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Target Tuesday

Posted on February 24, 2026February 23, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Y’all, we went from winter to spring and back to winter so fast that I have whiplash. I guess last week was “fake spring.” The snowflakes were flying most of the day yesterday, but we didn’t really get any accumulation.

Over the weekend, I went to Target looking for a specific home decor piece (more on that below), and I had some time to browse, and I found so many cute things. Honestly, my apologies in advance for the number of times I say “cute” in this post.

Here are a few recent Target finds:

Well, again, I will share my latest obsession —these candles! In the past month, I’ve purchased two pink (pink lady and peony) and then a green (honeyed pistachio) and white (amber sunrise) candle. I’m currently burning the green one, and I love it. My store still had them in stock.

This right here is what made me go to Target…this “berry serving bowl.” I was looking for something to add to my coffee table tray, and this color is my color…and I thought it was just perfect. Unfortunately, once I got it home, I realized that it’s too big for the tray. I’ve looked and tried to find a place in my kitchen, but I guess I will return it.

I guess Target has a collab with Rifle Paper Co now?! I saw so many cute (sorry!) items…from bookmarks to mugs to a candle to stationary and a tote!

Ok, these mesh shell pouches make me want to go to the beach! What a great idea.

You know I love a packing cube, and there were a few Cat and Jack options that are so fun for kids. (I can’t find them online?) Ok…why did just typing out Cat and Jack make me miss when my kids were little and wore Cat and Jack?

These puffy pouches are adorable!

Love the “self care” one. I feel like teens would love these.

Hi, my name is Jen, and I love a scallop detail! This little planter is precious.

Have you all seen these? Little mini Reese’s eggs! Don’t tell my kids, but I picked up two packs and put them in my school fridge for snacking! haha!

I feel like Target has so many colorful arrangements…

I was making my way to the Chobani Creamer when these cans of Slice stopped me in my tracks. I was having a flashback to my childhood. I’ve heard good things about the Poppi Shirley Temple, so I thought I’d try the Slice version. I tried it when I got home, and it’s good!

I feel like Target has the best selection of Chobani Creamer….and cookie dough is my fave right now.

Another beautiful selection…I love the Mrs. Meyer’s products, but I didn’t stock up just yet.

I joke that Target “tells me what I need” when I’m there, but I showed pretty good restraint! That being said, my list is long for the next time I go.

What did we do before Target?!

Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on February 23, 2026February 22, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Overall, mine was pretty low-key. Trav and Hadley were out of town for her volleyball tournament, and Hayden and I were at home. I was able to get a lot of things done at home, a few things for school, and I watched as much of the Olympics as possible. How about the exciting gold medal hockey game yesterday morning? I was up just in time to watch!

Anyway, it’s already the last Monday of the month, so I’m sharing a few favorite memes.

Well, as I type this, it’s snowing! We had such mild temps last week.

This one is timely. haha

I sent this one to a friend because it’s a running joke that a hotel matters. I’m not that picky, but I’m known for letting it be known that I won’t ever stay in a motel!

This one is me…adulting so hard!

Unfortunately, this one is relatable:

All the protein talk…all the time!

All of the sudden, my kids have become picky!

I sent this one to a friend because it’s soooo her!

This one is super accurate:

I hope these start your Monday off with a laugh!

Friday Favorites, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Kids, Travel

Friday Favorites {#292}

Posted on February 20, 2026February 19, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was good overall, but I think being out of town last weekend made me extra tired this week. We had warmer temps and lots of sunshine…proof that spring is around the corner.

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

Here are a few favorites from the week.

Since Hadley and I were going to be out of town for volleyball, I gave the kids their Valentine’s Day presents on Friday after school.

I got both kids and Trav some candy, and then for Hayden, he always suggests baseball cards as a gift, so I bought him a box at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Also, I bought him a Chiefs keychain for the car, so he didn’t have to use the dealer one anymore. I actually got him an air tag too, so he can keep up with the keys.

Hadley has completely hijacked one of our new living room blankets, so I got her one of her own. After we went to Hadley’s first tournament, we realized she didn’t really have an overnight bag. She often uses a spare backpack, but we purged what she had when we cleaned out her closet. Anyway, some of her friends have this Free People Carryall bag, and when I searched for it, I realized DSG has them…and some colors were on sale. So, on one of our snow days, I went to our local store and bought her one in the “petal” color. When she opened it, she was surprised and said, “Oh…it’s the real thing!” She knows I love a dupe! haha (I love a sale too, apparently!)

Anyway, they kids were surprised and appreciative.

Travis gave me a gift card for a massage, and of course my card had bubble letters.

Saturday was Valentine’s Day, and we were up and out the door to drive to Knoxville. Hadley’s team played in the afternoon wave, and wore their pink shirts for Valentine’s Day.

They played well on Saturday! Hadley’s been working on a little jump serve, and she’s getting there!

That evening, we walked around downtown we saw lots of festive touches.

How cute are these hearts and the red and white lights?

I swear Hadley is going to turn into a taco! She requested Mexican food once she saw that restaurant option, so that’s what we had…and then we went for ice cream. I was full, but she got the red velvet, and it was delish.

We walked back to the hotel which was around the corner from the Tennessee Theater. I’d seen this lit up sign in photos, so it was as surprise to walk right past it.

Sunday, they didn’t play until the afternoon, so we had some time on our hands. It was a really rainy morning, so it was nice to start off slowly. We met friends and had lunch at Tupelo Honey. We’d been to one in Asheville before, and the biscuits were as good as I remembered them to be.

Loved the Bless Your Heart glasses.

The girls dodged the rain to shop a bit, and then we headed to the convention center. They played some tough teams, but overall played well on Sunday too.

Sunday was a very late night that ended with us eating Chipolte (for Hadley – I told you…she’s going to turn into a taco!) and Cava for me…in our hotel room at 9:30 at night. We were so tired!

This was a three day tournament…I’m not sure why (LOL!). The girls made it to the silver bracket on Monday morning. We were down a hitter, so Hadley played all around on Monday. I laugh when my 5’3″ daughter playing front row, but she had some good hits AND a couple of blocks. She was so happy!

We were home by Monday afternoon, so at least I had some time at home on my Monday day off. I unpacked, took a nap, and placed a Kroger order. Overall, it was a good but busy weekend.

Yesterday, I sat in the backseat while Hadley drove us home from school. Her friend was in the front seat, and I was like, “Wow! Times have changed!” haha

Y’all, the Toms ads are targeting me! In the winter, I purchased two pairs of booties (to replace two that I’d had for years) that were on sale, and then, I saw an ad for these mules that were on sale. I ordered the metallic linen color, and they arrived this week. I can’t wait for spring! (Some colors appear to be out of stock, but there is limited sizing on some others…I did size up from a 9 to 9.5)

Yesterday, I didn’t feel like working out, but I decided to do a quick workout. Well, I got a notification that I’d completed my 400th workout! I believe this is my 400th since I started tracking about three years ago. Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise of an accomplishment.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This one depends on the day, but I can certainly relate.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

We have lots going on this weekend, but I hope to get caught up on some much needed rest. I also need to take down my (limited) Valentine’s Day decor, I hope to finish a book and watch what’s left of the Olympics.

Kids, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: February 2010

Posted on February 19, 2026February 18, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

February is just chugging along, isn’t it? Speaking of time moving quickly, I enjoyed writing the January 2010 Throwback Thursday, and it’s hard to believe that 2010 was SIXTEEN years ago! Today, I’m taking a look back at what we were up to in February of that year.

So, when I decided to do these TBT posts and focus on an entire year, I didn’t really think that when looking back at the first few months of the kids’ lives, these posts wouldn’t really be action packed! haha! I do like having these memories to look back on though…

The kids would often nap in the same crib…it just seemed that they always wiggled their way to each other and this kept it easy. I’d forgotten about how we used to wrap them up like little burritos! Pro tip at the time was to put down a “sheet saver” or “crib bib,” so if one of them spit up, we didn’t have to change the sheets. Maybe that’s still a “pro tip” now…

Hadley was a very intense baby. Around this time, we realized she had acid reflux and colic…she spent a lot of her time on her belly.

Hayden was the easiest baby without a care in the world. Sometimes, if I had laundry to take upstairs, I’d just transport him this way. haha

Boppy time, belly time, and a paci was often the only way to soothe Hadley.

First Valentine’s Day! Look at Hadley’s cute little heart onsie. Don’t worry…they didn’t eat the chocolate! That being said, of course we read the book.

I’m not sure why I didn’t find something else, but I used the top of a box (ha!) to mark each month.

February can provide some mild temps, so we did go outside whenever we could. Looking at this double stroller kind of stops my heart! What a flashback.

We had time to play dress up! I remember that my cousin gave Hadley this sweet butterfly dress. Very rare to see a smile from Hadley, so she must have loved the dress too 😉

Of course, the days with two three month olds really did center around feedings and naps. They were sleeping through the night by twelve weeks, so I think we were hitting our stride around then. I’ve always been grateful for my good sleepers, but I think the consistency, routine, and schedule helped with that too!

Have a great Thursday!

Self-care, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk: Skincare

Posted on February 17, 2026February 19, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

We had a three day weekend which was nice, but I was in Knoxville, TN with Hadley for a volleyball tournament for most of it. So, I already feel a little out of whack going into the week and then this shorter week will probably throw me off too!

Almost exactly a year ago, I shared a Tuesday Talk skincare post (which I only just realized when I went to link that post), and today I’m sharing a few things I’ve currently been using.

I’ve shared some of these products along the way, but I like having some of my faves in a designated post.

Dime Beauty products have been my tried and true everyday products over four years. That being said, I like mixing in a few new things here and there.

This coconut hydration mist has been perfect to use after my toner and any other times I feel like my face needs hydrated.

I’ve been using this 3D lifting cream for a few months. (I’ve only purchased it when it’s been on sale) It’s thick, creamy, and the scent is nice. I do feel the benefits of it when using it, so I use it every other night and use my Dime night cream on the other nights.

This depuffing face mask is a new fave that I’ve used a few times. I did purchase it when it was on sale, and a little goes a long way. I do notice a difference when using it for 20-30 minutes. It’s typically my Saturday morning skincare.

I’ve seen many share face cloths to dry their face rather than using a washcloth. I saw these while in the TJ Maxx check out line, and grabbed them. I typically wash my face in the shower at night, so I’ve just been using one of these every morning.

These eye masks are still my faves to use every morning. (But, I keep a box of these handy and use the individual ones for travel)

Body care is skincare, right? For years, I always used Jergens lotion, and I only stopped when I discovered body butter! Trader Joe’s has been my “go to,” and I love the seasonal ones.

A few months ago, I spotted this three pack of smaller ones at Trader Joe’s, and I will finish using them after I use up my Candy Cane body butter first.

Body butter is a must for me now as opposed to regular lotions. I love how thick it is, and my skin does seem to stay hydrated longer.

What are some of your “go to” skincare products?

Blog challenge, Inspiration

Monday Memo

Posted on February 16, 2026February 14, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

The Monday of a three day weekend definitely “hits different,” and while I know we had some time off recently, I always appreciate a Monday off from school.

I think I do a pretty good job not being on my phone too much. Of course, I’m on my phone for a variety of reasons like checking emails, answering texts, etc., but I try not to “doom scroll” too much!

Speaking of scrolling (ha!), I was on Pinterest, and saw this graphic and thought it was a good reminder of other ways to use our time in both creative and useful ways.

Creative:

Here are a few ways that I use time time in a creative way:

Journaling – This blog is my journal!
Drawing/painting – I don’t draw or paint, but I still like to color when I have the time.
Cross-stitch– I had so much fun cross-stitching a few ornaments over Christmas break. I hope to continue with that hobby!
DIY home decor – I’ve completed quite a few projects through the years, but not many lately. That being said, I do like updating spaces in our house with little touches like new candles and pillows.
Flower arranging: I buy more flowers in the spring and summer months, but I always love putting them around the house. Also, our limelight hydrangeas are always so pretty in the summer, and it’s fun to pick some and put them in vases.

Useful:

Here are a few ways that I use time time in a useful way:

Reading physical books: Ok…well, as you know, I love to read. That being said, I don’t read as many physical books as I used to. My Kindle is just more convenient for me to read (as well as audiobooks). But, I think reading on my Kindle shouldn’t count against me since reading is a good habit 🙂
Cooking new recipes: Well, if I don’t cook, how will we eat dinner? haha But, really, I do enjoy cooking…I just don’t love meal planning. Anyway, I like to try new recipes, and I actually probably make one new dinner a week.
Organizing and decluttering: Well, I do this all the time! I will say I do bigger “purges” after Christmas and during the summer when I have more time to do so.
Hiking/walking: I don’t get to go on nature walks or hike very often, but I do a good job getting my steps in outside…especially in the spring and fall.
Practicing mediation: I know it’s not exactly the same, but my quiet morning time is similar to meditation to me.
Self-care routine: I try!
Listening to audiobooks and podcasts: I’ve been listening to podcasts for quite some time, but audiobooks are still somewhat new to me. Audiobooks have been a way for me to read at least one more book a month.
Meal prepping: I do this in phases, but it’s always worth it when I do it. Meal planning/prepping just isn’t one of my favorite things to do.
Planning: Are you even a mom if you aren’t always planning something?!

What is something from this list that you do that’s a screen free hobby?

Have a great Monday!

Blog challenge, Inspiration, Me

Sunday Reflection

Posted on February 15, 2026February 14, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Sunday!

Last month, I shared a “Sunday Reflection” looking back on the week, and I think that’s something I’m going to try to share at least once a month. It’s good to look back on the week and to look forward to the next in regards to seeing what I’ve accomplished and what goals I have for the upcoming week.

What made you the happiest this week? Thursday, we found the time for a family Valentine’s day dinner. I’ve kept it simple the past few years with heart shaped chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, fruit, and rolls. It was easy, and everyone loved (and appreciated) it.
What are your three biggest wins from the week? Well, to start, getting up at 5:50 again after a two plus week reprieve is definitely a win. Also, just getting back in school routine was also an accomplishment. I had to spend time getting with my students reviewing their NTI work and then getting in the swing of a new unit. Lastly, I was able to cross some things off my “to do” list like ordering Hadley’s volleyball pictures, making a few returns, and running a few errands. (You know, little things that you just put off and wonder what took you so long to do them?)
How did you spend most of your time this week? Well, besides being at school, I spent a lot of time watching the Olympics. So fun!
What drained your energy this week? I think the answers might always be teenagers. haha! But really – I had to do an online SAT training outside of school hours and it’s frustrating how long it took to complete. Apparently, the only thing harder than then SAT is completing the training to be a proctor for the SAT!
What did you do for yourself this week? I was overdue for a nail appointment, so I did that Tuesday after school. I didn’t go too far out of my wheelhouse, but I did try a new color…Let’s Be Friends….and it’s kind of a combo of my two faves…Funny Bunny and Bubble Bath.
What’s the greatest lesson you learned this week? I already knew this, but for some students, being at school is their safe place. There are so many students who struggled being out of school for two weeks because of their home life, food insecurity, or just being out of a school routine.
What do you want to do better next week? I need to get back to planning lunches. My new “go to” is to buy a bag of Caesar salad and take it to school and then bring some chicken and low-carb tortillas and just leave those things in my classroom fridge. I can usually get two to three wraps out of the bag of salad.
What would you like to accomplish next week? Probably just what I typically want to accomplish –getting workouts in, focusing on eating better…and I need to get better about eating more protein again, and just continuing to get into a school groove.
What can you do next week to take a step towards long-term goals? I need to plan all of unit 3 for my classes, so I can see when the unit will wrap up. We have district common unit assessments we have to give at the end of each unit, and I need to make that deadline.

Happy Sunday!

Blog challenge, Me

Finish the Sentence

Posted on February 14, 2026February 14, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Valentine’s Day!

Wow…Friday the 13th was no joke. Overall, it was a good day, but you know…kids are crazy. haha! Plus, we’ve had really nice and warm weather, and I swear the students are acting like it’s spring!

Anyway, I love these fun graphics, and I stumbled upon this one…

…here are my answers:

Every morning, I ….drink coffee! Well, I do a lot of things every morning, but drinking coffee seems like the most important! The second most important thing I do is make our bed.
I can’t leave the house without my …tumbler! Of course, I “can’t” leave the house without many things like my wallet, phone, or car keys, but I do take my tumbler with me wherever I go.
My usual breakfast is…either nothing or cream of wheat. I’m not a big breakfast person, especially on weekdays, but if I’m hungry and have time, I will make some cream of wheat. I keep some cereal bars at school if I make it until mid-morning before I need something to eat. Other days, I do eat anything until 12:30.
I study/work at…high school! (As I’m sure you know!). It’s hard to believe that I’m on the downhill slide to wrap up year 24.
When I get home, I…put on comfy or workout clothes. Once I get home, it always goes one of two ways…I either put on comfy clothes, or I change into leggings and a t-shirt and head to the basement for a workout. Even if I put on workout clothes, I still take a few minutes to unwind after a long day.

I hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#291}

Posted on February 13, 2026February 12, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

It’s been a good week once we got back into a routine. I know we just had two (unexpected) weeks off of school, but I’m not mad about the upcoming three day weekend.

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

Here are some faves from the week:

The Olympics!

I’ve planned my evenings around watching the Prime Time coverage, and that means I’ve also been going to bed later than I should. I’ve enjoyed watching as many events as possible, and I always love learning more about the athletes.

I almost missed out on my (half off) birthday discount, but on one of the final days of January, I ordered a Kendra Scott ring that I’d had my eye on. My local store didn’t have it, so I just ordered it online. It arrived this week, and I love it.

Hadley’s club volleyball photos came in, and they turned out so cute.

I’m not sure what took me so long to do so, but I finally bought a couple of bags at Trader Joe’s to haul my groceries in. We do like using the paper bags because we’ll use them for our recycling, but I do like having these bags, and they’ve come in handy for carrying my Kroger and Aldi groceries too.

I went to Walmart on Monday to make a return, and of course I had to look around. How cute are these (salad and dinner) plates? They are the Pioneer Woman brand, so of course they’re cute! I was so tempted to buy them, but I showed restraint. I guess I can always go back!

I’ve shared these Threshold brand candles a couple of times. I have the pink one, and I was placing a Target pick up order, so I thought I’d go ahead and snag a white one. Well, how could I resist the green one?!…and Target had a buy one get one half off sale. These are already reasonably priced, especially for the quality, so I just couldn’t say no.

With the Chiefs not being in the Super Bowl, our Super Bowl traditions were all out of whack. We did still go to my brother’s house, but instead of ordering a cookie cake, I made Valentine’s Day(ish) brownies. They were a hit.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, my mom gave me these little heart tea lights via my Gma. So festive and cute.

We have a lot going on this weekend, so I went ahead and made our “Valentine’s Day” family dinner last night. Heart shaped chicken nuggets for the win!

Both kids love nuggets, and Hadley loves mac and cheese, so this was an easy meal to make. On a whim, I added some of the Sister Schubert rolls to my Kroger order, and we made little chicken minis!

The Valentine’s Day card for our family tradition continues! I snapped a pic of the kids on one of our snow days, and then I ordered the cards from Shutterfly. I love sending these to family every year.

The way to my heart…

Favorite Mom Meme:

I feel seen! Why is it like this? haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m sure I share this every year, but I loved dressing the kids up for Valentine’s Day when they were younger. This pic is from 2011…their second Valentine’s Day. Pinchy cheek cute.

Weekly Recap:

I’ve still been a busy blogger….

It’s Friday the 13th. Let’s hope it’s a low-key day at school. haha!

Have a great weekend!

Books and Shows

Olympic Movies

Posted on February 12, 2026February 11, 2026 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

The Winter Olympics have been so fun to watch so far. Over the weekend, I watched Glitter & Gold on Netflix which got me thinking about other movies and documentaries that focus on the Winter Olympics.

Ice Skating:

I loved Glitter & Gold and wish there were more episodes. Ice dancing is so amazing, and of course the different partnerships and drama are also interesting.

Chock and Bates are my fave duo, and I was able to watch some of their performances live thanks to the weekend and snow days. I inadvertently saw the results of the ice dancing, but I still watched it in Prime Time last night.

Who doesn’t love the movie The Cutting Edge? This movie was one of my all time faves in the 90’s, and I loved watching it with the kids a few years ago.

My brother will randomly say “Toe Pick!” #iykyk haha

Admittedly, I’ve not seen I, Tonya, but wow…I remember the Kerrigan/Harding rivalry in the 90’s and being fascinated with all the details of Kerrigan’s injury after being assaulted and if she’d be able to perform.

Bobsledding:

Cool Runnings was another fave from my childhood, but again, the kids loved watching it too. I wanted to re-watch it before the Olympics started but never had time. I will definitely try to watch it again soon.

Hockey:

I was born right before the big Miracle on Ice game. My mom tells the story of her hoping I’d stay asleep so they could finish watching the big game. It’s been years, but I did see the movie Miracle, and I’m pretty sure I’ve watched it with Hayden as well.

The latest documentary on Netflix, Miracle: The Boys of ’80, was another one I’d hoped to watch before the Olympic games started. I will definitely watch it soon as well.

The Mighty Ducks is an absolute classic, and it’s another fave I loved re-watching with my kids a few years ago.

Snow boarding:

I’ve not seen this Netflix documentary, but it’s about Scotty James, an Australian Olympic snowboarder.

I’m thankful my kids were interested in watching great 90’s movies with me…and I enjoy watching documentaries as well.

What did I miss? I’m sure there are other Olympic themed movies and docs that I’ve forgotten.