Category: Friday Favorites

Posted in Friday Favorites, Gift Ideas, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#284}: Fave Gifts

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF, am I right? I’m typing this on Thursday when there’s a good chance for snow and a possibility of a snow day on Friday. What could be better than that?

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

Today’s Friday Favorites post is a little bit different, but with less than two weeks until Christmas, I thought I’d share a few favorite gift purchases from the past and a few that are on current wish lists.

First of all, have you heard of the Giftful app? This is the second year Hadley has used it, and it sure has come in handy. She added some ideas for her birthday and Christmas, and they are linked with sizes. Then, you can “claim” the gift, so no one else purchases it. Also, you can follow people on Giftful which makes for easy shopping.

Her little captions are too funny…and she has a wish list for car accessories too. (FYI – the kids don’t have a car…yet) She’s a hoot!

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So, let me start with her…

Teen Girls:

This sunrise alarm clock is on her list…and honestly, she needs some help waking up in the morning! haha

She loves hair tools, and this hair waver is something she has her eye on.

Are you even a teenage girl if you don’t ask for a portable speaker?

This compact vanity mirror was a hit a few years ago. She did get rid of it once we updated her room and got the bigger vanity, but this smaller one worked well too.

Teen Boys:

Well, Hayden is definitely harder to buy for, and certainly doesn’t give many ideas.

He didn’t ask for Ugg slippers, but I see so many boys wearing them. Of course, there are more budget friendly options too.

He hasn’t really entered the cologne world, so I thought this pack of solid colognes might be a good stocking stuffer.

I can’t remember a time when Hayden hasn’t had a mini basketball hoop. He had an over the door one forever, and then a couple of years ago he got one for the basement. Even though he doesn’t play basketball as much as he used to, he still will play on the mini hoop.

Are you even a teenage boy if you don’t ask for a Nike hooded sweatshirt?

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I don’t even want to tell you how many water bottles I’ve purchased through the years, but this stainless steel one is very durable and has lasted him quite some time.

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Husbands:

I bought Trav this “Battery Daddy” a few years ago, and it truly was a favorite. We keep it stocked and in the hall closet for whenever we need batteries.

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I got Trav some “Goodr” sunglasses from a local running store a few years ago, and I see so many people wearing them. Some shops have quite the variety of colorways and styles. These seem popular too.

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My brother had these joggers last year, and highly recommended them, so I bought them for Trav last year too. They are great! The fabric is smooth and stretchy perfect for jogging and working out. They have side and back pockets that zip as well. Trav wears them a ton.

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Joggers (affiliate link)

These beer mugs are perfect for a frosty beverage. Trav loved this gift.

These grilling baskets seem popular.

A few other ideas:

Trav has horse sales in the winter, and these rechargeable hand warmers are something I got him a few years ago.

I gave a similar fleece wrapped shawl to my mom or Gma a couple of years ago. I love the pockets!

This electric tea kettle was something I asked for a few years ago, and then I got one for my mom. We use it quite a bit for things like Ramen and hot chocolate, and it’s perfect for tea drinkers.

A few other ideas: candles, pretty stationary, Story Worth subscriptions, and photo calendars are other favorite gifts I’ve given through the years.

These wireless earbuds are my current faves. I purchased them for myself last summer, and they have worked perfectly for my needs. They are wireless, waterproof and noise canceling. I love using them to listen to podcasts or my audio books.

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Wireless Earbuds {affiliate link}

I feel pretty good about where I’m at with gifts, but I still need to purchase a few more. Mostly, now I’m just waiting for gifts to arrive. Then, it will be time to wrap everything…which isn’t really a favorite, but I did buy a couple of new rolls of wrapping paper….maybe that will put me in the spirit.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week…

Share Our Lives
Holiday Home Tour
Hodgepodge

I hope you have a great weekend!

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Travel

Friday Favorites {#283}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Of course, I’m always team “TGIF,” but something about Fridays in December are just a bit better.

We had a little bit of everything this week from re-entry after Thanksgiving break to a snow day and the kids having busy evenings with activities.

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

This is a super-sized Friday Favorites from Thanksgiving tidbits to festive fun.

Going back to last week, we were in KC for Thanksgiving. We drove a bit after school on Tuesday and finished the rest of the drive on Wednesday. Overall, we had a pretty chill KC visit which was fine by me.

Of course, I had to catch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thanksgiving morning.

My dad’s cousin hosts that side of the family, and there are probably thirty people there…my cousin outdoes herself with the tablescape and place settings.

I always look forward to the personalized chocolate turkey! It’s a fun and sweet tradition!

We snapped some family photos…

My brother and his family were there too!

Can you go to KC without getting BBQ? Per Hayden’s request, we had some for lunch on Friday.

The girls baked cookies…

…and we spent some time with my Gma. When I think of my Gma, I always think of cardinals and Nutcrackers. She has quite the collection of both…and she passed down a Nutcracker to each of the great grandkids.

We also made a visit to the Magic tree which is a fun tradition. It had started to rain, so we had to snap our pics quickly…

GG was in on the fun…

We left around noon in Saturday and drove home mostly in the rain which was no fun. There was actually snow on the ground for quite a bit of our drive through Missouri and Illinois.

Sunday morning me thanked pre-Thanksgiving me because it was nice to sip my coffee by the glow of the Christmas tree.

The Nutcrackers have found a home…

….as did this cookie jar…another hand me down from my Gma. My brother received one as well.

My mom gave my sister-in-law and me one of these cute Christmas trees… I hope I can keep it alive!

Topsys Popcorn in a KC staple, and it’s one of my fave traditions to get some during the holiday season. I don’t think they always do it, but now it’s in some grocery stores there, so my dad picked some up. The crew plowed through it, so I picked up a couple of tubs to bring home.

I shared my Trader Joe’s haul yesterday, and I love this festive bag.

Sunday, I put out our outside decorations. We don’t do much, but we haven’t had light up trees in a couple of years. I purchased a set of two on Amazon, and they arrived just in time. I was pleasantly surprised with them.

They have a battery pack, and I did wonder about turning them off and on every night…but lo and behold when I went to turn them off the first night, they’d gone out…and then they were lit up the next day. So, they must have a timer that I didn’t realize. My version appears to be sold out, but they have a “snow” version.

On a Target run a couple of weeks ago, I picked up the wreath for the mirror as well as a cute pack of ribbon. I decided to tie some on the coffee table tree that I’ve had for years, and it’s the perfect festive touch.

On that same trip to Target, I lucked into finding two of the Christmas icon glasses. I got one tree and one gingerbread man. I wish I’d picked up a couple more because it appears they are sold out.

Classic…cold milk and a couple of Oreos for dessert.

I also use them for iced coffee…so festive and cute.

We had a snow day on Tuesday which was kind of unexpected. The meteorologists were talking about a chance of 2-5 inches of snow, and it was certainly cold enough, but I don’t think I’ve every had a snow day in December!

Our streets were fine by 9am, so I guess the timing was just right with snow covered roads when the buses would be driving their routes.

I actually went to school to set up my tree…This was the one that Hayden put in his room when he was little, but it’s been in our attic. Next year, I need to remember to add a few more lights. The tree skirt, beaded garland (I probably should have gotten two strands), and ornaments are all from Amazon.

One of my favorite food trucks came to school yesterday. I love not having to pack my lunch, and I love the “mozzaroni” sandwich to warm me up on a cold day.

I shared my December book trackers on Instagram. They are saved in a highlight, so feel free to use them and tag me. I love seeing what others are reading.

Favorite Mom Meme:

’tis the season (of life!)

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This pic is from 2013…and it was the first time the kids went ice skating. We were in KC for Thanksgiving, and we went ice skating at Crown Center which is something we used to do when I was a kid. Like with most things, Hadley hopped right on the ice, and Hayden was a bit hesitant. Their personalities haven’t changed much since then!

Share Our Lives:

We have our last Share Our Lives link up of 2025! We’d love to have you join us!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week!

Prime Purchases
November books
Tis the Season: Trader Joe’s

I hope you have a fun and festive holiday weekend!

Posted in Books and Shows, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: Holiday Books

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your Thanksgiving? It’s truly my favorite holiday…food, family, football and a break from school.

If they’re hosting, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...

…to share…some of my favorite holiday books. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I’m ready to read some Christmas/holiday themed books which has been my December tradition the past few years.

Currently I’m reading…

I always try to read one holiday book in November, so I have a new idea to share with you all for December. The Christmas Cookie Wars was the perfect way to kick start my holiday reading. I will share my November books next week.

On my list for December is this book I picked up from Barnes and Noble. Like I shared previously, I learned via Tik Tok (thanks to my sister-in-law) that every two months Barnes and Noble has a book in their cafe that is $5 with a cafe purchase.

Murder at Holly House is the November/December book. I can’t wait to read it.

I’ve shared/read these books in the past…

…and I recommend them all.

Mr. Dickens and his Carol, Christmas in Paris,

and Bright Lights, Big Christmas are all faves…

…and I loved Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series…10/10 recommend!

Besides Christmas Cookie War and Murder at Holly House, I hope to read…

  • Christmas with the Queen and The Merry Matchmaker, both of which I have downloaded on my Kindle.
  • I have a few others on hold at the library. I don’t know that I can actually read them all, but on my list are: A Ferry Merry Christmas, Secret Christmas Library, and Christmas at the Ranch

What holiday books do you recommend?

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Monday memes
Sweet 16

On Sunday, I hope to share my Monthly Moments for November. Have a great weekend!

Posted in Amazon, Family, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#282}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week?! I feel like the week flew by!

I’m typing this late at night, so I’m stopping by quickly to share a few favorites from the week. I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea, as always.

Here are some favorites from the week…

Last Friday night, the four of us went to the UK basketball game. One of our friends gave us tickets which was nice, and it was a good family outing!

We had passes to the Lexus Club which was extra fun. Food and drinks were included, so we grabbed a drink and a few snacks before the game.

It was an easy win for the CATS, and we had a good time cheering them on.

Sunday’s weather was gorgeous, so I went for a walk and finished listening to an audiobook. I figured I should take advantage of the sunshine and good temps while they last.

I went to Target last weekend, and snagged a few seasonal items like the peppermint scented Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap and surface cleaning spray.

…Target had the Chobani peppermint mocha creamer out, so of course I picked that up too.

I was heavily influenced by Sarah when she shared these jeans the other day.

I wore them last night to dinner, and I love them.

Last night, we went to Malone’s for the kids’ birthday dinner. Then, we headed back to the house to open presents and have cake. My brother and his family went to dinner with us, and then they came over for cake as did a couple of the kids’ friends. Overall, they had a great birthday! I’ll share more later after Hadley has her party tomorrow.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Teaching the teens to drive isn’t for the faint of heart. For some reason, parking has been one of the harder skills to learn. I think they both have the hang of it now, but just this week I’ve had to remind them that sometimes you do have to adjust your parking or try again.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Speaking of driving…the kids loved these cars…and it’s hard to believe they’ll be driving on their own in the near future.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Monday Meals: Potato Soup
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? Tomorrow, Hadley is having her birthday party with some friends, and I truly hope to get my Christmas decorations put up. I feel so behind at school and at home!

Have a great Friday!

Posted in Amazon, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#281}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours started with cold temps and snowflakes and then ended with springlike weather. I’m sure I’ll have a head cold soon…which is definitely not a favorite.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Brr…

Well, you know I love a snow day, but too soon Mother Nature, too soon! There were snowflakes flying off and on throughout the day on Monday, and by the time I got home, my pumpkins were wondering what was going on?! Just a dusting, but the snow was pretty while it lasted.

Can you spot Homer?

Even though he’s part Husky, the colder temps made him want to snuggle up in our pillows, apparently! Actually, he’s been doing this a lot lately. haha

The cold weather made Homer want to snuggle, and it made me want to put up one of my skinny Christmas trees. This little tree is the only piece of Christmas I have up, and I never put a tree in the kitchen, but I thought I’d try it here for a bit. Soon, I’ll probably move it to the bedroom.

Laughs…

I’ve shared multiple times how funny I think Leanne Morgan is…I’ve read her book, and I just finished season one of her show on Netflix. Well, she has another Netflix special out…Unspeakable Things, and I watched it over the weekend. It was so funny.

Fave bevvy…

I went to Target last weekend, and finally got my hands on the apple cider Olipop! It’s so good. I have one more, but I hope to find more and stock up.

Fun with friends…

Last Saturday, I went to the UK tailgate to hang with some of my mom friends, and of course I found Hadley. She was celebrating her friend’s birthday, and the girls were having a great time. The weather really cooperated for the night game.

Books…

Ok…Have you heard about the $5 book at Barnes and Noble? My sister-in-law sent me a Tik Tok that every two months there’s a book in the Barnes and Noble cafe. You can purchase it for $5 with a cafe purchase. So, on Sunday, I checked it out…and it’s true. (Well, I knew it was true because my SIL had gone a few days before I did). Anyway, I picked up a cookie and this book.

Murder at Holly House is the book for November/December.

Speaking of books…I shared my monthly book trackers on Instagram.

They are saved in a highlight. Screenshot them, and feel free to use them and tag me. I always love seeing what others are reading.

Fave shoes…

I’ve had two pairs of leopard flats for years. One pair is from Walmart and another is a more expensive pair from Nordstrom. I wore the Walmart ones to the ground, and I much preferred them to the Nordstrom ones. Anyway, I decided to get a new pair from Amazon. This style is the same one that I have in black and tan. So, this third pair hasn’t disappointed. (FYI- I size up a half size in them). Now, I’m getting rid of the other two (tossing one and donating the other), so I’ve purged my closet a bit with this purchase. Win win.

Fave foods…

Last Saturday, I had $10 off my Kroger order, so I had some essentials and some dinner ingredients delivered. I love Bev Cooks recipes, and she’d shared this Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken Chili, so I decided to make it on Saturday evening. I never cook dinner on the weekend, and this was just dumping ingredients in the slow cooker, but it was so nice to have a warm meal (without having to make a dinner decision) Saturday night while we watched the UK game. This recipe was a 10/10 from the whole fam.

{pic courtesy of Bev Cooks}

I also tried a new lunch this week…these pizza roll ups were quick, easy and delish! I made four of them and just rolled them up and laid them flat in an 8×8 dish to bake. I will definitely make more next time!

{pic courtesy of Recipes by Zoey}

Favorite Mom Meme:

Where is the lie?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m sure I’ve shared this pic from 2013 before, but it’s such a fave memory. We were headed to Sesame Street Live, and the kids were so excited. It was one of those parenting moments that felt full circle because I’d gone to Sesame Street Live when I was a kid. Such a sweet memory.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week…

Share Our Lives
Let’s Look

What’s a favorite from your week?

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Traditions

Friday Favorites {#280}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday! …and happy Halloween!

Wow! I feel like this week flew by…and I’m not mad about it. Overall, we had a great week.

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

I have so many favorites from this past week. I feel like we actually did more than just be at home, sports or school!

Ok, well, “starting off strong…” last Friday night I was at home. haha!

Anyway, I was so excited to start the second season of Nobody Wants This. I was able to watch a couple of episodes, and I love it.

Saturday morning I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get up and just read for a bit before starting my day. Last weekend really was the first time it started to feel like fall, so it was a nice cozy morning reading by candlelight.

Hadley celebrated a sweet friend’s birthday on Saturday…PJs and pancakes style.

While she was doing that, I ran quite a few errands…including going to Walmart. I don’t go to Walmart often, but I wanted to check out their fun ornaments. I didn’t get this one, but how cute?!

I did see this cute mini pumpkin cocotte by Pioneer Woman…and just knew it would look cute on my stove. I couldn’t decide between the orange or the white, so I picked up both.

The orange one provides a cute pop of color on my stove top.

I put the white one on the kitchen table.

It looks so cute in the tray.

Obviously, I can use them as cookware, but for now, I’ve used them more as decorations.

On Saturday, we also went to the pumpkin patch. Hadley drove us!

My happy place!

Travis said this was the first time we’d been in a while where the weather felt like fall. We appreciated the cooler temps.

I just love these fantasy pumpkins.

Hadley found the perfect pumpkin, and we picked Hayden up one since he was mowing the neighbor’s yard.

We saw people carrying a lot of pumpkins, and then saw this sign! This is a fun idea.

Sunday morning breakfast was elite…an apple cider donut and coffee in my cute pumpkin mug.

My mom went to Scotland with a friend, and she brought me home this candle. It certainly smells like fall.

Sunday afternoon, we went to see Legally Blonde, Jr…the musical.

My niece played Rufus, the dog…and of course she knocked it out of the park!

We gave her some flowers and candy after the performance.

Tuesday night was pumpkin carving night! First, we had mummy dogs and macaroni and cheese “brains.”

Hadley had a “vision” for her pumpkin…she wanted stars all over it, and she used a snowflake cookie cutter to trace her stars. Hayden carved his pumpkin within a few minutes, turned it around and said, “I’m done!” I just laughed because for whatever reason, the face just made me laugh. Simple and to the point. He went back in and added the little nose.

They looked perfect on the porch…

…and even prettier the next night in the rain.

Yesterday, at school, we had a “crocktober” potluck for lunch, and it was a great way to spend time with my teacher friends. One of my friends made this “boo sheet” cake which made me laugh. It was delish.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Maybe with the time change, the kids getting up will be a bit easier? A mom can dream!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Two flashback Fridays this week…in honor of our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch, here the kids are in 2010…their first time at the pumpkin patch…

…and their first Halloween. 2010 was a big year of wagon riding!

Weekly Recap:

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

Monday Memes
October Books
Monthly Musings

I typically share my Monthly Moments post on the last day of the month, but I had too many other great things to share today! I’ll post an October recap tomorrow.

Halloween is actually on a Friday…let’s do this!

See you back here tomorrow for a bonus post!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#279}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

This week was a good one, but it’s always good to see Friday!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Trav and I found some time to make it to Keeneland for the fall meet.

I’m usually lucky to go to the races once a meet, but Travis pops in a lot for work. He actually had a TV interview, so he needed to go for that…

…and I tagged along.

We made our way over to the Clubhouse and saw many of our friends. It was a lovely day at the track, and it was nice to watch up with them.

Saturday night, we sat on our back patio and flipped back and forth between the UK game and the Mizzou game. My Tigers won…but unfortunately for the CATS fans in our house, UK lost. Both games went into overtime which made for a late night. The weather was nice, so I’m glad we sat outside for a few hours.

Sunday was a rainy day which was honestly a favorite. I watched one of my favorite movies…

…while Hadley baked “6-7” cookies. If you have teens, you know “6-7” is all the rage! It literally means nothing, but the kids are always saying it…just Google it or find an Instagram reel, and you’ll have your answer of how it came about…but why it’s stuck around so long or is all the rage, I’m not sure.

Pumpkin cold brew hit the spot on Friday. I hope to get another one this weekend.

A few school faves…

One of my friends has been sharing her seasonal agenda slides, and they are so fun.

During my planning or while my students are working, I like to put up a You Tube seasonal background with instrumental music. Fall and winter are the best background, in my opinion.

Speaking of school, my Adv. English 1 students mapped Odysseus’s travels in part 1 of the text, and they did such a good job. I did this assignment last year too, and it’s one I will keep in the rotation for sure.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Why do I feel this one so deeply?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

With Keeneland’s October meet wrapping up, I’m sharing this pic which has always been a favorite. Let’s just say Hayden’s horse lost the race…and Hadley’s probably won! haha

Weekly Recap:

I got back in a blogging groove this week:

Monday Memo
Teacher Talk Tuesday
Halloween This or That

I hope you have the best fall weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#278}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I don’t think I’ve needed to make it to Friday this badly in quite some time! This week has been a doozy. I feel like re-entry after fall break the past couple of weeks has felt like the first few weeks of school all over again.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

HoCo:

Last weekend was all about Homecoming! The kids went to the football game, and had a great time.

Saturday morning, Hadley and friends got together for “brunch and bouquets.” One of the moms hosted, and I thought it was such a thoughtful idea and a fun way for the girls to hang out.

They had a great time eating brunch and arranging their flowers.

After that, one of Hadley’s friends came over for a bit before they joined a few friends to finish getting ready for the dance.

Around 5:00, a big group of kids met up for pictures. Hadley’s date had a beautiful bouquet for her which was a lovely gesture.

They’ve been friends for quite a few years, and he’s one of Hayden’s friends too.

Hadley and her bestie and their dates…

All the girls looked so pretty…and loved taking all the photos. The boys were good sports about it.

We snagged a pic with Hadley before she went to dinner with her date.

He actually goes to another school, but both of the Homecoming dances were on the same night. So, they took pictures with Hadley’s friends (he knows quite a few of them too), and then they went to dinner with his friends and the dance at his school.

Afterwards, Hadley came home and gave us a few details of the evening. Then, she went to a friend’s house for the after party. Hayden went too and joined some of his friends there. He was home around midnight while Hadley spent the night at the friend’s house. I had to wait up until midnight, and I guess I’m getting a glimpse of my future.

After the pics, Travis and I went out for an early dinner at a place we’ve only been to once before. We sat on the patio, and said “cheers” to surviving all day HoCo prep!

Other faves:

While we were on fall break, one of the breakfasts that was planned was cinnamon rolls. I buy Sister Schubert rolls often, but I’d never seen the cinnamon rolls. Once we got home, I added a couple to my Kroger order. I made a pan on Sunday morning…

…and they were delish!

I went to Hobby Lobby (again) this week, and picked up a couple of LED pumpkins for my classroom. I have these same ones at home, and just thought they’d be a nice festive touch at school. Some of my students have commented on them!

I have this cute one on my desk:

Yesterday, our principal treated us to ice cream which was so thoughtful. It truly has been such a long week, so this was a great way to cap off the day.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Oh…we really need to get it together in the morning…all of us! haha

Weekly Recap:

Well, I didn’t mean to ghost you this week. I shared a post on Monday, and I had good intentions of at least writing one other this week, but it just didn’t happen.

Share Our Lives

This weekend, Hadley has one final volleyball tournament, and then it’s a wrap for the JV team. Sunday looks to be rainy, and I hope to spend some time reading and maybe watching Father of the Bride in honor of Diane Keaton’s passing. What a legend!

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Home Decor, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#277}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF!! I had a great week back to school, but not having students on Monday threw me off all week. I never knew what day is was, but I sure do know that today is Friday.

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

This week, my post is all about my favorite fall decorations.

I don’t think I shared a fall decor post last year because most everything was the same as when I shared my 2023 fall home tour.

Just like with that post, much hasn’t changed, but I did move a few things around this year and made a couple of small purchases.

I typically spruce up my front porch mid to late September, but I just didn’t have time to do so before fall break. Trav got the mums right before we left, and then once we got back from the beach, I purchased pumpkins and cornstalks.

I love how it turned out…

I’m still loving the new doormat.

I got “fantasy” pumpkins at Trader Joe’s, and then purchased a couple more at Kroger.

These pumpkin pillow covers were such a pleasant surprise when they arrived. I mean, I ordered them so I wasn’t surprised to receive them…I just mean that I was really pleased with the quality and cuteness!

I usually have different fall pillows here, but I loved these so much that I wanted them to be in a central location. I’d forgotten that I had this blanket, and it’s a nice pop of color between the neutral chairs and pillows.

My living room coffee table tray stays the same year to year.

Fall me thanked summer me when I went to my candle shelf in the hall closet and remembered that I’d purchased an Antique Candle Co “apple butter” candle on sale a few months ago.

I made a couple of small purchases a Michael’s a few weeks ago including this gold metal pumpkin bucket.

I also purchased two of these pumpkin vases because I wanted a little height on the mantel.

This pumpkin votive was the last Michael’s purchase that I made. It’s a nice festive touch on our wine rack in the kitchen.

I have two of these “morning pumpkin” pillows, but they typically go where the new ones go. Anyway, I used one on the chair in the kitchen.

Last weekend, I did make it to Hobby Lobby and found four of the embossed pumpkin plates that I had my eye on. I only see the salad plates online, but this plate is more medium sized…so bigger than a salad plate, but smaller than a dinner plate.

I wanted some new place mats, and these that I found on Amazon are so cute.

These mini pumpkin cocoettes are a few find and so cute.

I don’t do much in the basement, but I decided to use a couple of pillows that I typically put in the sun room down there.

When I was at Hobby Lobby, I picked up two of these fall LED candles to put on the basement bookshelves. I love the glow of them when we’re watching TV in the basement.

In our bedroom, I have one of my favorite raffia pumpkins that I got a Michael’s years ago. Its twin is on the living room coffee table.

One last Hobby Lobby purchase…this cute mug! I couldn’t resist.

I have a few more decorations here and there, but I really only put out a few of my favorite things this year.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts last week…and yesterday’s post (Fall break trip recap part 2) went out late yesterday. Ooops!

Prime Purchases
Fall Break Trip Recap 1
Fall break Trip Recap 2

Share Our Lives:

We have our Share Our Lives link up on Monday; we’d love to have you join us.

This month’s topic is go to snacks!

What are your weekend plans? Ours are full of Homecoming festivities! No rest for the weary!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#276}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, all good things must come to an end. Today is our last official day of fall break, and it’s been a good one!

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

This week we spent time in one of our favorite places…30A/Seaside. This is the fourth year we’ve spent the week here for fall break, and it was another great year.

The weather was in the upper 80’s all week, and we only had one cloudy day.

Seaside showing off…

The one cloudy day, but it was still a good one at the beach!

We caught the sunset every night which is my favorite thing to do on vacay.

We had many great meals, and the moms snuck away for a happy hour on Monday night in Rosemary.

We always have one night where the parents go out for a nice dinner, and we caught the sunset while we waited for our table.

The kids are with us, but rarely around 🤣

We’re headed home today, and I will share a trip recap next week…although it was pretty much sunshine, sunsets and seafood like always.

A few other faves….

October is my favorite month, so I always share this quote to kick off the month:

Per usual, I have a few new book trackers saved to a highlight on my Instagram.

Feel free to screenshot them, use them and tag me! I always love seeing what others are reading.

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a few posts:

September Books
Wednesday Hodgepodge
Monthly moments

We’re ready to get back home, do laundry, sleep in our own beds, and see Homer!