Category: Friday Favorites

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#123}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a good one. It’s back to school business as usual with school, cross country practice, dance and more.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Hadley’s back in the dance studio for competition season, and we are excited to see all of her routines! Just like when she was little, she still comes home from dance, and wants to show us what they learned.

A little “me time” at the pool on Saturday was a favorite. Hadley was at a swim birthday party (different pool) and Travis and Hayden were hanging out, so I worked on my tan and read for a couple of hours.

New lunches are a favorite. I tried to get a simple plan for some lunches this week, and tried a couple of them out over the weekend. I took a sandwich thin with veggie cream cheese and cucumbers a couple of days this week. So good!

The opposite of my healthy meal above is Saturday night’s dinner at Bella Notte. This is a restaurant in Lex that we hadn’t been to in years! I was talking about it with a friend last week, and told Travis maybe it would be an idea for dinner. Hayden was at a friend’s birthday party, so Hadley joined Travis and me on date night. The food was just as good as I remember!

Hadley as the acolyte on Sunday was a favorite.

I continue to live for my monthly facials. A dermaplane and chemical peel were on the agenda at Monday’s appointment. Turning back the hands of time one appointment at a time.

We’ve had so much rain and such mild weather that our hydrangeas are thriving. Travis loves a blooming yard!

Y’all, I’m officially hooked on the F1 Drive to Survive series on Netflix. I’m very late to this as there are four seasons, but in the past couple of weeks I’ve watched two of them, and have now gotten started on season 3. When I tell people what I’m watching, many are surprised! 😂 Well, I’m here for the drama and none of the drivers are ugly! 😉

Netflix

I’m giving myself a pat on the back. For years, I didn’t work out consistently. Many years, I would not workout at all during November and December and just get “back on track” in January. I think every year of my twenty years in education, I took the month of August off from working out as getting back to school is quite the adjustment. After Labor Day, I’d always add working out back into my new school routine.

Well, this year, I made a point to just keep on keeping on. In a way, I think I got lucky because Beachbody released some new programs in late July/early August, and I found a couple that have worked for me.

Job 1 consists of 20 minute workouts with Jennifer Jacobs. LIIFT4 has longer workouts with Joel Freeman. They are 30-40 minutes long and combine weights with HIIT and core depending on the workout. Anyway, I’ve made a point to get at least three weekday workouts in. If all I have the energy or time for are the 20 minute workouts, then I do Job 1. Otherwise, if I have more time, I do LIIFT 4.

Working out in my basement has continued to work for me, but last Saturday it was nice to hit the gym for the elliptical and have time to listen to a podcast or two.

Beach body

Last night was Curriculum Night at the kids’ school. Last year, because of Covid, the teachers just sent out videos. This teacher mom loves a good Curriculum Night, so I was happy to attend last night. I know most kids are worried about 7th grade, but I really think they will have a great year.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Right…?! Where is the lie?

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

With dance resuming, I love these dance memories of Hadley.

August 2015, when she was in kindergarten, she was in her first ballet and tap class.

2015

Then, in 4th grade, she headed back to the barre (plus tap and jazz too!). I can’t believe how much she’s grown, both as a girl and as a dancer!

2019

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week…here they are:

Monday Meals
Seint Makeup
WIWW: Teacher Edition

What are your plans for the weekend? Today, we don’t have students, so my kids get the day off.

Coach White has the cross country team in a run-a-thon fundraiser, and then I don’t know…maybe some pool time? There are only a couple more weekends left for the pool. Sunday looks pretty rainy, and I’m here for it!

Thanks so much for reading,

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#122}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

Fridays tend to “hit different” once school starts. We had a great first week and are starting to get into a routine, but I think we are all ready to have the weekend to regroup and sleep in a bit!

Currently me:

As always, 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, we made a trip to the new Buc-ee’s in Richmond.(about 30 minutes away) This had been on our “to do” list this summer, but hadn’t yet made it there. With the gloomy weather and needing to kill some time, we decided to go check it out. Hayden was at the lake with his friend. Hadley was watching my brother’s kids, so I picked them up and headed to Buc-ee’s.

Buc-ee’s had all the things! It was as busy as I expected it to be. We walked around and checked things out, picked out some snacks and cookies and just wandered around for about thirty minutes. Wyatt and Layla had previously been there, and Layla loves Buc-ee’s. It was a good little trip. I’m sure we’ll go back, but we don’t drive east very often.

Friday afternoon, Hadley got a back to school trim. She loves getting her hair styled, so that was a fun treat.

One of Hadley’s friends has a small business (Simply Stella Co), and Stella was at a pop up shop at Greyline Station. Hadley and her friend went to hang and help Stella on Friday night. They had a lot of fun, and Hadley was excited because she helped ring people up (and came home with some SSC swag)

Saturday was another cloudy day, so we eased into the weekend. Travis left to go to Saratoga and Hayden was gone. Hadley slept in, and I enjoyed my coffee, candle, and book on my Kindle. I finished Every Summer After, and it was really good.

While at the lake, Hayden caught more fish. He’s been to various lakes this summer more than ever and really does love to fish.

On Tuesday, Hayden was excited because he hit 20k steps! That day, he completed a track workout, went to a training session, ran all over the neighborhood with his friends, and then went to Sky Zone for an hour and a half. Oh to have that much energy!

My classroom was ready for year 21!

The first day of school was a favorite for sure. They both gave me all kinds of details which I loved to hear. Hadley, especially, listed the names of her friends in every class #priorities

While Hayden stayed after school for cross country practice, I picked Hadley up. She needed to pick up a birthday gift for a friend, so we did that. Then, I figured we both deserved a treat for surviving the first day!

It was time to get out the red plates to celebrate a few things like going back to school (both of them) and dance studio tryouts (Hadley) and cross country (Hayden).

My runner…carb loading. haha

**Not pictured, but I did give Travis the red plate last week…when it was made official that he is the boys cross country coach at the kids’ school this year! Considering how busy he is in the fall, this is a big commitment, and we’re so proud (and excited) for him to do this. He’s pretty excited too.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Why are kids always hungry?!

I guess I better get back to meal planning dinners now that we are back to school.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Blast from the past…look what I found when I was cleaning out an old wallet. Oh…kids these days…they’ll never know what it’s like to have to go to a BB on a Friday night only to be disappointed that the movie they wanted to watch isn’t available.

Weekly Recap:

My posts this week include a little bit of everything…tv shows, a recap of the summer, and back to school stuff.

Not Just a Mom
Summer 2022 Recap
Back to School

What are your weekend plans? I’m sure I will be asleep by 8:00 tonight. There’s no tired like teacher tired the first few weeks of school. Then, both kids have Saturday birthday parties to attend, and I don’t think we have much going on otherwise.

See you back here Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#121}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday!

How was your week? I really tried to savor this week as it was my last full week of summer. I was able to run errands, tackle to do lists, sleep in, go to the pool, read, and more. This week was a good mix of productivity and down time.

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

It’s been a minute since I’ve done a traditional Friday Favorites, but here are…

some favorites from this week:

Thanks so much for the blog birthday love! I really appreciate all the nice comments, and I will announce the gift card winner on Monday.

Backing up to last weekend…

We were headed to Louisville, so we decided to make a pit stop at the outlet mall on the way for back to school shopping. St. Travis had already taken the kids the day before to get shoes at the mall, so we were on the hunt for a few clothing items. We were there about an hour and a half, and actually only bought a few things, but got some good deals.

Then, we met Trav’s family at Mike Linnings for dinner. We ate, the kids ran around a bit, and then we headed back home.

After we got home, we watched our July family movie (on the last day of the month!) Hadley chose Family Camp. I didn’t know anything about it, and it was ok. We got our monthly movie in, but Hayden said he was choosing the August movie. haha

On Monday, I used a gift certificate (anniversary present from Travis) for a relaxation massage. I hadn’t had a massage in over a year, so it was a good way to start the week!

When we got back from Missouri, we immediately noticed how much the flowers had bloomed! Travis is always proud of his yard!

I typically get my flowers from Trader Joe’s, but this week, I just plucked them from the yard!

We went school supply shopping last week, and I went ahead and picked up my planner and new pens. I always start the school year with a new planner and pens. This is my second year using a Happy Planner, and this year I decided to try out the smaller version of the one I used last year. We’ll see how I like it!

Tuesday night, Travis and I had some time to ourselves, and we watched the Shania Twain special on Netflix. I’ve always loved her music, and some of the very first CDs I ever purchased were hers; I know all over her songs. We enjoyed the documentary.

Y’all, I have been wearing my new sandals non-stop! They were a bit of a splurge (and not a part of the N-sale), but I knew they’d pay off per wear. I love the big buckle, and they are my go to sandal. I know they will be my #1 choice for shoe wear for school as summer wraps up.

The kids were running around the neighborhood with friends, and Hadley sent me this photo of the sunset earlier this week. So pretty.

I had a couple of pool days this week, and finished Book Lovers. It was cute.

Hayden’s team wrapped up their summer season. It’s always fun to watch him play.

The kids had Open House at their school. Man, times have changed. Open House used to mean meeting the teacher and dropping off school supplies. In middle school, it means social hour, popcorn/Kona ice, club sign ups and more. Also, parents are welcome, but I guess not needed. (sad face!). Hayden and Hadley will get their schedules on the first day, but they did learn which team they will be on and met a few teachers.

After Open House, they wanted ice cream. We let them do that while my friend and I grabbed a glass of wine.

On Wednesday night, we went out to dinner at Jeff Ruby’s. That had been on our summer list, and we wanted to get family dinner in before school starts back next week.

Of course, we took a few photos…

…and got a good family pic too…

Not pictured, but the kids have had lots of fun with friends this week. I feel like they went full force in June with pool time, overnights, late nights, etc., and then most friends (us, included) did vacation and summer camps in July. Now, everyone is back home from camps and vacays, so everyone is back to squeezing in summer fun while they can. I can’t say that I blame them. They’ve played outside, had overnights, and had some pool time this week as well. I hope they look back on these years as some of the best in their lives.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Nothing..and I mean nothing makes me lose my mind more than when I’ve given a time frame to leave…and no one is ready…by a long shot!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

These photos from 2014 were in my Facebook memories this week. We’d been to Trav’s grandparents’ land and had some family photos taken.

When I look at our dinner family photo from this week and then this one, I just can’t get over how big the kids have gotten…and how Travis doesn’t age!

Hadley’s bow and Hayden’s hand on Trav’s knee…I just can’t! Too cute.

They had tons of fun exploring the barn and playing on the tractor.

Not Just a Mom:

Monday is our Not Just a Mom link up.

If you are a blogger, we’d love to have your join us. This month’s topics is…binge watching tv shows.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Family Photos
Prime Purchases
Little Miss
Tips From a Teacher

What do you have planned for the weekend? I’m clinging to my last few hours of summer! (Side note: I really enjoy my job…I just also like the extra time at home with my kids and not setting an alarm!) 😉

Thankfully, I don’t think we have much on tap, and I’m looking forward to our Back to School Brinner.

As always, thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#120}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your week? Ours was amazing.

We spent our time at Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres this week, and it was a wonderful family vacay.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I’m sure our Mexico vacay will be its own post (or 2?), but here are some fave photos from the week.

We flew out of Cincinnati on Saturday.

A margarita within a few minutes of check in to our hotel…

We had a private pool right next to the family pool which ended up being a perfect luxury on this trip.

The beach was only a few steps away from our room.

We celebrated the 4th of July in our (low key) red, white, and blue.

Daiquiris on repeat…

Tacos…on a Tuesday!

We took a boat (& snorkeling) excursion to Isla Mujeres.

The views were breathtaking.

The water was amazing.

The kids had so much fun.

Nothing beats sunsets at the beach.

Trav’s birthday was yesterday, and we spent some time at the spa.

Then, we celebrated with a birthday dinner at the steakhouse.

Hayden really embraced the all inclusive life, Hadley loved swimming and activities, Travis enjoyed “Mexican apple juice” (cerveza!), I read three books this week, and we all have sun kissed cheeks.

As always, we loved the family time, but we are ready to be reunited with Homer.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Even on vacay … 😂

Weekly Recap:

I had a full week of posts…

Not Just a Mom:

We have our NJAM link up on Monday.

This month’s topic is: family food traditions. We hope you’ll link up with us!

What do you have planned this weekend? I have a feeling re-entry will be rough for us. We’ll take the weekend to get back on track with all the things.

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#119}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

#classic

Happy July 1st. It kind of pains me to type “July 1st,” but I also know that we have lots of fun planned this month, so I’m trying to embrace that!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Honestly, just having a slower paced week was a favorite. I had tons of errands, but the kids didn’t have many activities. We needed this slower week after so many favorites from the weekend:

Trav time:

lake time:

and concert/friend time:

Another favorite from the week was watching a movie with Hayden. He chose Goonies, and it was good quality time together watching that classic.

Dance and baseball photos arrived this week. I told myself I wouldn’t buy any more, but yet here I am…I swear, take all my money!

With the holiday weekend coming up, here’s a favorite breakfast that I often serve on the 4th:

Favorite Kid Quote:

I was painting my nails, and Hadley said, “Mom, on my wedding day, I’m going to wear Funny Bunny.” (OPI color that I always wear) It was just the sweetest.

Favorite Mom Meme:

My kids do tend to sleep in if they can, so thankfully I don’t have to get up too early in the summer. That being said, Hadley is up most mornings by 8:00 for swim team, so I try to get up 7:15-7:30 to ease into the day a bit.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

These cousins don’t get to see each other often, but when they do, they have lots of fun. Here they are jumping into summer vacay in 2017. So cute.

Weekly Recap:

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

Monday Memes
Weekend Wrap Up
June books
Monthly Musings

With not as much going on this week, I’m keeping today’s post short(ish) and sweet. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#118}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your week? Ours was a mix of down time, productivity, and summer fun.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Homer got his summer cut, and looks so cute. We heart Homer, but I sure didn’t read the fine print on his description at the rescue. He sheds so much, so while it doesn’t look like a super short haircut, hopefully this will buy us a week or two of major shedding.

He’s worn his little cowboy bandana all week!

I was at Trader Joe’s just minding my own business and these candles hopped in my cart. I’ve been burning them all week, and they are perfect for summer. Strawberry Basil is my favorite.

Hadley had another swim meet, but it was a short one due to rain. The meet started out hot and sunny, but thunderstorms rolled through, and it ended after the freestyle.

The weekly themes they have are so fun, and the kids (and coaches!) really get into it. The coaches handed out these fun cowboy hats, and the kids loved them.

After the meet was called off, we decided to keep dinner simple and picked up Fazolis. We watched Big Daddy as our June movie. I hadn’t seen it in forever, and it is so funny.

I got some pool time in yesterday, and I finished a book! I love to read about the Royals, and this book was interesting. The same author wrote one about Kate, so I hope to read it soon too!

Honestly, the absolute highlight and favorite of this week is that I FINALLY purged and cleaned out my dressers and closet. I may dig deeper into that process, but for now, here is the before:

…and the after!!

I’d be embarrassed by the “before” photo if I wasn’t so proud of the “after” photos!

I did a little bit over four days. I started with my dresser and chest of drawers. Then, I went through the folded clothes in my closet followed by the hanging clothes, jeans, and purses. Lastly, I went through my dresses that are in the hall closet. Five big black trash bags later…I have lots to donate.

It makes me so happy to open my closet door now. I’m going to try and be more intentional about going through my drawers and closet at the end of each season and donate what I haven’t worn.

I’ve needed to do this for over a year, and am so happy that I finally got it finished!

Favorite Foods:

I made this Mexican Casserole for dinner on Monday, and it was so good. We had leftovers on Tuesday, and then I had a bit more for lunch on Wednesday.

Favorite Mom Meme:

My kids need to get jobs! haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m throwing it back to 2005 with this guy.

Seventeen years of marriage today. I say it every year, but I hit the jackpot with T-rav!

Where has the time gone? I definitely feel blessed.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Hello Monday
Summer Top 10
Summer Style at Target

Also, I wanted to say thanks to those who sent well wishes after I shared about being sick last week! I’m feeling much better, and I’m thankful the rest of my family is doing well.

What are your weekend plans?

We have a dinner reservation and some lake time on the agenda!

Have a great weekend. Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Activities, Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#117}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

I have a full posts of favorites so I’m going to hop right in to the link up with Andrea and Erika.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Activities:

Hadley’s dance recitals were a highlight of the week for sure!

Hayden is playing summer basketball, and he had a couple of games this week. The summer league is super low key which is nice.

Hadley had another swim meet this week. The butterfly stroke is one that she’s been working on, and she finally got to swim it in the meet on Wednesday night.

She swam in two relays and then all four strokes, so she was a busy girl! The heat index was over 100 during the meet. I was about to jump in and join a relay!

Last Saturday, Hayden went to run on the track for his workout and took a detour at football camp. He saw Will Levis (QB for UK), and got his photo taken with him. He was so excited.

Favorite Summer Scents:

I really need to quit buying candles, but I couldn’t pass up the $11.95 sale on three wick candles at Bath and Body Works.

I specifically went into the store for the Champagne Toast and Fresh Orange candle. I love both of those scents, so I knew this would be a good one combined…and it is.

While I was there, I also picked up the peony candle and put it next to my Trader Joe’s peonies. (Tell me it’s summer without telling me it’s summer!)

Amazon Faves:

{Amazon Affiliate links}

I change out my garden flags pretty regularly, but I didn’t have one that was summery. This one arrived earlier in the week and is perfect for summer.

I got this dress last year and have worn in a ton.

I decided to wear it to Hadley’s recital with my new braided sandals.

Also, the dress is one I turn to time and time again. I’m actually thinking about ordering the pink or sleeveless version of it before vacay!

You all know that I share my Amazon purchases once a month, but I could’t wait to share these sandals. I wore them to her afternoon recital with white jeans and then again for the evening recital with the dress. After the recital, I was on my feet for a couple more hours at my friend’s birthday party, and they were so comfortable on my feet.

I originally ordered my regular size 9, but when they arrived, they fit…barely. My heel was right at the edge, so I thought I’d compare with a 9.5. That size wasn’t available anytime soon, so I tried the 9.5 wide. I don’t have a wide foot, but these fit perfectly…much better than the 9.

Since I couldn’t love these sandals more, I decided to go ahead and share now rather than wait for my July Prime Purchases post.

Other Faves:

My niece Layla turned five at the end of May, and was overdue for a birthday gift from us. On Monday, we hit the mall (along with Hadley, my mom, and my sister-in-law) for a quick lunch and then we stopped in the Plush Shop for her to pick out a gift. She came home with “Princess Owlette” (Also, don’t you love her princess necklace?)

On the way out, we picked up cookies for everyone at Great American Cookie as one more birthday treat.

Later that night, I got this photo at bedtime which I thought was really sweet.

My mom came to visit and was able to see both Hadley and Layla’s recitals as well as one of Hayden’s basketball games.

Last Sunday, my brother’s family and my mom joined us at Boonedogs for a late lunch. The food was good and the weather was really nice. The kids were able to run around for a bit too.

I got the Greek dog –with cucumbers, feta, sun dried tomato, garlic lemon sauce and fried capers. So good!

Last Friday, I shared some new fave Target pjs, but I also picked up this set. I’ve worn them almost every night, and a shameless amount of time during the day. The pink color is very summery, and the material is so soft. I did size down in this set.

top // shorts

Throw on some flip flops, and I feel like I could leave the house in these. 😆

Favorite Mom Meme:

Even as the kids have gotten older, this struggle is still very real!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of Father’s Day, here’s a throwback to probably 1982…back when the Major smoked a pipe and rocked a mustache!

…and this meme for fathers everywhere!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week:

Not Just a Mom
Recital Recap
Shutterfly

What are your weekend plans? Hayden has a race tomorrow, and then of course, we’ll celebrate Travis on Sunday for Father’s Day.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Homer, Kids

Friday Favorites {#116}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday.

We had a good but busy summer week. Personally, it was nice to not get up and think about school, but I still had to set an alarm every morning due to Hadley’s activities.

Also, I’ve felt “off” all week. I guess it’s a summer cold, and Hadley has been dealing with congestion too. On top of having a sore throat and drainage, I was tired and sometimes achy. I did test neg for the Vid, so who knows! Maybe the hustle and bustle of the end of the school year caught up with me.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that what was supposed to be a couple of hours at the pool Sunday turned into many hours at the pool and a Pina Colada with Trav.

Hadley has decided she wants to play volleyball again, so we signed her up for a camp this week with a friend. That meant 9-12 camp four days this week!

Hayden left on Monday to go to the lake with a friend, so I had lots of Hadley time this week.

After camp on Monday, we hit the mall for a few things and lunch in the food court. What is it about kids and the food court?! It seemed like a treat to her. haha

She has had dance recital practice three nights this week with the recital this weekend. It’s nice that she’s old enough to handle costume changes, but I definitely sweep in at the end to make sure she has everything!

Wednesday night’s recital practice included Hadley (and her friend) helping cousin Layla’s tap class up on stage. Super cute group of little ladies.

While at the lake, Hayden had so much fun with two of his friends. With limited WiFi, they had all kinds of good old fashioned fun. They swam, ran around, went in the kayaks and fished.

Hayden was so excited to catch a few fish (a first for him) including this large mouth bass.

On Wednesday, we celebrated our 3 year Homer-versary! Since we don’t know his actual birthday, we celebrate him on his “Gotcha Day,” and he obliges for a few photos in his birthday scarf thanks to a few treats!

6/8/19

He’s calmed down since we got him and is overall a pretty good boy (even though he destroyed a roll of toilet paper this week!)

Travis and I finally finished Season 4 of Ozark. I love me some Jason Bateman, but man, that show is intense! I wish it ended a bit differently, but I’m glad we finished the series. Now Travis and I need to find something else to watch together. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Favorite Clothing Item:

Is anyone shocked that my favorite clothing item is a new pair of pjs?

I bought these a couple of weeks ago when both the top and the bottom were each on sale for $8. I’d pay full price for them though! They are cute and light-weight…perfect for summer!

I actually have this pair ready for pick up too. I will let you know how they are once I get them.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Me…all week!

Flashback Friday

In honor of Hadley’s dance recital this week, here’s a throwback to her first-ever dance recital in 2016! #pinchycheekcute

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of link up posts this week as well as one other one:

June Amazon
Let’s Look: lunch
Baseball Wrap Up

Not Just a Mom

Also, before I go…we have our Not Just a Mom link up this coming Monday. The topic is dream travel locations.

If you are a blogger, we hope you join us! It’s the perfect topic as we dive into summer!

What are your plans for the weekend? We don’t have tons going on today, but Hadley will be a busy dancer this weekend! I can’t wait to see her routines!

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#115}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This week was a good one, but it was a doozy! I was busy most of the week coordinating summer school while still also managing my kids’ busy social lives and schedules. I relied heavily on my mom friends, and I’m grateful for them!

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

Here are my favorites from the week:

On my weekly Trader Joe’s run, I saw this candle when I checked out. I picked one up. The Mango Tangerine scent is perfect for summer.

The studio dance photos came in this week, and they are so great!

Then, the moms split the cost on some of the group photos. This is such a great group of girls.

Swim team started this week for Hadley. She had her first swim meet on Wednesday night. This is her second year in the 11-12 age group, and she’s happy to be on the older end of the age group!

She definitely found her stride (stroke?! 😆) with each race on Wednesday. She swam free, back, breast, and free relay. She got second in the breast stroke and her relay team was first! The swim meets make for late evenings, but it’s always fun to watch them swim and improve each week.

While Hadley’s been swimming, Hayden has been busy at basketball camp during the day, and baseball at night.

Tuesday night was the last regular season game, and here is lucky number 7 up to bat.

The tournament starts this weekend, and then that’s a wrap on baseball for Hayden (forever?) #sadbaseballmom

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is me pretty often but definitely this week!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of the first swim meet of the season, here’s a throwback to the kids’ first ever swim meet in 2017. Hayden “retired” in 2019, but Hadley continues to swim and loves it.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week. Here they are:

Life Lately
May Books

I hope you have a great weekend! See you back here next week.

Posted in Family, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#114}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! It’s our last Friday of the school year, and we are 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:

Favorite Moment(s)

My dad came to visit this past weekend. His birthday was on Tuesday, so I encouraged him to come see us, have some cake, and watch the kids’ last regular season track meet on Monday.

On Sunday, we grilled out steaks and had lemon Bundt cake for dessert. The weather was great, and we were able to spend some time outside.

Monday was the kids’ last regular season track meet. They’ve improved so much and had such a great time this season. Both of them have set PR’s in their events, and the last meet was only for 6th graders. Hayden ran the 1600, 800 and one relay. Hadley ran 100m and two relays. They had quite the cheering section!

On Wednesday, they had their last track practice where they celebrated the season with ice cream and awards. Hayden earned a silver medal for finishing second place (he lost by a fraction a second) in the 6th grade mile while Hadley earned the two bronze medals for third place finishes with her relay teams. That meet was a great way to cap off the season.

Hayden’s 4×800 relay qualified for state in a couple of weeks!

Favorite Pic(s):

The kids baptism was one year ago, and this week I randomly received the professional photos that were taken. The kids look both the same and older to me one year later. I hope that their faith remains strong and that their hearts always guide them.

Favorite Food(s):

We grilled out for my dad’s birthday, and I made two of our favorite summer dishes for sides.

This pasta salad is so easy and so delish. My favorite part is the bits of mozzarella!

My kids even request these asparagus fries. They are so good!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Relatable!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This throwback from May 2014 is so sweet. We loved pool days then, and we can’t wait for pool days now. The pool opens up next Wednesday!

Weekly Recap:

This week, I’ve shared a recap of the weekend, teacher gift ideas, and summer Amazon faves:

Weekend Top 5
Teacher Gift Ideas
Summer Amazon FAves

What are your plans for the weekend? The kids are running in a post-season track meet tomorrow and have youth Sunday at church. We have a few other things going on, but I sure hope to have some time to read and catch up on my tv shows!

See you back here Monday.