Author: jgalvinwhite

Posted in Amazon

Prime Purchases

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? We had a “divide and conquer” kind of weekend.

Travis and Hayden went to Tallahassee, Florida for the AAU Cross Country National race, and it poured down rain the entire time they were there. Meanwhile, Hadley and I were in Lex for a pretty low key weekend that included her science project and the Taylor Swift concert movie.

Hayden had an awesome race, and I hate that I missed it. The pics and videos Travis sent me were unreal. It looked like Hayden was in a “tough mudder” competition. That being said, Travis and Hayden had fun despite the weather.

Anyway, on to today’s business…

It’s the first Monday of the month, so I’m linking up with Tanya for Prime Purchases...the last one of 2023!

Here are my purchases for the month…(actually, I purchased a few more things, but I don’t want spoil any gift giving!)

Hayden needed new water bottles, and actually asked for these Gatorade ones for his birthday. He’s hard to buy for, and water bottles are boring, but I put these in a bag with a few other things he needed. We’ve used these these water bottles a lot through the years.

I wanted a new black sweatshirt that is a little nicer than just a sweatshirt. Anyway, this 1/4 zip is great to wear with jeans or leggings.

I have this same sweater in blue, and wanted a green one for the Christmas season. It’s an easy slouchy fit…

and I’ve already worn it quite a few times.

I shared this hair straightener in the kids’ birthday post, and it is legit. Hadley asked for a new straightener because they one she’s used the past few years was a hand me down from a friend and it wasn’t working properly.

Anyway, what caught my attention about this one is that it straightens and has the indention to curl hair. I’ve used it to curl my hair a couple of times, and it’s so good.

I bought these pore strips for the kids’ stockings just as a fun way to help with skincare.

Hadley needed a few new sports bras, and this pack worked well.

Stocking Stuffers…

Did you catch my Let’s Look post with Shay and Erika last month? We all shared stocking stuffer ideas.

A few gift ideas…

As we inch closer to the Christmas season, I thought I’d share a few favorite Amazon items that I’ve purchased in the past year (or given or been given as gifts)

A few of my faves:

I purchased a pack of flameless candles last January, and they sure came in clutch when we lost power for five days in February. Besides being our main source of light, most of them are a part of my regular home decor now.

The pack I bought doesn’t seem to be available, but there are many other options including this pack.

My Gma gave me these boots for my birthday this year, and I love them. I wore them most of this weekend too.

I love these slippers…

I use this candle warmer in my classroom, and it’s perfect.

Gifts we’ve given and currently love:

This microwave popcorn popper is so fun and comes in a few colors. Hadley loves using it for an afternoon snack. (It comes in “snack size” too)

We have this electric tea kettle, and gave one to my mom as well.

My Gma requested this heated neck/shoulder wrap last year, and then I also gifted it to my dad for his birthday. He loves this thing…

You know I love my Kindle, and my mom and Gma do too.

Hadley:

One of Hadley’s favorite gifts that she received is this straightening/styling hairbrush. It’s perfect for bringing your hair back to life and giving a bit of volume.

Hayden:

Hayden uses this mini massage gun often (and Trav does too!)

Trav:

I gave this collapsible utility wagon to Trav a couple of years ago, and I don’t know how we made it through all the baseball years without one. He uses it all the time for cross country. It would also be perfect for the beach, a picnic, or any other time you have to cart quite a few things around!

This is the first Christmas season in quite some time that I feel pretty good about my shopping list and all that I’ve already accomplished.

I hope this post helps give you a few ideas if you are looking for some.

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#185]

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…and happy December 1st!

It felt odd not posting last Friday, but I’m back this week to link up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

I think I usually do some kind of Thanksgiving recap, but never got to it this week.

Last Wednesday, we traveled to KC to spend Thanksgiving with my family. On Thursday, I watched a bit of the parade, per tradition.

Then, we hung out at my mom’s house before heading to my dad’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving (late afternoon) lunch.

She outdoes herself, and the tables always look so pretty. Per tradition, we have chocolate turkeys with our names on them. How fun!

We were able to get a family pic…

…and hang out with family for a while. Unfortunately, we had to leave a bit early because Travis wasn’t feeling well. We ended up getting a hotel room in hopes that we wouldn’t spread germs, so I dropped Travis off and went to my dad’s to get his things.

Unfortunately, he shared his stomach bug with me, and by Friday morning, I joined him at the hotel.

Thankfully, the kids are old enough to (mostly) fend for themselves. They hung out with my dad, my brother’s family, and my mom and Gma on Friday and then again on Saturday morning.

On Friday, the kids baked cookies and made waffles with my mom, Gma, aunt, and my brother’s family.

Then, they went to the nearby “magic tree” that we usually visit when we are in town for the holidays.

My sister-in-law sent me this pic which I really appreciated.

On Saturday, we were feeling good enough to head home. I was bummed that I didn’t get to hang with everyone on the trip, but I was glad the stomach bug seemed to only be a 24 hour one.

Fave clothes:

I have a couple of Walmart finds that have been great this holiday season. I shared these pjs the other day…

…and this green fleece is so cute and warm. I’ve already worn it a few times, and I love it. It comes in a few colors and is under $20.

Our Angel Tree gifts are due this weekend, and due to our crazy schedule, I ended up taking the kids shopping individually for gifts.

I know I can find most things on Amazon, but I really want the kids to be intentional about choosing gifts and thinking of others…no matter how busy of a season we are having.

On Sunday, Hadley and I headed to Target. She got us drinks at Starbucks while I picked up a few things I needed, and then we shopped for the girl she chose.

I didn’t know what I was ordering, but I saw the iced gingerbread latte on the menu and went for it. I don’t want to know how many calories it has…because it is delicious!

On Wednesday, Hadley had volleyball practice after school, and I picked up Hayden from school and headed to Target. We shopped for the brothers that he’d picked from the tree.

On Sunday, I suggested we go ahead and put ornaments on the tree. The house was a mess, but I knew we had a busy week ahead.

I’m so glad we took the 30 minutes to do this. The tree looks even better now, and it’s always fun to see the ornaments year after year.

On my Sunday Trader Joe’s run, I picked up some seasonal favorites!

Last week, Hadley’s volleyball pics came in, and there were so many great ones. This one was my favorite:

Tuesday was 8th grade night for volleyball. I honestly can’t believe we are hitting these middle school milestones.

The school did an awesome job celebrating them, and some of the volleyball moms were so thoughtful to order flowers and a balloon stack.

The posters the coaches put out were so fun to see.

The athletic director even took family photos after each girl walked in. This might just have to be our Christmas card pic. haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

I’m not sure I’ve ever related more to a meme than this one…lol

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

When I was making the Shutterfly ornaments, I went down a rabbit hole of old pics. These ones of the kids with Santa about did me in!

So sweet.

I decided to print them and put them in frames I already have out. It’s a cute way to “decorate” and share memories as well.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including some memes and a couple of fun link ups:

Monday Memes
What’s Up Wednesday
Monthly Musings

I’m thankful for a pretty chill upcoming weekend, but I do think it’s going to include monitoring a science fair project. Bah humbug!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Holidays, Monthly Musings

Monthly Musings

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

It’s the last Thursday of the month, so I’m linking up with Patty and Holly for this month’s Monthly Musings.

This is a fun linkup sharing answers to a certain topic.

This month’s topic is how we holiday.

I feel like “how we holiday” varies year to year, but we also have some traditions that we don’t pass up.

1. Favorite holiday traditions

Some traditions have changed as the kids have gotten older, but we always watch Christmas movies, go to the horse park to see the lights and bake a few batches of cookies.

One of my favorite traditions is putting ornaments on the tree.

Another favorite tradition is letting the kids choose a gift for each other…and then they usually open then on Christmas Eve after church.

2. Favorite holiday fashion items or accessories

I love plaid during the holidays…

3. Favorite holiday recipes

Besides baking, I don’t really have any recipes that I make specifically for the holidays.

For Christmas dinner, we usually have salmon, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

4. How do you celebrate holidays?

As far as celebrating Christmas with our family, we either have a lot going on or very little.

If we are staying home, we celebrate with Trav’s family on the 23rd, go to church on Christmas Eve, and then we celebrate Christmas at home on the 25th.

If we are going to KC for Christmas, we have our family of 4 Christmas on the 22nd, go to Louisville on the 23rd, and then head to KC on the 24th. In KC, we go to my dad’s side of the family on the 24th, and then we spend time with my dad, mom, and Gma on the 25th. It’s a lot, but we make it happen and are happy to see everyone.

5. Do you go see holiday lights?

Besides the horse park, we usually check out other displays in Lexington.

When in KC, we’ve gone to see the Plaza lights a few times, and often go to the “magic tree” in my home town.

This year, Travis and I ended up sick the day after Thanksgiving, but my mom took the kids to the “magic tree” that evening (bottom pic)

6. How do you decorate your house for the holidays?

I do decorate for the holidays. I will say that decorating for Christmas stresses me out a little bit more than decorating for fall. It’s probably just because I feel more of a time crunch, and I always feel busier this time of the year. It can be a lot of effort to enjoy for only a few weeks.

My decorations don’t change much year to year, but I do tend to buy a few new things every year. I just can’t help myself. That being said, after I decorate, I try to toss or donate what I don’t use as to not have too much Christmas decor pile up.

This year, I did buy a new sign from Smallwoods and new garland from Kirklands. Year after year, I try to piece together the mantle, and I’m never happy with the garland. I wanted something pre-lit and substantial, and Kirklands had the perfect garland for my mantle…and I think it ended up being 50% off…and only around $30. (The sign was on sale too!)

Hadley set up the Christmas village which is her favorite thing to do.

7. Real or fake Christmas tree?

We always used to have an artificial tree, but then for about six years, we got a real one at one of our favorite places.

I’ve also been putting up a couple of pencil trees for the past couple of years in my bedroom and the sun room.

This year, we’re back to an artificial tree, and I’m loving it.

8. Favorite holiday treats?

We usually make cookies over winter break. We never really seem to have time before then. When we go to KC, we make German Christmas cookies…Pfeffernusse (my fave) and waffle cookies using the waffle iron made by my mom’s great grandfather in the late 1800’s.

This year, the kids helped bake while Travis and I stayed away because of our germs.

At home, we make peppermint crinkle cookies (I use this recipe and then add in a splash of peppermint extract), peanut butter blossoms, and usually some kind of sugar cookie.

For Christmas dinner dessert, I always make Shay’s Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake.

9. Do your pets get gifts?

We’ve always given our dogs something…whether it’s a toy, a treat/bone, or a new bed.

Our pups have always had their own stocking too.

10. Best tips to make the holidays less stressful?

I try to make a list early. I wish I shopped earlier too, but I always feel like I have to get through the kids’ November birthday first.

A few years ago, I started making an Amazon list for the kids (and myself) to share with the family for easy shopping. I think everyone appreciates that.

Also, I’ve found that it’s ok to say “no” to things if/when needed. I do like to “do it all,” but I’ve been trying to find that balance through the years. That being said, some things have been taken off my plate as the kids have gotten older…and sometimes that’s actually a bittersweet feeling.

Ahh…after writing this post, I feel really ready for the holidays!

Posted in What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Well, November sure has flown by!

Today I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for What’s Up Wednesday.

What we are eating this week:

  • Sunday – On our drive home on Saturday, I was scrolling Tiktok and saw an easy baked chicken and rice recipe, so I made that on Sunday. It was really good.
  • Monday – We had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant for a fundraiser for Hadley’s volleyball team. The food was delish, and I was happy not to cook!
  • Tuesday– We had a busy night last night, so I decided we’d just use up some food we had in the freezer. We had leftover chili and dinner from Sunday night.
  • Wednesday – Tonight, we’re having one of our favorite soups: Crockpot Cheese Tortellini and Sausage soup
  • Thursday – Tomorrow, I’m trying a new recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole. I will let you know what we think!
  • Friday/Saturday– As you know, I don’t cook on the weekends. We’ll see what sounds good!

What I’m reminiscing about:

All the Santa years with the kids.

Last year, after Christmas, Shutterfly was still having a sale on ornaments, so I made a couple with the kids for a few years when they were little – either our card pic that year or them with Santa – and added them to cart. Well, when I went to check out, the shipping cost was $30 at the cheapest…which infuriated me. So, I gave up.

On Monday, almost a year later, I got on Shutterfly to click around and saw that those ornaments were still in my cart. I decided to finish up the order since the ornaments were still half-price and ended up with free shipping thanks to the total amount of my order. I ended up with seven ornaments because I put two years on most of them (front/back). I can’t wait for them to arrive and to put them on my tree for the years to come.

What we’ve been up to:

Sports…

Birthday fun…

and…Thanksgiving in KC.

What I’m dreading:

I’m really not dreading anything right now. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed this time of the year, but I’m not currently feeling that way…and am just trying to enjoy this season.

What I’m excited about:

The Christmas season and all that comes with it: Christmas movies, baking cookies, Christmas traditions, and winter break!

My house has looked like a disaster the past couple of days, but I’m happy to have my Christmas decor put up.

On Sunday, Hadley helped me drag the Christmas tubs out of the attic, and I put up a few things. She was excited to put up the Christmas village…

…and I was excited to make the mantle look pretty. (We were out running errands on Sunday, and I stopped in Kirklands for new garland, and the pre-lit one I found was perfect!)

I also went to Trader Joe’s on Sunday and was excited to see some of their seasonal goodies were out:

What I’m watching/reading:

Y’all…I’m still working my way through Demon Copperhead. It really does have my attention, but lack of time and the length of the book means it’s taking me forever to finish it!

I’m ready to dive into this stack of books though!

My mom sent me this, and I thought it looked like a fun way to keep track of reading:

I’m currently watching holiday baking shows whenever I get the chance.

What I’m listening to:

At school, sometimes I have Christmas music quietly playing on Pandora at my desk. If we’re in the car, Hadley always has the “Holly” station on.

What I’m wearing:

I’ve been loving my new Walmart pjs. I saw this same pair last year, but they quickly sold out. I was able to snag them this year. The fabric is so soft, and they are less than $13! I do think they run a little big.

What I’m doing this weekend:

Actually, I’m not sure! It’s a pretty low key weekend. Hadley and I had hoped to go see the Taylor Swift movie, but it looks like we were one week too late…and it’s out of the theaters now. (I see where it can be streamed starting December 13th — Taylor’s birthday, so I guess we’ll have to wait.)

Maybe we’ll bake some cookies and watch a movie at home?

What I’m looking forward to next month:

Christmas fun in December and then January is always one of my favorite months. It’s time for a fresh start, it’s my birthday month, life slows down a bit, and there’s always a chance of a snow day!

So, that’s what’s up lately.

Posted in Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Wow! I feel like Thanksgiving break went by in a flash! Now, we’re on the downhill slide of first semester which is always hard to believe.

Since it’s the last Monday of the month, I’m sharing some memes that have made me laugh recently.

Even though I love “falling back,” this one made me chuckle:

On our way back from KC on Saturday, we stopped at CFA, and of course we got our order very quickly…but holiday traffic had us frustrated and wondering why people struggle to drive sometimes.

But really…

Oh…how I miss when the kids were little and this would work:

Tis the season…

Travis and me:

I’m making a list and checking it twice as to not lose any of my orders…

Relateable:

I only get on TikTok occasionally, but last night’s dinner was a recipe I saw on TikTok yesterday morning!

….and here we go…

Before I go, did you catch my Saturday Share 4 Somethings post?

I hope you have a great week. I’m starting mine with my house a disaster…half decorated for Christmas and half a disorganized mess. And…I have morning gym duty this week monitoring students until 8:15!

My week can only go up from here…

Posted in Share 4 Somethings, Uncategorized

Share 4 Somethings

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday!

How was your Thanksgiving? We had a really great one visiting with family in KC.

I haven’t joined Jennifer’s link up in a while, so I thought a “bonus” Saturday post would be fun.

This month, I …

Loved:

The time change! I know, I know. I’m in the minority on this one, but I love “falling back.”

I’m also really loving this Candy Cane Body Butter from Trader Joe’s. It just has a subtle hint of peppermint and just a little bit of shimmer.

I’ve also really loved watching the kids’ activities this past month. Hayden’s had some great, competitive cross country races, and he’s been back on the basketball court prepping for his 8th grade middle school season as well.

Hadley’s volleyball team has been so much fun to watch as well. Many of her friends are on her team which makes it even better. Last weekend, they played in a volleyball tournament, and won gold for their bracket.

Read:

Y’all…for the first time ever, I don’t know that I will have a monthly book post. I’ve been working my way through Demon Copperhead, and it’s really good…but long…

I even started a holiday themed book, but I just haven’t had much time to read.

Here’s my current hopeful holiday stack:

…and other “Christmas-y” books I’ve read in previous years if you need any ideas:

Ate:

Pumpkin pie…

…and pumpkin muffins…

…as well as plenty of birthday cake(s)

Of course, I also had yummy Thanksgiving food on Thursday.

Bought:

We bought an artificial tree for the living room, and I’m so glad it’s already up.

I’ve also purchased some Christmas presents for my KC family as well as birthday gifts for the kids:

Weekly Recap:

Since I didn’t link up for Friday Favorites, here are my posts from the week:

Happy 14th Birthday
Birthday Recap
Thanksgiving Fun

It’s been one of the most hectic months, and sometimes I feel like I’m in “survival mode” in November, but it’s been filled with lots of goodness too.

Now, it’s time for me to get back home and get my Christmas decor put out.

Posted in Holidays

Thanksgiving Fun

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy day before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving break has always been one of my favorite times of the year. It’s just enough time off, and Thanksgiving calls for great food and no gifts!!

In honor of my favorite time of the year, I’m sharing a few fun ideas I’ve seen…mostly thanks to Pinterest!

1.

I’ve shared @ashton.creates posts before, and this Enneagram one is perfect for Thanksgiving.

I’m a 5w6, and it rings true for me. (FYI – my favorite side is green bean casserole!)

2.

How delicious does this Thanksgiving punch look?

3.

I will be the first to admit that I don’t gravitate towards the veggies on Thanksgiving Day, but this turkey veggie tray is too cute.

4.

Oh! I love a pretty tablescape!

I’ve sat at some pretty tables through the years thanks to my cousin and my sister-in-law.

This site has some great ideas.

5.

Here’s a fun turkey day “Table Talk” idea:

6.

These glitter nails are so festive!

7.

I’m still obsessed with cute cookies!

8.

This snack mix looks delish and so thoughtful.

9.

Maybe you can snack on it while watching some family friendly Thanksgiving movies.

10.

I saved the best for last. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers?! Honestly, I really do love to warm up a plate of turkey, green beans, and mashed potatoes this next day. We also always make turkey rice soup! It’s a great way to use up the white meat that tends to dry out more quickly.

I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving Day tomorrow.

See you back here on Saturday for Share 4 Somethings.

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Birthday Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday…a Tuesday that feels like a Friday! I’ll take it.

Yesterday was the kids’ birthday, and it was an action-packed day.

Today, I’m recapping how we celebrated them these past few days.

While the month of November leaves me feeling frazzled, we’ve had luck the past few years having a free evening the Friday before the kids’ birthday.

So, we penciled in a little birthday celebration with them and their friends.

While Hayden wanted to go to Sky Zone, Hadley wanted to try something different and requested Breakout Games.

All the kids came over around 5:00, and Travis took the boys to Sky Zone.

Our Breakout Games session wasn’t until 6:15, so Hadley and friends hung out for a while, and she opened her gifts from them. These girls know her so well. She received a cozy blanket, a Lululemon gift card, and a basket of baking supplies.

Then, I took them to Breakout Games. We’d chosen Mystery Mansion, and it was kind of spooky.

At first, I wasn’t going to go in with them, but then Hadley said she wanted me to come. I was just trying not to “cramp their style,” but I’m glad I went with them.

I think they’d all been to these types of places, but they were spooked a couple of times, and they were all over the place with trying to solve the clues. I was like, “Girls! Focus!” haha

Mystery Mansion was a total of three rooms, and we broke out with five minutes to spare.

The boys were finished jumping, so we met them for pizza and cake. One of our favorite Italian places has a room with a long table, so the kids sat in there while Travis and I sat in the main dining room.

Middle schoolers are funny…the boys and the girls sat at opposite ends of the table…haha

We had pizza and cookie cake…

…before heading home.

This is a great group of kids, and they’ve all known each other since kindergarten (give or take a year or so).

The boys ended up at our house for a bit to play basketball, but I took the girls home since most of them had to be up early for the volleyball tournament.

Saturday, Hadley had her tournament, and Hayden had a race in Louisville.

That evening, we met Trav’s brother and his boys for hibachi. We did this a couple of years ago too. We have lots of November birthdays to celebrate in the family.

On Sunday, Hadley had more volleyball, and Hayden had a basketball game. That evening, we had leftovers from hibachi, and then we went to my brother’s house for cake.

We hung out for a bit and watched the rest of the Missouri basketball game before heading home.

Yesterday, was their actual birthday.

Hadley was with me at Kroger last week and requested the cinnamon swirl crumb/coffee cake for birthday breakfast. So, the kids had that yesterday morning before going to school.

Hadley had a volleyball game last night, so they didn’t open presents until after we got home from the game. When I picked up their Bundt cake on Sunday, I got some “Bundtinis” for Hadley to share with the volleyball team, and an individual cake for them to have for dessert on their birthday.

Yes, we consumed lots of cake over the past few days, but we were always sharing it with others…so thankfully there weren’t a lot of leftovers!! haha

Overall, I think they had a great birthday.

Gifts:

Tis the season for gift giving.

We have to “double down” on gift ideas due to the kids’ birthday and Christmas being so close together.

I’m not sure if I will have any kind of “gift guide” posts in December, but if you have a tween or tween, they might like what my kids like too!

Hayden is definitely harder to buy for than Hadley is, and he also didn’t send me a power point like she did either! haha.

Anyway, it’s very specific to him, but he needed new running spikes, so Travis gave those to him before his race on Saturday. I usually get him the Kentucky Basketball magazine that’s at our local Joseph Beth bookstore. Travis got Hayden a hooded sweatshirt and some basketball shorts. Hayden told me he needed a new Gatorade bottle, so I purchased this two pack. It’s a tradition, but I always get the kids Christmas pjs, and Old Navy prices can’t be beat!

As for Hadley, she requested this pair of camo Athleta leggings. They are $89 leggings that are on sale for $22! She loves Aerie, and had her eye on the Chill Crew sweatshirt. It comes in lots of colors and is 40% off. During “Prime Days” this summer, I got this mini bluetooth speaker for her, and held on to it as a birthday gift. She requested a new straightener after the one we’ve shared for years died. I thought this one looked like a good option because it is a 2 in 1 straightener and curler. Hadley leans into the holiday season, so she appreciates the Old Navy pj tradition, and I also picked her up these cute slippers from Target.

I think the kids like having a birthday on a school day, at least Hadley does. It was a busy evening with volleyball, but I’m glad we took the time to have dinner, open gifts, and have one more bite of cake even if it was a busy evening.

I guess I say it every year, but it’s hard to believe how big they are getting!

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Happy 14th Birthday!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, Mondays tend to be my least favorite day of the week, but this type of Monday hits different.

We only have a two day week of school and…today Hayden and Hadley turn 14! So, today is a great day!

We spent the weekend doing all the things they love….

Hanging with friends…

…running cross country…

…playing volleyball…

…and basketball…

…& eating cake!

I feel like we went from this…

to this …

in a flash!

(excuse the lack of #4 on the cake — we couldn’t seem to find it. Welcome to my life!)

It was a very hectic weekend as we wrap up a very busy month, but it was a good one.

I saw this meme…and chuckled.

I feel like it can also apply to parenthood 😆

November is going by so quickly, but we still have quite a few more things going on between now and Thanksgiving break…including two days of school and two evenings of volleyball.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#184}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a really good one.

It might be that our evenings are busy with cross country and volleyball, but I felt like we all had to manage every minute of our evenings this week. The kids have really seemed to have a lot of homework, so they were up late a couple of nights.

Anyway, we’ve made it to the weekend!

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

Here are my favorites from the week:

On Saturday night, Hayden ran in distance festival at Bellarmine. Thomson Training, my nephew’s running club, hosts this event in honor of Trav’s dad. Some of the best runners in the state were there. Hayden ran a great race around the track with a sub 5 mile.

It’s been amazing to see how this event has grown in the past three years, and it’s inspiring to see all the runners there in honor of Trav’s dad who was a huge supporter of cross country.

On Sunday, we went to the UK volleyball game. Some of Hadley’s friends went too, and my brother, his family, and my mom were there as well.

Kentucky won, and it was a fun afternoon at Rupp!

Since my mom was visiting, she brought the kids their birthday gifts a few days early.

The main reason my mom came to visit was to go to the Eagles concert. They are on their “Long Goodbye” tour. She really wanted to go, so my brother and I went with her. It was a late night on Tuesday, but we really enjoyed the concert. The Doobie Brothers opened for them, and I knew most of their songs too!

Hadley had quite a lot of fans at her volleyball game on Wednesday. Besides my mom and brother, my niece and nephew came too.

Remember my trip to Walmart on election day? I picked up these two trees, and I finally put them up over the weekend. They are perfect!

I can’t wait to get my other Christmas decorations out…maybe this weekend?

I’ve shared these in previous years, but these wireless outlets (with remote!) continue to save the day, especially during the holidays. I used one for the tree in my room, one for the tree in Hadley’s room, and then one for these trees. It’s difficult to get behind the mirror, so I plugged the trees into a power strip, and then plugged the power strip into the wall.

Every night, I use the remote to turn off all the trees. (Hadley sometimes turns her tree off by clicking the button on the outlet before I go to bed.) So, you don’t have to use the remote.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share in case they might come in handy for you.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Like…how long would they make it? haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

These two are about to be 14. How can that be?

From 4 to 14…It’s gone by in a blink.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Not Just a Mom
Aldi Haul
5 Things in My

What are your weekend plans?

Our weekend includes a volleyball tournament, a cross country race, some basketball games, and we’re squeezing in some time to let the kids have fun with their friends to celebrate their birthday.

I already need a nap on Monday!

Have a great weekend,