Category: Friday Favorites

Posted in Family, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#268}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Our week was pretty productive, but every day was different. We only have about two full weeks left of summer before heading back to school. How is that possible?

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

This week was a mix of sports, school (classroom set up and PD for me), errands and just trying to get on track after a busy weekend last weekend.

So my favorites for this week are all about our nephew’s wedding last weekend.

One of Trav’s sisters has four kids, and Grace got married in June while Jacob got married in July. I don’t know how they pulled off two beautiful and unique weddings in as many months, but they did!

On Friday, we headed to Louisville, and checked into the Omni hotel. It is stunning! We got to our room and got ready as the shuttle was leaving about an hour after we arrived.

The wedding was held outside at an Air BNB. Yes –an outside wedding at 4:30 PM in July….but the space was gorgeous.

The photographer got this amazing shot:

The pond was also so pretty in the background.

It was hot, but it was a beautiful ceremony filled with only immediate family and a few close friends. The bride’s brother officiated the ceremony and Jacob’s sister also did a reading which made the ceremony even more special.

After the wedding, we headed down town an event space where they hosted a dinner.

The bride hand-stitched napkins for every guest as their place setting. The groom’s mom and grandma (Trav’s mom) made bourbon balls that were also at each place setting. So sentimental and sweet.

We got a few photos…

…after rallying from the heat! My hair looked better at 4:30 than it did at 7:00! haha

The cake was simple and beautiful…

This phone where you can leave messages for the bride and groom must be a popular guest book idea, and it’s so fun. I did joke that who knows what kinds of messages were left by the end of the evening (or the reception on Saturday!)

(Also, on Saturday, we showed the kids how to dial the rotary phone…their minds were blown!)

Hayden is so lucky to have Jacob (a professional runner) as a mentor for him when he’s training.

Trav’s brother is a photographer, so he got some awesome pics of Trav’s mom with her grand kids. Unfortunately, we were missing two cousins who were out of town.

Trav and his mom and siblings. This photo was taken by one of the grandsons who is becoming an excellent photographer and videographer himself.

It was a great evening. The Omni has a bowling alley and while some made it down to bowl once we got back to the hotel, Aunt Jen did not! I showered and put on that hotel robe and was ready for bed. haha

The next morning, we explored the hotel a bit more, and the kids liked going to the market to buy snacks when needed.

The bar area is so pretty…

We walked to Another Broken Egg for brunch, and it hit the spot.

We had family time most of the day and enjoyed the hotel’s amenities, and then it was time for the reception.

So, yes…this was a two day event for some. The reception was Saturday evening and more friends and extended family were there. The bride and groom really wanted a more intimate day for the wedding and then a bigger reception.

When we arrived at the reception, we picked up our seat assignment. Every guess (150-ish!) received post cards that correlated with the assigned table. Each post card had a hand written note from the bride or the groom.

The tables were named after places that were meaningful to them.

This bar was hand made by the groom’s dad and was at both our niece and then nephew’s weddings in June and July. How special!

We took a family photo…

…which led to Trav’s brother being kind enough to take a few photos. You know my kids were thrilled. haha!

We did go outside because the gardens at the Presbyterian Seminary were stunning.

I already have this one in a frame…

I loved this one too!

The kids let me take their pic…

…and then it was time to hit the dance floor. The kids had fun…Hadley told me she had to get used to dancing to a live band…kids these days!

Trav’s brother got this pic to finish up the evening! A time was had…

…before the bride and groom headed off to start married life…

We helped with clean up before getting back to the hotel late. What a weekend!

Favorite Mom Meme:

This isn’t necessarily a “Mom” meme…but these kids could never!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few fun posts this week:

Michigan Recap 2
MichiGan Recap 3
Throwback thursday: Disney 2

I hope you have a great weekend! We actually don’t have much on tap, so I hope to take it easy. I’ve already spent a lot of time thinking about school, and then next weekend Hadley has her first volleyball tournament of the season. So, I better rest while I can.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#267}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? I feel like we’re finally hitting the summer groove with only a couple of more weeks until we go back to school!

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

This is a rather short week of favorites as we didn’t have a ton going on, but that, within itself, is a favorite. I’m savoring these slower summer days.

Here are some other favorites:

I typically don’t shop much when we go on vacations…besides picking up the occasional sweatshirt, but on our last day in South Haven, we had some time to walk around and shop.

The first shop I popped into had so many cute things…and I bought a candle and two essential oil rollers. I loved the scent of all of them, and they are a fun way to think about the trip when I use them. I’ve now been using the vanilla scented one on my wrists in the morning and the lavender one at night.

I’ve been enjoying these souvenirs so far!

This week turned into a little bit of self-care this week. On Monday, I got a long overdue manicure, had my monthly facial on Tuesday, and yesterday, I went and got a pedicure. It was nice to have these pockets of time to get some things done for myself.

Homer is always a fave but especially recently. I really think he missed us as the first two weeks of July were different. Hadley was at camp, and then Hayden went to camp, and Trav and I were gone. He likes to sit a beg for a bite of my breakfast!

You guys…my cute little rechargeable dimmable scalloped lamp from Walmart is back in stock. I picked up one for the kitchen, and it’s oh so cute.

Our limelight hydrangea bush is popping off! That thing really grew this year, and right now, the blooms are everywhere. So, I snipped a few to enjoy on the coffee table.

Favorite Meal:

I tried a new recipe this week. I wasn’t sure what to have for dinner, and I already had some pasta and ground beef. So, I went to the Skinny Taste website that I hadn’t been on in years, and found this recipe for Skinny Taste Hamburger Helper. I placed a quick Kroger delivery for the ingredients I needed as well as some frozen breadsticks. Dinner was delish.

Favorite Mom Meme:

“Later” and “I’m about to” are my teens favorite phrases.

Screenshot

Weekly Recap:

I was a busy blogger this week…

Share Our Lives
Lake Michigan Recap PArt 1
Wednesday Hodgepodge
Throwback Thursday: Disney

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#266}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I’m officially at the part of summer where I really need the weeks to slow down. I still have things to cross off my list, and I guess I will need to start reading school emails soon.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I’m really loving this romper from SSYS. I love that it’s forgiving, has a flutter sleeve and is easy to dress up or down. I wore it last week when we went out to dinner.

The runners had to “carb load” before the Bluegrass 10k on the 4th of July, and we went to a fun pasta place. If gnocchi is on the menu, I usually order it! This definitely hit the spot.

I had some pool time over the 4th, and that was nice and relaxing.

Fireworks are always a fave, and the ones at our usual spot were 10/10 this year!

Hadley arriving home from camp is always a fave, but this year, given the devastation and loss of lives in Texas, I was just ready for her to be home. I think she was ready too. She had fun, but I know she was happy to sleep in her own bed.

Last weekend, I took a stroll through my favorite book. I went there to buy Kristy Woodson Harvey’s newest book since it’s on my summer reading list.

While I was there, I picked up a birthday gift for my Gma. Also, I spotted a few cute finds like this “book lovers journal”…

…and these cute playing cards that look like the book check out cards from the library. I resisted the urge to buy both.

Travis and I have been watching The Waterfront. To me, it’s Outer Banks meets Ozark, and we’ve really enjoyed it.

On Monday, we celebrated Trav’s birthday. We went out to dinner, gave him a few gifts, and had some Bundt cakes for dessert. Since Hadley was gone, and then Hayden went to camp, Monday was the one day we could all have dinner together…and it was Trav’s actual birthday.

The past few days, Trav and I have been in Michigan. We wanted to take some time away to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, and neither of us have been to Michigan. I’m sure I will do a recap, but here are a few favorite photos from our few days here:

Favorite Mom Meme:

Isn’t this the truth?!

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Prime Purchases
4th of July Recap

What are your weekend plans? We’re headed back soon, Hayden comes home from running camp, and we’ll soak in the last few weeks of summer break.

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#265}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday! Also…

We’ve had a great week of summer, and it was nice to not have too much our agenda. With today being a holiday, I’m not sure who all is blogging, but I can’t miss a Friday Favorites post with Andrea and Erika.

Here are some favorites from the week:

We have two hydrangea bushes in our yard, one in the back and one in the front. The backyard one rarely seems to bloom, but the one in the front yard is so pretty.

Trav told me I should snip a few blooms, so I can enjoy them in the house, and that’s just what I did. The pink is so pretty, and hydrangeas are one of my fave flowers.

Speaking of flowers, this lovely bouquet arrived, and these flowers are oh so pretty.

So pretty that I bumped the hydrangeas to another spot, so I can enjoy these in the family room..

We had one more update to the hall bathroom. This picture of the kids in the bathtub is one of my faves. We had it in a simple black frame, and once we put the bathroom back together, I wasn’t sure what do to with the photo. Trav even told me I had to find a place for it in the new bathroom because it’s just a favorite of ours. So, I found this pretty gold frame at Michael’s and we hung it this week. It’s the perfect finishing touch to this small blank wall.

Hadley and I had a couple of errands on Monday, and she likes driving me around. We tried a new coffee shop, and the first iced coffee that I saw on the menu was “the teacher.” It has vanilla, lavender, and honey, so I knew I’d like it…and I did! It hit the spot on a hot afternoon.

Hadley left for camp this week, and I sure am missing her. Look at this cute group of “Lucky Charms.” She will be home on Sunday, and we can’t wait to see her!

I was highly influenced by Amy when she shared her Aerie finds. Cornflower blue is my favorite color recently, so I just knew I needed to snag this sweatshirt. Aerie was having a sale, so I snagged the shorts too! I probably could have sized down in both, but I rolled the shorts once, and they fit perfectly and I liked the length that way. And, as you know, I love an over-sized sweatshirt, so I’m keeping both as is.

Yay! for pool time this week. I went to our pool a couple of days, and then Hayden and I went to my sister-in-law’s mom’s pool at her house to swim one afternoon. The temps have been hot, but not too bad…and even better when we’re just floating in the pool.

I shared a few July book trackers on Instagram. I love when others use them to share what they’re reading. They are saved to an Insta highlight, and feel free to tag me if you use them.

Favorite Foods:

Is she a food blogger now? I had a few recipes that I really liked this week.

Sunday, I wasn’t sure what to make the rest of the week, so I placed a quick Kroger delivery to get us through the weekend. I decided to try a slow cooker recipe I’d seen on Tik Tok. (@therapybysourdough)

In your slow cooker, put 6-8 chicken thighs. Then, add 5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons of seasoning salt, and 2 table spoons of brown sugar.

Cook on low for four hours. Then, I steamed frozen broccoli in the microwave and when it was time to eat, I added the broccoli to the slow cooker. I microwaved Trader Joe’s Jasmine rice, and served dinner on the cooked rice.

This was easy and delish, and I will definitely make it again!

Then, as I was making my grocery list for the rest of the week, I was scrolling Pinterest and saw this recipe that I used to make all the time a few years ago. It’s perfect for low carb days that I try to do on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I made a batch and had some for lunch both of those days with this chips and and apple and peanut butter. Homer really wanted some too!

Lastly, I was trying to find an easy meal to make on Wednesday, and I stumbled upon these meatball subs. I just knew Hayden and Trav would love them, and they were a hit! I ended up buying mini hoagies which held three meatballs…perfect! These will also be added into the dinner rotation!

Favorite Mom Meme:

I will actually miss this once all the teens are driving…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Well, you knew I would have to share a few 4th of July throwback photos.

I love the 4th of July, and miss the days of the kids dressing in red, white and blue. Heck, at this point, I miss the kids just being home on the 4th. Hadley tends to be at camp most of the time on the 4th.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week! Also, if you read my SSYS post on Wednesday, I’ve updated it to include a few favorites if you’re interested in trying out that online shop.

Monthly Moments
SSYS
This or That Summer

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend…(for those of us in the US!)

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Clothes, Family, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#264}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a good one overall. It was one without too many extra activities or commitments. I can’t believe this is the last Friday in June!

This makes me want to both laugh and cry.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

No pic but I had pool time a couple times this week, both at our pool and my sister-in-law’s mom’s house. I hope to hit up the pool even more now that it feels like things have settled down a bit.

Anyway, another favorite was celebrating our anniversary on Tuesday. Trav and I were married on June 24, 2005.

Is it even a celebration without a card with bubble letters?

In a true picture of our life right now, we had dinner in between picking Hayden up from his workout and picking Hadley up from work.

We went out for sushi, and it hit the spot! It was a nice evening.

My friends have really shown up over the past week. It was just a hectic one with the kids’ wisdom teeth extractions and then a couple of other appointments.

I’d never even seen this book, and my friend dropped it off for me…

I can’t wait to read it!

Another friend, sent dinner on Saturday night along with some Gatorade for the kids, so I didn’t have to leave the house.

…and my sister-in-law sent some sweet treats too…

I appreciated the additional support while juggling a few extra things on my plate.

How cute is this mug?

Last week, Hadley and I were out and about, and I popped into a store I’d never been in….I was looking for a dress, but walked out with the cute mug.

Mugs don’t frustrate me…they are cute and one size fits all. The same can’t be said for dresses.

Homer continues to be the sweetest…and always seems to find the sunshine.

I purchased a few candles from Antique Candle Co. They had their spring and summer candles on sale, so I chose these three:

Almond Vanilla will be perfect for the fall; I’ve already lit Sun-Kissed Citrus, and it’s great for summer. Lavender Vanilla is one of my faves, and I will burn it next or save it for spring.

It had been a minute since I got out the celebratory red plate. The kids took turns using it for dinner to celebrate the end of freshman year…yes, a month ago! haha

They wrapped up the year with great grades and lots of track accolades.

Hadley had the plate before wisdom teeth extractions, and Hayden had it after!

I rarely buy clothes from Nordstrom, but I have purchased quite a few things through the years. Their Nordstrom sale wasn’t even on my radar, but I saw an ad on Instagram for these Wit and Wisdom flare frayed jeans…the “ab” solution fit..and the waist has good stretch. I have a pair of the “ab” solution jeans, so these caught my attention. Also, I like a cropped/shorter pair of jeans. Anyway, I purchased two pairs of these…deep sea grass and ecru, and I know I will get a lot of wear out of them…even wearing them to school.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Ok, this made me chuckle, but I can also relate. How do I have two kids driving me around town?! (BTW – I’m still getting used to this milestone!)

Weekly Recap:

I had a pretty full week of blogging. I had two posts yesterday because I got off on my blogging schedule…but here are my posts this week:

Monday Memes
Anniversary: 20 years
June Books
Monthly Musings

I hope you have the best summer weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#263}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Even though this was a solid summer week, I still felt like there was too much going on! It’s nice to have the time to cross some things off my list, but I think I tried to be too productive this week. The weather isn’t helping either….it’s been very rainy, so I haven’t even had a pool day! I’m not trying to complain…just keeping it real that even weeks in the summer can be meh!…but better than setting a 5:50 alarm.

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

Well, my first favorite for the week is sharing a little KC recap from our visit last week.

The kids and I headed that way last Wednesday and then came home on Sunday. Honestly, we didn’t do much, but in the best way possible. When my kids were little, I felt like I always had to plan more and keep them entertained. Now, we bopped back and forth between my parent’s houses, had lunch and dinner with my Gma, Hayden played golf, Hadley worked out with my mom and her group, and we went to the Royals game. It’s always nice to see family, and I really love getting back to KC when we can.

We went to the Royals game on Friday night with my mom. Right when we walked in, there was a dug out for a photo op and then our seats were near the signature suites…and I recognized lots of signatures.

Hayden was so excited to go to Friday night’s game because Alex Gordon, one of his favorite players, was being inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. The game didn’t start until 7:10, but we got there at 5:40 when the gates opened to ensure we got an Alex Gordon bobble head.

One happy camper:

I was always a big Alex Gordon fan too…not many players play their entire career for the Royals, and he just seems like a really good guy…not to mention a multi Gold Glove winner!

The induction ceremony was fun to watch with the former players and Alex’s speech.

Our seats were undercover on the second level and a great spot to watch the game.

Unfortunately, the Royals didn’t win, but there are always fireworks on Friday nights in the summer.

So pretty!

I made the Krusteaz cinnamon coffee cake the last time my dad visited, and he’s now obsessed with it. He also didn’t know you can buy the foil baking pans, and I think his life is now changed forever. haha

We took some on the road with us when we left Sunday morning.

Once we got back in town, one of the things on our “to do” list was picking up the bowl that Hadley painted. She went to a local pottery painting place with a couple of friends the week before we left.

I had no clue what to expect, and her bowl is stunning. She says it’s her ice cream bowl!

Since we got home so late on Sunday night, we had to delay celebrating Trav for Father’s Day until Monday night. I told both kids not to make any plans! Earlier in the day, Hadley drove me on a couple of errands, and we decided instead of a cookie cake, we’d pick up some Crumbl cookies.

So, we had dinner, and then the kids gave him their cards and the cookies. My brother has this propane fire table, and we’ve used it the past couple of times we’ve gone to his house. We have a fire pit out back, but it’s wood burning and is definitely showing its age. When I saw this one at my brother’s, I thought it would look great on our back patio and be easier to use than dealing with a fire burning pit. Anyway, now, T-rav just has to put it together. haha!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Why is this one so true?? haha

Screenshot

Bonus Fave: FBF

Going to the Royals game on our KC visit reminded me of the first time we took the kids to a Royals game. It was 2016…and the Royals had won the World Series in 2015. They were really excited to go to their first MLB game, and Kaufman Stadium had lots of kids’ activities and memorabilia to keep them busy.

Even though we live 600 miles away, I’m thankful that my kids are #raisedroyal

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Prime Purchases
Wednesday Hodgepodge

I hope to get back in the blogging groove next week…with memes, books and more!

Please send some good vibes our way this morning…both kids are having their wisdom teeth extracted today. Send me any tips…So far, I’ve borrowed and bought ice packs and we’ve stocked up on applesauce and chicken noodle soup.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#262}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!!

How was your week? I hope it was a good one. We had another week that included a little bit of everything…family time, workouts, pool time, productivity and more.

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

I’m actually keeping this favorites post pretty short and sweet.

The #1 favorite from the week was celebrating our niece/cousin at her wedding on Saturday. She got married at the botanical gardens in Louisville.

Saturday’s evening forecast called for rain, and we were all holding our breath. It started to sprinkle right as we took our seats, but it cleared up for a bit and then rained once we were inside for the reception.

Rows 3-5 ready for the wedding to begin.

As we entered the reception, this was by the door:

Travis and I were on there too…20 years of marriage…

They had a Polaroid camera for their guest book. We got a fun pic, and Hadley signed the book for us.

When there was a slight break in the rain, we stepped outside for a family photo. Honestly, it was sprinkling, but I wanted to make the photo happen while Hayden had on his jacket! haha

Oh I wish the sun had been out as the cocktail hour was to be outside, but obviously it all worked out as they had a backup plan.

The centerpieces were simple and lovely. The cousins were at table 4 and the aunts/uncles at table 5.

We were only missing one cousin. These kids are all growing up on us!

Truth be told, it’s been a minute since I’ve been to a wedding with a full reception and dance floor. Well, as soon as the music started, most of the guests were out there….and as soon as they broke out the glow sticks, it kicked the fun up a notch. I’d say if you are throwing a wedding, foam glow sticks are where it’s at!

Also, if you need a pair of heels, I’ve had these for three years. I’ve worn them quite a few times, but I truly put them to the test on Saturday night…wearing them for almost eight hours! My feet lasted the entire night in them (I sized up half a size), and I didn’t even put on my back up flat sandals! Just sayin’!

…meanwhile…teen boys at a wedding reception…swiping the napkin rings and stacking them.

It was such a beautiful wedding celebrating the lovely couple.

I did make it to the pool on Tuesday, and the weather was amazing…the sun was out, but it wasn’t too hot. I finished my first book of the summer pool side. What’s better than that?!

I can now cross One Golden Summer off my summer reading list.

I also finally made it to a Pilates class that my friend teaches. I was able to go to so many classes in January/February when we had snow days, but the times don’t really work out otherwise. So, this summer, I’m hoping to go at least two days a week.

The kids and I arrived in KC on Wednesday to visit family for a few days. This is a part of summer that we look forward to every year. I’m sure I’ll share a recap once we get back.

Favorite Mom Meme:

These kids stay hungry!

Weekly Recap:

I had hoped to write more posts this week…I still haven’t shared my monthly Amazon post, but no two days were alike this week!

Share Our Lives
Let’s Look

I hope you have a great weekend! We have a couple more days in KC and then we’ll celebrate Trav for Father’s Day when we get home.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#261}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello Friday but let’s slow down summer!

How was your week? Ours was really good. Some mornings, the kids have slept in; some mornings they’ve gone to sports performance training. We’ve been to the pool a bit. Hadley had a sitting job, volleyball, and pool time. Hayden has power washed for a few people, gone golfing, and continues to run. So, every day has been different, but we’re settling into a bit of a routine.

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

With this first full week of summer under our belts, I have a lot of favorites to share:

Last Friday, we celebrated my niece’s birthday! She’s 8 and oh so cute. We had cake…

…and then kids swam in the pool for a bit. It was a lovely Friday night.

Saturday was the state track meet, and Hadley ran in the 4×200 relay and the 400m race. When the kids started this season, we truly had no clue what to expect. Of course, with every race, they do their best, but qualifying for state is different than qualifying in middle school. Hayden was a very supportive brother for both of Hadley’s races, and she also had a lot of family there cheering her on.

Her relay had a PR and placed 7th overall, and she ran a solid 400, placing 8th. She’d hoped to break 1:00 in the 400; she was close, but fell short of that. The top 8 receive medals, so I think earning a medal for both races eased her mind a bit. No matter what, it was such an amazing experience for her to run those races as a freshman coming out of one of the toughest regions. Hayden had an awesome season as well.

We were blessed with some amazing photos…a friend of my brother-in-law’s is a photographer for a local news outlet and took these photos of Hadley to share with us:

…and…one of the kids’ friends and teammates has some serious photography skills. She took these pics which I love.

Hadley with her bling:

It was a beautiful morning for a track meet…and then it was time for Railbird.

After the meet, we made a pit stop at Chipolte because my girl was hungry and she went home to shower and change for the Railbird music festival. She was gone from 3:00-11:00 hanging with friends and listening to some of her favorite country music artists.

Also, how brave is she? We ordered these boots last minute, and she wore them to the festival. Who breaks in new boots while on her feet for eight hours? This girl! haha

Oh the things we do when we’re young! Also, bonus — we wear the same shoe size!

Sunday was fun as we went to a graduation party…and the sweet graduate is headed to MIZZOU this fall. What a small world.

My mom came to visit, and we went to First Watch for breakfast before she headed out on Tuesday morning. The avocado toast I ordered was delish, but even better was the “Watermelon Wake Up” juice that I ordered. 10/10 recommend!

On Wednesday, Hayden caddied a round of golf for his friend who was playing in a tournament. It was a hot day, but I know he had so much fun.

While Hayden was on the course, Hadley was driving me around town. She drove me to Hobby Lobby, so I could check out their bulletin board paper selection. So, because of Tik Tok, I’m just now realizing that Hobby Lobby has quite a few school/teaching supplies! This roll of cute polka dot paper is exactly the width of the bulletin board. My mind is blown. I’ve always used the rolls of paper that we have at school, and you end up having to overlap the paper. Please know, that the last time I put up a bulletin board was five years ago…and I won’t do another one for a few years. High school teachers are very different than elementary teachers. haha!

I’m changing rooms for the upcoming school year, and Travis helped me move my stuff on Tuesday. After Hobby Lobby, Hadley drove us to Chipolte (she loves a burrito!) and then to school where she helped me put up my new bulletin board. My August self will thank me later! That being said, I’m finished thinking about school for now!

I added a few June reading trackers to my Instagram highlight. Please feel free to use them and tag me. I love sharing what others are reading.

I was out front watering my ferns and flowers, and noticed that I have two pretty blooms on my hydrangea bush. Hydrangeas and peonies are my fave flowers in the summer.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Hello, summer!

Share Our Lives:

It’s hard to believe but we’re almost halfway through 2025…and we have another Share Our Lives link up…We’re sharing unique things about where you live. I can’t wait to read those posts.

Weekly Recap:

This was a fun week of blogging for me:

Monthly Moments
Summer Reading List
Target Tuesday
Wednesday HOdgepodGe

I hope you have a lovely June weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#260}: The Last Day of School

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! Today is officially my first day of summer, and I’m ready for it.

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

Well, I’m keeping it short and sweet this week!

We haven’t had a ton going on besides wrapping up the school year, so today I’m sharing the last day of school pics.

It was raining on Wednesday morning, so the traditional last day of school pics were taken on the front porch. Wednesday afternoon and evening turned out to be lovely, but Hadley had track practice and Hayden went and played golf with a friend. I’m glad I snagged the pics when I could that morning.

Ready to wrap up the school year:

I hopped in a pic since we never got a Mother’s Day pic a couple of weeks ago. Then, I had to rush off to school and they went in the house to have breakfast.

We all had a really good school year. The kids did a great job navigating a new school, keeping up with their classwork, earning good grades and juggling their schedules with academics and athletics. I think they learned a lot this year, both in the classroom and in regards to how high school works, in general! It’s tough being a freshman…and they made it! haha

I had a really good year overall. Of course, I had a couple of classes this year which I hadn’t had in a while, and I had to get used to having some of my kids’ friends in my classes. The class of 2028 will always hold a special place in my heart for quite a few reasons!

I’m thankful for a great freshman year for my kids and the same can be said for year 23 for me!

Besides the last day of school, I have a driving update….riding in the car with them has been a bit easier lately. Obviously, they’re still getting the hang of driving, but each drive has gotten better. Hadley drove us to Starbucks on Sunday, and that was quite the treat! Hayden drove me to get ice cream the other day, and did just fine on quite a busy road.

I’m glad we have some down time in the summer to keep working on their driving skills.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Isn’t this one so true? haha

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week in case you missed one:

Monthly Memes
May Books
Monthly Musings

Tomorrow or Sunday, I’ll share my Monthly Moments post to recap May. It’s hard to believe that we’re about to turn the calendar page to June!

Have a great weekend,

Posted in Amazon, Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#259}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

This my last official Friday of school, and it’s the first day of final exams. Nothing like a wonky schedule to make everyone feel even more off kilter as we wrap up the year. We still have two more days after Memorial Day. I feel like we should always be finished before Memorial Day weekend.

Also, there’s still a whole week of May left, and I feel like “Maycember” has already done me in.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Another week of track being a favorite. Last Saturday was the regional race, and both kids ran. Hayden had the 1600m, and Hadley ran the 4×200 and the 400m race. I hate for Hayden that his season ended without a PR. While his time is great by most everyone’s standards, he was aiming for under 4:40 and didn’t get close to that time.

Hadley’s relay team ran well, and Hadley had almost a two second PR in the 400m. We’ll find out for sure soon, but she’s mostly headed to the state meet in both events.

I know I share a lot about their athletic accolades, but they know that what’s important is getting good grades, being polite, helping others, being a good teammate, being a gracious winner and loser, and always trying their best. I promise, it’s not all about the athletics in our house.

One thing they don’t tell you about having twins is how hard it is when one struggles and the other succeeds. I’ve always said that I’m thankful that my twins are boy/girl because if they were boy/boy or girl/girl, I’d probably compare them more. Even now, for example with track, one runs longer distance and one runs shorter distance. That being said, as you know, Hayden runs year round and Hadley runs just during the spring. So, I know he was bummed about how his season ended, but I know he’ll rally to support his sister in a couple of weeks at state. It’s just hard seeing your kids feeling defeated when they’ve worked really hard, but they have great perspective on it all. Some athletes run to be a part of team, others run for health reasons, some run for fun and others are a little more competitive and all of those athletes have a spot on the track team…which is one of the reasons I love track season. That being said, track season is long, y’all!

Another favorite this week was seeing so many peonies at Trader Joe’s.

Of course, I picked up a bouquet as well as this candle. I hadn’t seen the garden party scent before, but it’s lovely!

Homer is always a favorite. The other night I was home alone and couldn’t find Homer. I called for him with no luck. I checked outside one more time and then I spotted him in Hayden’s room! I think I interrupted his nap.

Fave Outfit:

I know last week that I shared about my new Target “wide leg sailor” jeans/pants that I got in blue and beige.

Well, on Monday I wore the beige ones with this new button down Amazon sweater, and I got so many compliments on my outfit!

This is one of those light weight sweaters that is perfect for spring and summer, and now I want it in another color.

Screenshot

(Sizing note – I’d say the sweater is true to size. I did size up one because if I think something is going to be fitted/tighter on my chest, that’s what I do. I’m assuming I could have ordered my regular size based on how this one fits, but this one fits just fine…it fits, but it’s not too loose if that makes sense) (Also, the pants come in so many colors if you are interested, just an FYI)

Also, a skinnier sandal (like the ones in the pic with the blue pants) would have been better suited for these pants, but my feet needed more support that day, and these sandals continue to be a fave.

Favorite Milestone…

At least I think it’s a favorite…is we have two new drivers in the house. This past week, both kids passed their permit test.

The state of Kentucky recently passed the age for permit test from 16 to 15. I was 15 1/2 when I got my permit, and then we could get our license at 16. Since my kids are almost 15 1/2, I felt somewhat ok with moving forward with this process. Also, this summer, we’ll have a bit more time for them to practice driving.

I truly can’t believe we are here. I’ve told the story before that when we found out we were having twins, the first words I said to the doctor were, “When they turn 16, will we have to buy two cars?” I’m not sure why I thought sixteen years ahead, but wow…that feels like yesterday! Also, no, we aren’t getting two cars any time soon! Thankfully, they’re used to sharing what they need to share.

I thought I was ready for this, but it turns out that I’m actually not!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Please tell me this will get easier…

Like for real….will I ever feel at peace about this?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday”

Take me back to the only “car” they wanted to “drive” was attached to a grocery cart!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week in case you missed one:

Weekend Watch, Listen, Read
Teacher Talk Tues
Bathroom Update

I hope you have a wonderful three day weekend. We don’t have much on tap which is exactly what we need. Hadley has big plans to make her first drive to Starbucks. Oh, how exciting!