Category: Inspiration

Posted in Blog challenge, Inspiration

Monday Memo

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

The Monday of a three day weekend definitely “hits different,” and while I know we had some time off recently, I always appreciate a Monday off from school.

I think I do a pretty good job not being on my phone too much. Of course, I’m on my phone for a variety of reasons like checking emails, answering texts, etc., but I try not to “doom scroll” too much!

Speaking of scrolling (ha!), I was on Pinterest, and saw this graphic and thought it was a good reminder of other ways to use our time in both creative and useful ways.

Creative:

Here are a few ways that I use time time in a creative way:

  • Journaling – This blog is my journal!
  • Drawing/painting – I don’t draw or paint, but I still like to color when I have the time.
  • Cross-stitch– I had so much fun cross-stitching a few ornaments over Christmas break. I hope to continue with that hobby!
  • DIY home decor – I’ve completed quite a few projects through the years, but not many lately. That being said, I do like updating spaces in our house with little touches like new candles and pillows.
  • Flower arranging: I buy more flowers in the spring and summer months, but I always love putting them around the house. Also, our limelight hydrangeas are always so pretty in the summer, and it’s fun to pick some and put them in vases.
Screenshot

Useful:

Here are a few ways that I use time time in a useful way:

  • Reading physical books: Ok…well, as you know, I love to read. That being said, I don’t read as many physical books as I used to. My Kindle is just more convenient for me to read (as well as audiobooks). But, I think reading on my Kindle shouldn’t count against me since reading is a good habit 🙂
  • Cooking new recipes: Well, if I don’t cook, how will we eat dinner? haha But, really, I do enjoy cooking…I just don’t love meal planning. Anyway, I like to try new recipes, and I actually probably make one new dinner a week.
  • Organizing and decluttering: Well, I do this all the time! I will say I do bigger “purges” after Christmas and during the summer when I have more time to do so.
  • Hiking/walking: I don’t get to go on nature walks or hike very often, but I do a good job getting my steps in outside…especially in the spring and fall.
  • Practicing mediation: I know it’s not exactly the same, but my quiet morning time is similar to meditation to me.
  • Self-care routine: I try!
  • Listening to audiobooks and podcasts: I’ve been listening to podcasts for quite some time, but audiobooks are still somewhat new to me. Audiobooks have been a way for me to read at least one more book a month.
  • Meal prepping: I do this in phases, but it’s always worth it when I do it. Meal planning/prepping just isn’t one of my favorite things to do.
  • Planning: Are you even a mom if you aren’t always planning something?!

What is something from this list that you do that’s a screen free hobby?

Have a great Monday!

Posted in Blog challenge, Inspiration, Me

Sunday Reflection

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Sunday!

Last month, I shared a “Sunday Reflection” looking back on the week, and I think that’s something I’m going to try to share at least once a month. It’s good to look back on the week and to look forward to the next in regards to seeing what I’ve accomplished and what goals I have for the upcoming week.

  • What made you the happiest this week? Thursday, we found the time for a family Valentine’s day dinner. I’ve kept it simple the past few years with heart shaped chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, fruit, and rolls. It was easy, and everyone loved (and appreciated) it.
  • What are your three biggest wins from the week? Well, to start, getting up at 5:50 again after a two plus week reprieve is definitely a win. Also, just getting back in school routine was also an accomplishment. I had to spend time getting with my students reviewing their NTI work and then getting in the swing of a new unit. Lastly, I was able to cross some things off my “to do” list like ordering Hadley’s volleyball pictures, making a few returns, and running a few errands. (You know, little things that you just put off and wonder what took you so long to do them?)
  • How did you spend most of your time this week? Well, besides being at school, I spent a lot of time watching the Olympics. So fun!
  • What drained your energy this week? I think the answers might always be teenagers. haha! But really – I had to do an online SAT training outside of school hours and it’s frustrating how long it took to complete. Apparently, the only thing harder than then SAT is completing the training to be a proctor for the SAT!
  • What did you do for yourself this week? I was overdue for a nail appointment, so I did that Tuesday after school. I didn’t go too far out of my wheelhouse, but I did try a new color…Let’s Be Friends….and it’s kind of a combo of my two faves…Funny Bunny and Bubble Bath.
  • What’s the greatest lesson you learned this week? I already knew this, but for some students, being at school is their safe place. There are so many students who struggled being out of school for two weeks because of their home life, food insecurity, or just being out of a school routine.
  • What do you want to do better next week? I need to get back to planning lunches. My new “go to” is to buy a bag of Caesar salad and take it to school and then bring some chicken and low-carb tortillas and just leave those things in my classroom fridge. I can usually get two to three wraps out of the bag of salad.
  • What would you like to accomplish next week? Probably just what I typically want to accomplish –getting workouts in, focusing on eating better…and I need to get better about eating more protein again, and just continuing to get into a school groove.
  • What can you do next week to take a step towards long-term goals? I need to plan all of unit 3 for my classes, so I can see when the unit will wrap up. We have district common unit assessments we have to give at the end of each unit, and I need to make that deadline.

Happy Sunday!

Posted in Inspiration, Seasonal

Olympic Food Ideas

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

Yesterday I shared a few Super Bowl app ideas which sent me down a Pinterest rabbit hole of Olympic food ideas.

Pinterest has always given me great meals, desserts and recipe ideas as well as party ideas when the kids were younger. These are all easy and fun ideas to make viewing the Olympic games even more fun.

Olympic Rings:

Starting with…the Olympic rings…but with fruit. How fun! …and a great and easy way to serve something healthy.

Gold Medals:

The opposite of healthy and just as cute are these gold medals using Oreos and Fruit by the Foot.

Snap Happy Mom has a whole post sharing ideas for Olympic themed party including the two ideas above.

Olympic Torches:

How cute are these fruit Olympic torches? Alex Daynes has a fun post sharing four Olympic party foods.

Sip and Celebrate:

This drink is easy to make with bubbly or Sprite and some gummy Life Savers. Savannahsmiled.com has a fun Olympic Watch Party post.

I wish I could be so creative! If my kids had a birthday around the time of the Olympics, I would have loved this theme!

What’s your favorite Winter Olympic event?

Posted in Inspiration, Seasonal

Hello, February!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday…and happy February 1st!

In January, I shared this post because I loved the graphic and all the good reminders…and thanks Instagram (via Pinterest), I found this one for February…or Feb-YOU-ary!

And another month of great reminders from @murphy_sketches…

I’ll be back tomorrow to share my Amazon purchases from the month.

Posted in Blog challenge, Inspiration, Me

Bloganuary: 1.25.26 – Sunday Prompts

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Sunday!

How are you faring with the winter weather? It is wild how expansive this storm has been. We were supposed to get more snow than anything else, but the freezing rain moved more our way. So, we’re waking up to snow that has fallen overnight and some freezing rain too. Bitterly cold temps follow, so we’ll see how many days of school we have this week?

I’m not sure the source, but I found this “Sunday Prompts” via Pinterest, and I thought it would be a good look back on the week.

  • What made you the happiest this week? We finally found a car for the kids. Trav went to Louisville on Friday, and we were able to surprise them Friday evening. They were genuinely surprised and also, even better, genuinely grateful. They’ve only had their licenses for a couple of months, but they never once asked when we were getting them a car. They knew we were looking, but they understood it might take a bit. Of course, they drove it Friday night and a bit yesterday morning, but now none of us are driving anywhere thanks to the weather!
  • What are your three biggest wins from the week? I left school on Friday pretty caught up on grading and with a decent plan for NTI (online learning) days if we have them this week. A third “win” probably is getting the kids a car. Trav spent lots of time and energy the past few months trying to find them one in our parameters.
  • How did you spend most of your time this week? At school…but also thinking about/hearing about the upcoming snow. Wednesday and Thursday were actually pretty slick mornings with other districts out or delayed, but we weren’t. So, it just felt like Tuesday was our only “normal” day of school because Monday we didn’t have school, and then Wednesday-Friday, I felt like we were talking about the weather and prepping accordingly.
  • What drained your energy this week? Worrying about the weather. I wasn’t actually worried, but more than it was on my mind. I just knew we should get a few groceries. We had snack, lunch and breakfast items, but I just figured we should have a couple of dinners on hand. Trav tackled the grocery store for me Thursday evening, and he did get most of what we needed. Also, we were supposed to travel to Indy for Hadley’s volleyball, and even through Thursday, most of the parents felt like it was a good idea to still go. I felt like us and a couple other parents were the only “rational” ones. Thankfully, the club directors met Thursday evening and decided to pull out of the tournament as a club.
  • What did you do for yourself this week? I had my monthly facial on Wednesday, and it was lovely!
  • What is the greatest lesson you learned this week? Patience pays off. We stuck with our parameters for type of car and price, and found something good for the kids. Also, I already know this, but with major winter weather on the way, I remind my own kids what a blessing it is that we can just go to the store and get what we need…and that some kids would much rather be at school than at home for an extended amount of time.
  • What do you want to do better next week? Get back on track with working out. If you are a regular reader, you know I mention getting “back on track” sometimes. haha Anyway, I did great in December working out and even for the start of January, but last week, I only worked out twice, and I just didn’t feel like myself.
  • What would you like to accomplish next week? This answer is probably the same as what I want to do better next week.
  • What can I do to work towards a long term goal? I want to spend more time reading this week. Assuming we are home a bit, it will be easy to scroll my phone or watch a show when I could spend a bit more time reading. I read three books in January, and I have started a fourth, so I did read a lot, but I know I could find pockets of time to read more.
  • I love the reminder: This is your Sunday reminder that you can handle whatever this week throws your way.

I might try adding post, or something similar, into my blogging rotation.

Stay safe and warm!

Posted in Inspiration

Monday Memo

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? I spent most of mine in Ohio with Hadley for her first club volleyball tournament of the season. Overall, they played really well and had fun. New team, new season, so they are still getting to know each other and play together, but they did make it to the gold bracket on Sunday.

Did you catch my weekend posts? On Saturday, I blogged about the gifts I received for my birthday, and yesterday, I shared a “fun keep 3” post.

Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow.

Many of my favorite accounts are teachers, and a few I actually found on Tik Tok, but then followed them on Instagram last year when there was the possibility of TT going away.

A few years ago, I shared some favorite teachers to follow, and now I’m adding more to the list!

Ashley Jones’s tag line is “teacher by day, server by night, mom of seven 24/7” and I love following along on her school days, Aldi trips, shifts at On the Border, and life with her kids. Her TT account took off last year, and she’s so humbled and appreciative of her followers.

Mrs. Miller is a 4th grade math teacher, and her husband is in the country music band Deltona. I especially love when she shares her Thursday after school videos. That’s the day she stays after to get caught up and plan for the week ahead. She and her husband did just buy a new house, and I love when she shares the updates and how she’s organizing and styling her new home.

Carly Barrett is an interventionist at an elementary school in Louisville. She’s also a colon cancer survivor. Her videos are a little bit of everything from morning routine, iced coffee, skin care, and how she spends her time at school.

Athena is just the sweetest! I believe she’s an admin/instructional coach at an elementary school. She has twin boys who are in college, and their family seems so lovely. She shares her perspective as an “empty nest mom” and has so many cute outfit ideas.

Kristen Friend is a first grade teacher in Arizona, and her “get dressed with me” videos are what usually pop up in my feed. She also shares school stuff as well. She seems fun and spunky!

Gabs and Anna are middle school teacher besties. They always share their “teacher outfit of the day” (that’s their tagline usually), and I bet they are the best middle school teachers.

KK is a new account that I follow. Her “heels in the hall” account popped up in my feed recently. It seems that she had a couple of videos go viral because now she is introducing herself a bit for new followers. She’s a high school principal, and I’m so impressed by her daily outfits….so professional!

Other accounts I’ve been loving even if they aren’t teachers. haha!

Brittany Young is so fun! She has the best personality and always wears such bold and bright colors. You can tell that she dresses to fit her bright and bubbly personality!

I appreciate Carly Heasley’s account because she’s “midsized/curvy,” and it’s so nice seeing clothes on a body type I can relate to. She seems so sweet and genuine as well.

Regan is so sweet, and I just love her house decor and her clothing style. Her daughter sometimes shares her outfits, and she is just too cute too.

Bobbi with the Eye is one that I started to follow about a year and a half ago, and I think she was close to hitting 10,000 followers at that point. Now, she is close to 150,000 followers and quit her day job to focus on being an influencer full time. She has two girls and the cutest dog named Tiny. I love when she shares her “day in the life” reels, and she shares so many great outfits too.

Have you seen Stoop in the City?! This couple decorates their NYC stoop for the holidays, and people can stop by for photos. It’s truly amazing how they decorate from holiday to holiday.

I hope you have a great Monday. After being gone all weekend, my “to do” list is quite long!

Posted in Blog challenge, Health and Fitness, Inspiration

Healthy Teacher Challenge

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! We made it to Thursday! After three days of setting an alarm, I think I’m getting back on track and adjusted to school life.

Speaking of back on track, January is always a good time to get back on track, but I don’t want to make resolutions or lofty goals that end up making me feel like a failure.

I think it’s fun to find little “mini challenges” or short workout programs that I can kind of “chip away at” to make progress.

I shared in yesterday’s post that I like the Bodi widget that I’ve recently added to my phone to see my weekly workout progress. This only tracks when I do a Bodi workout, but it’s still been pretty motivating.

Screenshot

I follow @followkristenfriend on Instagram…she’s a fun, sassy, elementary teacher who also has a “Healthy Teacher Tribe” channel on Instagram.

She shared this little challenge with a fun graphic to kick start going back to school. I love that it incorporates other things besides fitness.

That being said, I worked out 21 days in December, and I want to keep that progress going. I also want to get back to having some “quiet time” either with a devotional or the Headspace app. Of course, sleep and water are important too!

Here’s my progress so far this week:

(She shared on the channel that she realizes she needs to update the graphic to include the toggles for Friday. haha)

My mom got me a subscription to Headspace, and I’ve spent a few minutes most days with “mindful mediation.” I’d like to do this before the day starts, but realistically, I’ve had more time in the evening.

Screenshot

Mallory (@mallory_fitzsimmons_) shared about the devotional she’s using this year, and I thought it would be a good way for me to set aside a few minutes every day to have some quiet time.

I have a couple of these tumblers, and they are definitely the way I get in my water intake. I typically drink at least two a day.

The Bodi workout I started in December is 25 Minute Speed Train. I’ve done other workouts by Joel Freeman, and this program is definitely the most like what I prefer for a workout. They are tough but efficient workouts. I appreciate that I can complete them in the comfort of my basement. haha

I still love my SSYS leggings, but these Hanes 7/8 length leggings that I purchased a couple of months ago have been my “go to” lately. They are buttery soft and stay put!

Screenshot

I have a couple of these workout tops, and they are my preference. For me, I like the muscle cut style, and the length is perfect.

For Christmas, Trav and the kids got me new tennis shoes, per my request. I knew Trav would know what brand would be best, and Hadley picked out the pretty color way. I didn’t realize how much I needed a new pair of shoes for walking and workout.

With going back to school, it’s easy to just want to come home and relax…and I do!…but I also wanted to keep up the commitment I made in December and even regroup and prioritize other goals too.

I have to remind myself…progress not perfection.

Posted in Inspiration

Year of Bible Plans

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Unfortunately, this week seems to be flying by!

Last December, I was scrolling Pinterest and saw a December Bible Study, so I used that to guide my Bible reading for that month.

A Season of Advent was a meaningful way to reflect on the reason for the season, so I used this one in December 2023.

I often use the Bible app to read the verse of the day, but after doing the December focus, I decided to find more Bible studies for every month of 2024.

I’m sharing those with you today!

January:

New Beginnings seemed like a great way to start off the year.

February:

The Love of God was perfect for February.

March:

Increasing My Faith was the focus this month.

April:

While April wasn’t an anxious month, Overcoming Anxiety verses are good for me to know.

May:

Being Redeemed was the focus in May.

June:

The Joy of the Lord for June.

July:

Holding Unto God’s Promises for July.

August:

Bravery was a good focus as we headed back to school (haha!)

September:

Gripping God’s Word in September.

October:

Finding Refuge in God in October.

November:

Thankfulness was the focus for November.

December:

Joy was the focus for December, and so many of the verses included the word “joy” which was fun to find.

When I started, I used this SOAP Bible Study Journal. I used a couple of these journals before finding…

…this “little book” (but it’s a regular size…a bit smaller than the journal above) from Callie Danielle this summer.

(old pic with my cereal, but for size reference)

I don’t see it on the site now, and that might be because it’s a July-June journal. That being said, this little journal is so cute too. This “church notes” journal looks sweet as well.

I used these pens to write the verse each day.

I continued using the original journal to bubble in my progress each day. I put a cute sticker on each month as I finished.

It was really rewarding to know that I read consistently throughout the year.

I’m not sure my Bible plan for this year. For sure, I will use the Bible app for my daily verse, or I might find some other Bible studies on Pinterest.

This is my plan for January:

A few years ago, I read the entire Bible, and that felt like such a meaningful accomplishment. I’m pretty private with my faith, and I feel like I’m a student of Christianity. The teacher in me knows the way to learn is to read…and reflect. Having a focused section to read and reflect on each day is what’s worked for me as I’ve continued to grow in my faith based knowledge. We love our church and our church family, and we’re grateful to have that part of our life over the last few years.

As we say when we send emails with ideas at school…”trash or treasure!”

Posted in Inspiration, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, this week is chugging right along. I hope it’s been a good one for you.

It’s already the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at…

  • How we clean our closets in January
  • Little things we do every single day in February
  • What’s in our grocery cart in March
  • Our daily quiet time/prayer time in April
  • Our summer closet staples in May
  • Our summer schedule in June
  • Podcasts and shows we binge in July
  • What’s in our pantry in August (I don’t have a pantry, so I skipped that one)

This month’s topic is let’s look at…our quick weeknight dinners.

Anything in a slow cooker helps the weeknight dinners go quicker.

My “go to” slow cooker recipes still come from Shay’s cookbook Simmers.

The Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is a fave. We also love her Sloppy Joe’s recipe..

Just this week, I made “Million Dollar Spaghetti,” and while it takes a few steps, it’s worth it because it’s delicious and it makes a ton. I love (and appreciate!) leftovers.

A few weeks ago, I tried this new recipe and it was a family favorite.

Cheesy Chicken Crescent Rolls will now be in the dinner rotation.

Speaking of “chicken.” My Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken is easy, delish, and makes a ton.

And, when push comes to shove, I make pancakes and bacon or grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner and call it a day.

Next month, we are looking at…how we prep for the holiday season.

I usually just “white knuckle” it through November and December. haha

Posted in Inspiration, Projects, Seasonal

Summer Sundays #7: Crafts for Kids

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

I hope you’ve been having a great weekend. I think I’m getting a little peek at our future because this weekend has mostly just been Travis and me. Hayden will be home from running camp today, and Hadley has had volleyball late every night last week (including Friday), and then yesterday she went to the lake with a friend. So, we’ll all be reunited today, and I can’t wait for that.

My apologies that I feel like a theme of this summer has been me realizing how big my kids are getting. In turn, that has made me a little reminiscent on the summer days gone by which goes with today’s blog topic.

Oh…I remember the days of trying to keep my kids busy during the day. Of course, nap time helped pass some time when they were little, but we’d always have a mix of downtime and activities to pass the time until Travis got home from work!

I’ve had Pinterest for over ten years, and I have a ton of boards, a few of which still apply to the younger years with the kids. Like many of my Pinterest ideas, I’ve only saved the ideas and not done anything with them. Here are a few cute crafts I’ve saved through the years.

1. Egg Carton Flowers

So, this is probably the last craft Hadley has ever made, but she made these flowers during the 2020 Covid months when we were at home.

Idea from I Heart Arts N Crafts

2. Painting Fireworks

Ok, apparently most crafts require painting…but how fun are these fireworks?

Idea from Happiness is Homemade

3. Paper Plate Farm Animals

Is there anything cuter than a farm animal craft?

Idea from Mess for Less

Also — after looking at this farm animal idea, these rocking chickens popped up in my feed, and I actually laughed out loud. They are so cute.

Idea from This Crafty Family

4. Rainbow Painted Toast

Ok…definite cool mom points if you let your kids paint their toast before breakfast!!

Idea from Share and Remember

5. Popsicle Tissue Paper Craft

These popsicles are so sweet for summer. I remember using tissue paper in art class and loving it.

Idea from Made with Happy

**ok –so I was just going to share those five ideas, and then Pinterest was spamming me with more ideas including…tacos and ice cream cones…so of course I had to share those ideas too.

6. Coffee Filter Taco

It’s the googly eyes for me! These are so cute.

Idea from Glued to my Crafts blog

7. Sponge Painted Ice Cream

Fun fact: I sponge painted the walls of my bedroom in high school. That technique was all the rage.

This ice cream cone craft is too cute.

Idea from Happy Toddler Playtime

**My apologies for how many times I used the word “cute” in this post. I tried to restrain myself!

How crazy would my high school students think I am if I incorporate a craft or two into my lesson plans?!

While I’m thinking my “target audience” for this blog is readers who have kids my kids’ ages or older, who knows…maybe one of these will be a fun summer craft for a mom or grandma who needs an idea.

Happy crafting!