Category: Friday Favorites

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#103}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! We’ve had a pretty good week around here, and the best part is that it’s been feeling like spring.

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

I’m breaking the week down and sharing some favorites from each day:

Saturday:

For the first time in forever, we didn’t have to set an alarm on Saturday morning!

Another fave was trying out The Press. I enjoyed my smoothie, and Hadley loved her acai bowl.

Sunday:

The best part about Sunday was watching American Idol. It’s definitely a family fave.

Heavy.com

Monday:

Speaking of family faves, I think Shay’s recipe for Frito Pie was delish. It was the perfect Monday meal after a long day. The whole fam enjoyed it.

Tuesday:

Hayden had a mid-day doctor’s appointment which meant that he missed lunch. We hit up Freddy’s before heading back to school. A weekday lunch with Boo is always a fave.

Wednesday:

Wednesday morning was Hadley’s turn for an appointment. We had a few minutes to spare before her school started, so we stopped at Chick-fil-A. A weekday breakfast out with Sis is, of course, a fave.

Also, the weather was beautiful, and Trav grilled steaks for dinner. We were all excited about that.

Thursday:

Thursday was another day of beautiful weather, and it was so nice to come home and see the sun shining through our new shutters.

When we moved in over seven years ago, we got shutters on our family room and office windows and white faux wood blinds on the bedroom windows. Through the years, the kids pulled the strings off their blinds and a few slats were bent, etc. So, we ordered shutters for the five bedroom windows back in late November. They were installed Wednesday night, so I loved seeing the daylight on Thursday afternoon.

Favorite Clothing Item:

I’m still wearing my Walmart pjs on repeat. (top, bottoms)

…and Hayden’s loving his new kicks. He’s been a big Oregon fan for years (big track school!), and Travis ordered him these shoes. He was in need of a new pair before track season begins next week. (He’ll train in his old shoes and these are now his school shoes)

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hayden was on a roll this week. After his doctor’s appointment, we stopped at home to pick up his basketball bag. He saw our neighbor who was working in his yard. Hayden said, “Imagine all the things I could do if I was retired. Instead, I have to go to school.”

Then, we were driving by the kids’ elementary school, and I commented on the car line. He said the elementary years were the “OG years.” haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

With the exception of last weekend, this meme is very true.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I always love this 2014 memory. We’d gone to a UK women’s basketball game. The kids stood in front of the Wildcats sign, and I told Hadley to take a few steps to her right! She was definitely the “WILD”one back then!

Weekly Recap:

This week, I shared about the weekend, my February Amazon finds, and the two books I read this month.

Weekend Wrap Up
Prime Purchases
February Books

What are your weekend plans? This weekend includes all the things: basketball, baseball, and dance! (Thankfully, none of them start before noon!)

See you back here on Monday! I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#102}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! I don’t know about you all, but I’m very ready for the weekend.

To be honest, I’ve felt “off” all week. The week just felt like one giant Monday. From the weather, to extra appointments for my kids, to being busy at school, I just never felt like I’ve gotten my feet under me this week.

Also, the news feels extra heavy this week too.

Prayers are with those affected by the crisis in Ukraine.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Twosday was fun. 2/22/22 was fun to write all day long. #itsthelittlethings

And…did you know it’s Palindrome week? See below!

What’s new? …but watching Hayden play basketball is always a favorite. He had one of his best games of the season(s) on Sunday.

Watching Hadley dance is always a favorite as well. She’s in two numbers this competition season. One is a large group musical theater number, and the other is a small group jazz routine. The performers all did a fantastic job on Saturday!

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it, but I told my family that I’d like to have a “Family Movie Night” once a month. In January, we watched Sing 2, and on Sunday, we watched Home Team. We all loved it.

C/o Netflix

I shared about my Amazon stool last week, and I finally picked up a plant for it at Trader Joe’s. I’ve actually already moved this stool/plant combo since I took this photo, but I still love that little set up.

Landyn shared this Funfetti Dip, and I knew that it would be something Hadley would love to make. She made it on Monday, and the family has enjoyed it all week.

Homer got a new blanket, and we wrapped him up like a burrito! This pup is spoiled rotten.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Too many mornings this is an issue…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

The sweetest memory from February 2015 popped up in my Facebook memories…It was preschool picture day and my kids were ready to smile for the photos!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week where I shared some funny memes, a few updates on all of us, and my quick trip to Trader Joe’s.

Monday Memes
Three Things
Trader Joe’s

What do you have planned this weekend? We actually don’t have tons going on. I mean, we are never without some activity, but it all seems pretty manageable. I’m also going to try to convince Hadley that it’s time to take down the Christmas tree in her room. She keeps telling me, “it’s a vibe!” 🤣

See you back here on Monday; thanks so much for reading.

{this post contains Amazon affiliate links…}

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#101)

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? I really feel like this week went by quickly. Besides school and kids’ activities, I’ve been staying up to watch the Olympics, I finished a book and started a new one.

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

Some favorites from the week:

I guess the Student Council/Yearbook had a set up for Valentine’s Day at school, and Hadley took a couple of fun photos with her friends!

I had dinner out with two of my neighbors, and it was nice to get together and chat. We ate at Bella Cafe, and I tried the Crispy Chicken Salad. It was so good.

We got our new front door over two years ago, but we waited to get a privacy shade until we were pretty convinced that Homer wouldn’t pull it down! We placed the order in November, and finally had it installed this week.

They can easily be pulled up and down which means sunlight during the day and more privacy at night.

Also, I shared recently that I’ve been moving a few things around now that all of the holiday decorations are put up. I had one of these distressed arches from Hobby Lobby, and went ahead and ordered another one. I’ve just propped them on our entry table for now, but they could also go on a couple of other walls if/when I decide to hang them.

Also, how cute is this wooden stool that I found on Amazon?! I hope to get to Trader Joe’s this weekend and maybe find a plant to put on it instead of the candle.

Another random favorite–we’ve had warmer weather a few days, and it sure has felt like spring. Man oh man, though….it poured rain all day yesterday! I guess another sign that maybe spring is on the way.

Favorite Kid Quote:

On Monday, I put Homer’s Valentine’s Day scarf on him, and Hadley helped me get a picture of him. Then she said, “Mom, take a pic of me with my Valentine.” She proceeded to plop down next to Homer, and said, “Homer is my Valentine!”

Well, he is just the sweetest!

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

This made me lol! I will say that I think my kids got Trav’s good traits!

The thing with my kids is that they take turns stressing me out or making me worry!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I feel like I’ve probably shared this photo before because it’s definitely a favorite. Hadley in 2016. One of my greatest regrets in life is not buying her this hat!

Weekly Recap:

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

Not Just a Mom
Life Lately
Dime Beauty Products

Well, I’m going to wrap up today’s post with one more favorite…We are heading into a three day weekend! Yay!

I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#100}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Apparently, this is my 100th Friday Favorites post which makes this Friday even better.

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

This week was pretty hectic for me both personally and professionally, so this may be a somewhat quick post!

Favorite Moment(s):

I’ve loved watching the Olympics. As a matter of fact, I’ve been staying up too late to watch! It’s so exciting to watch these athletes, and also heartbreaking sometimes too. I mean, Mikaela Shiffrin sitting on the side of that mountain for over twenty minutes about did me in. I was like, “Someone go give that girl a hug!”

My first ever Antique Candle Co order arrived. As you all know, I love by Bath and Body Works candles, but when ACC had come candles 40% off, I went for it.

I ordered:

  • Fall Harvest (and will save for the fall months)
  • Homemade Gingerbread (perfect to round out this last month of winter)
  • Vanilla Bean
  • Sweet Lemon
  • and…I didn’t know that they often include a 2 oz candle, and they sent me Grapefruit.

So far, I’ve burned the Gingerbread, Vanilla Bean, and Sweet Lemon.

I love them all.

Favorite Picture(s):

I think our Valentine’s Day cards for our family turned out really cute.

front of 2022 card

Even though the Chiefs lost, I couldn’t resist including us in our red!

back of 2022 card

This Hayden and Homer selfie is just precious too!

Favorite Food:

I love Taco Soup, but haven’t made it it yet this year. It sure did hit the spot Wednesday night for dinner and then lunch leftovers yesterday.

Favorite Clothing Item:

I can’t believe that I haven’t shared this sweater yet with y’all! I have it in two colors. Over Christmas break, Hadley and I went to the mall and stopped in Aerie. I bought it in the Rose color while in the store. Later, I purchased it online in Monaco Blue. I wear it with leggings, denim, and even nicer pants to school. Both times I bought this sweater, it was on sale which makes it even better 😉

Favorite Kid Quote:

Valentines Day and people asking to be Valentines with each other are hot topics in middle school. Hadley said, “Everyone is finding a Valentine this year. And to think…just last year we thought boys had cooties!” 🤣 Made me LOL.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

This bulk meme is my life…and also applies to buying bananas.

This! Not saying I had it tough in the 80’s, but I’m not sure my kids would last long in 1985.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’ve always been great with multi-tasking. I really stepped up my game when I became a mom. I carried both Hayden and the clean laundry upstairs at one point!

February 2010

I always say about Hadley #sassysincedayone Here she is stealing my drink in 2013.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

Hello Monday
Valentine’s Day Ideas
Let’s Look

On Monday, we are hosting our February Not Just a Mom link up!

The topic is: Day in the Life. We hope you’ll join us.

Do you have any big plans this week? Of course, we have a few sports activities going on, but we aren’t completely overbooked. I know that I sure hope to sleep in tomorrow. We’ll see.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#99}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, this week was definitely different. Monday-Wednesday I was in charge of our Extended School Services program for tutoring and credit recovery after school. That meant I didn’t get home from school most days until 7:00.

Then, we had an NTI day yesterday due to the incoming ice storm. All day, we got tons of cold rain, and no ice. That being said, the temps went below freezing after dinner, so freezing rain and sleet began to tap on the windows. Snow may even round out the storm.

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

With the hectic pace of life lately, I’m trying to acknowledge the small favorites in each day. So here we go…

Friday:

We’ve had quite the winter and last Friday evening we got the prettiest snowfall.

Saturday:

Hayden had a basketball game on Saturday, and it was a close one! His team came out on top, and they were excited to get the win.

Sunday:

We are still trying to bounce back from the Chiefs loss on Sunday (and it’s a little rough living so close to Bengals territory! 🤪). That being said, Homer was in the football spirit on Sunday!

…and I still say we have the cutest Chiefs fans.

I hope they have lots of memories cheering fro KC sports together!

Monday:

I was really bringing my “A game” at the beginning of the week, and made Shay’s Turkey Tortilla Soup in the slow cooker. I didn’t get home from school until 7, so it was nice to have this delicious soup waiting for us for dinner.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, the kids brought home their Honor Roll certificates for last quarter. We’re really proud of their effort!

Hayden’s was all crumpled in his backpack which is a step above last quarter when he threw it away rather than show me the certificate. Hadley’s was nice and neat in her binder which is about the only things she has organized.

Wednesday:

How sweet is this photo? Hadley was so excited because she gets to help at cousin Layla’s dance class this semester. Hadley said her favorite part was that the little kids just randomly come up and give hugs!

Thursday:

After three long days of work, I was happy to have a low key day at home for NTI. Even better was finding my Girl Scout cookie order on my doorstep in the afternoon.

This is the first year in six years that Hadley didn’t sell cookies. I’m happy to support the other troops, and we all have our favorite cookies.

The new cookie this year is the Adventureful cookie. It’s so good.

Favorite Kid Quote(s):

Both the kids had their funny moments this week.

Favorite Hayden Quotes:

  • Upon hearing the Tom Brady news, Hayden said, “Well, it’s time. He’s basically dad’s age and playing with 25 year olds!” When I said it must be hard to walk away from the game after so many years, Hayden continued with, “See ya, Tom! Mom, do you know how many times Tom has broken my heart?!”

Also, last Saturday, Travis was out of town and Hadley was at a friend’s for the night.

  • Hayden was saying goodnight to Homer and he said, “Mom, I read somewhere that dogs sometimes yawn when they are stressed.” I said, “Oh really?” He followed up with, “Homer yawns around Hadley a lot.” 🤣

Hadley Quote:

Hadley is always more helpful to Hayden than he is to her. She offered to get him dessert one evening this week.

  • As she handed him his bowl of ice cream, she said, “Here you go peasant.” 😆 That must be a vocab word this week!

Favorite Mom Meme:

This made me laugh out loud. There are so many nights I don’t want to cook dinner, but I do so anyway.

Between chain supply issues and our ongoing winter weather, the grocery store has been hit or miss. I’m so happy if there are at least substitutions!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How about this sweet snow day pic from 2013?

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including the books I read in January, a few Amazon purchases, and my Valentine’s Day decor.

What I’ve Been Reading
PRime Purchases
Valentine’s DAy Decor

To wrap up today’s post…my favorites for today include that fact that we have a good old fashioned snow day and the Olympics start!

I hope wherever you are, that you stay safe and warm! See you back here on Monday.

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#98}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy FRIDAY! When I say this week has been a doozy, it’s been a doozy. Nothing bad happened, but I’m really busy at school and every evening was jam packed. Travis was a little under the weather (thankfully, not the vid), so I was in charge of evening activities for a couple of nights. I feel like I was on the go until bed time and then up early to get my day started most days this week.

Also, let’s get real….we had school one day last week, and this week I worked five! I’m definitely ready for the weekend.

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

My first favorite is the fact that today is my 500th blog post. Who knew when I started this blog in August of 2019, that I’d still be sharing so much 500 posts later?!

Thank you to all who read SM&ST each week.

Today’s post is a bit different. I’m sharing how I spent a bit of my birthday money, and all of the items have become favorites.

It kind of feels weird to receive birthday money as an adult, but I will say, through the years, you know how it goes…moms tend to put themselves last. So, I do enjoy buying a few things in January that maybe I wouldn’t have purchased for myself throughout the year.

T3 Curling Iron

I shared a couple weeks ago that I bought this when T3 was having their sale. I purchased the T3 Twirl which was $100 off.

In the past couple of weeks, Hadley and I have both used it quite a bit, and we both like it. Most of the time, I do use a curling iron as a wand, and I find that works best for me. I don’t think the version I purchased is available any longer (which may be why it was on sale!). This curling iron heats up quickly, and I have noticed that my hair curls quickly and in one pass which provides less heat on my hair.

Would I have spent $160 on this? No. Am I happy with it as a $60 purchase that Hadley and I will both use? Yes. I’m sure I will use it for years to come.

Kendra Scott Jewelry

So, I had no clue until last year (when Amy shared) about Kendra Scott’s 50% off birthday discount. So, this is my second year visiting KS in January to cash in on my birthday discount. I only wear stud earrings, and I picked these up. They are the Kapri Stud Earring, and I’ve been wearing them non-stop.

Kendra Scott is also having 22% off select gold jewelry, and I picked up this stretch bracelet to add to my collection. I don’t see my exact one on their site, but here’s a similar one. I now have three stretch bracelets, and I love wearing them together.

Here I am this week…on my way to school with curled hair and my new earrings!

Thank goodness I have a hair appt soon! My roots (and grays!) are catching up with me.

Lululemon Belt Bag

So–two words I wasn’t really familiar with together until recently…belt bag.

Listen, “belt bag” is the 2022 version of a Fanny pack! Jen Reed share the Everywhere Belt Bag recently, so I ordered it in black. Before it arrived, I was out to dinner with my friend, and she gave me the pink one for my birthday!

I had a couple people ask about it, and I wanted to use it a bit before giving a full report 😂

I’ve used this the past couple of weekends. It actually is quite spacious, but I just use it for running errands or going to ball games. I throw my phone, keys, small wallet with essential cards, a mask…and that’s about it.

Here I am headed to Hayden’s game on Saturday.

…and it also fits over my winter coat just fine.

But also…am I wearing it correctly? Haha😆 I have no clue…but this has worked for me. I don’t see myself ever wearing it as a Fanny pack, but it’s definitely useful as a cross body.

Favorite Mom Meme:

My kids probably wonder why I need to much quiet time. Love them, but I often just need a minute!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

How about these throwback pics? January 2014 when I thought the kids were napping and later found Hadley’s first “selfies” on my phone…

…along with this photo she took of Hayden napping 🤣

Weekly Recap:

I’ve had a few posts this week: funny memes, life lately, and the Monthly Musings link up.

Monday Memes
Life Lately
Monthly Musings

One more thing…

In honor of my 500th blog post and my birthday month (I like to celebrate for as long as anyone will allow!), I’m giving away the black Lululemon belt bag that I ordered. I’d love to give it away to a reader as a thank you for reading!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite thing about winter! (I love when it snows ☺️) and follow me on Instagram (@showmeandsweettea) or leave your email address with your comment, so I can message/email if you win!

I will look at comments and draw a name on Sunday after 6pm (EST).

I know it’s not much, but I do want to show my appreciation!

I hope you have a great weekend. We have lots of basketball on the calendar as well as cheering for our CHIEEEEFS on Sunday.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#97}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! How was your week? You know how sometimes the short weeks feel the longest? Well, a short week due to a Monday holiday and two snow days sure did make this week feel long. I’m not mad about a few snow days, but my family just still isn’t really in a routine which can make the days seem extra crazy and extra long.

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

This week, I’m sharing my favorites day by day.

Saturday:

My favorite from Saturday was the cookie cake Travis and the kids got me for my birthday. I love that tradition, and of course, the cookie cake was delish.

Sunday:

A big WIN for the Chiefs was a favorite of mine…and a favorite for Hayden too!

Monday:

An obvious favorite from Monday was having the three day weekend.

It also would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. Have you seen Google? When you type in her name, roses float down the screen. What a tribute!

Have you seen this post? What a beautiful sentiment.

Also, Hadley had been wanting to watch Sing 2, so we did that. It is such a sweet movie. We all loved it.

Tuesday:

Well, Tuesday was a snow day, but it was a NTI (non-traditional instruction) day for us….our first ever NTI snow day. The kids did a great job completing their work, and we are thankful to not have to add these days to the end of the year.

In the evening, I met up with my friend for drinks and an appetizer. She gave me the sweetest birthday gift. It was so great to catch up with her.

Wednesday:

Wednesday, we had school…which was honestly a favorite. I’m in the midst of planning our school’s credit recovery session, and I needed to get quite a few things accomplished.

Then, I had a great surprise when I get home. My new T3 curling iron arrived. Do you follow @mommaflum (another teacher named Jennifer!) on Instagram? A couple of weeks ago she shared some of the T3 products that she loves because T3 had a sale going on. I messaged her to ask about the curling iron, and she realized it wasn’t on sale. Anyway, over the weekend, she messaged me to say the curling iron was on sale which I thought was so sweet of her to do. I would never spend $160 on this, but with the sale, it was $100 off, so I used birthday money to treat myself.

Hadley has already used it! I’m going to give it a try over the weekend.

Thursday:

Well, we woke up to about 3 inches of snow which meant another NTI day.

…and snow cream for a mid-morning snack!

Part Husky Homer thinks the snow is so fun, and we love watching him run laps in the backyard!

I love snow too! If it’s going to be cold, then I’m all about the snow. By mid-February, I will be ready for spring.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I’m Team Forever Needs a Nap!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This photo from 2016 popped up in my Facebook memories yesterday. I remember taking this photo on a snow day. Hadley has always been able to sleep anywhere, and she sure was worn out!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including a recap of the weekend, sharing my favorite cookbooks, and some quick lunch ideas.

Weekend Wrap Up
Favorite Cookbooks
Let’s Lunch

Well, as I finished typing this, we got the call that we have another NTI day today. While the roads are in better condition than the snow earlier this week, the temps are frigid and some side streets are still icy. Honestly, I think our sub shortage is also an issue. Maybe next week will be more “normal.”

This weekend, Hayden has some basketball, and then we’ll be cheering for the Chiefs and hoping for another win.

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#96}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday. Well, after a two week break and then only two days of school last week, this week sure felt like a marathon. Are five day work weeks really necessary?!? 😆 We were back to doing all the things: schools, activities, sports, errands, and more!

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

{I love their new graphic! It’s so cute.}

Favorite Moment(s):

The big news and favorite of the week is that the kids officially received their second dose of the vaccine. Our district had some vaccine clinics, so it was super easy to get the second dose on Wednesday afternoon.

After I took this photo, I got to thinking that I feel like the next time they are showing me cards, they will be 16 and showing me their licenses!

I don’t have a photo, but another favorite this week is an email I received on Wednesday. A teacher in the building who was covering Hadley’s science class recognized Hadley for having great citizenship. Hadley helped her with attendance and finding the teacher materials when her teacher was out sick. Hadley wanted me to print the certificate which was really sweet.

Favorite Food:

My favorite new recipe is this (dairy free) (low carb) PB & J smoothie. I’ve made it a couple of afternoons this week, and it’s been the perfect afternoon treat to tide me over until dinner.

  • 1 c. frozen berries (I used strawberries)
  • 2 Tblsp peanut butter powder (I use PB2)
  • 1 scoop dairy free vanilla protein powder
  • 1 1/2 cups almond (or coconut) milk

A few other faves:

1.

With the snow days last week and a relaxed weekend, I took that opportunity to watch movies. I watched:

  • Sleepless in Seattle
  • Betty White special on Netflix
  • Becoming the Ricardos on Amazon

Sleepless in Seattle is one of my faves, the BW special was a special look back on her life and career (It was made before her passing), and Becoming the Ricardos was SO good. Nicole Kidman as Lucy and Javier Bardem as Ricky were lights out amazing in their performances.

2.

Since I missed my facial in October, my esthetician upgraded my facial service on Wednesday to the Diamond Glow. My monthly facials are definitely a “me time” treat, and a favorite every month.

3.

When my mom visited at Christmas, she left my birthday present. Well, as we tidied up and broke down boxes over break, Hadley and Travis both opened it. I had given my mom a few ideas, and I figured I knew what was in the box but was going to wait until today to open it. Well, since the box had been opened (twice!), I decided to go ahead and use it. It won’t be my everyday purse, but I wanted a sizeable Neoprene tote to carry extra things when needed. It was perfect for packing my toiletries, Kindle, wallet, chargers and more for our overnight Cinci trip. I’ve also used it as my school bag when I’ve packed light. I think it will be great to take to sporting events when I need a sweatshirt, book, and other essentials.

4.

Hadley had a gift card to use, and I was ready to change out my holiday polish, so we went and got manicures on Wednesday evening. More pampering is always a favorite.

(Too many choices which is why I usually stick with Funny Bunny)

5.

Hayden brought home a few art pieces on the last day of school before break. He was so excited to show me the basketball mug he made. The other two pieces were shuffled in with some other papers, so I just had a chance to look at them. I love the colored pencil drawing and the water color lady bug. I’m so glad that bringing home artwork continues past elementary school.

Also…

Have you heard of the “Betty White Challenge?” Of course, she was a champion for animals. She had so many sweet sentiments including:

  • “I just like animals more than people. It’s that simple.”
  • “Animals don’t lie. Animals don’t criticize. If animals have moody days, they handle them better than humans do.”
  • “Animals are near and dear to my heart, and I’ve devoted my life to to trying to improve their lives.”

In honor of her upcoming January 17th birthday (when she would have turned 100), many are donating to local rescues in her honor.

Our pets have always meant the world to us. I grew up with dogs, and then convinced Travis we needed our two Boxers, Shiloh and Scout, after we’d been married a year.

Homer is our first rescue dog. He and his two brothers were found on the side of the road. Tails of Hope Rescue in Cincinnati got them healthy and helped them find their furever homes. He’s been such a wonderful addition to our family.

June 2019

Yesterday, I made a donation to the Lexington Humane Society in Betty White’s honor. I hope you’ll join in on the challenge too and donate to a local rescue.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley was reading her book earlier in the week and said she was excited to read the next chapter because the chapter before was a “hang twister.” We both cracked up. She said, “I mixed up “tongue twister and cliff hanger!” 🤣

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of my birthday today, here’s a little throwback to 1985. Were you even an 80’s kid if you didn’t have a birthday party at Show Biz Pizza?

Weekly Recap:

This week we had our first NJAM post of 2022, I shared a home update, and then linked up with others for Let’s Look.

Not just a Mom: Fave Bloggers
Home Update: Shiplap
Let’s Look

I have some fun plans with some friends tonight, snow is in the forecast over the weekend, and we don’t have school on Monday. This birthday should be a good one.

What are you up to this weekend?

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#95}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello from snowy Kentucky! Today, is snow day #2 in a row, and with no school on Monday, we had a very short week of school.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for the first Friday Favorites of 2 0 2 2 !

Favorite Moment(s):

After a hectic first week of break, it was nice to finally have time to do things that we normally don’t have time to do. Also, we had extra family time which is great too.

We saw the new Spider-Man movie, went for a hike at Red River Gorge, and went to Cincinnati for the Chiefs vs. Bengals game.

Our favorite moment from this week was the snow day yesterday! They were forecasting snow, and I thought we may have an early release, but as the time got closer, the forecast for snow was earlier, so we had no school.

We woke up to no snow, flurries around 10:00, and then inches (and inches!) of snow by noon.

The kids played outside quite a bit, and they went sledding too.

The forecast was for 4-8 inches, but kept getting bumped up. Yesterday afternoon, I measured 6 inches of snow and then the official total was over 9 inches by evening.

I’m always thankful that a snow day means not having to go anywhere. There were hundreds of people stranded for hours and hours on 64 and 75 due to collisions yesterday. Travis came home around 1:00, and even the main roads were backed up.

We celebrated the kids great report cards for 2nd quarter (and Hayden making the basketball team) with the You are Special red plate at dinner this week.

Favorite Picture:

My favorite picture this week is from Sunday at the Chiefs game. Unfortunately, the Chiefs lost, but it was a good game, and we had fun.

Favorite Food:

I’ve been able to meal plan and meal prep this week. We’ve had some great meals.

This week we’ve eaten:

Giada’s pasta was delish:

Another favorite food this week was our traditional snow day pancakes. I make these snowman pancakes every year on the first snow day!

Clothing Item:

I ordered these snow pants in just the knick of time. Hadley’s still fit, but Hayden’s didn’t. My kids usually get a couple years out of these, and I just buy the next size up as they grow. I ordered teal for Hadley and navy for Hayden.

Speaking of staying warm. I’m loving my new puffer coat from Walmart. I have a heavy winter coat, and this quilted one is a little lighter. I ordered it in dusky green which appears to be out of stock at the moment.

The orchid ice color has many size options. And there are plus size color and size options.

Favorite Kid Quote:

No specific funny quote, but the kids have been practicing presenting their science projects. They worked hard on them, and they have to share them with their classmates next week!

Favorite Memes:

Usually I share a “Mom Meme,” but these two “flashback” ones made me laugh.

I remember calling my mom at her school, speaking with the receptionist who would have to page my mom for the phone call. Then, I would have to wait for my mom to walk up to the front office to talk on the phone. As the years went on, she’d eventually have a phone in her room, and the secretary would connect me, but still more effort than texting nowadays.

This one is timely…this is the first school year the kids could know about school closing before bed. There have been years I knew school had been called off, and I would just send them to bed anyway. Wednesday night, they got the texts too saying “no school.”

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of all the snow, here’s a flashback to January 2014…the froggy hats slay me!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from last week and this week:

2021 Year in Review
Christmas recap
Winter Break Recap
Prime Purchases
Currently

Not Just A Mom:

Monday is the first NJAM link up with these ladies:

Our topic is favorite bloggers. We’d love to have you join us…either by linking up or reading our posts 🙂

I hope you have a great weekend. I guess we got a surprise four day weekend, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it.

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

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#94}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! Well, we made it to the end of the week!

Today is the best kind of Friday…the last day of school before a two week break!

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

The kids both had a very busy Saturday last weekend. Hayden had his last club cross country race of the season, and Hadley’s dance studio had their Winter Showcase.

I missed Hadley’s first performance trying to get to Hayden’s cross country meet, but I was able to make it to her second performance. My mom was in town, and was able to see both her grand daughters’ performances.

Hadley performed in both a ballet and competition jazz routine.

Hayden was supposed to run at 11:00, but the race got pushed back to 12:30 due to the storms. I thought I could watch Hayden run, and then make it to Hadley’s second performance, so I tried to do both. Well, it’s a forty-five minute drive, and Travis warned me about the long line of traffic to park. Right as I reached the mile long line of cars, it started to rain again. Travis texted me that the race got pushed back again to 1:15. So, I drove all that way just to turn around in order to make it to Hadley’s performance.

This was a USATF National race with top runners from throughout the country…and these were the running conditions:

While I know Hayden didn’t finish where he wanted to, he still ran a great race. He gave it his all which is all we can ask for from our kids.

My mom was visiting, and brought the kids these hot chocolate bombs which, of course, were a favorite.

Then, they helped her bake cookies. This is definitely a favorite Christmas tradition.

On Sunday, my brother and sister-in-law hosted us for an early Christmas dinner.

The kids were excited to open some gifts! My mom was able to stay a couple of extra days and help with school drop off, pick up, schoolwork, and was able to see my nephew’s Christmas performance too.

Homer welcoming us home is always a favorite. He’s been such a good boy this year with the trees and ornaments.

Wednesday night, we were able to carry on with another favorite tradition. We drove through the Southern Lights at the Horse Park. I love this tradition, and it was the perfect night to see the lights.

Red has been back in action at our house…

He hasn’t been getting into too much trouble.

Hayden brought home this ornament he made in art class. The wooden Santa belt is the perfect addition to our tree.

Usually, I share a “favorite mom meme,” but this one seems fitting right now as a teacher:

Weekly Recap:

I was a busy bee blogger this week. There are my posts:

NJAM: Holiday Movies
Day in the Life on Insta
Holiday Home tour
This or that: Christmas Edition

What are your plans this weekend? Hayden has a basketball game, I have a friend’s birthday party, and we hope to make time to let the kids shop for their gifts for each other!

Thanks so much for reading,