final book in the Paradise series. Like with the other two books, I really enjoyed this one. I love the characters, the setting, the family connections, and the plot. I did think there was a little bit of a forced connection near the end with Mitzi Quinn from Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series making an appearance, but otherwise I enjoyed this book. I feel like the series was wrapped up quite nicely!

Rating:

Currently Reading:

I’m currently reading We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. While I don’t typically turn to historical fiction, this book has definitely captured my attention. I’m about 75% finished, so I will tell you more about it next month. That being said, I already think it may be one of my Top 2021 reads this year.

What are you currently reading? As always, I love book suggestions, so let me know!

Happy Reading,

{this post contained Amazon affiliate links…}

What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on February 24, 2021February 25, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hey! Happy What’s Up Wednesday! I can’t believe that next week is March! February flew by, and at least this week, we’ve thawed out, the snow has melted, and we’ve had temps in the 50’s! It actually feels like spring…which probably means we’ll get two snow storms in March here in Kentucky.

Today, I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for WUW!

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

Sunday- Sliders and soup!
Monday- Andrea’s Creamy Beef and Rice and broccoli
Tuesday- My kids’ school had a fundraiser at Chipolte, so we had a Taco Tuesday where I didn’t have to cook!
Wednesday– Shay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup…which is a family favorite!
Thursday– Shay’s Beefy Cornbread Casserole Obviously, this recipe is on Shay’s blog, but it’s also in one of her cookbooks that I hadn’t used in a while. I made it a couple weeks ago, and it was so good! We all loved it, so I wanted to make it again before winter is over.
Friday and Saturday– I’m sure we’ll eat out or get carry out per usual on the weekend.

WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

The first day of school. As I’ve mentioned my kids haven’t stepped foot in their school since March 13, 2020. This year, they’ve been home with me three days a week and have attended school with a pod of kids the other two days. Fingers crossed, one week from today, they will be back in school with only three months left in the 5th grade.

WHAT I’M LOVING:

My Air Fryer…

I received so many awesome suggestions after my Tuesday Talk post last week. (I’d love even more, so let me know some of your favorite Air Fryer recipes!)

Besides using it to reheat items or cook frozen foods, I’ve made veggies for dinner side dishes, donuts, and sliders. Up next: cinnamon rolls…I mean, just the store bought ones, but I’m going to bake them in the Air Fryer. I can’t wait to give them a try!

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

This is so random, but I’m working on deleting photos from my phone. I save all my photos to Shutterfly, so there’s ZERO reason why I need to keep so many on my phone. That being said, I was up to like 9,000 photos and was just waiting for Apple to tell me my storage was full! Anyway, for some reason, deleting so many photos seems overwhelming to me, so I set an alarm on my phone to delete 100 photos a day. I’ve been doing this since January 1st, and I’ve gone from 9,000 to 4,800…now, that’s progress, y’all! I probably should have just called the Home Edit ladies…or given them my phone to return to me when there are 52 photos left on it 😂

We also just finished up sorting and delivering Hadley’s Girl Scout cookie orders. She still has a few more orders that will come in, but 90% of her cookies have been delivered!

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

Besides school, work, dance, and basketball, the kids had plenty of fun in the snow over the past two weeks…and have a couple of broken sleds to prove it!

Travis and I made it out to dinner at one of our favorite places last Friday night. I love a 6:30 reservation by the fire…and home by 8:00!

I’m continuing my Beachbody workouts, and finished up Muscle Burns Fat. On Monday, I started Muscle Burns Fat Advanced. It might as well be called Muscle Burns Fat EXTREME because Megan has me cussing half the time…which must mean she knows what she’s doing!

WHAT I’M DREADING:

I’m not technically dreading anything right now, but of course, I continue to feel unsettled with the plans for return to in person learning. I hope once the elementary kids are phased in, we are ready to get a plan for the middle and high school kids. Right now feels very similar to the end of the school year last year when we were living on a two week by two week timeline with such uncertainty about educational plans.

*Edit: After I had this all typed out, we received the email and phone call with a plan to get all grades back in the building by the middle of March. Fingers crossed that Covid cases continue to decline and the plan can be carried out as scheduled. 😊😊

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

Hayden and Hadley getting to (hopefully!) finish their last few months of elementary school in the building. Maybe I will have another Back 2 School Breakfast next week??

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

American Idol is back, and we usually watch it as a family.

Recently, we watched The Blindside and Top Gun with Hayden. He loved both movies. I don’t think I have seen either movie in years, and they were fun to watch.

Tomorrow, I will share the books I read in February. I’m currently reading We Were the Lucky Ones. I don’t typically read historical fiction, but this novel has captured my attention!

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson have a new podcast called Calm Down. They’ve only had one episode, and Kevin Hart was their guest. Erin and Charissa are smart, funny, and sassy! I’m sure I will tune into this one weekly!

WHAT I’M WEARING:

Apparently, joggers and more joggers.

I a few weeks ago, Old Navy was having a sale, and I picked up these joggers. I love that they are high-waisted and form fitting but loose at the same time.

My Old Navy didn’t have the joggers in black, so I turned to Amazon….because why would I pay for shipping at Old Navy if I could find an option on Amazon where shipping is free! (and fast!)

I’ve dressed both pairs of joggers up and down…sweater, sweatshirt, tennis shoes, leopard flats, etc. The material of both lends to them being versatile.

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

Well, this weekend is what happens when make up basketball games and tournaments for two teams collide. Hayden has two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday!

Hadley’s talked me into taking her to Target to “look around…” Yikes…I’m scared just typing that out! She wants a few items for her room and maybe couple pairs of leggings or joggers because we’re all hoping pajama pants aren’t going to be a daytime wardrobe option soon!

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

I’m looking forward to spring weather and corned beef and cabbage on the menu. Also, Hadley has her first dance competition in March and baseball will be in full swing next month as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Make sure to check out the other ladies’ posts too!

Take care,

{this post contained Amazon affiliate links…}

Memes

February Monday Memes

Posted on February 22, 2021February 21, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

We had a pretty good one which started off with Travis and I going out to dinner. Our original “Valentine’s Day” dinner had to be rescheduled due to the weather, and while our roads were still snow covered, the main roads were good enough for us to get out and enjoy dinner. Then, Saturday and Sunday were filled with basketball games, errands, church activities, and other things on my “to do” list.

I can’t let the month of February pass by without sharing some of my favorite memes. So, here you go…

1.

Haha! I swear every year that I ask the kids a 100 times how many kids are in their classes. We always end up with an extra box of Valentines because of course they have 25 kids in each of their classes!

2.

I feel this deeply, y’all!

3.

Funny!

4.

This is definitely me!

5.

Travis, are you listening?!

6.

I’m working on this, ok? 😉

7.

I’ve never felt more seen…

8.

This is definitely me! I tried to watch a movie with Hadley on Saturday night, and didnt’t make it past 30 minutes of the movie.

9.

This one definitely made me chuckle!

10.

My weakness 😂

So there are a few laughs to start off your week! I’m hoping for a pretty normal week around here, and the weather finally seems to have its act together! I think we are in the 40’s and 50’s all week, so hopefully our snow and ice will continue to melt.

I’m in the great debate (with myself) on when to get my car washed. I want to do so today, but I guess I should wait a couple days until all the snow is melted and the streets dry up!

And…I don’t want to jinx anything, but there’s a very good chance that Hayden and Hadley will be back in the school building (for the first time in 350+ days) next week! So, we’ll cherish this (hopefully) final week of virtual school, and then prep for a RETURN TO IN PERSON LEARNING! (excuse the CAPS…I’m not shouting…just really, really, really hopeful to get my kids back in the building!)

I hope you have a great week!

Friday Favorites

Posted on February 19, 2021February 19, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This has felt like such a long week. Sometimes I feel like when we have a Monday off, the week seems longer! Also, since we’ve been mostly home all week due to the weather, some days feel like the length of two!

I’m not sure if Andrea and Erika are hosting their weekly Friday Favorites post as I know they’ve been without power and haven’t posted much this week. My thoughts are with those throughout the country dealing with the ongoing winter weather.

I feel blessed that we have had power all week, and that storms two and three in the past week brought more snow than ice here in Kentucky!

Here are some of my favorites from the week.

Favorite Moment:

My favorite moment from the week was that we had an actual SNOW DAY on Tuesday. We received the phone call on Monday afternoon that we’d have a good old fashioned, non-virtual learning, snow day! It was so nice to know we didn’t have to set alarms, we could be lazy most of the day, and we could just take a break from virtual learning.

I try to stay pretty positive on here, but let me just say that I needed a break from being teacher/mom/home school teacher, and Tuesday provided just that.

We still had some snow and ice on the ground from the storm last Thursday, and then Monday-Tuesday, we got quite a few more inches of snow.

Favorite Pic:

My favorite pic is of this Snow Squad with their brightly colored sleds! Travis wins dad of the year for taking these kids sledding on Tuesday. They had so much fun.

Favorite Food:

My two favorite foods from the week both included biscuits, cinnamon, and sugar, so what’s not to love?!

On Monday morning, I made Bev’s Cinnamon Biscuit Bake. It was just the right amount for the four of us to have for breakfast, and it was so good.

In my Tuesday Talk post earlier in the week, I asked for Air Fryer ideas, and a couple of friends told me about Air Fryer donuts. I made them yesterday for us to have for breakfast. They were so good, and I made them in less than ten minutes from start to finish!

Favorite Clothing Item:

I was on the hunt for some black joggers. I found these on Amazon a couple of weeks ago, and have been wearing them quite often. They are comfy and stylish. I’ve worn with with tennis shoes, but I even wore them with a sweater and my leopard flats to church last week.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley cracked me up on Sunday night as she headed for bed. She thanked me for a great Valentine’s Day and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, mom or as us single people say, “Happy Gal-entine’s Day!” I couldn’t stop laughing!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Two favorite mom memes this week:

I feel this one deeply, y’all…

and this…although we don’t have stairs, so I make piles on the kitchen table that everyone ignores!

Other Faves from the Week:

I purchased a cookie decorating kit, and the kids decorated these for dessert one night. Hadley takes her time and tries to make the cookies look cute while Hayden tends to put on as much icing as he can!

One of the kids’ Valentine’s Day presents from us was the Bananagrams game. We’ve been playing it pretty often, and it’s even a game you can play by yourself!

Homer is still skittish coming up the stairs in the snow, but he sure loves to play in it!

Honestly, another favorite for me has been the snow. I love winter, and the snow has been so pretty. Of course, if we were without power or if I had to get out and drive in the weather because of work, I’d feel differently. The snow has been fun for the kids to play in (they’ve been able to sled three times this week!), and it’s certainly better than if we’d gotten tons of ice!

That being said, our extended forecast calls for 50 degree weather next week, and I’m definitely fine with that too after having so much winter weather the past two weeks!

snowflakes were *still* flying yesterday afternoon

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This Kindergarten President’s Day craft popped up in my Facebook memories. Hayden as George Washington 😂…so funny and cute!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one!

Weekend Wrap UP

Tuesday Talk

Etsy Gifts

Well, we still have a couple days of cold temperatures and possibly a little more precipitation today, but then hopefully we will have a chance to recover from all of the winter weather.

Truly, I know that there are so many people dealing with loss of power, bursting pipes, treacherous travel situations (and more!) across the country. Prayers and warm wishes for those dealing with this unrelenting wintry weather.

Stay safe, warm, and have a great weekend.

Thanks so much for reading,

{this post contained an Amazon affiliate link..}

Gift Ideas

Excellent Etsy Ideas

Posted on February 18, 2021February 17, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I’m typing this post from what has now been deemed “The Kentucky Tundra.” In the past week, we’ve had two snow/ice storms and a third one that’s passing through today bringing 4+ more inches of snow. Our roads are icy and snow packed, people continue to lose power, and the temps are frigid with wind chills 0 or below! Next week, I see 40’s in the forecast, and while I do love winter and snow, I’m ready for this stuff to melt!

Anyway, today, I’m sharing some recent Etsy purchases. Y’all know I love Amazon, but I do try to shop small when I can and especially when I’m giving gifts. Again, Amazon has everything, but shopping small always ends up with me finding cute and personalized gifts!

Sweet Momma Blair

Hadley wore this Merry and Bright sweatshirt on repeat for the months of November and December. Of course, I know the holidays have passed, but her shop has so many seasonal sweatshirts as well as sweatshirts and t-shirts with fun and sweet sayings and….

sports teams apparel like my KC Chiefs sweatshirt. It kind of has a retro feel, and I love it.

RSShome:

My Gma requested this photo frame for a Christmas gift, and it was so pretty in person and amazing quality.

Garnett Jewelry:

I purchased this cuff bracelet for Hadley for Christmas, and she loves it. I wanted to give her something meaningful, and this bracelet should be a great keepsake for her. As I’ve mentioned before, Sis loves a monogram!

Moonwake Designs Co:

I’d had these bags saved as a teacher gift idea from MoonwakeDesignCo for quite some time. They ended up being the perfect teacher gift. I put sticky notes and PaperMate pens in each bag for my kids’ teachers. These bags would be perfect for travel or as a cosmetic bag as well!

Genius Leather:

I’d been wanting to get Homer a new collar and this one from Genius Leather has been perfect for him. Lots of people in Kentucky have these “name plate” belts (Travis included!) as a nod to horse halters. I knew Homer would look so cute in this cognac brown one. He almost looks distinguished and well-behaved 😉

Zoey Belle’s Creations:

Another find for Homer was this dog bowl. Simple, but personalized, and it arrived quickly!

I don’t see the bowl listed anymore on Zoey Belle’s Creations, but there are so many cute products in this shop from winter headbands to Easter gift ideas and much more!

Biscuits Bandana Co:

I’ve ordered Homer many bandanas from Biscuits Bandana Co, most recently this tartan one. They have so many options. I’ve ordered Homer a red, white and blue scarf as well as a scarf for fall from them. Again, I’m try to get him to “dress the part” of a well-behaved pup.

Simple Amazing Designs:

For Christmas, I got my Gma and my mom these hand towels with their grandparent names on them from the kids. They are the perfect stocking stuffer, and this shop has tons of personalized options!

Mel and Mae:

I started following Mel and Mae a few months ago on Instagram after were were in a follow loop together. After finding them on Etsy, I saw so many items that I loved!

I’ve shared this XOXO sweatshirt from Mel and Mae that I got for Hadley. Much like the Merry and Bright sweatshirt, she has worn this new one on repeat.

These leather circle stud monogrammed earrings were a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for Hadley. I don’t see these specific ones listed anymore, but, again, this shop has so many cute options and tons of jewelry.

Pillowcases:

I shared in my Valentine’s Day gift idea post, that the kids have had their personalized pillowcases for many years, so I decided to get them new ones for Valentine’s Day.

They turned out super cute, are great quality, and were the perfect update for their bedding.

Hadley pillowcase // Hayden’s pillowcase

I love the Etsy app because it’s easy to save ideas to favorite shops. Obviously these shops have more than what I’m sharing, so go check them out!

I should be back tomorrow for a Friday Favorites post. I know Andrea and Erika, who co-host the link up, have shared that they’ve been without power and haven’t posted this week. So many of the OG blogs I read are friends with each other and live in Texas. Prayers for all the people dealing with this unrelenting winter weather across the country!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stay safe and warm,

Tuesday Talk

Posted on February 16, 2021February 15, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! It’s Tuesday Talk time with Erika and Ashley.

This is a link up where the topic is anything you want to chat about…Well, today, I’d like to talk about…

Air fryers!

I’ve wanted one for a while…I’d thought about asking for one for Christmas, but I wasn’t sure where I’d store it when not using it. Well, since Trav’s work didn’t have a Christmas party this year, they had an employee drawing for gifts! When Travis called to tell me he won the air fryer, I was about as excited as if he’d told me he’d won $1 million! 😂

We reorganized our kitchen closet, so it has a home when it’s not being used, but the problem is…I don’t know what to make in it!

I’ve gotten really good at hitting the “snowflake” button to cook frozen foods, and we’ve reheated tacos and pizza in it as well!

Lately, I did branch out and roast some broccoli (with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and Everything But the Bagel seasoning) in it. That’s my “go to” broccoli recipe that I typically do in the oven. I was relieved that it worked in the Air Fryer because it was definitely quicker and a bit easier to clean up!

Then, I really gained confidence and made Chicken Parmesan which turned out amazing! The only issue was that I had to cook the chicken in two batches because I was wanting to make enough for leftovers the next day.

What else do you suggest making? I’d love some side dish and vegetable recipes. Also, I liked making the main course (Chicken Parm) in it, so do you all have any suggestions for easy dinners? Do people make desserts in the Air Fryer? Why is there a button with a piece of cake on it?! I’m intrigued.

I want to love this new gadget so much…and I do, but I definitely would like to use it for more than reheating food and cooking frozen food!

Thanks for any help and suggestions! I’m trying to add “Air Fryer Expert” to my culinary resume, so I appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks so much for reading, and make sure to check out the other ladies’ posts too!

Weekend Top 5

Weekend Wrap Up

Posted on February 15, 2021February 14, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I hope it was a good one. I’m sharing the details of what we were up to from basketball games, to my second vaccine, and Valentine’s Day in today’s Weekend Wrap Up.

Friday:

I got my second vaccine on Friday morning. The line was much longer than when I got my first dose. I think this was due to the fact that they had canceled vaccines due to weather on Thursday. So, there were scheduled and make up appointments on Friday. Also, now some people are getting their first dose while others are receiving their second dose. I still was there and home within in hour which was a win!

In the afternoon, I noticed our basketball goal…Brrrr!!!

Hadley went ice sledding on our street with one of her friends. I think the ice sledding on our street may have been a first! Sledding with snow has for sure happened in previous years, but I don’t know about sledding on ice.

They had lots of fun.

Later that evening, our power went out for 2 hours. We had friends and family who lost power the day before for 12-24 hours, so two hours was manageable although it took a minute for Hayden to realize all the things that need electricity to run….like his Xbox!

Later that evening, the vaccine caught up with me, and I went to bed.

Saturday:

Saturday I was very sick all day. All day. I felt like I had the flu. I had aches, chills, and a low grade fever. I also had very little appetite. Of course, I’ve heard this could happen, but I also know many who had little to no reaction with the first or second vaccine. I was definitely down for the count all day.

Hayden had two basketball games that I missed, and Hadley played with a friend for most of the day, so I was able to rest and get Homer snuggles.

Sunday:

Thankfully, I woke up yesterday feeling so much better. I’ve heard that too..that once you hit 36-48 hours post-vaccine, you are back to feeling normal. I was still tired most of yesterday, but I felt pretty good and was able to carry on with a pretty normal day (and an afternoon nap!)

Sunday morning, we went to church, and then Travis began his quest to find salt for our driveway and sidewalk. We have more inclement weather on the way this week.

After a couple of tries, we got lucky and got two of the last few bags of ice at a Kroger on our way home. ,

Just call me “basic” while shopping at Kroger: ice, bread, milk, and eggs…(and a few other items thanks to the kids!)

When we got home, some of the neighbors helped each other out shoveling driveways as many still were ice covered from last week’s Wednesday-Thursday storm. And, now we are preparing for this:

After lunch, and before baseball and dance, we gave the kids their Valentine’s Day gifts and candy.

Then, I prepped the table for our Valentine’s Day dinner.

The plates, napkins, straws, paper hearts, and name tags were all in my Valentine’s Day tub, so I had the table set in a matter of minutes.

Then, Hadley had dance and Hayden went to baseball. While Hadley was at dance, I treated myself to a pedicure before picking her up.

The kids decorated cookies for dessert, and we enjoyed homemade pizza for dinner. Cutting heart shaped pepperonis was way easier than making a heart shaped pizza. It still tastes good though…

Since we went to early church on Sunday, I wasn’t able to make a special Valentine’s Day breakfast. Since we have no school today, I’m going to make Bev’s Cinnamon Biscuit Bake for them this morning.

To end on a funny note, I saw this meme over the weekend and couldn’t help but laugh!

I’m definitely the “It’s already 10pm” person while Travis tends to be more “It’s only 10 pm” haha

I actually had to count on my fingers, but this was my 20th Valentine’s Day with Travis. I’m very blessed if I do say so myself!

Linking up with Tanya and others.

I hope you have a great week. Stay safe and warm!

Friday Favorites

Posted on February 12, 2021February 11, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday! Mother Nature stopped by Kentucky, and we woke up yesterday feeling like we were living in Arendelle. *Cue Elsa* “The cold never bothered me anyyyywayyy!” Well, we got more ice than snow and many people even lost power throughout the city. It looks like this may only be the beginning of some active winter weather over the next week.

Even with the cold and ice, I have plenty of favorites to share with you! Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.

Of course, our Chiefs losing the Super Bowl is definitely not a favorite, but…

our cute Chiefs fans,

delicious cookie cake, and…

festive cups were all favorites on Super Bowl Sunday.

It’s that time of the year where I’m burning the last of my winter Bath and Body Works candles. Peppermint, Gingerbread Cookie, and Winter are almost used up, so it was time for a few new candles to transition out of winter and into spring…

Butterscotch Toffee is perfect for February, and then Lavender Coconut and Eucalyptus Rain will be perfect for spring.

“Old-fashioned” stove top popcorn is a new favorite. Hadley had the idea last weekend to make popcorn in the Dutch oven, and it worked perfectly and popped so quickly! She made enough to feed an army!

Hadley is wrapping up Girl Scout cookie sales, and has sold a little over 500 boxes. About half of those were shipped, but we still had to sort and organize about 250 boxes for delivery! That’s how we spent some time yesterday. We all have a different favorite cookie, so the cookie temptation is real around here!

Watching Hayden play basketball is a favorite for sure! Most Saturdays are filled with two games. The time has flown by, and the season is almost over.

One of my favorite traditions is sending family Valentine’s Day cards. They arrived just in time for me to mail them out to our loved ones.

The kids had a Valentine’s Day party at their school pod. Hayden kept his Valentines simple with Sour Patch Kids, but Hadley chose “You make life S’more fun” from the cute Valentine’s that Andrea created. I printed them at Walgreens, and then we used chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and Golden Grahams to make the mix. We had fun putting these together.

A favorite from the kids’ week was the party at the pod! They came home with lots of goodies.

I bought this sweet little pot of roses at Trader Joe’s, and it’s now a favorite Valentine’s Day touch in our house.

Not that .3 inches of ice is necessarily a favorite, but it is pretty to look at, and BONUS!— Travis was home with us yesterday. He doesn’t take many snow days, so it was nice to have him home…and have someone else in charge of lunch duty 😉

backyard with icicles and droopy branches

Yesterday, we used the recipe on the side of the box to make Golden Graham No Bake S’mores. I think we have a new favorite dessert! So easy and so delish. Hadley did most of this on her own!

Travis and I were supposed to go to dinner last night for Valentine’s Day, but like most restaurants, reservations were canceled. Maybe we can find a time to go out to dinner in the next couple of weeks?

Another favorite is that we’re looking forward to a three day weekend with no school on Monday!

Favorite Mom Meme:

I feel this deeply, y’all!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:

(lots of fun link ups this week!)

Not Just a Mom

Let’s Look

Three Things

One more favorite from the week: This morning I’m going to get my second dose of the vaccine! Vaccine appointments were canceled yesterday, so I’m hoping appointments stay scheduled for today!

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Three things

Three Things

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

I think I share quite a bit about what’s going on in our lives, but every once in a while I like to take a moment to share a few more details about what’s going on with each of us. So, today I’m sharing Three Things…

Hayden is still recovering from the Chief loss. I’m not sure who was more beat up after that loss…Mahomes or Hayden 😉 I know it’s his age and (lack of?) perspective, but Hayden is usually pretty upset after a loss whether it’s a big game for himself or a professional game. It takes him some time to let go and move on. Kid wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to sports.
This season, Hayden is on two basketball teams. Don’t ask me why. I just show up when I’m told to. 😂 He has a lot of fun with his teammates, and it’s fun seeing his effort on the court. Thankfully, the Saturday game schedule is pretty doable with a mid-morning game, time for lunch, and an early afternoon game.
Hayden continues a somewhat healthy balance of playing Xbox and reading. Sometimes, I want to throw the Xbox out the window, but he cracks me up wearing the headset, and he has fun playing online with his friends. Then, almost every night, I have to beg him to turn off his lamp and go to bed while he insists on reading his book! It’s hard to get upset when he’s reading…even if he should be sleeping.

Hadley is prepping for dance competition season. Y’all, never in my life did I think I’d be a dance mom, but here we are. This is the first year she’s performed on a competition team, and she’s with a great little group of girls. Thankfully, there are only three competitions, and they aren’t goo far away. I love after class when she comes home and shows me what she’s learned. I’m pretty amazed with her dancing ability, her grace, and how quickly she picks up on routines. They also started dance club at school (via Zoom right now), and she’s loving it. The sponsor is actually Hayden’s teacher, and she’s teaching the club members choreography from popular songs from Broadway musicals. This has been special because she loves dance, but it also feels like a “normal” school activity even though it’s via Zoom.
Hadley’s sold two rounds of Girl Scout cookies, so we are now in the sorting and delivering phase. She had a goal to sell 390 boxes, and her current total sold is 499! Of course, we were limited with door to door sales, but she visited some neighbors. I helped her make a video for me to share with family, friends, and Facebook. I think people ordered more cookies than usual this year because cookies make everyone’s day brighter and the shipped method was so easy and quick! I’m proud of her effort!
If there’s a hair or makeup tutorial on YouTube, Hadley has probably seen it. She just dabbles in applying some makeup for fun while hanging out at home. I’m amazed at her application of it, and I’m typically the one mixing up my concealer with my undereye corrector. 😆She also styles her hair in such cute ways. From beachy waves to curls to messy bun to braids, she’s tried them all, and her hair always looks so cute. She also hogs the bathroom which drives Hayden crazy. I told him he should be worried about the high school years!

Homer:

Homer continues to reap the benefits of us being home most days for school. You’ll find him snoozing in Hadley’s bed while she completes classwork or begging for lunch while the kids eat grilled cheese or quesadillas.

Also, Homer’s newest issue is he’s scared to go up and down our back steps from the sun room to the yard. I think I’ve mentioned before that he won’t go down the stairs to the basement. Even when he was a puppy, he’d refuse, but he’d always go outside. Around Christmas time, we found him whimpering at the bottom of the back steps after it had snowed. We think he must have slipped coming up them, so he was hesitant to come back up.

It’s been snowy or icy pretty consistently the past two weeks, and I guess he remembers slipping at Christmas time. So, sometimes he takes forever to work up the courage to go down the steps and other times we find him not wanting to come back up! There have been times we’ve had to get a leash and bring him from the backyard through the front door. Sometimes, I’ve just had to use “tough” love and let him stay out there until he’s cold enough to find the courage to come up the stairs.

I hope he forgets about this slipping issue by next winter! As I always say, “It’s a good thing he’s cute!”

Me:

As for me, I’m a weirdo who likes winter. I even like overcast and dreary days as it gives me the excuse to hang out at home, read, or watch Netflix. By March, I’m ready for spring, so I’m soaking up this last month of winter.

I’ve also been cheering on my *ranked* Mizzou TIGERS, but I keep quiet about the fact that Trav and Hayden’s beloved CATS are unranked.

I’m also more hopeful than ever that we are headed back to school in the somewhat near future. We’ve been receiving many emails about plans and protocols. The superintendent and team make the call every Tuesday for the following week using a matrix and guidance from local health department officials. Our numbers are finally low enough that K-2 start back in person on Tuesday. Grades 3-5, 6, 9, and 12 will be next, so I hope we hit phase two soon. So, I’m doing a bit of in person school prep while meeting with students via Zoom until we return to our school building.

Travis:

Per usual, Travis has been very busy with work.

He’s also helping coach one of Hayden’s basketball teams. We’ve officially split most driving duties with him as Hayden’s chauffeur for all things basketball and baseball while I drive Miss Hadley to dance.

He’s also planning runs with the kids as they are most likely going to participate in a few track meets in March.

So that’s a little bit of what’s been going on with us! I feel like some days are so busy, but I try to take each day as it comes and enjoy this season of life.

See you back here tomorrow for this week’s Friday Favorites post.