Category: Friday Favorites

Posted in Friday Favorites, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites {#142}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! YaY for the weekend! 

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

Like last week, we had a pretty slow week with not much in the evenings. That’s all about to change starting next week, but it was good while it lasted.

Anyway, here are some favorites from the week. 

I stumbled upon Chris Harrison’s new podcast: The Most Dramatic Podcast, and I’ve really enjoyed the first few episodes. I used to love the Bachelor and Bachelorette and watched it pretty faithfully through the years. I haven’t watched it in a few years even before Chris left.  I follow him and his fiancée on Instagram, and they seem like such a fun couple.

Anyway, the first couple of episodes were pretty serious talking about why he left the Bachelor franchise and what he’s been up to (and thinking, feeling, doing) during that time. Episode two, he brings his fiancée Lauren on, and she shares her thoughts and what they’ve been up to. Then, the third episode was mostly filled with fans calling in with questions which I really enjoyed too. It’s been a good new podcast to fill the time on my walks. 

Santa put Scrabble Slam in Hayden’s stocking, and Hadley and I played it the other night. I love games that are quick and only need a couple of people. That way, we can try to play when we have a few moments. Travis joined us for a couple of rounds too. To start, you think of a four letter word and put those cards on the table. Then, you split the remaining cards amongst the other players. After everyone gets their cards, you say, “Ready, set, slam!” and start putting down cards to make other four letter words until you run out of cards. At one point, I told Hadley I felt sorry for her because she’d never beat me. Then, she beat both Travis and me the round that he played. haha 

I got a new lunch idea this week, and I’m obsessed. With this meal prep, a little goes a long way, and I had enough for three lunches…and only a four day week! It’s Banza rice, romaine/arugula, chopped cucumbers, grilled chicken, edamame, and then some Asian dressing. I picked the Panera brand from Kroger. For lunch, I heated up the chicken, rice, and edamame and added it to my bowl of lettuce and cucumbers. Then, I drizzled it with the dressing. Easy, delish, and healthy. 

How cute is this bag that my friend got me for my birthday? We share a love of the Golden Girls. I’m using it as pencil bag (with sticky notes, highlighter, etc) for my school bag. 

I always have dry skin in January. Then, I always remember to do a better job moisturizing and feel better by February. Haha

Anyway, Amy shared this Jergens Weightless Wet Skin moisturizer a few weeks ago, and I found it at Target. You apply it before toweling off. I’ve been using it, and it’s helped my skin so much. 

Favorite Kid Quote:

Remember the jar with slips of paper my kids gave me for my birthday? Everyone knows I’m not a big hugger. Of course, I hug my kids and Travis (and others!)…it’s just not my natural inclination to hug all the people. Anyway, at bed the other night, Hadley gave me a big hug and then whispered in my ear, “There are lots of these in the jar I made.” and I literally LOL’d. 😂

Favorite Mom Meme:

Why is this always the case? Lol

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

2013.

Besides Hadley’s Hello Kitty necklace and the little sticker on Hayden’s hand, I remember the kids coming home from the sitter and them thinking they were a princess and prince in their little crowns. Too cute. 

Weekly Recap:

I’ve even been blogging on the weekends! I’ve enjoyed some of the Bloganuary topics along with my regular content. 

Books that Changed My Life
MEmorable Gifts
Day In the Life
Currently…Watching
WIWW: SSYS
Thursday Thoughts: It’s the Little Things

What are your weekend plans? On Saturday, we’ll be cheering for Hayden at his first basketball scrimmage of the season, and then we’ll be cheering for the Chiefs on Saturday afternoon as well. Otherwise, I have a few errands and a bit more of the house to put back together post-Christmas. Sigh — I’m still working on getting things back to “normal.”

I will probably post on Saturday and Sunday too!

As always, thanks for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#141}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! We’ve had a good week, but I’m always ready for Friday…especially with a three day weekend on the horizon.

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

Here are a few favorites from the week:

I feel like I don’t have many pics this week, and that’s because January really is a slower month. Hayden has basketball practice every day after school, but no games yet. Hadley is still dancing a couple of days a week, and both kids are running a bit to get/stay in shape for track season. That being said, we haven’t had much going on in the evenings which has been a favorite.

Favorite food:

Michelle (@ellerydesigns)shared that she’d been eating avocado toast, and it sounded so good. I’d never had Dave’s Killer Bread, but I added it to my Kroger order along with some avocados. I’ve had this a couple times this week with an over easy egg on top. So good!

I feel like I’m always begging everyone to get to the dinner table. One night this week, I said that dinner was ready, and look who was the first one in the kitchen? I turned around and saw this sweet face. He stays begging for food.

Hadley and friends went to their first middle school dance last weekend. It was more like a “mixer” since it was informal, but there was a DJ and games, and these girls had fun. With Hadley’s permission, I worked the front entrance to check ID badges, and it was fun seeing so many kids at their first middle school dance…even the 8th graders had never had one.

Hayden opted to go to a basketball game with his friend. haha

With track season in a couple of months, Hadley has wanted to go into the season in a bit better running shape. I’ve done a good job getting back to working out. That being said, I was going to have a rest day on Sunday, but Hadley convinced me to take her to the gym. Well, if she was going to be there, then I would take advantage of some time on the elliptical. She’s apparently my accountability partner. haha

She’s actually gotten up a couple of mornings these past couple of weeks to go to the gym with Travis before school. Hayden gets up and runs a couple of mornings as well since he has basketball practice after school.

A friend of mine adopted a baby, and a few friends are collecting books for her new little one. Hadley went to the bookstore with me, and she had a great time picking out some Valentine’s Day books as well as some “classics” that she remembers having on her bookshelf when she was little.

After a doctor’s appointment yesterday, I treated myself that afternoon with a mani and some mint chocolate chip ice cream…my favorite.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is soooo true.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I’ve shared this January 2010 pic before, but then…

…these pics with the kids in their first little monogrammed outfits also popped up this week.

Weekly Recap:

Well, this month has been my busiest blogging month since I’m posting on the weekends too 🙂

Why I WRite
Lost Treasures
Not Just a Mom
Fave Gifts: Books
Let’s Look
Blog Challenge Part 4

What are your weekend plans? Tomorrow is my birthday, and we have dinner plans. I’m hoping to go see a movie this weekend too!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#140}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

Shew the first week back after break…#IYKYK

It’s been a great week, but we are ready for a pretty slow paced weekend…which is one of the things I love about the month of January.

It’s great to be back linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some recent favorites:

When I shared my Christmas decorations, I didn’t share the cross stitch my mom made because it wasn’t back from getting framed yet. Over the past year, she made of these Santa cross stitches for both my sister-in-law and me. It’s super cute, and as I went to pack up my Christmas decor, I realized I hadn’t shared it yet.

Hadley’s volleyball photos *finally* came in right after the season ended, and I couldn’t love them more. It’s her first official (professional) photo without her braces.

I picked up this Ramen bowl at TJ Maxx as a Christmas gift for Hadley. As soon as I saw it, I knew she’d love it. Well, the night we got back from KC she couldn’t wait to use it. Insert a run to Walgreens for Ramen, and Hadley made her own dinner!

One of my favorite gifts from Travis is this cedarwood wick candle. I’ve seen them on some websites, but I didn’t know they had them at Kroger. Apparently, that’s where Travis got this one. It smells so good, and the flame flicker sound is so soothing.

I spent Christmas money on some new shoes, and they arrived yesterday! I have two pairs of Golden Goose sneaks, but have heard great things about Shu Shop. I wanted to try this Paz style and decided to try the Shu Shop. Well, I’ve only had them for a night, so I can’t give a full review…but the minute I slipped them on my feet, I knew they were more comfy (less stiff) than my GG. This is the pair I got, and I got my regular size 9.

2023 Reading

Trav’s cousin shared this on Facebook, and I think I may try it for a reading plan this year. I’m not going to be strict about it. I think I will just go with the flow and see how the year progresses. That being said, feel free to share book suggestions…especially with the bottom row!

It just looks like a great way to pick and choose books…change things up a bit.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Y’all, we’re still in the post-Christmas organization process and I’m really hoping we *all* get the house back together this weekend.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

It’s the pinchy cute cheeks and pigtails for me!

I always love when this January 2013 photo pops up of the kids.

Weekly Recap:

The last week for the year is typically a quiet blogging week. That being said, I shared some of my favorite posts of the year:

Christmas Recap
Top 5 Books of 2022
2022 Blogging Recap and Fave posts
2022: Year in Review

Here are this week’s posts:

Prime Purchases
Words of the Year
KC, CoMO, NYE
Family Movies

Bloganuary:

Well, you might receive a few extra posts from me this month. In December, WordPress shared the “Bloganuary” writing challenge, and I’ve been receiving the prompts. I pretty much have my Monday-Friday content, but I might give some of the prompts a shot on the weekends.

Since I’m always planning and taking quite a bit of time to write my regular posts, I just thought it might be nice to write a bit more informally every once in a while.

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, we’ll have our first Not Just a Mom post of 2023!

Here are our topics for the year. We’d love for you to join us the second Monday of every month.

What are your weekend plans? I might just be in my pjs by 7:00 tonight! We don’t have a ton going on this weekend, and I’d like to get some errands run and get this house back in order.

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#139}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! We made it! After today, we’re on a two week break.

This week has been filled with many tests at school for my kids, activities, science fair projects and more! I feel like we had to plan out every second of our evenings for studying, schoolwork, and activities. Anyway, we made it to the weekend (and break for some).

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

Here are some favorites from the week.

While it’s not a favorite that the volleyball season is over, it’s been a favorite to watch Hadley play these last couple of months. I told her that I’ve never been happier that she took a leap of faith and tried something (newish) to her. This team was so fun to watch, they supported each other, and they all improved so much!

Trav’s work had their Christmas party on Saturday. The kids let me snap a pic before we left…

…and then we got a pic with Santa at the party. It was a nice evening, and Travis has been at this farm for 15 years. They always speak a bit about the employees at the five, ten, fifteen, etc. year milestone. Of course, we’re proud of all of his hard work!

Both kids needed others to help them get their science project data. Hayden chose to focus on resting heart rate/heart rate of kids who play various sports. Hadley baked cookies for three different times to see which time makes the “best” cookie. So, the runners were able to eat cookies after that part of the science experiment. No cookies before running!😆

They finished their projects last night. We are happy to check this off our list.

I had told Travis not to worry about outside Christmas lights because I’d been striking out finding my Trader Joe’s garland and just really hadn’t had the time to tackle the outdoors. Well, I found some on Friday after school, so I told him I changed my mind about wanting lights outside. Thankfully, he obliged and took creative license with the extra strand of garland. He put in on the railings and added lights there too. I’m glad we made this happen. Now we are festive both inside and outside.

Look who was comfy and cozy inside…looking oh so merry 😂

I don’t have a pic, but on Tuesday the hospitality and culinary arts classes hosted teachers for lunch. We had a choice of two dishes that were served with salad and dessert. Well, I didn’t know that it was going to be such a formal occasion. I arrived to a dimly lit classroom, a hostess who seated me, black table cloths, tea lights, and fancy dinnerware. My vegetable lasagna was so good, and it was the best experience. I told them that the ambience was “giving proposal vibes” and that they’d outdone themselves.

Narci shared that she was making Santa pics again this year. Even though my kids are older, I still love putting these in frames during the holiday season.

The package included three images, and this one is my fave!

Y’all. The fact that I have wrapped presents this “early” in the season is some kind of Christmas miracle and certainly a favorite. I love having a little something under the tree now.

When Amy shared her Christmas traditions post, I remembered how much I like the idea of displaying our Christmas cards from previous years. Anyway, I need to find some of those, but in the meantime, I went to put a few cards in our card basket, and decided to pin a few on the arches that I have on the entryway table. It’s a festive touch and nice way to see some of the cards. Maybe next year this is where I will put our cards from years past.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This was basically my Monday. (kidding, kind of)

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How cute is Hadley elf in 2015? Never trust a toothless elf! 😉

Weekly Recap:

I blogged all week. Here are my posts:

Not Just a Mom
Holiday This or That
Let’s Look
Blog Challenge Part 3

What are your weekend plans? We have a few festive things going on including a couple of get togethers, possibly some cookie baking, and I would definitely like to watch a holiday movie or two.

See you back here on Monday.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#138}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

Wow! I feel like this week flew by. Did you feel that way too?

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

Favorite Moment:

Last Friday, we headed to Knoxville because Hayden had a race on Saturday. This was the final race of club season, and he was running in the AAU National Championship.

Last year, the race was in Paris, KY, closer to home….but we’d had tons of rain which provided for a very muddy course.

2021:

While Knoxville wasn’t that muddy, it was muddy enough that Travis taped his runners’ spikes on their feet with duct tape. #protip.

2022:

When we were figuring out what time we needed to be there, I confirmed with Travis who said, “No, that’s when the 11-12 year olds run.” I looked at him confused, and he said, “Hayden is 13!” Well, I guess I’d forgotten that…and also didn’t realize he’d already bump up in age.

Hayden ran a great race and was one second off of a PR. That being said, the conditions and course was harder than where he ran the PR. Travis said he was probably 20-30 seconds faster than the PR race. Needless to say, we were proud of his effort and he placed 34th.

Thomson Training has running groups in Louisville, northern KY and Travis coaches one of the Lexington groups. He was proud of all of his runners. (only a few pictured below)

…and the 13-14 boys were the National Champions!

…and Thomson Training won overall National Champs!

So proud of all the runners, and Hayden capped off his season with a great performance.

Favorite Pic:

I love these pics of Hayden and Travis. It’s been so fun to watch Hayden improve while Travis has been by his side.

Fave pit stop:

On the way home from Knoxville, we stopped at Buc-ees because Travis and Hayden had never been. We picked up lots of snacks!

Favorite Food(s):

Hadley had told me about these cookies (I joked that they are when Pinterest and Tik Tok collide), and she made them on Sunday. You just buy the “break and bake” chocolate chip cookies, press them down, and add the Christmas sugar cookie on top. She wanted to find the Christmas tree ones, but all we found were elf hats.

Anyway, they were cute and tasty!

I made a bit stop in Trader Joe’s this week to pick up fruit…and realized I hadn’t shopped for some of my favorites yet this holiday season.

Last year, I missed out on Jingle Jangle, so I was happy to see they still had it in stock. The “Step Up to the Bar” mix and the mini iced gingerbread people are my two faves. I usually pick up Peppermint Joes, but decided to try these chocolate covered ones…they are so good too!

Favorite Kid Quote:

The other day, I picked Hayden up from school. As I turned into the median to merge, there was a car in the right lane. Hayden looked out the window, smiled, and said, “What’s up dog?” I didn’t think anything of it until I passed the car, and there was a miniature pinscher in the lady’s lap. I literally laughed out loud. I didn’t realize when he said that that there was an actual dog in the car. haha

Favorite Clothes:

Did you see my post on Wednesday? I can’t wait to wear my new sweater and cropped faux leather pants ASAP.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

I do think this is what causes some of my anxiety/stress. Having kid with a November birthday followed by Christmas is always just a lot!

Hadley always wins for most amount of laundry…and I swear even if she wears something for a half hour, it goes in the laundry. Hayden probably does have a few things that just fall off the hangers into the dirty clothes!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Have I ever shared this pic before? I don’t think I have? It always pops up this week in my Facebook memories. While Hayden came home from the hospital with us, Hadley stayed in the NICU for 13 days. Travis had gone with Hadley to the NICU right after she was delivered. I remember Travis and the dr. at my bedside while I was in recovery. The dr. said she’d probably be in the NICU for 12-14 days. Well, on day 13 she came home, and we were officially a family of four…at home.

Hayden weighed 4 lbs, 7 oz, and Hadley weighed 4 lbs. I had them at 36 weeks, and did think they’d weigh a bit more based on my appointments and ultrasounds in weeks leading up to their arrival.

Anyway, Sis has always been the sassy and self-sufficient one, and I think it’s because she started off being a fighter.

Weekly Recap:

I had a busy blogging week! Here are my posts:

Enneagram Gift Ideas
Prime Purchases
Festive Outfits
Holiday Home Tour

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, we have our final Not Just a Mom post of 2023!

This month’s topic is Loving Lately. If you have a blog, we’d love to have you join us on Monday.

What are your weekend plans? We have volleyball and a holiday party this weekend. We’re also hoping to tackle the science fair projects. *sigh* They get a bad rap…I know we need science (obviously), but for me it’s the timing. They are always due right after break. If they could do them in January, I swear I wouldn’t complain like I do. It’s just one more *big* task to tackle in an already busy season. (They do the work themselves, but they still need to get organized, buy supplies, type, print, organize the board, and more!)

One week from today starts our break…and I can’t wait. I keep telling myself, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

See you back here on Monday for Not Just a Mom. Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#137}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Shew! What a week…That being said, one down and two to go until Winter Break.

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

This week’s Friday Favorites is all about December/Christmas favorites.

Tis the season to make a list of all the festive things we’d like to do.

Here are a few of our favorite traditions:

The first thing we usually cross off our list is getting a tree from our favorite Christmas shop. The setting is beautiful…

…there’s hot apple cider and cocoa,

…and they usually have the best Santa.

Then, we put ornaments on the tree while listening to Christmas music (per Hadley’s request)

2022

We always drive through the Kentucky Horse Park lights…

…and stop by one of our favorite house displays.

Of course, there are a few Christmas parties…

We always bake cookies…

…and watch Christmas movies. (While we try to watch a few, Home Alone and A Christmas Story are a must.)

At some point, we take the kids shopping and let them choose something for each other to open on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.

Ice skating is always a fun activity if we can squeeze it in. (It’s been a few years since we’ve been able to. Maybe this year?)

I love when we shop for the Angel tree, make baskets of snacks for the UPS/delivery people, and practice random acts of kindness.

I know I’m missing a few other things we usually do, but December is always a busy but blessed month.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Right?! Like where is the chocolate Advent calendar for me?

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

2010…giving me all the feels!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Monday Memes
Thanksgiving Break Recap
November Books
Blog Challenge Part 2

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? I’d love to hear what it is!

I hope you have a great weekend. We’re busy and also need to be productive! See you back here on Monday.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#136}: The Twins are Teens

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This week has been a good one! I hope the same can be said for you.

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

Well, today’s post is a “Special Edition” of Friday Favorites because it’s all about two of my favorite people who are about to be teenagers. The kids will turn 13 on Sunday, and I really can’t believe how quickly these years have flown by.

Thirteen. Wow. I will say I’ve always felt 13 to be an unlucky number. But…how can I say that now? I’ve been blessed with the best title, mom, for 13 amazing years. The years have been filled with sleepless nights, amazing memories, highs and lows, achievements, milestones, and more!

To mark this special occasion…

…a stroll down memory lane…

I made these collages over the past thirteen days to countdown to the big day.

13 days to 13…

12.

11.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Y’all know I celebrate birthdays in a big way. Two kids, one day. Why not?

Through the years, I’m so glad that I did the birthday t-shirt tradition. We did that until they were ten, and those pics are always so fun to look back on. Starting when they were three until they turned ten, we had two parties: one for family and one for friends. The past few years, one party with friends has been perfect, and I know even that tradition may fade as they grow older and get busier.

When they were eight, I started buying the balloons with their age, and I hope to do that until they are 18! The yard signs are fun, and we’ve been doing those for a few years. That being said, Hayden doesn’t love all the attention from the neighbors. After this year, I may hold off doing that again until they are 16!

I hope they look back at all the times I made their cakes, started traditions, and planned parties with fond memories. They sure are worthy of celebrating, and it’s been so fun to do so through the years.

T H I R T E E N

Hayden…

From 4 lbs 7 oz almost looking me in the eye, you’ve certainly grown so much this year.

You are figuring yourself out, you are determined and driven, and you have a quiet confidence that I admire. You’ve overcome obstacles and continued to pave your own way.

13 things you did this year::

  • Caught up to your sister in height
  • Learned you love to fish
  • Made the basketball team
  • Made Honor Roll every quarter
  • Had a great 12 year old season and walked away from the baseball diamond on your own terms
  • Ran track (and set PR’s!)
  • Ran cross country (with your dad as your coach!)
  • Learned to cook a few things
  • Gave Homer lots of snuggles
  • Made new friends while keeping old friendships too
  • Cheered for the CATS and the Chiefs
  • Were recognized for good citizenship
  • Read lots of books

I pray that you know we’ll always be here for you, and that dad and I are your biggest fans. I’ve loved watching your relationship with Hadley grow through the years. You’re lucky to have her as a sister and as a friend.

I hope you have the best year yet. We can’t wait to celebrate you!

xo xo,

Mom

Hadley…

From 4 lbs to almost looking me in the eye (and almost sharing my shoe size!), you’ve certainly grown so much this year.

Your smile is infectious and you light up the room. You have grace and beauty. You cheer for others. You set goals and crush them. You have a confidence that I admire. You’ve taken risks, learned new things, and fostered friendships. You are silly at just the right time, and you don’t take yourself too seriously.

You continue to pave your way which has been a joy to watch.

13 things you did this year:

  • Danced (at school, for competition team, and for studio)
  • Swam (and set PR’s)
  • Ran track
  • Made Honor Roll every quarter
  • Went to camp
  • Made the volleyball team
  • Were involved in Student Council
  • Babysat
  • Went to youth group
  • Were an acolyte at church
  • Made new friends while keeping old friendships too
  • Went tubing on the lake and kayaked in the ocean
  • Got your braces off

I pray that you know we’ll always be here for you, and that dad and I are your biggest fans. I’ve loved watching your relationship with Hayden grow through the years. You’re lucky to have him as a brother and as a friend.

I hope you have the best year yet. We can’t wait to celebrate you!

xo xo,

Mom

Favorite Mom Meme:

This one feels perfect for today:

Previous Birthday Posts:

Twins Turn 10
Twins Turn 11
Twins Turn 12

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week:

Not Just a Mom
Tuesday Talk: Thoughts from a MOm
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? We have so many fun things going on! We have plans with friends, Hayden has a basketball tournament, Hadley has a dance recital, and, of course, we have some birthday cake to eat!

See you back here on Monday! Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#135}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Why do the short weeks always feel so long? We had a great week with a couple of extra days off, sports, and some early birthday celebrations.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

School photos arrived, and Hadley said that they look like grown ups. She’s not wrong!

Hadley got her braces off a couple of weeks later, but I’m glad to have this moment in time forever!

Also, the day they had school pics, I picked the kids up from school. When Hayden got in the car, I asked him if he got pen on his shirt before or after the photos were taken. He said,”After.”…Hmm…shaking my head.

Another favorite was an unexpected four day weekend. Due to high rates of illness and teacher absences, we didn’t have school on Monday. Obviously, I’m thankful my kids haven’t been sick (nor have I), but I hate that so many have been these past few weeks. Since I knew we also had Tuesday off for Election Day, I let Monday be more of the fun day while Tuesday we had schoolwork and chores to do. So, Sunday night, Hadley spent the night at a friend’s house, and Hayden played about five hours of Xbox on Monday!

Tuesday, they slept in, we had lunch with family for early birthday celebrations, we raked leaves for a couple of hours, and the kids had some homework and studying to do.

*Early* birthday cards for the kids are always a favorite...

…as are silly selfies I find on my phone.

On Sunday, I put one pencil tree up in the living room until we get our real one.

Then, on Monday, I put up the other one in the sun room.

If having a favorite pencil tree up the same time as having a glowing pumpkin out is wrong, I don’t want to be right!

I voted on Tuesday which is always a great feeling.

Over a week ago, Travis and Hayden used the leaf blower to blow all of our leaves into piles under our three trees. With the nice weather on Tuesday, (and Travis working so much), the kids and I bagged 25 bags of leaves. Joke’s on me! We need at least 30 more bags to finish the other two trees.

Lexington typically has dates that if all your leaves are on your curb, they will drive by and suck them up with the vacuum. Well, due to staffing shortages, they aren’t doing that, so that’s why we are back to bagging. The kids were big help, but I needed two Tylenol that evening.

Hadley’s volleyball team had a big win this week against a cross town rival. It was amazing to see how much better they were from game one last week to game two this week!

And…last night, Hadley served 12 straight points including the game point. Serving is something she knew she’d need to work on this season, and we’re so proud of her that her hard work seems to be paying off.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Right?!? I swear, all I find now are empty candy wrappers from Halloween, water bottles, and cups in their rooms!

Favorite New Follow:

I have a fave new follow on Instagram – @karikampakis

Raising teens is hard, y’all. This account is a best selling author and mom to four girls. She has so many great posts talking about being an encourager, helping your daughter find real friends, teaching your child to trust their intuition and more! Whenever these posts are on my feed, I always stop and read them.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This sweet memory before Sesame Street Live popped up from 2013. This was a part of the kids 4th birthday present, and they were so excited.

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday I’m co-hosting our monthly Not Just a Mom link up with these fun bloggers:

Our topic is: the internet made me buy it.

If you have a blog, we’d love for you to link up with us on Monday!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts for this week in case you missed one:

Weekend Top 5
Day in the Life on Insta
Breeder’s Cup recap
Blog Challenge Part 1

What are your weekend plans? We are busy with lots of fun things! I’m sure I’ll recap those next week.

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#134}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a really good one that included Halloween, volleyball, school and more!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

A few fun favorites:

Last Friday, I went to see Heather McMahan’s live taping of her show for Netflix. We’d gone to see her back and January, and were excited to go again. We all met at our friend’s house for carryout Mexican food and drinks. Then, we went downtown for the show. The show was a mix of the material from January as well as some new material too. It was a great evening!

Since it was a taping, we couldn’t have our phones out during the performance. Heather looked stunning, and she snapped a photo with the audience at the end.

On Saturday, Hadley went to Great Wolf Lodge with a group from school. She had so much fun.

Halloween Fun:

While we were at the Heather McMahan taping, Hadley and the Student Council were hosting a haunted house. It was quite the success.

Look at my zombie volleyball player! haha

My brother’s kids made some sweet treats for us and dropped them off on Saturday.

We had our “spooky dinner” on Sunday night. I made mummy dogs and brains for dinner…with a side of eyeballs.

Halloween on a Monday should always be a hard no….but it was a great evening. The weather was perfect. Hayden threw on a jersey at the last minute to be a football player while Hadley was a construction worker with her friend.

Hadley and friends ran around the neighborhood together while Hayden and his friends did the same thing. They scored so much candy that it’s ridiculous!

Travis and I hung on the front porch to pass out candy. Honestly, I had a moment of sadness when I realized the last time I sat on the front porch and passed out candy was 2009 when I had a very big pregnant belly. This time has gone by in a blink, but I’m glad the kids were close by and had fun with their friends.

I went to grab a cup for my wine and laughed at my choice! While it’s a Christmas sentiment, I think it applies to Halloween on a Monday!

Volleyball:

Hadley had her first volleyball game this week! Volleyball is one of my favorite sports to watch, so I’m definitely looking forward to watching them this season.

She’s having fun with friends which is definitely a bonus.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This made me laugh way too hard…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This throwback to 2013 is one of my favorite photos. So sweet and festive for Halloween.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Halloween This or That
Prime Purchases
Currently
5 Fall Fits

What are your weekend plans? We don’t really have anything tonight, but tomorrow Hayden has a cross country meet, and then Travis and I will spend the day at Keeneland for the Breeder’s Cup. I’m one of the weird ones who loves the time change (in the fall), and I have feeling I’m going to need that extra hour of sleep by Sunday!

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#133}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, it’s finally Friday. We’ve had an action-packed week, and yesterday was a doozy of a day at school; I’m definitely ready for the weekend!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Hayden’s back on the basketball court, and it’s fun watching him play. I’m sure he doesn’t think it’s funny, but it’s interesting to watching him after to get back in “basketball shape.” There’s a difference in running 30+ miles a week and sprinting up and down the court. haha

A few spooky decorations out front always help make the porch a bit more festive for Halloween.

I’m glad I took this photo on Sunday. Almost all of our beautiful leaves are now on the ground. They usually hang on until around Halloween, and then the trees are bare.

Hadley and friends had a fun Saturday night out on the town.

I bought a new pair of mules a couple of weeks ago, and I love them. They are suede and I bought them in gray. I remember having a black pair my first year teaching over 20 years ago…things really do come back in style!

The weather cooled off a few days this week, so I wore them a couple of times. I’ve had this tank for a couple of years (I have a black one too), and it’s perfect to put on under sweaters and sweatshirts. I loved this outfit that I wore one day this week. Comfy and trying to be stylish!

Last week, I made Lasagna Cups using Wonton wrappers and had half a package leftover. Last night, I made these Chicken Bacon Ranch Wonton Cups, and they were a hit.

Speaking of dinners…a favorite meal of ours this time of the year is our Halloween meal.

We haven’t had our “Spooky Dinner” yet. I wish I’d thought to have made it last Sunday when we carved our pumpkins. So, I think we’ll have “bloody fingers” and “brains” for dinner this Sunday.

…or I might make “Mummy dogs”

Favorite Mom Meme:

*Sigh* I always had to give my kids a deadline to not change their minds once I’ve purchased the costume.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I probably share this every year, but this was my favorite costume duo that the kids chose to be in 2013. Hadley as Robin to Hayden’s Batman.

Also, I clearly remember Hayden perusing the Toys R Us magazine in 2012 as he looked for birthday ideas. Those pinchy cheeks are too cute.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Monday Memes
Fall Fun
October Books
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? I’m so excited for a Girls Night tonight! Heather McMahan is coming to town, and you know I’m not going to miss that! The kids are busy with a few Halloween and school activities this weekend too. ‘Tis the season!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Thanks so much for reading,

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