Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#159}

Posted on May 26, 2023May 25, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday.

It’s the best kind of Friday…it’s the last Friday of the school year!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

One of Hadley’s friends had a party for her 13th birthday last Saturday. The girls had Chipolte for dinner in the backyard. They showed up dressed up, and then changed clothes after dinner to run around for a scavenger hunt. They had such a great time!

Seeing Hadley (and friends) all dressed up had me thinking about this meme:

When people tell me how much Hadley looks like me, my first thought is that I was never that pretty…especially at 13!!

Saturday night while Hadley was at the party, Travis and I watched Air with Hayden. It was so good! Travis and I especially loved the soundtrack!

Sunday was Youth Sunday at church. Hayden was an usher and passed out the bulletins while Hadley helped with the offering.

It’s such a great group of kids, and it was a wonderful service.

On Sunday, Travis and Hadley went and picked up some flowers for the front porch as well as two hanging ferns. The ferns are usually my Mother’s Day gift.

I had the honor of being in Hadley’s daily BeReal post this week.

Hayden brought home one of his art pieces from the year. It’s the track/stadium at University of Oregon . It’s hard to tell from the pics, but he was quite detailed with seats in the stadium and the track.

Travis asked him if it was an ashtray….I thought it was better than that!

Favorite Foods:

Last week, our friends/neighbors invited us over to make pizzas and use their pizza oven. I made a BBQ chicken one, and it was so good.

On Saturday, Travis talked me in to going out for a biscuit brunch. It did hit the spot on a dreary and rainy morning.

Favorite Kid Quote:

For Sunday dessert, I made strawberry shortcake trifles…

Hadley took one bite and said, “Okkk, Betty Kroger!” 😆 Kroger is our grocery store! Close enough. I will take the compliment.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I like to think that I have a 50/50 shot that someone will like me most days…

Flashback Friday:

Many cute memories popped up this week.

2013 — little Hayden lining up his cars. He used to do this for hours when he was little.

Also from 2013—Hadley’s cute little smile. I remember how cute that pink shirt was on her.

2010- the first time Hayden tried cereal…bahaha

Weekly Recap:

This week, I shared funny memes, talked about work/home balance, shared a Three Things post as well as a Monthly Musings post.

What are your weekend plans? Like I shared in yesterday’s post, we’ll hang with friends tonight, go to the state track meet tomorrow, and then hopefully just hang out and/or hit the pool the rest of the weekend.

I should have a bonus post (Share 4 Somethings) tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#158}

Posted on May 19, 2023May 18, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Seriously, TGIF! This was a shorter week for us, but sometimes those feel like the longest! At my school, we’ve had testing the past couple of days, and I feel like that ages me every year! haha

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Hadley had her last dance competition of the season last weekend, and the competition fee included more professional photos. I love her lyrical dance so much, and we’ve been able to get so many good photos over the past couple of weekends.

Of course, Mother’s Day was a favorite. Even though it was a hectic day, it was still a good one. My Mother’s Day flowers are still going strong, and I’m counting down the days until I can use my massage gift card.

Monday night, Hadley went to school with Travis because it was an open house for 5th graders to learn about the school, clubs, and athletics. So, Travis was there for cross country, and Hadley helped the 5th grade groups.

Anyway, afterwards, Hadley went to a friend’s house, and after I dropped her off, I decided to swing by Dairy Queen for a blizzard. Travis and Hayden got Cookies & Cream, and I tried a summer flavor: Peanut Butter Puppy Chow. It didn’t disappoint.

Of course, a favorite is a random Tuesday off from school. It was a dreary rainy day, but I was able to do quite a few things at home. Also, Hayden still wasn’t feeling well (this has been on again/off again for two weeks), so I took him to the dr. (again). He had an ear and sinus infection. Obviously, that’s not a favorite, but I’m glad he has a Z-pack now. Also, I made time to vote.

I popped into Trader Joe’s for a couple of things, and saw their seasonal candle: Peony Blossom. The tin is even rose gold, so of course I snagged two of them!

I got this set of Target pjs last summer in pink, and I was excited to see they still have them in a few different colors. They are seriously the best! The shorts are true to size for me, and I bought a large in the top too, but it’s more oversized. My Target had a couple of colors in store, but there seem to be more colors available online.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Usually my “mom memes” are funny…but I was scrolling the ‘Gram and saw this one.

It’s such a good reminder. These teen years are only getting started…but the time is also flying by. I really don’t want to look back and think all I did was nag them rather than enjoy my time with them.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Apparently, the kids had their 5th grade graduation on May 18, 2021. While I can’t believe how much older they look now, I’m also jealous that school was out that early that year! haha

Weekly Recap:

Well, I started off slowly this week with no post on Monday, but rallied with posts for the rest of the week.

Hello Tuesday

Summer Camp List

Blog Challenge #12

What are your weekend plans? I can honestly say we don’t have much going on…and I’m here for it!

This time next week, I will be able to say hello summer! Well, I will still have one teacher work day, but the kids will be able to say “Peace out 7th grade!”

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#157}

Posted on May 12, 2023May 11, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was pretty good. The week started off less busy than how it ended, but it was nice to have a couple of free evenings. We only have two weeks left of school, and thankfully, starting next week, we’ll start having more downtime in the evenings.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Going all the way back to last Friday, one of my favorites was going to the Kentucky Oaks. It was such a beautiful day, and we had a great time.

Friday night, I was asleep by 10ish, and wide awake Saturday morning around 5. I decided to turn on King Charles’ coronation. I watched most of it but fell back to sleep around 8. I woke up at 11:30! Honestly, that threw my whole day off waking up that late, but I really needed the extra rest (obviously).

This made me LOL…

Hadley had a dance competition last week. The one they were supposed to attend in March was postponed due to the storms we had and no electricity. So, these girls hadn’t been on stage in a while, but they did awesome!

It’s so fun to watch the large and small groups perform.

The lyrical small group dance that Hadley is in earned a Judges’ Choice for best emotion, and Hadley accepted the award on stage.

Y’all know I’m pretty good about taking photos, but that’s too hard to do during her dance performances. I’d rather focus on watching her dance, and the quality of photos wouldn’t be great anyway…so I loved that this competition had the option to buy a photo package. There were so many amazing photos!

I started a new workout program this week. Another reason I love Bodi (Beachbody) is because I get to try programs that I don’t think I’d do outside of my own home.

This one has a bit of dancing, core, weights, and also some aspects that feel like Pure Barre.

The dancing combos would especially not be something I would do in public …but would certainly do in my own basement. (I do not have Hadley’s rhythm and grace!)

These workouts have been a good change in my routine.

Last Friday, when Travis and I were at the Oaks, the kids went with my brother and sister-in-law to watch Wyatt’s game. Hayden missed out the last time we went, so I’m sure Wyatt has excited to have both of his cousins there to cheer him on.

Track season is wrapping up, and can you tell that I don’t say “no” to a digital download! Hadley said the “action” shots were awkward…I think she’d prefer to smile. 😁

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley snagged this Olaf at a friend’s garage sale. She’s been calling him “her guy” 😆 How lucky is Olaf to get Hadley hugs?!

Favorite Clothing Item:

Sarah shared this Walmart dress recently (It’s less than $18!). I don’t go to Walmart often, but we were there a couple of weeks ago, and there was one in stock. I didn’t try it on until I got home, so I might have been able to do a medium, but the large is what they had.

On Monday, I wore it to school with one of my favorite cardigans.

Favorite Mom Meme:

The current state of our house right now…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I probably share this every year, but here’s a throw back to my first Mother’s Day in 2010.

Weekly Recap:

I had a busy week of posting:

Not Just a Mom

Kentucky Oaks

Enneagram Mother’s Day Gifts

Day in the Life

What are your weekend plans? Y’all, this one will be a doozy. We have a track meet tonight followed by a weekend of Hadley’s last dance competition of the season.

Thanks so much for reading.

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#156}

Posted on May 5, 2023May 4, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…and happy Cinco de Mayo!

How has your week been? Overall, we’ve had a good one. It’s been busy per usual, but productive as well.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

The kids had some awesome track meets this past week.

Friday night’s invitational was the best. We were very thankful there was no rain. The Friday before that, we sat in a torrential downpour for most of the meet. So, even though Friday night was still pretty cold, we were glad to be dry!

Hayden’s first big race Friday night was the mile. I’ve mentioned before that he had the goal to run a sub 5 mile….and he did it! (See below…4:59). I will cheer for them, but it takes a lot for me to jump up and get super crazy…well, I did when I saw the time on the clock! He also now holds the school record in the mile.

Then, it was Hadley’s turn. She’s been wanting to qualify for state in the 400. She’s been close, and Friday night she did it! The time she needed was 1:07.2, and she ran 1:07.03!!

Hayden didn’t run the 400 because he was still recovering from the mile. That being said, he ran the 800, and ended up qualifying for state in it!

They were so happy after their races on Friday night! My mom got these pics of them after the mile and 400.

Monday night, Hayden ran the two mile, and had a state qualifying time as well.

The kids are also on 4×800 relays, and Hadley usually runs the 4×100 and/or the 4×400. Hayden sometimes runs that one too. Anyway, those are fun to watch as well!

Both of them have had relays qualify for state too. At state, I don’t know if they will run everything, but it’s been fun seeing them achieve their goals!

On Saturday morning, we went to my nephew’s baseball game. He’s such a cute 1st baseman! I love that he’s using Hayden’s old baseball bag. Too sweet.

Saturday night, just Hadley and I were at home. She suggested Taco Tico for dinner, so we went there after some errands. Fun fact about Taco Tico: you can get a margarita to go. I can confirm that the watermelon marg is great!

Since my mom was in town, we celebrated her birthday a bit early with dinner at my brother’s house on Sunday. We brought dessert. Hadley made these Peanut Butter Blossom Bars, and they were a hit.

My mom was able to watch their track meets on Friday and Monday, so that was great as well.

On Monday, I went on a field trip with some classes. The Criminal Justice classes needed an extra chaperone on their tour of Eastern Kentucky University. We even saw the library. You know that made me happy.

Hadley brought home some artwork, and I love it…

How cute is my new purse strap? I picked it up at Joseph Beth when I was getting my mom a gift card.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hayden wasn’t feeling well on Wednesday. Hadley thought Hayden was “faking” until a friend confirmed that he had his head down in class, so the teacher sent him to the nurse. When I asked Hayden what the nurse did for him, he said she had him gargle salt water and gave him some ice.

Hadley said not much happens when you get sent to the nurse. She said, “Mom, she literally just gives you a mint or ice for anything that’s wrong.” 😆

Favorite Mom Meme:

I’m telling ya what…I have to start my day with some quiet time.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This Facebook memory popped up this week. My mom took this pic in April 2013, and it’s so cute.

The kids still eat “pot hearts” for breakfast, but they do call them Pop-tarts now.

Weekly Recap:

I had quite the mix of posts this week:

Prime Purchases

Workout Diaries

BookStore Love

Blog Challenge Part 11

Not Just a Mom

Monday is our monthly Not Just a Mom link up. This month’s topic is: pet peeves

We’d love for you to join us!

What are your weekend plans? I’m headed to the Oaks horse race with Travis today. Tomorrow is the Derby, and we don’t have any big plans. Sunday, Hadley has a dance competition that will keep us busy!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#155}

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

Hello and happy Friday!

Shew! This week has felt like a long one. It’s just been extra busy, and I’m thinking it’s not going to be much different in May.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

The kids had a track meet on Monday, and Hayden was back in action after his back injury. Both had a pretty good meet, and Hayden qualified for state in the 1600m. He’s close to running the mile in under 5 minutes which is another goal of his this year.

We tried Crumbl Cookie last weekend, and we are still thinking about those cookies. So good.

I finished another Bodi (Beachbody) program… Fire and Flow. I really enjoyed this program. The “fire” aspect is more weight training and cardio whereas the “flow” part is more yoga and some Pilates. After the first “flow” workout I did, I remember thinking I wasn’t sure if I’d like that part…well, I ended up really loving it. I got used to the slower (yoga style) pace, and it felt good to stretch with “flow” after the “fire” workouts. Also, as the program went on, so did the intensity. Some of the “flow” workouts reminded me a bit of Pure Barre.

Anyway, I’m glad I stayed the course and ended up really loving these workouts…and I wanted another badge in the Bodi app.

How pretty is this rainbow from last Saturday? I had to stop and take a photo!

Trader Joe’s had peony tulips, and I couldn’t resist buying them.

I tried a new dinner recipe idea this week.

I saw this “meatball biscuit cup” meal idea on one of those Facebook videos…

Here’s what you need:

Flaky biscuits – so you can pull them apart easily
Frozen Italian meatballs
Marinara
Italian seasoning
Shredded parm or mozz (or both)

Here’s what you’ll do:

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray
Pull apart the biscuits (One biscuit provided the base for two muffin cups) and put them in the muffin tins.
Spoon marinara in the biscuit cup
Place a frozen meatball in the biscuit cup.
I then topped each with a bit more sauce and sprinkled some Italian seasoning on each one.
Sprinkle with your cheese choice or combo.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This dinner was super quick and delish…I made 18 cups, and we had some leftover for lunch/dinner the next day.

Favorite Kid Quote(s):

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a kid quote (or two), but Hadley had me laughing this week.

One night at dinner, she said the school day went by slowly because she left her water bottle at home. I just kind of looked at her like, “huh?” Apparently, she has a hydration schedule throughout the day, so without her water bottle, she had trouble keeping track of time.

Also, Hayden’s phone recently quit working which meant he got an unplanned upgrade. Hadley likes to tell us when her phone is “glitchy” now in hopes of a new one. The other night, I mentioned that it didn’t seem so glitchy anymore, and she said it started to work after “I powered off my phone…I mean tablet “😆 She sure isn’t subtle about her desire to have a better phone.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Speaking of Hadley…this is her…

She likes to tell the details of her entire day at 10:00 PM. I’m not a detail person, so along with that and her timing, I’m usually wondering why she didn’t share about her day at 5:30.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This is our first spring without baseball in many years. The kids were on the same baseball team for a few years. I love this pic from April 2015 when they were Timber Rattlers!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week. I had a mix of memes, cookies, books, and musings!

Tomorrow, I have a Share 4 Somethings Saturday post for you too!

What are your weekend plans? Fingers crossed, I think the rain should be gone by this evening’s track meet. We have a few other plans this weekend, but that’s it for athletics!

Have a great weekend.

Clothes, Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#154}

Posted on April 21, 2023April 20, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I’m really feeling the TGIF energy today. This week has been a good one but filled with lots of extras. Every day this week had at least one extra appointment on top of the usual evening activities, so I just kept feeling like I didn’t want to forget something!

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

Here are some favorites from the week…

Favorite Picture:

Well, I have to start with the absolute best news…look at Hayden’s new smile!!

No more braces! Also, why was I more excited for this milestone than he was? After over 2.5 years, the braces are off!

Both kids had “phase 1” braces in second grade. They had them put on in January 2018, and had them for less than a year.

For Hayden, “phase 2” started in July of 2020 with a Herbst appliance. A few months later he got the braces, and the appliance was taken out in July 2021. Then, he continued with braces until this week.

It’s crazy to see how much older he looks too!

Favorite Clothes:

I wore a new dress from SSYS to Keeneland on Saturday. I want to buy it in another color, but I think they are creating a sleeveless version for the summer, so I will hold off for now. I love lavender, and just couldn’t say no.

**Also, I was inspired by Amy and visited Sun Tan City for a spray tan last week. I hadn’t been there in years, but I was so happy with the results.

(A week later, and I still have a bit of color!)

SSYS also has the cutest athleisure pieces, and this quilted top has been perfect to throw on over my workout tank and leggings. I’ve already worn this one three times in a week. I think they have some cute new pieces dropping this weekend.

Other faves from the week:

On Monday, the kids had their yearly checkups, and they always ask for ice cream afterwards. Parenting teens is a tough job, so I deserved ice cream too.

Last week, Travis came home from Kroger with these flowers, and said they were free. They still hadn’t bloomed after a few days, and I told him that I thought that’s why they must have been free. 😆

Well, they finally did start to bloom, but I don’t think a couple of them ever will. They are pretty and freshen up the living room.

At the first track meet of the season, Hayden hurt himself doing the long jump, so he’s had to sit out the last couple of meets.

Hayden is the distance runner, and Hadley is more mid/shorter distances. She loves the 200m, and also runs the 800, 400, and some relays. In the off season, she started training, and it’s been so amazing to see that translate to her races. In the 200, she came in 2nd out of 100 runners and is close to qualifying for state. She’s also on some relays which are fun to watch too.

I can’t wait for Hayden to get back out there.

Kind of random, but I have a new favorite podcast. I loved the show Hey Dude! on Nickelodeon in the 90’s. Christine Taylor and David Lascher talk about the show, but also have a 90’s guest on each week. I’ve listened to their interviews with the Hey Dude cast, Ben Stiller (Christine’s real life husband), Scott Wolf, Melissa Joan Hart, and a few others.

It’s a fun listen!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Real talk:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Because I love the toothless phase so much, I have to share this one of Hayden.

*He actually had two loose top teeth and thanks to a play at first base where he crashed into the 1st baseman, he lost one and the other was super loose. The next morning, he woke up with the other tooth gone…we found it in his bed!

Truly, the toothless phase was my absolute favorite with both kids.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Hello Monday

Blog Challenge Part 10

Mother’s Day Gift ideas

What are your weekend plans? The kids are running in a track meet tonight, and I’m hoping it’s not a torrential rain the entire time. The rest of the weekend, we actually don’t have much going on. I feel like we all need a bit of downtime to recover from this non-stop week.

See you back here Monday!

Delish Desserts, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#153}

Posted on April 7, 2023April 7, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this Friday sure “hits different” than last Friday. While we still have the weekend, the end of spring break is drawing near.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share about some of my favorites from the week.

Here are some favorites from the week:

We spent the first half of break in Greenville, SC.

I’ve shared before that we usually use spring break to go somewhere new (to us) that’s a somewhat easy drive. Honestly, I’ve always said that I’m usually too tired to go on a big vacay in the spring (as the school year is wrapping up) and Travis is usually pretty busy at work. So, a few days away has worked well for us.

Anyway, we were in Greenville Saturday to Tuesday, and it was definitely a fun place. I’m sure I will write more about it, but we biked, hiked, walked around, played Top Golf, stopped at a couple of breweries, made time for naps, visited Furman, had froyo, and more.

It was a great few days away and three of the four days had sunshine and 80 degree temps!

I came home to some “fun mail.” In Tuesday’s post about Easter decorations, I shared about my new whitewashed bunny from Ruffled Nest. Well, his little bunny friend arrived! I love them both so much.

Hadley and I had an afternoon of errands, Raising Canes for lunch (her fave!), shopping, and sunshine on Wednesday.

One of our stops was at Bath and Body Works because I wanted to pick up some spring/summer candles. All candles were buy one get one free, so that worked out perfectly.

I picked up:

Sugar Lemon Zest
Lavender Vanilla
Pink Apple Punch
Sunshine Glow

The top two are ones that I’ve previously purchased, and the bottom two are new ones I thought I’d try.

I made Shay’s Fruity Pebble Neiman Marcus Bars, and they were so good. Crazy enough…the Fruity Pebbles really made this treat a hit!

Hayden had fun in Indianapolis this week attending his first ever NBA game. He went with his uncle and cousins to watch the Pacers play the Knicks on Wednesday night. They were excited because there are former UK players on both teams.

I made a quick stop in Trader Joe’s for Hadley’s favorite bagels, and I picked up some tulips. The bunch provided enough for a mason jar in the living room and in our bedroom.

While we enjoyed our Greenville trip, having the second half of break at home was definitely a favorite too. I was able to do some things around the house, run errands, prep for Easter, have downtime, read, get caught up on shows, and more. Hayden had time with his cousins, and Hadley had time with her friends.

Even yesterday was a cold and dreary day, and I wasn’t mad about it. While I did get a workout in, I just stayed home and watched some tv, finished a book, and got caught up on laundry. While I know some prefer to travel, having a mix of away and at home time is always what I need. Now we prep to head to the finish line of this school year which is always busy and now the kids extra-curricular activities ramp up again.

Favorite Mom Meme:

If you live with a 7th grade boy, you know what I mean:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’ve probably shared this before, but here are the kids on Easter 2010. Pinchy cheek cute!

NJAM

On Monday, the Not Just a Mom ladies are blogging about cleaning hacks. I can’t wait to see what others share. I’ve reached out to my “mom gang” (text thread name 😉 for help!

Weekly Recap:

It was a light posting week for me:

Prime PUrchases

Easter Decorations

What are your weekend plans? I’m going to enjoy a few more days off. I think we will continue the dyeing eggs tradition and then celebrate Easter with family.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter and weekend.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#152}

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

Hello and happy Friday!

This is the best kind of Friday because in just a few hours, it will be spring break!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I picked up some flowers at Trader Joe’s this week. I thought the bunny was super cute, and the pot with tulips and daffodils was too pretty to pass up.

Hadley wrapped up her short season of volleyball last weekend. While I was still under the weather, I went to whatever games I could. Thankfully, Travis took her to the early games, and I was able to catch the afternoon ones on Saturday and late morning ones on Sunday.

Her team really came together these past two weekends and were lots of fun to watch. I really do love watching Hadley play, and she did her part for her team this weekend.

How cute is this bag from Walmart? I stopped by Walmart after the volleyball tournament, and walked out with this one. I have a big pool bag, but now that the kids are older, they often take their backpacks to the pool with their towel, goggles, clothes, etc.

This one will be perfect for just me to carry my towel, sunscreen, and Kindle.

They have so many cute options that I had a hard time choosing.

Homer snuggles are the best when we don’t feel well…

…and mac and cheese and a classic movie are the best too. On Saturday night, the only thing that sounded good was Trader Joe’s mac and cheese (Hadley’s fave), and Travis made it for me. I watched basketball and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which is one of my faves.

I’m definitely feeling better, but my voice is probably at 50%. By the end of the day, my head hurts from trying to talk throughout the day. It’s been a crazy illness…whatever it is I’ve had.

Another how cute…but how cute is this wooden bunny from Ruffled Nest? When I placed my order, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the 20″ or 16″ white washed bunny, so I went ahead with the 20″. Well, as soon as it arrived, I ordered the 16″ to go with it. It should arrive next week, and I will definitely keep them out for most of April.

Favorite Mom Meme:

My mom sent this to me, and I feel it deeply!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Last weekend, Travis was mowing the front lawn. Hayden’s friends were coming over to play out back, and Travis showed Hayden how to mow some of the backyard. I was resting, but Hadley sent me a couple of photos. No lie…after I looked at them, this Facebook memory from 2012 popped up.

I say it too often but “where as the time gone?”

Weekly Recap:

I had quite a mix of posts this week:

What are your weekend plans? I think today is going to be pretty rainy, so we might have a lowkey night at home.

Tomorrow is April 1st. I’m always happy when April Fools Day isn’t on a school day. haha

After this week, I’m feeling extra grateful to have a full week with my kids and not a lot to do.

I do think I will post pretty regularly next week, but I will just see how it goes!

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#151}

Posted on March 24, 2023March 23, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

This week was the first time we’ve had five days of school in a while. That being said, I had to take a sick day yesterday and today because I feel awful. I was negative for Covid, flu, and strep. I didn’t feel this bad when I had Covid…it definitely feels more like the flu, but I guess it’s a virus.

Hopefully, by tomorrow, I will feel better.

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

Today’s Friday Favorites post is a bit different. I wanted to share this earlier in the week on the first day of spring, but I also wanted to share a recap of the weekend on Monday. So, I just pushed this post to today to share some favorites about spring.

Honestly, spring is probably my least favorite season. As a teacher, the springtime is so busy with testing and finishing up school. Also, spring feels extra busy with my kids’ activities, but I do love a good day of sunshine and 70 degrees for sure. I also love the grass turning green and flowers blooming.

Here are my Top 10 faves about spring:

1. The weather

Once March hits, I don’t want it to be cold, but I do love warmer days but also still being able to wear light sweaters and sweatshirts….you know..kind of easing into summer.

2. Kids’ sports

Well, this spring has already started off differently with Hayden not playing baseball. As busy as we are, we are definitely less busy with no baseball. We’ve hit a “sweet spot” with both kids having track right after school which frees up our evenings…until the meets start. Hadley still has dance a couple nights a week, but we are used to that since she’s been doing that all year long.

I really love outdoor track season because both kids are doing it. It’s fun to watch them improve each week and have fun with their teammates.

3. Keeneland

I’ve shared a few posts about Keeneland, and it’s still one of my favorite places. You can’t beat a sunny day at the track, and Keeneland is such a special atmosphere. We always have fun whenever we go.

4. Oaks/Derby

There’s nothing like the first week of May in Kentucky. The city of Louisville comes alive for the week of Oaks and Derby. While Travis is usually busy with work that week, we often go to Oaks. Sometimes, he will go to Derby too.

5. Outside

Once the time springs forward an hour and the weather warms up, my kids are outside playing quite a bit. Once they started middle school, I wondered if my kids would be outside as much as they did when they were little, and they are. They still ride bikes, play basketball in the driveway, hang out at the playground and more.

We have a great neighborhood full of kids, and not all of them go to my kids’ school. I love that they all run around and hang out together when they can.

6. Grilling out

Dinners get easier in the spring. We’ll often grill out which means I’m not really cooking. So many times when we grill out, it’s easy to throw together side dishes like pasta salad, baked beans, fruit which I appreciate.

Many times, Travis and I end up eating dinner together on the back patio because we can’t convince the kids to come in from playing. I’ve decided to embrace that too.

7. Front porch sittin’

I love sitting on our front porch in the spring. It’s the perfect spot to hang out, sip a glass of wine or read a book.

8. Baseball

Of course, I grew up in Kansas City, so I’ve been a fan through the (many) bad and the good years. Now, my brother and I stream their games using the MLB app. Even if they are having a bad year, I still like having the games on when I can. Just having the game on as we do other things makes me feel nostalgic because the games were always on our tv at home growing up.

While we live about an hour from Cincinnati, we don’t follow the Reds. Even Hayden prefers to cheer for the Royals.

9. Flowers

Whether it’s the flowers at Trader Joe’s or our front porch flowers, I love how pretty they look. Also, for Mother’s Day, my gift is always the hanging ferns for the front porch. I look forward to that tradition.

10. Almost summer

Well, spring also means we are on the downhill slide to summer.

As of today, we have 40 days left in the school year! I can’t believe it. Summer will be here before we know it.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week:

Hello Monday

Blog Challenge

PuppY Love

What are your weekend plans? If I can, I hope to have a Share 4 Somethings post for tomorrow! Hadley has one more weekend of volleyball, but otherwise, we don’t have much going on.

What’s your favorite things about spring? I hope you have a lovely spring weekend.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#150}

Posted on March 17, 2023March 16, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Also, happy St Patrick’s Day! We don’t have school today, and I’m glad to not be there on a day when people like to pinch if you aren’t wearing green. haha

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

Well, we’ve been in a weather slump this week…this meme is appropriate:

Losing an hour of sleep has made me feel extra tired this week.

That being said, here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Food:

I decided to embrace the colder weather and plan some hearty meals. This week we ate:

Other Faves:

*Hadley brought home some artwork this week. You know…in middle school, they don’t bring things home like they did in elementary school. I thought her sea turtle was so cute.

*On Monday, I had my annual mammogram. While I don’t love that appointment, I felt relieved to receive good results. Friendly reminder to make that appointment.

*Most evenings this week we didn’t have much going on past 6:00. It was a brief reprieve from what sometimes feels like a non-stop schedule.

*Both kids made the track team this week! They were excited and are looking forward to a fun season. Track meets don’t start until after Spring Break, so we’ll have a couple more weeks of mostly free evenings.

*My MIZZOU Tigers won their first game of the tournament. Who knows how far they will go, but they are such a fun team to watch. I’m glad they’ve made it another round!

*Last night, Hayden’s basketball team had their end of season banquet. It was fun to celebrate them after a successful season.

Favorite Kid Quote:

I’ve said before that Hayden and Hadley couldn’t be any different if they tried. Hadley still has lots of energy at the end of the day. Wednesday night, she was showing us a dance routine and telling us what a great day she had.

Hayden walked in the room, and without missing a beat, she said “Hi! best friend.” He definitely gave her the side eye before rolling his eyes 😆 Sometimes, he doesn’t know what to do with her.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is very relatable:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

In honor of March Madness, here’s Hayden with his bracket in 2016. He still love this time of the year.

Weekly Recap:

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

What are your weekend plans? The kids have indoor track and Hadley has volleyball this weekend. On Sunday, I’m going to make corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread. We can’t wait!

See you back here on Monday!