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Lexington Top 5

Posted on May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hey there! Happy Thursday. Today, I’m shining a spotlight on Lexington. I’ve lived here since 2004 when I moved here from Missouri after becoming engaged to Travis.

One of the immediate things I loved about Lexington is the small town feel but in a city. While I miss Missouri, I did feel “at home” when I moved here many years ago. I felt like I was able to navigate pretty easily on my own, I love all that Lexington has to offer, and the activities and restaurant options have only expanded through the years.

Here are the Top 5 things I love about Lex:

Keeneland

Hands down, my favorite activity is Keeneland. “Out-of-towners” always ask about Churchill Downs in Louisville, but I always suggest visiting in October and April when Keeneland has their fall and spring meets. The atmosphere at Keeneland can’t be beat!

I rarely bet…I just watch the horses run!

Restaurants

There are so many awesome restaurants in Lex. Here are some of my faves.

Merrick Inn:

Merrick Inn is a classic Lexington restaurant with a cozy indoor atmosphere and an awesome patio.

Carson’s Food and Drink:

Carson’s is a favorite as well. The inside is fun and has a rustic feel. It’s known for it’s cocktails and craft beers as well as it’s wonderful menu.

My birthday dinner this year at Carson’s

Native Cafe:

The Native Cafe is fairly new and located at Michler’s Greenhouse. The outside atmosphere is picturesque and quaint. Native Cafe is tucked in and quiet while in an urban setting.

Windy Corner and Wallace Station:

Windy Corner Market and Wallace Station Deli and Bakery are both located just outside of Lexington. They are great places to go to for outside sitting and great for families. Both have plenty of green space for kids to run around and picnic tables for diners to enjoy their meal.

The Stave:

The Stave is another restaurant just outside of Lexington with a wonderful outdoor space and great food.

Fun in the creek while we waited on our food.

Bella Cafe:

Bella Cafe is another new restaurant in town. It’s “everyday dining elevated.” I love their grilled salmon salad, and Hadley gives their lemon tart two thumbs up!

Others Faves:

We also love:

OBC Kitchen – bacon in a glass as an appetizer is a MUST!
Malones – great steaks…I love their oscar style twin filets!
Graze – lots of classic food options, hamburgers, and more!
Puccinis – Italian food, affordable, and family friendly!

This is the just tip of the iceberg for restaurant recommendations in and around Lexington.

Sports:

Y’all knows the the city of Lexington bleeds blue. While I’m not necessarily a “super fan,” I do love all of the sporting events and athletics that UK has to offer.

From football, to basketball, to volleyball, along with baseball and softball, there’s something going on every season of the year!

We usually go to one to two volleyball games a season. We often try to hit up the MIZZOU/UK match when it’s in Lex.

In the fall, you’ll find us at most home football games.

So many fun photos through the years.

The girls…

and their moms…haha

Parks:

There are so many great parks and hiking opportunities in and around Lexington.

UK Arboretum:

The Arboretum is always beautiful!

Shaker Village:

Shaker Village is outside of Lexington and is filled with history and has great hiking trails.

McConnell Springs:

I took the kids to McConnell Springs last year for the first time, and we had so much fun exploring.

Other Parks:

Other parks we enjoy include:

Jacobson
Masterson Station
Woodland Park
Raven Run Sanctuary

Activities:

There are so many fun activities throughout the year.

Winter:

The Hillenmeyer Christmas Shop Santa is the best in Lex!

Mustard Seed Hill was a fun place to visit. It’s located just outside of Lexington in Millersburg, KY. We went there for the first time this past December, and the lights were amazing!

The Horse Park’s Southern Lights are a fun family tradition for us.

Ice Skating at Triangle Park is also fun, but the rink is only open for a couple of months around the holidays.

Spring:

I already mentioned it, but Keeneland is lots of fun in April.

The Children’s Garden at the Arboretum offers activities and trails.

UK baseball and softball games are always fun to watch.

The blue and white football game is a fun way to get a glimpse of the football team for the upcoming season.

Summer:

We picked strawberries at Evans Orchard for the first time last summer, and we hope to make it a summer tradition.

Picnic with the Pops is a fun event that happens in August. There’s always a theme, and people decorate their tables, wine and dine, and listen to the classical music.

The Mid-Summer Nights run is neat activity. There’s a mile race as well as a 5k. There are also booths and snacks like popcorn. We always end up running into friends and others that we know.

Fall:

My favorite thing to do in the fall is to head to Evan’s Orchard to pick out our pumpkins and get the apple cider donuts.

As I mentioned before, we often attend the UK football games at Kroger Field. Tailgating is the best part!

Keeneland fun continues in the fall with more racing in October.

Other Lexington “to do’s”

Waveland Museum
Explorium
Ashland: Henry Clay Estate
Bourbon Trail (surrounding Lexington)
Mary Todd Lincoln House
Horse farm tours
Kentucky Horse Park

Shew! This ended up being quite the list! I could get a job at the Kentucky Department of Tourism! 🙂

Anyway, this is just a glimpse of the great things, places, and food that Lexington has to offer.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Let’s Look

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

Hello! It’s the second Wednesday of the month, so Shay and Erika are hosting their Let’s Look link up.

In January, we looked at our coffee bars (I shared my favorite coffee mugs)
In February, we looked at our love languages.
In March, we looked at the perfect night in.
In April, the topic was: fridge and pantry.

This month’s topics is: outdoor organization.

Well, kind of like when I shared my recent spring cleaning post, I should probably just let Travis write this post. I’m not sure the method to his madness, but he does have our garage and outside area pretty organized.

Today, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share our outdoor spaces.

Warning: photo overload. I will never have to do a yard post ever again 😂

We took this photo on Mother’s Day, and I love it because my Mother’s Day gifts can be seen. The kids and I are so far away that I joked with Travis that he wanted everyone to see the planter boxes he had made for my gift! Every year, I ask for a card and two hanging ferns, but this year, I got the bonus of the beautiful planters and flowers!

Here are the kids picking out my ferns last year:

Someone at Trav’s work made the planters.

We also got new cushions for the front porch chairs. The front porch is great for sitting in the afternoon and evening.

I love the button detail on the back cushion, and the accent pillow is my favorite color palette. I found them at the At Home store….and I was lucky to find these because the outdoor section looked like a patio cushion graveyard!

(Do you spy Homer?) 😉

Every spring these pretty bushes bloom, and the flowers smell so pretty. I know nothing about flowers (again, that’s Trav’s expertise), but they are such a pretty surprise each spring.

Every spring, Travis plants New Guinea impatiens in the front. Last year, Hadley helped him!

I have a feeling Travis will fuss at me for showing this area. Every year, he plants something new over here, and this area is just getting started for spring 2021.

In our backyard, we have our fire pit. When we moved in, we had a massive tree in the front yard that was dying, so we had it cut down. We used some of the wood from the trunk for seating around the fire pit.

S’mores roasting last spring…

In June/July the day lilies bloom, and they are so pretty against our fence line.

We try to use our patio as often as possible, and the lights make it feel extra cozy at night.

Travis power washed the patio last weekend. I wish I had taken a “before” photo because the difference is always amazing!

Here it is freshly power washed with flowers and new cushions.

The Japanese Maple is one of my favorite parts of the back yard. The kids climbed on it each time we looked at this house when it was for sale.

They’ve continued to play in it and climb up in through the years…

These green cushions were on our front porch chairs. They are in great condition because our front porch is covered, so we are using them out back now.

While at the At Home store, I picked up the yellow pillows and the riser on the table.

The planters on each side of the loveseat are from Pier One and were on our 2005 wedding registry. They are perfect for the patio.

**We usually put a smaller pot of flowers on the bottom rack of each planter, but last year, Homer snagged the flowers and ran around the yard with them in his mouth! So, the small ones, in the white pots on the table, are going to be a test for Homer 😉

We’ve had this table and chairs since 2004 when we moved into our first home. This set has sat on three patios in the last seventeen years. The are black, and Travis just recently spray painted them to bring them back to life. I kind of rolled my eyes when he said he was going to do that, but they look so great! I can’t believe I forgot that spray paint can fix anything! haha

The seat cushions are new from At Home as well. All of our cushions were at least 5-7 years old, so we’d penciled in replacing them as a “to do” for this spring. Also, the ones before these, were just the seat cushion, and a few had been #homered over the past two summers.

My “home” flower pot is one that I ordered from Etsy last year. I’ve shared the shop in previous posts.

The pots are hand painted and so pretty! We’ve used them as teacher and birthday gifts in the past year.

Speaking of spray paint, this little table was from my childhood backyard. I’ve had it for years, and at one point, I spray painted it green. This year, I wanted to put pots of various sizes and flowers of various colors on it.

Besides peonies, hydrangeas are my favorite flower. We had a hydrangea plant at our last house, and Travis planted another one when we moved into our current house. Also, our hostas get bigger and bigger every year!

I love pink and purple flowers in the spring!

In one week, this will be my view as I sip my morning coffee! I’m pleased with how it turned out.

Next month’s topics is: summer bucket list.

Last summer’s bucket list included: baking, tie dye, vacation, going canoeing, drawing, and golf lessons. I guess I need to get the kids thinking about what they want to do this summer.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and reading today’s post! Make sure to check out the other ladies’ posts too!

Take care,

Not Just a Mom

Not Just a Mom: Concerts

Posted on May 10, 2021May 9, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your weekend? We had a great one!

Friday night, the kids played with friends until late evening, and otherwise, we just hung out at home.

Saturday’s weather was gorgeous, so I took a walk before running to the grocery store and going to Hayden’s baseball game. Saturday night, we had dinner as a family to celebrate our niece’s college graduation.

Yesterday, was, of course, Mother’s Day. We all slept in and went to church. I did get my wish…no cooking for me yesterday! We went out for a late lunch, and then I took a nap! I read my book and watched a couple of shows for the rest of the afternoon.

Mother’s Day photo with my two faves:

Brunch was delish…

Now, on to today’s post…

It’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting our Not Just a Mom link up with these ladies:

Our topic for today is concerts you’ve been to or what to go to.

Well, don’t hate me, but I’m not much of a concert person. Music is probably the only thing Travis and I really differ in. He’d love to go to more concerts and really enjoys music. Music is just not something that I’m drawn to. When I workout or go for a walk, I listen to a podcast. When I’m in the car, I’m usually on the same channel or two. (Also, let me let you in on a little secret: sometimes, when I’m alone in the car, I don’t even turn on the music. I. like. silence. haha!) You’ll never hear me say, “That’s my jam!” #dopeoplestillsaythat ? 😉 When I get in my car after Travis has driven it, the radio is usually blasting!

Anyway, I have been to some concerts through the years, and I always have a good time…and wonder why I don’t make concert going more of a priority.

Here are some concerts through the years…

The teen years…

The very first concert I remember going to was a Billy Joel concert. Actually, it was a rescheduled Billy Joel concert, because the original scheduled date was 1994 when his wife at the time, Christie Brinkley, was in the helicopter crash. I think we ended up seeing him in concert almost an entire year later.

I remember going to see Chicago in concert at an outdoor ampitheater with my mom and her friend when I was in early high school.

I went to a Ricky Martin concert with friends freshman or sophomore year of college.

I never made it to a NKOTB concert, but my fifteen-year-old self always wished that would have happened! I guess when NKOTB reunited a few years ago, even my “in my thirties” year-old self would have loved that too.

First Concert with Travis:

Travis and I went to a David Gray concert in St. Louis in 2002 or 2003. That was the first concert we ever went to together. I still love David Gray. Travis is great about introducing me to various music artists.

Country Music:

The genre I listen to the most is probably country, and have been to a few concerts through the years.

I think the first concert I ever saw with Travis in Lexington was Rascal Flatts. It was many years ago…maybe 2007? Blake Shelton was up and coming, and opened for them.

Travis and I have seen Eric Church twice in concert. The first time was when he was fairly new on the scene. Travis took me to Nashville for my birthday 2014 and surprised me by taking me to the Ryman for a show that had many artists playing a few songs each. Eric Church was one of them and played five or six songs.Then, we saw Church again when he was more established when he came to Rupp in 2015.

We went with friends to see Chris Stapleton at River Bend in Cincinnati a couple of years ago. We all really enjoyed his music, so much so, that the same group of us purchased tickets for his concert in Lexington for last spring. It was then postponed to last month…and now is postponed until next year. I sure hope we can see him again in concert

What are the best concerts you’ve been to? I obviously need to get out more and add some concerts to my list! Hopefully in the next year, the music scene will get back to normal!

Next month, our topic is: Quick Family Dinners. We hope you’ll join us!

Well, I can’t believe it, but this is our last full week of school. Of course, it’s a busy time of the year, so I’m over here just hanging on…but also enjoying this time as well.

Friday Favorites, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites {#67}

Posted on May 7, 2021August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! How was your week? We had a good one! We’ve had state standardized testing this week that both the kids and I have survived, Hayden has had two baseball games, and Hadley has had dance a couple of nights this week. The best part was that they had a couple of free afternoons to play outside with neighborhood kids. Life felt really “normal.” It was nice for them to run around and not be distracted by electronics or have to go to other activities.

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

I’m keeping it pretty simple with three faves from the week.

A favorite has been seeing the kids do what they love. Dance for Hadley and baseball for Hayden. While these activities are going on most weeks, it’s just been nice to see how Hadley’s confidence has developed with each competition, and Hayden has been having fun with baseball. They won an extra inning nail biter last night!

I tried out a new “recipe” after seeing Amy’s breakfast burrito post and then these “carb savvy” tortillas at Trader Joes. On Tuesday night, it was just me for dinner, so I sauteed some peppers and then added in eggs to scramble. I put that on the tortilla with some black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, and guac. It was an easy and delish dinner.

Another favorite was the book I finished. The Wife Upstairs was so good…and the Jane Eyre references made it even better #Englishteachernerd 😉

Also, Hayden loved the first Theodore Boone book by John Grisham, so I picked up books 2 and 3 at the library when I returned The Wife Upstairs. A favorite is definitely that the library is back open for business! It was nice to go in and pick up these books myself! (and another favorite will always be that Hayden loves to read!)

Also, speaking of books. Hayden said his class finished Where the Red Fern Grows. He said the whole class was crying at the end! I didn’t read that book until the 7th grade. I think I may read it again…even though I’m sure I will cry at the end too.

Other Faves:

Other faves from the week include:

the weather being pretty nice and the kids being able to play outside quite a bit with their friends.
Teacher Appreciation Week!
I sat in on 15 AP research presentations, and the seniors did such an amazing job. The future is bright, y’all!

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hayden told me to spell, “I Cup,” so he’s officially ready for middle school with his immaturity level 🤣 #ididntfallforit

Favorite Mom Meme:

Where is the lie?! 😆

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This memory from 2015 popped up in my Facebook Memories. Sweet Hadley earned the game ball. She was on the same team as Hayden for three years, and it was always so fun to watch them play together.

Weekly Recap:

Somehow I did it again…I had a full week of posting!

Gatlinburg/Dance Competition

Prime Purchases

Currently

Trader Joe’s Haul

Monday is our monthly Not Just a Mom link up. The topic is: concerts you’ve been to/want to go to.

With Mother’s Day this weekend, I know it can be a bittersweet day. I have so much for which to be thankful, but I know what it’s like to feel sad on Mother’s Day.

I hope you have a great weekend! We have a few things on the agenda, but I know one thing I’m not doing this weekend….cooking!…and maybe I can convince someone else to start the laundry?!

Take care,

Trader Joes

Trader Joe’s Haul

Posted on May 6, 2021May 5, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Well, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. I do my regular grocery shopping every week at Kroger, but then I got to TJ every other week or so to buy some of our favorites. It’s been a while since I’ve shared my purchases, so I’m sharing some items from my recent Trader Joe’s trip.

Pretzel Bagels: These are Hadley’s fave (I love them too) She often has half of one for breakfast with peanut butter on it.
Marcona Almonds with Rosemary: I love these almonds. I usually buy two bags every time I go. They are a perfect snack!
Chomps: Speaking of snacks, Hayden loves Chomps and often packs them in his lunch box.
Buffalo Chicken Dip: I love this dip! I typically eat it as is (cold) with mini peppers or corn chips. One time, the TJ cashier mentioned I should try it heated up…DUH! I actually have a buffalo chicken dip recipe that bakes in the oven, so I should have realized this dip heated up would be good. It is!
Black Bean Burrito: Hadley and I both love these burritos, and often split one.

Corn Chip Dippers: We all love these corn chips…perfect for dipping.
EBB Kettle Chips: Again, theses were a new purchase for me, and if you like the EBB seasoning, you’ll love these.

Wraps: I usually try a different wrap each time, and this Cubano was so good!
Salads: Like the wraps, I usually pick up a different salad each time, and I loved this Crunch Slaw salad.
Brussel Sprouts: I know Kroger has packaged brussel sprouts, but a few months ago, I picked these up from Trader Joe’s that come with garlic and seasoning, and do so every time I go there now. Even Hayden loves them when I saute them and serve them as a side dish for dinner.

Pizza: This flatbread pizza was a new find for me. I haven’t tried it yet, but I love prosciutto and arugula, so I figured this has to be a winner.
Turkey Corn Dogs: A couple blogging friends (Hi! Amy and Sarah) mentioned how good the turkey corn dogs are, and they are delish! Of my family of four, I’m the one who loves a corn dog the most! I served these for dinner one night with baked beans and fruit, and it was a great little meal. (The TJ employee who helped me find them in the freezer section suggested putting them in the Air Fryer, and that’s exactly what I did…they turned out perfectly when I used the “frozen” setting on the AF)

Biscuits: Shay shared these biscuits in one of her Trader Joe’s posts, and they are often out of stock when I’ve been in my TJ. They were finally in stock, so I picked them up. Hayden has been having one for breakfast all week!
Lemon Cake: I love Trader Joe’s boxed mixes. Hadley does too! I especially love the seasonal ones, and I couldn’t pass up the lemon cake. Most Sundays, Hadley will make a dessert, and often times, she uses whatever mix I’ve picked up from Trader Joe’s.

I try to pass up these cookies every time I go, but I can’t. We all love them. Remember when Homer ate half an unattended box last summer? 😆 Even Homer loves them!

Of course, you know I love flowers from Trader Joe’s. I just feel like they always have such a great variety, and I love to pick up whatever is in season…mums in the fall, tulips in the spring, and my favorite…peonies in early summer.

What about you? What are some of your favorite Trader Joe’s items? Let me know; I love trying some thing new every time I make a Trader Joe’s run.

I hope you have a great day.

Currently, Kids

Currently

Posted on May 5, 2021May 4, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I love Currently posts, and decided to join Anne’s Currently link up today!

Consuming:

All my Trader Joe’s faves. Tomorrow’s post is all about my latest TJ haul, but my family loves:

the molasses cookies…

and the Everything but the Bagel chips are a new fave of mine.

Exploring:

Gatlinburg! I shared in Monday’s post the details of my weekend there with Hadley for her last dance competition of the season.

Getting:

Ready for summer. The countdown to summer is on. We have less than two weeks left of school, so the summer plans have begun. Plan #1: not setting an alarm 😉 Honestly, sometimes the summer is just as hectic with dance recital, swim team, baseball, and other activities, but at least we have more downtime and time for fun like going to the swimming pool and going on vacation.

Hoping:

to enjoy the month of May.

As a teacher and as a mom, the month of May is a marathon. Mar-a-thon. While I don’t have papers to grade and final exams to give like I used to, it’s still a busy time of the year for me helping students who are struggling academically. May is literally the end of the finish line for students to raise their grades to earn credits.

As a mom, spring is busy with activities anyway, and now we add in school activities and “to do’s” like field day, end of the year fun, teacher gifts, 5th grade promotion and more. When I think about last May and how sad my kids were not to be able to do the usual end of the school year activities, I continue to be thankful that they are ending their school year in person, with their teachers and classmates, and are able to finish out their elementary years in a building they’ve known for six years. I’m going to try to not be stressed and enjoy these last few weeks of them in elementary school.

Seeing:

my kids grow up right before my very eyes. Let’s just say my May posts may have a theme of nostalgia. With less than two weeks left of elementary school, I can’t believe how quickly these years flew by. What a ride. I’ve seen them grow as learners, make friendships, and blossom into pretty neat little people. I pray for the same journey for them in middle school.

first day of K- I remember taking this photo. It feels like yesterday.

What have you currently been up to? I hope you are having a great week!

Amazon

Prime Purchases: May 2021

Posted on May 4, 2021May 3, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Tanya to share my recent Prime Purchases.

Y’all, I feel like I showed great restraint this month 😉…I purchased a couple of things for the kids as well as a couple of clothing items for myself.

For Me:

I’ve shared about this dress in a previous Friday Favorites post, but it’s too good not to share again. I wore this dress for an afternoon at Keeneland, and I’ve worn it to school and church. I’ve gotten compliments every time I’ve worn it. It’s great quality and super comfy!

V neck dress

I have these 7/8 leggings in black, and I just recently purchased them again in gray. I love these because they are my perfect length (7/8), have a side pocket, and have the angled hem that provides a high end touch.

7/8 leggings

For the Kids:

After Hadley’s first dance competition, I realized how much easier it would be to tote her costumes around in these hanging bags. I purchased these because they have the zipper pockets on the bottom which have been perfect for storing her dance shoes and costume accessories for each costume.

Garment Bags

Hayden heard about John Grisham’s Theodore Boone series, so he asked for the first book. He read it, loved it, and has asked for the second book.

Theodore Boone book 1

With only a few weeks left of school, I needed some more lunch box notes, and thought these were so cute. The are on cardstock quality paper, have vibrant colors, and cute sayings and graphics.

Lunch box notes

Next month’s month’s Prime Purchases link up is on June 1st! Well, it’s barely May, and now I’m thinking about June!

What have you been Priming lately? Make sure to check what others purchased this month as well!

Thanks so much for reading!

{this post contains Amazon affiliate links…}

Kids, Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday/Weekend Wrap Up

Posted on May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your weekend? As predicted, mine kind of got away from me, but I’m going to do a quick Weekend Wrap Up!

Hadley and I left Saturday to head to Gatlinburg, TN for her final dance competition of the season.

We had a great time, but it was a jam-packed couple of days. We arrived Saturday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and met up with some of Hadley’s dance friends (and their moms!) We rode the skylift to the top of the mountain, and then walked across the Skylift Bridge. It was definitely a memorable experience. My favorite part was the ride down as the views of the Smoky Mountains were really pretty.

Then, Saturday night, we headed out to dinner at the Cherokee Grill and then went to the Gatlinburg Space Needle and checked out the views of Gatlinburg, at night, from the top. Then the girls got some ice cream, and we headed back to the hotel and to bed after a busy day of travel and sightseeing.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to set an early alarm on Sunday because her dance studio had a reasonable call time! We met up with the other mom/daughter combos for breakfast before heading to the convention center. The girls performed their tap and jazz routines, watched the other dancers’ performances, and then wrapped up their block of time with awards.

Hadley and I headed back home right after the awards. Travis and Hayden fared well without us 😉

Here are a few favorite photos from the weekend…

The view after we exited the skylift.

The Sky bridge…(the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America) …

…with glass floor panels at the mid-way point.

Don’t be fooled…they had us take this pic before getting on the lift 😉

On the way down after walking on the Skybridge…

After dinner, we went up on the Gatlinburg Space Needle.

The girls can always find ice cream!

Sunday’s competition was a really great experience for the girls. We were the only team during out block of time making it a very safe experience, the call time was perfect, and their team had their best performances yet earning “high gold” for both dances.

So that’s a quick wrap up of our weekend. I hope to be back this week for:

Prime Purchases on Tuesday,

Currently on Wednesday,

My latest Trader Joe’s haul on Thursday,

and then I will wrap up the week on Friday with some of my favorites.

Shew, we’ll see if I can make all those posts happen, but I sure hope so! I’m just a girl dreaming of a few more minutes in the day 😉

I hope your week is off to a great start. See you back here tomorrow.

Linking up with Tanya and others!

Friday Favorites, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites {#66}

Posted on April 30, 2021August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! Yay! We made it to the weekend.

This week was a good one, but the weather sure has been soggy the past couple of days! After two later nights with ball games, it was nice to have no scheduled activities on Wednesday night. Then, baseball practice was canceled because of rain last night, but Hadley still had a couple of afternoon and evening activities.

Also, it’s Derby week, so Travis has been busy with work (and fun) while anxiously awaiting Saturday and the fastest two minutes in sports!

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

This week, I’m sharing some favorites from each day!

Sunday:

On Sunday, Hadley had a very early call time for her dance competition. Her team did awesome, and both dances earned gold stars!

The only good thing about at 7:00 arrival time for competition was that meant we were finished in time for brunch. We ate with some of Trav’s family at The Cafe, and the food was really good.

After brunch, we took a few minutes to wander around the farmer’s market/street fair that was right outside.

I purchased this new front door mat, and I love it. Plus, the jockey silk is my favorite color!

I purchased the doormat at a cute booth that had a quick craft opportunity. The owner had plain blocks and a jockey silk stencil, and Hadley (and her cousins) each made one of these cute little decorations.

Monday:

On Monday, Hayden had a baseball game, and I was so excited for these leftovers. I’d made Shay’s Beef and Rice Skillet Supper on Sunday, and the leftovers were even better!

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, my favorite part of the day was watching Hayden play baseball even though the game didn’t end up until really late due to extra innings!

Also, another week and more Trader Joe’s flowers 😂 Peonies are my favorite, so I always snatch them up when I go to Trader Joe’s.

Wednesday:

Honestly, the highlight of Wednesday was having zero activities in the evening. I was in my pjs by 7:00!

Also, I picked up these personalized cups in preparation for a little get together to celebrate Hayden and Hadley in a couple of weeks.

Thursday:

Thursday was such a soggy day, but I was able to meet some friends for drinks and dinner on the covered patio of a favorite restaurant while Hadley was at dance!

Other Faves:

Some other favorites from the week include UK Women’s Volleyball winning the National Championship! This has been quite the headline all week. Every fall, we usually go to one or two UK volleyball games because they are always so fun to watch! Of course, we couldn’t go last fall, but we had fun watching their televised match on Saturday night.

I will say, this exciting news has also been uplifting after hearing the the somber news of the unexpected passing of UK Men’s Basketball player Terrence Clarke. The Lexington community has definitely felt the highs and lows this week.

This is kind of a random favorite, but last Saturday night I forgot to bring my sound machine (and my melatonin!) to Louisville. #doublewhammy I knew I needed some quiet noise to fall asleep, so I downloaded this app, and it was a great substitution for my regular sound machine. What I liked about it was that you can combine noises and then save the noises to your “favorites.” So, I combined white noise with the ocean, and it was just perfect, and now I have it saved for future use if needed.

While picking up my peonies on a quick Trader Joe’s run, I also picked up these Everything but the Bagel potato chips. I’d never seen them before, and I really like them! The good news is that neither of my kids like them, so they won’t be hogging them! 😂

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

I love this meme. It’s so true!

I feel this meme deeply. Something usually has to give!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I love this pic from April 2013. To be honest, I took it after a very difficult week. The most difficult week of my life. I remember taking this photo and counting my blessings (times 2).

Another favorite from this week in 2013…Hadley without a care in the world looking at horses. It’s rare for her to be still, and here she is taking it all in!

Weekly Recap:

I had another full week of posts! Here they are:

Monday Memes

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

April Books

Monthly Musings

What are you up to this weekend? Saturday is Derby Day, y’all, which is the biggest day of the year around here! Believe it or not, we don’t have any baseball games this weekend, but Hadley does have one final dance competition.

I hope you have a great weekend! I hope to have a post for Monday, but I will have to see how the weekend shakes out.

Take care,

Monthly Musings

Monthly Musings: Spring Cleaning

Posted on April 29, 2021April 28, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How is your week going? We are hanging in there. After two nights of baseball games, we had nothing on the calendar last night, and it was so wonderful. Besides activities, the kids are starting their end of the year testing, so we’ve had that on the calendar as well.

Today’s post may not be my most exciting post ever, but I always love linking up with Patty and Holly when I can for their Monthly Musings link up.

This month’s topic is Spring Cleaning.

Well, I should have had Travis write this post! He is a cleaner, and I’m a tidier. We balance each other out, but he’s certainly more well-versed in the cleaning department. I mean, I’ve had to ask him where we keep the vacuum one too many times. #findyouamanwholikestoclean

1. Are you doing a spring cleaning this year?

Yes, and it’s what I typically do each year. For me, the closets and the kids’ rooms are the first ones I tackle. We tend to purge and reorganize their rooms in November, before the holidays, and then again in March/April. Those are the perfect times to see what fits them, what toys/books they don’t want to keep, and toss any random items like art supplies and dried up markers!

We Travis tends to clean out, tidy up, and re-organize the garage in the spring or early summer.

2. Favorite cleaning products?

For daily use, I love Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning supplies. A friend gave us this brand in a cute basket as a house warming gift over six yeas ago, and I’ve never looked back!

{Side note: my soap holder by my sink is one of my favorite quick projects. When we moved in house, I was unpacking and realized we had a cake stand that I never used (wedding gift from 2005). So, I spray painted it, and it sits to the left of our sink to hold our dish soap, spray, and hand soap}

3. What is your must clean for every spring?

I’d swap the word “clean” for the word “purge.” I purge the hall closets and kids rooms in the spring. Travis would say his “must clean” is to power wash the back patio!

4. Any garage/shed cleaning tips?

Marry Travis White?! 😂 We don’t have a shed, but he stays on top of the garage organization.

5. Pack rat or Marie Kondo devotee?

I think I’m somewhere in between…

I’m pretty sentimental and keep items of clothing with the kids’ names or monogram on them. I figure one day I will have blanket made for them. I have also kept a lot of their school t-shirts and some sports uniforms.

I keep school work and artwork in these storage containers from Michaels. Both kids have one for kindergarten-2nd grade work and another one for 3rd-5th grade school work.

I also have these colorful boxes with school papers, report cards, calendars and other information we need.

Most of the time when I think of cleaning, it just means purging and organizing! I always feel so much better after I do so.

6. Best cleaning hack?

…have kids so they do the cleaning? 😆 or…don’t have kids so there are no messes to clean up! 😉

I really don’t have any “cleaning hacks,” but I’d love to learn some, so feel free to share !

My latest “hack” for Hayden’s white baseball pants is to use Fels-Naptha on grass stains and dirty pants! I’m pretty sure it’s been around for years, but last fall was the first time I’d heard of it thanks to a fellow baseball mom.

Not a hack, but I just feel so much better if I pick up the house every night. It’s nice to start the day with a clean slate (literally and figuratively 😉) each morning.

Or you could do this…

Another idea is to really deep clean a different part of the house each day or complete a daily chore. For example, clean the bathrooms on Mondays and do laundry on Saturdays.

7. Do you have help with house cleaning?

We do!

Me before our house cleaner comes:

The best gift we’ve given ourselves is having someone clean the house every other week. It’s so nice to come home to a spotless house!! A house cleaner is a treat for me. Trav’s “treat” is a few years ago we hired someone to start mowing the lawn. Truth be told, Travis loves yard work, and loves to mow the grass. We just don’t have the time in the spring and the summer to stay on top of our sizable yard! We could figure it out if needed, but it’s nice to let that task go…to someone with a zero turn mower that can cut the grass in twenty minutes rather than three hours.

Little does Hayden know, but in a couple of years, mowing the lawn can be his chore!

8. Favorite cleaning appliance?

Our dry Swifter sweeper is perfect for our hardwood floors and dog hair! Also, I’m loving the efficiency of our new washer that we got about six months ago!

9. Run the dishwasher ever night or just when full?

We run the dishwasher about three times a week when it’s full. Then, the kids help unload it and put away what they can reach and then one of us puts things away that are up high.

10. Favorite way to donate or purge unneeded items?

We tend to donate clothes and household items to the Salvation Army. I’ve sold some things on Facebook Marketplace, and I also offer good, hardly worn clothes to neighbors before donating or selling.

Recently, Travis and a neighbor split the cost of a dumpster and Travis took the opportunity to clear out a few items in the attic, organized the unfinished part of our basement, and purge items in the garage.

So that’s a little bit of a peek on Spring Cleaning in our house. Do you enjoy spring cleaning? What are some of your favorite cleaning products?

May’s topic is Summer Preview. I’m happy to report that with our last day of school scheduled for May 18, I will be living the summer life while writing that post!

Thanks so much for reading. Make sure to check out other ladies’ posts too! I will see you back here tomorrow for this week’s Friday Favorites.