Category: Everyday Life

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: November 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

How has your weekend been? Yesterday, we spent most of our time in the car traveling back to Kentucky from KC. We had a good Thanksgiving holiday with family. Today, I’ve gotten groceries, unpacked, organized, and done quite a few loads of laundry. I’m trying to get all my ducks in a row before heading into the three week stretch of school between now and winter break!

Today is the last day of November, so I’m taking a look back on a great month of moments for us.

This month, we saw a little bit of snow…my pumpkins weren’t happy!

I decorated for Christmas a little bit at a time.

Since I knew we’d be out of town for Thanksgiving, I wanted everything up for when we returned. I had a couple new purchases this year including a wreath and ribbon from Target, and this set of trees from Amazon. They turned out cuter than I was expecting!

On a Friday night, the whole fam went to the Kentucky basketball game. We had a great time.

We had many lovely days in November, so I tried to walk when I could in order to get some fresh air, add to my step count, and listen to an audio book.

The kids turned 16!!…and we celebrated with family…

…and friends. Hadley had the sweetest sweet 16 party.

….and we have one new licensed driver! She picked up our dinner last night when we got home, and she picked up my Kroger order this morning. This is what mom dreams are made of!!

One thing I learned quickly while being a mom to twins is that they do things are their own pace…one crawled before the other, one walked and talked before the other and so on. We scheduled Hadley’s driving test a few days after her birthday because she’s shown more interest in driving. Hayden’s appointment is soon. Also, y’all — scheduling two appointments at once is harder than you’d think! You have to get online at 8am (on the dot!) to schedule an appointment three weeks out. Now, the driving appointments haven’t been as cut throat as when we tried to get their permits, but it wasn’t much easier getting their two driving test appointments scheduled. Anyway, soon enough, I will have two who can run my errands. haha

We ended the month with a great Thanksgiving in KC. My cousin always outdoes herself with her tablescape, and the personalized chocolate turkeys that she orders are a fun tradition.

The weather was pretty nice, and it was great to see family.

We ended our visit at the Magic Tree which is a fun tradition.

Yesterday, we drove home in mostly rain, and half of the drive was in the dark. It’s always sad leaving family, but we loved being reunited with Homer and sleeping in our own beds last night. Plus, my to-do list is a mile long today.

Now we’re ready for the December hustle and bustle!

Have a great Sunday!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: October 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday!

How was your Halloween? We had a busy day at school…and most of the day our district was without internet. Talk about scary!!

It’s hard to believe that today is November 1st, and October is in the rear view mirror. October has always been one of my favorite months, so I loving looking back on all that we did this month.

First of all…

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This month started at the beach on our annual fall break trip to 30A. This was our fourth year, and we had the best time.

Once we returned home, it was time to decorate the front porch…one of my favorite fall things to do.

Hadley and friends had the best time at Homecoming. They did “brunch and bouquets” in the morning followed by getting ready together.

The group took pics before heading to dinner and the dance.

Keeneland in the fall is one of my favorite traditions. Trav tends to go quite a few times for work, but also for fun too. I joined him one afternoon; the weather was lovely, and we were able to hang with our friends.

Hadley’s sophomore volleyball season wrapped up! I’ve loved watching them play.

Last weekend, we went to my niece’s performance in Legally Blonde, Jr., the musical, and it was so fun.

We also made it to the pumpkin patch which is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. We grabbed hot apple cider, apple cider donuts, and pumpkins to carve…

….which we did on Tuesday night.

Thursday night, Hayden went to the UK basketball game with a friend and Hadley and Trav (and one of Hadley’s friends) went to an outdoor concert…Ole 60. Travis definitely won cool dad points for going to the concert…and getting them Taco Bell on the way home. 🤣 They were out late on a school night!

Last night, we had lots of trick-or-treaters which was lots of fun to see.

This month the kids have also had lots of fun going to our school’s sporting events like soccer and football games as well as UK football and basketball games, but they’re out there having fun…and making memories…occasionally sending me pics along the way.

October was a good one, and now we turn the page to November, setting the clocks back an hour and soon, my kids will turn another year older. Bittersweet, for sure!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: September 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, even on fall break, I guess Thursdays are still my favorite day of the week. That being said, I do wish time would slow down a little.

Speaking of time flying, September is over, so it’s time for me to recap the month.

Here’s a look back on September…

We still had a little pool time in September. Our pool stayed open a couple of weeks after Labor Day.

There were lots of cross country meets and volleyball games.

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The volleyball team traveled to Tennessee, and the JV team had a great weekend of volleyball.

School picture day was a success…

My dad came to visit for a few days, and it was nice to see him.

I decorated for fall which is always a favorite for me. I love that we get to enjoy that decor for a couple of months, and now I’m ready for the weather to cool off.

I even pulled out a couple of my favorite mugs.

We did end the month in one of our favorite places…Seaside, Florida for fall break with friends. I will share more on that after we return.

That’s a wrap on September. Like the month of May, I kind of feel like I’m in “survival mode” as we get into our back to school routine. Now, on to October…my favorite month of the year.

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Have a great day!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: August 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

It’s not often that I write a Sunday post, but since it’s the last day of August, I’m sharing a quick recap of the month.

This month seemed to be mostly about back to school and sports while clinging to summer!

Volleyball started for Hadley in early August at the Bluegrass State games.

I finished up moving into a new classroom, and I’m really liking it. I see the kids and their friends a bit more which is a pleasant surprise.

For our back to school dinner, we went to IHOP for the second year in a row. I always get French toast or pancakes (with a side of bacon) when we go there.

Then, it was back to school! The kids have had a great start back to school. They seem to be adjusting to block scheduling just fine and are keeping up with their school work…so far!

I’m adjusting to block scheduling too. I actually really like it…the only thing is I’ve felt like it’s taken me a bit longer to learn student names seeing them every other day.

The kids have continued to get in some driving time. Hadley continues to have more of an interest than Hayden, but Hayden’s been driving too. As expected, there’s less driving time now that we’re back to school.

We did get a new (to us) car after my car was hit a few weeks ago. It’s a good size for both kids to drive too.

I did go to the pool the few chances that I had in August. I will miss reading poolside.

Hayden and I have been watching Royals baseball when we have the chance. They aren’t too far out of the last Wild Card spot, but they’ll have to have a solid September to make the playoffs. We’ll see.

Hayden has has two cross country meets, and he is off to a solid start. He was two seconds off a PR in yesterday’s race. I know he wanted to run faster, but at least he was close to where he left off last season.

Football is back in the Bluegrass State….Trav and Hayden went to the game yesterday, and Hadley tailgated with friends. The weather was perfection, and the CATS pulled out the win.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join in on the fun…I have a raging sinus infection that’s kept me pretty miserable since Friday. Thankfully, I do think the meds are finally kicking in, and maybe I can salvage the rest of this three day weekend by actually getting out of the house tomorrow! I’m thankful for the time to rest, but I’d hoped to have had a bit more fun this weekend!

I hope you have a great Labor Day, and I will have more posts later in the week.

Posted in Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#269}: Monthly Moments July 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!…and happy August 1st. I’m not trying to be negative, but I think August is my least favorite month, but it also does mean a fresh start and routine once school starts, and I do like both of those things.

How was your week? I made the most of my last full week of summer…I spent some time finishing getting my classroom in order, went to Pilates, went to the pool, read, went to a movie and more!

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

….to share a look back on July.

July 1st, Hadley went to Young Life camp in Michigan with lots of her friends.

Hayden and other family members ran the Bluegrass 10k on the 4th of July.

I stayed in one spot to cheer them on!

Our nephew won the race.

We wrapped up the 4th by going to our favorite spot to watch fireworks.

I got lots of pool time in July…which meant I had time to chat with my friends, float in the pool or read.

We celebrated Trav’s birthday when Hadley got back from camp. We got him a few gifts, went out to dinner, and had some Crumbl cookies to celebrate.

As I’ve shared a few times (sorry to be repetitive!), Trav and I went Lake Michigan to celebrate our 20th anniversary that was in June. We made do with what time allowed for us to get away for a few days, but honestly, it was still such a perfect vacation. It was nice being able to drive a few hours to a couple of beautiful towns, and the weather was great with low humidity.

I recapped our two days in South Haven in this post.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast right by the beach, and it was lovely.

We also spent two days in Saugatuck, and I shared all about our time there in two posts. (post one, post two). We stayed at a boutique hotel, spent time in town, got a massage, ate a few delicious meals, and went to the beach.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Louisville for our nephew’s wedding. They got married on a Friday with a dinner to follow and then a bigger reception on Saturday. It was a great couple of days with family.

In July, both of the kids’ sports started. Hayden’s been going to 6am practices the past couple of weeks, and Hadley’s been busy with volleyball. Her first tournament is this weekend.

I also spent the last couple of weeks at school off and on setting up my new classroom. I’ve worked in my room over ten hours, and Hadley has been such a big help.

Just yesterday, we finished the final bulletin board, and now I actually need to start thinking about actual school stuff like curriculum and syllabi! haha

Overall, July was a good month with lots of summer and family fun.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

Monday Memes
Teacher Talk Tuesday
July books
Monthly Musings

I hope you have a great summer weekend!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: June 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Why do the summer weekends tend to go by just as fast as the ones during the school year? Overall, we had a pretty chill weekend which was just what we all needed.

Today is the last day of June, so I’m sharing this month’s Monthly Moments.

Here’s a look back on June:

June was a weird month with the weather…we had some cool days and many rainy days as well. Then, it was hot…but also stormy. We were poolside when possible, and I will take what I can get.

Hayden played a few rounds of golf which is always fave…

Our niece got married in June, and we went to her wedding in Louisville.

It was a beautiful ceremony and reception, and we had lots of fun.

The kids and I traveled to Kansas City to see my family. We didn’t do a lot, but we did get to hang with family quite a bit which is the best part. We did go to the Royals game which was when Alex Gordon was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. We got an Alex Gordon bobble head and watched the fireworks.

Once we got home, we celebrated Trav (a day late) for Father’s Day. Crumbl Cookie, cards, and the “You are Special” red plate…what more could you ask for?!

About ten days ago, the kids got their wisdom teeth removed. Hayden bounced back quickly, and Hadley had a rough go of it with her teeth being impacted, and she ended up needing fluids for being dehydrated. Our friends dropped off dinner and a few goodies throughout that week.

Trav and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We went out for a sushi dinner and have plans to go out of town for a few days in July.

June has meant lots of yard work. Hayden and friends have been busy mowing yards, power washing and more. I’ve been admiring my hydrangeas as they’ve continued to bloom. They are my fave.

The June days sure were busy…the kids have worked a bit, had morning workouts, cross country conditioning and volleyball open gyms; I’ve had a couple of doctor appointments and have been able to go to Pilates 2-3 days a week.

I will say, it’s felt like no two days were the same…which also means I haven’t really felt in a groove. There’s definitely been some downtime, but not much! Maybe that extra downtime will come in July?

June was a great month, and it’s always one of my faves.

Posted in Everyday Life

Monthly Moments: May 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

Also, happy June 1st! May is over, so I’m taking a look back on Maycember. May is filled with lots of fun, but like December, this month likes to try and take me out! haha

May memories:

The Major visited and was able to catch a couple of track meets and my nephew’s baseball game. We were also able to celebrate Major’s birthday a bit early.

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Hadley and I traveled to Gatlinburg for her final tournament of club season. The girls had lots of fun, and it was nice having a bit of downtime when they weren’t playing.

We got home from Gatlinburg late afternoon on Mother’s Day, and my front porch looked pretty with flowers and new planters along with the traditional hanging fern baskets. The kids also got me flowers and a card which I appreciated!

Yay! We finished updating the bathroom…and I’m still so in love:

Track season continued with a couple of meets including the regional meet.

Last week, we wrapped up the school year…freshman year for the kids and year 23 for me! Since we didn’t get a Mother’s Day photo, I hopped in the last day of school photo with them.

We celebrated my niece’s birthday on Friday which was a great way to wrap up the week and kick start summer.

Yesterday, Hadley ran in the state meet…earning two medals, one in the 4 x 200 relay and one in the 400m dash. It was a beautiful day for the meet…

…and then she did a quick change and went to the Railbird music festival to catch some of her favorite country artists!

I’d say the biggest highlight of all for both of them this month is — that they both got their driver’s permit!

I’m still trying to get used to this milestone!

May was a really great and memorable month. Now, we’re ready for June and hope to find our summer groove soon!

I’ll be back tomorrow to share the books I hope to read this summer!

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: April 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy last day of April!

Another month, and another recap of some of my favorite moments from the month.

Here’s a look back on April:

Well, technically this was the end of March, but Trav and Hayden traveled to Indy to watch UK in the Sweet Sixteen game. Even though the CATS lost, they still had a good time.

We kicked off April with a tornado warning and Trav’s heart ablation; good news is Trav is doing well. He’s back to running and doing whatever he wants. So far, the ablation has seemed to work although he’s still on medicine for the time being.

Taking cover in the basement in the middle of the night wasn’t on my 2025 BINGO card, but it will be a night to remember. Thankfully, we didn’t have any damage.

I’d say one of the highlights of April was spring break in Isle of Palms, SC. We had such a great time, and it was the perfect spot for Trav to recover from his surgery.

We had a lovely Easter in Lexington. From dyeing eggs to Easter baskets to church to lunch, it was a great day!

My mom visited for a week and was able to see a couple of track meets and my nephew’s baseball games. She was here for Easter as well, so overall, it was a great visit.

My mom and Trav’s mom were there to cheer Hayden on in the Eastern Relays 3200m race a couple of weeks ago. It was a late night, but we had fun.

Right before spring break, we demoed our hall bathroom to give it a major update. We’re making progress and the finish line is in sight!

Track season continued this month. The kids have had quite a few races over a few meets. Hadley continues to run the 200m and 400m with PR’s in both to start the season. She had a slight calf strain, and some PT and dry needling have her back in action!

Hayden’s had a “frustrating” start to the season …just not meeting his time goals, but he’s hung in there. A friend shared a video with the message that “growth isn’t linear,” and that certainly has proven true for him. He finally had a break out week this past week with PR’s in the 1600 and 3200. It’s been good to see a smile on his face! Hard work does pay off!

Volleyball is slowing down a bit. Hadley only had one tournament in April, and it was just this past weekend. Hadley and I went to Louisville last Saturday night, and then I went to her Saturday games. We came home, and then Trav took her to her Sunday games. A friend was sweet enough to send me a couple of videos as well as this pic of her serving.

She’s had a lot of fun with her team, and there’s one more tournament left!

So, that’s a look back on April. One bummer was that I never made it to Keeneland, and I always enjoy going to the spring meet with Trav and friends. It just didn’t fit into the calendar this spring.

What’s a highlight of your month?

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: March 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, it’s the last day of March…Can you believe it? We still have one more week of school before spring break, but I think once we get back from break, it will feel like the downhill slide to summer!

Here’s a look back on this month:

Hadley spent lots of time on the volleyball court. She started the month playing in a tournament in Lexington, and then last weekend had a tournament in Louisville. Her team only has two tournaments left in the season, and the girls have been so fun to watch.

This month, indoor track season wrapped up. Hadley ran the 400m at the indoor state track meet, and had a PR. Then, the kids started their outdoor track season, and had their first meet last week with another meet coming up this week.

Hadley had a summer job interview which feels like some kind of rite of passage. She’s excited to earn a little money this summer.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, and I made corned beef and cabbage. My brother and his family joined us for dinner per tradition.

Hayden had fun attending a few Kentucky basketball games including a home game and then some of the NCAA games that were in Lex over the past few weeks.

When we were in Louisville, we tried Swig for the first time, and it was delish.

We’ve enjoyed the sunshine, and I’ve gotten my steps in most days in March. It’s funny to think about all the snow, ice and cold temps in January, but with a bit more time on my hands, I was able to start 2025 strong with quite a few workouts. February…not so much! …but March with some pretty good weather and my desire to listen to audio books helped me get back on track, especially with walking quite a few days a week.

This past weekend, we celebrated my niece who’s getting married this summer. Hadley and I traveled to Louisville on Saturday for the bridal shower.

March was a good month! I’m hoping for some downtime and some more sunshine in April.

What was the highlight of your month?

Posted in Everyday Life, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Well, March just seems to be flying by. It’s already the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for this month’s Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at…

This month’s topic is…let’s look on how you reset for the week on Sunday.

I truly do use Sunday as a reset, whereas, Saturday is usually more for running errands.

Here’s a few things I make sure to do on Sunday to ensure we have a successful week.

Laundry:

The weekend is when we do laundry. So, for sure, by Sunday, I try to get all the laundry washed, dried, and laid out in the kids’ rooms for them to put it up. Sometimes, I start this task on Saturday, but by Sunday, the kids have their clothes put away.

Meal Plan and Grocery Store:

I typically meal plan on Saturday, and so my grocery pick up on Sunday. If I’m running behind, I meal plan on Sunday and then do my pick up on Monday. If that’s what I need to do, I typically have a few groceries delivered on Sunday, including whatever I need for Sunday dinner. I’ve been using grocery delivery as an option since July, and it sure has come in handy.

As far as meal planning, I look at the week ahead to which days it might be best for me to use the slow cooker, or which nights I should plan on having leftovers. I try to make something on Sunday to have leftovers on Monday. I really don’t enjoy cooking on Mondays.

Plan for the Week:

I guess I actually write out what we have going on for the week before I meal plan. I still use this magnetic notepad for the fridge to write down evening activities, appointments, and what we’re having for dinner. I’ve re-ordered this meal and shopping list many times the past few years.

Another crucial step is making sure the kids know what they have going on for the upcoming week. Thankfully, we always have dinner together as a family on Sunday, so this is a good time to chat.

Notes:

I have a “this week” note on my phone, and I make sure it’s up to date with appointments, errands, activities and things I need to do each day.

Kids reset their rooms:

Sunday is for picking up all the things. The kids are busy, and they love their rooms, so they spend quite a bit of time in them. That being said, I can only walk past their rooms and see the clothes on the floor or the Chick-fil-A cup so many times before I have to say something. haha

Anyway, they know that Sundays are for tidying up and prepping for the week ahead.

Plan my outfits:

While I don’t lay my clothes out, I do try to think about my outfits…even like this week, yesterday, I had to proctor the ACT at school, so I knew I wanted to wear comfy clothes. Often times, I wear whatever I wore to church on Sunday to school on Monday.

It’s nice to at least have an idea of what I want to wear and not be scrambling at 7:15 in the morning.

Relax:

I try to relax and take some time for myself on Sundays. Whether that’s read a book, go for a walk, or binge a few episodes of a show, I try to relax and recharge for the upcoming busy week.

What about you? What do you do on Sundays to prep for the week ahead?