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Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday. Well, *sigh* it’s the Monday after break which always proves to be difficult.

My friend sent me this yesterday and it’s very relatable!

That being said, today also marks the downhill slide to summer!

After Spring Break really is our busiest time of the year. Nothing fills up a calendar quicker than baseball practices and games. Well, of course Hadley also has dance, and now both kids are doing track this spring with meets during the week as well. The good news is that our weekends will now be lighter, but the week days will be booked solid.

I’m sharing some quick and easy meals that I will turn to while making dinners these next couple of months.

I really do try to have something home cooked Sunday-Thursday. Even on a really busy night, I don’t want to do drive-thru if possible.

I’ve shared before that I try to cook something Sunday that will provide leftovers on Monday. Even if we don’t have much on a Monday, I rarely feel like cooking. Tuesdays tend to be Mexican theme, and then Wednesday is often pasta or something can make leftovers on Thursday. This isn’t always my schedule. If don’t have leftovers to serve, I often will do pork loin, brinner, or soup and sandwiches.

With our schedule filling up on week nights, I’m sharing a few meals that I turn to in order to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible.

A few “go to” meals:

  • Andrea’s Creamy Beef Casserole: This meal is a family favorite. We definitely eat this more in the colder weather months, but it’s such a great hearty meal to eat all year long.
  • Lazy Enchiladas: These are so easy and delish. All you have to do is cook taquitos as directed. Then, you pour a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, put the taquitos on the sauce, cover the taquitos with sauce and shredded cheese. Then, you bake them at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. That’s it!
  • Trader Joe’s Carnitas: I make these at least once a month. Put the carnitas in the slow cooker, cover with salsa verde, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. I then put the meat on half of Trader Joe’s Southwest Chopped Salad while the kids and Travis will put the meat on hard or soft taco shells.
  • Cheeseburger Salad: I actually have been eating this quite a bit for lunch lately. It’s so good!

I brown the turkey in a skillet and then add some taco seasoning and water to let it finish cooking. I add chopped lettuce to the bowl, top with cooked ground turkey, add chopped pickles, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, and then a drizzle (1 Tblsp) of this awesome sauce from Trader Joe’s.

*I get at least three salads out of 1 lb. of meat.

  • Shay’s Frito Pie: I’ve made this a couple of times, and it’s a family fave.
  • Baked Chicken: I’ve shared this recipe many times, and it’s such a good one. I always get two nights out of it, and the chicken is easy to pair with bagged salad or Bob Evans mashed potatoes.
  • Brinner: Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?
  • Pork loin: I often buy the Smithfield brand that you just cook in the bag. There are a few flavors, and my family loves these. The only thing is that they do cook for about 45 minutes, so I just need to remember that as far as timing goes.
  • Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken – I’ve been making this for years! It’s so easy, delicious, and makes so much!
  • With the warmer weather, we’ll grill out when we can.

Other time savers:

  • Rotisserie chicken

Sides:

  • Bob Evans microwave mashed potatoes
  • Bagged salad – Dole chopped Caesar is a fave!
  • Fruit
  • Biscuits or Jiffy cornbread

I’ve been picking up this Bisquick mix recently, and it’s perfect for making a few biscuits quickly.

Shay‘s Simmers cookbook is a perfect resource for having meals ready right when you get home.

What we are eating this week:

Other meals I want to try soon:

I keep tabs open on my phone with recipes I see that I want to try. Then, if I think I will make it again, I will write it on a recipe card.

What are some of your quick “go to” meals? I’d love to add to my list. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a cooking rut. Not to mention, the grocery store can be hit or miss with what they have in stock. I swear, lately my Clicklist order has felt like March 2020. My order this past Saturday had 14 substitutions and 3 items not in stock at all. Also, the most random things are hard to find…cotton balls, for example!

At the start of break, knowing we were headed out of town, I didn’t go to the grocery and it was nice not having to plan for food. It was all fun and games until Friday when the kids complained we were out of food. haha

I hope you had a great weekend! This early alarm on a Monday morning hurt. Ouch.

See you back here tomorrow for Prime Purchases!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#107}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!…and Happy April 1st.

Well, you know I love a Friday…but dang, today means we only have a few days left of break.

We’ve had a great week of downtime, productivity and activities.

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

…Spring break edition…

Since Spring Break is always a favorite, I’m recapping Spring Break and sharing the favorites from each day.

Last Friday:

Last Friday, Spring Break officially started at 3:30. I picked up Hayden from school, came home and on my pjs. It was a cold and overcast day, so we didn’t make any evening plans. I picked up Hadley at 5:00 from a school event and texted to say, “Don’t make me come inside. I’m in my pjs!” 😂She promptly came out to the car.

I read, we watched basketball games and had takeout for dinner. Truly, this was a favorite way to start break.

Saturday & Sunday:

Saturday and Sunday looked much the same. We were able to sleep in, we watched basketball games, I read my book and did some things around the house. The kids had no sports, and, again, it was just nice to have time at home.

I did run a few errands on Saturday, and Hadley and I went to our favorite nail salon. I got a pedicure while Hadley got a manicure. After I saw her color choice, I did same for my toes!

I seriously don’t think I left the house on Sunday. We tidied up, did laundry, and watched basketball games. For dinner, we had a family favorite…brinner!

Then we watched our March movie: Cheaper by the Dozen. It was cute and very modern day. We all enjoyed it, but I think we all prefer the 2003 version.

Monday:

Monday was busy, busy, busy. We had some errands, had a Target pick up, a stop at the library, and an ortho appointment for Hayden. Then, we came home and packed and left for our Spring Break trip. We drove to near Knoxville to stay for the night.

books for all of us

Tuesday :

On Tuesday, we drove the hour and a half to Asheville. We arrived mid-morning, and got started on our trip. I plan on recapping the trip next week. We stayed at Grove Park Inn, and had a great time.

The kids had fun checking out the property when we arrived.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, we had an action packed day that included a hike…

and Hayden and I visited the Biltmore. This wasn’t necessarily on our “to do” list since we did that a few years ago, but Hayden was insistent! I couldn’t say no, so he and I went on the tour.

Thursday:

On Thursday, we eased into the day and enjoyed one more day in Asheville.

obligatory family photo before checking out of GPI

We got home around 7:00, unpacked, hung out with Homer (he missed us!), and caught up on American Idol.

The last few days of break will be spent with a little bit more downtime, errands, and getting ready for a busy upcoming week. Next week, of course we have school, but baseball games and track meets begin, and I have a couple of longer school days with the after school tutoring program.

Favorite Food:

We always eat a lot of great food in Asheville (& go to some great breweries), but White Duck Taco Shop is a fave. We eat there every time we visit Asheville.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Travis and Hayden were talking about some of the activities at GPI. Travis looked at Hadley and told her about a cycling class. She said, “You do you, dad.” 🤣 She takes after me and likes to relax on vacay.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

These memes feels accurate:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

For memory sake, here are the kids at the Biltmore for Spring Break 2018.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week…memes to make you laugh and a recap of the two books I read in March. Here they are:

Monday Memes
March Books

I know some are finishing up Spring Break while others are just getting started! I hope you have a great weekend.

Thanks so much for reading,

Posted in Books and Shows

March 2022: What I’ve Been Reading

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! As March wraps up, I want to share the books I read this month.

It was another slow reading month for me, but I enjoyed the two books I read this month.

This month I read…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Lucky:

Summary:

A thrilling roller-coaster ride about a heist gone terribly wrong, with a plucky protagonist who will win readers’ hearts.

What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?

Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity–when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.

When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.

As Lucky tries to avoid capture and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she was just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved–whose dark past is catching up with her, too.

This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, multilayered character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest … before her luck runs out. 

Quick Thoughts:

My friend let me borrow this one, and it was a very quick read. I liked how it was organized because each chapter has both current day and then flashback as well. The premise with the lottery ticket and Lucky not being able to share her identity definitely hooked me from the beginning. There were times that I felt sorry for Lucky and kept pulling for her. I was satisfied with the ending for sure!

Rating:

Rock Paper Scissors:

Summary:

Think you know the person you married? Think again…

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve seen a few share this book, and I was on the library wait list for a while. Finally, it was available to read on my Kindle. To me, it took a few chapters to get into this book, but definitely by the midway point I couldn’t put it down. There was definitely a creepy and sinister feeling portrayed from the start. A blizzard, a chapel in the middle of nowhere, and a main character with face blindness…I mean, you know there are going to be some twists and turns. There are anniversary letters sprinkled throughout the story, and some of them seemed a little odd to me. About 3/4 of the way through the book, my mind was blown. I wanted to go back and re-read certain parts. This was definitely a great, suspenseful book!

Rating:

I would say a 4, but then a 5 about the mid-way point to the end. So, let’s settle on 4.5 ⭐️ 😉

I’m not sure what my deal is, but I just haven’t prioritized reading as much lately…I’m hoping to pick up the pace in the spring and summer.

The good news is I’ve been able to read more this week which has been nice.

What book are you reading right now? Soon it will be time for me to choose what books I want to read this summer. Can’t wait!

{this post contains Amazon affiliate links…}

Posted in Memes

Monday Memes

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Happy Monday. I can’t believe it’s the last Monday in March. This got me thinking…so I counted…only eight more Mondays of the school year. Of course, this is the best kind of Monday…the beginning of Spring Break.

Today, I’m sharing some of the memes that made me laugh this month!

A few favorite memes:

1.

Little kids don’t realize how good they’ve got it…do they?

2.

My phone is always on silent. Always. I guess I check it often enough that I don’t miss much, but I do remember spending money on ringtones. haha

3.

On repeat. My kids feel like it’s a victory if their plates, etc. get put in the sink. How about rinse them off and put them in the dishwasher? Help a mom out!

4.

Gas prices though….whhhhy?!

5.

Like just let me talk to a human, please!

6.

OMG. Hayden White. It’s a blessing and a curse that he has such an inquisitive mind.

7.

I’m having flashbacks to high school. This made me LOL.

8.

Sixteen years and still going strong. haha

9.

This!

10.

I’ve shared before that I’m not a fan of “springing” forward. I swear I’m still all out of whack. That being said, my car clock is always accurate. 🙂 (My dad leaves his microwave as is all year long…He can’t figure out how to change it. haha)

I hope you had a great weekend. Have you had Spring Break yet? Today’s plans aren’t too exciting…We are crossing some things off our “to do” lists and then hope to enjoy the rest of the week.

I’m planning on sharing the two books I read in March later this week…and then hopefully Friday Favorites as well.

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#106}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! It’s the best kind of Friday because…Shew!… I’ve almost made it to Spring Break.

This week as been hectic at both school and at home; I’m definitely ready to kick my feet up and relax this evening. I can’t wait.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I had my annual mammogram last week and received my “all clear” results this week. Just a friendly reminder to get yourself that appointment!

Not a favorite…I threw my back out on Monday. This is the third time since 2018 that my sciatica has given me trouble. The worst time was the first time in 2018. Then, spring of 2020 and now almost two years later. Monday, after school, I couldn’t wait to get home and lie down flat and rest. It was really hard for me to rest, but I’ve done that when I can this week, and I think (fingers crossed) this isn’t going to turn into a big issue.

Over the weekend, I popped into Trader Joe’s…I stuck to my list, but then I saw this grapefruit scented candle, and knew it would be perfect for spring. It’s a good one!

I really try to use the You are Special plate whenever I can, but I usually end up combining “celebrations.” Both kids had their best report cards yet (7 A’s and 1 B), and they made the track team. So, both were celebrated on different evenings.

It was Spirit Week this week. Hadley dressed up most days, but the both sported their “college” shirts on Tuesday. Why do I feel like I’m going to blink, and I will be dropping them off at college?!

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley forgot her running shoes for track practice on Monday. Travis suggested she borrow Hayden’s spare pair…

Look at her response below: haha!

…and…

Wednesday night we were getting caught up on American Idol. The contestant, who ended up earning the platinum ticket, was singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” and Hayden said, “He sings like me…when I’m in the shower.” 😆

I LOL’d!

Favorite Clothing Item(s):

I used to have a chambray shirt but got rid of it at some point. Amy shared her fashion faves recently and I realized I “needed” a chambray shirt again.😉 Target for the win! My Target was out, so I had this one shipped.

I love it. It arrived Wednesday (a little wrinkly), so I threw it on for a pic. I wore it yesterday with my Matilda Jane ruffle pants, and felt so comfy all day.

My sister-in-law was wearing some cute jeans from Loft. I found these (which are similar) and ordered them immediately…using the 40% off code.

They arrived on Tuesday, and I wore them Wednesday. So many of my jeans are skinny jeans, and I wanted a darker pair that was a bit different.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

Tweens…#amIright?!

This one is relatable as well!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

After my dad requested the photo with the kids, he said, “I hope you are saving these.” Of course, that prompted me to take a deep dive into my Shutterfly folders, and I found 2017 thorough ’22.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Hello Monday
Easter Basket Ideas

What are your weekend plans? Spring Break begins at 3:30, and I’m ready.

I should have a couple of posts next week starting with some memes on Monday.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Gift Ideas, Holidays

Easter Basket Ideas

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I can’t believe it, but Easter will be here before we know it!

Today, I’m sharing a few…

For the kids’ Easter baskets, the bunny always leaves candy, and then I fill them with a few “wants” and “needs.” Easter baskets are perfect for flip flops, swimsuits, goggles and anything else the kids will need for summer. Through the years, I’ve also included baseball cards, nail polish, stickers, band aids, and more!

Honestly, I haven’t bought a single thing for the kids yet, but today I’m sharing some ideas for both boys and girls. Basically, I looked through my Amazon purchases from the past year, and these are some of the best purchases that my kids have enjoyed (and I’m sharing a couple of other ideas that will probably end up in their baskets this year!)

Boys:

  • Water bottle: We just had to buy a couple of new water bottles for track season. I’m not sure why water bottles are so hard to keep up with, but it’s a struggle around here!
  • Adidas slides: Since these Adidas slides have 114,000+ 4.5 ⭐️ reviews, I thought they’d be a good gift suggestion. My mom gave these to Hayden has a birthday gift. Hadley sometimes snags them for herself!
  • Glow in the dark net: This glow in the dark net was perfect for a stocking stuffer, so I’m sure it would be perfect for an Easter basket too!
  • Golf balls: These golf balls are great for any sports lover!
  • Theodore Boone books: Hayden LOVES this series. After I picked up the first book for him, he immediately wanted to read the second book. He checked the rest of the series out from the library.

Girls:

  • American Girl Doll “Smart Girl” books: Have you heard of these books? They are perfect for tween girls. We picked up The Care and Keeping of You book a couple of years ago. Then, Hadley has read the Middle School one along with Friendship Troubles and Babysitting.
  • Slides: These slides are SO good. They have 46,000+ four star ⭐️ ratings, and Hadley and I both have them. We wear them all summer long.
  • Bracelet stack: I’m thinking of getting this bracelet stack for Hadley. She loves bracelets!
  • Nail polish holder: How cute is this nail polish holder? It has 19,000 , 4.5 ⭐️ ratings and would be perfect in an Easter basket with some new nail polish.
  • Straws: Another surprising thing tween girls love? Straws! I ordered these and have been using them myself. Hadley has been using them too. (over 14,000, 5 ⭐️reviews)

Both:

  • Racko: I always like to give the kids a game as a “joint” gift. Then, of course, we can play as a family. I’ve seen this game shared a few times, and I thought it would be fun to play with the kids.
  • Bike wheel lights: I saved these bike wheel lights to my Amazon “kids” list for Christmas. I never ordered them, but they have 18,000, 4.5 ⭐️reviews. I think Hadley would think these lights are fun.
  • Bananagrams: I gave this game to the kids for Valentine’s Day last year. It’s so much fun to play as a family, and it’s easy to pack in my purse or when we travel on vacations. (17,000, 5 ⭐️ ratings)
  • Goggles: I’ve purchased this same two pack for each kid for two years, and will do the same this year. They are great quality. My kids end up losing goggles throughout the summer, so I always get the two pack.
  • Wireless ear buds: My mother-in-law got these ear buds for the kids for Christmas. Travis suggested them to her, and the are great quality. (44,000, 4.5 ⭐️reviews)

Here are the ideas I shared last year!

2021 Easter Basket Ideas

What are some Easter basket ideas you have? I definitely need to get a game plan and order a few things. That’s on my “to do” list next week over Spring Break.

See you back here on Friday!

{this post contains Amazon affiliate links…}

Posted in Holidays, Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! {Monday} How was your weekend? We had a nice three day weekend. All day Saturday I kept thinking it was Sunday. I was so happy to have that extra day. We had a mix of down time, family time, errands, athletics, and more.

I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah to share about the weekend.

With no school, we all slept in a bit. My dad arrived for a visit on Wednesday, so it was nice to have this day off. Per his request, we had breakfast at his favorite spot.

Then, we came home for a bit until it was time for me to take Hadley for a trim. She loves having longer hair and puts off getting a trim. I took advantage of being able to snag a daytime appointment with a recommended stylist. Hadley was pleased with the trim and styling! She looks so much older with straight hair.

We came home, watched basketball, and my brother came over for a few hours.

I actually got an afternoon nap before getting ready for Hayden’s basketball game.

It was the end of the season tournament this weekend, so Friday night was the All Star game.

After his game, we had pizza and watched more basketball and then it was bedtime.

Saturday morning we all slept in a bit. My first task was getting the corned beef in the slow cooker. I actually borrow my sister-in-law’s slow cooker each year to make double the food to feed us all.

I served the kids “Lucky Pancakes” on Thursday, but forgot to share on Friday.

Then, I watched some tv, cleaned up the kitchen, and my brother and nephew came over. Early afternoon, I worked out, and then went to Trader Joe’s.

When I got home, I had a quick lunch, and then went to Hayden’s basketball game. They won and moved on in the tournament.

After his game, we had to take the traditional front porch photo with the Major. #thisishishappyface 😉

I made two Irish soda breads, and they turned out sooo good. I need to make the bread more than once a year. We all love it. The corned beef turned out great as well.

For the kids, dessert was lime sherbet with some ginger ale. I could only find rainbow sherbet, and it was a hit too.

We all hung out and watched basketball. I was so tired, and in bed by 10. Travis and Hayden stayed up later watching all the games.

I heard my dad around 6:30, so I got up because the Major leaves early. He left around 7:00, and I took that extra quiet time to start laundry and do my Kroger pick up order.

The kids slept until almost 10:00. When Hadley got up, she wanted to make waffles. We all benefited from that!

Then, we went Hayden’s basketball game. Unfortunately, his team lost, but he had a great game. At least he was able to end the season on a high note. Now it’s time to juggle middle school track and spring baseball.

I went to Target to return a couple of things, and then I picked up my Kroger Clicklist order. Actually, as I was walking into Target, I got the substitutions text from Kroger. Thankfully, I was able to find what I needed at Target including almond milk, an onion, yogurt, and my liquid foundation.

Everyone helped me unpack, and then the kids headed to Countdown Games with youth group. They “saved the princess” with two seconds to spare!

Once they got home, I did some lunch prep for the week, and then made dinner. I made Andrea’s Creamy Beef Casserole which is a family favorite.

Then, it was time to get organized for the week. Travis helped the kids with math (#nothankyou) while I finished up this post.

It’s Spirit Week this week which has Hadley written all over it! My kids do have testing this week too. I know we will all be happy to see Friday afternoon!

My posts may be a bit more sporadic over the next couple of weeks. This is the week before Spring Break which always proves to be hectic at school. Then, we have next week off, so I will probably just see where the days take me!

Thanks so much for reading,

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#105}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! We’ve had a really great week with great weather! How about you all?

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

Some favorites from the week:

I’m taking us all the way back to last Friday. I picked the kids up from their second day of track tryouts, and we headed to Panera for dinner, per their request.

Kentucky weather, y’all. Their after school tryout started with 50 degrees and sunny and ended with 30 degrees and wind…all in a two hour time frame. They wanted a warm and hearty meal…followed by a cookie. We didn’t yet know the team results yet, but I thought a cookie was a great way to celebrate their effort.

As soon as we got home, I put on my pjs #shocker! Then, Hadley didn’t want to wait for the results to be posted on the school website, so we drove up to school (while Hayden played Xbox haha!) Congrats to both…they made the team!

We woke up to snow on Saturday morning. Apparently, Lexington got around 4 inches!

On Saturday morning the kids up early. Honestly, I even said to them, “Whyyyy are you up already?!” They always sleep in, but I guess not that day. Since we never have time to go out to breakfast unless maybe we are on our way somewhere, I thought we’d go get some donuts.

Travis has picked these donuts up a couple of times, but it was nice to go in order and eat breakfast.

The place is so cute…

…and the donuts are delish. (I had half of one…that was good enough for me!)

Snow on the ground meant indoor batting practice…

With Travis out of town again, I took Hayden to practice, and it was nice to watch him get back in the baseball groove again.

How sweet are these two? Hadley was at a friend’s house, and I turned to the corner to see Hayden and Homer snuggling while watching basketball.

Well, we had a big day on Tuesday. Monday night, we received the call, text, and email that Tuesday would be “mask optional.” While I figured this was coming soon, we were all (teachers, parents, admin) surprised by the spur of the moment notification(s).

I know my kids felt weird going to school without one. I try not to dwell on it, but there really will be long term effects on so many, including our kids. How sad that it feels so foreign to them to show their face and their smile? I reminded my kids that they’d really only been wearing masks to school and not other places besides doctor’s appointments. It was time….far past time, actually, to let them smile. {and…it has been an adjustment for me as well!}

Ice cream at Rupp for high school Sweet 16 basketball games is also a fave.

Another favorite for the week? No school today! This day is often used for snow day make ups. This winter, we had a couple of traditional snow days mixed with some NTI days, but we have enough hours in to use this as a day off. We’re definitely thankful for this three day weekend.

Favorite Kid Quote:

I told Homer to get his paws off the counter. Hadley said, “He’s begging.” Then without missing a beat, both kids starting singing, “Begging. Begging youuu…” (Beggin’ by Maneskin) and started laughing. Hadley said, “That was twin telepathy.” 🤣

Favorite Mom Meme:

I learned a long time ago that even if I think my kids “never will,” they will. That being said, they better come correct real quick!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Oh man…I remember being sooo excited to take them to Disney on Ice at Rupp in 2015. We all had a great time.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week!

Not Just a mom: Reading Habits
St. Pat’s Day foods
Travel ideas

What are your weekend plans? Hayden has his end of the season (rec league) basketball tournament. Also, we’ll be eating our Irish meal tomorrow…can’t wait!

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Thursday Thoughts, Travel

Thursday Thoughts

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Did you see my post on Tuesday? It’s not too late to get your corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker!

Well, after St. Patrick’s Day, all I can think about is Spring Break. After Spring Break, all I can think about is summer 😉

With the weather feeling warmer and the sun shining most days, I’m really thinking about vacations.

Today, I’m sharing my Top 3 vacations. I’ve written more detailed posts on two of them, but today I’m also sharing some of the places on my TT (to travel) list.

Top 3 Vacays

1. Lake Tahoe

We went to Lake Tahoe for our tenth wedding anniversary in 2015. Our anniversary is in June, but we waited until my Fall Break in October to go.

The views were amazing, there was lots to do, and the weather was perfection. I would definitely go back there for sure!

2. Grand Canyon to Cali

A few years ago, Hayden mentioned wanting to visit the Grand Canyon. We thought that was a great idea because neither Travis nor I had been to the Grand Canyon as well. We also figured if the kids were wanting to go, we should. (rather than drag them there one day when they might not be as pumped to go.)

We spent a few days in Arizona before then driving to…

California. Travis knows I love Cali, and San Diego was an 8 hour drive. That seemed doable and a way for us to also hang out at another favorite place…the beach.

This trip meant driving from Lexington to Cincinnati, flying to Las Vegas, driving to Arizona (stayed three days), driving to San Diego (stayed four days), driving to LA (stayed two days), driving back to Las Vegas (for one night) before flying back to Cincinnati and driving home to Lex.

Shew! It was a great trip, and we were gone around 10 days, but we had such a wonderful time.

3. Napa

I’ve never blogged about this trip and could only find a few photos from our trip to Napa in 2008. This was pre-kids when we had lots of time on our hands. We were in California for about eight days. We were in Napa for most of it and then in San Francisco for a couple of days at the end of the trip.

We went to Napa with another couple and had so much fun. I will say that a week in Napa is enough. I love wine, but I swear we went to probably fifteen wineries.

One of our favorite wineries that we stumbled upon was Anomaly. It was quaint, the people were lovely and the scenery was perfection. We brought home three bottles of the wine from there from that trip. One we drank in 2009 when Hadley came home from the NICU, another we shared about six months later when we celebrated our five year wedding anniversary. Then, we took the last bottle with us to Tahoe to drink to celebrate our ten year anniversary. We’ve purchased a few more and been gifted one or two as well which we appreciate.

I couldn’t find the photo, but the next year for our anniversary Travis had one of his friends paint the Anomaly Vineyard from the photo I took. This painting still hangs above our fireplace.

I’ll cherish it always.

Fave Vacay Spots

We kind of have a rhythm with trips. For Fall break, we often head to Asheville.

Here are some posts I’ve shared:

Asheville 1
Glamping
Asheville 2

Asheville is close to us and perfect for a quick getaway.

We’ve glamped…

We’ve hiked…

…and we’ve seen all the sights.

We went to Asheville for Spring break in 2018 (I think) with Hayden’s main requirement being we visit the Biltmore. It was a great trip as well.

For Spring break, we usually go somewhere pretty close. Last year, we went to Nashville to visit the Gaylord Opryland hotel.

We’ve also gone to South Carolina, Indianapolis, and Knoxville for Spring break.

The summer is our bigger vacation of the year. I always wish we could go somewhere warm in the winter, but it’s too hectic with the holidays and often going out of town to see family.

For summer vacation we often go to South Carolina or Siesta Key, Florida.

We’ve been to SC for Fall Break once, Spring Break once, and then summer vacay many times. Hands down the best time to visit SC is in the fall…as long as there isn’t a hurricane happening 😉

Siesta Key is another favorite vacation spot. We are lucky because Trav’s aunt and uncle own a house there. They are generous enough to share it with the family.

As my kids have gotten older and their schedules are busier, it’s hard to plan a vacation too far in advance. So, it’s great to have this option as our “go to” whenever the schedule allows.

on our 10th wedding anniversary in 2015
2020
2020

Bucket List:

We definitely have a list of places we’d like to travel either as a couple or with the kids.

  • New York: We actually had our 2020 Spring Break trip planned to take the kids to NYC, but had to cancel it once the reality of the pandemic was setting in. I’d still like to take them there.
  • DC: This is definitely on our short list for Fall or Spring Break.
  • Hawaii: Of course, that will be a trip we need to plan for…but I also just can’t get over how long it will take us to actually get there…which means I’ll feel like we definitely need to stay for a good stretch of time.
  • Nantucket: I don’t know if any of my family is interested in visiting Nantucket, but I sure am.
  • Pacific NW: This would be another great family vacation.
  • London, Paris, Ireland: In high school, I went on a ten day (I think) tour of Europe, but I’d love to go back. Hadley would love to go to Paris.
  • Virgin Islands: I’ve heard such great things about BVI, and I’d love to go.
  • Mexico…

The last time we were in Mexico was 2005 on our honeymoon.

We look like babies!

I like that we’ve taken our kids to both familiar and new places through the years. While we aren’t world travelers, they’ve certainly seen many parts of the U.S., and maybe we’ll get abroad one day. That being said, when we go to Asheville, Isle of Palms, and especially Siesta Key, they are very familiar with those places and have some favorite restaurants and activities that “we have to do” when visiting.

What places should I add to our “to travel” list?

If only we had more time, energy, and, oh yeah — money (haha!), we’d be able to cross some of these places off our list a little sooner.

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites.

Posted in Holidays, Meals and Recipes

St. Patrick’s Day Foods

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! With St. Patrick’s Day only a couple of days away, I’m sharing a few food ideas.

Listen, we take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously…I’m only like 2% Irish, but I can drink green beer with the best of them! #college

Seriously, I grew up knowing about my Irish and German heritage, but I finally took an Ancestry DNA test only a couple of years ago only to find out that I don’t have much Irish blood!

That being said, I still look forward to the traditional corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread meal that I always grew up enjoying.

Breakfast:

Last year, I made the kids some green pancakes and sprinkled some Lucky Charms marshmallows on top with the syrup. I plan on doing the same this year as well.

Dinner:

I shared about our traditional meal last year, so make sure to check out that post again. I always use two slow cookers to cook two corned beefs because my brother’s family always comes over for dinner too. The Irish soda bread is probably my favorite part! It feels like it’s going to be a lot of work, but really it’s not…and it’s so worth it anyway.

Dessert:

Amy shared some fun St. Patrick’s Day ideas, and I loved the lime sherbet and Ginger Ale idea. I think the kids will love it, so I’m going serve that as an after dinner treat.

This year, I think I’m going to make the traditional feast on Saturday. We’re too busy on Thursday, and I’d rather choose a day where I know we can sit and enjoy the meal.

Go Green:

I guess it’s another thing they’ve kind of outgrown, but I always loved dressing the kids up in green (so they don’t get pinched, of course!)

2015

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day traditions?

“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door.” ~Irish blessing

Take care,