(no title)

Chalk Paint Projects

Posted on March 9, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

While I’m not super crafty, I like a quick project with major impact. Thanks to Pinterest, I have found myself pinning different ideas that involve chalk paint. I had always heard that chalk paint was a pretty easy product to use…and what had previously held me back from painting was thinking of all the prep work before even getting to paint (like priming the piece beforehand). A couple of summers ago, I was at my friend Krista’s house, and she had just used chalk paint on a buffet for her porch. It looked amazing. She told me about the Valspar paint she used from Lowes. After a visit to Lowes to pick up the pamphlet, I decided to take the plunge and paint the console table in our entry way hall. The table isn’t an heirloom and was a cheap purchase years ago. I figured if I messed it up, it wouldn’t be the end of the world!

This is the Valspar Chalky Finish Paint. There are many color options. What you do is wipe down the piece you want to paint, paint 2-3 coats of the paint (and each coat dries very quickly) and then choose a finish. I’ve used the Antiquing Wax and Limewash Glaze for finishes. Then, you can paint a coat of their Sealing Wax to finish off the piece.

FYI for all projects, I used a roller for the paint and a brush for the wax or glaze.

Console Table

This is a random picture of the entry way console table.

I choose the Theater Wrap paint color with the Antiquing Wax for the finish. This was my first project…and I will say that after completing my other two projects with the Limewash Glaze, I found it to be much easier than the Antiquing Wax. That being said, practice makes perfect and I got the hang of using the wax as time went on.

For the console table, I used the roller to paint the Theater Wrap color and did two coats. After it dried, I started with the top of the table and the Antiquing Wax. My friend had told me how she painted the wax on with a brush and then wiped it with a towel or old t-shirt. After a couple of tries, I panicked and called her! She came over and showed me what to do. The reason I panicked was because the wax goes on dark…and it’s easy to see the brush lines where you leave off…I was worried everything wouldn’t blend. Anyway, if you want the color to be darker, you leave the wax on a little longer. Again, though, I brushed it on and almost immediately wiped it off using a towel. I rubbed in extra wax on the corners to make those areas darker. As you can see from the picture below, the top of the table is darker which is what I wanted. Also, there were times I put some of the wax straight on the towel and rubbed on certain areas. Once I got the hang of brush on the wax, wipe off the wax, and rub in the wax, it wasn’t that difficult.

This project took a couple of days off and on. I did the chalk paint one day and the wax finish another day. Also, I did not use the sealing wax to finish everything off. A couple years later, the piece still looks the same….and gets dusted every other week or so with no issue 😉

TV Stand

The TV stand was a QUICK project. I used a roller to paint on the Beaded Reticule color. I did two coats of the paint. Then I used a paintbrush to apply the Limewash Glaze which was SO EASY to apply. Again, I didn’t use a finishing wax to seal the entire piece because, again, the stand doesn’t get used besides a tv sitting on top of it! I completed this entire project in a couple of hours.

Top left: one coat of paint; Top right: two coats of paint; Bottom left: limewash glaze coat one; Bottom right: I used my brush to use more limewash glaze on the front panels.

Side Table

When we got our new couch about a year ago, we needed a smaller side table between the couch and the chair in the living room. I’d had this piece from when my dad was a kid (which I believe he used as a bedside table) and have used it here and there throughout our homes.

For this piece, I only used the Limewash Glaze. Since it is an older piece and holds some meaning to our family, I just wanted to lighten it up and not paint it. So, I took a brush and the Limewash Glaze to give this piece a face lift. I just used the brush and painted the glaze on. I did end up applying a few coats depending on how the glaze took to the wood in certain areas.

This is the one project I did use the Sealing Wax on because I knew the table would get a lot of wear and tear with us using it to place our drinks. I did two coats of the Sealing Wax to complete the project which took just under two hours from start to finish.

To be honest, I was tempted to take the Limewash Glaze to all the dark furniture we still have left (like our master bedroom furniture) but decided to hold off…but that may be a summer project for me!

It’s been about a year since I painted my last piece, but I may try to paint some more this summer. I’ve always had a dream of buying old pieces, bringing the back to life with some paint and then selling them on Facebook Market Place. We’ll see. Summer would be about the only time I’d have to work on those kinds of projects…and even the summer days seem jam packed!

If you are scared of tackling a painting project, chalk (chalky) paint is the way to go.

I hope you are having a great week.

Jen

Health and Fitness, Me, Not Just a Mom, Self-care

Not Just A Mom: Self Care

Posted on March 9, 2020May 19, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! I survived (and had fun!) at a Girl Scout overnight at COSI in Columbus, OH. More about that later in the week…I’m still recovering from staying up until midnight and sleeping on the floor! (plus losing an hour with Daylight Savings Time!)

In other exciting news…Y’all, believe it or not, this is my 100th blog post. I can’t believe it! I’ve really enjoyed blogging so far. It’s fun to share about family, school, what I’m reading, what I’m cooking, etc. AND…I love reading other people’s blogs too.

Linking up with other bloggers led me to reading Lauren’s All About that Mommy Life blog. Last month, I read her Not Just a Mom post for February, and I thought I’d link up with her (and the others) for this month’s post.

This month’s focus is on self care. I’d say that self care is something most moms struggle with. When you are in the midst of laundry, carpool, grocery shopping, homework, working, etc…it’s difficult to find time for yourself. About three years ago, I made self care a goal of mine. It started with focusing on whole food nutrition and getting a workout plan that works for me which is when I started doing the Lean program. Once I made fitness and whole food nutrition a priority, I started to find other ways to take care of myself.

(Also, real talk–I’m not perfect–I fall off the eating healthy wagon, but once the calendar turns to March, I really try to tighten up on what I eat and make sure to get some workouts in each week.)

Workouts/Whole Food Nutrition

I try to workout 4-5 days a week. The LEAN program I follow incorporates intermittent fasting with carb cycling and tracking macros + workouts. I’m a person who does feel better after a good work out, so I do try to make time for that even with having two very busy kids. Progress not perfection is my focus thanks to this program.

Also, I love me some McDonald’s French fries and a Diet Coke. Currently, I can’t quit Peanut Butter Patties #girlscoutcookietime and, for me, it’s all about balance. 😃

Skin Care

For quite awhile I’ve tried to make skin care a priority. While I don’t buy all the fancy products, I do splurge on a few like my daily moisturizer and night time face cream.

Also, I can’t believe I’m admitting this…but I was probably in my early thirties before I made it a priority to take my makeup off at bedtime! I realized, “Girl, wash your face!” before it was a thing…or a book! 😉 So, just finally doing that was a step in the right direction and through the years I’ve added other products into my skincare routine.

Three years ago, I started going to a local med spa once a month. My membership package includes one of the following each month: a facial, a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, or (my favorite!) dermaplane (basically–the esthetician shaves your face!)

Is my skin perfect? Heck no. Am I in an uphill battle against aging ? Yes! That being said, I feel like I’m being proactive with taking the time to wash my face, use a toner and moisturizers as well as taking care of skin with the facials. Plus, it’s just a treat for me once a month to decompress!

Manicure/Pedicures

Before kids, when I had more time and money!, I used to get monthly pedicures and a manicure every two weeks. Now, I save monthly pedicures for April-September, and then get gel manicures 6-8 times a year. I love gel manicures because they last longer (and I always have my nails painted), but, again, I usually get them before spring break, summer vacation, Christmas, etc. Just another form of self care!

Reading

A few years ago, we joined a pool in the summer. My kids are older now, so they run around with their friends and are able to swim (so I don’t have to stress about that!) when we are at the pool. So, while they did that, I got back into reading. I’ve always been a reader, but there were years when I was in grad school, raising two babies while working full time that reading for pleasure was put on the back burner.

Now, I read quite regularly. Last year, I purchased my Kindle which has provided me more opportunities for reading. I keep it in my purse and read while my kids have a practice or any other spare minutes I may have in the day. I am glad that I’ve made reading a part of my daily routine.

Quiet Time

I’ve always been someone who needs to ease into the day, and once I had kids that became even more important for me. So, I get up about 30-45 minutes before the rest of my family on the weekdays. On the rare occasion that Travis gets up early and is hanging around the living room, he gets major side eye from me….like “why are you interrupting my ‘me’ time?” 😂I spend those precious quiet minutes sipping my coffee, scrolling through my phone, watching the news, and reading my favorite blogs.

I need that time to myself to get my mind right for the day. That being said, I need a bit of quiet time in the evening too. I mean, Travis doesn’t get side eye from me at night if he is also in the living room watching a show! It’s just the morning time that I need the time to myself. BUT…it’s also why I’ve tried to be pretty strict about bedtime for my kids (of course, they need sleep too), but I also just need that hour to relax between their bedtime and my bedtime!

Blogging

Last, but not least, blogging has turned into a form of self care for me. I enjoy this creative outlet and carving out a few minutes for me to write as a way to express myself each day. I’ve said it before, but I’m pretty introverted and quiet, so this blog is also a way to share my voice, I guess. It’s fun for me to think of content, link up with other bloggers, and continue to grow in this space. I definitely hope it’s something I can keep doing at least three times a week!

Next month’s Not Just a Mom topic is cleaning routine. Travis may have to write that blog post for me! He’s a cleaning machine! We balance each other out—I like to tidy up while he likes to bust out the broom and the mop!

I love that my 100th blog post synced up with a post about self care since blogging has become an important part of my life. Thanks so much for your support on my blogging journey so far! I really appreciate it.

I hope you have a great week.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#18}

Posted on March 6, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! It sure has felt like springtime this week in the Bluegrass state! I think temperatures dip down again today but then it should feel like spring again over the weekend. I love a snow day and wish we’d had a snowier winter, but once the calendar turns to March, I’m focused on wrapping up the school year and summer break!

I’m dreading Daylight Savings time on Sunday…I always hate losing an hour and then making the adjustment. I just like keeping everything the same! 🙂 Of course, staying lighter longer will allow for my kids to play outside more, so that’s good for them (and for me!)

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

FAVORITE KID QUOTE

Hadley’s team played in the end of the season basketball tournament last Saturday. If you’ve never watched a sporting event with Hayden, you’re missing out…you also haven’t had to cringe with embarrassment because of his antics! It doesn’t matter if it’s 4 year old t-ball, his sister’s basketball game, or a UK game, he’s all in. He’s cheering for you, he’s standing up after every play (he gets lots of shoulder taps from me to sit down!), and he’s questioning the ref (or ump’s) ability to make good calls. While he drives me crazy sometimes, it’s sweet to see him cheer on his sister!

Both the kids wrote these sweet poems recently, and they are certainly a favorite of mine. I guess they read Love that Boy by Walter Dean Myers and wrote poems inspired by that poem. Hayden wrote about Travis and Homer; Hadley wrote about Homer and me. I will treasure them forever.

FAVORITE MOMENT

My favorite moment this week was wrapping up Girl Scout cookie sales (which sounds kind of negative!) So really what I mean is that Hadley surpassed her goal of selling 350 boxes of cookies by selling 440ish boxes! It can be stressful getting those passed out and collecting (and counting) the money, but it’s awesome to see her so proud because she reached her goal. Yes, many boxes were sold at my school and Trav’s work, but she made a sweet video (which took almost an hour to make!) for me to put on Facebook that generated many orders and she hit the streets of our neighborhood many times throughout the cookie selling season. She says next year her goal is to sell 500 boxes!!

FAVORITE PIC

Homer always wants to be in on the action. I looked over at breakfast time on Sunday to see Homer giving Hadley some love. Homer drives me crazy, but he’s a sweetie.

FAVORITE ACTIVTITIES

One of our favorite winter activities wrapped up. Both kids had the end of the year basketball tournament last weekend, and the season is over. This season was one of growth for both of them. Both moved up divisions this year and there’s always an adjustment. They were on teams with great coaches and wonderful teammates. Both really enjoy basketball and the teams played better with each game…and they improved, themselves, throughout the season. I always ask them to try their best, to not give up, to listen to their coaches, and to be good teammates. What else can a parent ask for from their kids? Up next: Hadley will continue dancing a few days a week and Hayden moves on to baseball season!

I love to read and both my kids (especially Hayden!) love to read. This week is one of their favorite weeks at school. Their school (like most schools) celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Read Across America week. The school hosts their book fair this week and each day students can dress up celebrating different Dr. Seuss books. Hadley tends to be more involved in the dress up days, but I love that there’s a celebration of reading as a focus this week.

Monday- A Bad Case of the Stripes – wear stripes
Tuesday- The Cat in the Hat – wear your favorite hat
Wednesday- Good Night Moon – PJ day
Thursday – Theodore Thursday– dress like your favorite Dr. Seuss character
Friday – Oh the Places You’ll Go– wear a college shirt, vacation/travel shirt, or dress in your future career clothes (**Hadley told me she’s wearing my old college sweatshirt today (University of Missouri!) and I’m sure Hayden will wear something UK–like any other day!)

PJ day! Hadley loves these fleece onesies. She has a couple of them.

I wasn’t sure if either kid would dress like their favorite Dr. Seuss character but Hadley remembered she had this Cat in the Hat headband from her school performance last year. Thanks to some eyeliner, she penciled in whiskers and a cute cat nose.

FAVORITE PRODUCT

Amanda at That Inspired Chick, shared this lip balm from Ulta in her Friday Favorites post last week. I had to go to Ulta for my shampoo, and I picked up this lip balm in the Shine color. I’m not a big lipstick person, but I love lip balm and lip glosses. This one goes on clear but turns a slight shade of pink…which is perfect and not too much. The first time I wore it, both my kids asked if I was wearing lipstick! It’s enough but not too much.

FAVORITE MOM MEME

Mom meme truth! Most days I really hope I’m not jacking up my kids!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I’ve always loved this photo. It popped up in my Facebook memories and made me smile. I love this pic so much that I framed it in black and white, and it hangs in their bathroom.

Earlier this week, I shared the recipe for my favorite St. Patrick’s Day meal recipe –corned beef and cabbage and Irish Soda bread.

Also, I shared some of my favorite chalk paint projects in my Wednesday post.

This weekend, I’m headed on a Girl Scout (indoor) overnight…the itinerary says after the girls finish the learning and exploration portion of the evening, there’s a dance party and “lights out” isn’t until 11:45. Oh, and I’m sleeping on the floor. Clearly, I’m being pushed out of my comfort zone 😉 Looking forward to this trip though with some of the other moms and a fun (and great!) group of girls.

Don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts!

Have a great weekend.

Jen

Home Updates

Transformation Tuesday: Living Room/Dining Room Update

Posted on March 3, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the pictures from when we renovated our basement bathroom last year. So, to continue my Home Updates series, I thought I’d share our living room / formal dining room area.

To be clear, I made up the series because I like to look at other people’s homes and would like to have all our before/after pics in one place 😃…and I thought others may enjoy HGTV like updates as much as I do!

As I mentioned in my first Home Update post, I didn’t even want to look at our current home, but Travis dragged me there knowing I’d love the location, the schools, the yard….and the possibilities of what we could do with the house…to turn it into our home.

We moved in on a Friday, and Monday when I returned home from school, the room entrances had been widened. Only a couple weeks later, we had someone tackle the floors. They removed the carpet in the living/dining area to focus on the unfinished hardwood floors. (We had pulled back a piece of carpet one of the times we viewed the house, so we knew unfinished hardwood floors existed.) I will save the kitchen area for another post, but there was carpet in the entire kitchen/living space in that part of the house. There was only sub floor in the kitchen, so they laid unfinished hardwood floors in there, we chose a stain, slept in the basement for a week, and were pleased with such a big task being checked off our list after only living there a few weeks!

It’s funny to me how my style has changed. Our first home was decorated based on what we had. Our second house was a two story traditional, and I felt like I had to decorate in a more traditional sense with darker wood furniture and a darker color palette. With this house, I focused on lighter colors like cream and light gray and kind of went from there. I’d say my style now is “If Joanna Gaines stopped by, she’d be proud of me but I don’t want to live in the middle of Texas!” 😂

Nothing makes me realize how far we’ve come with our house (because I feel like it’s a never ending project) like before and after pics side by side. 🙂 I’m glad I saved the online listing pics!

Before:

As you enter the front door, this is the (formal) living room on the right. We turned it into our main living room.

During:

We couldn’t commit to knocking down the entire wall to the kitchen. It was such a big decision and it would have been more expensive, so we went with this cut out (knowing we could always take the full wall down later). We had shelves built under the cut out and that’s where the tv now sits. We like feeling connected to what’s going on in the kitchen while being in the living room.

The cut out and then we added shelves for the TV. These were the floors that were under the carpet!

The floors that were under the carpet! (Before we chose a stain)

The wood piled to the left is what we laid in the kitchen area.

After:

Note: my house looks bright, airy and most importantly, clean! But all I can see in the pic is that the rug is bunched up. 😬 Fun fact: Homer likes to run laps around the coffee table and mess up my rug!

Before:

“Formal” living room leading to dining room

View from dining room into the living room and front entry hallway

After:

After we did the major renovations with the walls and floors, we (Travis) painted the living room, dining room, hallway, kitchen, and sun room. We chose a light gray color for the living room, sun room, and above the chair rail of the dining room. Then, we did a darker gray below the chair rail in the dining room. We Travis painted the kitchen “Pavilion Beige” by Sherwin Williams which is a nice neutral color. We had used it in our previous home, so we went with what we knew!

Besides the built ins, we added plantation shutters (dream come true for me!) in the living and dining room.

Before:

This is the formal dining room off of the living room, and it also leads into the kitchen.

After:

So, when we first moved in, we did use this space as a formal dining room. We had a hand me down dining table from my parents that we used in our previous home.

We ate in the kitchen 99% of the time because we had room for a table in there as well. After a couple of years, we had a farm house table built for the kitchen and rearranged the layout in there. Once the farm house table, that seats 8, was built, we turned the formal dining room into an office area that we desperately needed. This is a perfect spot for Travis to do work, for me to work on the blog, and for us to keep an eye on the kids when they are using the computer.

Thanks for following along on another Transformation Tuesday 🙂 I hope you are having a great week!

Jen

Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals: Corned Beef & Cabbage + Irish Soda Bread

Posted on March 2, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was pretty low key in comparison to recent weekends and what our spring weekends will be like! So, it was nice to have a little downtime.

As I mentioned in my What’s Up Wednesday post, something I’m looking forward to in March is making Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. Growing up, we always had this meal for St. Patrick’s Day, so I started making it for family as well. I guess we could make it any time of the year, but I only make it on or around March 17th 🙂

Rather than share photos and the recipe after I make it this year, I thought I’d go ahead and share now in case you’d like to make the recipe too!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with potatoes and carrots

I always end up buying my corned beef at least a week in advance because I’m always afraid the grocery store will run out. haha Of course, they never do, but I like to be prepared.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of beer
1 lb (or more) of red potatoes, cut in halves or fourths
1 white onion, cut into fourths
Baby carrots
1 head of cabbage, cut into fourths
1 – 5 lb flat cut corned beef brisket

Directions:

Put corned beef in slow cooker and pour one beer and as much water as needed to cover the corned beef brisket
Put potatoes, onion wedges, baby carrots in the slow cooker as well.
Cook on low for 10 hours (Mine is usually cooked in 8-9 hours)
Take out cooked corned beef and wrap in aluminum foil
Put cabbage in the slow cooker and cook in the liquid on high for 1 hour.
Enjoy!
**I usually cook for 8 when I’m making this and having family over—so I actually use two slow cookers to make two corned beefs. I’ve learned to do this as the corned beef seems to shrink + if there are leftovers, that’s a bonus!
Also, we like Mr. Mustard on the corned beef…and every year, I forget to buy it and my brother gives me grief #itsatradition (He now knows to bring it because I will inevitably forget!)

Irish Soda Bread

Y’all, this is one of my favorite recipes…and definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:

2 c. unsifted flour
2 Tblsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tblsp butter, softened
1/2 c. raisins
1 c. buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
Cut butter in with pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
Add raisins.
Add buttermilk; mix with fork only until moist.
Turn out onto floured board. Knead 1 minute until smooth. Shape into a ball. Flatten into 7 inch(ish!) circle (about 1/2 inch thick)
Press floured knife 1/2 through the bottom; do again at right angle into quarters.
Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown & hollow sound when tapped.
Cool on wire rack, brush top with melted butter & dust with flour if desired.
Serve with butter. Enjoy!
**I know some of these steps may sound complicated, but I promise they aren’t. All the steps probably take ten minutes from start to the oven. I’m not a huge baker…and this is probably the most “complicated” thing I bake each year 😉 #evenIcantmessitup

Last year, Hadley had to share a recipe that showed a piece of her heritage…so I actually have a pic to share with you.

We have some Irish in us, and St. Pat’s Day has always been one we celebrate. The corned beef recipe is my dad’s and the Irish Soda Bread is a recipe I got from my mom, so all family is represented at the table!

An Irish Blessing: ☘️ “May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.” ☘️

I hope you try these recipes out and enjoy them!

Have a great week,

Jen

Books and Shows, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#17}: Movies

Posted on February 28, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Well, we made it to Friday!! I’m linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for a Friday Favorites.

Since it’s almost the last day of the month, I should be posting about the books I read in February, but as I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, I’ve kind of been in a rut this month in the reading department. So, instead of reading, I thought I’d share some favorite movies that I (as well as the kids) have been watching lately…and they are all pretty family friendly depending on your kid’s age.

We got Disney + in December, and it’s allowed me to watch some of my favorite movies from my childhood….some of which the kids have enjoyed watching with me as well. Hulu and our Amazon Prime membership also provide avenues for us to watching great movies as well.

Disney +

Y’all, hands down, my favorite movie from my childhood is the original Parent Trap with Hayley Mills. I used to watch it on VHS so much that the tape must have worn thin because the part in the movie when Verbena realizes the girls made the switch, would always skip to the next scene! I don’t even acknowledge the Lindsay Lohan version as an option, but I do love Natasha Richardson, so I have seen that version a time or two.

Other movies we’ve watched on Disney + include:

Sister Act- Hayden watched this with me and I fast forwarded through a scene or two and danced my way around Sister Deloris’ lounge singing profession 😉
Turner and Hooch – Only I watched this one–and I’m thinking Hayden would like it if I could skip over when Hooch’s owner is killed—yikes!
Honey I Shrunk the Kids – We all love this one!
While You Were Sleeping -I can watch this one on repeat! Such a sweet movie.

Amazon Prime

My brother had told me that Cool Runnings was on Disney +, but when I went to check it out, it said the movie would be available in July due to “existing agreements.” I had already told the kids about it and promised we’d watch it, so we paid $4 on Amazon to stream it—and that’s how we spent our New Year’s Eve! #wildnight Everyone enjoyed the film!

DVD

Another favorite that I love is Swiss Family Robinson. This summer, after we visited Disney World/The Magic Kingdom and toured the SFR tree house, the kids (especially Hayden) wanted to see the movie. I ended up buying in on DVD from Amazon, so we’d always have access to it. I loved that movie so much as a kid and would watch it on repeat as well. Besides the DVD, we now can watch it on Disney +, but we didn’t have that option in the summer. Travis had never seen it, and we all enjoyed it!

Swiss Family Robinson house at the Magic Kingdom

Over Christmas break, we watched The Mighty Ducks with the kids because Hayden had received it on DVD as a Christmas gift. Again, it will be on Disney +, but has the same “existing agreement” issue that Cool Runnings had. When we watched The Mighty Ducks, I had forgotten how great a movie it was…and who doesn’t love a comeback story?!

Hulu

An Affair to Remember

This movie was on Hulu last month while I was sick with the flu, so watching it was a great way to pass time in between naps! While An Affair to Remember wasn’t released during my childhood, I remember watching it as a kid. I loved Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant together. Her beauty and his good looks are timeless…plus the plot is so romantic.

Father of the Bride

I love this movie and watch it any time it’s on cable (or now Hulu, for us!) I remember, at 11 years old, thinking how cool it would be to have Kimberly Williams as an older sister. Of course, Steve Martin is a hoot…and the superfluous buns scene is hilarious! I also love the part where Annie calls her parents from the airport. So sweet. I love all the characters in the movie from the little brother to Martin Short as Franck. The movie is just so heartfelt. I watched it just last week on Hulu and Hadley loved it too.

Erika also shared family movies this week…Make sure to check out her post….She referenced so many good movies as well!

What are some of your favorite family movies? Or movies from your childhood?

I hope you have a great weekend.

Jen

What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on February 26, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! It’s the last Wednesday of the month which means I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

We were spoiled by the sunshine this weekend, and now we are back to overcast and rainy skies…so I thought soup sounded good. Also, I always try to make something on Sunday that we can have leftovers on Monday. Mondays just always seem so difficult getting in the swing of the week, so not having to think about dinner on Monday evening is always a bonus.

Sunday/Monday: Taco Soup

Tuesday: Trader Joe’s Fried Rice with Honey Walnut Shrimp and Mandarin Orange Chicken. I love Trader Joe’s. What I love most about Trader Joe’s is that I usually just wander the aisles to plan a meal or two. Whereas, when I go to Kroger (or place my online Kroger order), I always feel like I need a list! This was a quick and easy meal last night that we enjoyed overall…but I didn’t love the sauce that came with the shrimp. I wish I had left it off. The chicken (& sauce) was delish!

Wednesday: Baked chicken thighs, bagged salad, and Bob Evans mashed potatoes.

Thursday: We now have a basketball game tomorrow night #tourneytime , so we’ll probably have leftover baked chicken with Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes. We’ve never tried these before, so hopefully everyone likes them. Every time I go to TJ’s, I pick up one or two new things to try!

Friday/Saturday night: I’m sure we’ll eat out.

Did you see my Monday Meals post with two quick (and easy!) pasta recipes? Both are delish!

WHAT I AM REMINISCING ABOUT:

I can’t believe we’ve had Homer for almost 9 months. He was about 12 weeks old when we adopted him. So….Homer is almost one! Whew! Homer is a handful…and I tell him every day that he’s lucky he is cute! This week alone, I’ve found him licking my facial cleansing brush, he snatched a glazed donut out of the box on the counter, and he ran around the house with the kitchen towel in his mouth. Also, my hairbrush is missing. He swears he’s innocent and Hadley denies borrowing it…so I’m still on the lookout for it! I swear he’s like having ten toddlers!

February 2020. Sweet (and ornery!) Biscuit

WHAT I AM LOVING:

At the end of the summer, I started buying the single wick candles at Bath and Body Works. I love that the three wick ones are more aromatic but sometimes they were almost too strong of a scent…and the three wick ones take up more space. So, for fall, I bought three single wick fall fragrances and did the same for the holidays. This way, I can place the candles around the house easier since the single wick ones take up less space and provide just enough of a refreshing scent. Of course, I always use a coupon (or hit up a sale) when buying the candles whether it’s the single or three wick ones. (I feel like I just used the work wick more than I should have. Sorry!) These three scents are my newest purchase for spring.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

It’s basketball tournament time, so that sports season is wrapping up. Hayden is prepping for baseball season while Hadley continues to dance two days a week. Both kids went to birthday parties last weekend which kept us busy on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Hadley attended the Mardi Gras party at our church while Hayden had basketball practice. Next month, Hadley has Academic Team competition, so she’s been prepping for that as well.

WHAT I’M DREADING:

Honestly, I wasn’t dreading it but I was overwhelmed getting Hadley’s Girl Scout cookie orders out. She surpassed her goal of selling 350 cookies by selling 441 boxes of cookies! I just never want to mess up an order, and it’s a lot of money to collect and sort! I’m glad the bulk of the ordering is past us!

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

I’m working on getting back on track with my eating and exercising. I was off to a good start in 2020 and then I got the flu. After that, my eating was ok but I wasn’t really working out. So, I’m back on my Lean intermittent fasting program combined with carb cycling, tracking my macros, and working out. This program works for me…when I do it! So, getting a handle on my eating window and exercise before spring break is a good goal for me right now.

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

I’m excited about spring break! It will be here before we know it. We decided to go to NYC…but all we’ve done so far is purchase plane tickets. We are waiting to tell the kids once we firm up our plans/itinerary. What are some “musts” for us while there?? Give me all the ideas, please! I’ve always wanted to visit NYC in the fall, but we didn’t have our act together at that point to plan a trip. I’m excited to take the kids as I think they will enjoy it and appreciate it…and are able to walk/keep up with whatever we do.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

Y’all, I’m in a slump. Or a February Funk…I started two books this month and haven’t finished either. I like them…I just have been so tired at night, I go straight to bed. Plus, our weekends have been a bit busy, so I don’t know…I’m not off to a solid start with reading in 2020. The two books I’m reading are The Broken Girls (on my Kindle) and American Royals (hardback). Again, I’m really liking them and hope to finish them this week…and start fresh in March. Do you have any good book recommendations?

I’m excited for Good Girls Season 3. The show just started back, and I hope to get caught up on it this weekend. There aren’t many shows Travis and I watch together, but that’s one of them!

Also, I found a show Up and Vanished on the Oxygen Channel on Hulu and have watched a few episodes.

And…we watched about half of Jurassic Park earlier this week…It’s one of those I remember watching as a kid and thought Hayden and Hadley would like it…but when I looked over to see Hadley crying as the dinosaur tried to eat the kids, I started to think I must have been over ten-years-old when I saw it. 😂 Hayden wants to finish it, but Hadley will probably pass. We may not have time to finish it until the weekend anyway…maybe Hadley’s trauma will subside by then!

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

I still listen to a few podcasts when I can. I regularly listen to include Willie Geist’s Sunday Sitdown and then usually add other podcasts of interest based on who is being interviewed. I’m excited because Landyn has a podcast in the works. I’m excited to listen to it when it become available.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

I bought these slippers at Target right after Christmas, and I love them. I had thought about buying the Ugg version as I’ve heard great reviews, but didn’t feel like spending that kind of money on slippers. These have been the perfect thing to put on my feet when I get home! Nice and cozy. (One of my slippers has even survived almost being #homered!…so I guess you could say that they are good quality!) 😉

Also, I recently had to wear this pink gown…twice. Since I turned 40, it was time for me to have my first ever mammogram. While it wasn’t the best thing I’ve every experienced, it certainly wasn’t as painful as I expected it to be. As I left my appointment, the mammographer mentioned that it’s very common to get called back for an ultrasound especially to establish a baseline since it was my first mammogram.

A week later, I did receive a call to come in that week for an ultrasound. Thankfully, I was somewhat prepared for the call, so I didn’t panic. (Although, I am a worrier by nature!) As soon as the sonographer called me back to the room, she immediately told me she thought everything was fine, but they just wanted to confirm all was good. Her reassurance combined with the dimly lit room and the warm blanket she gave me, put me at ease. I had a couple of cysts as well as a fibroadenoma, which I learned is very common in women and benign.

I was actually relieved to have the mammogram scheduled. I’ve known women who have had breast cancer even in their early thirties. That being said, it was almost scary for me to be in the 35-39 years of age…where doctors say, “You are too young to worry about _____” when I know people who have had their lives changed in an instant at a younger age.

I’m thankful for a healthy report, and I’ll also be very grateful for that yearly appointment and peace of mind.

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

Hadley has a tournament game on Saturday (and both could still be playing if they win), but other than that we don’t have too much planned. It may actually be a lowkey weekend which we haven’t had in awhile.

I think Travis is going to take Hayden to the UK basketball game on Saturday. I hope to read, get caught up on house stuff, groceries, etc.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

March means that the Homster is turning 1! We’ve always gotten our dogs a vanilla ice cream cup from Dairy Queen, so he has that to look forward to. Since we don’t know his actual birthday, in the future, we’ll probably celebrate him (w/ the ice cream) on June 8. His gotcha day!

Also, March means St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve got a little bit of Irish in me, and grew up having corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread to celebrate March 17th. I make those recipes now for my family, and we always look forward to the tradition.

That’s it for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday. Make sure to check out Sheaffer and Shay’s posts too!

Take care,

Jen

Meals and Recipes, Uncategorized

Monday Meals: Pasta Dinner x 2

Posted on February 24, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! The weekend seemed to fly by! The sun was shining all weekend, and it felt like a taste of spring!

Last Monday, I made both of these pasta meals for my family. I had picked up the gnocchi a few weeks ago and needed to use it. Since I was uncertain if the kids would like it, I decided to make them bow tie pasta with Alfredo sauce because I knew they loved it. A couple of months ago, I bought jarred Alfredo on a whim and made this quick pasta (the second recipe) and they scarfed it down. Believe it or not, but I think it’s the first time they’d had Alfredo sauce! They thought I was the best mom ever. haha

That being said, I’m no short order cook; the kids eat what I make them for dinner…like it or not. But, I knew these were quick dishes, and they would provide leftovers for Tuesday night, so went ahead and made both.

Gnocchi and Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 package of gnocchi
Trader Joe’s Three Cheese Pasta Sauce (or any marinara sauce)
1 lb Italian sausage
Shaved Parm (or grated)

Instructions:

Bring pot of water to boil, add a heavy pinch of salt, and follow instructions for cooking the gnocchi. (Only a few minutes in the boiling water)
Brown the sausage in a skillet. (I browned it all and used 3/4 of it for the gnocchi recipe and the other 1/4 for the Alfredo recipe)
Once the sausage is browned, drain any grease.
Add in sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.
Add cooked gnocchi into the sauce and stir to incorporate ingredients.
Serve in a bowl and top with Parm.
Enjoy!

Chicken, Bacon, Sausage in Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

Farfalle (bow tie) pasta (or any shaped pasta)
Jar of Alfredo Sauce
4-5 slices bacon (Short cut: microwave bacon)
Chicken (Short cut: Perdue Carved Chicken Breast strips)
Cooked Italian Sausage (if desired)
Grated Parm (or shaved Parm—I just know my kids love grated parm)

Instructions:

Bring pot of water to boil, add heavy pinch of salt, and cook according to directions.
Cook the bacon in the microwave according to directions and then chop into small pieces.
Cut the chicken strips into desired bite size and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan, heat up Alfredo Sauce.
Add in chicken and warm it for a couple of minutes.
Add in cooked pasta and bacon. (and sausage if you’d like–that wasn’t a part of my original plan–but since I had the leftover sausage from meal 1, I decided to use that 1/4 lb because I knew the kids would like it)
Stir to incorporate ingredients.
Serve in a bowl and top with Parm.
Enjoy!
Also, last time I made this, I added frozen peas to it when I incorporated the pasta into the sauce–my kids love peas!

I could have added chopped parsley to both for a finishing touch, but I’m not a professional! haha

Also, side note: The Perdue Chicken Breasts (or similar brand) are something I use often. I add the chicken to my bagged salads for lunch or dinner, I cut the chicken strips into bite size pieces to use for chicken quesadillas, and obviously I also use the chicken in pasta dishes as well.

As a busy working mom with two busy kids, I do still like to make dinner as often as possible…but I also like to make something my family will enjoy as quickly as possible!

I hope you enjoy these recipes!

Have a great week!

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#16}

Posted on February 21, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! This short week actually did feel like a short week! My crew is excited it’s Friday and with some pretty gorgeous weather on tap this weekend, we are ready for a couple of days off. As always, I’m linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favorites.

FAVORITE KID QUOTE:

This memory popped up on Facebook this week. Seven-year-old Hadley sent me this text from the Ipad three years ago wishing me Happy Birthday! She knows I love birthdays…and wine. Her sense of humor is always a favorite of mine!

FAVORITE PIC:

Travis and Hadley went to the Dad/Daughter Dance last weekend. It’s Hadley’s favorite night of the year! She had so much fun with her friends and with Travis. I shared the details of the dance in this week’s Wednesday post. Then, I received an email yesterday with the professional pic that was taken at the dance…and it’s certainly a favorite.

FAVORITE MOMENT:

While Hadley and Travis were at the dance, I took Hayden to baseball for this season’s evaluations. Usually Travis would have taken him, and after seeing how proud he was of his performance, I’m so glad I was there. He works so hard, always tries his best, is a great teammate, & loves playing baseball; I was very proud of him. On Facebook I shared, “This kid is…quiet, introverted, a home body, anxious…BUT he’s also…confident, optimistic, resilient, a dreamer, and an achiever. I’m proud to be his mom!”

I don’t know how many more years I have of him waving at me from the pitcher’s mound or giving me a thumbs up from 1st base, but I’m here for it. Also, he doesn’t like to draw attention to himself which is why I think it’s so awesome he loves to pitch. I’m proud of him for pushing himself outside of his comfort zone for the sake of doing something he loves. I hope he knows we are his biggest fans…

FAVORITE MOM MEME:

Home Alone is one of my favorite movies. This meme made me chuckle.

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

Cookie Class:

The last time Hadley and I went to a cookie class hosted by Maddie’s Cookie Co., Hayden said he wanted to come the next time there was a class. I wasn’t sure how I’d juggle two kids decorating cookies, so it was perfecting timing that my mom would be in town when there was a class. So, the four of us went to Maddie’s class a couple of weeks ago and had a great time decorating the cookies. Hadley’s almost an old pro, and Hayden and my mom did a great job for having limited experience outlining and flooding cookies. Also, Hayden didn’t mind he was the only boy at the class…haha. #hewasthereforthecookies

Tubing at Perfect North

Another favorite activity and tradition is tubing at Perfect North with friends. We’ve been going with two other families for about five years. One family couldn’t make it this year which was a bummer, but we had a great time. The weather was in the upper 40’s, so we shed some layers throughout the afternoon. Some years we go and it’s freezing, and other years it’s been pretty warm. It’s always fun and we get 5-6 runs in each year. We link up in a variety of ways–boys/girls, kids/adults, family/family, all eight of us. It’s definitely a fun tradition that has certainly gotten easier now that the adults aren’t having to lug the kids and their tubes around like in the early years!

We even bumped into one of Hadley’s best friends and her family!

Walks with Homer

Having no school on Monday was definitely a favorite part of our week. We took Homer for a walk…we’ll do anything to wear him out! As always, Homer is a favorite part of our family.

BONUS FAVE: FLASHBACK FRIDAY:

This Facebook memory cracks me up. I clearly remember taking this pic of Hadley a few years ago. It’s certainly a favorite memory. I can’t believe I didn’t buy her that Y’all hat! #momfail

That’s it for this week’s Friday Favorites. I hope you have had a great week!

See you back here on Monday for a Monday Meals post! (Pasta recipe x 2!)

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Kids

Dad Daughter Dance

Posted on February 19, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hadley’s favorite night of the year is the annual Dad/Daughter Dance. This is the fourth year for her to go with Travis (and a group of their friends) to the dance.

We are 4 for 4 with finding a reasonably priced dress in a matter of minutes at Target. I remember the first year we went out looking for a dress, she suggested going to TJ Maxx first. #raisingherright 😂Anyway, thanks to the Cat and Jack brand at Target, we have been lucky to find something each year.

This year, at the last minute, I took her to get shoes (Hayden needed new tennis shoes, so we tackled that too)…Y’all, she fell in love with a pair of fuchsia flats IN THE WOMEN’S section of the store. She’s officially outgrown kids’ shoe sizes! Anyway, they were half price, they fit, and she loved them (and can wear them in the future), so we got them.

Also, she always has a vision for how she wants her hair. Fun fact: I’m THE WORST at hair and makeup. Thankfully, all she needed me for was a little blush, mascara and a few curls after she put her hair in a top knot. I can’t believe how grown up she looks every year…I know I’m going to blink and we’ll be shopping for a prom dress.

Dinner is provided (pasta, bread sticks, drinks) at the dance as well as dessert….and dancing with her dad and friends…What more could a girl ask for?

2017 Dad Daughter Dance

2018 Dad Daughter Dance

2019 Dad Daughter Dance

2020 Dad Daughter Dance

We usually meet at someone’s house for pics and then the moms and little brothers hang out while the dads and daughters go to the dance. This year, Hayden was the only brother, and he had baseball anyway…so that’s how we spent our time during the dance…at the indoor baseball facility. After the dance (and baseball), we all hung out for a bit. The dance is a great excuse to get together with friends.