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Let’s Look

Posted on February 14, 2024February 25, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Valentine’s Day!

While we don’t do much for Valentine’s Day…when it’s on a Wednesday when we have school and then sports in the evening, we really don’t do much!

When I was planning dinners this week, I knew that last night would be our only weeknight dinner together for the week, so I asked the kids their favorites to have for dinner. So, last night we had salmon (Hadley’s fave) with Bob Evans mashed potatoes while Hayden enjoyed some wings from Wing Zone 😆

This morning, I made the kids cinnamon swirl crumb cake for breakfast. Nothing says, “I love you” like cake for breakfast. Tonight, I will give them them a few gifts and Trav his card.

Anyway, I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

In January, we looked at how we clean our closets.

This month’s topic is let’s look…little things we do every single day.

I feel like I do a million little things every single day. Here’s a quick list:

Morning coffee
Light candles
Read
Respond to texts and emails
Pack my lunch
Skin care – AM and PM
Brush teeth – AM and PM
Make the bed
Charge my phone, Apple watch, computer
Remind kids of what needs to be done – homework, practices, other details like who is picking them up from practices, check grades, etc.
Kiss everyone goodbye as I leave for school.
Update the notes app on my phone for my daily and weekly to do’s
Read blogs
Tidy up
Bible study
Let Homer out 10 times (fill up his food and water bowl) (Of course, I’m not the only one in the house to do this)
Petting/snuggling with Homer
Drive kids around
Get the mail
Order things – Target pick up, Amazon, etc.
Returns to UPS and other errands (depending on the day)
Water house plants
Refill my water tumbler
Tidy up
Make dinner
Prepare coffee pot for morning coffee
Clean up dinner
House chores: dishes, dishwasher, laundry
Depending on the day–meal plan and place Kroger order
Shower
Shave my legs
Tidy up
Tell everyone goodnight /kiss on the cheek
Set alarm to wake up

Did you notice that I included “tidy up” in there a few times? That’s one of my “tricks” for not feeling completely overwhelmed during the week…I try to stay on top of keeping the house in order. Thankfully, Travis is very much that way too.

Of course, this doesn’t even include school where I update planner/calendar, write agenda and learning targets on the board, make copies, turn on flat panel and upload lessons, check Canvas, do hall and bathroom duty, prepare lessons, send and answer emails, write hall passes, answer the phone, oh…and teach!

I’m sure I’m forgetting some little things from my day, but those were ones that quickly popped in my mind.

What about you? What are a few little things you do every day?

Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: February 2024

Posted on February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

It’s time for another Share Our Lives post with some of my favorite bloggers.

In January, we discussed introductions and jobs we’ve had.

This month’s topic is…how we met our significant other or best friend.

…This post is just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Here’s how I met T-rav:

When Travis graduated college, he worked for UK’s Athletic department, and after a few years he moved to Columbia, Missouri to work for Mizzou Athletics. It was a step up from what he was doing but also not too far from home.

Anyway, he moved to Columbia in 2001.

I met Travis that fall. I was in my last year of college and University of Missouri. I was working part time in the ticket office, and that was his full time job.

My friend who also worked in the ticket office also thought he was cute. We liked his accent…haha

Anyway, we crossed paths at work quite a few times and would see each other out at bars. (Oh to be 21 again!) He asked me on a date and said he’d call me the next day. Well, I’d dated a bit in college and knew I’d at least see him again at work or that maybe he’d call the next evening. He called me (on the house phone!) early the next morning. This already made him stand out in my book.

Our first date was going for a jog that afternoon on the MK-T trail which is a popular outdoor spot in Columbia. I actually was a jogger back then.

Since this was 2001, and athleisure wasn’t all the rage, I remember stressing and asking my roommates what to wear. I wanted to look cute but also able to jog…haha

He picked me up in his silver Honda Civic, and we headed to the trail. We jogged briefly, and I then told him I couldn’t run and talk at the same time…and he casually dropped the fact that he ran for UK in college on me. Oh geez!

Anyway, after the jog, we went to eat an early dinner at an Italian place called Bambinos and then hung out for a while afterwards.

I remember being nervous about possibly seeing him at work on Monday, but didn’t see him. Then, he called me that evening, and I told him I wasn’t feeling well. I ended up with a high fever, and was pretty sick. He brought me Gatorade and a People magazine because at some point we’d talked about my love for celebrity gossip.

To this day, he takes care of me. I think I’m a pretty independent person, but at this point in my life when I feel like I’m taking care of everyone, I appreciate it even more when he steps in and takes care of things or me.

Anyway, we hit it off and hung out quite a bit moving forward.

I think this is the first pic we have together…it’s at my parents’ house…and I think it’s around my birthday in January 2002.

Our relationship wasn’t perfect then (we even broke up once or twice…that’s a story for another day…but the breakups were always short-lived), and it’s still not perfect now…but I think we are pretty perfect for each other.

The fact that Valentine’s Day is in a couple of days is timely for a running joke we have. Every year he asks me how many years we’ve been valentines…and I say the number of years but then remind him it would be one more if we hadn’t broken up in February of 2002 (only to get back together in March of that year).

We got engaged in May of 2004 and married in June 2005.

I’m really grateful to have found “my person” while I was pretty young, but I also know we aren’t the people we were back then. Although, I always say that he really is the same guy I met. I’m the one who has probably changed a bit more…but I know that’s a part of life too…and I’m grateful that he loves me through the ups and downs of life.

We’ve definitely come a long way and are very blessed:

So, that’s our story!

Next month’s topic is 5 items you can’t live without…

I hope you have a great week. Mine is a really busy one at school and in the evenings. I hope to have a couple more posts this week.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#194}

Posted on February 9, 2024February 9, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, I think we’re getting back into a groove with another full week of school under our belts. The routine is good for us, and we’ve had spring like temps this week…which makes me almost wish it was March!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

In last week’s Friday Favorites post, I shared that my nephew was running in an Olympic qualifying marathon race in Orlando.

Trav and the kids flew there Thursday night along with other family members.

I’m sure Jacob felt the love and support!

It was a hot one in Orlando, and Jacob has had a nagging hip injury which unfortunately bothered him enough to pull out of the race around mile 16. I can only imagine what it must feel like to train for something, put your whole heart and effort into something, to “fall short” on the big day.

I truly hope he knows how proud we all are of him!

His brother snapped this pic during the race:

The kids and Trav had fun cheering him on. Of course, we wished for him, that he could have run a strong, injury free, race.

While the kids and Travis were away, I had a mix of downtime and productivity.

On Friday night, I got a hot stone massage thanks to a Christmas gift card from Travis and the kids. It was great!

I came home, had a shower, ate a baked potato for dinner, and watched reality TV. I really know how to party!

On Saturday, I made a stop at a nearby cupcake place that I never go to…and picked up a couple of cupcakes. I ate half of each for dessert Saturday night, and then decided to throw caution to the wind and enjoy the other halves while sipping my Sunday morning coffee.

My friend came over for a couple hours on Saturday and a couple hours on Sunday to wallpaper Hadley’s room. I was basically moral support…she definitely knew what she was doing!

On Sunday, I started All the Light We Cannot See, and I was hooked. I enjoyed the book, and I loved this limited series….even though there were differences between the book and the series. I finished the last episode last night.

Jennifer shared how she changes her phone background seasonally, and I took her advice, and headed to Pinterest to find a back ground…and then added one of the photos of the kids to it…and it fits my phone background perfectly now.

Listen, I never know about some of these days unless Facebook tells me, but I do love National Girls and Women in Sports Day. I wasn’t much of an athlete, but I love that Hadley is. She’s tried a bit of everything…always with a competitive spirit and a smile on her face. I love watching both of the kids do what they love.

How cute are these flowers from Trader Joe’s? They would be the prefect Valentine’s Day gift for someone if your Trader Joe’s has them.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Sunday is a big day around here! Go Chiefssss!

Favorite Kid Quote:

On Sunday evening, the kids were asking if they had to go to school on Monday. Well, of course they did (especially after missing school on Friday). Anyway, they said they needed to rest because they were jet lagged 😆

Last time I checked, Orlando is in the same time zone as Lexington!

Sharing Our Lives:

Our new Share Our Lives link up is on Monday. This month’s topic is perfect for Valentine’s Day. We’d love to have you join us.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

So, this week was the deadline for baby/toddler pics for 8th graders for the yearbook. Also, I took a stroll down memory lane looking for basketball pics of Hayden for the upcoming 8th grade night.

Needless to say, Hayden didn’t care what pic I chose…and would definitely have been content for me not to turn in any pics.

Hadley chose this one…even with the spaghetti on her face. haha

…so I chose this one of Hayden that was taken by my aunt the same time as the pic of Hadley. We were visiting KC and celebrating my dad’s 60th birthday.

Weekly Recap:

I had two posts this week:

Prime Purchases

Currently

What are your weekend plans? Saturday is busy with Hadley’s volleyball tournament and cotillion, and then on Sunday, we’ll be watching the Super Bowl and cheering for the Chiefs.

See you back here on Monday!

Currently

Posted on February 7, 2024February 6, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

How is your week going? Mine is off to a good start…but guess what I did yesterday…for probably only the second time in 22 years of getting up for school…I forgot to set my alarm!

I have a daily alarm set for 7:15 to start fussing at the kids if they aren’t awake, and that’s what woke me up because I guess I forgot to set my 6:00 alarm.

You know how I love my morning quiet time…and I swear that my whole day was thrown off yesterday because I had to hit the ground running.

Anyway, today I’m linking up with Jennifer for this month’s Currently post.

Here’s what I am currently:

Loving:

I’ve been loving a few self-care things I’ve been using recently including the Jergens essential oil sticks (Sleep and Awaken) as well as collagen eye gels:

Sunny days have been just what I’ve needed. I love a couple of months of winter, but I didn’t realize how much I needed to see the sunshine until our temps warmed up and we’ve had a string of sunny days.

Looking forward to:

It might sound crazy, but I’m looking forward to a weekend full of activities. While one weekend without activities was fine, I’m excited to watch Hadley get back on the volleyball court this weekend.

It’s also cotillion weekend. This weekend is the third of four dances. It’s a more casual theme: Hawaiian:Malibu Mingle.

I’m looking forward to seeing the kids dressed up again.

Also, we’re definitely looking forward to cheering on the Chiefs this Sunday while watching the Super Bowl!

I don’t want to jinx it by typing this out, but of course we’re hoping for a win.

Also, I always look forward to a three day weekend, and Presidents’ Day is circled on the calendar. There’s no better feeling than no school on a Monday!

Doing to be romantic:

While it’s not the most romantic thing, I’ve already purchased Trav’s Valentine’s Day card. We typically go to dinner at some point around Valentine’s Day. We’ll see what we have time to do.

Also, sometimes we feel like our schedule is all about the kids. I’d like to make a point to maybe go on a breakfast date once a month…or hit up a coffee shop. Amy shared a reel with me about Lexington coffee shops, and I haven’t been to any of them. So, my goal in February is to find time to go to one of those with Travis.

Changing:

We’ve been changing up Hadley’s room, and it looks amazing. The wallpaper came in last week, and my friend helped me put it up this past weekend while Hadley was gone. Really, she did all the work! I’m just waiting on one more thing to arrive for her wall, and we are finished for now.

She definitely has a teenage room ready for high school!

Celebrating:

…Valentine’s Day next week. Again, we don’t do much to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but I always buy Trav and the kids a box of chocolates. I usually get the kids a couple of things and Travis and I exchange cards.

I’m not sure what I’m getting Hayden…besides another Gatorade bottle because he lost yet another one…but let me know if you have any ideas for teen boys.,

For Hadley, she really wanted Lego flowers for her room, so I got her those to put in a vase along with a new Stanley…because apparently, my kids can’t keep up with water bottles.

This year, with Valentine’s Day on a Wednesday, both kids have activities that evening. I still might try to fix some of their favorites for dinner which has been a tradition the past couple of years.

What about you? What are you currently loving, looking forward to, doing to be romantic, changing, and celebrating?

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

Amazon

Prime Purchases

Posted on February 5, 2024February 4, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Mine was low key but productive….because Trav and the kids were in Orlando for my nephew’s race. They left on Thursday evening and got back last night.

What does one do with 72 hours to herself, you ask?! I had a good mix of downtime (massage, reading, Netflix) and productivity (work, errands, and helping my friend help me with the wallpaper for Hadley’s room).

It was really odd having the house to myself for three nights. Well, of course, Homer kept me company, but it was still too quiet!

Anyway, today is one of my favorite link ups, and I appreciate Tanya for hosting it every month.

This meme made me laugh…It’s very relatable!

My purchases this month include a couple of things for Hadley, an assortment of things for me, and one random purchase that Travis had.

Hadley:

If you have a teenage girl, you know their love for gold hoop earrings runs deep! As Hadley started to organize her new vanity, she wanted a place for her jewelry. She found this stackable jewelry container.

She’s put one of the trays to good use:

Hadley received UGG slippers and a couple of people suggested this protector spray. We’d like these slippers to last as long as possible…and, again, if you have a teen, you know they don’t just wear the slippers around the house!

Me:

In the winter, I don’t wear booties as often as I used to….I mostly where flats, and I have a favorite leopard pair from Walmart and another tan pair from Kohls that I wear the most. I’ve had them for years, and wanted a black pair to add into the mix. These have been great so far…nice and comfy. My regular size 9 fit, and they come in so many colors.

I bought these collagen eye gels, and I loved them. I’ve already used them all. I have an order of the ones I typically use on the way. You get more for your money with the gold ones, but I will definitely keep the marine collagen ones in the mix.

I don’t use a big wallet, so I wanted a place to hold my change and what little cash I typically have. When I searched for “coin purse,” this cute one popped up, and I couldn’t resist it. It’s around $7 and comes in soooo many cute pattern options.

I saw Amber Massey (@masseya) share these Jergen essential oil sticks, and I wanted to give them a try.

I use Awaken in the morning…

…and Sleep at night before bed.

I just enjoy the subtle scent that each one has, and it’s an easy part of my morning and evening routine to put a little on my wrists and neck.

I ordered more of my favorite Vitamin C serum.

I like to wear rings on my right hand, but don’t have a “go to” ring. I thought this stack was so cute…and they are. I mix and match and wear three at a time on my right hand ring finger.

I just wear them during the day….so I don’t workout, shower, or sweat in them, but they’ve been the perfect daytime ring…and for around $12, they definitely do the trick. (They come in gold and silver too)

Trav:

Travis needed a new shower head for his shower, and this is the one he ordered. Now, the water pressure in his bathroom is much better.

So…that’s what I “Primed” this month….something for everyone!…except Hayden who is pretty low maintenance these days. 😆

I hope you have a great start to your week,

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

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#193}

Posted on February 2, 2024February 1, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Shew! We made it through a five day week.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last Friday, I helped supervise a field trip to BCTC (Bluegrass Community and Technical College) for students interested in dual credit opportunities. It was really interesting, and I loved walking around the campus…and of course I enjoyed visiting the bookstore.

On Friday night, while Hadley was at a birthday party, Trav and I thought it would be nice to go out to dinner and let Hayden choose. Well, of all the places, he chose Texas Roadhouse. I think the basketball team had it as one of their meals (burgers and rolls), and the rolls really left an impression on him.

We had a nice dinner, and left with a to go order of rolls.

Hadley had volleyball all weekend, and she was on a different team (a mix of her friends and other teammates). This tournament had some tough competition and around 30 teams. Her team was one game short of the silver bracket…

…but they won the 3rd place bracket on Sunday. We really enjoyed watching this team play.

Their championship game ended right as the Chiefs game was starting…so we hurried over to my brother’s house, per tradition. Hayden was already there. He didn’t come to Hadley’s Sunday games because he didn’t want to risk missing a single minute of the AFC Championship game.

We are so excited to cheer for our Chiefs on Super Bowl Sunday.

Sunday morning, I made chicken tetrazzini for dinner, so we’d only have to warm it up after the Chiefs game. While I was at Hadley’s volleyball games, I texted Hayden to put the lid on the casserole dish that I’d left out on the counter.

When we came home to have dinner, this is what I found in the fridge:

(This is not the lid that I left out for him to use…haha!)

It’s hard for me to get action shots, so I’m thankful for a teammate of Hayden’s dad and the pics he takes:

Our nephew is running in an Olympic qualifying marathon race this weekend, and my friend’s daughter’s girl scout troop was practicing etiquette and made him cards…they were so sweet!

Last night, I had a nice sushi dinner with a friend that I don’t get to see often enough! It was so nice to catch up.

Favorite Kid Quote:

While Hadley is usually my more quick-witted child (she gets that from me ;), the other night Hayden said something funny.

I was in bed reading, and Travis was too. Hayden came in to tell us goodnight, and without missing a beat, he said, “Dad, you are reading?! Uh…you are not mom!”

It’s a pretty rare sighting to see Trav with a book. haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

One word: teenagers!

Weekly Recap:

I had another full week of blogging thanks to Bloganuary:

Speaking of blogging…I might scale back on my blogging schedule and try three days a week for a bit. I really want to find a bit more time to read and also feel less scheduled every minute of the day…and maybe taking out a blog post or two a week will help with that for now. I have a feeling I will continue to post on Mondays and Fridays and then another day (or two) in between.

What are your weekend plans? My weekend is starting off with a hot stone massage, and I can’t wait!

I’ll be back on Monday with my Amazon purchases for the month.

Health and Fitness

Workout Diaries: January 2024

Posted on February 1, 2024January 31, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy February 1st!

November and December always feel like the most hectic months of the year for me, but I still try to get some workouts in as much as possible.

With the start of the new year, I really wanted to start tracking my workouts, and Bodi had printable that I thought would be fun to use for 2024.

I don’t know if I will recap my workouts every month, but knowing I was going to share my January workouts was some accountability for me this month.

I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m pretty motivated, for now anyway, to color in the day on my 2024 Bodi workout calendar.

I was bummed to start January off sick…so I really didn’t get started with consistent workouts until Monday, January 8th….like it really bothers me that the “J” has no days filled in. Oh well, I guess it is what it is.

Here are my workouts this month:

January 8th: Job One -HIIT It

January 10th: 21 Day Fix Real Time – Dirty 30

January 11: 21 Day Fix Real Time– Upper Fix
January 13: 21 Day Fix Real Time – Lower Fix

Then, I really picked up the pace with a solid streak of workouts. It helped that Hayden’s basketball games hadn’t started yet, so we had more free evenings.

January 15: 21 Day Fix Real Time: Cardio Fix
January 16: Job One: 20 Minute Sweat Session
January 17: 21 Day Fix: Total Body Cardio
January 18: Upper Body Fire 1

January 19: Restorative Flow 1
January 20: Lower Body Fire 1
January 23: Job One– HIIT It
January 24th: 21 Day Fix Real Time: Dirty 30
January 27: Job One: Legs
January 30: Sure Thing: Body weight Burnout
January 31: Sure Thing: Strength and Stability

Also, I did walk one day bringing my total to 16 workouts this month. I’d love to always workout five days a week, but during busier times, four is a reasonable goal I think for me.

I’m still a big fan of Bodi…can you tell? It’s still the easiest thing for me to go to my basement and get a 20-40 minute workout in depending on what I have time to complete. While I like following a program from beginning to end, it was fun to pick and choose workouts that I’m familiar with in January.

I’m glad I have a solid plan…because the Girl Scout cookies we ordered just arrived on our doorstep a couple of nights ago!

What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on January 31, 2024January 30, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy last day of January!

I’ve seen lots of memes, like this one, suggesting that January feels like the longest month, and while I agree, I still think it’s one of my favorite months. January provides a bit slower pace, it’s my birthday month, and we usually have a snow day (or five!)

Y’all, I did it. I blogged for the entire month of January for the WordPress Bloganuary challenge. While I knew I’d continue with my regular content, I did end up finding other things to write about, but I didn’t use many of the WordPress prompts. That’s ok though…I still liked writing about a little bit of everything this month.

Thanks for reading my posts…including the weekend ones!

I don’t do it often, but today I’m linking up with Shaeffer and Shay for What’s Up Wednesday.

What we are eating this week:

This week we are having:

Sunday: Chicken tetrazzini and green beans. (I got the recipe thanks to @myteacherface on Insta)
Monday: Sunday leftovers and bagged Caesar salad
Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Muffins, Bob Evans potatoes and fruit (Please note: Hadley said the meatloaf muffins were “bussin” (and that’s a compliment from my picky eater!)…Also, next time, I will double the recipe to make more)
Wednesday: Beefy cheese soup
Thursday: I’m having dinner out with a friend!
Friday and Saturday: Mama doesn’t cook on the weekend!

What I’m reminiscing about:

Valentine’s Day pics through the years. Since the kids were babies, I always got a Valentine’s Day or snow day pic to use for Valentine’s Day cards for family. It’s getting harder and harder to get one of these pics with kids going in opposite directions, but I’m hoping to get a pic of them this week, so I can order my cards.

What we’ve been up to:

Snow days and sports!

Middle school basketball for Hayden and club volleyball for Hadley are how we are spending most of our time lately…and I love it.

What I’m dreading:

I’m currently working on our week of after school credit recovery…and it’s just overwhelming sometimes. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces of the puzzle to get into place.

What I’m excited about:

I’m loving watching Hadley play on her club volleyball team, and I can’t believe it’s Hayden’s 8th grade basketball season. I’m always excited to watch them do what they love.

I think I’ll put out my Valentine’s Day decorations this weekend.

I’m excited about finishing up Hadley’s room soon. The wallpaper arrived, so I’m hoping to get that put up soon.

We’re excited for our Chiefs to go to the Super Bowl (again!) this year.

What I’m watching/reading:

I have a couple more episodes left of both Fool Me Once and The Crown. Maybe I can finish them this weekend?!

Also, Travis and I loved The Night Agent.

Yesterday, I shared the books I read this month. Although I only read two, I’ve started off 2024 with two books that I enjoyed reading.

What I’m listening to:

I haven’t been listening to much of anything – besides whatever is on the car radio. I did catch a couple of episodes of the “Amy and T.J”…and basically I was just being nosy.

What I’m wearing:

I haven’t taken any pics of school outfits, but I’m slaying my casual outfits.

I’m still loving my cardigan from Walmart that I wear around the house.

My mirror is dirty, but I’ve loved wearing my favorite cardigan with leggings and over-sized t-shirt for long days watching the kids play sports.

I’m still loving my new zip-up sweater/sweatshirt jacket from Amazon. I like that my regular size large works with jeans or leggings, but I also think a medium would have worked.

I’ve worn it out to dinner, to school, and out running errands, so it’s definitely a win in my book.

As you can tell from the photos above, I’m really loving the Air Maxes that Travis got me for Christmas.

And…I’m still loving my new Lululemon bag!

What I’m doing this weekend:

I’m looking forward to a low-key weekend. I’m having dinner with a friend, using a gift card for a massage, planning on getting the house in order, and hopefully finishing The Crown and Fool Me Once.

What I’m looking forward to next month:

More possible snow days?! haha

Then, once it’s March, I’m ready for spring and the countdown to summer!

What’s up with you lately?

Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: January 2024

Posted on January 30, 2024January 29, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I always like to have a reading goal for the year, and the past couple of years that goal has been to read 40 books. In 2022, I read 41 books, and last year I read 38. So, 40 books a year is a good average for me .

I’m off to a slow start in January, but I liked both the books I read this month.

This month I read:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Last Love Note:

Summary:

Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor.

Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who’s determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor.

When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really process her grief and see what’s right in front of her. Can she let go of the love of her life and risk her heart a second time?

When it becomes clear that Hugh is hiding a secret, Kate turns to the trail of scribbled notes she once used to hold her life together. The first note captured her heart. Will the last note set it free?

Quick Notes:

I’d never even heard of this book, but Shay mentioned her book club that she was starting, and this was the first book.

I really enjoyed it. It had a little bit of everything: sadness, hope, love, and happiness.

Rating:

All the Light We Cannot See:

Summary:

Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the stunningly beautiful instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Quick Notes:

This book has been on my list for a while, and when I saw that the drama series was on Netflix, I bumped it to the top of my list. I didn’t want to watch the series before finishing the book.

I enjoy historical fiction books, and this one fits the bill. I loved reading about Marie-Laure and Werner’s lives and how the story goes back and forth between each one. This is definitely a long read, but it’s worth it. I can’t wait to watch the series now.

Rating:

I’m hoping to pick up my reading pace in February. Do you typically set a reading goal every year?

Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on January 29, 2024January 28, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? From volleyball to basketball to a big Chiefs win, ours was pretty good!

Did you catch my Saturday and Sunday posts?

I can’t believe the month of January is almost over. Of course, I have to share a few memes that made me laugh this month.

Oh I used to love playing MASH when I was a kid. If only I lived in a mansion as an adult…my childhood dreams would come true!

My basement clean up on our recent snow day reminded me how great it is to complete a task that’s been on my list…but I will probably learn nothing from this. haha