Prime Purchases: February 2023

Posted on February 6, 2023February 5, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was super busy. Honestly, I was in bed by 9:00 on Friday because I was so tired and kind of grumpy. Then, Saturday was non-stop which I expect…but then Sunday was too which isn’t what I was expecting.

Anyway, I’m starting the week off by linking up with Tanya for this month’s Prime Purchases.

In January, I try to limit my Amazon spending because I feel like in November and December, all I do is buy gifts. That being said, this post is pretty full which makes me feel like I need to explain myself 😂

Here are my purchases this month:

At the end of December (so technically not January), I bought:

This pack of no show socks to wear with my new Shu Shop shoes. I’ve been losing socks left and right lately, so I needed a few more no show socks.

Also, I ordered another tub of collagen. I’ve been adding a a scoop to my morning coffee for the past few months.

Once I got organized after Christmas, I wanted a place for my boots, and ordered this boot bag organizer that fits under the bed. I have two pairs of tall boots in it and then a couple of short boots too. One of the spots is still empty which is nice knowing I can still add to it.

With an Amazon gift card that I got for Christmas, I ordered…

Kelly Ripa’s book…

…and these slippers that I had my eye on. I 10/10 recommend these. I love them because they are easy to wear around the house (and outside if needed), and my feet don’t get hot. The come in lots of colors too.

When I got my house organized and put back together after Christmas, I purchased two more of these mini boxwood wreaths. I have one on the candle pedestal on my coffee table, and wanted two more to add to two more candle pedestals.

With a gift card I received for my birthday, I bought…

This seven pack of flameless candles with remote! My friend had a couple on her mantel, but then I found the seven pack. I’m only using a few right now, but they provide a lovely glow in the living room when I’m missing my Christmas tree. The timer can be set for two, four, six or eight hours. Also, using the remote, you can make the candles flicker (or not!) I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite 2023 Amazon purchases.

Here is one of the candles with one of the mini wreaths:

I also picked up a pair of new black cotton leggings. I’ve had a pair from H&M for years, and wear them so much they are almost see through…so this pair has worked as a replacement.

One more thing I picked up with my gift card is this workout tank. I love it so much, and will probably order it in another color at some point. (I ordered a large, and maybe could have done a medium…but I don’t like my tanks to be tight)

Travis made a rare Amazon purchase, and picked up some Adidas & Nike socks for the kids. He ordered a pack of black and of white. Both kids have lots of socks with holes in them that they refuse to throw away! haha

One more purchase…

from my Gma…She ordered me these Ugg dupes (that I gave as a gift idea) for my birthday, and I’ve been wearing them so much. There are various colors, but I think the leopard print is fun!

So, I still had quite a few purchases this month, but really I used gift cards for most of them!

What have you been priming lately?

I’m not sure how much I will post this week. I will be at school late every day this week and the kids are super busy. *sigh* It’s only Monday, and I already want it to be Friday.

{This post contains Amazon affiliate links…Thank you for supporting my blog!}

Friday Favorites, Kids, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#144}

Posted on February 3, 2023February 2, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

This week was super busy, but it did include a snow (icy) day! Now, I think we have milder temps on the way.

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

Here are some favorites of the week:

Hadley and I baked a cake last Friday. We’re trying to make a cake a month, and this was our first one of the year. Hadley did most of the work, including decorating it. We made this Chocolate Chip cake, and it was really good.

On Saturday morning, we went to my nephew’s basketball game. He did such a good job, and his sister did some cheers at halftime!

My brother gave my niece his phone, and then sent me this selfie she took. Too funny.

On Sunday, Hayden had an indoor track meet in Louisville. With basketball going on, he has only been running a couple of days a week, but still had a PR in the mile.

Of course, my household was super excited with the Chiefs big win! We are close to Bengals country, so that made this win even more exciting. We can’t wait to cheer on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Snow day pancakes on an icy Tuesday morning hit the spot!

Hayden’s basketball team is off to a solid start. They had two wins this week!

Fave Mom Meme:

This made me laugh…but it also reminded me that I want to pick up a couple of things for the kids for Valentine’s Day.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

With Hayden’s basketball season starting up, I love this 3rd grade throwback to these two cute ballers. This is the year that Travis coached Hadley’s team to the championship victory! Hayden was on a team with a great group of kids too.

Weekly Recap:

Well, I continued with Bloganuary on the weekends, so I have a full week of posts:

I guess my blogging streak of 33 posts is coming to an end. I enjoyed tackling some Bloganuary posts on the weekends this month. Honestly, I have a bit more time to blog on the weekends, but readership is down on the weekend, so obviously, Monday-Friday blogging makes the most sense. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw in a random weekend post every now and then.

What are your weekend plans? Hadley has some fun planned with her friends tonight, and Hayden has basketball this weekend. I’m not sure what else we’ll do. See you back her Monday for my Amazon purchases this month.

Have a great weekend!

Blog challenge, Me

Blog Challenge: Part 5

Posted on February 2, 2023February 1, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Today, I’m continuing on with my “Blog Challenge” and answering…

Prompt #11…

Most Proud Moment:

Not sure if this means a time I was proud of myself or proud of others, so let me tag all the bases…

That being said, per usual, it’s difficult to write about myself, but my first thought was that I was proud of myself when I finished my second Master’s degree…

I completed it in about a year and a half while the kids were really young. My school was a part of a grant, and I had less than two years to complete the Reading Specialist degree that went with my literacy specialist job. I didn’t have to have the degree, but the tuition was free and the program was all online. The kids were two to three years old during that time. There were many late nights where I’d write papers and submit assignments through those years. Travis was Super Dad during that time too. I always think about the opportunities I’ve had in my career thanks to my two Master’s degrees. They’ve opened a lot of doors for me, and I’m grateful that I took the time to complete them when I did.

Also, I was proud of myself when I made the decision to move to my current school. I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to a school I was at for 12 years with so many wonderful friends and then start fresh in a very established school. That being said, I knew it was the right call for my family. The kids were just starting school, and I needed to be on the same schedule as them in the same district. An added bonus is that my current district pays more and the drive is less. The first year was a major adjustment, but the second year was much easier. The years are definitely flying by…it seems like yesterday that I started there!

Moving on…

I’m constantly proud of Travis. He’s a hard worker and is just an all around good guy. He continues to work hard for our family, and has really accomplished so much in his career. Everyone who knows him know what a great person he is, and they always tell me so. I joke that it’s hard being married to someone who is so perfect when I’m a hot mess. lol

Of course, I’ve been so proud of him for coaching cross country both at the kids’ school and for the club team. As his wife and also as a teacher, I know he’s making an impact on so many kids’ lives and he doesn’t even realize it. That’s the best kind of teacher.

Also, of course I’m proud of my kids. Parenting is such a tough job, and they aren’t perfect. We’re doing the best that we can, and so are they. That being said, I see them interact with their teammates, support their friends, use their manners, and try their best, and I’m proud of them for that. I’m grateful that they’ve stayed true to friendships and know that it’s important to be inclusive, and that’s come really naturally to them. Also, they’ve both gone through things, especially Hayden, that haven’t been easy, but they’ve persevered. I hope they always know how proud we are of them.

I didn’t have a lot of time for this post, so these are just my quick thoughts…

Thanks so much for reading!

School

Snow Day Diaries

Posted on February 1, 2023February 1, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy February 1st!

This post could be alternatively titled: the tale of two different days.

Since we’ve had two snow days recently, one a traditional day off and one an online learning day, I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at how we spent those days. Ironically, neither day off included any actual snow.

Here’s how we spent our two snow days…

1.27.23

Last Friday, it wasn’t even on my radar that we might have a snow day. (And…that means I didn’t realize that I might write a post like this…so there are very few photos)

I woke up and was so tired that I hit snooze. Eventually, I got up and made a cup of coffee. As soon as I sat down on the couch, my phone started buzzing. Our school district was calling off school. I looked outside and saw dry road conditions. I was confused but already up, so I turned on the news. They were talking about how the north side of town and northern Kentucky had lots of snow and there were many accidents. I decided to enjoy my slow morning.

This was an actual snow day. No online learning.

Hadley got up around 8, and Hayden woke up around 8:30. Both were confused, of course…but then excited about a three day weekend.

I had made Hadley an after school hair appointment for a trim. She said she was all about getting that crossed off our list earlier in the day. When I called, they had a 10:15 appointment, so we went for it.

While we were gone, Hayden lived his best life playing Xbox.

After the hair appointment, Hadley and I went to Target to pick up a few things. Then, we headed home.

We were going to bake a cake on Saturday, but we decided to go ahead and bake the cake once we got home. Hadley did 90% of the work, and I cleaned up. After the cake cooled, she decorated it and wanted a silly pic!

The sun was shinning, so both kids decided to get their runs in. I had their lunch ready for them when they got home (pizza and fruit). Then, Hadley went to a friend’s house and Hayden and I watched a few episodes of Goldbergs.

After that, Hayden played basketball with some friends while I read and then tided up the house.

Later that night, we went out to dinner.

I can honestly say that in 21 years teaching, I’m pretty sure that I’ve never had a snow day with zero snow or ice on the street/in the yard. There have definitely been days where by 10:00 the roads were fine, but my part of town showed no signs of winter weather. That being said, we have a huge district, and many people were posting photos of their driveways, yards, and streets snow covered! Just crazy.

1.31.23

On Monday, with the possibility of rain/sleet/ice/snow, the district was really spreading the message of possible NTI day on Tuesday. Many surrounding counties called off Monday afternoon and night…but my district didn’t call off until 5:30 am yesterday. To be honest, I was kind of glad because that meant that Monday night my kids went to bed like normal! haha

I woke up around 5:30 to the “no school” text, and actually did go back to sleep. I slept until 7:30.

Then, I got up, had some coffee, read some blogs, and finished an episode of The Crown.

I woke the kids at 9:00, so we could get started on our day.’

I made our traditional “snow day” pancakes even though we didn’t have snow…only some ice.

Travis did report that the main roads were pretty much fine, but the kids and I were happy to do our work at home in our pjs.

With the kids having so many classes, I wanted them to have a visual/checklist for the day. Honestly, I wanted to be able to see what they accomplished too.

Most of the morning looked like this:

At one point, Hadley asked to go to a friend’s house and do work (I know that’s shocking…haha)..but I told her no. I knew she had quite a bit to tackle, and wanted to make sure she stayed home and got it finished.

I worked quite a bit on the credit recovery session I’m planning as well as sent emails to teachers and checked Canvas assignments.

The kids were working hard, and requested Cane’s, so that’s what we had for lunch.

After lunch, I worked on a couple of upcoming work sessions I have with students and answered emails. I kept my Zoom open from 1:30-3:30, but I had a couple of students email me questions.

Hadley had only a bit of work left to do, so I let her go to her friend’s house for a couple of hours. Hayden got his run in before basketball practice.

**Today’s “snow day” was different than Friday’s because on Friday, all afternoon/evening activities were cancelled whereas that wasn’t the case last night.

Even after dinner, both kids still hand a couple of assignments to wrap up.

NTI details:

So here a few NTI details:

NTI stands for “Non-Traditional Instruction”
Many more rural county districts (including the one I taught at previously have been using NTI days for many years…before Covid)
Teachers are supposed to have “asynchronous” instruction assignments for students posted on Canvas or Google pages.
The general rule of thumb is 20-30 minutes of work per class.
The district set Zoom/Google Meet times per level where teachers just need to be online in case students need help. For example, high school teachers have to be online from 1:30-3:30.
Students have three days to turn in the assignments once we return to school. They do this in case students didn’t have their computer, internet access, power (in the case of ice), or just need additional help from their teacher.
We don’t have to make these days up at the end of the school year.

I will say my own kids had quite a bit of work. They have seven classes, and some classwork took them longer than an hour to complete. Both of them had a couple of short assignments to finish after dinner.

I’ve also learned that people will complain about anything. I don’t take for granted that I don’t have to worry about child care on a snow day. Of course, my kids are older, but I’ve never had to worry about child care on a snow day. I am the child care.

The same people who troll the district’s Facebook page and complain about a day off when their road is clear are probably the same who would try to sue the district if their kid’s bus slid off the road. The same people who complain about NTI are the same to complain when kids are still in school on June 3rd. It’s always so ridiculous to me to see these comments.

Well, as I type this on Tuesday evening, I haven’t been to school since last Thursday. Besides the two snow days, I was with Travis at an appointment on Monday, so I wasn’t even at school then. I’m assuming we’ll be in school today, and next week’s temps look mild. Oh…the up’s and down’s of February…

Stay safe and warm!

Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: January 2023

Posted on January 31, 2023January 30, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, I decided to use this A to Z Reading Challenge to guide my reading this year. So far, I’m just reading what I want and marking the letter. Eventually, as it fills up, I guess I will have to be a bit more specific with what I read.

This month I read three books which tends to be my average most months.

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories

Summary:

An instant New York Times bestseller from Kelly Ripa–a sharp, funny, and honest collection of real-life stories showing the many dimensions and crackling wit of the beloved daytime talk show host.

In Live Wire, her first book, Kelly shows what really makes her tick. As a professional, as a wife, as a daughter and as a mother, she brings a hard-earned wisdom and an eye for the absurdity of life to every minute of every day. It is her relatability in all of these roles that has earned her fans worldwide and millions of followers on social media. Whether recounting how she and Mark really met, the level of chauvinism she experienced on set, how Jersey Pride follows her wherever she goes, and many, many moments of utter mortification (whence she proves that you cannot, in fact, die of embarrassment) Kelly always tells it like it is. Ms. Ripa takes no prisoners.

Surprising, at times savage, a little shameless and always with humor… Live Wire shows Kelly as she really is offscreen–a very wise woman who has something to say.

Quick Thoughts:

It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book…and I had to remind myself that this wasn’t a memoir of Kelly’s entire life, but really what the subtitle says: long-winded short stories. For example, there was no mention of the Michael Strahan years, which I was curious about.

I have fond memories of watching Regis and Kelly. I actually remember in college watching the day that she was a guest host and the psychic said she was pregnant. Of course, I was disappointed that Kelly and Regis weren’t as close as they seemed on tv. That being said, that might have been more of Regis (and his ego’s) doing…than Kelly.

Even sharing that she and Mark don’t have a perfect marriage which I kind of thought they did was interesting to me.

I think my favorite chapters were the ones where she sent her kids off to college. While I have a few years until that happens, it’s something that I think most moms can connect with…just giving your kids “wings to fly.”

If you like Kelly or the show, I’d say this is an interesting read. I used Christmas money to buy it, and my suggestion would be to borrow it from a friend or from the library.

Rating:

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️1/2

The It Girl

Summary:

April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide… including a murder.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.

Quick Thoughts:

I started reading this book on my Kindle in November. I had read about 30% of the book when it had to be returned. So, once it became available in January, of course I wanted to finish it.

I’ve read a few books by Ruth Ware, and this one was just as good as the others. I enjoyed the characters, the flashbacks, and the pieces of the puzzle. With about 100 pages left, I thought I knew how it was going to end, but I was wrong…which actually makes it a better book.

Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Summary:

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Quick Thoughts:

I could not have loved this book more. I instantly loved both Tova and Marcellus. This book will tug at your heart-strings and lift you up. It’s hard to imagine loving a book about an octopus, but he had such a sweet connection to Tova and their stories were woven together so beautifully. There were other characters and subplots as well.

I bet this will be one of my favorite books of 2023.

Rating:

My first ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️book of 2023.

How many books do you hope to read in 2023? My goal is 40.

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on January 30, 2023January 29, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Like I mentioned earlier, we had a bonus day off on Friday, so our three day weekend was just right!

…and last night we cheered on our Chiefs and we’re excited about the victory!

Did you catch my weekend posts?

I joined the Share 4 Somthings link up on Saturday, and then I shared a Bloganuary post yesterday.

Since it’s the last Monday of the month, I’m sharing some memes that made me LOL recently.

Starting with…

January has felt like a really long month!

This meme is perfect given our Friday “snow day.” I do remember as a kid and even the first half of my teaching career looking for our school district name scrolling on the bottom of the tv screen.

This one is definitely relateable:

Bahaha…this is definitely Travis and me. He worries about very little, and I like to worry about all the things.

I sent this one on a friends group text and we all laughed.

Fun fact: I hate mayo. If a food has mayo on/in it, I won’t even try it. There’s probably a few dips I eat that have mayo in them that I don’t know about…if so, don’t tell me. That being said, I don’t know if my kids have ever even had mayo because since I don’t like it, I don’t buy it.

See, this three day weekend was perfect. We had equal parts lazy, productive, fun and prep for the week ahead.

This year, I feel like I’m back in a lunch groove. I really hate thinking about lunch. So far this year, I’ve pretty much just committed to splitting a bagged salad over two days (and bringing fruit and some chips) and then meal planning/prepping one other lunch to eat for three days. It’s worked for me because I’m eating something new every week, but only making it once. If we have dinner leftovers I can take even just one day, that’s a bonus!

Bahaha! Like what? How was 30 years ago 1992? Crazy enough, that means I was in middle school then which is the age my kids are now!

I hope at least one of these started your week off with a laugh or two.

Blogging note: Some months I might move to “Monthly Memes” now that I have Prime Purchases and Not Just a Mom on two Mondays a month. That only leaves one Monday for Hello Monday if I do memes on Mondays too. We’ll see.

Anyway, I hope you have a great start to your week.

Blog challenge, Holidays, Kids

Bloganuary 1.29.23

Posted on January 29, 2023January 28, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday! Well, we went from cold temps to temps in the 50’s yesterday…and then this upcoming week looks a little messy. Yep. It’s definitely the end of January.

Yesterday’s Bloganuary topic was: describe your perfect birthday cake.

Well, we are cookie cake people, and we are also Bundt cake people.

I did not grow up eating cookie cakes for my birthday, but now I think everyone knows that’s the expectation. I’m sure I’d had a cookie cake before, but I think we started buying cookie cakes for celebrations in the summer of 2010. My brother was with me at Sam’s Club and saw the double decker cookie cake. He said we should get one because it was June and his birthday combined with Father’s Day for Travis…like we needed a reason to justify it. haha

For years, we just bought them at Kroger, but then for quite a few years now, we’ve gotten them at Great American Cookie.

We are so lucky because we have a friend who makes cookies and cookie cakes too. They are delish.

This year, Travis got my cookie cake from Insomnia Cookie. It was so good…and I liked how small it was because I have zero will power when it comes to cookie cake! Plus, it was the right amount of icing.

See…we are big cookie cake people!

Love a cookie cake.

So, this prompt got me thinking about the kids’ birthday cakes through the years. For their first couple of birthdays, I had a Lexington and then KC party since we were in KC for Thanksgiving. Then, from the ages of 4-10, we always had two parties: one for their friends and one for family. I know it may sound crazy, but I just didn’t want to force family to come to Chuck E Cheese or have tons of kids running around our house since they have a November birthday.

The year they turned 11 was Covid 2020, and I had already told them that around that age they were getting older and too busy to keep having two parties. So, we’ve naturally just gone back to one party with friends…and who knows how much longer that will last.

Anyway, there were quite a few years that I made their cakes…and while I would consider myself novice and cake decorating, it was always fun.

1.

When the kids turned one, we had family over. My friend’s sister decorated cakes on the side, and she made their smash cake and cupcakes that were laid out in the shape of a one.

When we went to KC for Thanksgiving, my mom made them big cupcakes as smash cakes too.

2.

My mother-in-law decorated cakes for years and years when Travis was growing up. So, when the kids turned two and we had a “Oh TWO-dles” party (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), she made their Mickey and Minnie cakes for their party.

Again, when we went to KC, my mom tried her hand at fondant, and made a cute Mickey cake. We also did cupcakes with Oreo Mickeys.

3.

When the kids turned three, my mother-in-law made their cakes again. The kids were very into the Sprout Channel and all of those shows. She made Chica from that channel as well as Calliou for their cakes.

4.

When the kids turned 4, I was inspired by my friend’s sister who made the one year cupcakes and smash cake. Also, thanks to Pinterest, I made a Curious George and a Hello Kitty cake for the family party.

For the friends party at Chuck E Cheese, I made the Thomas the Train and Elmo cake. These were some of my favorites that I made.

5.

When the kids turned five, I made Frozen cupcakes and dirt cupcakes for their indoor pool party with friends. For the family party, I made a Frozen cake and construction cake. Props helped make the cake even better! When I was looking through photos, I found this one with brownies that I guess I made on the day of their actual birthday. So many sweets in November!

6.

When they turned six, I made this football cake for Hayden and Power Rangers for Hadley.

7.

For the kids 7th birthday, they had their friends party at a tumbling place, so I made cupcakes and then bought the cupcake toppers off Etsy. For the family party, I ordered this gymnast made out of fondant for Hadley’s cake, and then made a football/baseball/basketball cake for Hayden.

8.

When the kids turned 8, they actually had an outside birthday party with friends. It was a mild early-November weekend, so we made dirt cups instead of cupcakes. Then, closer to their birthday, for the family party, I made a volleyball cake for Hadley and KC Royals (#8 Mike Moustakas) cake for Hayden.

9.

For their 9th birthday, the kids requested ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins, so that’s what we got for their (bowling) party with their friends.

This was the year that life caught up with me, and I realized it would be easier to let them pick out cookie cakes for family parties. It was fun seeing what designs they chose. Of course, Hayden loves basketball, and what girl doesn’t dream of going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower?

10.

For their 10th birthday, they talked me into a slumber party (girls upstairs, boys in the basement!) We went to an indoor place for them to run around and play soccer and volleyball. Then, we came home for pizza and cookie cake before movies and bedtime.

Hadley’s slumber party cookie cake was perfect, and Hayden wanted Homer on his cake!

This was the kids’ last year having a family party, and I was going to order a Bundt cake. That being said, we had quite a bit of cookie cake left, so I just bought the kids each a mini cake then we had the leftover cookie cake with family.

11.

November of 2020 Covid was still rampant. We took advantage of online learning and had an outside birthday one Friday afternoon in November. Again, I picked up mini Bundt cakes, so they wouldn’t spread their germs (which honestly seems like it should always be that way…haha)

Then, I just picked up one cookie cake after realizing two cakes were too much the previous year.

12.

After going to a trampoline place with their friends, we got pizza and had cookie cake. Then, on their birthday, my brother and his family came over for Bundt cake.

13.

This year was much the same as last year. They went to Activate Games with friends and then we got pizza and had cookie cake.

On their actual birthday, we had a nice dinner out, and then stopped by my brother’s house to share the Bundt cake.

That was a fun walk down memory lane. I’m big on birthdays and always want my family, kids, and friends to feel celebrated!

What’s your ideal birthday cake?

See you back here tomorrow for Monday Memes!

Share 4 Somethings

Posted on January 28, 2023January 27, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Saturday!

Guess what happened yesterday? I got up, poured myself a cup of coffee, sat down on the couch…only to hear my phone vibrating. It was our school district calling at 6:15 to tell us we have a snow day. I looked outside and saw no snow and pretty dry streets. Well, apparently, the northside of town was a disaster with icy roads, wrecks, and stalled traffic on the interstate.

I’m not sure if we’ll have to make this day up or not, and I kind of hate to have a snow day with no snow, but that’s what we got.

Anyway…

Today, I’m trying something new! I’m linking up with Jennifer (Overflowing with Thankfulness) for her monthly Saturday link up: Share 4 Somethings

Every month, we are sharing what we are loving, reading, learning, and eating.

Loving:

I am loving this quilted pullover from my favorite boutique, Shop Style Your Senses. I love how it can be worn multiple ways. It comes in three colors, and I think they are all sold out for now, but this shop is one that I love.

Reading:

Just finished reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, and it was SO good. It could be a top read in 2023. I didn’t want it to end.

I also started reading Carrie Soto is Back, and I think I’m really going to like it.

I will share my January books next week.

Also, I shared that I’m going try to do this A to Z challenge this year. Well, I’m now realizing maybe I’m supposed to read books in ABC order? I’m not. I’m such a rebel. I just thought it would be fun to fill this in as the year goes on. As I have some spaces left, I will have to be more intentional with my titles, I guess. It’s just something different to do.

Learning:

This girl has become quite the baker. She has certainly learned how to bake all kinds of things including cakes. One of my friends and her (grown up) daughter baked a cake each month of 2022. Hadley and I are stealing that idea for this year.

With January almost over, we baked on our day off yesterday. Hadley did 90% of the work! This chocolate chip cake was so good.

Eating:

…well, now I’m eating cake 😂 but…

for the past month, I’ve subscribed to a meal plan that has been so convenient. Every Friday, Elizabeth posts a meal plan for the week with one new recipe. She tends to follow the Faster Way plan, and while I don’t necessarily do that, I still intermittent fast and have been trying to clean up my eating. I usually end up using two lunch ideas and two dinner idea each week, but they’ve been so simple, and I love that I truly don’t have to think about what we are going to eat.

Also, I have lots of cookbooks I use, Pinterest, and recipes from bloggers, but I had just gotten to the point where meal planning and making a grocery list were the last thing I wanted to do. So, I’m paying $15 a month for a few months just to get some ideas and get me through the start of the new year.

This was such a fun link up. I’m going try to remember to join Jennifer every month.

I hope wherever you are that you are staying warm!

Friday Favorites, Me

Friday Favorites {#143}

Posted on January 27, 2023January 27, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was pretty good. I feel like we are finally back in a pretty good routine after break…it always takes a few weeks to get back on track.

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

Y’all, for the first time ever, on a Friday, I don’t have much to share. I mean, we did things…but I didn’t really document. Hadley tried out for a club volleyball team and is excited about her team.

Hayden had his first 7th grade basketball game, but I only took a few pics and they are mostly blurry. Oh well. I try to just enjoy the game most of the time anyway.

I thought I’d do something a little different and share some of my favorites.

I feel like this month I’ve shared a bit more about only me thanks to the Bloganuary challenge and my other blog post topics…so let’s keep that going, I guess.

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it looked fun!

Favorite gum: I don’t chew gum.
Favorite candy or treat: My sweet tooth is a real problem. I love a mini snickers or scoop of ice cream.
Favorite emoji: I feel like this one is pretty much on brand for my life right now: 🫠
Favorite color: My house is mostly gray, cream, and hints of light turquoise
Favorite ice cream: Mint Chocolate Chip (and peppermint during the holidays)
Favorite breakfast: cream of wheat
Favorite store or brand: Besides Amazon, I love Target.
Favorite season: FALL!
Favorite dinner: pasta!
Favorite dessert: Rice Krispie treat
Favorite sport: I love watching most sports…college basketball and NFL are usually my top two. I love watching Hadley play volleyball. I love watching Hayden run. I love having an MLB (KC Royals if I can) game on in the background while at home.
Favorite activity: reading (and napping. haha)
Favorite way to spend a Saturday: not waking up to an alarm, watching my kids play a sport or activity, spending time at home
Favorite song: Luke Combs’ Going, going, gone
Favorite subject: English (obviously)
Favorite magazine: People
Favorite book: too many to count!
Favorite band or music: country
Favorite flower: peonies or hydreangeas
Favorite team or player: Chiefs
Favorite restaurant: y’all…I love Jason’s Deli for something quick. As far as a family restaurant, I love Puccini’s, and for a nicer restaurant, I love OBC Kitchen and Carson’s. (all local places)
Favorite place(s): San Diego, CA, Siesta Key, FL, and Charleston, SC
Favorite movie: The Parent Trip (original)
Favorite game: Wheel of Fortune on tv, but as a family I like most any game except Taco, Goat, Cat, Pizza

What are some of your favorites?

Favorite Mom Meme:

Relatable, right?

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

2014 …the first time the kids went sledding. We had that red saucer until last year…it was the best on the snow…until one of them ran over a big rock! #bigkidsdoingtricks

Weekly Recap:

I’m on a roll posting in January thanks to Bloganuary.

What are your weekend plans? We have no real plans tonight or tomorrow night. Hayden has a race on Sunday, and then we’ll cheer on the Chiefs. Let’s hope Mahomes’ ankle holds up. #fingerscrossed

I will have a post tomorrow too. I’m joining the Share 4 Somethings link up, and then I might as well share a Bloganuary post on Sunday to round out the month.

Thanks so much for reading.

Monthly Musings

Posted on January 26, 2023January 28, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I can’t believe it’s already the end of the first month of 2023! I’m so happy that Holly and Patty are continuing their Monthly Musings link up, and I’m joining them today.

This month’s topic is: beating the winter blues…

1. Something you do for yourself to beat the winter blues

With it getting darker earlier, it’s tempting for me to come home and put my pjs on! That being said, I try to keep my routine as normal as possible. When I get home, I usually give myself a few minutes and then go ahead and get my workout in.

Also, last week, for instance, the temps were so mild. After my workouts, I walked for about twenty minutes and enjoyed the sunshine while I could.

2. Something you do for your family to bring joy in the winter

Ever since the kids were little, I make snowman pancakes on the first snow day…and I still do. I just checked my stock to make sure I have pancakes and other good stuff if/when we ever get measurable snow! and…

…I try to make Valentine’s Day fun. I always pick up a few things for the kids…

…and the past couple of years, I’ve made a little Valentine’s Day lunch at some point in February.

Travis and I usually go to dinner, just the two of us, one evening around Valentine’s Day.

3. Favorite cozy items

I love an oversized sweatshirt and leggings or pj pants.

Cozy socks and/or slippers are a must! These are my new fave slippers:

…as well as my new boots. These have been perfect to wear with the colder temps!

4. Winter exercise habits or practices

I keep everything pretty much the same which means Beachbody workouts in my basement. That being said, we tend to have a few more free Saturdays in the winter (cross country, football games, etc. take up time in the fall), so I try to take advantage of that time and go to the gym on Saturdays that I have the chance.

5. Do you practice journaling or mediation?

I write this blog. haha

That’s about it. I do always try to start the day with some quiet time, and even at night before I go to sleep, I just try to calm my brain with a few quiet minutes.

6. Do you light candles or use essential oils?

I always have a candle burning if we are home. Lighting a candle is one of the first things I do when I wake up and same when I walk in the door!

7. Bedtime rituals to promote quality sleep

Y’all! I’m a high maintenance sleeper! I started using a weighted blanket a few years ago, and it’s hard to sleep without it. I’ve been using a sound machine since the kids were little. (When they were babies, they had a sound machine in their room that I could always hear through the monitor…so when I quit using the monitor, I missed the the white noise sound. So, that meant we needed one for our room.) Any app I’ve found isn’t the same, so we bring at least one sound machine with us when we travel if we can.

And…the real MVP…an Olly melatonin. The package says you can take two, but just one is all I need. I only occasionally use these, but they are legit.

8. Morning habits that help me prepare for a good day

Quiet and coffee to start my day. If I had to wake up to an alarm and hit the ground running, I wouldn’t feel ready for the day. One day during the kids early elementary years, I forgot to set an alarm. We all woke up late, had to rush to get to school, and I clearly remember feeling so frantic all day. (which I didn’t like one bit!)

I also try to know what I’m going to wear the next day, so I don’t have to think much about that. Some days I have my lunch made the night before…and some days I don’t. Obviously, it helps if I do.

9. Favorite way to spend days off in the winter?

I love a snow day!

There have been a few times when major winter weather has hit and Travis has been home. He likes to try and be productive, and I have to remind him that’s not what a snow day is about. haha

Now, there have been times when we’ve had a stretch of days off, and then we are eventually productive.

Of course, the kids love to play in the snow which is probably their favorite way to spend a winter day. We have such a great group of neighborhood friends, and they all end up getting together to sled, play in the snow and run around. Of course, that’s gotten easier on me as the kids have gotten older! Now, they bundle themselves up and head out to play…checking in when they can.

Our school plan this year is a mix of snow days and online learning days which is what we did last year too. I think that’s a good compromise considering we are 1:1 with technology, and the kids don’t have to get online with teachers. No one wants to be in school past May 31. I can promise you that!

As I’ve mentioned before, January and February tend to be slower months, so I do try to build in time on the weekend to read, watch a movie, nap, and whatever else I feel like doing. After the hustle and bustle of November and December, I feel like I deserve it.

10. Favorite winter themed movie

Well, in December, I think of Home Alone, A Christmas Story, and The Holiday.

When kids were little, we watched Frozen more times that I can count.

In the winter, I also think of Serendipity (the first movie Travis and I ever saw in a movie theater together) and Cool Runnings. That’s a family fave for sure.

This was such a fun topic to think about. It’s an unpopular opinion, but I love winter.

Have a great day!