Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#23}

Posted on April 17, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy FRIDAY! Week two of distance learning went a bit smoother this week which was a relief. That being said, the weather was either rainy/overcast or chilly. So, we didn’t do a great job of getting outside as much as we usually do. Hopefully, we can do that this weekend.

As with all Friday Favorites posts, I’m linking up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea. Make sure to check out their posts too!

Here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Pic:

We made the best of a different Easter for us which I wrote about in Wednesday’s post.

The kids did a great job of going with the flow for Easter, and I love this pic of them.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hayden loves Homer so much. So, when I walked in the living room Saturday morning, I said, “I can’t believe you and Homer aren’t snuggling.” Hayden said, “Homer wants some social distance.” 😂 Funny but also sad that’s a term that’s so common right now. 😢

Also, the kids shared their favorites last week, and their answers are simple, sincere, and funny.

Favorite Clothing Item:

About a month ago, I bought this Universal Thread sweatshirt at Target. I purchased the camo one and then a few weeks later, I ordered it in blush. The quality is great and it’s so comfy…Fun fact: It can be worn with pjs, sweatpants…and probably even jeans that button…but I haven’t tried that outfit look yet 😉 Bonus! It’s only $20.

Favorite Food:

We made one of our favorite meals recently and then one of our favorite desserts for Easter.

Favorite Moment:

Like I said above, it was hard to get motivated to spend lots of time outside with the dreary weather and cooler temps.

Also, about a year and a half ago, my back did me in…a trip to the doctor and he said I had sciatica. Thankfully, with some meds and some rest it went away…until recently.

My back started bothering me about a week ago and by Monday it was to where I could barely sit for long. So, I had to pause on my normal workouts but was determined to at least go for a short walk every day. I’m glad I did. Even in the cold, 37 degree weather we were having Tuesday, I was able to see so many beautiful blooming flowers. My bundled up walk felt more like February, but the beautiful flowers reminded me it is springtime in the bluegrass state!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Ain’t this the truth?! haha

I recently joked that you know it’s math time at our house when Homer puts himself in the kennel! It’s usually the last subject we do (and maybe I need to rethink that) and math isn’t necessarily a strength of mine…so the struggle tends to be real when we are trying to focus on how to use a protractor while measuring angles!

Favorite Kid Activities:

For science this week, the kids were to construct a 3-D object made out of recyclable objects that they could find around the house. Honestly, they found all the items and came up with their vision of constructing robots all on their own. We had to help a bit getting some parts to stay together, but I loved how they turned out. Hadley wanted to add hair with the leftover Easter basket grass, and Hayden did too. Of course, Hadley had to accessorize with a bow and sunglasses! Hayden added the Nike swoosh.

I know Hadley is missing her dance classes…mostly based on the number of Tik Tok performances I have to sit through on any given day. To balance out the Tik Tok (and, for the record, she doesn’t have an account), thankfully her dance studio is offering some online sessions. On Wednesday, she took over the sunroom for an hour long ballet, tap, jazz class.

Bonus: Flashback Friday

This memory popped up on Facebook, and it made me smile. I don’t remember where she got that dress, but I do remember her walking into the kitchen telling me she was going to wear this dress when she gets married. Awe. So sweet!

Well, that’s a wrap on this week! I hope you have a great weekend. See you back here on Monday.

Thanks for reading!

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#22}: Kids Q&A Edition

Posted on April 10, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Shew! We made it to Friday. As with every Friday Favorites, I’m linking up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea, so check out their posts too!

Honestly, this week was a huge adjustment as it was our first week of virtual learning along with me working from home. First and foremost, HIGH FIVE to all the educators out there busting it to make school as easy, seamless, and meaningful for their students (and the students’ parents!) as it has been. I have been BLOWN AWAY with all that my kids’ teachers have done. The best thing is the daily 10:00 Google Meet class meeting. I know my kids love seeing their teachers and their classmates.

Also, HIGH FIVE to all the parents out there working AND helping their kids with their school work. I’m a teacher, and this has been a MAJOR learning curve for myself as a high school educator as well as now a teacher to two 4th graders! We will get through this, but I’m certainly looking forward to a nap later today followed by a glass of wine! 😉

For this edition of Friday Favorites, I decided to ask the kids some of their favorites. The age of 10 has been a fun one. They still need me but are also pretty independent. Needless to say, we’ve had lots of time together recently, and I thought this would be a great time (and a great age) to take note of some of their Favorite Things…

Hayden’s Favorites

Favorite color: blue
Favorite book: The Hatchet
Favorite TV show: Garfield
Favorite food: bacon
Favorite game: Madden 20
Favorite animal: dog (specifically the Homster!)
Favorite outfit: shorts and a t-shirt
Favorite subject at school: Social Studies
Favorite sport: basketball
Favorite breakfast food: Oatmeal and Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Favorite holiday: Easter
Favorite vacation: Grand Canyon and Dodgers game in LA

Other Questions and Answers:

What do you want to be when you grow up? basketball player
What’s one thing you’ve learned at school this year? measurements in math
Name one thing you do really well. Sports and reading
Describe your best day ever. Saturdays because I can chill.
If I could choose a different name, I would choose…Cooper (Fun Fact: He was almost named Cooper)
When I’m with my family, I like to…watch TV shows and laugh with them.
What’s one thing you like about your sister…She’s fast.

Hadley’s Favorites:

Favorite color: teal
Favorite book: Mother Daughter Book Club Series
Favorite TV show: Alexa and Katie series
Favorite food: tacos
Favorite game: Diary of Wimpy Kid 10 Second Challenge
Favorite animal: monkey
Favorite outfit: athletic shorts and tank top
Favorite subject at school: Spelling
Favorite sport: Dance and Cross Country
Favorite breakfast food: Waffle with Nutella
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite vacation: Los Angeles

Other Questions and Answers:

What do you want to be when you grow up? An elementary school teacher
What’s one thing you’ve learned at school this year? How to do long division
Name one thing you do really well. Being sassy
Describe your best day ever. Going to Disney World
If I could choose a different name, I would choose…Mackenzie or Addison (Fun fact: She was almost named Addison)
When I’m with my family, I like to…go on bike rides or have a game night
What’s one thing you like about your brother…nothing really, but he can be sweet when he’s not awkward.

Even if they fight too much and some days drive me crazy, I know I’m blessed beyond measure with these TWO! And, Happy National Sibling Day to them as well.

Thanks for letting me share some favorites of my two favorites.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Easter.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#21}:

Posted on April 3, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, today is our last day of “Spring Break.” We’ve had a pretty good week at home. We had a couple of dreary days, so I gave us permission to be a bit lazier than usual…which pretty much ensured I was able to finish a great book and wrap up Season 2 of The Crown 😉

Virtual school starts on Monday, so we will be starting a bit of a new routine while I also work from home as well.

As always, for Friday Favorites, I’m linking up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea, so make sure to check our their posts too!

Favorite Pic:

We purchased these #TeamKentucky hats from our friends. With a donation being made to the #TeamKentucky fund for each hat sold, it was just another way to support our community during this time.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hayden had a couple of funny quotes this week!

Of course, a 4th grade rite of passage is receiving and playing the recorder in music class. This week, Hayden pulled his recorder out of his back pack and tried to play Hot Cross Buns. After a few squeaky tries, he said, “Yikes! I’m rusty. I haven’t played in awhile!” (He also says the recorder is the reason he has an A- in music right now!) 😉

Another funny Hayden quote….I’m getting caught up on seasons of The Crown. I was watching the last episode of Season 2, and Elizabeth and Philip were having a heart to heart. She said that any marriage presents challenges let alone challenges with the structure of their marriage. Hayden said, “Challenges?! That’s why I’m never getting married!” 😂

Favorite Clothing Item:

I’m loving the joggers and Hanes sweatshirt that I mentioned in my Amazon Lately post from this week. Not only am I loving those items, I’m also living in them right now! #momiformonrepeat

Favorite Food:

I actually cooked a couple of favorites this week. We had Bev’s Simple Chicken Pasta Soup which provided us with dinner for Monday and Tuesday. Then, I made my brother’s stuffed peppers recipe. The whole family loves stuffed peppers, and we had them for dinner Wednesday and Thursday.

And, bonus—we made Easy Peanut Butter Cookies that lasted less than a day in our house!

Favorite Moment:

In times like these, it’s been so nice to see communities, cities, states, and the country come together with a sense of solidarity. With that, comes so many visible sights of kindness. From signs my kids made for the teacher parade, to kindness rocks, and the chalk the walk movement, there is certainly a sense of unity even when we have to stay six feet apart.

Our neighborhood had signs of beauty everywhere!

Besides at least doing reading and math every day, I’ve tried to plan at least one other thing for us to do. Sometimes it’s a bike ride, other times baking cookies, maybe watching the Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari, or doing some kind of craft.

On Monday, we did our own Chalk Your Walk project in our driveway. The kids were big help in taping the driveway, and we all used sidewalk chalk to complete the project. From start to finish, it took about an hour and a half; the kids were impressed with the final product! I was too! 🙂

Favorite Mom Meme :

Three weeks into social distancing…I will take whatever laughs I can get.

Other Favorites:

Of course with some extra time on my hands, I’ve been able to read a bit more, listen to some podcasts, and even watch a movie or two…

I started listening to the Even the Rich podcast. I think it’s fairly new. I’ve listened to the first three episodes which are all about the Royal Family! I’ve always had interest in the Royals, but I seem to be on a roll while listening to this podcast, getting caught up on The Crown and even reading the American Royals book last month! –

Just yesterday, I finished reading Regretting You, and I loved it!

On Tuesday, Travis mentioned that Call of the Wild could be purchased to stream on Amazon. So, Tuesday night, we popped popcorn, purchased the movie, and all watched it together. It was so good! Of course, it brought a tear to my eye, too!

Bonus: Flashback Friday

As always, Facebook memories continue to slay me. These pics popped up recently.

The kids were four months old here, and we’d taken them to KC to see my family. We were packing up to head home, and I propped the kids up in their suitcases and sent this pic to Travis who had already headed back to Lex.

This pic collage always cracks me up. We’d received these hand me down onesies from another set of twins. I love the pic of both kids as Hadley’s clinging to Hayden as if she never wants to let him go. Story of his life! She’s always up in his business!

Fun fact: Hadley was a hot mess the first nine months of her life. Hayden was the easy going baby and she was super serious and suuuuper fussy all of the time. Now, she’s the easy going one and he’s a bit more intense (Type A, schedule oriented, etc…apple doesn’t fall far from that tree.)

I hope this week has treated you well! As always, thanks for reading.

Take care,

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#20}

Posted on March 20, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday. Well, we made it through a very different kind of week. I went to school two days while working from home the other two days. We started getting into somewhat of a “home schooling” routine. Full disclosure: still trying to find the balance in it all while navigating these uncharted waters.

I’m still finding the joy in keeping a blogging routine. Who knows…maybe I will be able to blog more than just three times a week with the extra downtime? That being said, not much action going on around here, so I’m afraid I may run out of content! Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Like usual, I’m linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika. (**These ladies may have altered their blogging schedules, but feel free to check out their blogs and posts too!)

Favorite Kid Quote

Hadley is kind of known for being excessive. For example, pouring a large amount of orange juice only to drink a few sips. Or filling her bowl the the brim with ice cream and eating it all…(of course!) but then I have to remind her that dessert every night shouldn’t be supersized. Or wearing 7 scrunchies on her wrist at once (I let this one slide! 😉

The other night, she was getting herself some ice cream, and I asked her to put a few scoops in a bowl for me. When she brought me the bowl and showed me her bowl, it was the correct amount a dessert should be!

She said, “I’ve been making the perfect size scoops of ice cream lately. I’m so good that I could work at Baskin Robbins!” haha

Another sweet moment…Not necessarily a quote, but Hadley’s Girl Scout meeting was canceled. Her leader invited everyone to meet via the Zoom app. They had about a half hour meeting, and it was so good for all their sweet little souls. They talked about missing school and each other as well as other thoughts and feelings about our current situation. Thank goodness for technology during these trying and isolating times.

Favorite Pic

Well, I never got to Dairy Queen for Homer’s birthday ice cream…but I did remember we had these individual vanilla party cups in our freezer. So, we lit a candle for the Homster and let him have his ice cream.

Favorite Clothing Item

Currently…my pjs during this work from home situation! Although, I have made it a point to work out or go for a walk every day this week.

Favorite Food

I usually do grocery pick up, but last Saturday I had lots of time on my hands. I was afraid if I placed on online order, I’d get the text saying many things were out of stock. So, I wandered the aisles for essentials and easy meals.

Travis makes this pasta every once in awhile. We had it on Monday night with leftovers for Tuesday.

Ingredients:

Pasta
Marinara Sauce
Red pepper
Green pepper
Turkey sausage (or whatever kind you like)
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Boil the pasta according to directions.
Dice the peppers and saute in olive oil until soft. **I also had garlic on hand, so we diced a few cloves and let it cook with the peppers.
Cut sausage into small rounds, and brown with the peppers.
Then, add in the sauce and heat until warm.
Add the sauce mixture to drained cooked pasta.
Serve in bowls and garnish with grated or shredded parm!

Also, I’m making the baked chicken recipe on Sunday that I shared in Monday’s post.

Favorite Moment

My dad was able to visit for a few days. It’s always good to see him. Literally, the day he arrived is when they announced churches and schools should close. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have made the trip right now. Unfortunately, we had a visit from my mom and grandma soon that has to be rescheduled.

He always wants a pic of him with the kids in birth order 😉 on the steps of my front porch.

The past couple of years he has chosen to visit this time of the year to enjoy the corned beef and cabbage I always make. So, we gave him the You are Special plate for our Sunday St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

Favorite Activities

Well, our normal school, dance, and baseball activities are on hold for now.

But….we are getting the hang of online learning. The kids were on their chrome books, and Homer wanted an education too 😉

Favorite Mom Meme(s)

Oh…the coronavirus memes have been on point. We have to laugh, so we don’t cry (or go crazy!), don’t we?!

Spoiler alert: I was the teacher, and Hayden and Hadley were the students!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

As always, thank goodness for Facebook memories. These two pics popped up recently. I love the pic of Hayden in Trav’s old “Travis” shirt, and I clearly remember the day I took this pic of Hadley. She was in the 2nd grade, and I had just picked her up from after school care. She’s not really a “girly” girl in regards to clothing, but she was rocking the pink on this day!

Make sure to check out my other posts from this week 🙂 I mean, what else do you have to do? (just kidding!)

Monday Meals

Transformation Tuesday: our kitchen

Watching & reading

As always, thank you for reading. It’s such an unprecedented time right now, and keeping a routine and some light hearted blogging has helped me keep a sense of normalcy.

We are all in this together, y’all. ❤️

Have a great weekend.

Friday Favorites, Homer

Friday Favorites {#19}: Happy Birthday, Homer

Posted on March 13, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

For this edition of Friday Favorites, I’m celebrating Homer turning O N E!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika, so make sure to check out their posts too!

I’ve previously posted about getting Homer being a highlight of our summer! Also, I wrote a post about Homer at his six month milestone.

Two of my favorite things are birthdays and Homer, so here’s a little Happy Birthday tribute to Homer.

Of course, we don’t know Homer’s actual birthday because we adopted him from Tails of Hope OH. He was listed as possibly being 12 weeks old, but after the first vet visit, he thought Homer was closer to 10 weeks old. So, based off that, his birthday would be around mid-March. Dogs in our family get a vanilla ice cream from Dairy Queen on their birthday, so we will get Homer one this weekend! Then, in the future, we may just celebrate his “gotcha” date of June 8.

Homer: month by month

My friend Natalie got a Golden Retriever pup a few months before we got Homer. She had the idea of monthly pics based off of the @goldenpeanutpupper account on Instagram. I loved the idea (and remember: I treat Homer like the third child I never had!), so I took monthly pics as well. Homer will pose instantly for a treat, so the monthly pics weren’t too hard to take. It was so fun to watch him grow this year!!

Months 3-7 (month 6-7 amazes me how much taller he got!)

Homer’s DNA Results

I wrote a post about Homer’s DNA results here, so check that out if you’d like. We were looking for a lab mix, and that’s what we got! Even the first time our vet saw him, he mentioned he thought Homer had some Husky in him…and he does. His break down is:

25% American Staffordshire Terrier
25% Great Pyrenees
25% Labrador Retriever
12.5% Chow Chow
12.5% Husky

Hobbies:

Since we got Homer, I’ve joked about his “hobbies.” They include, but are not limited to:

chasing his tail, trying to catch lightning bugs, chewing shoe laces, licking dirty dishes in the dishwasher, unlocking his kennel while he’s inside of it, stealing food off of the counter, licking lotion off my legs, running full speed onto the couch, licking the shower door, chewing (and destroying!) the remote control, licking icing off of a cookie cake, chewing up stuffed animals, getting into the outside garbage and littering the backyard, playing in the mud, dragging the toilet paper down the hall, destroying Trav’s wallet (x2!), tearing up school work, running around in the snow, dumping his water bowl over and bringing the empty bowl to us, taking receipts out of jacket pockets and tearing them up, destroying baseball hats, eating a tub of Parmesan cheese, and giving us KISSES (I had to end on a positive note!) #homerisahandful #buthecute

Homer by the Numbers…

years old: 1(ish)
Pounds weighed: 55
# months in our family: 9
# of nicknames: 4 (probably more!): Homster, Biscuit, Pooks, Sweets
# of dead birds he’s brought into the house: 3
# of breeds in his genetic makeup: 5
# of scarves he wears to be stylish: 7
# of things that have been #Homered: too many to count
# of hearts who love him: 4 #wehearthomer

Fave Pics of Homer

Our Dogs are Our Family

My love for pups runs deep. The greatest gift my parents gave my brother and me was showing us what a dog can add to a family. Growing up, we had a German Shepherd named Maggie and then a couple years after she passed away, we got a Doberman named Jake. They were such an important part of our home and taught us about unconditional love, responsibility, and unwavering loyalty.

While we currently heart Homer, we’ve loved two other pups in our family as well. After our one year anniversary, I tricked Travis into thinking that the standard one year anniversary gift was a dog! We didn’t have kids yet, but we knew Boxers were great with kids. We got Shiloh in August of 2006. In the spring of 2008, I convinced Travis that Shiloh needed a friend…We stuck with the Boxer breed, and we got Scout!

Shiloh and Scout meant the world to us…when both of them passed (Scout in April 2018 and Shiloh in March of 2019), I thought about all the times they were there for us. Their unconditional love helped us through some tough times, and, in general, they brought such joy to our lives.

I’m not sure what they would think of Homer. Scout would probably enjoy playing with him, and Shiloh would probably have had zero tolerance for him 😉 (She was known for her rested B face!)

We miss them fiercely, but Homer has helped our hearts heal.

“A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more that he loves himself.”

–Josh Billings

#truth

Happy birthday, Homer! There’s a vanilla ice cream pup cup headed your way this weekend!

Thanks for reading today’s Friday Favorites post. We sure do love Homer, and he certainly is a favorite of ours…especially when he’s behaving…or sleeping (He’s so cute when he’s sleeping!)

Have a great weekend! See you back here on Monday for a favorite recipe of mine!

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#18}

Posted on March 6, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! It sure has felt like springtime this week in the Bluegrass state! I think temperatures dip down again today but then it should feel like spring again over the weekend. I love a snow day and wish we’d had a snowier winter, but once the calendar turns to March, I’m focused on wrapping up the school year and summer break!

I’m dreading Daylight Savings time on Sunday…I always hate losing an hour and then making the adjustment. I just like keeping everything the same! 🙂 Of course, staying lighter longer will allow for my kids to play outside more, so that’s good for them (and for me!)

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

FAVORITE KID QUOTE

Hadley’s team played in the end of the season basketball tournament last Saturday. If you’ve never watched a sporting event with Hayden, you’re missing out…you also haven’t had to cringe with embarrassment because of his antics! It doesn’t matter if it’s 4 year old t-ball, his sister’s basketball game, or a UK game, he’s all in. He’s cheering for you, he’s standing up after every play (he gets lots of shoulder taps from me to sit down!), and he’s questioning the ref (or ump’s) ability to make good calls. While he drives me crazy sometimes, it’s sweet to see him cheer on his sister!

Both the kids wrote these sweet poems recently, and they are certainly a favorite of mine. I guess they read Love that Boy by Walter Dean Myers and wrote poems inspired by that poem. Hayden wrote about Travis and Homer; Hadley wrote about Homer and me. I will treasure them forever.

FAVORITE MOMENT

My favorite moment this week was wrapping up Girl Scout cookie sales (which sounds kind of negative!) So really what I mean is that Hadley surpassed her goal of selling 350 boxes of cookies by selling 440ish boxes! It can be stressful getting those passed out and collecting (and counting) the money, but it’s awesome to see her so proud because she reached her goal. Yes, many boxes were sold at my school and Trav’s work, but she made a sweet video (which took almost an hour to make!) for me to put on Facebook that generated many orders and she hit the streets of our neighborhood many times throughout the cookie selling season. She says next year her goal is to sell 500 boxes!!

FAVORITE PIC

Homer always wants to be in on the action. I looked over at breakfast time on Sunday to see Homer giving Hadley some love. Homer drives me crazy, but he’s a sweetie.

FAVORITE ACTIVTITIES

One of our favorite winter activities wrapped up. Both kids had the end of the year basketball tournament last weekend, and the season is over. This season was one of growth for both of them. Both moved up divisions this year and there’s always an adjustment. They were on teams with great coaches and wonderful teammates. Both really enjoy basketball and the teams played better with each game…and they improved, themselves, throughout the season. I always ask them to try their best, to not give up, to listen to their coaches, and to be good teammates. What else can a parent ask for from their kids? Up next: Hadley will continue dancing a few days a week and Hayden moves on to baseball season!

I love to read and both my kids (especially Hayden!) love to read. This week is one of their favorite weeks at school. Their school (like most schools) celebrates Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Read Across America week. The school hosts their book fair this week and each day students can dress up celebrating different Dr. Seuss books. Hadley tends to be more involved in the dress up days, but I love that there’s a celebration of reading as a focus this week.

Monday- A Bad Case of the Stripes – wear stripes
Tuesday- The Cat in the Hat – wear your favorite hat
Wednesday- Good Night Moon – PJ day
Thursday – Theodore Thursday– dress like your favorite Dr. Seuss character
Friday – Oh the Places You’ll Go– wear a college shirt, vacation/travel shirt, or dress in your future career clothes (**Hadley told me she’s wearing my old college sweatshirt today (University of Missouri!) and I’m sure Hayden will wear something UK–like any other day!)

PJ day! Hadley loves these fleece onesies. She has a couple of them.

I wasn’t sure if either kid would dress like their favorite Dr. Seuss character but Hadley remembered she had this Cat in the Hat headband from her school performance last year. Thanks to some eyeliner, she penciled in whiskers and a cute cat nose.

FAVORITE PRODUCT

Amanda at That Inspired Chick, shared this lip balm from Ulta in her Friday Favorites post last week. I had to go to Ulta for my shampoo, and I picked up this lip balm in the Shine color. I’m not a big lipstick person, but I love lip balm and lip glosses. This one goes on clear but turns a slight shade of pink…which is perfect and not too much. The first time I wore it, both my kids asked if I was wearing lipstick! It’s enough but not too much.

FAVORITE MOM MEME

Mom meme truth! Most days I really hope I’m not jacking up my kids!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I’ve always loved this photo. It popped up in my Facebook memories and made me smile. I love this pic so much that I framed it in black and white, and it hangs in their bathroom.

Earlier this week, I shared the recipe for my favorite St. Patrick’s Day meal recipe –corned beef and cabbage and Irish Soda bread.

Also, I shared some of my favorite chalk paint projects in my Wednesday post.

This weekend, I’m headed on a Girl Scout (indoor) overnight…the itinerary says after the girls finish the learning and exploration portion of the evening, there’s a dance party and “lights out” isn’t until 11:45. Oh, and I’m sleeping on the floor. Clearly, I’m being pushed out of my comfort zone 😉 Looking forward to this trip though with some of the other moms and a fun (and great!) group of girls.

Don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts!

Have a great weekend.

Jen

Books and Shows, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#17}: Movies

Posted on February 28, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Well, we made it to Friday!! I’m linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika for a Friday Favorites.

Since it’s almost the last day of the month, I should be posting about the books I read in February, but as I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, I’ve kind of been in a rut this month in the reading department. So, instead of reading, I thought I’d share some favorite movies that I (as well as the kids) have been watching lately…and they are all pretty family friendly depending on your kid’s age.

We got Disney + in December, and it’s allowed me to watch some of my favorite movies from my childhood….some of which the kids have enjoyed watching with me as well. Hulu and our Amazon Prime membership also provide avenues for us to watching great movies as well.

Disney +

Y’all, hands down, my favorite movie from my childhood is the original Parent Trap with Hayley Mills. I used to watch it on VHS so much that the tape must have worn thin because the part in the movie when Verbena realizes the girls made the switch, would always skip to the next scene! I don’t even acknowledge the Lindsay Lohan version as an option, but I do love Natasha Richardson, so I have seen that version a time or two.

Other movies we’ve watched on Disney + include:

Sister Act- Hayden watched this with me and I fast forwarded through a scene or two and danced my way around Sister Deloris’ lounge singing profession 😉
Turner and Hooch – Only I watched this one–and I’m thinking Hayden would like it if I could skip over when Hooch’s owner is killed—yikes!
Honey I Shrunk the Kids – We all love this one!
While You Were Sleeping -I can watch this one on repeat! Such a sweet movie.

Amazon Prime

My brother had told me that Cool Runnings was on Disney +, but when I went to check it out, it said the movie would be available in July due to “existing agreements.” I had already told the kids about it and promised we’d watch it, so we paid $4 on Amazon to stream it—and that’s how we spent our New Year’s Eve! #wildnight Everyone enjoyed the film!

DVD

Another favorite that I love is Swiss Family Robinson. This summer, after we visited Disney World/The Magic Kingdom and toured the SFR tree house, the kids (especially Hayden) wanted to see the movie. I ended up buying in on DVD from Amazon, so we’d always have access to it. I loved that movie so much as a kid and would watch it on repeat as well. Besides the DVD, we now can watch it on Disney +, but we didn’t have that option in the summer. Travis had never seen it, and we all enjoyed it!

Swiss Family Robinson house at the Magic Kingdom

Over Christmas break, we watched The Mighty Ducks with the kids because Hayden had received it on DVD as a Christmas gift. Again, it will be on Disney +, but has the same “existing agreement” issue that Cool Runnings had. When we watched The Mighty Ducks, I had forgotten how great a movie it was…and who doesn’t love a comeback story?!

Hulu

An Affair to Remember

This movie was on Hulu last month while I was sick with the flu, so watching it was a great way to pass time in between naps! While An Affair to Remember wasn’t released during my childhood, I remember watching it as a kid. I loved Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant together. Her beauty and his good looks are timeless…plus the plot is so romantic.

Father of the Bride

I love this movie and watch it any time it’s on cable (or now Hulu, for us!) I remember, at 11 years old, thinking how cool it would be to have Kimberly Williams as an older sister. Of course, Steve Martin is a hoot…and the superfluous buns scene is hilarious! I also love the part where Annie calls her parents from the airport. So sweet. I love all the characters in the movie from the little brother to Martin Short as Franck. The movie is just so heartfelt. I watched it just last week on Hulu and Hadley loved it too.

Erika also shared family movies this week…Make sure to check out her post….She referenced so many good movies as well!

What are some of your favorite family movies? Or movies from your childhood?

I hope you have a great weekend.

Jen

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#16}

Posted on February 21, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! This short week actually did feel like a short week! My crew is excited it’s Friday and with some pretty gorgeous weather on tap this weekend, we are ready for a couple of days off. As always, I’m linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favorites.

FAVORITE KID QUOTE:

This memory popped up on Facebook this week. Seven-year-old Hadley sent me this text from the Ipad three years ago wishing me Happy Birthday! She knows I love birthdays…and wine. Her sense of humor is always a favorite of mine!

FAVORITE PIC:

Travis and Hadley went to the Dad/Daughter Dance last weekend. It’s Hadley’s favorite night of the year! She had so much fun with her friends and with Travis. I shared the details of the dance in this week’s Wednesday post. Then, I received an email yesterday with the professional pic that was taken at the dance…and it’s certainly a favorite.

FAVORITE MOMENT:

While Hadley and Travis were at the dance, I took Hayden to baseball for this season’s evaluations. Usually Travis would have taken him, and after seeing how proud he was of his performance, I’m so glad I was there. He works so hard, always tries his best, is a great teammate, & loves playing baseball; I was very proud of him. On Facebook I shared, “This kid is…quiet, introverted, a home body, anxious…BUT he’s also…confident, optimistic, resilient, a dreamer, and an achiever. I’m proud to be his mom!”

I don’t know how many more years I have of him waving at me from the pitcher’s mound or giving me a thumbs up from 1st base, but I’m here for it. Also, he doesn’t like to draw attention to himself which is why I think it’s so awesome he loves to pitch. I’m proud of him for pushing himself outside of his comfort zone for the sake of doing something he loves. I hope he knows we are his biggest fans…

FAVORITE MOM MEME:

Home Alone is one of my favorite movies. This meme made me chuckle.

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

Cookie Class:

The last time Hadley and I went to a cookie class hosted by Maddie’s Cookie Co., Hayden said he wanted to come the next time there was a class. I wasn’t sure how I’d juggle two kids decorating cookies, so it was perfecting timing that my mom would be in town when there was a class. So, the four of us went to Maddie’s class a couple of weeks ago and had a great time decorating the cookies. Hadley’s almost an old pro, and Hayden and my mom did a great job for having limited experience outlining and flooding cookies. Also, Hayden didn’t mind he was the only boy at the class…haha. #hewasthereforthecookies

Tubing at Perfect North

Another favorite activity and tradition is tubing at Perfect North with friends. We’ve been going with two other families for about five years. One family couldn’t make it this year which was a bummer, but we had a great time. The weather was in the upper 40’s, so we shed some layers throughout the afternoon. Some years we go and it’s freezing, and other years it’s been pretty warm. It’s always fun and we get 5-6 runs in each year. We link up in a variety of ways–boys/girls, kids/adults, family/family, all eight of us. It’s definitely a fun tradition that has certainly gotten easier now that the adults aren’t having to lug the kids and their tubes around like in the early years!

We even bumped into one of Hadley’s best friends and her family!

Walks with Homer

Having no school on Monday was definitely a favorite part of our week. We took Homer for a walk…we’ll do anything to wear him out! As always, Homer is a favorite part of our family.

BONUS FAVE: FLASHBACK FRIDAY:

This Facebook memory cracks me up. I clearly remember taking this pic of Hadley a few years ago. It’s certainly a favorite memory. I can’t believe I didn’t buy her that Y’all hat! #momfail

That’s it for this week’s Friday Favorites. I hope you have had a great week!

See you back here on Monday for a Monday Meals post! (Pasta recipe x 2!)

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#15}

Posted on February 14, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! and… Happy Valentine’s Day. I can’t believe February is halfway over! As always, it’s been busy around here, but we’ve also had time to squeeze in some favorite activities, spend time with one of our favorite visitors, and even enjoyed some of our favorite meals this week.

Like all Friday Favorites, I’m linking up with Erika, Narci, and Andrea.

Thanks to an unexpected four day weekend last week (due to low attendance in our district for the flu + it snowed last friday), we were able to have some extra fun. My mom (GG) was in town, we had snowman pancakes, the kids played in the snow, chose Taco Bell for lunch, and then we went to a local pottery painting place and the kids each chose a plate to paint. They’ve been wanting to go the the Mad Potter, so I figured a snow day was a great day to let them choose something to paint. They did most of the painting themselves, and both were proud of their finished products. We can pick the painted pieces up today, so I know it will be a favorite activity for the week to see their creations in person.

Some of Hadley’s favorite people cheered her on during her basketball game on Saturday.

I swear, we have some activity almost every weeknight. I do enjoy cooking, but it’s so difficult with at least one of the kids having something almost every night. I rely heavily on my slow cooker and Instant Pot, but I thought I’d change things up a bit…and leading up to Valentine’s Day let both kids choose their favorite meal for dinner.

Monday–Hadley chose salmon as her favorite and added Trader Joe’s Shells and White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese as a side dish. Mac and cheese has always been a favorite of mine, so we combined our favorites. Travis cooked dinner while I took Hadley to her evening activities. Our Kroger has the baking bags for fish–where they put whatever fish you’d like in the oven bag and I always have them add butter, dill, and lemon. You bake in the oven, serve, and throw away the foil bag. Easy dinner clean up is especially appreciated on an busy Monday night.

Tuesday–Hayden requested pizza. We love the DiGiono’s thin crust pizzas, and Hayden loves the four meat one, so I baked that and we had strawberries and bagged Ceasar salad. Again, a late night of activities, so it was nice to keep things simple.

Wednesday–I decided to try this recipe from Andrea at Momfessionals. She shared the Creamy Rice Casserole recipe a few weeks ago, and I’d been wanting to make it. It seemed hearty, easy and delicious…and it was….so good!! I loved it so much that I was so excited about having some for lunch on Thursday.

Thursday — The kids had an event at their school with dinner provided…no cooking + family fun = Win. Win.

Friday— I’m still not sure what we will have for dinner tonight. We are certainly not going out, so we will either get carry out from somewhere, or I may make breakfast for dinner.

And…don’t worry—Travis had his favorite…steak… when he and I went out to dinner last Saturday night for an early Valentine’s Day dinner. The Blue Heron always has great food.

We enjoyed one of our favorite activity nights at school.

And, of course, a favorite school activity is the Valentine’s Day party / exchange. The kids aren’t having a big party at school with activities, but they are still exchanging Valentines and having a sweet treat in the afternoon. They were to bring a decorated box for the exchange. These decorated boxes couldn’t show the differences in Hayden and Hadley’s personalities more if they tried. Over the top vs simple. #thisismylife While Hadley decorated her box last week, Hayden said, “I’m just going to write my name on the box.” I figured he’d throw at least a heart or two on the box…but I guess he was serious about only putting his name. haha

Bonus fave: Flashback Friday – February 2015

This has always been a fave pic of mine. So little and so cute…and Hayden’s shirt always cracks me up (especially since I joke he will be living with me when he’s 30 😉 #mamasboy

Don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts! I hope you have a great weekend!

And…Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#14}

Posted on February 7, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! It’s been a soggy, cloudy week around here. It’s also just been the weirdest week. It legit took us all a couple nights in a row of going to bed by 9pm (all of us—well, the kids and me) to recover from our hectic and then exciting (GO CHIEFS!) weekend. Then, Wednesday evening as I was driving home from volleyball carpool, I get a phone call from a random number…Well, it was our school district saying that because of the high level of absences due to flu, they were cancelling school for Thursday and Friday. I’m so thankful we are all healthy (but, remember, the flu took Hadley out for a couple days and myself for an entire week a few weeks ago. #sowevepaidourdues I’m hoping Travis and Hayden continue on the healthy train!) It’s been nice to have a couple extra lazy mornings, and I’m ready for a slower paced weekend…

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

FAVORITE PIC

Honestly, it’s a little tough to choose one fave pic. In Monday’s post, I recapped our weekend. I loved lots of pics from last weekend—Hadley at the District Science Fair, Hayden’s Kobe tribute (in permanent marker on his Mambas), Hadley’s chorus performance, etc…but these four cuties in their Chiefs gear was definitely a sweet pic. That being said, three of the four cuties had no clue what was going on during the game, but Hayden sure did!

The Chiefs pic reminded me of this early November 2015 when there were only three cutie cousins basking in the glory of the Royals World Series victory.

FAVORITE KID QUOTE

I forced Hayden to go to bed at 11pm on Sunday….he was still very pumped up after the Super Bowl win. As I tucked him in, he said, “Mom, I hope this Chiefs win isn’t a dream!” So cute. When the Chiefs won the AFC game, Hayden said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this!” I told him that I technically had been waiting my whole life for the Chiefs to go to the Super Bowl. haha Fifty years in the making! I hope he always remembers this victory…and I hope there are more big wins for the Chiefs in the future.

FAVORITE CLOTHING ITEM

I’ve been wearing my favorite Nordstrom turtle neck sweaters on repeat. They are easy to wear to school but also with leggings to be more casual on the weekends. I’m also still wearing my Thread & Supply Wubby Fleece Pullover , also from Nordstrom, especially on the weekends when I don’t want to wear a coat somewhere. It keeps me warm going to and from kids’ sporting events, etc. I linked them in a previous Friday Favorites post.

I’m also waiting on a Stitch Fix order to arrive. I receive orders about four times a year, and always end up keeping a couple items. The past few orders, Narci has been my stylist!

FAVORITE FOOD

It was finally cold enough outside to make chili for dinner this week. I usually use my dad’s recipe. I plan on sharing the recipe on Monday for Monday Meals.

FAVORITE MOMENT

Y’all, having kids in elementary school continues to be a walk down memory lane. They were so excited to receive their recorders this week. I was having a flashback to elementary school and playing the recorder in music class with Mrs. Young.

I played Hot Cross Buns for the kids, and they thought I was the coolest mom ever. Travis basically called me a nerd. haha

FAVORITE MOM MEME

I saw this meme last week and literally laughed out loud….because it’s the truth. I even walk into a room and can’t remember what I am looking for!

BONUS Favorite

Once I wrapped up my “Dry January” of no purchases from Amazon or Nordstrom, I purchased this blanket. We “needed” one more for the living room and this one is soft, fuzzy, and cute. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t think through the fact that Homer would think the fuzzy decorative pom poms on the blanket were chew toys. Ugh! Nothing is Homer proof.

Also, Wednesday’s post included my favorite Valentine’s Day decorations around my house.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have a great weekend. We are looking forward to two basketball games and a cookie decorating class.

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea