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Tuesday Talk – Hallelujah

Posted on May 19, 2026May 19, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday! What a great day for a …

Have you heard the Justin Bieber song “Everything Hallelujah”? I feel like it’s all I hear when I’m scrolling Instagram. I’ve shared many Enneagram posts from @mirabellecreations and this one stopped my scroll…(thanks to the song and the content)

As always, these Enneagram lists really did ring true for my 5w6 self…

Type 5:

Plans getting canceled: Well, of course that depends on the plans. I do love to hang out with friends and family, but yes, oftentimes if plans are canceled, especially if I’ve had a long day, I’m not mad about it.
Being alone in my house: I love a little quiet time to decompress.
Learning a random fact: I’m a teacher, so of course I love learning something new (but maybe not necessarily at 1 am. ha!)
Noise canceling headphones: After a year of use, I still love these, and use them on my walks. I can definitely still hear around me, but they do quiet the outside noise.
Someone texted instead of calling: Definitely my preferred method of communication, but of course, it’s nice to catch up with family and friends via phone call.
Having enough social battery to survive the function: Yes.
An uninterrupted afternoon to hyperfixate in peace: I’ll take an uninterrupted afternoon anytime!

Enneagram 6:

Having a back up plan for a back up plan: Is there any other way to live?
Getting “made it home safe” texts: Well, this certainly hits home these days. I’m very grateful for Life 360 “arrived home” alerts.
Knowing exactly what’s going on: I don’t like to live in uncertainty!
Someone being reliable for once: That’s always nice. ha!
Triple checking and still being correct: This is so me!
Group chats that answer quickly: Always appreciated.
Realizing the thing I worried about never actually happened: Amen.

That last one reminded me of this quote from Mel Robbins that I recently saw…

Perfect timing to read that. I’m a work in progress in regards to worrying about things I can’t control or even worrying about things that I can control. I do tend to figure it out…so maybe I need to focus on worrying less.

I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Weekly Report

Posted on May 18, 2026May 18, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, in true end of the school year fashion, I’m holding on for dear life which means sometimes the blog goes to the bottom of the “to do” list.

I shared Friday’s post late, and today I’m finally putting the finishing touches on this post. I’d hoped to finish it last night, but we got home late from a long weekend of volleyball, and then I hit the ground running this morning with state testing!

I haven’t shared a Weekly Report in a bit, and I wanted to start the week off with this post, so here we go…

This is only my second “Weekly Report” post, and I think most use it to capture reading, eating, prioritizing, obsessing, recommending, and treating…

I’m putting my own spin on a few of the letters:

Reading:

I was on the library wait list for Meet the Newmans, and I added it to my Kindle a few weeks ago. I finally started it, and I’m about halfway finished with it. I’m really enjoying it!

I needed a new book to listen to, so I just did a search on the Libby app, and this one popped up…bookshop and London…I’m sold! This has been a great read so far too!

Enjoying:

Spring! I love how the grass is green, and we have pops of colors with flowers.

The front yard refresh is coming along.

I will say that the springlike weather is out the window…It’s been in the 90’s today, and that was too hot too fast! I know it’s almost Memorial Day weekend, but I’m not ready to be hot yet.

Packing:

Over the weekend, when I was drafting this post, I was thinking about how I’ve become a pretty good packer. One thing about me is I hate packing, but now I’ve “mastered” the overnight packing situation since we’ve gone out of town for one night pretty often with Hadley’s volleyball season.

I’ve had these clear travel pouches for years (almost four years to be exact!), and they come in so handy.

I use two of them the most often…one for my skincare…

…and the other for travel size items. I love that they are clear, so I can easily see what’s in them or what’s missing.

The larger one with handles, we’ve used to carry all the family chargers in when traveling, so it seems like there are sizes for all kinds of things.

I’m also still loving this silicone mat/pouch combo for travel. I bought it a couple of months ago, and it’s been so handy. I put my curling iron in it, and then it also sits on the counter to protect the counter from heat.

Ordering:

More phone chargers because Hayden can’t seem to keep up with his!

And…more facial towels. I’m officially hooked on these towels. They are soft, absorbent, and biodegradable. I feel so much better using a fresh new towel after washing my face as opposed to a wash cloth.

Recommending:

Remarkably Bright Creatures…both the book...

…and the movie! Sally Field was simply amazing (Lewis Pullman was too!), and I love how accurate the movie felt compared to the book. I know it’s one I’ll watch time and time again.

Teaching:

Y’all, we still have ten days left of school, and I’m trying to finish up Macbeth with my English 2 students. I do love this play, and we only have Act 5 left to read, so the end is in sight (for Macbeth and the school year)…

I’m also reading Night with my Adv. English 1 students. We only have a couple of chapters left to go. This is such a powerful memoir, and it certainly fits the unit focus of Survival, but I wish we didn’t end the year on such a serious note.

Pretty soon all my classes are starting their final projects to wrap up the school year. First, we have to get through state testing on Wednesday and Thursday!

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#300}

Posted on May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week?! Mine was good, but obviously a little much considering I’m just now posting today’s Friday Favorites.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea to share some favorites from the week. #betterlatethannever

Here are some favorites from the week…

I had a few more Teacher Appreciation Week gifts! My students are so thoughtful…

On Sunday, I watched Remarkably Bright Creatures, and I loved it as much as I loved the book (one of my fave reads in 2023!) I plan on watching it again soon!

For Mother’s Day, I got some flowers. So funny story – Hadley gave them to me Sunday night, and when I went to put them in a vase, I asked Trav where she got them because they were droopy. He said, “She bought them yesterday (over 24 hours before) and I wondered where she put them.” lol –uhh…apparently, she didn’t put them in water! I didn’t say anything to her, and they perked up a bit once they got in water. They’ve hung on for the week.

Also for Mother’s Day, I got my front porch ferns!

Trav did some planting this week, including the front porch pots. The flowers look so pretty. I asked him to make sure and buy flowers using the “filler, thriller, spiller” rule, and he understood the assignment.

He’s also made some progress with the front yard area…

The JV baseball team wrapped up their season this week. Hayden was the starting pitcher for the last game on Monday night. Hayden pitched almost four full innings (they only played five since it was a late start due to senior night), and pitched the best he has all season. In a great team effort, they won 12-2 to cap off the season.

Isn’t this 2019 memory timely?! Same but different for sure!

I didn’t know what to expect when Hayden made the decision to take up baseball again, and baseball season is no joke! He typically had games, practices, hitting or lessons six out of seven days a week. He kept up with it all, drove himself where he needed to be, and really seemed to enjoy being a part of the team. (He only wore the wrong pants once! haha!)

Hadley’s Adv. Foods class was featured on the school’s social media page…bread week! Why couldn’t bread week be during Teacher Appreciation Week?!

Favorite Mom Meme:

If I really need them to answer me, I will send them a Snapchat…they don’t want to lose that streak!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Since I was on the topic of baseball, this sweet 2018 Facebook memory also stopped my scroll! Trav’s brother took this pic, and I love it so much.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Share Our Lives

Let’s look

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on May 13, 2026May 12, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

May is just (thankfully!) chugging right along. It’s the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year we’ve looked at…

Things we outsource without regret in January…
Ways we’ve turned into our parents in February (I missed out on the February post, but I’m sure I’ve turned into them in the best possible ways.)
Favorite family vacations in March
Hardest thing we’ve ever done in April (I didn’t have a post, but I’d say the hardest (but most rewarding) thing I’ve ever done is raise these kids of mine!

This month we’re looking at…making couple friends.

Isn’t there a saying that friends are for a season, a reason, or a lifetime? I remember hearing that and thinking “that’s sad but true.” I guess you would just think that all friendships last forever?! But, as an adult, I do see where that saying holds true. That being said, making couple friends can be tricky, but we’ve been so blessed to have so many couples who we hang with whether it’s long time friends, new friends, neighbors, kids’ friends’ parents and even work friends.

First of all, we’re truly blessed with awesome neighbors. Truly, we see each other out for a walk, go out to dinner, help when needed and more. That being said, we are in kind of a busy season of life when we’re all pulled in different directions, but it’s comforting to know so many good people are literally a stone’s throw away if we need anything.

When I moved to Kentucky, I knew no one besides Travis! Thankfully, Travis had a whole crew who he was friends with from college. Many of them were engaged or married when I moved here, and the girls took me right under their wing. So, it was so easy to hang as couples. Most of them have kids just two to three years older than my kids, but it’s crazy to think they had some of the first babies I held or bought gifts for, and now their kids are in college.

Anyway, there’s a whole slew of couples that are all friends thanks to Trav’s college days, and I’m really grateful for them.

I’m also a lucky girl because my kids have awesome friends who have awesome parents. I’ve carpooled, had game nights, gone for walks, gone on vacations, laughed, cried, vented and more with these ladies, and they truly are a blessing in my life. I also feel blessed that we all live near each other thanks to meeting them during the elementary days for my kids.

It’s cliche, but it’s true that we have seen less of each other now that the kids are all driving themselves around. That being said, the group texts continue, and I know with summer we’ll reconnect more. They truly are just a phone call away which they’ve proved to me time and time again.

And, I know this post was about “making couple friends,” and it’s so great that the husbands get along just as well as the wives do!

I hope from the bottom of my heart that this crew falls in the “lifetime” friendship category!

Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: May 2026

Posted on May 11, 2026May 11, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

The countdown is on…after today, only two more Mondays to go until summer break!

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

So far this year we’ve discussed…

Ways to stay warm in winter in January
Binge worthy shows in February
Grocery list frequent buys in March
Favorite cleaning products in April

This month’s topic is…go to lunches on the go.

Well, my first thought was to share my school lunches. Those lunches aren’t necessarily “on the go,” but my lunch time is brief. ha!

Honestly, this topic isn’t ideal this time of the year because I’m over, with a capital O, packing lunches.

First of all, whenever possible, I try to pack dinner leftovers at least once a week. Soups, casserole, chicken, tacos, etc are all good options.

If I meal prep anything, it’s usually just one meal a week like taco meat for taco salad to take a couple of days.

Also, most months of the school year, we have food trucks that come about once a week, and I definitely treat myself to lunch if I like the menu.

Sometimes, I pack my own little Lunchable in these containers that I’ve had for a couple of years.

The possibilities are endless 😉

I love a bagged salad, and will usually add chicken to it and get two lunches out of that. Whenever I have a salad, sometimes I pack a couple of turkey sandwiches using Hawaiian rolls. I will also have fruit or chips as well.

One of my “go to” lunches this year has been to use a Caesar bagged salad and chicken to make sandwich wraps. I will leave the salad and pack of chicken in my school fridge and bring a few tortillas to use. I can usually get three wraps over three days out of this combo.

By Friday, I’m usually throwing one of these in my lunch bag along with a Cutie, carrots and Ranch, and a little pudding cup.

I’m still loving the insulated lunch tote I bought a couple of years ago. Just last week, I made a mental note to purchase a new one for next year. This one has held up great, but I’ve spilled a few things, so now there are stains on it. I don’t leave home every morning with out my lunch tote or my tumbler!

Now, if we’re talking about lunches on the go when we’re out and about, well, we grab lunch on the go too often. We’ll get Jimmy John’s (I love a slim 1), Chick-fil-a (I usually get grilled nuggets and BBQ sauce), or Chipolte (I often get the kids quesadilla with black beans and rice)

What are your quick “on the go” lunches?

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#299}

Posted on May 8, 2026May 8, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was good, but it sure felt long! Also, where are the springlike temps? We’ve been lucky to hit 60 degrees this week!

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

Here are some favorites from the week…

Teacher Appreciation Week is a fave for sure. Every day this week, we’ve received some kind of treat at school…from bagels to coffee to cookies and more.

On Wednesday, I hit the jackpot! So many of my students gave me gifts and notes.

I truly felt the love. And, I don’t need gifts, but of course, that’s so thoughtful of students to think of me and purchase a few things. I really appreciated the notes too. One of the notes was written with the help of Gemini (AI) which actually did make me LOL.

Spring time me thanked fall me because I pulled out this lavender vanilla Antique Candle Co candle to burn. I’d purchased it on sale last fall. I love the spring time scent.

Derby was extra exciting! Golden Tempo, trained by a female trainer, won which was a first for the Derby. It was a thrilling race with Golden Tempo coming from waayyy behind to win!

The Major was in town last weekend. He was able to see Hayden pitch at his game, and he also saw two of my nephew’s games. Of course, we had to take the traditional porch pic…

On Sunday, Hadley baked a cake to celebrate the Major’s birthday a bit early. He doesn’t like the jinx birthdays before they happen (I’m the same way!), so we didn’t sing happy birthday. haha

Her Advanced Foods class is really paying off for all of us.

I went to one of my nephew’s games, and I couldn’t resist a couple of scoops of my favorite ice cream…mint chocolate chip!

Hayden was the starting pitcher in his game the other night! So far this season, he’s been a relief pitcher, so this was a first.

He pitched three innings, and the score was 3-3 at the end of the third. His team ended up winning, so that made the outing extra special.

I shared my May book trackers on Instagram last weekend. As always, I save them in a highlight. Feel free to use them to share what you’re reading. Tag me, and I’ll repost. I always love seeing what others are reading. I need to get my reading act together!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Truly, I would be less crazy if my kids would just do what they need to do when they need to do it!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How about this gem from 2010! My first Mother’s Day. Woah…what a memory!

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a couple of posts:

Prime Purchases

Currently

Share Our Lives:

It’s hard to believe, but Monday is the second Monday of the month. I’ll be co-hosting the Share Our Lives link up, and this month’s topic is…go to lunches on the go.

Mother’s Day:

I share this every year, but I truly do mean it…

I hope you have a lovely spring weekend! We have baseball and volleyball on tap! I wouldn’t have it any other way. These years are flying by!

Currently

Posted on May 6, 2026May 5, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday! How is the month of May treating you? As a teacher and as a mom with two busy kids, I feel like I’m barely hanging on! Summer is in sight though, so I will cling to that good news.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Amy for Currently.

The Currently topics this month are…digging, weeding, enjoying, eating/drinking and shopping for.

I’m currently digging…up bushes in our front yard. Actually, I did zero digging…but Trav and Hayden did.

Travis used ChatGPT for his vision for this area out front. Step one was getting rid of some of the overgrown and dead bushes.

Amy also suggested that digging can be interpreted as something we’re loving, and I’m loving my new mini travel sound machine. I’ve had this saved on an Amazon list for quite a while, and I finally ordered it recently. We have a sound machine, but I wanted one that could be on my side of the bed and one that’s easier to pack for travel. This little guy is legit, and you can’t beat the price.

I’m currently weeding through/out my filing cabinet. All my English 1 files are in one drawer, and I want to keep it that way. I have so many extra copies that I’m going through the folders to recycle a few of the papers to help make everything fit. To be honest, most of what I save in folders probably doesn’t need to be saved because I keep master copies in binders for each unit. Also, of course, most things I can print again if needed. I guess old habits just die hard, but at least I’m trying to purge a little.

I’m currently enjoying some of the teacher appreciation “perks.” We’ve been served bagels and coffee the past couple of mornings. Also, one of my teacher friends went to Joella’s Hot Chicken to pick up our lunch on Monday; teachers got a chicken tender meal for free! It’s the little things.

That being said…

I’m also enjoying this set from Amazon. I’ve shared it before, but since I’ve been wearing it more and more, and I want to order it in another color, I thought I’d share again. It’s perfect to wear as separates or together, and I get compliments every time I wear it. I wanted to wear something comfy on Monday, and this fit the bill.

I’m also enjoying getting some steps in every day. I’ve been very intentional with going for walks nearly every day this past month. The fresh air has been just what I needed.

I’m currently eating/drinking…

I’m still in my iced coffee era. Right now, hot coffee doesn’t even sound good to me. A fun glass makes iced coffee taste even better 😉

As far as eating…I’m not eating too many sweets, but I couldn’t resist a couple scoops of mint chocolate chip (my fave!) ice cream at my nephew’s game the other night. Ice cream and baseball…what an all-American combo.

I’m currently shopping for… birthday cards…May is a big birthday month, and I also needed to pick up a Mother’s Day card. After school yesterday, I went to Target for a few things besides the cards. I picked up the Chobani S’mores creamer that I love as well as some snacks for school, the Shirley Temple flavored Poppi, some Tru Fruit, bananas, and the Starbucks Acai Refresher for Hadley to try, and a few others odds and ends.

It was a productive Target run.

What are you currently up to?

Amazon

Prime Purchases

Posted on May 4, 2026May 3, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was good overall. Shew…Mother Nature was having mood swings with cold and dreary weather on Saturday and then a lovely sunny, spring day yesterday. On Saturday, we of course watched the Kentucky Derby which was such an exciting race from start to finish.

Well, after the first Saturday in May comes the first Monday in May where I share my Amazon purchases!

This month had lots of re-orders for me…

I still use this Vitamin C serum most days as part of my skincare routine…

I first purchased these facial sponges for Hadley’s Easter basket last year, but now we both use them. They come in handy for travel as well. (I’m still loving these facial towels, and have more on the way!)

This hydration mist is also a part of my skincare routine, and it’s perfect for when your skin feels dry.

I love this In Common 4-1 Magic Myst. I mostly use it as a leave in conditioner after I wash my hair; Hadley uses it too.

I ordered this shirt in black a few months ago, and now have it in gray. It’s perfect to wear with shorts, leggings, and even with some of my favorite cropped pants that I have in a few colors.

I ordered Hadley one of these sports bras, and she loved it so much I went ahead and ordered a second one. They are great quality, and you can’t beat the price.

And, now a few new items…

My B12 was a bit low, and Trav’s vitamins are all this brand, so he ordered me this B12.

Hadley wanted a pair of flat sandals to wear when she went to Keeneland and since I didn’t have to spend money on the dresses she wore, I told her I’d buy her some sandals. #girlmath

Anyway, she says these are a 10/10 purchase!

Speaking of Hadley, Easter was so chilly, and when she’d purged her closet a couple of months ago, she realized she got rid of her white cardigan. Well, she’s had that one for years, so it was probably time for a new one. She found this cropped one, and it’s perfect. She’s already worn it a few times since Easter.

What’s the last thing you’ve ordered from Amazon?

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

Inspiration, Seasonal

Hello, May

Posted on May 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

It’s hard to believe, but it’s May 1st!

I’m linking up with Andrea for Friday Favorites…

…to share some May reminders.

I also loved this graphic:

Of course, May also means May-cember…

So, I’m sure we’ll all hold on tight to the chaos as we have the downhill slide to summer.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This meme really took me back! My kids could never…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m sure I share this every year, but only in Kentucky do you make Derby hats in Kindergarten! How was this 10 years ago?!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts this week in case you missed one:

Monday Memes

april Books

Monthly Moments: April

I hope you have a lovely spring weekend! The kids have track and baseball, and of course, we’ll be watching the Oaks today and the Derby tomorrow.

Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: April 2026

Posted on April 30, 2026April 29, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I’m sure I say this every month, but where did April go?! I will say though, in some respects, April did feel long (hello, end of the school year!), but it certainly went by quickly in some ways too.

Here’s a recap of April:

This month was a doozy…from baseball to track to volleyball to vacation and more, we had a lot going on from start to finish.

One of my favorite parts of April is always Easter…and I literally just put all my bunnies away a couple of days ago.

Easter Sunday was beautiful, and we went to a lovely service at church before heading to Louisville to hang with Trav’s family.

Hadley and I spent a few days in Isle of Palms, SC. While it didn’t go totally according to plan, we still appreciated the sunrises, sunsets, sand and sunshine.

Meanwhile, Trav and Hayden spent some time in Gatlinburg, TN with family.

How cool was Artemis II? From take off to the landing, I loved watching all the coverage.

Sports were in full spring with lots of track meets and baseball games.

I guess this is adulting…when I don’t make it to Keeneland, but Hadley went twice! She had fun with friends both times, and Trav tagged along too.

Last weekend volleyball was back after about six weeks since their last tournament. Trav, Hadley and I headed to Gatlinburg, TN (second time for Trav in a matter of weeks), and they are very serious about the black bears. This was on the counter as we checked into the hotel…

We stayed at Hotel Indigo, and it didn’t disappoint!

Hadley played lots of volleyball games last weekend. We didn’t know what to expect because they hadn’t played a tournament in six weeks, and two of their hitters were out. When Hadley is playing front row, you know they are down a hitter! (ha!) That being said, she played lots of front row in middle school. Anyway, they ended up runners up in the silver bracket which is pretty good considering the circumstances.

In between games on Saturday, Trav wanted to try the Hungry Bear Grill he saw on the side of the road. He got some wings, and I had some BBQ nachos; honestly, it was a great dining experience!

Sunday, in between games, Trav and I went to Flapjacks, and again, the food didn’t disappoint.

Even though Saturday and Sunday were two long days, it was nice having some down time to hang with Trav for a bit.

Also, while G-burg isn’t necessarily my fave place, the Smoky Mountain views are a sight to see.

Last week, Hadley crushed her AP Seminar presentation thanks to lots of preparation and a little practice in my room before the big day.

Yesterday, Hayden’s lunch table had quite the treat. The admin let students do a bracket challenge during March Madness. Hayden’s table won, and they chose Chick-fil-A for lunch!

April was more action packed than I realized. This month definitely had its ups and downs, but it was filled with lots of good stuff too.