Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#249}

Posted on March 14, 2025March 13, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I hope you’ve had a great week. Ours was good with the beautiful weather, and we seemed to have some downtime in the evenings which was appreciated!

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

Here are some favorites from the week…

Starting with this meme that made me laugh…and it definitely relatable!

It’s very rare that I actually go into Target as I often do Target pick-up. Last Saturday, Hadley and I ran some errands, and she needed a few things. The dollar spot immediately stopped me in my tracks. I saw these neutral ric rac place mats and thought they’d be just what I needed under our jute place mats. I was a bit behind, and just put away my winter dishes, and got back out my everyday dishes. These cute floral ones are almost twenty years old! They were on our wedding registry at Pier One. Man, I miss Pier One!

I was “influenced” and ordered this All in Motion “airy” fabric zip up jacket. For all the clothes I have, I do lack in light weight jackets. When I got it, it was on sale for $25, but I also think it’s worth the $35 price tag.

The fabric is so soft, and I like that it cinches at the waist.

Well, I’ve also been “influenced” by Hadley. She occasionally drinks an Alani, and that’s had me taking a few sips. I think she’s tried most of the flavors, but now it’s my turn. I took one to school this week, and the “orange kiss” flavor is good.

The kids’ track photos came in, and they are so good! I really appreciate the smiles!

I’d joked with the track coach that if they got a decent pic together, they’d be off the hook for Mother’s Day! They did get a couple of pics together, and this one is my fave.

My girl…right before her summer job interview on Wednesday. Not sure that I’ll look back and remember that this photo was right before that moment, but I’m sharing it anyway.

I’ve been loving my new candles from Antique Candle Co. My order arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been burning Almond Vanilla, and it’s so good.

I ordered two candles and got one free. These will last me the next couple of months. I’ve burned a bit of the lavender vanilla, and it’s so great for spring. Sweet lemon will be great for spring and summer.

I saw this pic on Instagram and X….twin fillies! Rare and precious! (FYI -these aren’t at Trav’s farm.)

Favorite Mom Meme:

Both my kids have had two rounds of braces, and let’s just say if there’s ever a third round, that’s on them!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

2015 was such a cute year!

Onion ring entertainment at dinner…

…and sweet little drawings…and booster seats!

St. Patrick’s Day:

Well, this weekend, I’ll make my traditional corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread! We can’t wait.

Here are the recipes if you need an easy and delicious meal to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Share Our Lives: Day in the Life

Let’s Look

Three Things

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading.

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#248}

Posted on March 7, 2025March 7, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a good one with a couple of evenings with nothing on the agenda! What is this life?!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Hadley kicked off the weekend at a friend’s birthday party. Then, we all had an early wake-up call on Saturday morning for her volleyball tournament.

Our team mom and her daughter made these cute clothes pins that girls could use to clip on other players’ bags in the tournament. I thought this was such a cute idea and a great way to spread positivity.

The Kendrick Lamar one made me chuckle.

One of the dads brought his camera and took some awesome pics. I just love watching Hadley play, and these photos are priceless.

They are a sweet team who have fun playing together. They won their bracket on Sunday, so they ended the weekend on a high note.

On Saturday, Hayden went to the UK basketball game, and he had some time on the court before the game. So fun!

Remember my banana situation from last week?

While I was able to give a few bundles away, I did save one to make chocolate chip banana bread which was a nice mid-week treat.

Yesterday was a family affair in Louisville supporting Hadley at the indoor state meet. She qualified to run the 400m race, and we were there to cheer her on. She was one of three freshmen to qualify, and I know she was nervous. She ran a 2 second PR and had a smile on her face afterwards. We were so proud of her!

Yesterday, I shared all about what I’ve been wearing lately, and I love my new SSYS leggings.

I added a few new book trackers to my Instagram highlight. I really enjoy making those! If you use them, feel free to tag me. I’d love to see what you’re reading.

Favorite Recipe:

I tried a new dinner recipe this week: Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas…This recipe made enough for us to have them for dinner two nights! They were delish.

Favorite Mom Meme:

OMG! This is Hadley! After I shower, I can’t wait to put on my PJs…and she just sits around in her robe with her hair in a towel while scrolling her phone. It drives me crazy. haha

Weekly Recap:

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

Prime Purchases

February Books

Fashion Files

Share Our Lives:

We have our monthly Share Our Lives link up on Monday. This month’s topic is…day in the life…an average day. We’d love to have you join us.

Y’all…do you know what I have going on this weekend? Absolutely nothing! There are no kids’ activities and nothing else really on our schedule either. I’d love sleep in, binge watch a favorite show and get caught up with my life…haha! I might just have the time to do that this weekend.

Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#247} – February Monthly Moments

Posted on February 28, 2025February 27, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? I hope it was a good one!

Well, this week felt like spring which I think helped it be a good week overall. Something about the sun shining really helped my mood. haha

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

…to share my…

In January, I started this monthly post, capturing the moments from the month, both big and small.

Here’s a look at what we were up to in February.

1. Snow Days:

Well, the snow days continued in February, but the weather wasn’t as bad as it was in January.

We had three NTI days this month, two of which were last week.

While we’ve had quite the winter, and I do love the snow, this week, especially has made me excited for spring.

2. Valentine’s Day

While we don’t go all out for Valentine’s Day, I still send family a card from the kids.

It was nice that Valentine’s Day was on a Friday as we just had some time at home. I picked up a few things for the kids, and Travis and I exchanged cards.

3. Kids’ Activities

The kids’ activities kicked into full gear in February. We started the month in Gatlinburg, TN for Hadley’s volleyballl tournament, and then her team also played in a tournament in Louisville last weekend.

The kids each had a track meet in February as well. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the high school track season, but the couple of indoor meets we’ve been to have been fun. Just like when the kids were 6th graders, being a freshman is a bit of an adjustment.

I remember going to track meets when the kids were in 6th grade and thinking the 8th graders look so old. Well, now I’m comparing them as ninth graders to junior/senior runners. Wow! That being said, I know we’ll blink and they’ll be the senior runners.

4. Chiefs

Well, our KC Chiefs didn’t come out on top during the Super Bowl game, but I love getting together with my brother’s family. The cookie cake was delish, win or lose!

5. Fun with Friends

The kids have had fun with friends this month.

Hadley likes to get together with friends to do their school work on NTI days. One day, after I picked them up, Hadley needed to do a few strides at the track to break in her new spikes. The girls cheered her on.

Hadley went to a Galentines party that one of her friends hosted. She had a great time.

A couple of weeks ago, we got together with friends to hang out at a pizza place and watch the Kentucky basketball game. It was so nice hanging out for a bit.

And…

February did have some lows. Mid-month, I had a sinus infection, and then last week Hayden had the flu. Thankfully, we’re both feeling much better.

Weekly Recap:

Lots of link ups this week!

Monday Memes

What’s Up Wednesday

Monthly Musings

This was a fun look back on February. Up next…March!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#246}

Posted on February 21, 2025February 20, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, after a somewhat consistent couple of weeks, this week was an odd one. We had no school Monday for Presidents’ Day, went to school on Tuesday, and then we had NTI days due to snow and cold temps Wednesday and Thursday. As I type this, my district said they’d make the call for today this morning. Besides the wacky school week, Hayden has had the flu! He’s doing better now, but he was pretty sick.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last Friday was Valentine’s Day.

The kids had practice after school, but when they got home, I had a couple of gifts for them. They both got a few odds and ends, but I bought Hayden a quarter zip from Good Good Golf, and Hadley’s main gift was one of these wristlets from Lululemon. They are all the rage with teen girls right now.

I got Trav a card and chocolates, and he gave me a card and some chocolate covered strawberries.

I had to go to Kroger for my prescription, so while I was there I got the kids some candy, their favorite drinks, and a couple of smaller items like Chapstick. I picked up some cupcakes for dessert.

Anyway, it was a low-key evening, but fun to celebrate a bit.

We really didn’t have much going on last weekend which was perfect timing because I was getting over a sinus infection.

A couple of months ago, we were out with friends at a new pizza place in town. We spotted the private room they had and asked about it. We looked ahead at the UK basketball schedule, and booked the room for last Saturday. The fire was going, there were a few TV’s, serve yourself soft drinks, and we had our own waitress. So, we ordered apps, pizza, and drinks throughout the night. For the room, you had to spend $500. We spent a bit more than that, but we divided it among eight families. So, it was just a fun way to get together and watch a basketball game.

On Monday, since we were off of school, and everyone was still healthy, the kids and I ran some errands and then stopped for lunch at Shake Shack. We were only out and about for a couple of hours, but it was nice doing something with them on a day off. As you know, we’ve had a ton of snow days, but we’re usually at home or Hadley will go to a friend’s house to do her school work. Anyway, it was just a nice afternoon.

I know it’s crazy the amount of snow days and NTI days we’ve had, but our winters aren’t usually this active. While I’m ready for spring, the snowfalls have been pretty and you never know what the next year might bring. We’ve had winters with only a couple inches of snow in the past.

Not a favorite but the NTI days saved me from using sick days to take care of Hayden. Also, the pediatrician’s office feels so odd at this age. Seeing the little kids compared to my teenage boy is bittersweet. We’ve gone to the same pediatrician the kids’ whole lives, and when he walked in to see Hayden, he said, “Well, who is this guy?” haha…I don’t think Hayden’s been there since last spring, so I’m sure he’s grown a bit.

Wednesday night Travis and Hadley went to the UK basketball game and had some great seats. I was receiving lots of texts and messages with people spotting them behind UK’s bench. haha

Last weekend, Hadley and I watched Sweet Home Alabama. That’s one of my favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in years, and it was on Hulu. Hadley really liked it.

Speaking of Reese Witherspoon, I also watched her new movie with Will Farrell, You’re Cordially Invited. One of my favorite comedians, Leanne Morgan is also in it. It’s a quirky and funny movie…but I’m glad it was included in my Prime membership, and I didn’t have to pay extra to watch it.

Favorite Meals:

I kept our dinners pretty simple including sheet pan nachos…

…and a new recipe I tried: Bubble Up Pizza Bake…I didn’t get a picture of it as I assembled it and Hadley baked it…but we all loved it. Per Hadley’s request, I actually might make it again next week and add sausage to the pepperoni.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Man, this is so true, but I also know that in less than two years, they can take themselves wherever they need to go!

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a couple of posts:

Tuesday Talk: Skin Care

Thursday Thoughts: THings I Love

I hope you have a great weekend! Next week, our temps are on the rise, so maybe we’ll get back to some kind of normalcy!

Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#245}

Posted on February 14, 2025February 13, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…and happy Valentine’s Day!

How was your week? Ours was odd with a snow day on Tuesday. That meant that Wednesday felt like a Monday again! And, I’m still battling my cold which I think is now officially a sinus infection. I’m hoping this is the end of the sickness at my house!

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

Here are some favorites from the week.

On Saturday, Hayden had his second indoor mile race of the season, and he ran a PR of 4:47.

While Hayden was running, Hadley was playing in a sand volleyball tournament with her friends.

Last Thursday, I (finally) put out a few Valentine’s Day decorations. My Valentine’s Day decor doesn’t really change from year to year, but this little heart vase and flowers were a cute addition to my kitchen island tray. The Hershey Kisses don’t last very long!

On Sunday, Hadley and about ten friends had a Galentine’s Day party. One of her friends hosted and was sweet to ask her to come.

They had lots of fun hanging out, having a few snacks and making their own floral bouquets.

Sunday evening, we went to my brother’s house for the Super Bowl. Obviously, the outcome wasn’t a favorite, but we’re lucky to say it’s a tradition to watch the Chiefs in the Super Bowl these past few years.

Win or lose, getting a cookie cake is a favorite tradition too.

All smiles…before the game! haha

My mom gave me this belated birthday card. My favorite ladies!

…and a belated birthday gift. She has this butter dish from Crate and Barrel. I thought it was neat and pretty, so she gave me one too!

Valentine’s Day Card:

The Valentine’s Day card for family continues. This is a fun tradition through the years.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This…#accurate

Favorite Teacher Memes:

As a teacher, I thought these next two graphics are very relatable for me.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I will always share these pics of my little Valentines…

Weekly Recap:

I was a link up girl this week!

Share Our Lives

Let’s Look

Wednesday Hodgepodge

This three day weekend, we actually don’t have much going on…and I think it’s just what the doctor ordered!

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#244}

Posted on February 7, 2025February 6, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was another full week, and we’ve definitely gotten back into a school/sports groove, finally. Unfortunately, Trav had the flu and was sick all week. It hit him hard, but I think he’s finally turned a corner.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

In honor of Ground Hog’s Day, this meme made me laugh…I wish I could relate to it a bit less. haha

Last weekend, we went to Gatlinburg, TN for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. Trav and Hayden tagged along as well. After school, we headed to G-burg, and then Hadley’s team had three games Saturday afternoon and evening.

It was nice having some down time on Saturday morning…we had breakfast at the hotel, Hadley slept in, Trav and Hayden went for a run, and I went for a walk. Then, we headed to Rocky Top Sports World for the games.

The girls went 2-1 in pool play…

…making it to the gold bracket games on Sunday.

…they came in third in the gold bracket, and won a bronze medal. As always, it was fun watching them play.

Saturday night, one mom ordered a bunch of pizzas and the girls and parents hung out in the lobby while watching the UK vs Arkansas game. This was a big game because UK’s former coach, Coach Cal, is at Arkansas now. Hayden watched the game in the room but came down for pizza at halftime. He started to watch the second half with us, but got frustrated and went back to the room.

Unfortunately, UK lost, but we did have a great evening hanging out.

I made a few more February book trackers. They’re saved in a highlight on my Instagram. If you use them, feel free to tag me, and I’ll share! (To use them, you just hold the story down and screen shot the book tracker. Then, you upload it and add a pic of your book to the book tracker and publish it in your story!)

I should have shared this Target sweatshirt sooner! The gingham heart is so cute. I’ve worn it quite a few times in the past month, and I will of course wear it next week on Valentine’s Day. There are a few sizes left.

How cute is this cherry heart sweatshirt? There are a lot of size options left. This “love” one is precious too!

This never happens, but we were down to one hand soap (and I always have one in both of the upstairs bathrooms and one in the kitchen), so I popped into Bath and Body Works yesterday. I took advantage of the 5 for $27 hand soap deal. The “foaming” soap is my preference, so I stocked up.

While I was there, this “book loft” candle caught my eye. Three wick candles were $14.95, so I went ahead and got it. I prefer single wick candles as they aren’t overpowering, but I loved the title and scent of this one. It really does smell so good. It’s a very clean and subtle scent.

Favorite Mom Meme:

*not me fussing at Hayden yesterday when we needed to leave for school*

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of fun posts this week:

Prime Purchases

Let’s Lunch

Share Our Lives:

Well, I had to double check the calendar, but Monday is indeed the second Monday of the month, so we’ll have our Share Our Lives link up.

This month’s topic is…tips for falling asleep! Sleep….one of my favorite things!

What are your weekend plans?

My family has our eyes set on Sunday when we cheer our Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl! Fingers crossed for a V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! #threepeatplease

Have a great weekend,

Everyday Life, Friday Favorites, Monthly Moments

Friday Favorites {#243}: January Monthly Moments

Posted on January 31, 2025January 30, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and TGIF! Happy last day of January. It’s felt like the longest month.

Y’all, only a few hours stand between us and the weekend, and I’m grateful to have made it through this five day week. It’s been a minute since we’ve logged a full week of school thanks to winter break and the weather.

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

…to share my…

One of my favorite posts to write at the end of the year is when I take a look back on the year. While I will still probably write that post, I thought it would be fun to share the highlights of each month.

My goal is to share four to five moments rather than a laundry list of all that we did in a month.

Since these are some of my favorite moments from the month, I’m still on track with a Friday favorites post.

1. SnOMG

First of all…SnOMG! We got snow and ice on January 5th, and there’s still some snow in some spots. Well, it will be gone today thanks to the rain we’ve been getting.

We had one week of traditional snow days. Then, we had three NTI (non-traditional instruction) days before finally going back to school on Thursday, January 16th. The following week, we had another NTI day due to the below zero temps.

The snow was so pretty, but I’m also appreciating the warmer temps now.

2. Reformer Pilates

Thanks to the snow days, I was able to go to a few Reformer Pilates classes. I think I’ve been to five now, and each one is different! I really enjoy this workout, and I hope to do it when I can…especially in the summer when the class times align more with my schedule.

3. My Birthday

I celebrated my birthday…on a snow day! I’ve never had a snow day birthday in all my 23 years teaching. Since it was an NTI day, I was able to go to a Pilates class, grab a Starbucks and then head home for my Zoom meeting.

We went out to dinner, and then had a Bundt cake for dessert.

4. Volleyball

Hadley started her club volleyball season a couple of weeks ago. Her team made it to the gold bracket in their first tournamnet, and had lots of fun playing!

5. KC Chiefs

To round out the month, the KC Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills in a nail-biter AFC Championship game last Sunday. It was such a good game, and we’re looking forward to the Super Bowl!

The news of the DC plane crash is so heartbreaking, and I can’t imagine what those families and communities are going through. Life can change in an instant.

I hope to share this post on the last day of every month…just a way to be grateful to the moments each month, both big and small.

Weekly Recap:

I had a good week of blog posts…

Monday Memes

January Books

Monthly Musings

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#242}

Posted on January 24, 2025January 23, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, another Friday post after another odd week for us. We had a three day weekend, and then an NTI day on Wednesday due to the frigid temps. Next week, it looks to be in the 40’s, so we’ll feel like it’s a heat wave.

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

I’m keeping my favorites short and sweet this week….

To start, I loved having a three day weekend….and then one snow day! Well, it was an NTI day, but since we knew ahead of time, at least I didn’t have to set my alarm. Next week looks like it will be warmer, so I’m guessing we’ll have our first five day school week since December 16-20.

Last weekend, Hadley’s club volleyball team kicked off their season!

Hadley was excited to get her #14 jersey…that’s her favorite number. Mine too! She’s playing Libero again for her team.

They made it to the gold bracket which is great for their first tournament.

I ordered a new set (different brand) of Bento boxes for my lunches since the other set I ordered the lids wouldn’t stay secure. Anyway, this new set has been working perfectly.

I’m loving my new lunch tote which was a gift suggestion I gave to my mother-in-law. It’s so roomy, and has a side pocket and then another side pocket that zips. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and I’m loving the leopard.

I have quite a few of Shay’s cookbooks, but I’d never made her Chicken Sausage Pasta recipe. I made it for dinner this week, and I thought it was delish.

Favorite Kid Quote:

I walked in the kitchen last night, and Hayden was on his computer. I asked him what he was doing (meaning – what was he working on?), and he said, “I plead the fifth!” I chuckled…and immediately texted his Government teacher. haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

Where is the lie?!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Teacher TAlk Tuesday

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Thursday Thoughts

What are your weekend plans? I have a friend (and her family) coming in town tonight. On Sunday, I’m cashing in one of my Christmas presents…a massage at a spa! Then, we’ll be cheering on the KC Chiefs!

Have a great weekend.

Friday Favorites, Me

Friday Favorites {#241}

Posted on January 17, 2025January 16, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this was a different kind of week for us…three NTI days and then two days back to school. Yesterday, was a good day, but I’m tired! It kind of felt like the actual first day of school.

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

This week was basically about my birthday. If you know me, then you know that’s really “on brand” for me….as I always look forward to my birthday. haha

But, really –with all the snow days and the kids just in the practice phase of their sports right now, we didn’t have a ton going on. It was a good week though.

A few days before my birthday, we went to Jeff Ruby’s for a family dinner.

Jeff Ruby’s went all out for my birthday…just look at the menu! haha

We’ve been to this restaurant a few times, and I usually get sushi whereas Trav and the kids usually order steak. The sushi was delish.

Then, it was time for dessert. Jeff Ruby’s doing the most…

I didn’t want any attention, and out walks our server with my dessert on fire! At least no one sang to me!

We also ordered cheese cake and a gooey butter cake as well to share around the table. For special occasions, the server takes your picture, prints it out and gives it to you as a keepsake.

This one is a keeper:

On my actual birthday, we had a snow day. In 23 years as a teacher, I’ve never had a snow day on my birthday. That morning, I went to Pilates class and then picked up my free Starbucks. I got an email for a free Jimmy John’s birthday sandwich, so since we were home for the snow day, that’s what we had for lunch.

(BTW: I’m sure both of these freebies have a time frame in which to cash in…I just had the time to do so on Tuesday)

After dinner, Trav and the kids gave me flowers and a card…and bubble letters on the card, of course.

Then, it was cake time! Bundt cake for my birthday! It was delish.

Wednesday morning, I picked up another Starbucks (I’m loving the cold brew with peppermint foam) and had a slice of cake for a late breakfast. This is one of my traditions (if we have cake leftover. haha)

Yesterday, was back to school. I packed my lunch in my new containers that I got as a Christmas gift. These were my suggestion to Trav’s mom as she needed some ideas, but now that I’m using them…the lid only seems to snap on/stay secure on one side…which is a bummer. I will give them another try, but I might have to find a different brand on Amazon.

My lunch was perfect…and I was able to take one of my favorite things…a “snack plate” lunch to take to school.

I still love sharing what I’m reading on my Instagram account. When I started making the book trackers last year, I only had a couple for January and February, so I made a couple new ones to add to my Instagram highlight.

If you use any of them, feel free to tag me!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Only occasional swearing? j/k!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week…

Share our Lives

Let’s Look

Currently

Well, we were back to school for two days, and now we have a three day weekend. It’s hard to get in a groove lately, but I will take the extra day of rest!

Thanks for reading,

Friday Favorites, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#240}

Posted on January 10, 2025January 9, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday.

Well, this time last week, I was prepping to go back to school…but as of today, I’ve had a three week winter break. In all my years teaching, I’ve never had a three week winter break!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Well, we didn’t do much this week, so I don’t have a ton to share. Most of my favorites are snow day (week) related!

I finally put up my Christmas decorations, and I switched out my “Merry Christmas” garden flag out for my “Let it Snow” flag which is the one I put out in January and for most of February.

I guess it’s a good luck charm…look at our snow (and ice!)…

Sunday, we got about six inches of snow followed by some ice. On Monday, it snowed even more and my teacher work day was canceled.

Tuesday was to be the kids’ first day back to school, but since it was a snow day, I made our traditional snowman pancakes! Trav’s farm didn’t have power, so he was home too to enjoy this breakfast too.

On Sunday and Monday, the kids bundled up and went sledding with friends. They had lots of fun.

I got this mug out of my cabinet for my morning coffee. Our neighborhood looked like a winter wonderland.

Last weekend, I went to Trader Joe’s for a few things, and they had their wreaths out, so I picked one up. Usually, I get their fresh garland for the front porch at Christmas, but we never decorated outside this year. This wreath is pretty, and it looks pretty with the snow.

I spy Homer…

Ice, ice baby! While I was outside taking a couple icicle pics, I heard a snap and I looked up to see a huge section of our neighbor’s tree fall with a thud in a neighbor’s yard. The top 1/3rd of the tree was leaning on the electrical line. Thankfully, we didn’t lose power.

One thing I love about being home in the summer and on other breaks is just making “snack plates” for lunch.

Sprite “chill” is so good, and I love the rosemary almonds from Trader Joe’s. I’d saved a recipe I saw on Instagram for a cream cheese dip. I made it on Sunday and snacked on it all week. It’s just cream cheese, chopped up pickle, dried beef (I never know what this is — I just always buy the little beef lunch meat packets), salt and pepper. Mix it all together…and we’ve been on a Wheat Thins kick around here.

After taking quite the workout break the past couple of months, I’m making it a goal to work out as much as possible in January. I went to the gym one day with Hayden and then with Hadley another day. It was a pretty walk to and from the car.

I was really dragging my feet putting up the Christmas decorations…I guess because I wanted a week of enjoying them after we got home from KC…and it’s an effort getting the tubs up and down from the attic. Then, as the days went on, I realized I had time to put it off. haha!

Anyway, I took everything down one day, and then put out my regular decor the next.

Trav had his brother take the kids’ pics last year, and I just never put this one out. I found a spot for it, and my Gma gave me this candle stick that my great great grandfather made. I like the juxtaposition of old and new.

Last night, a few of us moms got together to chat and we played Play Nine for a few hours. The general consensus was that we all needed out of the house (and have a break from our families?! #maybe)