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Posted in Homer

Homer’s DNA Results and Family Tree

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

It’s been a good experience adopting Homer, but my type A personality has always wondered what breed(s) he is. My brother mentioned that there are DNA tests for dogs (I had no idea this was a thing). The past few months, I’ve had a few friends say they’ve done DNA tests of the dogs they’ve adopted and how interesting the results were. Most of them had mentioned Wisdom Panel as the brand they used. One of my Christmas presents was money from my dad to buy the DNA kit, so I did. The kit I bought was $50 on sale on Amazon (price is usually $80). I probably wouldn’t have rushed to purchase one, but using Christmas money made the expense a bit more justifiable. 🙂

Getting Homer’s DNA was easy, and the kit provided very detailed instructions. There were two swabs, and I used each one for 30 seconds rubbing between his gum and cheek. Then, the swabs had to air out for five minutes before putting them back in their packets. I had to get online and activate the kit. Wisdom Panel did ask how old Homer is and his weight. I sent the kit off on a Monday, received an email they had received it on Friday and about eight days later received his results via email.

We were all so excited to see the results. Based on an idea a friend had given me, I had everyone write down their top three breeds they thought Homer would be. When we adopted him, the people at Tails of Hope said he (and his brothers) was a lab mix of some sort. Our vet, from the beginning, thought he may have some Husky in him.

The picture from Tails of Hope when Homer was up for adoption. I used the Pet Finder app to search for lab mix puppies within a 100 mile radius of Lexington.

Our Guesses:

Hayden: Lab, Husky, and Wolf!

Hadley: Golden Retriever, Yellow Lab, and Husky

Travis: Lab, Husky, Heeler

Me: Lab, Golden Retriever, Shepherd

The Results:

  • 25% American Staffordshire Terrier (I hadn’t even heard of this type of dog!…and I always thought all terriers were small in size!)
  • 25% Great Pyrenees (Once I clicked on the pic of this dog type, I could totally see it in Homer…and it must be where he gets his long legs…as this breed was the tallest of Homer’s mix)
  • 25% Labrador Retriever (Thank goodness he has a bit of what we were looking for in a dog! :))
  • 12.5% Chow Chow (This one still surprises me!)
  • 12.5% Siberian Husky (I guess our vet was right!)

Online, you can click on the link for each dog and it provides pics, traits, physical features, and even history about the breed.

  • American Staffordshire Terrier – Hard-working, loyal, stoic, intelligent, usually good with children, enjoy sports. Bred to guard people and property.
  • Great Pyrenees – Intelligent, watchful, generally calm (maybe Homer is easing in to this trait? haha), can be standoffish.
  • Labrador Retriever – Gentle, trusting, happy-go-lucky, good family dogs, enjoy retrieving (we know Homer knows how to do this!) and swimming.
  • Chow Chow – Loyal family dog, reserved, wary with strangers, independent spirit, bred to guard people and property.
  • Husky – Intelligent, hard-working, active, social, friendly, do well with children, energetic, stubborn, long history of helping humans, engage in digging and chasing wildlife (after reading about digging and chasing wildlife, I think Homer should have a higher percentage of Husky in him! haha) Also, cute story–Hadley was reading about each dog and the history/traits…for Husky, it said they are used to herd reindeer. Hadley said, “How hard can it be to herd reindeer?” I looked at her like, “Huh,” and she said, “There are only eight reindeer. I guess nine if you count Rudolph!” So sweet.

Family Tree

The family tree showed both parents, grandparents 1-4, and great grandparents 1-8.

Parent 1: Terrier, Lab; Grandparent 1: Terrier; Grandparent 2: Lab; Great Grandparents 1 and 2: Terriers; Great Grandparents 3 and 4: Labs
Parent 2: Pyrenees, Chow Chow, Husky; Grandparent 3: Pyrenees; Grandparent 4: Chow Chow and Husky; Great Grandparents 5 & 6: Pyrenees; Great Grandparent 7: Chow Chow; Great Grandparent 8: Husky

I’d say Homer is a sweet mix of all of these breeds. He’s loyal, intelligent, energetic, happy, independent, stubborn, watchful, active, and social. He’s a handful, but we love him. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a puppy, so I think I’ve forgotten what that takes, but he’s worth it (most days!) Sometimes, I feel like we are still getting to know each other. I’d say I feel that I was always the most attached to Shiloh and Scout. Now, I joke that there are four of us and I’m probably fourth in line to love Homer. (haha)…probably because, at times, he’s like having ten toddlers, and he’s one more thing for me (us!) to take care of.

That being said, it was my idea to get him….it’s just in me to know the love, loyalty and joy a dog brings to a family…and I know the time and will come when he quits destroying things (that time is going to come, right?), stops putting his paws on the counter, and will eventually leave dead birds outside (right?!).

He’s a good one though…and it’s been great for my kids to have a dog at their age to help and play with while also learning about the responsibilities it takes to own a dog.

Special shout out to Travis who walks him daily (the kids help sometimes too as an after school chore) and takes care of him when he’s driving me crazy.

I think the DNA kit does help give us a better understanding of our sweet, handful of a pup as we continue to get to know each other.

And, while he does drive me bonkers sometimes, I think it’s sweet that he wants to be where we are and as close as possible to us at all times. Also, he loves a routine…like every night, he hops in Hadley’s bed for a few minutes…before she kicks him out after he smothers her with his love. If she shuts the door on him before he can at least hang with her a few minutes, he whimpers and slides his paw under her door. It’s one more thing to add to our bedtime routine, but it’s Homer, so we let him have his moment.

Our sweet, playful, handful of a boy is 10(ish) months old.

Last thing, if you are a dog lover, you’d love this Dogs magazine from Life. Travis knows me so well, and it was in my stocking. It has the sweetest pictures and stories and had me tearing up from time to time.

“Dogs have given us there absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.”

–Roger Caras, A Celebration of Dogs

This is most certainly the truth. We heart Homer. (AKA: Biscuit, Pooks, Homster, Homer, stop! Homer, drop it! Homer, kennel! Homer, be a good boy!) #wehearthomer #homerisahandful

Have a great weekend.

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Books and Shows

December Books + TOP 5 books of 2019

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy last day of 2019! Even with the hustle and bustle of December, I was able to read 6 books this month! That being said, my first book, I started reading right around Thanksgiving and had the nine hour car ride home from KC combined with some extra time after Christmas to read as well.

I technically have a Good Reads account, but never really keep up with it. Instead, I have a note on my phone (I know, really high tech) with books I want to read (the list is getting too long) and then books I’ve read (2018 and 2019). When I looked at my list of the 40 books I read this year, my top 5 jumped right out at me! So, I thought I’d share those as well.

But first….the books I read in December.

I’m so glad I chose to read holiday books during this time. With the craziness of Christmas, I love the twinkle of the lights on the tree, peppermint mocha creamer, and the days getting darker earlier (I know, I’m weird). So, reading holiday themed books during this month, just helped the coziness creep in even more to offset the craziness of this time of the year.

One Day in December

This book was a sweet little read. It had been on my list for awhile, and I decided to start the month with it. The main character Laurie sees a man out the bus window and feels an instant connection. She then is on a mission to find him while not knowing his name, where he lives, etc. She ends up being reunited with Jack but not the way she would have preferred. The story follows the friendship and relationships of Laurie, her best friend Sarah, and Jack for over ten years…and I love how the month of December is a timeline reference throughout.

The Winter Street Series

  • Winter Street
  • Winter Stroll
  • Winter Storms
  • Winter Solstice

I get so many awesome book ideas from Mix and Match Mama and she had mentioned this series at some point. I had decided to at least read the first two. Then, another favorite (food) blogger, Bev Cooks, shared on her Instagram Stories that she was going to read all four of the books before Christmas. After reading the first book, I was hooked….and just kept chugging along while adding the next book to my Kindle. These books are fairly short, so they were easy to read somewhat quickly. Plus, I just fell in love with the Quinn family.

Like any big family, there are ups and downs, chaos, and celebrations. The Nantucket setting at Christmastime for each book, ties them together. Since I read each book back to back, the plot lines are all so intertwined. Overall, Kelley Quinn and his wife Mitzi run an inn on Nantucket. Each December, there’s a Winter Stroll through town. Kelley was married to Margaret for many years before Mitzi. Margaret is a CBS anchor and with Kelley, they have three adult children. With Mitzi, Kelley has a son named Bart who is a prisoner of war. Again, there are ups and downs, strained relationships, blended families, imprisonment and more. I seriously teared up at the conclusion of this series. I was sad to say goodbye to the Quinn family.

Christmas in Paris

This was a cute read with such a picturesque setting. Who wouldn’t want to visit Paris at Christmas time?

Isabel has canceled her wedding but decides to go on her honeymoon in Paris. While there, she meets Alec who also had wedding plans dissolve. Alec shows her around Paris, and they meet a fortune teller who tells Isabel she will meet and marry a French aristocrat. Isabel has been so unlucky in love that she’s adamant in pursuing whatever it takes to see those “dreams” come true.

This is a charming and light hearted read which was a perfect way to wrap up my December reading.

Top 5 books of 2019

Books #5 and #4 I read in January. I started the year off right! Actually, I ended 2018 reading on a high note. The Dinner List was the last book I read in 2018, and I loved it. (So, there’s a bonus reading recommendation if you’d like one.)

#5

All Your Perfects was a tough read. I remember picking this book right off the shelf of the library, reading the back, and thinking it would be a good book. BUT once I started to read it, such a main emphasis was on infertility and how it can impact a marriage. Since I’ve dealt with infertility , it piqued my interest and that part of the plot drew me in. Quinn and Graham had a great marriage and all the dreams in the world as any freshly married couple has in the beginning. As time goes on, the strain of infertility and the wondering of what the future holds gets to them. The book is structured in past and present which is a clear delineation in their happy and sad times. As a couple, they struggle to communicate. Quinn feels the grief and shame of not being able to start a family (I can relate). It’s not that Graham isn’t always there for her. It’s just that as a woman, she bears the burden on her own and they feel and process the devastation in their own ways. Honestly, the ending wasn’t what I expected, but I could appreciate why Hoover ended their journey the way she did.

If you are in the thick of infertility, it may be too soon to read this book, but Quinn and Graham and their relationship were certainly relatable.

This book hooked me from the beginning, had me in tears throughout, and definitely provides a perspective on a topic that very few people talk about.

#4

Swear on this Life was the first book I read in 2019. My goodness it was so good. Emiline is a writing instructor. She reads a book about two best friends, Emerson and Jackson, who are childhood sweethearts living in rural Ohio. Emerson has a very tough childhood and life and as Emiline reads the book, she realizes it bears a resemblance to her own upbringing. She then realizes the author, “J. Colby” must be Jase her childhood sweetheart. So, of course, she must find him and confront him for telling her story.

This book was so good, and I read it so quickly! I definitely recommend it.

Books #3-5, I’ve actually written about in my monthly book reviews, so I will share those posts as well.

#3

Ask Again , Yes was so amazing. The lives of two families over decades and how time can heal wounds made this book such an interesting read.

October Book Review: ASk again yes

#2

Bread and Wine was an inspiring mix of food, recipes, stories, friendship, and nourishment (both for body and for mind).

September book review: bread and wine

#1

I put off reading Where the Crawdads Sing because I felt like everyone was reading it. I finally borrowed it from a friend to read on vacation; I read it in two days…and didn’t want it to end. For me, it had a To Kill a Mockingbird feel to it which is one of my favorite books of all time. Kya, “Marsh Girl,” is a fighter and a survivor and an outcast in her society. I loved the setting of North Carolina and Owens certainly paints a picture of that part of the country. The symbolism, the imagery, the characters, the plot, and the lessons learned made this book one that I will never forget…and I’m sure I will read it again.

Vacation Reads: Crawdads

One more bonus book—Verity by Colleen Hoover was a page turner!! I read it on vacation as well and a review of it is in the link above.

I can’t believe I’ve only been blogging a few months and that this is the last post of 2019. Thanks for following along on my journey. I hope you find a book or two that you’ll love. What was your favorite book that you read in 2019?

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals- Major’s Lasagna and Mom’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! As we close out this year, I thought I’d share two more family favorite recipes that I’ve made recently. I made my Dad’s Lasagna when my brother and his family came over for a pre-Christmas get together. I made my mom’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole as a side dish for Christmas dinner to go with ham and green bean casserole. Both are easy and delish, so I thought I’d share.

Major’s Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1.3 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz Cottage Cheese
  • Pepperoni
  • 20 oz Parmesan Cheese (I use half grated and half shredded)
  • 16 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • Oven Ready Lasagna
  • Dried chopped onions
  • Minced garlic
  • 2 jars Spaghetti Sauce

Instructions:

Simply make three layers in a 9×13 baking dish.

  • Sauce
  • Noodles
  • Ground beef
  • Dollops of cottage cheese
  • Pepperoni
  • Shake dried onions and garlic flakes on top
  • Sprinkle all the cheeses
  • Repeat and end with sauce on top
  • Bake 25 minutes covered with tin foil at 350 degrees and then 15 minute uncovered
  • Enjoy!

Mom’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole

I’m not sure where my mom got this recipe, but she shared it with me a couple of years ago; it’s a nice twist on regular twice baked potatoes that are a little bit more labor intensive.

Ingredients:

  • 7 medium red potatoes (I had 12-15 smaller ones this last time which worked out fine)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 3 cups sour cream (I use way less…as I’m not a big fan of sour cream)
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 green onions sliced

Instructions:

  1. Bake cut potatoes for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
  2. Once potatoes are cooked, add other ingredients:
  3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and bacon.
  4. Dollop (or spread) sour cream and sprinkle cheeses
  5. Top with sliced green onions
  6. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
  7. Enjoy

You could bake in smaller dish and layer ingredients, but I’ve always just spread everything out in the bigger baking dish.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and your Monday!

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#12}: 2019: Year in Review

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday. I’ve seen a few bloggers do a Year in Review. I thought that would be a great way to take a look back on all that’s happened with my family in 2019 and share my (Friday) Favorite memories for the year

So, *warning* lots of pics 🙂 (Thank goodness for my Shutterfly app organized by months of the year). I love the idea of so many memories for the year being in one place with this post.

Like with most years, we’ve had our ups and our downs, been busy, been blessed, and made many memories along the way.

January

The beginning of January started off a little rough with both Hayden and Travis having the flu. I’ve never seen either of them as sick as they both were.

Then, both kids were excited for a snow day or two in January!

First snowfall of 2019

February

Hadley, Travis and some friends went to the annual Dads and Daughters dance. They had so much fun. (The moms all hung out that evening which was fun for us as well!)

Great group of dads and daughters.

In February, we also went on our annual Perfect North tubing day with friends.

Basketball wrapped up at the end of February with Travis coaching Hadley’s team to victory in the tournament championships. Hayden’s team made it to the Final Four of the tournament out of 20+ teams! #hardwareforeveryone

March

March started with a visit from my dad…

Unfortunately, we said goodbye to our sweet Shiloh in March as well. We still miss her daily.

March Madness (Sweet 16, Elite 8) was in KC this year and during our spring break, so we made a visit. Travis, Hayden and my mom went to the Sweet 16 game. The four of us and my mom went to the Elite 8 game. Hayden learned about the heartbreak of loss while cheering for your favorite team (from the front row!)

April

The kids stayed in KC while Travis and I went to Las Vegas for a few days.

We celebrated Easter with Trav’s extended family in Elizabethtown.

Travis and I also made time to hit up the spring meet at Keeneland.

Softball and baseball also started up in April causing us to have some kind of practice or game every night.

May

We started off May with our yearly trip to Churchill Downs for Oaks.

In May, Travis and some friends ran a two day team trail run (no thank you!), the kids continued with their softball and baseball games (Hadley’s team was the regular season and tournament champs!), we celebrated the end of the 3rd grade, and started spending some time at the pool!

We also celebrated Mother’s Day and officially joined our church.

Mother’s Day

June

I’m not sure if I even need to post any other pics for June. We added Homer to our family as he helped our hearts heal from the loss of Shiloh (and Scout the year before)

Hayden started pitching for his team which was a dream come true for him.

And…spring baseball season wrapped up.

Hadley had her dance recital in June and both grandmas were in attendance.

We celebrated the World’s Best Dad on Father’s Day!

Travis and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in June as well.

July

In July, we celebrated Trav’s birthday with our cookie cake tradition.

Hadley had a first with a week away at sleepaway camp. Travis, Hayden and I went to the lake with friends on the 4th of July.

Hayden played summer ball for the first time ever. (It’s such a time commitment that I encouraged him told him to wait playing summer ball until he was old enough for kid pitch). He had a blast playing with friends and learned so much.

We took a 10 day trip to Florida for vacation (+ a day at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and a day at the Magic Kingdom)

August

August was my first blog post! It’s been a goal/dream of mine to start a blog. For so long, my excuse was that I was stuck on what to name the blog and finding the time to start one. Of course, after having a whole summer off, I figure it all out and started Show Me and Sweet Tea right before school started. haha. This blog has been a great creative space for me and a way to share what we are up to with family and friends near and far.

In August, my mom and gma visited to celebrate Wyatt’s birthday. We also celebrated Trav’s mom’s 70th birthday. The kids were also excited for football time in the bluegrass.

We had our annual Back to School Breakfast as the kids started the 4th grade (and I started my 18th year teaching!)

First day of 4th grade

September

September marked the start of all the fall activities. Travis helped start a cross country team at the kids’ school, Hayden started soccer, and Hadley upped her dance game from just doing hip hop to also taking a tap/ballet/jazz combo class.

October

For fall break, we went to Asheville for a few days. We spent two of the three days glamping with our friends.

Part 1
Part 2

We went to the orchard, carved pumpkins with neighbors, and went trick-or-treating on Halloween. I also started a new position at my school as a reading/academic interventionist.

November

In November, we celebrated the kids’ birthday #thetwinsturnten

We also went ax throwing with friends, hung out with family, and went to KC for Thanksgiving.

December

In December, the kids visited Santa, and let me take their pics for our Christmas card.

Basketball started and both kids are excited to be on the same team as their best friends.

Holiday parties

Cousin Christmas

Christmas at home in Kentucky.

2019 has been a great year. I’m thankful for two happy, active, (mostly) kind kids who love school. Travis and I are blessed with jobs we love. We have awesome family and friends, and we love our neighborhood and community.

All these pics remind me of why I’m forever tired, but also why we are so very blessed.

High five to 2019 and cheers to 2020.

Don’t forget to check out Andrea’s Friday Favorites and have a great weekend.

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Holidays

Christmas(es) Wrap Up and Elf on the Shelf Part 2

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy day after Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones.

Our Christmas routine was a little different this year. We usually write a note to Santa for Red (the elf) to deliver asking Santa to come a few days early since we usually go to Louisville to see Trav’s family and then on to KC to see my family. This year, we decided to stay home rather than go to KC. I rarely miss a Christmas there, but having some down time at home was needed and we were just there for Thanksgiving.

Anyway, my brother and his family were going to KC, so we had a Cousin Christmas before they left. We had them over on Saturday night for apps, lasagna/salad/rolls, and then cookie decorating.

Hadley helped me set the table which I really appreciated.

FYI–friendly reminder that social media life is made up of filters…I’ve been using Ellery Designs filters that I purchased on Etsy from LouMarks Photo, and they certainly brighten up most photos!

We just buy gifts for the kids, and they are always excited to open up the gifts!

After dinner, we decorated cookies. There are so many talented cookie decorators in town, and I tried a new one…8 cookies with icing and sprinkles for $15 from One Smart Cookie.

They had fun decorating with minimal fighting over the icing and sprinkles!

Every year, we make a calendar for family members, and we always get a Christmas pic for December. Now that the family members have received their calendars, we can share these pics that we snapped all the way back on December 1st!

All the kids are getting so big!

On December 23rd (Christmas Eve Eve), we went to Louisville for Trav’s family Christmas. Here are all the cousins and Trav’s mom.

On Christmas Eve, we headed to church. After church, we drove and saw a house that goes all out on their lights, and then came home. Once home, the kids got in their pjs, exchanged gifts they picked out for each other, and put cookies and milk out for Santa. Then, they went out in the front yard to sprinkle reindeer food, so Santa could find his way!

Christmas morning, the kids were up at 7:00. Hayden was up first and then woke up Hadley. We opened presents, had breakfast, called family to wish them a Merry Christmas and hung out. Santa brought Hadley a bike that she was dying to try out, so we took Homer for a walk while the kids rode their bikes. The 60 degree day was perfect for bike riding and walking Homer.

For dinner, I made my first ever ham, and we had green bean casserole, twice baked potato casserole, and rolls. Then, for dessert, I made Shay’s Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake. So delish!

Peppermint mocha bundt cake

While we missed seeing our KC family, we had a nice day and evening at home.

Elf on the Shelf Part 2

After I posted about what our elf, Red, has been up to, Red was #Homered. Hadley screamed so loud, I thought Homer either brought another dead bird in the house or he had Red. Well, he had gotten ahold of Red. Hadley cried and was afraid he wasn’t going to be able to fly. Hayden remained calm. haha. The next morning, they were pleasantly surprised that Red’s elf friends helped him feel better.

Red also played Hangman, got stuck in a lantern and decorated it with stickers, drew on our family photo,and left snowmen donuts for breakfast.

The last few evenings with Red, he left the reindeer food, the book The Night Before Christmas and then sat in the tree, so he could watch the kids open presents on Christmas morning.

Side note: when we had the cousins over, Hadley made the board say “Merry Christmas.” I’m just now noticing she left out the “I” haha

It’s always nice for Red to pay a visit and keep tabs on behavior, but I’m sure he’s always happy to head back to the North Pole when Christmas is over….especially for the fear of being #Homered again. haha

I’m going to enjoy the Christmas decorations for a couple more days, and then it’s time to get the house back to normal.

I hope you had a great Christmas. As always, thanks for reading!

Have a great day,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Holidays, Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

I can’t believe there are only two days until Christmas. I thought I’d share what I plan on making for breakfast Christmas morning! (+ a few other holiday recipes)

Christmas morning breakfast

Most years, I make Monkey Bread and use the recipe linked below. It’s a hit with the kids and the adults!

Monkey Bread

Some years I make bacon and eggs to go along with the Monkey Bread, but this year, I thought I’d try Mix and Match Mama’s Cheesy Egg and Bacon Bites.

Cheesy Egg and Bacon Bites

The sweet of the monkey bread and the savory of egg bites should pair perfectly with some fresh fruit (and a mimosa for mom and dad!)

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Since I will be making the above menu, I won’t make the Easy Breakfast Casserole that I often make on Christmas morning, but I thought I’d share anyway!

This is such an easy recipe, and it tastes so good. When I’ve made this in the past, it makes enough for the four of us to have it for breakfast for two to three days!

Breakfast casserole

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Bites

A few of our neighbors got together recently, and I wanted to try a new appetizer recipe. I searched Pinterest for phyllo shell/goat cheese bites and found this awesome recipe. The touch of pomegranate and sprinkle of thyme helped make it a festive dish to share.

Pomegranate Goat Cheese Bites

Holiday Cocktail

My brother and his family came over for a little pre-Christmas get together, and I served an easy (and one of my favorite) drinks. I’m no bartender, so it’s a splash of this and that.

Fill your glass with lots of ice, two glugs (told you, I’m not a bartender) of vodka, fill the rest of the glass with Cranberry Ginger Ale (some years I can find the diet kind…but not this year), squeeze of lime, and cranberries to garnish.

In warmer months, I often do ice, vodka , lime, and Fresca. So refreshing.

Reindeer Food 

A night or two before Christmas Eve our elf brings the kids some Reindeer Food for them to sprinkle on the lawn Christmas Eve night. This way, Santa will know the way to our house! I think our elf found this poem on Pinterest years ago, and he attaches it to a bag of reindeer food (oatmeal + glitter).

Sprinkle on your lawn at night 

The moon will make it sparkle bright 

As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam 

This will guide them 

To your home. 

Reindeer food arrived at our house this morning.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Holidays

Christmas card photos

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Yeah! It’s Friday. Today is my last day of school for a couple of weeks…which definitely makes today my favorite day of the week.

A favorite holiday tradition is giving and receiving holiday cards. Unfortunately, I do think it’s a tradition that’s on the decline. In the past, annual holiday cards were a way to keep up with friends and family. Now, we have social media to take care of that. I hope this is a tradition that never truly fades and maybe hits an upswing again in the future. That being said, I thought I’d share our holiday pics and card for this year.

Every year, I think I will have my act together for a family photo for our holiday cards. I’ve always wanted to go to a Christmas tree farm for a family pic, but time escapes us. So, instead what happens is I use my phone to snap a few photos while crossing my fingers that the kids cooperate. This year, Hayden insisted that we include Homer. Surprisingly, we were home in thirty minutes or less and everyone (mostly) behaved.

Here are our holiday pics this year!

Homer is very good at posing!
Sis is growing up right before our very eyes!
Big Boo status

One of our holiday cards this year! I usually have two types printed because it’s always so hard for me to choose!

Flashback Friday

T E N years ago, this was our Christmas card. I can’t believe it. (I still have these ornament boxes, but I don’t make the kids lounge in them anymore. haha)

Don’t forget to check out Erika, Narci, and Andrea’s Friday Favorites posts.

From our family to yours, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Have a great weekend!

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Holidays

Elf on the shelf

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

We’ve had our elf since 2012, and the kids still get excited for his return. When he first arrived at our house, the kids were three years old. When I asked what they wanted to name him, they went with the obvious and decided to name him Red.

His return date varies but it’s usually some time after December 1st. 25 days (or less) of Red is all the excitement we can handle. By the way, we know it’s him when he returns because a few years ago, Red wanted to be like Santa and glued a cotton ball to his cap. A little puff of cotton still remains on his cap!

Red brings the kids a few things and is up to some silly antics, but there’s no bad behavior from Red.

Here’s what Red as been up to….

The first morning that Red arrives, he brings a little note to mark his return. I gave the kids the chocolate advent calendars from Trader Joe’s.

The second morning, Red brought wish lists for the kids. It’s always fun to see what they write down for “want, need, wear, read.” Red takes those lists back to the North Pole, but the kids know the lists help family members get ideas for what they’d like as well.

Red also wrapped himself as a Hershey’s Kiss, celebrated Taco Tuesday, hung upside down by the tree, and ate a few of Homer’s Christmas treats!

Red also made a heart out of candy canes, took a bath in marshmallows, and hung an ornament on one of our Christmas tree decorations.

Yesterday morning, Red took a selfie while sitting on our mantle! Hadley laughed when she saw him, and said, “He does that every year!” Hayden then said, “HOW does he do that?!”

This memory popped up on my Facebook memories, and it’s the sweetest. There were even two videos, one of each kid, talking to Red about what they’d like for him to tell Santa (Ho Ho) what they wanted for Christmas.

2012 – the first year Red came to visit!

It’s always so fun and so sweet to see Christmas through a child’s eyes. I hope they maintain their innocence for as long as possible.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Memes

December Monday Memes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

It’s already Monday…and a five day work week…BUT winter break is right around the corner. I thought I’d keep it simple on this Monday and share my monthly memes that make me laugh out loud.

Like most everyone, I’m juggling all the things–school, science projects (ugh!), holiday parties, school parties, Christmas cards, grocery shopping, kids’ activities, Christmas shopping, etc (with the help of Travis), but I still feel like this is me…

I still cherish my “me” time in the morning. I get up 45 minutes before the rest of the crew to have some quiet time. Now, I enjoy my coffee with the lights of the Christmas tree which makes getting up a little easier. Peace. Quiet. Coffee. Repeat.

Holiday humor 😂

I’ve seen this meme a few times and it always makes me laugh! To be honest, Travis is as helpful as I need him to be. He knows I like making a list, getting a plan, making sure each kid has the same amount of presents, etc…but he really will wait for what I may need help with like picking up gifts here and there. Also, he’s usually in charge of getting the best deals on the bigger items. Even with all his help, the meme still cracks me up.

I saw this meme last year, and, again, laughed out loud!

No offense to anyone named Susan 😉 I’m definitely living day to day at this point.

I’ve always loved this cartoon. So funny.

That’s it for this Monday’s post! I hope you have a great week! #survivalmode

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#11}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday the 13th! We made it through another week. This week was out of sorts for us with both myself and Travis being sick for a couple of days. Thankfully, we seem to be somewhat back to normal. **Also, if you receive the email version of my blogs, sorry for the typos in yesterday’s post…#Englishteachernono #Iblamemyfever

As always, with Friday Favorites, I’m linking up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea, so check out their Friday Favorites too.

FAVORITE PIC

I had a hard time choosing a favorite pic for the week…we had a busy weekend filled with so much fun, but then a bust of a week with not much (for me) going on. This pic of Hadley with her cookies was definitely one of my favorites. We had a great time together at the cookie decorating class. She’s just old enough where she knows what she’s doing, needs a little bit of my help, and it’s actually a stress free activity!

FAVORITE KID QUOTE

Last Friday, the kids went with me to Kroger for a few things. Hayden loves Cliff bars and was excited they had a new gingerbread version. He took it with him to eat before his soccer game. After the game, we went to Trav’s work Christmas party and Hayden was starving. As we were walking into the party, I saw he was still eating the Cliff bar. He said, “Is it tacky to bring my own food to this party ?” I just thought it was funny he even used the word tacky!

FAVORITE CLOTHING ITEM

It’s that time of the year when I bring out my favorite sweatshirt to wear! I bought it a couple of years ago on Etsy.

FAVORITE FOOD

This week, my favorite foods have mostly been crackers and Sprite 😂 but I do love the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s. Perfect for this time of the year . Chocolate and peppermint. What’s not to love?

FAVORITE MOMENT

It’s difficult to choose just one favorite moment with Christmas parties, basketball games, a cookie decorating class, and Southern Lights tradition, but we started last weekend off right by ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. It was nice to see the generosity of the community, and I was thrilled that the kids actually wanted to take part in this effort!

FAVORITE MOM MEME

#truth

This time of the year, combine being a teacher with being a parent, and I’m not sure anyone is listening to a single word I say. haha

Thanks so much for reading. I know the holidays can be difficult for a variety of reasons…pressure of buying gifts, financial strain, attending all the events, celebrating the holiday after the loss of a loved one or while facing a difficult diagnosis. The list goes on and on. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the social media world and see all the fun, glitz, and glam, but just know, if I posted five days a week, the other two days would be what a hot mess we are around here!

Also, I’m far away from my family this holiday…so I get it. Life isn’t always picture perfect. Thoughts and prayers to those who need them during this holiday season.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea