jgalvinwhite

Friday Favorites {#277}

Posted on October 10, 2025October 31, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF!! I had a great week back to school, but not having students on Monday threw me off all week. I never knew what day is was, but I sure do know that today is Friday.

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

This week, my post is all about my favorite fall decorations.

I don’t think I shared a fall decor post last year because most everything was the same as when I shared my 2023 fall home tour.

Just like with that post, much hasn’t changed, but I did move a few things around this year and made a couple of small purchases.

I typically spruce up my front porch mid to late September, but I just didn’t have time to do so before fall break. Trav got the mums right before we left, and then once we got back from the beach, I purchased pumpkins and cornstalks.

I love how it turned out…

I’m still loving the new doormat.

I got “fantasy” pumpkins at Trader Joe’s, and then purchased a couple more at Kroger.

These pumpkin pillow covers were such a pleasant surprise when they arrived. I mean, I ordered them so I wasn’t surprised to receive them…I just mean that I was really pleased with the quality and cuteness!

I usually have different fall pillows here, but I loved these so much that I wanted them to be in a central location. I’d forgotten that I had this blanket, and it’s a nice pop of color between the neutral chairs and pillows.

My living room coffee table tray stays the same year to year.

Fall me thanked summer me when I went to my candle shelf in the hall closet and remembered that I’d purchased an Antique Candle Co “apple butter” candle on sale a few months ago.

I made a couple of small purchases a Michael’s a few weeks ago including this gold metal pumpkin bucket.

I also purchased two of these pumpkin vases because I wanted a little height on the mantel.

This pumpkin votive was the last Michael’s purchase that I made. It’s a nice festive touch on our wine rack in the kitchen.

I have two of these “morning pumpkin” pillows, but they typically go where the new ones go. Anyway, I used one on the chair in the kitchen.

Last weekend, I did make it to Hobby Lobby and found four of the embossed pumpkin plates that I had my eye on. I only see the salad plates online, but this plate is more medium sized…so bigger than a salad plate, but smaller than a dinner plate.

I wanted some new place mats, and these that I found on Amazon are so cute.

These mini pumpkin cocoettes are a few find and so cute.

I don’t do much in the basement, but I decided to use a couple of pillows that I typically put in the sun room down there.

When I was at Hobby Lobby, I picked up two of these fall LED candles to put on the basement bookshelves. I love the glow of them when we’re watching TV in the basement.

In our bedroom, I have one of my favorite raffia pumpkins that I got a Michael’s years ago. Its twin is on the living room coffee table.

One last Hobby Lobby purchase…this cute mug! I couldn’t resist.

I have a few more decorations here and there, but I really only put out a few of my favorite things this year.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts last week…and yesterday’s post (Fall break trip recap part 2) went out late yesterday. Ooops!

Prime Purchases

Fall Break Trip Recap 1

Fall break Trip Recap 2

Share Our Lives:

We have our Share Our Lives link up on Monday; we’d love to have you join us.

This month’s topic is go to snacks!

What are your weekend plans? Ours are full of Homecoming festivities! No rest for the weary!

Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 2

Posted on October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I forgot to schedule this post this morning which give you a peek into how my week is going haha!

I’m picking up where I left off with part 1 of my recap of the first few days of our fall break in Florida. Here’s a glimpse at the rest of the trip:

Tuesday morning started off slowly. Is there any better way than to start your day on the screened in porch with a cup of coffee?

Then, we headed to Seaside to meet some friends for breakfast…Hadley was our chauffeur…

Last year was our first year going to Black Bear, and it was a must again this year.

I got a bagel, and then we found a spot outside of Modica Market to eat. Trav picked up both up one of their legendary mimosas.

After that, we walked around a bit and shopped. I went into Sundogs Books which is one of my favorite spots in Seaside.

Seaside was far less crowded than in years past which was amazing.

Once we got back to the house, we changed and headed to the beach. Of course, there were clouds most days, but Tuesday was pretty overcast and honestly, that was a great reprieve from the heat.

We were at the beach for quite a while and then went back to the house for a bit before going back for sunset. Unfortunately, it was a pretty cloud covered sunset, but Hadley and friends had fun taking photos.

It was Taco Tuesday for dinner at the house and the moms and daughters watched Dancing with the Stars.

I was up pretty early on Wednesday and decided to take a walk. I love this entry point by our house.

I spotted the boys out fishing.

The water was so beautiful and calm.

One of Trav’s friends lives about an hour from Seaside, and he came in to see Trav and another friend who was in town on vacation. I joined them in Seaside where we sat around and talked and grabbed lunch. Hadley had tried the new “dumpling” place and raved about the fried rice, so that’s what I had for lunch that day.

We got back to the house early afternoon, and I was tired. I tend to “hit a wall” at some point on vacay, and this was that day. I just hung out at the house and read and took a nap. The teens were in and out, and I took them to Publix for cookie dough and whatever else they needed. It was just a chill house day.

On vacay, we choose one night when the adults go out to dinner. So, we got ready, and the girls got ready too because they were headed to the beach for more sunset pics.

Hadley and I snapped a pic…

…before I dropped the girls off at the beach. These friends had the best time that week.

Then, the adults made our way to Watercolor to eat at Fish Out of Water. While we waited for our table, we took a few pics and caught the sunset.

We’d never been to this restaurant before, and it was so nice. I got the low country boil, and it was so good.

Meanwhile…the girls were living their best lives. haha

The kids requested ice cream, so one of the dads picked up ice cream cones at Publix (don’t ask how many times we went to Publix on this trip. lol), and that was everyone’s sweet treat when we got home.

Thursday morning started with coffee and reading. I was starting to panic that I hadn’t read enough on this trip! Going on a trip with a big group means more chatting than reading, apparently…but that’s ok.

A couple of Hayden’s friends rolled into town and one of moms is good about getting pictures. She spotted Hayden on the way to meet the boys who were fishing.

We all made the most of the last beach day, and the weather was beautiful.

I started a new book.

After a few hours, some of us packed up because we wanted to go back to Seaside for a few things. I wanted an iced coffee from Black Bear, and I went back to the book store for a book.

Trav met me there, and we spotted both kids out and about with their friends.

Then, we went to Great Southern and met friends for apps and a drink.

After that, it was time to catch one more sunset…look at the sailboat showing off!

Is it even a 30A vacay without a sunset Seaside shirt pic?!

Big and little girls combined! What great memories they’ll have from these vacations.

The adults rallied for a photo!

…and one with all the kids. We didn’t travel with all of these kids, but our kids are good at finding their friends!

My family obliged for a couple of photos…

…which I always appreciate.

Also, isn’t it amazing how quickly the sky changes as the sun sets? I’m always in awe of it.

We packed up and headed back to the house. None of us look forward to Thursday evening when it’s time to eat all the leftovers in the fridge, do laundry and start packing.

Friday morning we all wanted to leave by 7:30, and we were close to that goal. The kids *begrudgingly* took one more photo. We were all tired from a fun filled week.

The drive home is brutal because Nasvhille traffic is no fun most times of the day. Truly, the drive to Seaside is usually under ten hours, and the trip home is always at least eleven hours! Plus, we lose an hour on the way back.

Anyway, we never know if we’ll be able to pull the trip off year after year, but so far, we’ve made this happen for four years. It’s hard to believe we might only have a couple years left!

Also, my apologies for however many times I typed “sunset.” If it was a drinking game, you’d be under the table!

Thanks for following along, and let me know if you have any questions.

Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 1

Posted on October 8, 2025October 7, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Well, the first day back to school was as busy as you’d imagine after over a week off from school. That being said, it was great to see my students again, and we had a good day overall.

We had another really lovely fall break in Florida with friends. Every year is similar but different, but I love having all the memories in one place.

This post I shared last year recapped that trip, but I also shared a few thoughts about how we’ve made it work traveling with three other families the past few years. It’s a blessing to find a crew that you enjoy being with, but those who also understand when you need to fuss at your kid. haha

We’re all like one big family at this point.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the first few days of our fall break fun:

Friday:

Let me remind you that our last day of school included the freshman field trip for me! So, we’d decided to make the decision to leave Friday and drive to Nashville or wait and drive the full ten hours on Saturday until after school. Once I got home, I still needed to pack, but I was motivated at the thought of sleeping in a bit Saturday if we left Friday night. We got the car packed up and left the house around 6:30. I drove the first hour and a half, and Trav drove the rest of the way. We made it outside of Nashville by 10:00 which was our goal. We checked into the hotel and got a great night’s sleep.

Saturday:

Honestly, I was sleeping so well that Trav woke me at 8:00 because he was ready to get on the road. We had breakfast at the hotel, and left by 9:00. I honestly would have loved to sleep longer, but it was time to get moving as we had a six hour drive ahead of us.

It was a pretty easy drive, and we stopped a couple of times for gas and lunch. One of the families drove the whole way on Friday, another drove to Birmingham on Friday and the last family drove the whole way on Saturday. So, we all kind of did our own thing to get to Seaside, but we met at Hurricanes around 3:00 which has been our tradition to grab a bite to eat.

The house was ready surprisingly early, so after our meal, we all headed that way and unpacked. The groceries had been delivered a bit earlier, and our friend had already unpacked them.

Most of us went to the beach to catch the first sunset of vacay.

Honestly, I’m glad we made that happen…it was nice to have my toes in the sand, but also, this was the best sunset of the trip!

UK football was on that evening, so we all just hung at the house, watched the game, and some of us played a few games before going to bed.

Sunday:

We all eased into the morning. I love hanging out on the front porch to have my morning coffee.

We made it to the beach around 10:30 and set up for the day. The weather was warm, and the water was beautiful.

The teens come and go to the beach, and some days they are there longer than others. Since it was the first full day, I guess they wanted to be where we were. haha

I rarely buy books, but I’d been at Target the week before, and decided to purchase Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book that she co-wrote with her daughter. I was excited to start reading it.

I stayed at the beach until about 3:30, and then I headed back to the house to watch the Chiefs game. Hayden and I did that, but then I headed back for sunset.

One of the friends made these cute cups for our trip. They were perfect.

The girls joined us….they are such a sweet and fun group.

Hadley…she understood the assignment.

Fun with friends.

The sunset was a stunner.

It is crazy that it’s dark by 6:30. Once back at the house, we grilled out and then the kids made s’mores.

Truly, most nights we’d think it was 10:00 only to find out it was 8:30! haha

Monday:

Monday, I slept until 9, and then it was another slow morning followed by a beach day.

Hayden and a couple of friends went golfing while the rest of us beached it.

Mermaid Hadley.

We usually have one night that the moms go out for happy hour, so we did that on Monday night.

We went to Rosemary Beach which is about fifteen minutes from where we stay. It’s a really cute little town.

We went to The Pearl for happy hour.

I had a Frose’…

…and we had the perfect sunset views.

We stayed for a couple of hours…

…and then as we headed out, we asked someone to take our pic, and I’m so glad we did.

We went to Seaside for dinner, and then it was back to the house. The first few days were great!

Amazon

Prime Purchases

Posted on October 6, 2025October 5, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, all good things must come to an end. Our fall break last week was just what we needed, but now it’s time to head back to school…for teachers. Our district made some changes this year on our calendar, and we now have a teacher work day after each of our breaks. So, my kids get one more day off, and I will sit in meetings this morning!

It’s the first Monday of the month, so I’m sharing my recent Amazon purchases.

I’d been bringing my wireless school mouse home on the weekends, and I just figured I might as well get one for home. (We had one years ago, but Homer destroyed it…he’s matured since then, so I have faith that this one will last!)

Hadley wanted an over-sized gray hooded sweatshirt, and she found this one. It seems to be just what she was looking for, and she reimbursed me for this purchase.

We’ve had this blanket for quite some time as the blanket we put on our bed when Homer hops up to sleep. I wash it often, but just decided after having it for over a year (or longer?), and it’s reasonably priced, that I would just go ahead and switch out for a new one. Homer doesn’t ask for much 😉

I don’t necessarily need a stain stick like I did when the kids were younger on when Hayden played baseball, but it seems like after Covid, I’ve had trouble finding a traditional gel stain stick. Anyway, I’ve seen some influencers share this Miss Mouth’s stain treater and thought I’d give it a try. It seems to work!

Leading up to fall break, I wanted to order more of my favorite under eye patches that I use for travel, so I ordered more of these…but then forgot to pack them. Ugh!!

Hadley had this toothbrush (Hayden and I have it too), but it got tossed when we purged the bathroom after we remodeled it. Of course, she’s been brushing her teeth, haha, but I’d been meaning to order her a new one, so I did that recently.

Speaking of this toothbrush, my dad has one too, and he asked me to order him more toothbrush replacement heads.

How cute are these pillow covers? I was “targeted” by an ad (ha!), and I purchased this two pack.

When I say they exceeded my expectations, I’m not exaggerating. They arrived, and they were the “chef’s kiss” for my fall decor. I actually put different fall pillows in these chairs, but I put these here, so I could see them more often. Some of my other pillows end up on the floor when people sit in our living room chairs or on the couch. Since no one really sits in these chairs, they stay looking pretty and put together if you know what I mean.

The last two purchases are thanks to those who shop my links. I used some of my Amazon commissions to purchase this doormat when I couldn’t find the one I’ve had for years. I guess it’s lost in the garage somewhere or was mistakenly thrown out.

Anyway, it’s surprisingly soft, and I think it looks perfect with the scallop rug from Walmart that I got in the summer.

And…I had my eye on these light covers for my classroom, but I wanted to wait to purchase them. I went ahead and did that as well, and they look great in my classroom. My classroom actually has two sets of lights, so if I keep the back lights off, then the front lights are dim and pretty thanks to these light covers.

Apparently, there’s Amazon Prime Days tomorrow and Wednesday. I don’t have a special post planned, but I might share a few favorites on Instagram if I have time.

Have a great Monday!

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

Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#276}

Posted on October 3, 2025October 2, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, all good things must come to an end. Today is our last official day of fall break, and it’s been a good one!

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

This week we spent time in one of our favorite places…30A/Seaside. This is the fourth year we’ve spent the week here for fall break, and it was another great year.

The weather was in the upper 80’s all week, and we only had one cloudy day.

Seaside showing off…

The one cloudy day, but it was still a good one at the beach!

We caught the sunset every night which is my favorite thing to do on vacay.

We had many great meals, and the moms snuck away for a happy hour on Monday night in Rosemary.

We always have one night where the parents go out for a nice dinner, and we caught the sunset while we waited for our table.

The kids are with us, but rarely around 🤣

We’re headed home today, and I will share a trip recap next week…although it was pretty much sunshine, sunsets and seafood like always.

A few other faves….

October is my favorite month, so I always share this quote to kick off the month:

Per usual, I have a few new book trackers saved to a highlight on my Instagram.

Feel free to screenshot them, use them and tag me! I always love seeing what others are reading.

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a few posts:

September Books

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Monthly moments

We’re ready to get back home, do laundry, sleep in our own beds, and see Homer!

Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: September 2025

Posted on October 2, 2025November 30, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, even on fall break, I guess Thursdays are still my favorite day of the week. That being said, I do wish time would slow down a little.

Speaking of time flying, September is over, so it’s time for me to recap the month.

Here’s a look back on September…

We still had a little pool time in September. Our pool stayed open a couple of weeks after Labor Day.

There were lots of cross country meets and volleyball games.

The volleyball team traveled to Tennessee, and the JV team had a great weekend of volleyball.

School picture day was a success…

My dad came to visit for a few days, and it was nice to see him.

I decorated for fall which is always a favorite for me. I love that we get to enjoy that decor for a couple of months, and now I’m ready for the weather to cool off.

I even pulled out a couple of my favorite mugs.

We did end the month in one of our favorite places…Seaside, Florida for fall break with friends. I will share more on that after we return.

That’s a wrap on September. Like the month of May, I kind of feel like I’m in “survival mode” as we get into our back to school routine. Now, on to October…my favorite month of the year.

Have a great day!

This and That

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Posted on October 1, 2025September 30, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday! Happy October 1st!

Why do the weeks off from school go by so quickly?! We’ve been having a great week so far; I will tell you more about that later.

I’m linking up with Joyce for her Wednesday Hodgepodge post.

Here are my answers to her prompts this week:

1. What’s your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now?

I love apple/pumpkin/vanilla in the fall. You can find those combinations around my house thanks to my assortment of candles.

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are your more of a country mouse or city mouse?

I am a country music fan, and I have been for a quite a few years. I typically have channel 57, The Highway, on my radio most of the time. Some of my favorite country music artists are Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Tyler Childers, and Zach Bryan.

Most of the concerts I’ve been to in my life have been country music artists. Chris Stapleton is from Kentucky, and he put on an awesome show at Kroger Field a few years ago.

We saw Bailey Zimmerman a couple of years ago, and two artists that opened for him, Josh Ross and Brandon Wisham, have been on the radio more and more. It’s been fun to watch them become more popular and have hits on the radio after seeing them in person.

Kind of random but I really enjoyed Carrie Underwood as a judge on American Idol this past season. She just brings a great perspective considering how much winning Idol changed her life. She seems a bit reserved/guarded, but you can tell that she has genuine gratitude for her success thanks to American Idol.

Also, I heard an old Faith Hill song on the radio recently, and it took me back! I’ve always loved Faith Hill.

We’ve been to Nashville quite a few times…for fun, for music, for sports, to see friends and more. It’s only about a three hour drive from Lexington.

City mouse or country mouse? I’d say that I’m technically somewhere in between. I like quiet, but I like the convenience of being near things. The thought of having to drive far just to go to the grocery store isn’t something I can wrap my brain around. I also don’t necessarily love driving back country roads. I guess I am more of a “city mouse.”

3. How about ‘country cooking’? chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, mach and cheese, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, collard or turnip greens, deviled eggs, BBQ, gumbo, banana pudding. Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you’ve tried or would say a firm “no thank you” to if offered.

I am not a country cook. Poor Trav married me… who has never fried anything and hates mayo! haha

His mom and aunts are great country cooks. I cook a lot, but I’m definitely not a country cook.

My fave from this list would definitely be mac and cheese. “Hard no’s” for me would be deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes.

One food that’s not on the list is green bean casserole, but it’s one of my favorite “southern” foods. I always look forward to it at Trav’s family functions.

Fun fact: Hadley loves biscuits and gravy…but really loves the gravy most of all…she’ll just eat it with a spoon! Hayden really isn’t a picky eater, but the one thing he doesn’t like is corn…and he refuses to eat cornbread. I love cornbread.

4. What is something that has a positive impact on your mood?

How I start my day…I can’t be rushed. As I’ve shared time and time again, I like a slow start to my morning with some quiet time. Even if we have to go somewhere early on the weekend, I factor in getting up with enough time for even twenty minutes to sip my coffee and start my day slowly.

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells how that month looked for you.

You know the English teacher in me loves this prompt.

Noun – school – We got the hang of our school routine this month.

Verb – maximize (my time) I truly felt like September was such a busy month that I had to use my time wisely. I made lists, I went to my room to work for a few minutes before Hadley’s home volleyball games, I graded a bit on the weekend (which I really don’t want to do, but it did help start my week of right feeling caught up), had groceries delivered, and just did whatever it took to keep my head above water.

Adjective – busy -Just the season of life we’re in, but life is busy. The kids’ activities and school were in full swing…even the weekends were pretty full.

6. Insert your random thought here.

October truly is my favorite month of the year.

The temps finally start to dip, football is in full swing, soups and chili are for dinner, and pumpkins are on my front porch!

Tomorrow, I’ll recap September!

Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: September 2025

Posted on September 29, 2025September 28, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

It’s hard to believe that there are only two days left of September, so I’m sharing the two books I ~~read~~ listened to in September. I guess the busyness of back to school really caught up with me in September, and most of our weekends had a lot going on too. Also, honestly, when I’m tired, I just want to watch mindless TV rather than read, I guess.

I enjoyed both audio books this month, and thank goodness I’ve gotten the hang of listening to books here and there.

This month I read:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Big Dumb Eyes

Summary:

Nate Bargatze used to be a genius. That is, until the summer after seventh grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and “my brain got, like, dented or something.” Before this accident, he dreamed of being “an electric engineer, or a brain doctor, or maybe a math person who does like, math things for a living.” Afterwards, a voice in his head told him, “It’s okay. You’re dumb now. All you got is standup.”* But the “math things’ industry’s loss is our gain because Nate went on to become one of today’s top-grossing comedians who breaks both attendance and streaming records.

In his highly-anticipated first book, Nate talks about life as a non-genius. From stories about his first car (named Old Blue, a clunky Mazda with a tennis ball for a stick shift), life as a Southerner (Northerners constantly ask him things like, do you believe in dinosaurs?), and his first apartment where a rat chewed a hole right through the wall to how his wife keeps him in line and so much more. He also reflects on such topics as Vandy football and the origins of sushi (how can a Philadelphia roll be from old-time Japan?).

Quick Thoughts:

Nate Bargatze is so funny. To me, he’s the male version of Leanne Morgan who I also find hilarious. His stories of growing up in Old Hickory, Tennessee, his love for Vandy, his journey of making his way in comedy from Chicago to New York were also so endearing and funny.

I appreciated listening to this one since he’s the narrator. If you are familiar with him, or even if you aren’t, I think you’d like this one.

Rating:

The Stranger in the Lifeboat

Summary:

Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet.

Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” and “The First Phone Call from Heaven”. Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us? A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them.”

Quick Thoughts:

This book was really interesting. It actually wasn’t on my radar, but I was scrolling available options for audio books on the Libby app and this popped up. I appreciated the back and forth between what was going on with the characters in the lifeboat and the others who found the lifeboat and were investigating the situation. This made the plot move quickly. Mitch Albom was the narrator, and one of the first books I ever read and a young adult was his Tuesdays with Morrie that my dad gave me. The spiritual component of the stranger and how the plot unfolds was interesting as well.

Rating:

I’m hoping to get more reading in this month. I rarely buy books, but I picked up Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book that she wrote with her daughter. I’m liking it so far!

Have a great Monday.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#275}

Posted on September 26, 2025September 25, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!!

TGIF! This week has been a good one, but students start acting crazy when they know it’s almost time for a break. haha!

Thankfully, we’ve made it to Friday, and only an all day freshman field trip stands between me and a week off from school.

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

Since this week was our first official week of fall, I’m sharing some fall favorites. I truly look forward to this time of the year.

Favorite quote:

Favorite sweater:

My favorite cardigan is soft and comfy. It comes in many color ways, and I own four of these cardigans!

{Grace Karin cardigan (paid link)}

Favorite recipe:

Turkey rice soup is a favorite recipe. We have it after Thanksgiving, using our leftovers. I also make it with chicken too.

Pumpkin sausage penne pasta is another fall recipe that I look forward to making for dinner. It’s a fall favorite for sure.

Favorite dessert:

Apple cider donut cake was a fave Pinterest find a few years ago. Now, I bake this delicious cake a few times in the fall.

Favorite candles and hand soaps:

I love switching out candles and hand soaps seasonally.

Favorite mug:

I’m a fall lovin’ girl…what can I say?

Favorite fall decorations:…old…

I have had two of these pumpkins from Michael’s for years, and they are my favorite to set out.

…and new…

Y’all, for the life of me, I can’t find my fall doormat. I looked all over the garage, and it’s not with my other seasonal mats. So, I turned to Amazon and purchased this cute doormat. It arrived yesterday, and it’s perfect. It’s actually really soft and oh so cute.

Fave fall flower:

The mums have arrived on my front porch. Now, I just need to get the corn stalks and pumpkins.

Fave find:

Speaking of pumpkins…I saw Tina (@to_mimishousewego) share these cuuutee embossed pumpkin plates from Hobby Lobby. I haven’t made it to my local store, but I’m hoping they still have them.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

Monday Memes

Tuesday Talk

Monthly Musings

Next week is fall break, but I hope to continue blogging. I’m ready for a little bit of down time!

What’s your favorite thing about fall?

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

Monthly Moments

Monthly Musings

Posted on September 25, 2025September 24, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I feel like this week is moving right along, and well, September seems to have somewhere to be?! My favorite month is next week…I love October.

Since it’s the end of the month I’m linking up with Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings.

This month’s topic is…fall decorating and fashion preview.

I love all things fall, so here we go…

1. Share how you decorate for fall.

I have quite a few favorite fall decorations. I like that we get to enjoy that seasonal decor for at least a couple of months. That makes it definitely worth the effort. I felt a little behind, but I decorated for fall last weekend….just in time for the temps to *finally* dip a little, and we’ve had some rain this week.

2. Halloween decor…yes or no?

I used to put a few Halloween decorations out, but this cat is the last ~~man~~ feline standing. He’s cute.

A couple of days before Halloween, I put spider webs on the front bushes, and stick these little skeletons in my mums. Through the years, the kids have been annoyed that I make the front porch cute instead of spooky. haha

3. Pumpkins, cornstalks or hay bales?

I love pumpkins…by now, I usually have my front porch all decked out, but that hasn’t happened yet this year.

I also usually add cornstalks to the front porch as well.

4. Favorite fall fashion pieces?

Whenever these lovely ladies throw in a “fashion” prompt, I have to stop and think because I don’t ever think of myself as fashionable. Put together, yes…fashionable, occasionally!

With the temps all over the place, a light sweater is the way to go for me. I still love this sweater vest, and wear it often. I plan on wearing a light weight long sleeve t-shirt or turtle neck under it in the winter.

This light-weight sweater that I have in a couple of colors is also one that I wear often. It’s a great transitional piece. (It comes in a ton of colors and is an amazing price!)

5. How do you transition your wardrobe?

I transition my wardrobe by wearing the outfits above.

I start the school year wearing dresses, but then start adding my favorite cardigan (that I have in four colors) as a layer. Light-weight pants and light sweaters are how I transition from summer to cooler weather. That being said, I wear my sandals for as long as possible. Seriously…my least favorite day is when I start wearing flats to school instead of sandals.

Once the temps really cool off, I still start wearing sweatshirts or heavier sweaters. Yesterday, was cooler and rainy, and I was tired…so I wanted to be comfy. I have zero regrets about purchasing these Wit and Wisdom ankle flare jeans in the Nordstrom sale this summer. I’ve worn them quite a few times to school. I threw on my Aerie sweatshirt and sandals and called it a day. Again, put together and comfy…but wouldn’t call myself “fashionable.”

6. Do you decorate inside and out?

Yep! ‘Tis the season for all things pumpkins. I did add a couple of new things to my decor this year.

I wanted to change up the entry table. I already had all these faux pumpkins, but a trip to Michael’s, and I found this cute metal bucket to put them in.

I wanted some decorations with a little height for the mantel. I already had the pretty orange floral, but found two of these pumpkin vases to put next to my fall sign.

Everything was at least 50% off and teachers always get an additional discount, so it was a cheap shopping trip!

7. Favorite fall scents?

Pumpkin muffins or bread baking.

I love seasonal candles…I typically burn apple flavored in September, and then I turn to pumpkin, vanilla and other scents in October.

8. Go to fall outfit?

I’m still a leggings and t-shirt/sweatshirt girl, and then if I need to look more put together, I throw together an outfit like the ones I shared earlier.

I do love a dress with boots when the fall weather hits just right.