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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

Can you tell that I’m back to work with these next two memes?

So many emails that I need to get to!

Fun fact about me: I love to chop up veggies.

ha!

I have no self-control when there’s just one more cookie or bite of a donut!

I do the same when meeting someone new. I immediately forget their name.

I hope these memes get your week started off with a laugh or two.

Inspiration

Pinned on Pinterest

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

Hello and happy Sunday!

Do you use Pinterest? I use it pretty often, but I mostly use it for meal and baking ideas.

With 4,545 pins on my Pinterest boards, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things that I have…

I’m sharing a few favorite boards as well as some of my favorite pins for those boards.

Yum-O Recipes:

I turn to this board quite a bit for dinner ideas. I try to plan healthy-ish dinners, but this board has lots of yummy meals.

A few recipes that I make fairly often are:

Ritz Chicken Casserole

Cheeseburger Biscuits

and…Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

I want to try this Lazy Enchilada dish. I’ve made something similar before, but I don’t think it had refried beans like this one does. Yum!

Reading Quotes:

Who doesn’t love a reading quote?

Some of my favorite are:

Delish Desserts:

I like to make desserts whenever possible. Last year, I made a dessert once a month, and that was fun to do. Some desserts I make are more seasonal like apple and pumpkin recipes in the fall.

Here are a few of the favorite desserts I’ve made:

Oven Baked S’mores

Apple Cider Donut Cake

I want to try these Peanut Butter Brownies.

Kids’ Room:

It’s funny to think that this board spans years of kids’ room ideas…from toddler to teens! We’ve pinned some things this past year to prep for ideas for Hadley’s room refresh.

These two pics were inspiration for ideas for her room…

This one and…

…this one.

{P.S. I’m just waiting on wallpaper, and then I hope to share Hadley’s room update.}

Who knows if Hayden will ever let me update his room, but I really like this room:

House & Home:

Once we moved into this house almost ten years ago, I really started pinning ideas for updating our house. We’ve looked at this board many times as inspiration.

I love to change up our front porch seasonally, and pics like this one serve as inspiration.

One day, I’d love to change the columns on our porch to something like these cedar ones:

This beautiful entry way hall is one I love.

I’ve been thinking about adding lanterns on either side of our primary bedroom tv. This pic serves as inspiration.

I have lots of ship lap idea photos pinned, and I love how our living room turned out when we did this update almost two years ago:

I also use this board for things like cleaning and organization:

What’s one of your favorite Pinterest boards that you have? It’s a great place to get ideas and inspiration, that’s for sure.

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#192}

Posted on January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! Well, I made it through this four day work week…It was a good one but weird. Besides getting back in the swing of things after being off for a week, my room was used for testing this week, so I was “displaced” from my room. I’m tired of carrying my stuff around. Also, the kids’ activities are in full swing, so we had some busy nights as well.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Snow! The snow we got last Thursday to Friday was so pretty.

This week, we’ve had nothing but rain, so all the snow is gone now.

“How bout those Chieeefffsss?!”

My house was pretty happy with the divisional win on Sunday…and now we get to cheer for the Chiefs in the AFC championship this weekend.

I don’t think I’ve ever made the Trader Joe’s Blondie Bars…

….but I made them last week, and they were so good. I went to Trader Joe’s this week, and I already picked up a couple more boxes.

Hadley is really loving club volleyball so far. This is our first time doing club, and while it’s a commitment, it’s pretty low key compared to other volleyball clubs. She has great coaches and has had so much fun playing with friends.

My #14!

We love watching her team play. Hayden even came for the games on Sunday 😉

These girls took 2nd in the gold bracket last weekend which is amazing!

And…it’s school basketball season for Hayden.

As he walked out the door for his first game on Monday, I kind of did a double take…Why does it look like he could drive himself there?

It’s hard to get action shots in kids’ sports…but #33 is my favorite when he’s on the court.

Favorite Kid Quote:

I told Hadley that I’d read a People magazine article about Trader Joe’s 2024 most popular products and that her favorite Chili and Lime Rolled Corn Tortillas were the favorite snack. She said, “Obviously!” haha…She does love these things.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Hadley got a new Stanley for Christmas…and lost it at volleyball tournament a couple of weekends ago. Ugh.

Weekly Recap:

I can’t believe I’ve kept up with my Bloganuary posts, but I have. Here are my posts from the past week:

Bloganuary: Kroger

Bloganuary: All About Books

Day in the Life: Snow DAy

Tuesday Talk

Bloganuary: Homer

Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? Hadley has a volleyball tournament, and of course we’ll be cheering for the Chiefs on Sunday!

I will have a Share 4 Somethings post tomorrow.

Happy Friday,

Monthly Musings

Posted on January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I’m excited to link up with Patty and Holly for the first Monthly Musing of 2024!

This month’s topic is winter self-care.

Oh I’m all about self-care…but sometimes I wish I had more time for it.

1. How do you care for yourself in the winter?

Around December, my skin starts feeling so dry. While I could use body butter all year long, I typically use it the most during the winter months.

My morning quiet time is important to me year round, but I love it in the winter months too…feels extra cozy.

Exercise is another way I take care of myself year round, but during the winter, when it feels like I’m less active outside, I try to be intentional about getting workouts in.

I also try to enjoy a less hectic pace that the new year brings.

2. How do you fight the winter blues?

Honestly, my answers to #2 go along with #1 as well….especially my quiet time and exercise. Also, it’s easy to hunker down when the weather is cold and snowy, but I try to make a point to get out and run errands, grab a cup of coffee, make dinner plans, etc.

3. Tips for making your living space cozy.

Candles make everything cozy.

Last year, I bought a set of flameless candles, and have enjoyed them year round.

Also, this year I decided to keep out my pretty trees from Walmart at least until Valentine’s Day.

4. Suggestions for winter time activities

Well, the kids play outside and sled when it snows.

Hadley had fun ice skating with friends recently.

Honestly, my winter activity, when I have time, has been catching up on tv shows I want to watch.

5. Exercise routines in the winter

My exercise routine is mostly the same as what I do year round…Bodi workouts in my basement. That being said, if the temps are mild or not too cold, I try to go for walks when I can as well.

6. Tips for restful sleep

Well, I’m a high-maintenance sleeper. I like my weighted blanket and sound machine. I still swear by Olly melatonin when needed.

Also, I’m liking this Jergen’s essential oils stick. I put a bit on my wrists and neck after my evening shower.

7. Favorite warm beverage

Hadley likes to ask to go to Starbucks on Friday after school. I’ve tried the pistachio latte recently, and I like it.

In general, coffee is my favorite warm beverage.

8. Best winter skincare tips

I find that I need body butter when my skin is dry. Also, I make sure to use a bit more moisturizer for my morning and night time skin care routine.

I also continue my monthly facial appointments, and my skin feels so hydrated afterwards.

9. Flannel sheets: yes or no?

I love flannel pjs, but I think I’d get too hot if we used flannel sheets….so no.

10. Favorite winter pjs

Well, I could probably have an “all about pjs” post.

This season, I’ve purchased three new pairs of pj’s.

These are light weight and perfect to wear without getting hot. They run big, so size down.

Last year, I donated a few pairs of pjs at the end of winter, so this year I replenished my pjs supply with two new pairs of flannel pjs…one from Walmart and one from Victoria Secret.

This is such a fun link up to kick start the year!

Blog challenge, Homer

Bloganuary 1.24.24

Posted on January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we survived the first day back. It was a good one, but we were all hungry and tired by the time we got home from school. It’s good to get back in a routine…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I saw this, and after a long day back to work, I had to laugh…

Anyway, I’m continuing on with the Bloganuary challenge…

…with this prompt today:

Before I jump into this post, I want to say, when I saw this prompt, I kind of rolled my eyes.

Last year, when I did the Bloganuary challenge, I felt like WordPress posed lots of great prompts.

I haven’t felt that way this year…but I’ve liked the “challenge” of posting every day, so I’ve shared my regular content as well as other prompts and some WordPress suggested ones.

So, I’m just going to roll with it because who doesn’t want to read about this sweet face?!

Also, I realized there hasn’t been much Homer content lately because, well, apparently when you are almost five years old, you behave…😆

No more stories of him running off (although, he still will if the front door isn’t shut all the way by accident), no more stories about him eating an entire cookie cake off the counter (but if there are crumbs on the counter, he will find them), and no more stories of him ruining pillows or shoe laces (but he will still snag a random item out of the trash can!)

Anyway, back to today’s prompt:

If we could make Homer understand one thing maybe it would be that we love him more than what’s probably normal? Actually, I think he probably knows that. We have so many nicknames for him, we all tell him goodbye when we leave, and of course he gets lots of cuddles…especially from Hadley.

So, really, I think I’d love for him to understand how helpful it would be for him to close the door when he comes inside. He asks to go out often, and then as soon as I sit down, whether it’s been three minutes or thirty, he comes inside only for me (or one of us) to have to go shut the back door. I guess we could probably teach him to nudge it closed…but it still wouldn’t be shut all the way.

Just a little dog owner “pet” peeve, I guess.

That minor inconvenience is worth it though! Just look at that face:

We feel lucky to have found Homer and have him as ours.

Blog challenge, Me

Tuesday Talk

Posted on January 23, 2024January 22, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Well, we’re finally headed back to school for the first time since January 12th! That sure is hard to believe! While I’ve enjoyed some time at home, we definitely need to get back into a routine.

Today, I’m linking up with Joanne for…

…and today I’m talking about this “by two” prompt:

Here’s an explanation for my answers:

2 things I love: Coffee and books are two things that I love. It’s been many years since I can say I haven’t had at least one cup of coffee for teh day…and I can probably say the same thing about reading.
2 names I like: When I was younger, I loved the names Lydia and Annie. It’s not that I didn’t like my name, but Jennifer was a popular name. My middle name is Ann, and sometimes I wished my name was Annie. I remember liking the name Lydia after seeing the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
2 things that scare me: I’m definitely not a fan of heights. Choking is a new fear. I actually choked a little over a year ago, and my friend saved the day with the Heimlich maneuver. Ever since then, I’m very cognizant of choking…and I’m always telling my kids to slow down when they eat! If Trav coughs, I immediately ask him if he’s choking. Like I need one more thing to worry about…haha
2 careers I’ve considered: I’ve really never considered another career besides teaching. I do wish that I’d gotten a library science degree/certification. I would love to be in a library working with kids every day. My mom worked at the public library a couple days a week after she retired. Maybe I will do that one day? Also, ever since cookie decorating became popular, I’ve thought it would be fun to do. Again, I’m not thinking about a career change…but how fun would it be to make people happy by baking and decorating cute cookies? I’ve taken a few cookie classes for fun, and a lot of hard work goes into even one cookie!
2 places I want to visit: Nantucket continues to be on my dream list to visit. I’ve been to London, but it was when I was in high school…and I really hope to go again and take the kids.
2 accounts I love: Jen Reed (@thesisterstudioig) is just the most down to Earth woman to follow. She’s happy, encouraging, and supportive and just shares so much with her followers. Brittany Garcia (@kingdomofsequins) is so fun! She always starts her stories with “Hey girl!” and just has a bubbly personality. I could definitely be friends with both of those ladies (and they are friends in real life!)
2 books I love: I took a deeper dive into books in Sunday’s “All About Books” post, and it’s difficult for me to choose two of my favorite books. That being said, Where the Crawdads Sing and Becoming Mrs. Lewis were the first two to pop into my mind.

What are two things you can tell me about yourself from this prompt?

Day in the Life

Day in the Life: Snow Day

Posted on January 22, 2024January 23, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was a good one…mostly filled with frigid temps and indoor volleyball. We capped off our weekend cheering for the CHIEFS! We are excited for that big divisional win!

Speaking of the weekend…did you catch my posts on Saturday and Sunday?

Today, I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for…

….to share…

Snow day edition…

With an actual snow day on Friday…and no “non-traditional instruction,” I just decided on a whim to capture the day. I wasn’t sure what we had in store when I woke up a little after 8…but here’s how we spent our snow day.

I woke up and used my Jergens Awaken and then applied a face mask. I also used eye gels that are a new fave. I’ve used the gold ones on and off for years, and decided to try these “marine collagen” ones recently, and they a great too.

I checked out the snow, and it was so pretty. We actually got about five inches!

I couldn’t convince Trav to stay home, so off to work he went while I poured my first cup of coffee.

Then, I settled in to read blogs…

…and play my daily Bejewled Blitz.

Then, I washed off my face mask, and did my normal morning skin care routine.

Then, of course I made the bed.

I poured a second cup of coffee and had some breakfast. I don’t typically have breakfast, but last week, I decided to embrace a more leisurely lifestyle…and the cinnamon swirl bread is so good.

The kids didn’t have any assigned work since it was a snow day, but Hayden needed to complete a Spanish assignment from the day before. I haven’t taken Spanish in over twenty years, but I was some help to him!

Then, I worked on my Saturday blog post…

…before waking Hadley around 11:00.

Then, I read my daily Bible study.

Then, I moved on to some not so fun tasks. Last week, I tried to take advantage of more time at home to put up Christmas stuff, get organized, and tidy up around the house.

Our unfinished/laundry area needed a lot of attention. I decided to set a timer for 1 hour to just get it done.

Here’s what it looked like when I started:

Well, then the girls wanted to go sledding…and thankfully, Travis came home from work a bit early…just in time to drop them off.

One hour later and things looked so much better.

After cleaning, I finally sat down for a late lunch. I love having a plate full of random goodness.

Then, I did my workout. Last week, I worked out every day! By Friday, I was a little sore, so I thought yoga would be good to stretch a bit, and it was just what I needed. I did “Mobility Flow” from the Fire and Flow program on Bodi.

After my workout, I filled in my workout tracker. I’m making progress in January!

While I was working out, Travis dropped off Hayden and friends to go sledding. I figured they might want a treat when they got home, so I made Blondie Bars from Trader Joe’s.

While they baked, I watched another episode of Fool Me Once.

Then, I took the bars out of the oven…

….just as the boys got home and wanted to make snow cream.

Hadley had made some the other day when they were all home. I texted her because the boys had no clue what to do…her response is so funny.

After the peppermint extract incident (which actually probably would have been ok), they started over and made some good snow cream.

Then, I clicked around on Wallpops trying to decide on wall paper for Hadley’s room. There’s another one that Hadley likes, but this one was one of my favorites.

Is it even a snow day if I don’t get a little nap? I read for a bit before dozing off.

Then, I finished up my Saturday blog post.

I love being showered…hair washed and everything…by 6:00. Ahh…snow day perks. Hadley and I are both still big fans of shower steamers.

I even did my PM skin care routine early too.

Then, I collected things off the front porch…including Hayden’s frozen Crocs…haha

Around that time, Trav took Hadley to a friend’s house to spend the night and picked up pizza for dinner.

Then, Hayden went to a friend’s house, so Travis and I watched tv for a couple of hours.

Around 10:45, I went to pick up Hayden from his friend’s house.

Thankfully, the kids only needed to go to friends’ houses in the neighborhood.

Once we got home, it was time for bed!

Overall, it was a great day. A good old fashioned snow day was just what we needed on a cold and snowy Friday after a few consecutive days of online learning.

Guess what —we have another online learning day today! With the frigid temps, many of the side streets, including mine, are still slick and snow packed. With rain on the way and mild temps this week, I think the snow will finally be out of here soon.

I hope you have a great week.

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