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Posted in Monthly Musings

Monthly Musings

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

How’s your week going? We’ve had a good one with a mix of productivity and fun.

Today, I’m linking up with Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings.

This month’s topic is Summer Fun: Vacay, Trips, and Adventures

1. Favorite vacation destinations

I’ve loved quite a few places that we’ve traveled for vacation: Charleston, Mexico, and San Diego to name a few, but my favorite is Siesta Key, Florida. We’ve been there the most, so my kids are probably the most familiar with SK. We always look forward to a trip there.

2. Best packing tips

For this month’s Let’s Look post, I shared some travel tips, and some of those tips included packing tips. I’d say my top tips are to make needed purchases a couple of weeks out, make a packing list (and now the kids get a list too), replenish travel items as they run out, and use packing cubes.

3. Road Trips or Fly?

We tend to do a bit of both. I guess we road trip more than we fly, but we do occasionally fly. Most of the time, it just makes the most sense to drive wherever we go. Even when we go to KC, which is a nine hour drive, if we were to fly, we’d have to be at the airport an hour beforehand, have a layover, and then KC’s airport is about 45 minutes from where my parents live.

That being said, it is always fun to see the clouds and down below during a flight.

4. Favorite vacation memory as a child?

We didn’t go on tons of vacations when I was a kid. That being said, when we did go on vacation, it was usually a bigger one. Growing up, my parents took us to California twice, Minnesota, and a trip to the northeast where we went to Massachusetts, Delaware, and Maine.

I’d say my favorite memory was going to Disneyland the first time we went to California which was the summer before 6th grade. My aunt and uncle lived in Orange County, and we visited them after they moved there from KC. My cousins who lived in Chicago also visited at the same time, and it was so fun going to Disneyland with everyone. My souvenir was a Mickey pin with my name on it.

5. Ocean, Lake, or Mountains?

For vacation, I’m a beach girl. I don’t necessarily love the ocean, but I love going to the beach. The lake is fun too!

6. Campout or indoor grills?

I don’t grill…and I hate smelling like smoke after a campfire…I’m so much fun. haha

When we went “glamping” for fall break one year, it was fun to make our dinner on the fire…but my thing with camping (and even glamping) is that so much preparation goes in to everything.

7. Favorite summer cocktail or mocktail?

I love a skinny margarita in the summer…

This summer, a cocktail I’ve had a couple of times (after a friend suggested it) is just vodka soda with a splash of grapefruit and lime. That’s an easy one to make a “mocktail” too.

8. Most amazing travel upgrade story?

I can’t say that I have one…

In 2018, we traveled to California for Trav’s work and the Del Mar racecourse was paying for his hotel. They made our reservation at the L’Auberge Del Mar, and it was sooo nice. We’ve been back to California since and stayed at other perfectly nice hotels, but that one was such a treat.

9. Ice cream or popsicle?

Ice cream is definitely a summertime fave.

10. Do you camp?

No.

I’m not saying I absolutely wouldn’t again, but I’ve always said I don’t mind being outside from sunrise to sundown, hiking, and making s’mores…but then I prefer to go back to the Marriott for a nice shower and a comfy bed.

We went glamping for fall break a few years ago, and it was fun.

In a recent post, I shared a story about the one and only time Travis and I went camping…I was younger and in the “honeymoon phase” of a new relationship…lol

This is always such a fun link up. I’m glad that summer is in full swing!

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: June 2023

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Before the month wraps up, I want to share the books I read in June.

I only read three books which is hard for me to believe. I thought for sure I’d read more once school was out, but June ended up being an extra busy month. I also found that when I had some downtime, I ended up watching TV a bit more than I usually do. Apparently when I have less structure, I read less…same goes with working out too. haha

One day I was scrolling Instagram, and saw these cute templates by @dariasbookstagram

It’s kind of killing me that I didn’t get four books read for the four spots! Oh well…maybe next month!

This month I read:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Even though I only read three books, I enjoyed them all…

The Soulmate:

Summary:

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve read many of Hepworth’s books, and I always enjoy them. I liked this one too. This was my mystery/thriller book for the month, and Hepworth did a good job making me question if Gabe was lying or not. Of course, there were some twists and turns, and I thought it all wrapped up nicely.

Rating:

All the Days of Summer

Summary:

Heather Willette has a good life in Concord, Massachusetts–complete with a husband who runs his own business and a son to take up his mantle one day. But now that her marriage has fizzled out and Ross, her only child, is graduating from college and getting serious with his girlfriend, Heather wonders if that life is the one she really wants. Ready to seek out her own happiness and discover herself again, Heather decides to leave her husband and rent a cottage on Nantucket. And her plan is going perfectly–until Ross announces he’s moving to Nantucket to work at his girlfriend’s family’s construction business instead of going back home to work with his own father, like he’d promised. Worst of all for Heather, this means having to get along with her.

Kailee Essex is thrilled that Ross is willing to move to her hometown. She has big hopes for their happily ever after, especially now that her parents are finally showing interest in her career. She’s less thrilled, however, about his mother living nearby. Kailee has clashed with Heather since the day they met. But anything is possible in the summer sun and sea breezes of Nantucket–even reconciliation. And when change comes sooner than either Heather or Kailee expect, they must learn to overcome their differences to fight for the future they want.

Quick Thoughts:

This is the first book I’ve read on my “summer reading list,” and it was a good one to start with. I always enjoy Thayer’s books, and I love the Nantucket setting. Some parts were a little cheesy, and Kailee was a pretty unlikeable character. That being said, it’s an easy breezy summer reader.

Rating:

Double Decker Dreams

Summary:

American consultant Kat is staffed on a six-month project in London and has two very small, very reasonable ambitions before returning home: get promoted to partner and fall in love with a handsome English aristocrat. No problem, right?

But work is a grind, and the British men she meets are a far cry from her royal ideal. Then one morning, she sees a man on a double-decker bus and just knows that he’s her person. But when Kat finally musters the courage to board the bus and introduce herself, he turns out to be very different from the Prince Charming she expected.

Can Kat open herself up to a love that’s not like the movies, or is she too imprisoned by her rom-com expectations? And just as importantly, will she be able to see that success isn’t about landing a C-suite job, but rather living a life that’s aligned with her soul?

Quick Thoughts:

This book wasn’t on my radar, but someone shared it, and I thought it seemed right up my alley. I guess it was my “chick lit” book of the month, and I loved this cute love story. I also always love a book set in London, and this one had lots of cute England details and sayings. It was fun reading as Kat and “Prince Charming’s” relationship developed.

Rating:

Summer Reading Update:

  • Read: All the Days of Summer
  • Currently Reading: Meet Me at the Lake
  • Kindle: I have Endless Summer downloaded on my Kindle and hope to get to it soon.
  • On the wait list: Hotel Laguna, The Block Party, Summer Stage, The Summer of Songbirds, and The Five-star Weekend (*Some of these books aren’t even out yet…)

I looked back to last year, and I only read three books in June and then more in July…so we’ll see!

Have you read any great books so far this summer?

Posted in Me, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

A recent WordPress prompt suggestion was “What jobs have you had?”

I was with Hadley at a dentist appointment recently, and I was telling her how my first job was at a dentist office, so this prompt is timely.

I got my first job when I was 16 and was able to drive. I was lucky because a family friend had a dental/orthodontist practice in our neighborhood and needed some part time help after school. Starting my junior year of high school, I worked 3-5:30 a couple days a week and then 8-12 a couple Saturdays a month.

At the dental office, I pulled patient charts, called for appointment reminders, organized insurance claims, answered the phone, and scheduled appointments. At first, I think I mostly just pulled the charts and made phone calls. As time went on, my responsibilities grew to other things and sometimes I even developed the pano x-rays and got patients ready to see the technicians. My freshman year of college, I stayed home for school, and I worked more hours at the dentist office.

When I went away to school my sophomore year, I worked at the front desk of the dorm that I lived in. The summer after my sophomore year, I babysat my cousin’s son. I really enjoyed that. My junior year, I still lived in the dorm and I was in charge of the front desk workers and worked the desk myself too. I can’t remember my actual job title, but I did get a single room paid for my junior year. The summer after my junior year, I worked at a church preschool with some of my friends.

My senior year of college, I worked for Missouri Athletics in the ticket office. I’d answer the phone, sell tickets, and work some of the games at will call. It was a really easy job and one I was able to do a bit on the weekends when I student taught second semester of my senior year. BONUS: while working the ticket office, I met Travis.

(Before working in the horse industry, Travis worked in college athletics. First her worked for UK, then Mizzou, and then moved back to Kentucky to enter the horse business. I moved to Kentucky after my second year teaching.)

After my senior year, I became a teacher…21 years later, that’s still my job!

What was the first job you had or your favorite job? Trav’s first job was doing landscaping in Louisville…I assume in high school. One of his friend’s parents had a family landscaping business. There are still some parts of Louisville we drive through and he points out the trees he planted. haha!

Anyway, I haven’t thought about my work history in quite some time! This was a fun walk down memory lane.

Posted in Holidays, Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I know I probably say it every month, but how is it already the last Monday of the month? Seriously, I’m always sad at the end of June and July. Well, maybe these memes will provide a laugh or two for you.

Before I get to the memes…

On Saturday, Travis and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Talk about time flying!

I woke up to pretty flowers and a card. Per tradition, he wrote my name in bubble letters and got creative with the #18. haha

On Friday night, we went out to dinner. Hadley snapped our pic beforehand.

We had dinner at Jeff Ruby’s. I guess when Travis made the reservation, he made note that it was our anniversary. So, at the end of our meal, the waiter brought out dessert and snapped our pic. He actually took our photo with a camera and when he brought the bill, he had printed the photo and put it in a card with a note. Well played…bigger tip for him!

I also had him take one with my phone…

After dinner, we walked over to the Infinity Sky Bar at the Marriott for a night cap.

Moving on to the memes…this one is perfect for our anniversary…haha

I guess when we checked in we were there for our steak and sushi appointment!

I’m married to this type of person!

Maybe July will be my “do nothing” month…We’ll see.

When I logged in to my school computer last week, I was met with a similar alert and could definitely relate to this meme.

This happens to me sometimes…and even on the blog. I always cringe when I read my published post that has an error or two. It’s so much pressure being an English teacher…haha

I have to remind myself that the blog is a hobby and doesn’t always have to be perfect.

My kids are in summer mode…and while they’ve kept themselves pretty entertained, this almost applies more to every meal that they consume. They eat non-stop!

This one just made me LOL…and it’s true!

Do you follow Cat and Nat on Instagram? They are so funny.

Anyway, this one is true too! I tend to use the front right burner the most. What about you?

I hope you’ve had a great weekend! I have four more days of summer school. It’s been fine, but it will be nice to cross last week and this week off my “to do” list for the summer.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#163}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Why do the weeks seem to fly by in the summer?

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

Well, instead of my more traditional Friday Favorites post, I’m sharing the details of our trip to Julep Farm last week. This is definitely a favorite place, and one that I hope we visit again.

A little back story: A co-worker of Trav’s told him about Julep Farms, and Travis gave me a gift card to Julep Farms for Christmas 2021. I’d never heard of it, but appreciated the gift, of course. All along, I’d hoped we could visit there in the fall, but I’m not sure what I was thinking…the fall is probably our busiest time of the year. I had kind of forgotten about it, but Travis organized this trip since my mom was available to stay with the kids a couple of extra days when she was visiting.

We don’t do the best job at getting away just the two of us, so this was a great trip to do so and celebrate our anniversary and Trav’s birthday a bit early.

So…here are the details.

Last week, we left on Tuesday morning around 10:00. Thankfully, we had an uneventful car ride and arrived around 3:00.

Super cute scene as we pulled in…

On the property, there are four cottages, and one bigger one across the road. We saw that they are actually building three more cottages, so there will be more options soon. We were staying in the Magnolia cottage. (There is one named “Sweet Tea”…seems like that’s the one we should have stayed in…haha…but really it’s bigger and sleeps six…I guess we didn’t need that one)

Totally my vibe!

I loved the little touches like the mugs, welcome note and popcorn, and the print of the property. Upon seeing the mug, I told Travis I had to have one to take home!

We unpacked and sat on the front porch for a bit.

Then, we walked around the property. There was a large venue that I’m sure people rent for parties and weddings. Next to it, was a silo and seating area as well as a garden.

The “Social House” is where the gift shop, coffee/breakfast bar is as well as the restaurant.

We headed back to the cottage to change for dinner.

While I knew Julep Farms was in Dillard, GA, I hadn’t really looked on the map. Travis had done his “research” and knew that Highlands and Cashiers, NC were nearby. Eventually, when I looked at the map, I could see that Dillard is close to Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina borders.

Anyway, we took the twisty route to Highlands, NC for dinner. It’s a super cute town.

We stopped in Four 65 for a drink and apps. It was really nice to sit on the patio. I was surprised by the cooler temps.

Then, we walked around a bit, and Travis made a reservation for dinner at a restaurant we saw on our walk. Since there was a wait, we popped in to The Ugly Dog for a drink. Since we weren’t going to stay long, we sat at the bar.

Well, while at the bar, we met Billy who chatted…and chatted…and chatted while he had his dinner. He raved about the food at The Ugly Dog and had clearly taken advantage of the half price bottle of wine that is the Tuesday special. lol

Anyway, after our drive to Highlands, we knew we wanted to be back “down the mountain” by dark, so we went ahead and ate at the bar. I had one of the specials, porcini and truffle ravioli with chicken, and it was good. Billy was right! 😉

There were two “scenic overlooks” on the way back to Julep Farms…and I made Travis pull over at both.

Like…how could we not stop and take in these views?

Julep Farms even looks pretty at night!

We sat on the porch for a few minutes before heading to bed.

It was so so nice to sleep in on Wednesday morning. I didn’t get up until close to 9. I enjoyed sitting on the porch with my coffee.

Travis did too…

To be honest, I’m not sure what Dillard, GA has to offer as we spent most of our time on the farm or in NC. That being said, Travis found Veronica’s Cafe in a strip mall off the highway, and we couldn’t wait to eat breakfast.

He got biscuits and gravy, and I ordered pancakes and more coffee. It really hit the spot!

Once we got back to Julep Farm, we stopped in the Social House to check out the gift shop and coffee bar.

Then, we got ready for our hike. We drove to Highlands to Whiteside Mountain. Travis had found a two mile hike. The first mile was a “gradual” incline to the top, and then the return trip was more scenic and downhill.

We made it to the top!

We hiked a bit more and took in the views.

The night before, Billy had told us about Whiteside Brewing Co in Cashiers, so we had planned on going there for lunch. Well, as we made our way to Cashiers, we realized Wednesday was the one day the brewing company was closed.

Pivot!…we ended up at Slabtown Pizza, and it was such a cute restaurant in the village. We split a BBQ chicken pizza.

Then, we headed to a waterfall in Highlands called Dry Falls which is in the Nantahala National Forest.

Travis knows I love a waterfall!

We didn’t have to hike to this one…we just parked a walked a bit down the trail…

It was so pretty…

There was a path to the other side, and it was cool to be behind the waterfall too.

After that, we headed back to Julep Farms and relaxed a bit before dinner.

Since we had no kids (Hadley!) on this trip, we had to rely on a timed selfie on the porch…it was nice to capture a pic since we were dressed up a bit…

We made our way to the restaurant on the property at the Social House. We sat at the bar for an appetizer before sitting outside for dinner.

The views (and the weather!) were amazing…as was the food.

After dinner, we sat on the porch for a couple of hours. I could have taken 100 pics of these sunset views.

Besides the planning, Travis packed a few extras for us including snacks, the cooler, my favorite blanket, and this lovely bottle of wine. It’s a very nice bottle of wine that a client gave him, and we weren’t sure when we’d drink it…

…but I guess he figured this trip would be the perfect time to do so.

Cheers to a couple of great days away!

The next morning, we took it easy. I drank my coffee and read for about an hour before we packed up and headed home.

We definitely could have stayed at least one more day. What would we have done? Probably much of the same…another slow morning, another hike, another good lunch…probably at the brewery we didn’t get to, a nap, and maybe dinner at the place we didn’t get to the first night! While I love getting home, on short trips, I typically wish we stayed one more day.

Not shockingly, I did come home with a mug…in my favorite color.

It’s easier said than done, but I’d love to make this a place we go back to through the years.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one…

Hello Monday
The ABC’s of Summer
Thursday Thoughts

I enjoyed our trip so much that I put together a little reel for Instagram. I will post it this morning. Check it out if you want!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Books and Shows, Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Last month, when I shared the books I read, one of them was The Paris Library. While reading it, there was a quote that stuck out to me and got me thinking…

“We all have books that changed us forever…one that let us know that we’re not alone. What’s yours?”

Recently, WordPress also had a suggested writing prompt: Three books that have had an impact on you.

So, I’m combining those idea’s for today’s Thursday Thoughts post.

Honestly, there are many books that have impacted me or changed the way I think about things or view others.

The list is probably longer than this, but ones that immediately came to mind were:

  • Long Way Home
  • Where the Crawdads Sing
  • A Woman is No Man
  • Little Fires Everywhere
  • American Dirt
  • A Quiet Life
  • The Things We Cannot Say
  • This Tender Land
  • The Rent Collector
  • The Four Winds
  • The Girls in the Stilt House
  • The Giver of Stars
  • We Were the Lucky Ones
  • A Hope More Powerful than the Sea
  • The Paris Library

Three books that had an impact on me…

  • Tuesday with Morrie– My dad gave me this book right as I entered college. I remember reading it in only a few days. Then, through the years, I’d occasionally read some parts (or all) of it again. I even used it during student teaching and my first few years of teaching. I’d read a chapter aloud, and students would write their thoughts. I guess, with this book, it was the first time I realized why someone would read a book or parts of a book over and over/when needed.
  • To Kill a Mockingbird – Believe it or not, I never read this book in high school. It’s such a classic 9th grade text, but I hadn’t read it until I was about to teach this unit during my first year teaching. From the first page, I loved it. I taught it for many years, and loved it so much that I wanted to use the name Harper if we had a girl…obviously, Travis didn’t feel the same way. We even named one of our dogs Scout. The students I’ve helped with English 1 the past few years have been reading the graphic novel version of the text, and it’s actually really good. This shorter version holds their attention better, the pictures are great, and the main points of the plot are still there. Anyway, I guess this text felt like a “rite of passage” as a teacher. It will always be the first book I remember teaching.

Scout (left) Shiloh (right)

  • The Dinner List – I read this book in 2018, and I remember sharing that I read it and loved it in my Instagram stories. Quite a few friends had asked what books I’d been reading, and I shared that one as one of my favorites in 2018. In 2019, when I started my blog, I was excited to start sharing more of what I’d been reading. In a way, I guess having a few people tell me I should share what I read helped push me to finally start my blog.

So, these three books were pivotal or meaningful to me in some way.

What about you? What is a book that’s impacted your life?

See you back here tomorrow…I’m excited to finally share the details of our trip to Julep Farm last week.

Posted in Seasonal, Traditions

ABC’s of Summer

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy summer solstice!

We’ve been on summer break for a couple of weeks, but since today is the first official day of summer, I’m sharing some favorites about summer…in A-B-C order…

A- activities: sidewalk chalk (I miss those little kid days!), pool time, movies and more!

B- baseball: I love having baseball on tv and even better is if we catch a game when in KC.

C- camp: Hadley loves her week at camp every summer. If she could go to camp for a month, I think she’d do it! Hayden is going to running camp this summer too.

D- dresses: I prefer dresses, so I embrace the summer weather and wearing them.

E- exercise: I like having a bit more time for exercising in the summer. That being said, I think I’m better about getting workouts in during the school year when I have a bit more of a routine going. I definitely go on more walks in the summer though.

F- fireworks and fire for s’mores. The 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the year. S’mores are definitely a summer (and fall) treat, but we haven’t made any just yet.

G- goggles: This is Hadley’s first summer not doing swim team, but the kids are still usually looking for their goggles.

H- Homer’s “gotcha day” – We always celebrate getting Homer on June 8th…4 years and counting..

I- ice cream: Summer is the best time for a sweet treat.

J- June/July before thinking about school in August. To me, summer is only two months long. Once August hits, I always feel like I need to focus on back to school.

K- Kindle – Of course, I use my Kindle year round, but I love having the time to read at the pool, the beach, or on the patio.

K- Kayak: We went kayaking this past weekend which was fun.

L- lake: We love time at the lake. Last summer, we went to the lake twice (once in KY and once in Missouri) and those were some of our best memories.

M- Margaritas: I enjoy a skinny marg in the summer or the margarita pack of Trulys.

N- nature: Having some extra time in nature and fresh air is always great. We usually find time for a hike or two.

O- ocean (beach) – Most of our summer vacations include a view of the ocean.

P- pool, patio, and peonies: Of course, our main source of entertainment in the summer is going to the pool. We also love patio weather, and then I can’t wait for peony season at Trader Joe’s.

Q- quiet mornings …while the kids sleep in. I’ve always loved my morning times, but in the summer, I usually get more time to myself before starting the day.

R – road trip: We usually hit the road at some point in the summer. Travis and Hayden have already been to St. Louis, Travis and I went to Georgia/NC, and we usually drive to KC at some point in the summer too. Thankfully, now that the kids are older, road trips are easier.

S- strawberries: strawberries are my favorite fruit…even better is when we get to pick them ourselves.

T- Trav’s birthday: It’s almost time to celebrate T-rav.

U- umbrella: I love pool time, but I always try to snag a spot in the shade under an umbrella.

V – vegetable garden: We’ve only planted a garden a few times, but it’s always so fun to see what’s growing. When we were gone just a couple days last week, Hayden was excited to show us what was growing. We’ve pulled a couple of cucumbers, and the green peppers are starting to grow too.

W- watermelon: The best summer side dish.

X – eXtra sunscreen: Of course, I always wear sunscreen at the pool. These are my faves:

Y- yard work (and flowers). While I don’t love yardwork, Travis does! Also, Hayden has done an amazing job mowing the grass (as well as a few neighbors’ yards) this summer. I always look forward to watching the flowers bloom throughout the spring and summer.

Hydrangeas are my fave in our yard.

Z–ZZZ’s extra sleep/sleeping in. It sure is nice not setting an alarm in the summer. Truthfully, while I haven’t had to get up super early like during the school year, we have had somewhere to be most mornings it seems. That being said, it’s still nice to stay up a bit later and ease in to the mornings.

This was a fun to post to write. I might do one for fall, winter, and spring too!

What did I miss? What are some of your faves for summer?

Posted in Holidays, Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday on Tuesday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I hope your week is off to a great start. So far this summer I’ve had a hard time getting into a blogging routine. I think I feel pulled in many directions more than ever before! *sigh*

Anyway, I still wanted to recap our weekend because we had a good one and a really nice Father’s Day Sunday.

On Friday, I started my morning drinking coffee from my new favorite mug. I was back watching the Today Show rather than looking at mountain views, but it’s always nice to be home.

Honestly, I spent most of the afternoon at school getting ready for the next two weeks of summer school….so nothing exciting there.

Although…since I knew I’d be at school during lunchtime, I picked up Chick-fil-a before getting to school. I tried something new (to me) – the chicken Cobb salad with half avocado lime dressing and 1/2 honey mustard dressing. It was so good.

That evening, Travis and Hayden went to Hayden’s basketball game and then out to dinner.

Our friends had some neighbors over for “movie night,” and Hadley went there around 7:00. I joined them a little after 8:00 after having the other half of my salad for dinner. We were there pretty late and went to bed as soon as we got home.

Saturday morning, I slept until 10! Honestly, I had a hard time falling asleep, so I probably got 8 hours of rest once I finally fell asleep….but 10:00 is unheard of for me. Then, I picked Homer up from groomer.

Travis and kids were gone most of the day, so I finished up with some Father’s Day things and did a few house chores and laundry. I went to Target, the library, and then picked up Trav’s Father’s Day cake.

While at Target, I saw individual cans of Olipop. I feel like influencers used to share this brand all the time, but I never knew they sold it at Target…even better that you can buy individual ones that are already cold. Anyway, the grape flavored one was so good!

Travis and the kids were on their way back in town, so they called me and I met them at Goodfella’s for pizza. It so nice that it’s patio weather right now.

On Sunday, Travis and I were up early. He went for a run, and I drank my coffee and watched tv.

Then, we left the house around 10:15 to make our way to Canoe Kentucky/Elkhorn Creek to kayak with friends.

On the way there, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. I had to time it before golf started! haha

We’ve done this one other time, and that time we were in a canoe. It was nice letting everyone have their own kayak, but that also meant I had to make sure everyone was keeping up/not far ahead or behind. That being said, the water level was pretty low, so I wasn’t too concerned about that. As a matter of fact, in some spots, we wished there was more water. haha

We kayaked for a bit and then make a pit stop. We were with three other families, so it was nice to pitstop and let the kids swim a bit.

Father’s Day photo:

The girls had lots of fun…

….as did the rest of us.

We kayaked about five miles which took around 3 hours.

After our kayak session, we were tired!….and hungry. In the shop, we picked up some drinks and let the kids get some ice cream.

Then, we made our way to West Sixth Farm.

We knew the dads would like a beer or two. They had a food truck, so we got some tacos too.

The perk of having older kids is they all just hung out while the adults chatted.

We were there about an hour before coming home. Everyone showered, and we ordered take out Thai food. Our friends had mentioned it, and we thought that sounded good (and easy!) too.

After dinner we celebrated Travis with cake…(instead of cookie cake, this year, I picked up an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins)

…and a few gifts.

While Travis and I were out of town, my mom helped the kids with this Father’s Day present.

It turned out so cute.

They spray painted their Sonic drink carrier, made these tags, and picked up some supplies/goodies.

We also got him a new wallet (since he seems to lose his once a year, this is almost a tradition) and some running shorts.

I love this pic from Trav’s first Father’s Day in 2010. Obviously, the kids look much older, but he’s pretty much stayed the same! 😉

The rest of the evening, Travis and Hayden watched a movie, Hadley chilled, and I watched the end of the US Open.

Overall, it was a good weekend and a great Father’s Day.

I hope to find my blogging groove this week, but we’ll just see how it goes.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Travel

Friday Favorites {#162}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a really good one!

I’m linking up with Andrea to tell you a bit about it.

Here are a few favorites from the week:

Hadley’s recital pics came in, and I couldn’t love them more. There were so many good ones, but these are the two I ordered:

Last weekend was super busy, and all of Sunday was spent at Hadley’s dance recitals. Her studio had two recitals. The first recital was the one where she had most of her dances, so my mom, Trav’s mom, Trav’s two sisters, and Travis and Hayden came to it. She danced in the large production opening number, one small group competition dance, two ballet, one tap, one jazz, and the closing number.

For the later performance, she was in the large production opening number, her other small group lyrical competition dance, and the closing number.

I loved all the colors in the background of each dance…so pretty!

So, over nine hours at the recital venue for two recitals with ten dances and seven costumes, she was one tired girl!

Hadley was also recognized for five years dancing at her studio.

We snapped a few pics after the first recital before grabbing a bite to eat. Then, my mom and I stayed for the second recital. We were all very proud of her.

Monday I had a busy day at school, Hayden played a round of golf with friends, and Hadley was at the pool for most of the day.

My mom continued her visit and watched the kids while Travis and I took a little trip.

We spent a few days at Julep Farms in Dillard, Georgia. I’m sure I will write a whole post about it, but it was a lovely getaway.

We stayed in the Magnolia cottage…

…which had the loveliest views.

Wednesday night, we even had dinner on the property.

Since we were dressed up a bit, we did a selfie using the timer on my phone. I sure missed having Hadley to take our photos…she always gets the high angle…haha

This one turned out pretty good!

Favorite Outfit:

I think I shared this SSYS dress when I got it in the spring, but this summer I’ve used it as a swim cover-up a couple of times, but then wore it to my brother’s birthday party on Saturday. I also got this belt bag recently…I wanted one that was a little bigger than my Lulu one, and this one is perfect.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Haha…I shared a similar meme last week…but this one also made me laugh.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

My sister-in-law had these cups made for my brother’s birthday party last Saturday…This “throwback” pic is too funny…

Weekly Recap

I only had a couple of posts this week, but they were fun link ups!

Not Just a Mom
LEt’s Look

What are your weekend plans? Today, I’m playing catch up from being gone for a couple of days…and I need to prep a bit for the summer school sessions I’m running the next couple of weeks.

Of course, on Sunday, we’ll celebrate Travis for Father’s Day. My dad received his gift yesterday and is probably using it while watching the US Open.

Thanks so much for reading,

Posted in Let's look, Travel

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for this month’s Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at…

  • Scheduling/organizing a busy family in January
  • What’s in your medicine cabinet in February
  • Favorite Amazon finds in March
  • I skipped April because we had pet peeves as topic for May’s Not Just a Mom post, so I saved those ideas for that post.
  • Around May’s link up, I shared a “Day in the Life” post, so that ended up including most of my morning routine

This month, we are looking at our best travel tips.

Well, I’m not sure I’m the one to come to for travel tips, and I guess things have changed through the years based on my kids’ age. Also, my “toxic trait” is waiting to pack until the last minute and then always over packing.

That being said, here are a few things that came to mind…

  • I do try to plan ahead about two weeks leading up to leaving for a trip to KC or vacation. I use my calendar to remind myself to buy anything I need for an upcoming trip about two weeks out.
  • A couple of days before traveling, I do all the laundry, and then put away what we don’t need for the trip.
  • I used to always type out a note on my phone of things to pack and then delete it after I’ve packed. Well, I still use a note, but I quit deleting it because the list includes things I never want to forget like: sound machine, Kindle, hats, purses, etc. So, now I just delete the seasonal items like swim suit or sweater and use the note as my packing list.
  • Speaking of packing lists, for a couple of years now, I’ve created a packing list for the kids on the notes app and text it to them to use to pack themselves. We’ve come a long way…I still check what they’ve packed, but it’s nice that they can pack themselves.
  • Since I am an over-packer, over the past year, I’ve made a list on my computer of what I actually needed/wore after getting back from vacation or other trips. So, if I packed four swimsuits and only wore two, then I updated my master list. Will I ever be a person who can pack in a carry on only? Only time will tell.
  • Travel packing cubes are still my favorite thing ever. We have a few sets in a few different colors. I use all different sizes to pack, and the kids usually just use smaller ones to hold socks, underwear, swimsuits, etc.
  • For travel in the car, times have changed. I used to pack all kinds of snacks, movies, headphones, books, bags with different things like coloring books or stickers. We still pack snacks, but now the kids usually just watch Netflix on their phones and have their Airpods. I do have them bring a book when we travel in the car…especially during the school year when I know they need to read for their Language Arts class.
  • When we are gone for a few days, I’ve started bringing a laundry bag to hold dirty clothes. There’s only four of us, but I like to keep everything together.
  • Do laundry when you can. If we are in KC or somewhere with a washer/dryer, we do laundry as needed and before heading home. It’s nice coming home with clean clothes.
  • When we get home, we try to unpack almost everything. Kind of like I procrastinate with packing, sometimes my suitcase is the last one unpacked after a couple of days. That being said, if everything else is put away (kids’ stuff, car things, gifts at Christmas, etc), then I feel ok just having my suitcase to deal with whenever I can get to it.
  • I have my favorite travel bag, and this past year, I started leaving the extra sound machine and a couple of smaller packing cubes in it. So, when we are just going somewhere for a night or two and I don’t need a suitcase, then I have those items handy.
  • Also, I leave the other packing cubes in the suitcases, so we aren’t looking for those.
  • I try to replenish travel size items like shampoo or hairspray when we return home, so I don’t have to scramble to buy them before the next trip.
  • We always leave the house picked up, so when we get home, cleaning/tidying isn’t something we have to do. If we are really on our “A game,” we schedule for our house to be cleaned while we are gone. It’s always so nice to return home to a clean house.

Well, most of these tips have to do with prepping to travel, so I definitely have a thing or two to learn. I can’t wait to see what tips others have to share.

I probably won’t have another post until Friday, so I hope you have a great rest of your week.