Category: Holidays

Posted in Holidays, Monthly Musings

Monthly Musings

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! It’s hard to believe that this time next week is Christmas Day. I feel like December has been a blur.

Holly and Patty are hosting their last Monthly Musings link up of 2025 a little bit early, so I’m joining them today.

This month’s topic is about…holidays and ringing in the new year.

1. What holidays do you celebrate?

This time of the year, we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. I love something different about each one…Thanksgiving is always time spent with family while feasting on a great meal. Christmas includes many family traditions, and New Year’s Day brings a fresh start and one of my favorite months…January.

2. Scale of 1-10…how into the holidays are you this year?

I’m probably between a 7 and an 8. I always look forward to decorating for Christmas, and it’s been a bit more “festive” this year with the uncharacteristic snow that we’ve had in December. I don’t love wrapping gifts, but I do love when loved ones open gifts that they are receiving. I appreciate traditions that we have like baking cookies and going to the Horse Park lights. I’m close to a 10 when school is out, and I have a bit more time to relax.

3. Favorite things to make/bake during the holidays?

We typically decorate some cookies with family.

Then, I usually bake a few cookies with my kids…typically Peanut Butter Blossoms and Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies.

I always make a Chocolate Peppermint Bundt cake for Christmas dessert.

4. Favorite holiday movies?

I don’t typically watch holiday movies until winter break, so sometimes I’m watching Christmas movies after Christmas, but it’s still a fun tradition to watch some of my faves. Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie, and we always watch A Christmas Story on Christmas morning. The Holiday is one I tend to watch on my own at some point, and You’ve Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping are two of my faves that aren’t necessarily Christmas movies, but I tend to think so.

5. Most random holiday tradition?

I guess it’s not that random, but the white elephant exchange at Trav’s mom’s house feels that way since we get random things. It’s always funny to see what other people bring.

6. Are you hosting the holidays?

No, I’m not hosting, but my mom and Gma were in town last weekend, and I hosted cookie decorating after we went to lunch on Saturday.

7. Favorite way to ring in the new year?

Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s Eve…I’m happy not to stay up late…haha

That being said, the past few years we’ve gotten together with friends which has been fun.

8. Any new year’s resolutions or word of the year?

I don’t typically do a new years’ resolution…but on NYE, we’ve drawn words and that’s been fun.

This month, I started tracking my eating using My Fitness Pal and making a point to get back to working out. September-November were hard in regards to finding time for workouts. I don’t feel like I was eating too poorly, and I’m not going to say no to a Christmas cookie, but I just wanted to go into the new year feeling a little more in control. I saw someone on Instagram mention treating December 1st as January 1st, and I liked that line of thinking.

I’m really looking forward to a fresh start in January. 2025 wasn’t really what I thought it would be. I’ve had to be brave this year…as a mom, wife, and even for myself at times, and I wasn’t really expecting that. I know a new year isn’t a magic wand, but I’m hoping to regroup a bit to kick off 2026.

9. Favorite holiday songs?

I’ve always loved “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”

10. Favorite holiday memory?

I feel blessed that there are so many, and I know that I’m creating memories for my kids.

I love the Santa pics through the years…

…and the tradition of the kids picking out gifts for each other. Even that tradition isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still fun.

Monthly Musings is always one of my fave link ups, and now I’m really in the holiday spirit!

Posted in Enneagram, Holidays

Monday Memo

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was really good. Did you read my post on Friday? I shared a few gift ideas, but I also mentioned that I was waiting to hear if we’d have a snow day…well, we did! Then, we got more snow over the weekend, and bitterly cold temps followed, so we have yet another snow day today.

My school district is going to use the non-traditional instruction this year again, but they decided not to start that until after winter break! So, we’ve already had three traditional snow days in December. Hopefully, we don’t have to make all of these up in June!

Anyway, we had family in town for an early Christmas. We decorated cookies, opened gifts, and had dinner together.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared an Enneagram post, but @mirabellecreations shared this one about prepping for the holidays, and I thought it was pretty accurate for my 5w6 self!

Enneagram 5:

  • Researching the history of every family tradition– I’d say this is pretty true. I love traditions, and appreciate some of the ones we have in our family. Just this weekend, we made our traditional waffle cookies using the waffle iron that my great-great-grandfather brought from Germany.
  • Choosing thoughtful gifts that are exactly right: I do think I do a good job with this. Of course, I end up ordering many things online, but I still think they can be really personal. I ordered my mom this tote from Bauble Bar and she really liked it. I like giving something personal. Recently, I went to a local boutique, and it was fun to shop in person. I got a few things including a cute tea towel and notepad for my Gma. It’s nice when you’re out shopping and you see things that remind you of loved ones.
  • Planning quiet pockets of rest: Uh…yes! Now, sometimes those pockets of quiet time don’t happen until after Christmas, but I do try and factor in time to wrap presents, watch a movie, bake cookies, etc.
  • Staying up late reading by the Christmas tree: Well, is there anything better? Actually, I couldn’t really sleep yesterday morning, and I got up early and decided to finish the book I was reading. It was nice to have the glow of the Christmas tree as I sipped my coffee and read. (I will share December books before the year ends, but I will go ahead and say that I highly recommend Christmas with the Queen. Loved it SO much!)
  • Observing all the chaos with a warm cup of something: Yes! You know I love my cup of coffee, but lately, I’ve been an iced coffee girl. I’m just really enjoying using my new festive glasses.

Enneagram 6:

  • Keeping track of all the traditions being completed: That’s definitely me, but I also don’t think we overdo it which is nice. Typically, we bake cookies one day, go to the Horse Park lights, the kids each get a gift for each other, and a few other things we do. Just last night, I told Trav we need to go see the Horse Park lights this week.
  • Triple check travel plans and weather forecasts: This is definitely me. I’m a worrier about the weather as we’ve definitely had times where we are traveling to KC at the holidays and there’s snow in the forecast. Just this weekend, I worried about family getting to and from Lex safely with our forecasted weather. Obviously, if the weather is bad, we can pivot and probably adjust schedules by a day or two. We’ve always made it work somehow.
  • Brings emergency kit and snacks: Any travel needs snacks, of course!
  • Watching all the classic holiday movies: I tend to watch holiday baking shows in December. That being said, I have many movies I like to watch in the holiday season or on break like A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and The Holiday. Some movies aren’t necessarily Christmas movies, but ones I tend to watch during this time like You’ve Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping.
  • Feeling extra grateful for the people who feel like home: I know the holidays can be stressful, and sometimes they are hectic, but I’m always grateful to spend time with extended family, but I also really enjoy the time at home with my family of four too. When we go to Louisville and KC, we’re able to spend time with family we don’t see as often as we’d like. When we stay home for Christmas, we have a few traditions like hanging with friends after the Christmas Eve church service. I like that our holidays are predictable but vary a bit year to year.

Overall, these were pretty accurate for me.

Today, I hope to spend some time making one final list of the last few things I need to buy (mostly stocking stuffers and a couple of gift cards) and maybe I can get some wrapping accomplished?!

Have a great Monday!

Posted in Holidays, This and That

Hodgepodge

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

This week is moving right along, and I’m playing catch-up. It’s been a bit since I’ve linked up with Joyce, and while she hosts her “hodgepodge” on Wednesdays, I didn’t have time to finish this post. Anyway, better late than never!

Here are my answers to her prompts this week:

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over?

I do feel like there is a lot of commercialization with the holiday, but I just try to focus on what matters the most to my family during the holiday season. We enjoy baking, watching movies, and having downtime. When the kids were little, I started with “want, need, wear, read” and that was a good guide for shopping…and then Santa brought a couple of bigger gifts. Honestly, what gets me is stockings…I always buy more than can fit in the stockings. haha

2. What’s one small thing you want to savor before the year ends?

I always savor the time off…but most of the time, our time off is after the busyness of Christmas. I just really appreciate having two weeks to finish up Christmas prep odds and ends, time with family, and time to do things I’ve been putting off during the busy school years.

I also want to savor all the holiday decor. It’s fun going shopping and seeing Christmas lights and decorations as well as seeing lights on neighbors’ homes.

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so, does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays?

We do still send Christmas cards, and I love the tradition. I truly love opening the mail and seeing friends and family’s cards.

Some friends we don’t see often, so it’s great to see how their kids are growing. My mom, Gma, and aunt always send homemade cards which are special.

I just feel like people don’t send them as much because of lack of time, price of stamps, and social media. We all kind of keep up with friends in different ways now, but I love the tradition of sending a card. It might be one of those things that I give up as my kids get older, but I assume I will send one for a few more years.

4. What’s your least favorite holiday task? What’s your favorite?

I think my least favorite task is having to organize ideas to send to others…but that is definitely easier now that the kids are older. It doesn’t “help” that the kids’ birthday is in November, so, especially when they were little, I had to give ideas to family members in November and December (what a blessing though, I know!)….and then that also meant, we had lots of items coming in (again, obviously a blessing) and not really the time to purge. Sometimes, it just felt like a lot for my “type A” personality when I didn’t have time to get organized. When I’d get overwhelmed, Trav would say, “Tell them to text me.” My response would be “You’re the worst at responding to texts, so that’s why they text me.” haha!

As the kids have gotten older, cash has been the main gift from family for their birthdays and then I tell the kids to give Christmas gift ideas…or they don’t get anything. haha!

Also, I don’t love wrapping presents…I mean, I want to …but I just don’t. I will get organized, turn on a movie, sit in the basement and wrap, but then I still have to get up and down a hundred times, I always run out of tape, I’m never as organized as I want to be and so on. I always seem to be sweating at the end. haha!

I don’t know if it’s a task, but I do enjoy baking a few traditional cookies. Often times, I wait until we’re on break, and bake a few cookies with the kids.

5. Let’s do a little holiday this or that.

  • shopping or wrapping – as I stated above…I dislike wrapping…and I don’t mind shopping. Most of my shopping is online, but that actually makes me enjoy the in person shopping I do.
  • baking or decorating – I like both, but decorating takes more energy and baking is usually just one afternoon. If I had to choose, baking would be something I enjoy more.
  • real tree or artificial – Through the years, we’ve had both. Honestly, I love a real tree, but not the maintenance. With an artificial one, I can put it up a bit early and leave it up a bit longer.
  • turkey or ham – ham. Turkey is for Thanksgiving.
  • white lights or colored lights – Colored lights are fun, but I love the simplicity of white lights.
  • ugly sweaters or matching pjs- matching PJs…so fun!
  • peppermint or cinnamon – Peppermint during the Christmas season.
  • presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day – Christmas Day is when we open gifts. On the years we are home for Christmas, sometimes we let the kids open their presents from each other on Christmas Eve.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Today, we’re having our English department potluck. I made a loaf of chocolate peppermint cake (from the Trader Joe’s mix), and I’m also putting meatballs in my slow cooker once I get to school. We’re also doing a white elephant gift exchange. It will be a great way to enjoy our lunch together.

Have a great and festive day!

Posted in Holidays, Home Decor

Holiday Home Tour

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start. We had some snow again yesterday, and a few districts even called off school. We had school though which is fine by me because I’m feeling the end of the semester crunch!

Today, I’m sharing a little “holiday home” tour, and while my decor doesn’t look too different than what I shared last year or the year before that, I did purchase a couple new things, and I’ve actually simplified what I put out a bit.

Most of my main areas look the same like the entry way, Christmas village, and mantel….

This year, I changed up the trunk a bit in the living room. I wanted neutral trees rather than the red, white and green ones I’ve had in the past. Trav suggested I get a wreath for the mirror, and I found the perfect one at Target as well as a couple of packs for festive ribbon.

My coffee table doesn’t change much, but I added ribbon to the tree that I’ve had for years.

It’s the perfect little touch. Also, y’all…

…how cute is this book of matches?!? I was shopping at a local boutique for gifts for family, and saw these and had to have them!

When I was at Michael’s, I bought this plaid candle. I usually have a white candle in there year round, but just thought the plaid was festive.

The office area doesn’t look too different, but usually I put the basket in the basement. This year, I decided to add a red blanket to it and keep the basket upstairs.

The tree is also in the office area, and the middle section seems dimmer than it should be. Ugh! This is our third year with this artificial tree.

(This pic is from last year, and it makes me happier than my current situation!)

One thing that does make me happy is the addition of a couple new ornaments.

Through the years, I’ve wished that I was better about getting ornaments when we travel. The past few years, I have done a better job picking up or ordering ornaments. This year, I got an Isle of Palms one when we went there for spring break. Even though we’d been there a few times in the past, I’d never picked up an ornament. I also got one when Trav and I went to the Lake Michigan area this summer.

I also continued the tradition of ordering ornament using our Christmas card photo as keepsakes for your tree. We were dressed up nice twice this summer for our niece and then our nephew’s wedding, so I had ornaments made to remember those occasions.

I mentioned last week that my Gma gave the kids a couple Nutcrackers from her collection.

They look perfect on the cabinet in the office which is where I keep the couple I’ve picked up through the years. I think you can tell which ones are OG’s and which ones are dupes!

My mom gave me this little tree…

My friends sent me this plant a few weeks ago, and the pop of red is the perfect holiday touch for the fireplace.

I have one of the Christmas tree taper candles in the hall with a few trees and Nativity scene.

The other taper candle is in the kitchen next to the skinny tree. This tree is usually in our bedroom, but I decided to keep it out in the kitchen for now.

My Gma gave my brother and I each a Nutcracker cookie jar, and it looks perfect in this little corner of my kitchen. Also, I used to put a holiday sign on this stand, but this year, I pulled out an old cookbook and added a ribbon.

Also in the kitchen, I wasn’t planning on it, but the little tray was decked in all my favorite red cleaning supplies.

Well, besides the Santa matches, I also bought this cute tea towel at the boutique. I just couldn’t say no (and both of those purchases were very affordable)

The sunroom is one of the areas I’ve simplified. Nobody goes out there in the winter, and if we leave the couch cushions down for long, Homer hops up there. So, I just added a few touches to the tray.

Overall, outside looks the same. I’ve had the door hanger for years as well as the pillow covers.

I did get this doormat at Target and the plaid rug is from one of my trips to Hobby Lobby.

Some years, we put out Christmas lights, but we haven’t done much the past couple of years. We used to have trees that lit up, but we haven’t had them in a while. This year, I ordered a set of two, and mine are sold out, but there’s a cute snowy set. I got the ribbon at Michael’s, and I love the pink and red.

They look really pretty at night, but it’s certainly not the same as when we put lights on our porch.

So, that’s a little tour of our home. It’s been nice having some downtime in the evening to relax and enjoy the cozy space.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Travel

Friday Favorites {#283}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Of course, I’m always team “TGIF,” but something about Fridays in December are just a bit better.

We had a little bit of everything this week from re-entry after Thanksgiving break to a snow day and the kids having busy evenings with activities.

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

This is a super-sized Friday Favorites from Thanksgiving tidbits to festive fun.

Going back to last week, we were in KC for Thanksgiving. We drove a bit after school on Tuesday and finished the rest of the drive on Wednesday. Overall, we had a pretty chill KC visit which was fine by me.

Of course, I had to catch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thanksgiving morning.

My dad’s cousin hosts that side of the family, and there are probably thirty people there…my cousin outdoes herself with the tablescape and place settings.

I always look forward to the personalized chocolate turkey! It’s a fun and sweet tradition!

We snapped some family photos…

My brother and his family were there too!

Can you go to KC without getting BBQ? Per Hayden’s request, we had some for lunch on Friday.

The girls baked cookies…

…and we spent some time with my Gma. When I think of my Gma, I always think of cardinals and Nutcrackers. She has quite the collection of both…and she passed down a Nutcracker to each of the great grandkids.

We also made a visit to the Magic tree which is a fun tradition. It had started to rain, so we had to snap our pics quickly…

GG was in on the fun…

We left around noon in Saturday and drove home mostly in the rain which was no fun. There was actually snow on the ground for quite a bit of our drive through Missouri and Illinois.

Sunday morning me thanked pre-Thanksgiving me because it was nice to sip my coffee by the glow of the Christmas tree.

The Nutcrackers have found a home…

….as did this cookie jar…another hand me down from my Gma. My brother received one as well.

My mom gave my sister-in-law and me one of these cute Christmas trees… I hope I can keep it alive!

Topsys Popcorn in a KC staple, and it’s one of my fave traditions to get some during the holiday season. I don’t think they always do it, but now it’s in some grocery stores there, so my dad picked some up. The crew plowed through it, so I picked up a couple of tubs to bring home.

I shared my Trader Joe’s haul yesterday, and I love this festive bag.

Sunday, I put out our outside decorations. We don’t do much, but we haven’t had light up trees in a couple of years. I purchased a set of two on Amazon, and they arrived just in time. I was pleasantly surprised with them.

They have a battery pack, and I did wonder about turning them off and on every night…but lo and behold when I went to turn them off the first night, they’d gone out…and then they were lit up the next day. So, they must have a timer that I didn’t realize. My version appears to be sold out, but they have a “snow” version.

On a Target run a couple of weeks ago, I picked up the wreath for the mirror as well as a cute pack of ribbon. I decided to tie some on the coffee table tree that I’ve had for years, and it’s the perfect festive touch.

On that same trip to Target, I lucked into finding two of the Christmas icon glasses. I got one tree and one gingerbread man. I wish I’d picked up a couple more because it appears they are sold out.

Classic…cold milk and a couple of Oreos for dessert.

I also use them for iced coffee…so festive and cute.

We had a snow day on Tuesday which was kind of unexpected. The meteorologists were talking about a chance of 2-5 inches of snow, and it was certainly cold enough, but I don’t think I’ve every had a snow day in December!

Our streets were fine by 9am, so I guess the timing was just right with snow covered roads when the buses would be driving their routes.

I actually went to school to set up my tree…This was the one that Hayden put in his room when he was little, but it’s been in our attic. Next year, I need to remember to add a few more lights. The tree skirt, beaded garland (I probably should have gotten two strands), and ornaments are all from Amazon.

One of my favorite food trucks came to school yesterday. I love not having to pack my lunch, and I love the “mozzaroni” sandwich to warm me up on a cold day.

I shared my December book trackers on Instagram. They are saved in a highlight, so feel free to use them and tag me. I love seeing what others are reading.

Favorite Mom Meme:

’tis the season (of life!)

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This pic is from 2013…and it was the first time the kids went ice skating. We were in KC for Thanksgiving, and we went ice skating at Crown Center which is something we used to do when I was a kid. Like with most things, Hadley hopped right on the ice, and Hayden was a bit hesitant. Their personalities haven’t changed much since then!

Share Our Lives:

We have our last Share Our Lives link up of 2025! We’d love to have you join us!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week!

Prime Purchases
November books
Tis the Season: Trader Joe’s

I hope you have a fun and festive holiday weekend!

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Sweet 16

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Today, I’m sharing how we celebrated the kids turning 16!! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached this milestone.

I’ve probably shared this story before, but we found out pretty early on that we had a “baby A” and a “baby B.” When I looked at the ultrasound screen and saw two little bubbles on the screen, the first words out of my mouth were, “When they turn 16, do we have to buy them each a car?” And…here we are! (And the answer is no. lol!)

You know I do birthdays big, but we’ve adjusted through the years based on what the kids want to do. The past couple of years, Hadley has still wanted a party with her friends while Hayden is fine without all the fanfare.

Of course, I still want them to be celebrated in ways, both big and small!

The night before their birthday, I still kept up the streamer tradition. Honestly, I almost forgot!

Thursday morning started off with muffins for breakfast, and I’ve been using this chalkboard for birthdays and first day of school since the elementary years!

Hadley was up early and off to Bible study, and Hayden and I had to be at school a little earlier than usual, so presents waited until the evening.

Hadley had shared lots of ideas on the Giftful app, while Hayden (eventually) sent me seven screen shots with a variety of UK shirts! haha

Oh, the difference in boys and girls! We opened a couple of gifts before going to dinner.

After dinner, it was cake time!

My brother and his family went to dinner with us, and they came over for cake and presents.

A couple of the kids’ friends came over too to help us celebrate them big. Overall, it was a great evening …school night birthdays hit different! haha

On Saturday, Hadley had a birthday party with her friends, and it truly turned out better than I had expected!

There’s a flower bar in town, and that was where we hosted some of her friends. There are a couple of rooms to rent for two hours, and we rented the bigger of the two rooms. Anyone can come to the main space at any time to make bouquets (Trav got my Mother’s Day flowers there last year), and there’s a bar with a few drink options too.

Anyway, we arrived a bit early to set up in the space. Trav picked the cake up from one of our favorite bakeries, and it was beautiful. I got the cake topper from Amazon, and it was the perfect addition to the cake.

I picked up the fun 16 numbers from Amazon too. I shared in the mom group text that I can pass them along to the next birthday girl; they can be the “sisterhood of the traveling 16.” (I can also save them for her 19th birthday too. haha!)

Our niece painted the sign for Hadley, and it was just too perfect!

I made a slide show which was a fun trip down memory lane…

…and I made sure to include group and individual pics with all of her friends who were in attendance.

Hadley had requested fettuccine Alfredo, and one of my friends made it for the girls. So, they ate that once everyone arrived.

Then, it was trivia time! I had this idea at the last minute, but Hadley had the idea for sixteen questions. Hadley ran the trivia round, and two of her (longtime!) friends tied, so they each got a Starbucks/Seven Brew gift card.

Let’s just say that nobody missed Hadley’s Taco Bell order. lol

Then, it was gift time!

Hadley held up each one, and that person raised their hand as giving the gift. All of her friends made so many sweet cards. Hadley took the time to read each one as she opened the gifts.

Then, it was flower bar time! There are a ton of flowers in the main space, and then we had our own flower bar in our space. Each girl could choose seven stems for their bouquet. After they made their bouquets, we took them to the main space where they were wrapped and delivered back to our room.

While they waited for their bouquets, they took a ton of pics and did their TikToks. In case you didn’t know, you need to factor in a good thirty minutes for digital camera and TikTok time!!

Then, it was cake time. One of Hadley’s friends captured this moment, and it was just precious. Hadley’s happiness was so genuine, and she really appreciated all the girls being there.

Happy birthday to you….

…making a wish!

Once the bouquets were delivered, I got a couple of group photos. Beautiful girls, both inside and out!

My girl truly had a special afternoon with her friends.

I’m so glad we made this party happen for Hadley. I think they made the best memories that afternoon.

Hayden’s main gift is an out of town UK basketball game with Trav. I think both kids had a memorable Sweet 16!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Traditions

Friday Favorites {#280}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday! …and happy Halloween!

Wow! I feel like this week flew by…and I’m not mad about it. Overall, we had a great week.

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

I have so many favorites from this past week. I feel like we actually did more than just be at home, sports or school!

Ok, well, “starting off strong…” last Friday night I was at home. haha!

Anyway, I was so excited to start the second season of Nobody Wants This. I was able to watch a couple of episodes, and I love it.

Saturday morning I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get up and just read for a bit before starting my day. Last weekend really was the first time it started to feel like fall, so it was a nice cozy morning reading by candlelight.

Hadley celebrated a sweet friend’s birthday on Saturday…PJs and pancakes style.

While she was doing that, I ran quite a few errands…including going to Walmart. I don’t go to Walmart often, but I wanted to check out their fun ornaments. I didn’t get this one, but how cute?!

I did see this cute mini pumpkin cocotte by Pioneer Woman…and just knew it would look cute on my stove. I couldn’t decide between the orange or the white, so I picked up both.

The orange one provides a cute pop of color on my stove top.

I put the white one on the kitchen table.

It looks so cute in the tray.

Obviously, I can use them as cookware, but for now, I’ve used them more as decorations.

On Saturday, we also went to the pumpkin patch. Hadley drove us!

My happy place!

Travis said this was the first time we’d been in a while where the weather felt like fall. We appreciated the cooler temps.

I just love these fantasy pumpkins.

Hadley found the perfect pumpkin, and we picked Hayden up one since he was mowing the neighbor’s yard.

We saw people carrying a lot of pumpkins, and then saw this sign! This is a fun idea.

Sunday morning breakfast was elite…an apple cider donut and coffee in my cute pumpkin mug.

My mom went to Scotland with a friend, and she brought me home this candle. It certainly smells like fall.

Sunday afternoon, we went to see Legally Blonde, Jr…the musical.

My niece played Rufus, the dog…and of course she knocked it out of the park!

We gave her some flowers and candy after the performance.

Tuesday night was pumpkin carving night! First, we had mummy dogs and macaroni and cheese “brains.”

Hadley had a “vision” for her pumpkin…she wanted stars all over it, and she used a snowflake cookie cutter to trace her stars. Hayden carved his pumpkin within a few minutes, turned it around and said, “I’m done!” I just laughed because for whatever reason, the face just made me laugh. Simple and to the point. He went back in and added the little nose.

They looked perfect on the porch…

…and even prettier the next night in the rain.

Yesterday, at school, we had a “crocktober” potluck for lunch, and it was a great way to spend time with my teacher friends. One of my friends made this “boo sheet” cake which made me laugh. It was delish.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Maybe with the time change, the kids getting up will be a bit easier? A mom can dream!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Two flashback Fridays this week…in honor of our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch, here the kids are in 2010…their first time at the pumpkin patch…

…and their first Halloween. 2010 was a big year of wagon riding!

Weekly Recap:

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

Monday Memes
October Books
Monthly Musings

I typically share my Monthly Moments post on the last day of the month, but I had too many other great things to share today! I’ll post an October recap tomorrow.

Halloween is actually on a Friday…let’s do this!

See you back here tomorrow for a bonus post!

Posted in Holidays, Monthly Musings

Monthly Musings

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Halloween Eve! Goodness, all we’ve gotten is rain this week which has really felt like fall, but I’m ready to see the sunshine again. Thankfully, I think the rain moves out today and Halloween looks good for the trick-or-treaters.

Since it’s the last Thursday of the month, I’m linking up with Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings. I enjoy this link up so much!

This month’s topic is all about Halloween…

This is a fun way to wrap up the month…and Halloween on a Friday is the perfect way to wrap up the week!

1. Favorite Halloween traditions?

My favorite tradition is more of a fall tradition and that’s when we go to the pumpkin patch where we get apple cider donuts and see all the great pumpkins. While we’re there the kids pick our their pumpkins and those are the ones we carve. Carving pumpkins is my other favorite tradition. I really love it now because the kids can do the work on their own. haha!

2. Any special Halloween dinners or spooky snacks?

The night we carve pumpkins, I make a “special” dinner of hotdogs and mac and cheese. I used to make “bloody” fingers for years, but then I started making mummy dogs. I also make mac and cheese, but then I add green food coloring and call it “brains.” Some years I serve green grapes and say they are eyeballs. The kids humor me!

3. What do you typically do on Halloween?

Well, for years and years we trick-or-treated with friends. We had the same group that got together from when the kids were little through the elementary years.

Once the kids were in middle school, they still trick-or-treated in the neighborhood, but they kind of went out on their own, and Trav and I stayed home to pass out candy.

It’s bittersweet not trick-or-treating with kids, but I enjoy staying home and passing out candy; now it’s fun to see little ones all dressed up.

4. Do you carve or paint pumpkins?

We carve pumpkins. We used to use some of the paper templates, but now the kids just kind of choose what they want to do and wing it.

We carved pumpkins Tuesday night, and they turned out cute!

5. Favorite Halloween candy?

Screenshot

I have a sweet tooth for chocolate. I love Reese’s and Kit Kats, but I also love Sour Patch Kids.

6. What are you giving out for Halloween this year?

Candy!

Through the years, I’ve added in fruit snacks and pretzels for kids who might not want candy.

7. Full-size or fun-size?

I typically only buy fun size candy, but I let kids take a few pieces!

8. Favorite Halloween costume of all time?

I always loved getting the kids their costumes every year, and they had some great ones through the years. I loved when Hayden was his favorite Royals baseball player or Patrick Mahomes. The years that Hadley was a nerd and an 80’s girl cracked me up but…

I’ve shared time and time again, that when the kids were three Hayden wanted to be Batman, and Hadley had the idea (all on her own) to be Robin. I think her costume was the first thing I bought on Amazon. haha

9. Favorite Halloween movie?

When the kids were little, we’d always watch It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I’ll catch it occasionally…

…same with Hocus Pocus.

10. What are the trick or treat hours where you live?

Our trick-or-treat hours are 6-8. I’m glad that it looks like the weather will cooperate. I appreciate that we have a covered front porch, and Trav and I will probably sit out there to greet the trick-or-treaters.

I hope your Thursday isn’t too spooky! I teach high schoolers, so every day is spooky for me! haha

Posted in Holidays, This and That

Halloween This or That

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday! This week seems to be flying by! I love a this or that post, and especially holiday themed ones. With Halloween around the corner, I’m sharing my answers…

…for this cute graphic that I found via Pinterest, of course.

Screenshot
  1. Carve or decorate a pumpkin: Our pumpkin carving tradition is holding on strong! It’s one of my favorite traditions.

2. Haunted house or corn maze: Neither! Hello, anxiety!

3. Addams Family or Hocus Pocus: Definitely Hocus Pocus. That being said, in the car, the teen girls were talking about Wednesday. I didn’t realize there was a second season, so maybe I can watch that.

4. Chocolate candy or fruit candy? Have you met me? Chocolate for sure!

5. Witches or Vampires? Witches!

6. Pumpkin spice or hot chocolate? I don’t do pumpkin spice lattes anymore, but I’m loving the pumpkin cold brew at Starbucks.

7. Halloween party or haunted house? Again, neither? lol

I enjoy passing out candy on Halloween. I think Hadley has Halloween party plans. I’ve never been a haunted house girl because I don’t like being scared!

8. Scary movies or kid friendly movies? I don’t mind a scary movie if I’m at home. I don’t want to see one in the movie theater. Kid friendly movies are great…for me too! Most years, we watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

9. Mummies or ghosts? Ghosts! Somehow, I think they are cuter.

10. Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger? NEITHER!

11. Cute costumes or clever costumes? Cute costumes, but I’m always amazed at how clever people can be with their costume ideas. Let me remind you of the cutest costume duo ever:

12. Candy corn or malt balls? I understand if you don’t like candy corn, but who likes malt balls?! I prefer candy corn when it’s mixed with peanuts, Reese’s Pieces and Crispix.

13. Trick-or-treat or hand out candy?

Oh…I miss the trick-or-treat days.

We’ve been back to passing out candy for a few years now.

We’ve officially segued into the kids wanting to go to high school Halloween parties with their friends.

14. Spooky or sweet Halloween decorations?

My kids give me grief that I have cute decorations instead of scary ones.

15. Skeleton or scarecrow?

I love these little guys that I stick in our mums the week before Halloween.

16. Witches broom or witches cauldron? Cauldron, I guess?

17. Buy a costume or make a costume?

We always bought the kids’ costumes through the years. It was just easier…as long as they didn’t change their minds!

Some fave costumes through the years…

18. Dum Dums or Blow Pops? Blow Pops…I appreciate the gum after all the effort.

19. Monster Mash or Thriller? Thriller!

20. Pumpkin patch or fall festival?

You know I love a pumpkin patch. We didn’t get to go last year, but I think we have time on Saturday. I can’t wait!

Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my answers. Only one week left until Halloween!

Posted in Holidays

4th of July Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday! This week is just moving right along!

Well, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, so I’m recapping how we spent the 4th.

The 4th of July used to mean the kids matching in red, white and blue, sparklers and red, white and blue waffles for breakfast. Now, apparently the 4th of July means an early alarm to watch family run a 10K. haha!

Anyway, we had a great day, and I think it was even better since the 4th was on a Friday.

Trav, Hayden and our nephew were up at 5:30, and I got up around 6:00. The Bluegrass 10K started at 7:30.

The guys were ready to run! Trav didn’t run as he wanted to bike it to support our nephew who was hoping to win and beat the course record. My other nephew was running the one mile, so Trav got him situated as well after the 10K.

Anyway, here they are outside of an Irish bar on the 4th of July ready to run 6.2 miles!

I went to my spot to cheer them on, and Jacob did win! He didn’t get the course record, but he wasn’t too far off. He earned a little money all before 8:30 am!

Hayden ran with my brother-in-law for the first three miles, and then finished up on his own. He runs faster every year, and seems to have a good time!

After the one mile run and awards, we went to brunch. If French toast or huevos rancheros are on the menu, I have a tough time deciding which one to have! I went with the eggs, and it was delish.

That afternoon, my sister-in-law invited me over to her mom’s pool. Our club pool is so crowded on the 4th that I typically steer clear! So, this nice and quiet pool was a great way to spend a couple of hours. We floated around, and even the kids weren’t there!

I took a nap when I got home, and then Trav grilled hot dogs. We kept it simple with fruit and waffle fries. It was a good meal for the 4th.

Then, we headed to our regular spot for fireworks. They go off right at 10:00, so we found a spot around 9:30. Trav’s brother, his son and wife joined us too.

It’s always an awesome display, and then we’re home a little after 10:30.

Meanwhile, Hadley was at camp having a great time. She loves camp, but this year I think she did get a bit homesick. Overall, I know she made great memories, and I appreciate her friends who are there for her when she needs them.

She did say that she missed the fireworks in our typical location…they are hard to beat!

Saturday evening, Trav and I went to the pool, and they still had the cute balloon backdrop up. Our pool does go all out with fun activities and decorations for the club members.

It was a nice holiday with just enough festive fun.