jgalvinwhite

Bloganuary 1.24.26 – My Life in GIFS

Posted on January 24, 2026January 24, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday!

We’re waking up to a little sunshine, but winter weather is definitely on the way. I might run a couple of errands this morning before travel becomes unlikely for a couple of days.

Today’s post is quick and fun…

I love seeing these graphics and thinking about my answers…

This one is “My Life in GIFS”…but I’m using emojis…

Favorite color: I actually had to think about this one for a second…Overall, I’m a pretty neutral girl, but I didn’t want to say that my favorite color is black. haha

I lean towards navy and gray. I like a pop of blue…especially light blue as an accent for home decor.

Favorite hobby: Reading! I just finished an audiobook yesterday, and I’m going to finish the book on my Kindle after I publish this post. Then, I’m going to make sure I have a couple more downloaded to hopefully read the next couple of days.

Dream career: I’m doing it! I put the money as a joke for two reasons…since I’ve never won the lottery, I’ve continued my teaching career. ha! And, as you know, teachers aren’t in this profession for the money. That being said, sticking with teaching for over twenty years has provided a good income for my family. I always wanted to be a teacher. I always had great English teachers, and my mom was a middle school Language Arts teacher. Being a teacher, has been very rewarding in many ways, and I’m thankful that I’ve stuck with it through some hard years. Of course, I appreciate the time off in the summer (and the occasional snow day!). I’m extremely grateful to be having one of the best years of my career. I also love seeing my own kids and their friends at school.

Favorite food: I love Mexican food (have you ever seen anyone mad while eating chips and queso?) and sushi…not together, obviously.

I’d like to travel to: England. You all know I love anything to do with the British Royal Family, and I know how exciting London can be. I did go on a European trip when I was in high school, and I loved London. I’d love to go back.

Current mood: Excited/happy for the impending snow…as long as we don’t lose power!

Makes me happy: Self-care. I look forward to my monthly facials, and I like my quiet time in the morning. I get my nails done every three to four weeks, and while sometimes I feel guilty doing so, it’s my treat to myself. I enjoy working out and going for walks. I used to feel guilty about self-care, but I think it’s important.

Can’t live without: (Obviously besides family, friends, and Homer as an answer)…coffee! …which I’m going to go make myself a cup right now.

How would you answer these prompts?

Stay safe and warm!

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#289}

Posted on January 23, 2026January 22, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! I swear, the short weeks feel the longest. No school on Monday is always a fave, but then it threw my week off. Also, we have lots of hype right now about the storm headed our way this weekend, and let’s just say the students have been a little crazy this week.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are five faves from the week….

Volleyball

Hadley and I went to Ohio last weekend for the first volleyball tournament of club season. Since she didn’t play until the afternoon, we were able to leave around lunch time on Saturday to drive two hours to the tournament. It was nice having Saturday morning at home before leaving.

Her team played three games in pool play on Saturday and made it to the gold bracket on Sunday.

We got “lucky” that her Saturday games were over around 7:00, so we had Chipolte for dinner and were in the hotel room by 8:00. Since they made the gold bracket, she didn’t have to be back to the facility until 11:30 on Sunday. It was just nice having some down time, and not being up too late or too early…that doesn’t always happen at a tournament.

Overall, they had a great weekend, and she said it “exceeded her expectations.” We got home around 6:00 on Sunday, and I was very thankful for no school on Monday.

2. New sheets!

My Gma gave me my wrapped birthday present when we went to KC for Thanksgiving. I showed restraint and actually didn’t open it until my birthday. One of my gift ideas for Christmas/birthday were these sheets. I’d forgotten about them, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the gift. I love the gingham print, the ruffle detail is so cute, and they are so soft. Mine are the gray gingham, and they are perfect.

3. Book trackers!

I know January is almost over but I never shared my book trackers. Here are a couple of them.

I’m almost finished with two books, and I’m off to a solid start reading in 2026! (I keep the book trackers in a highlight on my Instagram; if you use them, feel free to tag me. I always love seeing what others are reading!)

4. Bookstore

Speaking of books, I went to one of my favorite bookstores on Monday to look around. I always look at the cute stickers, and I bought this one to add to my Kindle cover….

I didn’t get this one, but it made me laugh. I immediately thought of the movie Teen Witch that I used to watch on repeat as a kid!

5. Homer!

Homer has been extra snuggly on these recent cold mornings. I always think he looks like a little fox when he curls up like this.

Hayden loves saying goodnight to Homer, and Homer loves the extra attention.

Friday Funny:

Monday, I was at Target, and saw this mug. It made me laugh…but I didn’t buy it.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Wow…why do I relate to this one so much?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday…

PJ day at school in 2017. So sweet! They don’t seem to participate in pj day in high school like they did in elementary school.

Weekly Recap:

My blogging streak continues!

Well, if you need me, I will be prepping NTI assignments for my students. It seems we could get 10-16 inches of snow, and the ice is just south of us. I can deal with snow, I hope the ice stays south of us (Sorry to my southern readers!).

I hope to blog over the weekend, so I will see you back here then.

Home Decor

House Refresh

Posted on January 22, 2026January 21, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

With no school on Monday, I’ve had trouble keeping up with what day it is, but you know I love Thursdays.

I also love getting the house back in order after the holidays which is what I’ve been doing over the past few weeks.

I’ve done a little “house refresh” in a few spots, and I’m sharing those updates today.

Trav and the kids surprised me with these pictures a couple of years ago for Christmas, and one of the frames broke. So, I went to Michael’s and got two new (and bigger) frames to put them in. I have this same frame in the hall bathroom, and it’s my favorite.

We moved a couple of pictures around, and I put the new frames on this wall in our office. I see them every time I’m headed to the kitchen, and I love seeing them on this wall.

I also updated a few frames over the past couple of weeks. I’ve always loved this pic of the kids, but I didn’t like the frame. When I went to TJ Maxx right after Christmas, they didn’t have anything I liked. When I went back a week later, I found not one…

…but two frames that I liked and I updated the pic on the kitchen buffet as well. I also added in these new candle sticks from Target.

Another family pic that I love, but I wanted to change up the frame is on our entry table. I guess I’m into gold frames these days.

My Gma gave Trav this gold horse, and I displayed it in our kitchen cabinet with some Derby cups and an American Pharaoh painting that we had painted for Trav years ago.

I asked for these Sherpa blankets for the two ottomans in our living room, and my mom got them for me for Christmas. The ones we had before we had for years, and they needed a refresh.

I also updated the pillow covers on the living room couch. Thanks to Homer, I don’t do fancy pillows, and I always get neutral color, so it blends in with the Homer hair. The past few years, I’ve picked pillow covers that I wash every once in a while, but then given the low price, I just update once a year or so.

Like Target, I let Home Goods “tell me what I need” when I go in there. After Christmas, I got new canisters for our flour, sugar, and salt. Trav said he never liked our other ones…and I said, “Trav, they were on our wedding registry…which means we had them for twenty years!” haha

These white ceramic ones are perfect.

Every week, I buy a few muffins as a breakfast option for the kids, and I wanted a spot to keep them rather than have the package on the counter all week. How cute is this cloche?! TJ Maxx to the rescue!

While at Michael’s, I picked up some new candles, and put this votive on a cute ceramic pedestal, and I added a mini boxwood wreath that I already had. (I use these on many of my candle holders to add a touch of green.)

Both kids purged their rooms over break which made more space for all the things…and Hadley’s new scallop tray has been perfect for holding a few odds and ends.

There’s something about the start of a new year, purging, organizing, rearranging and putting things back in order that just feels like a nice, fresh start.

This and That

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Posted on January 21, 2026January 20, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday! I’m linking up with Joyce for the first time in 2026 for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Here are my answers to her prompts this week:

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk…which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter?

I haven’t done any of these activities so far this winter. We had a bit of snow in December, but I wasn’t really out and about in it. It looks like we have some snow headed our way this weekend?!

Ice skating is fun, but not something we do often. I remember ice skating as a kid at Crown Center in KC. Almost ten years ago, we took the kids to that same rink which was their first time skating.

Hadley has ice skated a few more times through the years as Lexington has a little outdoor rink downtown during the holiday season.

One activity that isn’t listed, but that I always think is fun is snow tubing. We used to go every year with a group of friends, and the kids and the adults enjoyed it.

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites, so let’s jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with the photo from the year 2016.

We got quite a bit of snow in January 2016. I loved the frog hats that the kids wore for quite a few years.

I know the prompt calls for one pic, but here’s a family photo from our Siesta Key, Florida vacation in the summer of 2016. I actually remember that we were walking on the beach after dinner, and someone offered to take our photo after I took theirs.

3. What’s a trend you hope disappears in the new year.

Kids and teens saying “6-7.” Ugh.

4. They say there’s a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about regular granola? do you like bars of other kinds?

I do like granola bars, but overall, the only ones I eat are the Quaker Oats chocolate chips ones. They are just the ones I tend to buy as the kids like them, and I will eat them too if I need a snack.

I like granola, but it’s not something I eat regularly. We always have some on hand as Trav and the kids sometimes add some to yogurt. Occasionally, I will put peanut butter, sliced banana, honey and granola on a low carb tortilla for a snack.

The only other bars I eat are the Barebells ones that I get at Trader Joe’s.

They seem to be harder to find now, but I do love the Grab the Gold bars that I can sometimes find at Kroger.

5. A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well….which one describes something about your life right now?

I’m not sure. I’m definitely not a raging river, so that’s good. haha

I guess I could be a frozen lake since it’s so cold outside right now…but I guess I’m also a trickling stream just carrying on with the school year and the start of a new semester.

6. Insert your random thought here.

I usually don’t decorate for Valentine’s Day until February 1st, but I feel like putting out some decor sooner. Maybe I can do that one evening this week? I don’t do much, but I do have a few items…and I picked up a couple more while at Target recently including two of these little plates and this two pack of tea towels.

I hope you are staying warm and having a great week!

Day in the Life, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk: Evening Routine

Posted on January 20, 2026January 28, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Let me tell you that I knew I was thankful to have yesterday off, but I really did need the day to get my life together. Thankfully, I started the day by sleeping in a bit, but then I placed my Kroger order, ran a few errands, did laundry and more.

One of the WordPress suggested topics was night time routine, and I love seeing how people spend their day and routines that they have. That being said, I decided to focus my evening routine as well.

Once I get home from school, I always check the mail, let Homer out, and unpack my lunch bag.

If I can, I try to give myself a few minutes to decompress. I usually set a 20-30 minute timer where I let myself scroll social media, read a book or even shut my eyes for a few minutes.

After that, I check on anything I need to do for dinner. Some days, dinner is already in the slow cooker, other times I might chop ingredients or double check that I have what I need for dinner when the time comes.

Then, I typically workout if I’m going to.

Most of the time I workout in the basement, but other times, I go to the gym or go for a walk.

Of course, times look differently now than they did even a couple of months ago. My days of picking up kids isn’t completely over, but most of the time, Hadley is using my car to drive to volleyball and Hayden gets a ride home from track. Some days, they are at track together, and I get a ride home from school from a friend. Who knew the quest of finding a good used car would take so long?

Anyway, after my workout, I make dinner. The fall and spring tend to be more hectic with evening activities, but right now, we all typically eat dinner together most days. I appreciate that Travis always cleans up dinner since I usually cook it.

After dinner, I usually check on the kids with whatever they need to do…some evenings, they are still at practice but other times, we talk about school things like upcoming tests and even just talking about logistics for the next day.

Then, I usually finish up my blog post for the next day if I’m writing one.

Once I put my computer away, I take a shower and do my evening skincare.

Then, I settle in on the couch for a bit. I try to do my daily word search, watch a show, read blogs, or read a book. During this time, I will also put away laundry, pack my lunch, etc. if needed.

I head to bed around 10:00 most days. After brushing my teeth, I always put on some lip balm and hand cream.

I typically read for a few minutes before going to bed by 10:45.

Obviously, every evening varies in some way, but this is a pretty typical evening routine right now.

What’s a part of your routine that’s important to you?

Inspiration

Monday Memo

Posted on January 19, 2026January 18, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? I spent most of mine in Ohio with Hadley for her first club volleyball tournament of the season. Overall, they played really well and had fun. New team, new season, so they are still getting to know each other and play together, but they did make it to the gold bracket on Sunday.

Did you catch my weekend posts? On Saturday, I blogged about the gifts I received for my birthday, and yesterday, I shared a “fun keep 3” post.

Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow.

Many of my favorite accounts are teachers, and a few I actually found on Tik Tok, but then followed them on Instagram last year when there was the possibility of TT going away.

A few years ago, I shared some favorite teachers to follow, and now I’m adding more to the list!

Ashley Jones’s tag line is “teacher by day, server by night, mom of seven 24/7” and I love following along on her school days, Aldi trips, shifts at On the Border, and life with her kids. Her TT account took off last year, and she’s so humbled and appreciative of her followers.

Mrs. Miller is a 4th grade math teacher, and her husband is in the country music band Deltona. I especially love when she shares her Thursday after school videos. That’s the day she stays after to get caught up and plan for the week ahead. She and her husband did just buy a new house, and I love when she shares the updates and how she’s organizing and styling her new home.

Carly Barrett is an interventionist at an elementary school in Louisville. She’s also a colon cancer survivor. Her videos are a little bit of everything from morning routine, iced coffee, skin care, and how she spends her time at school.

Athena is just the sweetest! I believe she’s an admin/instructional coach at an elementary school. She has twin boys who are in college, and their family seems so lovely. She shares her perspective as an “empty nest mom” and has so many cute outfit ideas.

Kristen Friend is a first grade teacher in Arizona, and her “get dressed with me” videos are what usually pop up in my feed. She also shares school stuff as well. She seems fun and spunky!

Gabs and Anna are middle school teacher besties. They always share their “teacher outfit of the day” (that’s their tagline usually), and I bet they are the best middle school teachers.

KK is a new account that I follow. Her “heels in the hall” account popped up in my feed recently. It seems that she had a couple of videos go viral because now she is introducing herself a bit for new followers. She’s a high school principal, and I’m so impressed by her daily outfits….so professional!

Other accounts I’ve been loving even if they aren’t teachers. haha!

Brittany Young is so fun! She has the best personality and always wears such bold and bright colors. You can tell that she dresses to fit her bright and bubbly personality!

I appreciate Carly Heasley’s account because she’s “midsized/curvy,” and it’s so nice seeing clothes on a body type I can relate to. She seems so sweet and genuine as well.

Regan is so sweet, and I just love her house decor and her clothing style. Her daughter sometimes shares her outfits, and she is just too cute too.

Bobbi with the Eye is one that I started to follow about a year and a half ago, and I think she was close to hitting 10,000 followers at that point. Now, she is close to 150,000 followers and quit her day job to focus on being an influencer full time. She has two girls and the cutest dog named Tiny. I love when she shares her “day in the life” reels, and she shares so many great outfits too.

Have you seen Stoop in the City?! This couple decorates their NYC stoop for the holidays, and people can stop by for photos. It’s truly amazing how they decorate from holiday to holiday.

I hope you have a great Monday. After being gone all weekend, my “to do” list is quite long!

Blog challenge

Bloganuary 1.18.26: Keep 3

Posted on January 18, 2026January 16, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

I love Sundays, but even more so with no school on Monday. I’m stopping by for a quick Sunday Bloganuary post.

I saw this graphic on social media, and I always like thinking about what I would keep when I see these different graphics…(I think this one was tied to Seint makeup since one of them is the 3D foundation)…

There are a lot of great ideas on here, but for me, I think I’d keep:

Books: You know I love to read!
Coffee: The best way to start my day.
Free Shipping: I appreciate Amazon Prime and all that can be on my door step in a day or two.

What about you? Which three would you keep?

I hope you’re having a great weekend.

Gift Ideas, Me

Bloganuary 1.17.26: Birthday Gifts

Posted on January 17, 2026January 16, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday!

I’m a girl who has always loved her birthday. I think that’s why I’ve always tried to make my kids feel special on their birthday. That being said, I don’t need a lot of attention…it’s just that it’s nice feeling appreciated and celebrated.

I always say that for my birthday all I need is a card and a cookie cake. Truly, I have everything I need, so these two things are literally the icing on the cake.

Knowing that my birthday was on a Wednesday and Trav had a meeting to go to and then later the CATS were playing, I was fine with going out out to dinner on the weekend and then having a low-key night at home on my birthday.

Sunday, we went to Jeff Ruby’s and had a nice dinner.

Wednesday morning when I got to school, I had a lovely present on my desk. Leaning into my love of the icon glasses, how great is this candle?

I received a couple of other cards throughout the day…

…and two of my friends got me this sweatshirt. Y’all, I swear I don’t drink Diet Coke that often, but apparently it’s my identity. haha!

When I got home, my mailbox was full of lovely cards from my mom, Gma, and aunt. They made these, and I always love receiving them.

My dad always tries to find a Snoopy card, and this one plays music.

Trav’s mom also sent me a card, and when my brother and his family came over, my niece gave me a homemade card. She’s very into making cards and notes lately.

My friend stopped by before dinner to drop off a gift from her and a couple of friends…these are the softest PJs, and I’ve worn them every night since receiving them.

Wednesday night, Trav and the kids gave me their card. The bubble letters game remains strong!

They also gave me a Frost Buddy for fountain/iced drinks and a “warmie” sweatshirt that’s fleece lined. I wasn’t expecting either of these things, so they were a birthday bonus!

My brother and his family came over, and they gave me these cute heart icon glasses. I have so many fun glasses to drink beverages out of now!

Then, it was cookie cake time!

It was a great birthday, and I felt the love! (Thanks for the birthday wishes on the blog too…I appreciate it!)

Friday Favorites, Holidays, Me

Friday Favorites {#288}

Posted on January 16, 2026January 15, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Shew! We’ve almost made it to the weekend. We had a good week, but I felt so tired all week…and a little run down. The cold weather is back, and it certainly feels like winter.

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

Here are my favorites from the week:

I’ve seen others share these Drizzilicious rice cakes, but I think they are mostly at Sam’s/Costco? Anyway, when I was at TJ Maxx last week, I saw them in the snack aisle, so I bought a box. They’ve been a great “sweet treat” to pack with my lunch this week.

Amy shared about this hydration brand, and I spotted a little three pack at Target last weekend. She suggested mixing with Fresca. I had the watermelon flavor this week, and it was so good…very refreshing.

Wednesday was my birthday, and we went out to dinner on Sunday night. Jeff Ruby’s “spoiled” me again with my name on the menu.

Trav and Hayden split a steak, Hadley ordered the salmon, and I got sushi.

Why do my babies look so grown up?!

When it’s your birthday (or any other celebration), you get dessert and a photo. Besides the cupcake, we ordered cheesecake and creme brulee.

I’ve been trying to “refresh” a few spaces, and I saw these candle sticks (tall and short) at Target that I couldn’t pass up. I thought they were just my style and a fun mix and match. I also updated a couple of frames in the house including the one on the kitchen buffet that I found at TJ Maxx.

I feel like we’re back to being all over the place as far as schedules are concerned and with the kids being able to drive themselves, we’re not all together after school very often. We all went home at the same time on Monday which was nice.

Wednesday evening, we celebrated my birthday and I opened a few gifts, and then my brother and his family came over for cookie cake.

It was a nice evening, and we had the UK basketball game on one TV and the Mizzou game on the other. Both teams came out on the winning side.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This meme definitely fits one of my kids more than the other…but it rings true.

Weekly Recap:

I’m on a January blogging streak…

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I hope to blog over the weekend too, so see you then!

Kids, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: January 2010

Posted on January 15, 2026January 15, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Today, I’m starting a new series since I look back on this blog as a kind of scrapbook/snapshot of my family’s lives and activities.

I didn’t start blogging until 2019, so there are many years that aren’t captured fully. This year, I think I’m going to try and write Throwback Thursday posts focusing on an entire year…

…starting with January 2010. Honestly, I guess these posts will focus mostly on the kids, but I think it will be nice to have some sweet memories in one place.

The kids were born in November 2009, and so much of those first couple of months is a blur. ha!

The kids were born a few weeks early, and Hadley was in the NICU for a couple of weeks. That, coupled with the fact that they were born in late fall/ early winter and we didn’t want to risk them getting sick, I stayed home for almost 18 weeks with them.

Honestly, being a stay at home mom to twin babies was hard…with a capital H. More than once, I told Travis I was going back to to school the next day! That being said, I’m glad we stuck it out, and things did get a bit easier/more predictable once they slept through the night (at around 10 weeks, I think), and we got Hadley’s acid reflux and Colic under control.

Here’s a look back on a few favorite pictures during that time. (I took way less pics back then!)

These outfits were a fave and had the little animals on the bottom. Precious.

I know in the pic above that both kids look serious, but Hadley looked serious for the first year of her life. Now, she is the easiest going kid, but man oh man was she a tough baby. Like I said above, she had acid reflux and Colic which had her in a tizzy most of the time. We’d hold her and massage between her little eyebrows trying to get her to relax. Hayden was so chill, and I was grateful that I had at least one easy baby.

The babies spent a lot of time in their Boppy’s! I would often prop them on the couch and hold bottles for them at the same time.

I remember buying these little monogrammed onsies off Etsy, and they were a fave. I think I still have them somewhere.

Believe it or not, I actually remember the day I took this pic. My mom was coming to visit, and the weather was bad. Trav had to drive to Cincinnati to get her, and I got the kids dressed, so they’d be ready to see GG.

They spent lots of time on the play mat. Hadley hated, hated, hated being on her back.

We had lots of time to hang out for photo shoots. Notice that Hadley is on her stomach…truly the only way she was happy for months on end.

Trav’s brother took these pics, and I love that they are in black and white. Again, we had lofty goals for a little photo shoot, but Hadley fussed and fussed, so we could only really take any when they were on their stomachs and eventually sleeping.

Hadley on the right with her paci (AKA our life saver)

It really was a difficult phase, but it was a sweet one as well.