Category: Kids

Posted in Kids

Cotillion Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, the kids had their last cotillion dance of the year, and it’s hard to believe we are in a season of “lasts’ for middle school. I received a couple of cotillion questions, and I thought it would be nice to have all the dances and memories in one post, so that’s what’s on tap for today.

The kids have friends and neighbors a couple of years older, so over the past few years, I’ve seen the cotillion pictures without really knowing what it is.

Every school submits names of interested 8th graders to the Lexington Cotillion Club coordinator who then sends invitations to those on the list. If you receive an invite, you of course don’t have to go…and that’s probably would have been Hayden’s preference. haha

There’s a total fee for cotillion dances whether you go to one dance or all four dances. Students receive an invite in the mail for every dance, and RSVP if they can’t come to that dance. There is a theme for every dance, and two of the dances are informal and the other two are more formal. For the formal dances, boys are supposed to wear ties, but can even wear suits or tuxes, and the girls are supposed to wear long dresses.

As you can see from the photos I share, the kids seem to follow the dress code loosely.

For each dance, the kids check in and get a name tag and dance card. The dance card has eight lines on it, and for five of the dances, there are names written in. Then, there are “girl’s choice,” boy’s choice,” and “everyone’s choice” written on the other lines.

Most of the time, the kids dance whenever they want, but there are eight dances on the dance card, and when those are announced, the girls are supposed to go to the part of the ballroom based on their last name, and the boy comes to find them to dance. Let’s just say that I think it’s pretty rare for that part of the dance etiquette to actually happen.

When I talk to others who went to cotillion five years ago or twenty years ago, it seems that this dance as always been at the same hotel and most of the kids socialize more than dance. haha

All of the dances are from 7:30 -10:30 which is such an odd time…and the hotel isn’t close to our house. We always carpooled which was nice, but after dropping kids off (and usually a pit-stop at McDonald’s for food and ice cream), it was 11:30 before everyone got home.

They have light snacks and punch for the kids and there are a few parent chaperones for each dance to help the club coordinator.

With cotillion, to my knowledge, there’s not really an etiquette class, but Lexington does have something called Halls School of Dance for 6th graders. Halls takes place once a week over a couple of months. It’s definitely more formal with girls wearing gloves and tights, and boys have to wear coat and tie. The kids learn different dances and etiquette and then there is a dance at the end where parents can come watch.

Halls is quite a Lexington tradition, but my kids didn’t participate when they in the 6th grade because it was on Thursday nights when Hadley had her competition dance classes, and I didn’t force Hayden to do it. Hadley really wanted to, and I would have let her if it was just a couple of weeks, but Halls was around eight sessions I think.

I’m guessing when Lexington Cotillion Club started, it was probably more formal than it is now.

Anyway, cotillion is something that I’m glad the kids did…even if one of my kids was more excited about it than the other.

Here’s a look back on cotillion season:

Harvest Moon:

The first dance was in October, and it was informal. That day, Hayden had the state cross country meet, and then he wanted to go to the UK football game, so only Hadley went.

She got together with friends to get ready, and I stopped by to see her before they left for the dance. They spent a couple of hours getting ready, had some snacks, and were a bundle of nerves when they left.

When Hadley got to the dance, she texted me that she didn’t know anyone on the dance card…which I replied, “That’s the point!” haha

Of all the dances, I know this one was the most awkward as the kids got the “lay of the land” and figured out how cotillion worked. Overall, she had lots of fun.

Glitter and Gold Gala:

This was the first “formal” of the dances. Hayden had a cross country meet in Louisville that day, so we were gone for most of the day.

Once we got home, I took Hadley to get her hair trimmed, and she got it curled too.

The kids let me snap a quick pic that I ended up using last minute as our Christmas card.

Then, we met at a friend’s house to hang out a bit while the girls finished getting ready. Then, we carpooled to dinner. Since this was a more “formal” dance and we knew many of the kids would be busier in the spring with baseball, soccer, etc., we went ahead and reserved a room at a nearby restaurant for the kids to hang out and eat beforehand. There were about 30 kids.

The parents hung out too until it was time for the kids to go to the dance.

It was nice hanging out with parents for a bit during a busy holiday season.

Overall, the kids had a great time, but they seemed to stay pretty much with their friend groups.

Malibu Mingle:

The February cotillion theme was “Malibu Mingle.” The boys took the less formal theme and ran with it …wearing shorts and Hawaiian shirts.

My friend picked up Hayden and took him and her son to meet up with the rest of the boys for dinner.

Again, the girls met at a friend’s house to finish getting ready together while the moms had some appetizers and a glass of wine.

They added leis to their outfits for the Hawaiian/Malibu theme.

This dance, the kids really seemed to branch out from their friend groups. Hadley gave me all the details when they got home…but mostly about new kids that they met from nearby schools.

Belles and Bowties:

This past Saturday was the fourth and final cotillion dance. This time, the girls got ready at our house. I got a few snacks for them to eat while they got ready.

Like the December dance, we reserved a room at the same restaurant for the kids to eat before the dance.

Before we left, I quickly got a couple of pics of the kids. Hadley’s dress was my favorite one she wore from all four dances.

My mom got some individual pics of them which I appreciated.

The girls…so pretty in their spring colored dresses.

Friends for life.

A group pic before we left, and then a girl group and whole group photo at the restaurant. The boys are tough to wrangle!

After the kids went to the dance, the moms hung out for a bit for a drink and some appetizers.

When the kids got home around 11:00, Hadley filled me in that it was the most fun dance. It seemed like they got lots of pictures with friends that they’d made from other schools and some of their dance partners. Sounds like Hayden even had a good time 😉

While Hadley was into the cotillion activities more than Hayden, he did make the most of it and had fun. I know they will remember their cotillion experience, and this has been a fun 8th grade tradition for them.

May will be a busy month for us as they wrap up their 8th grade track season, have an 8th grade dance and 8th grade promotion. The middle school years have flown by!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#204}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was good, but I think the end of the school year fatigue is setting in!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Track meets!

Friday night, Hayden ran in a very competitive mile race in Louisville during the Eastern Relays meet.

Hayden came in 3rd with a PR for the mile.

Since I wasn’t there, and Travis is too busy cheering/coaching him, I loved seeing some professional photos of the race.

Hayden sent me this pic which made me smile.

While Travis was with Hayden in Louisville, Hadley was running in a meet in Lexington. She ran the 400 and had a PR as well as the 4×200 which had a state qualifying time. The Friday night track meets can go past 10:00, so we were happy she was finished running by 8:30.

On Monday night, she ran the 100m dash for the first time ever, and won her heat and came in 3rd overall. She was happy with that run.

Over the weekend, she had a volleyball tournament. Her coach had her play libero for the first time, and Hadley was excited for that opportunity. She typically plays back row, but the libero can be subbed in and out with more freedom and gets to play a bit more.

Her team saw some tough competition, but still made it to the gold bracket. They had a fun weekend.

I saw this on Facebook, and loved it. What a cute idea for a book display this time of the year.

My trusty slow cooker that I’ve had for years had to be replaced. The insert cracked quite a while ago, but it was finally time for a new one. I ordered this one for Drew Barrymore’s Walmart line, and so far I like it.

I drink a few protein shakes a week, and I usually stick with the Premier Protein brand. We’ve tried Core Power recently, and the kids like it too. Honestly, the chocolate tastes like chocolate milk…so good, so we ordered a couple of packs from Amazon since our Kroger doesn’t always have it.

Travis and I were able to get to Keeneland yesterday afternoon which was nice. The temps were cool, but the sun was shining…and he “broke even” on the day which is a win in my book. 😆

Remember the Lego flowers I gave Hadley for Valentine’s Day because she thought they’d be cute in her room?! Turns out…Hadley doesn’t like putting the Lego flowers together. My mom saved the day. The bouquet turned out really cute.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Well, this one doesn’t make me laugh…but it is relatable. *sigh*

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This pic from 2014 has always been a fave. Hadley having no boundaries…and Hayden wishing she had some!

Weekly Recap:

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

ABC’s of Spring
Wednesday hodgePodge
Monthly Musings

What’s been the best part of your week? See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#196}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday. Also, it’s March 1st. Wow! February both felt like the longest and the shortest month!

I hope you’ve had a great week.

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

Before I get to today’s post, I wanted to say thanks for all the love for Hadley’s post last Friday. She read the comments and smiled! Let me know if you have any topics you’d like her to share about in the future.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Fave Pics:

It’s hard to believe that Hayden’s last middle school basketball season is almost over.

Last week, we got the professional photos back, and they were so good. I like this one…

…but of course I love seeing my boy smile.

Last week, was the last home game, so they had 8th grade night for the boys. A couple of the team moms are amazing, and put together a really nice celebration for the boys. Hadley’s favorite part of the “goody bag” was the “fat head” of Hayden. haha

The middle school years have felt both long and short. Hayden’s grown so much over the past couple of years, both literally and figuratively, and it was nice to celebrate him (and this team)

Last weekend, was the 8th grade tournament, so we had a busy weekend of basketball.

Fave show:

Well, I dragged it out as long as a I could. I didn’t want to see it end, so I paced myself watching the 6th and final season of The Crown.

It ended nicely, but I wish there was one more season to recap the last few years.

Fave Moment:

I didn’t have to cook Sunday night! We went to Tony’s, a steakhouse in downtown Lex, for dinner…just the four of us.

Let me tell you…Hadley ordered the filet mignon without batting an eye. Whereas, Hayden always says things are too expensive, and wondered if they had “fish and chips” on the menu. 😆

He settled on splitting a steak and some sides with Travis.

I got the “Rig-a-Tony,” and it was pretty good.

Favorite Foods:

Speaking of food…I tried a couple new recipes this week, and the kids loved both of them.

I made this stir fry on Monday night. I did do a pound and a half of ground turkey instead of just one pound. I wanted to make sure I had enough to take for lunch a couple of days.

This Pizza Pasta bake was delish too. I made enough for 8×11 casserole dish rather than 8×8 size. Again, I wanted to make sure we had enough leftovers.

Am I the only one who didn’t know about the Cool Wrap at Chick-fil-A? It’s so good. I drizzled some of the avocado lime ranch dressing on it which made it even better. I had a professional learning/planning meeting on Monday, and this is what I ordered. I had half of one yesterday for lunch too.

Favorite Find:

I saw these cute colorful bunnies on Amazon, and knew that I “had” to have them. I think this weekend I will go ahead and decorate for Easter since I don’t decorate for St. Patrick’s Day.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley was telling us a story about something funny that happened at school. She said, “I crackled,” and I looked at her…and we both started laughing. I guess “crackled” is a combo of “cackled” and “cracked up.” 😄

Favorite Mom Meme:

Well, I feel like this applies more to having little kids, but it’s still so true.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

It’s hard to believe that Hayden has been playing basketball for over ten years.

With high school next year, I don’t know what he might decide to play, so I will cherish the basketball memories while I can.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my post this week in case you missed one:

Share 4 Somethings
Monday Memes
February Books
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? Overall, we don’t have much going on which is very much needed.

Thanks for reading,

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Self-care

Hadley’s Favorite Products

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Why do the shorter weeks sometimes feel like the longest? It’s been a good week, but I’ve felt a bit “off” not knowing what day is what!

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

Today, I’m switching things up. Rather than share some “favorites” from the week, I asked Hadley to write a post. Recently, I saw a funny reel on Instagram about a mom who said she had to go into her daughter’s room to use the “good” beauty products. Relatable…haha

So, I thought today’s post would be a fun way to share some of her favorite products that she uses almost daily.

I’d say there’s something for everyone…not just for teens!

Here’s Hadley:

My mom is giving me the honor of writing another blog post. I will be showing you guys my favorite products and why I like them.

Here’s the line up:

My mom gets me most of these products at Target or Kroger, but I bet you can get them from Amazon too.

  • Fragrance mist: This is from Bath and Body Works, and I think I have used it for over a year now! Every time I see my friends, they compliment it and everyone always loves it. I use a couple of different sprays, but this is the one I’m using now. These sprays have a light scent, not as heavy as perfume.
  • Dry shampoo: The Bariste brand is my favorite, but the Kroger one works well too. This is perfect when it isn’t quite hair wash day yet and you need something to get you through the day without your hair looking greasy.
  • Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel: This moisturizer is so good, and I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon! You will love it if you like a super light-weight and hydrating moisturizer.
  • Aquaphor: Aquaphor is my ride or die, my forever and always! I use it every single day. It lasts for a while, and it is super easy to apply on the go if you need a little shine or even just something to keep your lips from getting chapped.
  • CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing lotion – This PM moisturizer is also super light-weight and very smooth. I apply this every night at the end of my routine, and it keeps my skin from getting dry.
  • Garnier Cleansing Water – This Micellar water is also my ride or die. I use this for everything…as a toner, to get my makeup off, and to just get all the dirt off my face. You will never catch me not using this on the daily.
  • Covergirl mascara – I don’t know much about mascara and which one is good and which one is bad but this seems to be doing the job! I get compliments on my lashes everyday (it could be my natural long lashes or the mascara) either way I love this mascara and it gets the job done.
  • Dime Blue Facial Oil: My mom first bought this oil over a year ago, and I use it (and Hayden does too when needed) This oil is amazing for when you have a pimple that showed up to the party uninvited! I put this on at night when I have a pimple and when I wake up it’s gone (or at least more under control)! It’s super easy to use, and it has a light blue tint to it…but it soaks in clear. This definitely is the party saver.
  • Glow Recipe serum: I got this serum for Christmas from my grandma, and I love it! I’m almost out so I gotta get me a new one ASAP. I use it both morning and night, and it’s super easy and smooth to rub in and it keeps my skin clean and clear!

So, those are some of my favorite products!

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Weekend Top 5
Hadley’s Room Refresh

What are your weekend plans? Hayden has a basketball tournament, and I have a few errands to run as well as a few things on my “to do” list. I guess that’s a pretty typical weekend for us.

I will have a bonus post tomorrow for Share 4 Somethings.

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#189}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday.

How was your week? Our week had a little of everything: downtime, productivity, activities, school and more.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for the first Friday Favorites of 2024.

Here are some recent favorites:

Last week, in my Christmas Recap, I shared that my favorite Christmas gift were these photos of the kids that Trav had his brother take as a surprise gift for me.

Later, my brother-in-law sent me the digital copies of the photos including a link to all that he took.

Travis had the best ones framed, but I love them all.

Both kids:

Hayden:

Hadley:

I love seeing Hadley’s sweet and silly side, Hayden’s focused side, and both of their personalities when they are together.

Over break, Hayden and friends went to a local basketball tournament. One of UK Coach Cal’s recruits was playing, so he was there and the boys got a picture with him.

They also got a quick pic with Reed Sheppard on this way out.

The boys were pretty excited.

Hadley has been asking for a room refresh, and my friend, an interior designer, put together this inspo board, and Hadley opened it on Christmas morning.

Over break, Travis took advantage of having some time off, and painted Hadley’s room after Hadley purged trash and donations. Then, we went ahead and ordered quite a few things including a new bed, bedside tables, and vanity. Hadley and I went out shopping for lamps, bedding, and other odds and ends. Everything we ordered arrived while we were on break, so we’ve continued to put her room together piece by piece.

The rug arrived this week, and it really tied everything together.

We still need to decide on wallpaper and a few other things, but her room is probably 80% finished, and she loves it.

Here’s a sneak peek:

Over break, I wanted to watch The Last Thing He Told Me and Lessons in Chemistry, both on Apple TV.

After Christmas, when I wasn’t feeling well, I settled in to watch them both…Travis watched them with me too.

I’ve read, and enjoyed the books, and I thought both series did the books justice. I highly recommend them both.

I had a few after Christmas purchases, including this sweater/jacket from Amazon. I love the gold double zipper detail.

Also, it seems that this could be dressed up or down. I wore it out to dinner one night with jeans and sneakers. It can also easily be worn with leggings….and I will definitely wear it to school with pants.

Y’all –it’s 49% off and less than $20!

A few weeks ago when we were at Target, these ice cream bars caught my attention. They are so good…10/10 recommend (and a saw a few other flavors at Target too)

Favorite Mom Meme:

It was time for these kids to go back to school!

Weekly Recap:

I started the year off strong with a blog post every day:

2023 Recap
12 months of Dessert
Currently
Bloganuary: Colleges

This weekend I hope to continue Bloganuary with a Saturday post, and then on Sunday I’m sharing my Prime Purchases for the month because on Monday we have our first Share Our Lives (formerly Not Just a Mom) post of 2024.

Share Our Lives:

I always love starting the year off with some (re)-introductions….and a look at the jobs I’ve had will be fun too.

We’d love to you have join us for this link up on the second Monday of every month.

What are your weekend plans? I’ve still felt crummy all week. My sinus infection is better, and I don’t have a fever, but I’ve still felt achy, tired, and run down. I’m not sure what’s going on. I actually had a Covid test on hand, so I went ahead and took that to rule it out…but maybe I have some other kind of lingering virus.

Thankfully, we don’t have much going on this weekend, so I’m hoping to kick this crud to the curb.

See you here tomorrow on the blog!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#187}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

This was our last full week before break, but we still have a couple of days next week. It’s really been messing with me that break doesn’t start after school today!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

We tried a new pizza place last Friday night before heading to my school’s basketball game. The pizza was really good, and the kids had fun playing a couple of rounds of skee ball before we headed to the game.

Last Saturday, Hayden had his final cross country race of club season in Louisville. We were thankful the rain held off until right after the race, but I’ve never seen a race with so many runners. Hayden had a pretty good race considering there were over 450 runners.

Now, Hayden has a couple weeks of rest before basketball and indoor track start. Out of curiosity, I asked Hayden how many miles he ran in 2023, and he said 930! He’s on an app with other runners (kind of like social media for runners, I guess) where they track their mileage and encourage each other.

Anyway, we’re proud of all that he’s accomplished these past few months.

Then, I “raced” back to Lexington to help Hadley get ready for cotillion.

Hayden and Travis got home with about thirty minutes to spare as Hayden was going to cotillion too. While I don’t think cotillion was Hayden’s favorite activity of the week, I sure loved seeing the kids dressed up and looking nice.

(Also, Travis is the real MVP driving all over town finding clothes that fit Hayden last week! haha)

This dance was a more formal dance, and the theme was “Glitter and Gold Gala.”

We went to a friend’s house beforehand, so the girls could finish getting ready together. Then, most of the 8th graders from the kids’ school met up at a restaurant before the dance. The kids had a room to themselves, and they ate and hung out before the dance. The parents hung out for a bit too before heading home (and then back to pick the kids up at 10:30!) Saturday was a long day and a late night for all, but we enjoyed it.

On Sunday, Hadley and I baked some cookies.

Per tradition, we made Peanut Butter Blossoms, and we tried our hand at Cornflake Wreaths too. They were both delish. I think we might make the peanut butter cookies again because they didn’t last long at our house. This weekend, we might make them and the Chocolate Crinkle cookies we usually make.

Do you like my new mug? Landyn had a few seasonal things for sale, and I couldn’t resist.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley was trying to persuade me about something, and I told her I would talk to Travis. She said, “Mom, everybody knows that moms are the man of the house” 😆 haha! #whereisthelie

Favorite Mom Meme:

LOL

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Oh my. Look at these cuties by the tree in 2010. I loved those little jammies…

…they had their names on their bottoms!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week, including a couple of fun linkups and a stroll down memory lane:

NJAM
LEt’s Look
Ornaments

What are your weekend plans? We have some holiday fun and basketball on tap. Thankfully, I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, and I’m so excited about that.

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Clothes, Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#185]

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…and happy December 1st!

It felt odd not posting last Friday, but I’m back this week to link up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

I think I usually do some kind of Thanksgiving recap, but never got to it this week.

Last Wednesday, we traveled to KC to spend Thanksgiving with my family. On Thursday, I watched a bit of the parade, per tradition.

Then, we hung out at my mom’s house before heading to my dad’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving (late afternoon) lunch.

She outdoes herself, and the tables always look so pretty. Per tradition, we have chocolate turkeys with our names on them. How fun!

We were able to get a family pic…

…and hang out with family for a while. Unfortunately, we had to leave a bit early because Travis wasn’t feeling well. We ended up getting a hotel room in hopes that we wouldn’t spread germs, so I dropped Travis off and went to my dad’s to get his things.

Unfortunately, he shared his stomach bug with me, and by Friday morning, I joined him at the hotel.

Thankfully, the kids are old enough to (mostly) fend for themselves. They hung out with my dad, my brother’s family, and my mom and Gma on Friday and then again on Saturday morning.

On Friday, the kids baked cookies and made waffles with my mom, Gma, aunt, and my brother’s family.

Then, they went to the nearby “magic tree” that we usually visit when we are in town for the holidays.

My sister-in-law sent me this pic which I really appreciated.

On Saturday, we were feeling good enough to head home. I was bummed that I didn’t get to hang with everyone on the trip, but I was glad the stomach bug seemed to only be a 24 hour one.

Fave clothes:

I have a couple of Walmart finds that have been great this holiday season. I shared these pjs the other day…

…and this green fleece is so cute and warm. I’ve already worn it a few times, and I love it. It comes in a few colors and is under $20.

Our Angel Tree gifts are due this weekend, and due to our crazy schedule, I ended up taking the kids shopping individually for gifts.

I know I can find most things on Amazon, but I really want the kids to be intentional about choosing gifts and thinking of others…no matter how busy of a season we are having.

On Sunday, Hadley and I headed to Target. She got us drinks at Starbucks while I picked up a few things I needed, and then we shopped for the girl she chose.

I didn’t know what I was ordering, but I saw the iced gingerbread latte on the menu and went for it. I don’t want to know how many calories it has…because it is delicious!

On Wednesday, Hadley had volleyball practice after school, and I picked up Hayden from school and headed to Target. We shopped for the brothers that he’d picked from the tree.

On Sunday, I suggested we go ahead and put ornaments on the tree. The house was a mess, but I knew we had a busy week ahead.

I’m so glad we took the 30 minutes to do this. The tree looks even better now, and it’s always fun to see the ornaments year after year.

On my Sunday Trader Joe’s run, I picked up some seasonal favorites!

Last week, Hadley’s volleyball pics came in, and there were so many great ones. This one was my favorite:

Tuesday was 8th grade night for volleyball. I honestly can’t believe we are hitting these middle school milestones.

The school did an awesome job celebrating them, and some of the volleyball moms were so thoughtful to order flowers and a balloon stack.

The posters the coaches put out were so fun to see.

The athletic director even took family photos after each girl walked in. This might just have to be our Christmas card pic. haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

I’m not sure I’ve ever related more to a meme than this one…lol

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

When I was making the Shutterfly ornaments, I went down a rabbit hole of old pics. These ones of the kids with Santa about did me in!

So sweet.

I decided to print them and put them in frames I already have out. It’s a cute way to “decorate” and share memories as well.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including some memes and a couple of fun link ups:

Monday Memes
What’s Up Wednesday
Monthly Musings

I’m thankful for a pretty chill upcoming weekend, but I do think it’s going to include monitoring a science fair project. Bah humbug!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Birthday Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday…a Tuesday that feels like a Friday! I’ll take it.

Yesterday was the kids’ birthday, and it was an action-packed day.

Today, I’m recapping how we celebrated them these past few days.

While the month of November leaves me feeling frazzled, we’ve had luck the past few years having a free evening the Friday before the kids’ birthday.

So, we penciled in a little birthday celebration with them and their friends.

While Hayden wanted to go to Sky Zone, Hadley wanted to try something different and requested Breakout Games.

All the kids came over around 5:00, and Travis took the boys to Sky Zone.

Our Breakout Games session wasn’t until 6:15, so Hadley and friends hung out for a while, and she opened her gifts from them. These girls know her so well. She received a cozy blanket, a Lululemon gift card, and a basket of baking supplies.

Then, I took them to Breakout Games. We’d chosen Mystery Mansion, and it was kind of spooky.

At first, I wasn’t going to go in with them, but then Hadley said she wanted me to come. I was just trying not to “cramp their style,” but I’m glad I went with them.

I think they’d all been to these types of places, but they were spooked a couple of times, and they were all over the place with trying to solve the clues. I was like, “Girls! Focus!” haha

Mystery Mansion was a total of three rooms, and we broke out with five minutes to spare.

The boys were finished jumping, so we met them for pizza and cake. One of our favorite Italian places has a room with a long table, so the kids sat in there while Travis and I sat in the main dining room.

Middle schoolers are funny…the boys and the girls sat at opposite ends of the table…haha

We had pizza and cookie cake…

…before heading home.

This is a great group of kids, and they’ve all known each other since kindergarten (give or take a year or so).

The boys ended up at our house for a bit to play basketball, but I took the girls home since most of them had to be up early for the volleyball tournament.

Saturday, Hadley had her tournament, and Hayden had a race in Louisville.

That evening, we met Trav’s brother and his boys for hibachi. We did this a couple of years ago too. We have lots of November birthdays to celebrate in the family.

On Sunday, Hadley had more volleyball, and Hayden had a basketball game. That evening, we had leftovers from hibachi, and then we went to my brother’s house for cake.

We hung out for a bit and watched the rest of the Missouri basketball game before heading home.

Yesterday, was their actual birthday.

Hadley was with me at Kroger last week and requested the cinnamon swirl crumb/coffee cake for birthday breakfast. So, the kids had that yesterday morning before going to school.

Hadley had a volleyball game last night, so they didn’t open presents until after we got home from the game. When I picked up their Bundt cake on Sunday, I got some “Bundtinis” for Hadley to share with the volleyball team, and an individual cake for them to have for dessert on their birthday.

Yes, we consumed lots of cake over the past few days, but we were always sharing it with others…so thankfully there weren’t a lot of leftovers!! haha

Overall, I think they had a great birthday.

Gifts:

Tis the season for gift giving.

We have to “double down” on gift ideas due to the kids’ birthday and Christmas being so close together.

I’m not sure if I will have any kind of “gift guide” posts in December, but if you have a tween or tween, they might like what my kids like too!

Hayden is definitely harder to buy for than Hadley is, and he also didn’t send me a power point like she did either! haha.

Anyway, it’s very specific to him, but he needed new running spikes, so Travis gave those to him before his race on Saturday. I usually get him the Kentucky Basketball magazine that’s at our local Joseph Beth bookstore. Travis got Hayden a hooded sweatshirt and some basketball shorts. Hayden told me he needed a new Gatorade bottle, so I purchased this two pack. It’s a tradition, but I always get the kids Christmas pjs, and Old Navy prices can’t be beat!

As for Hadley, she requested this pair of camo Athleta leggings. They are $89 leggings that are on sale for $22! She loves Aerie, and had her eye on the Chill Crew sweatshirt. It comes in lots of colors and is 40% off. During “Prime Days” this summer, I got this mini bluetooth speaker for her, and held on to it as a birthday gift. She requested a new straightener after the one we’ve shared for years died. I thought this one looked like a good option because it is a 2 in 1 straightener and curler. Hadley leans into the holiday season, so she appreciates the Old Navy pj tradition, and I also picked her up these cute slippers from Target.

I think the kids like having a birthday on a school day, at least Hadley does. It was a busy evening with volleyball, but I’m glad we took the time to have dinner, open gifts, and have one more bite of cake even if it was a busy evening.

I guess I say it every year, but it’s hard to believe how big they are getting!

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Happy 14th Birthday!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, Mondays tend to be my least favorite day of the week, but this type of Monday hits different.

We only have a two day week of school and…today Hayden and Hadley turn 14! So, today is a great day!

We spent the weekend doing all the things they love….

Hanging with friends…

…running cross country…

…playing volleyball…

…and basketball…

…& eating cake!

I feel like we went from this…

to this …

in a flash!

(excuse the lack of #4 on the cake — we couldn’t seem to find it. Welcome to my life!)

It was a very hectic weekend as we wrap up a very busy month, but it was a good one.

I saw this meme…and chuckled.

I feel like it can also apply to parenthood 😆

November is going by so quickly, but we still have quite a few more things going on between now and Thanksgiving break…including two days of school and two evenings of volleyball.

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#184}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a really good one.

It might be that our evenings are busy with cross country and volleyball, but I felt like we all had to manage every minute of our evenings this week. The kids have really seemed to have a lot of homework, so they were up late a couple of nights.

Anyway, we’ve made it to the weekend!

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

Here are my favorites from the week:

On Saturday night, Hayden ran in distance festival at Bellarmine. Thomson Training, my nephew’s running club, hosts this event in honor of Trav’s dad. Some of the best runners in the state were there. Hayden ran a great race around the track with a sub 5 mile.

It’s been amazing to see how this event has grown in the past three years, and it’s inspiring to see all the runners there in honor of Trav’s dad who was a huge supporter of cross country.

On Sunday, we went to the UK volleyball game. Some of Hadley’s friends went too, and my brother, his family, and my mom were there as well.

Kentucky won, and it was a fun afternoon at Rupp!

Since my mom was visiting, she brought the kids their birthday gifts a few days early.

The main reason my mom came to visit was to go to the Eagles concert. They are on their “Long Goodbye” tour. She really wanted to go, so my brother and I went with her. It was a late night on Tuesday, but we really enjoyed the concert. The Doobie Brothers opened for them, and I knew most of their songs too!

Hadley had quite a lot of fans at her volleyball game on Wednesday. Besides my mom and brother, my niece and nephew came too.

Remember my trip to Walmart on election day? I picked up these two trees, and I finally put them up over the weekend. They are perfect!

I can’t wait to get my other Christmas decorations out…maybe this weekend?

I’ve shared these in previous years, but these wireless outlets (with remote!) continue to save the day, especially during the holidays. I used one for the tree in my room, one for the tree in Hadley’s room, and then one for these trees. It’s difficult to get behind the mirror, so I plugged the trees into a power strip, and then plugged the power strip into the wall.

Every night, I use the remote to turn off all the trees. (Hadley sometimes turns her tree off by clicking the button on the outlet before I go to bed.) So, you don’t have to use the remote.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share in case they might come in handy for you.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Like…how long would they make it? haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

These two are about to be 14. How can that be?

From 4 to 14…It’s gone by in a blink.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Not Just a Mom
Aldi Haul
5 Things in My

What are your weekend plans?

Our weekend includes a volleyball tournament, a cross country race, some basketball games, and we’re squeezing in some time to let the kids have fun with their friends to celebrate their birthday.

I already need a nap on Monday!

Have a great weekend,