Category: Let's look

Posted in Amazon, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, this month feels like it’s flying by! I always love when Shay and Erika host this monthly link up because it’s fun to see what others have to share!

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • Scheduling/organizing a busy family in January
  • What’s in your medicine cabinet in February

This month, the topic is all time favorite Amazon finds.

Well, is there a more perfect post for me to write about?

This is a SUPER-sized Amazon post filled with some faves and even seasonal favorites as well.

All-time faves:

I purchased flameless candles back in January, and they have been perfect for decor, but they also came in very handy at night when we didn’t have power last week. I’m really glad I picked up the seven pack. At first, I wasn’t using them all, but then I put a couple downstairs on the built in, and they are perfect there.

I don’t see my exact ones anymore, but this pack has over 10,000 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 star reviews.

I’ve been drinking my morning coffee out of this mug for years. I don’t use it as a travel mug…just my at home mug.

These slippers have become an all time favorite because they are fuzzy but don’t make my feet hot!

When I bought this electric tea kettle, I wasn’t sure how much I’d use it. Hadley uses it the most for warming up water for her mac and cheese or ramen! We also use it for water for hot chocolate. I got my mom one last year since she drinks tea. Anyway, it’s definitely a purchase that we love.

This tissue box cover is something I love so much I gave it as a stocking stuffer/gift last year. The tissue box on our kitchen counter was an “eye sore” for me, but this one is perfect to blend in the tissue box on the counter.

These packing cubes are a must for me, and I always use them when we travel.

My Kindle is probably my all time Amazon fave. I read so much more because of it. I still often have a book I’m reading, but I always have books on my Kindle too. I love it.

Winter Faves:

These Ugg dupes have been perfect to wear this winter.

I wear this sweater often and it comes in a variety of colors.

I purchased this sweater two years ago in a variety of colors, and I still wear them all often.

Spring Faves:

I have this cardigan in two colors, and wear them both all the time. They are perfect for the springtime over a dress.

I picked up this purse last spring, and I love that the strap is interchangeable, and it holds just what I need to go to church, Keeneland, or on vacation.

I picked up this midi dress a couple of years ago, and it’s one I pull from my closet often in the spring.

These joggers are great because they are light weight and a bit more on the capri side.

Summer Faves:

This swim cover up is the best. I have it in light blue and navy. It looks like they have a short sleeved version now too.

I purchased this swimsuit two years ago and have two of them. Cute, stylish, and comfy.

I love these rose gold Birk dupes. I did size up to a 10 instead of my regular 9. Hadley has them in white…she actually got them first 😆

Fall Faves:

Once the weather gets colder, I usually switch out my purse from something smaller to one that holds all the things. If I’m not carrying my Barrington bag tote, then I’m using this hobo style one:

This fuzzy cardigan is one of my favorite things to wear in the fall and winter:

These Amazon joggers can be worn year round, of course, but I love them when I don’t want to wear leggings.

Shew! I know the topic was “all-time” faves, but I’ve been a fan of Amazon for years, so I guess that means I have lots of faves. All the seasonal items I shared, I think I’ve had for at least a year…and most I’ve had for longer.

Next month’s topic is: our biggest pet peeves. Uh oh…this could be opening up a can of worms. haha!

{This post contains Amazon affiliate links…Thank you for supporting my blog!}

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

It felt weird not posting yesterday, but today I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

In January, we looked at scheduling/organizing a busy family.

This month’s topic is: what’s in your medicine cabinet…

Well, we don’t have one! I got to thinking…we’ve lived in three houses, and our first one had a medicine cabinet in the bathroom Travis used, but I didn’t have one in the bathroom I used. Then, our second house didn’t have one. (It was “newer,” so maybe that’s why?) Our current house did have one in the primary bathroom, but when we redid the bathroom a few years ago, we tore it out…and there’s just a mirror there now.

This closet has always been in the bathroom, and it’s where we store all the things…

Given the crazy busy stage of life right now, I guess it’s not in too bad of shape…

  • Top shelf: That white tub holds travel sized things like small bags we use when we travel, and a few other odds and ends.
  • Second to top shelf: Sheets for our bed. The kids have their spare pairs in their bedroom closets.
  • Next: Towels. Since the kids don’t have a closet in their bathroom, this closet holds the towels for them and for me.
  • Then…I have a tub for small items like lotion, mouthwash, etc. We have another small tub for dental hygiene…mostly the toothbrush heads for our toothbrushes. Then, I have nail polish and a few beauty products.
  • Bottom shelf: I have a bucket with a few hair things, then my Invisalign trays, and over the counter medicines and Band aids.
  • Very bottom: My facial steamer, heating pad, old scale (I guess I should throw this away), and a “beauty bag” that I’ve had forever and just keep random things in it like small trash bags, sunless tanner, hand sanitizer and more.

It’s a pretty small bathroom, and it could probably be better organized, but I’d say we at least can see everything and know where to find things. The kids only have a couple of drawers and under the sink storage in their bathroom. Travis uses the basement bathroom, and keeps up with his own towels, medicines, products, etc.

I store my skincare products, daily medicine, curling iron, and more under the sink and in the couple drawers I have in the bathroom vanity.

Do I wish I had a bigger bathroom? Sure do! I honestly wish it more for the kids. They share the world’s smallest hall bathroom. I guess it keeps them humble. haha…”first world” problems for sure.

Next month we look at all time favorite Amazon finds…I better start planning that post now. Y’all know I love Amazon!

I hope you are having a great week.

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday…and the second Wednesday of the month at that!

Shay and Erika are back with their Let’s Look link up “where we take a peek at the little things in our lives.”

It looks like this month’s topic is: scheduling/organizing a busy family.

I will always be a paper/pencil girl in some capacity. I like the visual of seeing an entire week or month laid out in front of me. I have a desktop calendar on my desk at school, and I’ve always had a weekly calendar on the fridge with activities and meals for the week.

A few months ago, I started using this meal planner with attached shopping list, and I like having everything in one place. For the Monday-Sunday part, I write down our activities and what we are having for dinner that week. We add to the shopping list throughout the week which helps when I place my Kroger order.

The shopping list is perforated, so it can be torn off separate from the other part of the page.

It’s a blessing and a curse having kids with phones. That being said, they do come in handy for me to text them to remind them of things whether it’s to turn in an assignment or what time I’m picking them up. Having that point of contact has helped us stay organized during these middle school years.

Back in September, I wrote about how this year, our family has started using the Cozi app. We are still using this, and it’s been working pretty well!

Every person has a color to represent them on the calendar. So, we have activities listed, but we’ll also put in due dates or test dates for the kids’ school work. We can all add to it, but I seem to be the only one who does so regularly. That being said, on Sundays, I remind everyone (via the family group text) to check out the Cozi schedule for the week.

Sundays are also the days that I “make” the kids “reset” their rooms. After a week of them on the go, laundry, school papers, and more…it’s just a great day to make a point to tidy up and get organized for the week.

I really do feel like it’s a lot of work to keep us organized, but I feel better having a plan and having everyone on the same page of the said plan. My “type A” personality comes in handy for the day to day life kind of things.

This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Posted in Holidays, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Today, I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for the last Let’s Look of 2022!

This year, we’ve looked at:

  • How you organize for the new year in January.
  • What you eat in a week in February.
  • Your faves from high school/college in March. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April.
  • Your hometown in May.
  • Go to summer lunches in June..
  • How you keep healthy in July.
  • How you do ‘every day’ cleaning in August. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • Organize your closet in September.
  • Select your Halloween costumes in October.
  • Where we shop for our moms in November (I overlooked the date and missed this post)

This month’s topic is: how you host holiday parties.

Well, my answer is short and sweet. I don’t. {😂}

I decided to take a twist on this topic and share how we holiday.

Holiday Parties:

There are always a few parties that we attend. Trav’s work always has a Christmas party that is lots of fun. It’s family friendly and Santa is there.

Our friends always host a party in mid-December with neighborhood and school friends’ parents. There’s usually a beer tasting, live music, a specialty cocktail, great food, wonderful friends, and more! It’s always a fun get together.

Through the years, we’ve also attended my work Christmas party when we can, cookie decorating with moms and kids when the kids were younger, ornament exchanges, various “cookies with Santa” and more. One party that I miss is our neighborhood Christmas party. We used to have a progressive one with one house for apps, one for dinner, and one for dessert. Covid killed that one, but I hope we can bring it back in the future. It was always so fun.

Merry Christmas x 6:

Here’s our Christmas break down…

For many many years, I didn’t miss a Kansas City Christmas. Even once the kids were born, we were able to go most years. The first KC Christmas I missed was 2009 when the kids were one month old. Obviously, it was the best choice to stay home rather than drive nine hours (longer with babies) in the car.

A few years ago, we started going every other year.

Anyway, on the years we went to KC, the kids would write a note to Santa asking him to come a bit early, and our elf would take it to the North Pole. We’d celebrate the morning of December 22nd or 23 depending on our schedule. Then, we’d head to see family.

On the years we stay home, Santa comes on Christmas Eve, of course.

Thankfully, this has worked for our family quite well.

That being said, when we do go to Kansas City, we end up having a total of six Christmases! Six.

  • We have ours at home.
  • We celebrate on December 23rd with Trav’s family (We do this every year regardless of staying home or traveling for Christmas)
  • In Missouri, we go to my dad’s cousin’s house for Christmas Eve.
  • We spend Christmas morning with my dad.
  • Christmas afternoon with my mom.
  • Christmas evening with my Gma.

See…six Christmases! It’s a blessing, but it’s busy.

Let’s Look:

There’s always a variety of food and activities at each of our Christmases…

Christmas at home:

For our Christmas at home, I usually make a nice dinner for Christmas Eve or Christmas depending if we are staying home or not. Hadley always request salmon, and I make the green beans everyone loves along with Bob Evan’s mashed potatoes. We always make Shay’s Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake for dessert.

Again, whichever day is our Christmas morning, I still always try to keep it pretty simple with cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. There have been times I’ve made monkey bread or a breakfast casserole too.

Christmas Eve Eve:

My mother-in-law always has lots of apps, and we usually have lasagna for dinner. Then we open gifts, followed by stockings. She’s the queen of baking, so there are lots of dessert options!

Christmas Eve:

At my dad’s cousin’s house, we always look forward to the salmon appetizer as well as other apps. Another cousin always make bacon wrapped jalapenos which are a hit. We always have a nice dinner, a gift exchange, and then usually play a board or card game as a family. It’s usually intense. haha

A favorite is Left, Right, Center!

Christmas morning:

At my dad’s, we open gifts, have breakfast (usually eggs, bacon, and mimosas (for the adults)), and then watch A Christmas Story.

Christmas afternoon:

Once we get to my mom’s we open presents and stockings. Then, by this point, we’ve already eaten quite a bit over the last couple of days, so she usually just has some snacks for us. Typically, we watch another movie and I end up getting a nap!

Christmas evening:

At my grandma’s, she has a couple of appetizers, then we open gifts. After that, she always has a nice meal (sometimes prime rib!), and her table is always so festive.

Shew! So, that’s a little bit about how we holiday. Honestly, there are times I wish I took the initiative to host a party, but between the end of the semester at school, kids’ activities, and just the general busyness of December, it’s nice to celebrate with friends, but I just don’t seem to have the energy to host!

I can’t wait for the 2023 Let’s Look topics. Until then, I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

Posted in Holidays, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How is your week going so far? We’re having a good one. The weather has been perfection…cool mornings and sunny days. It’s definitely feeling like October around here.

Today, I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • How you organize for the new year in January.
  • What you eat in a week in February.
  • Your faves from high school/college in March. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April.
  • Your hometown in May.
  • Go-to summer lunches in June.
  • How you keep healthy in July.
  • How you do ‘every day’ cleaning in August. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • Organize your closet in September

This month’s topic is: select your Halloween costumes.

I feel like I’ve done some variation of this post the past couple of years…

That being said, I think our Halloween days are about over (and the days of little cute costumes are definitely over), so these posts are always a fun little trip down memory lane for me.

As far as how we select Halloween costumes, it’s really just about the kids. I haven’t worn a Halloween costume in years. We haven’t had any adult Halloween parties since before we had kids, I think. Also, we’ve never done family costumes because I am not that creative! I do love to see what others think of, but that’s never been a priority for me.

Anyway, here’s a little look at the kids’ costumes through the years.

2010:

The kids were 11 months old for their first Halloween, and I went with pretty “simple” and “classic” costumes for my nearly one year olds. What’s cuter than a pumpkin and a skeleton?

2011:

Leading up to this Halloween, I remember a conversation about how the kids should be m&m’s since we called them H&H. My mom made these m&m costumes for them which were cute and easy.

2012:

This Halloween, the kids were almost two…and so began the years of them choosing what they wanted to be. What little boy didn’t want to be a fireman and little girl, a princess?

2013:

I’ve shared before, but this was my favorite year. Hayden wanted to be Batman, and Hadley actually said, “I’ll be Robin!” Every time I look at this photo, her little mask on her chubby cheeks kills me.

2014:

This was the first year in our new house, and we moved in a few weeks before Halloween. I remember that it was a hectic time, but the kids were very confident in what they wanted to be. Hayden was still in the super hero phase, and Frozen was all the rage at the time. Hadley wanted to be Elsa, of course.

2015:

Target was a life saver for costumes. They kids were excited to find a ninja and a pink power ranger costume in the Halloween section.

2016:

In 2016, Hadley was a bee while Hayden was Luke Skywalker.

Hadley learned to read just in time to scroll my phone for costume ideas. When she said, “let’s get buzzed” and showed me a photo of a woman in a bee costume, there was no turning back. 😂Hadley saw that adult bee costume and remembered that she had a hand me down black and yellow costume from her cousin. We bought the tights and made the headband. It turned out so cute.

Hayden loved that his light saber glowed in the dark!

2017:

Looking back, this was another favorite costume year. After the Royals won the World Series in 2015, Hayden because a huge Mike Moustakas fan. This costume was easy to put together because we already had everything we needed! Hadley decided she wanted to be Super Woman which was super cute.

2018:

This was the year Hayden returned to playing soccer, so he wanted to be Ronaldo. Hadley told me she wanted to be “an 80’s girl!” and thankfully, Amazon had everything we needed.

2019:

In 4th grade, there were lots of Ghostbusters. Hayden loved having the inflatable Proton Pack (not pictured). Hadley was so cute as a nerd. She asked if I would bring home a dictionary or thesaurus from school!

2020:

The kids were still able to trick-or-treat in 2020 even with Covid going one. Hadley and a group of friends were m&m’s while Hayden dressed as another idol of his…Patrick Mahomes.

2021:

Ahh…the first year of middle school. It’s an awkward time where some people think you are too old to trick-or-treat and others don’t mind. Hadley and a group of friends all wore different animal onsies. Honestly, I loved this as an idea because Hadley continued to wear them in the colder months as pjs.

Hayden had a last minute decision to be Happy Gilmore. The idea came about at some point thanks to Hadley and Travis. Hayden was really into golfing at the time. Travis and Hadley even found the plaid Vineyard Vines shirt at a consignment store for him that looked like the one Adam Sandler wore in the movie. It was a funny costume idea, and he went along with it. I didn’t let him carry the golf club around while trick-or-treating!

Sigh, I can’t believe the little kid costume years are over. Even more, they kids basically trick-or-treated on their own last year. The adults got together for a bit, but I was actually home in time to hand out some candy just as it was getting dark outside.

What are you favorite Halloween costumes that you had growing up?

Here I am in 1980 something as a cheerleader…-and my Care Bear brother stole one of my pom poms!

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday…and the second Wednesday of the month at that!

I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • How you organize for the new year in January.
  • What you eat in a week in February.
  • Your faves from high school/college in March. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April.
  • Your hometown in May.
  • Go-to summer lunches in June.
  • How you keep healthy in July.
  • How you do ‘every day’ cleaning in August. (I didn’t have a post last month)

This month’s topic is: organize your closet

I almost didn’t write a post because I did such a lengthy one back in July , but I also thought this post would be a good way to hold myself accountable…

Three months later, and my closet is still pretty neat and tidy:

You can’t see it in the photos, but the entire floor space is empty too. I still use that space for new purchases or Amazon packages until I try things on or return, but I can actually step into my closet to put away clothes, choose an outfit, or grab a different purse.

Also, outside of my closet I have a small antique chair that my grandma passed down to me, and it used to always be the holding spot for outfits or sweatshirts. Now, I’ve even made sure to fold or hang up clothes to keep it an uncluttered space as well.

When I did my closet reorganization, I purchased these acrylic dividers, and they were definitely the best purchase.

affiliate link: dividers

I told myself to go through my closet and drawers at the end of each season. Well, here we are transitioning from summer to fall, and I need to do that. I just haven’t had the time. That being said, with such a big purge in June, I shouldn’t have too much that I need to donate. I am trying to follow “one in, one out” rule as much as possible.

First world problems, but I dream of having a bigger closet at some point in my life. While I know that would be more to maintain, it would be nice to feel like I have a little extra space and to be able to easily see my clothes, shoes, purses, and more.

Speaking of clothes…tomorrow, I’m going to share a few new wardrobe purchases for fall from Target and Walmart. Come back tomorrow!

Posted in Health and Fitness, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

I think I’m finally getting back into the swing of things around here which means I’m ready to get back on track with all the things including eating and working out. Today’s blog post topic comes at the perfect time!

I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • How you organize for the new year in January.
  • What you eat in a week in February.
  • Your faves from high school/college in March. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April.
  • Your hometown in May.
  • Go-to summer lunches in June.

This month’s topic is how you keep healthy.

*disclaimer:* this is not something I’m an expert on…haha

That being said, being “healthy” is something that’s always on my mind…even if I’m struggling with healthy habits. I’d say I made it through my 20’s by just working out (mostly jogging) and eating whatever I wanted. In my 30’s, I was busy chasing two kids around, and probably fell into the cliché of a tired, full time working mom of two kids. Working out was always in my routine through those years, but working out varied week to week. Some weeks, I’d work out twice and other weeks not at all and some weeks five days. During that time, I was cooking for my family and always trying to cook as healthy as possible, but also eating leftover chicken nugget or mac and cheese.

About four years ago, I finally made working out and eating better a priority. Again, I’m still not perfect, but I’ve tried to consistently work on:

  • Drinking more water: I still struggle with this, but hitting my water goal is always easier in the summer.
  • Moving my body: I’ve found I’m most successful when I can workout at home. I know some people think the exact opposite…that they have to leave the house to workout or they won’t. I feel like if I can go to my basement and complete a 30 minute Beachbody workout in my basement, then there isn’t much of an excuse not to get five workouts (which is my goal) in each week. There are times I’m really on a roll and in a routine and that means: one off day, one day where I walk, one day I go to the gym to use the elliptical, and then I do four beach body workouts (usually: one arms, one legs, one cardio, and full body (or Pilates)).
  • Intermittent fasting: I’ve been doing this for four or five years. I don’t eat breakfast. I break my fast at lunch time and try to stop eating by 8:00. That being said, doing anything for a long time, I guess your body may get too used to something and need a reset. So, there are periods of time where I have gone back to having a small breakfast.
  • Tracking what I eat: The My Fitness Pal is a great place to track macros (It seems like a lot at first, but, like anything, you get the hang of it). Since January, I’ve been consistent about tracking Weight Watchers points in the app.
  • Prioritizing protein: This is actually a newer idea I’ve tried in the past year or so. We need around 40 grams of protein per meal, and I try to make a conscious effort to do that when I can.
  • Quiet/Me time: The older I get, the more I am aware of mental health and how important it is to take care of yourself. Am I perfect at doing this every day? No. But, honestly, I can say 99% of my days start with solo quiet time drinking my coffee and getting ready for the day. When the kids were little, I started this habit. I can’t hit the ground running. I just can’t. I realized that I need to ease into the day, or I will just feel frazzled and out of whack. Hayden is much like me…needs to wind down at night and ease into the morning. Travis and Hadley are very similar and seem to be able to get up and go…and then just fall right to sleep at night.

Now, having time to workout is still a struggle with two busy kids, but having kids who are *somewhat* self-sufficient means that I can sneak in a 30 minute workout while they work on homework or take a walk before a baseball game.

Also, I try to control what I can, and I am the meal planner in our house. I really do try to make balanced meals for my kids. While they could live on snacks, I try to show them (but not harp on it) that a healthy dinner plate will have small carb, protein, fruit, veg. Of course, the difference is that my kids may double down on the mashed potatoes, and I will double down on the veggies.

Amanda Nighbert is an awesome local dietician. She’s a wealth of knowledge, and she shares so much in her Instagram stories; you should check her out. Her LEAN program is amazing as well.

Vacation Goals:

Before we left for Mexico, I set a few goals for myself and was able to pretty much stick to them…

  • Intermittent Fast: Half of the mornings I had breakfast and half of them I didn’t. Most of the breakfasts I did have were eggs/toast/fruit or one restaurant had avocado toast that I loved. Most nights, we had early dinner reservations which meant that I was finished eating by 7:00 most nights.
  • Drink water: That was easy to do considering how hot it was. Also, our room fridge was filled with bottled water and every restaurant offered it as soon as we sat down for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  • Track my meals: I tracked everything I ate from a snack on a the plane to hibachi dinner to a scoop of ice cream. That being said, I didn’t track what I drank. I wanted to have a couple of skinny margs or a couple of glasses of wine and not feel guilty about it.
  • Make healthy choices: While you only live once, I still wanted to try to eat as healthy as possible…and honestly, those were the foods I craved. A few mornings I did have one churro dipped in chocolate that was offered at the buffet (because when else will I eat a churro?!), but then again, for breakfast, I had one egg and some pineapple. I got the skinny marg in stead of a regular margarita. I ordered fish for most dinners and honestly didn’t really have sweets.
  • Workout three times: I made sure to workout on the Friday before we left, and then made the goal of working out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That being said, I wasn’t going to obsess about it. I got in elliptical workouts on Monday and Friday. Wednesday was our boat day, and that included snorkeling. I swear we swam half a mile at least. That counts as a workout. Also, I think my lowest day of steps was 5,000 and honestly, most days were 7,000+ and then over 10k on my elliptical days.

I wasn’t mad about this workout view:

Am I the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life? Probably not? But, I guess “health” is relative. Maybe I am. I’m definitely the most focused and knowledgeable about what I should eat than I ever have before, but of course, attitude and effort are important; I fall short some days. I do believe that consistency is key, and eventually you’ll see the results.

What about you? How do you stay healthy?

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I hope you are having a great week so far!

Well, yesterday was the first Tuesday of the month, so I shared my Amazon purchases, and today is the second Wednesday of the month which means that I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • How you organize for the new year in January.
  • What you eat in a week in February.
  • Your faves from high school/college in March. (I didn’t have a post that month.)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April.
  • Your hometown in May.

Well, this week I’m trying to get us into a summer routine. Sometimes lunch is chicken tenders and fries at the pool. I do try to have us eat at home most days and then just pack snacks for the pool. On Fridays, I usually let the kids pick somewhere to drive-thru which usually means Chick-fil-A, Raising Canes, Sonic, or Taco Bell.

I’ve shared some lunch posts before, but here are some fave options when I’m at home:

Shrimp tacos are pretty easy to make. I just sautee some shrimp in EVOO and the Chile Lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s. I add lettuce cabbage with a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of Ranch dressing.

To me, nothing says summer like a snack plate. I just love that I’m home to have more than 18 minutes to eat, and can just put together a plate of favorites based on what we have at home.

Anything can go on the plate: cheese, fruit, almonds, pickles, lunch meat, prosciutto, sausage, etc. I usually have one meat, one cheese, one fruit and then go from there.

I eat this Cheeseburger Bowl on repeat! I just cook ground turkey and add in taco seasoning. Then, I put the meat on top of some lettuce and add a few chopped up pickles, a sprinkle of cheese, and then a drizzle of the Magnifisauce from Trader Joe’s.

Other quick lunches we have often: quesadilla, grilled cheese, turkey sausage with sides like fruit, pretzels and hummus or peppers.

This recent Not Just a Mom post has some lunch ideas and links back to some previous posts I’ve shared as well.

Truly, one of my favorite parts of summer is not packing a lunch, picking and choosing what to eat based on what I have at home, and having some extra time to eat as well.

What are your “go-to” summer lunches?

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

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 you organize for the new year in January
  • What you eat in a week in February
  • Your faves from high school/college in March (I didn’t do LL in March)
  • How you plan/do date nights in April

This month, we are looking at: your hometown.

Of course, when someone asks where I’m from, I say Kansas City. It’s just easier than saying, “Lee’s Summit, a suburb of KC.” It’s just easier since I’m living in a completely different state than where I grew up. Also, I didn’t move to Lee’s Summit until I was thirteen, so I do consider both to be my “hometown.”

Kansas City

MISSOURI! Many (out of state) people think that Kansas City is in Kansas. While there is a KCK, it’s small and Kansas City is KCMO.

My dad was a Kansas City police officer for thirty years which meant he had to live in KC. So, my younger years were spent in KC in an area close to where he grew up.

Kansas City really does have so much to offer. There’s nothing better than Topsy’s popcorn or a butter roll from McLain’s. There are so many great BBQ restaurants in KC. While I’m not a huge BBQ fan, we always make a stop per Trav’s request and my kids love ribs!

Growing up, we’d often go to the Plaza for a hamburger and milkshake from Winsteads. We’d also visit Crown Center and the Plaza around the holidays to ice skate and see the Christmas lights.

I spent many summer days at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun with cousins when they’d come to visit.

Of course, KC is a big sports town. There’s nobody more loyal than an KC Royals fan. We waited thirty years in between World Series wins and still showed up for our team through the years.

The same can be said for the Chiefs fans who cheered them on for fifty years in between Super Bowl wins.

Lee’s Summit

Photo c/o https://downtownls.org

We moved to LS at the end of my seventh grade year. My parents found a piece of land that was in KC but districted for Lee’s Summit schools. They built a house and we moved in the spring of 1993. I did struggle with the move more than my brother did because he was still in elementary school. I will be the first to admit (now) that I didn’t really give the move a chance. I really hated my 8th grade year, but I did find a great group of friends once I started high school.

When we moved to LS, it was just starting to boom. When you got off the highway, there were four way stops and a two lane road that took you to our house. Now there are stoplights, three high schools, hospitals, shopping and more.

The one high school in LS was the biggest in the state. I went to it for my freshman year and then the new high school was finished when I was a sophomore. That year, they let the seniors stay together at the old school, so it was just 9th-11th when my high school opened. Lee’s Summit had, and continues to have, a top notch public school system which was a selling point for my parents. There’s even a third high school now. I’m forever grateful for the education that I received. I made so many friends that I met thanks to band (yes, band!).

In the summers, we’d hang at neighborhood pools, get frozen custard at Custard’s Last Stand, have fun at the Homecoming parade in the fall, attend football and basketball games and more. There was a lake in my neighborhood as well as a bigger lake where a few friends lived. We hung out on the dock on many summer nights.

Once I gave it a chance and met the right group of friends, I really did enjoy growing up in Lee’s Summit.

I take my midwestern roots seriously. While I love Lexington, there have been many times I’ve held firm to values and beliefs on how I grew up and was raised when making decisions for my own kids.

I’m grateful that my kids are growing up with KC memories. Hayden cheers for the Royals and Chiefs. My kids know how great a cherry limeade is from Topsy’s popcorn and how magical the Plaza lights are at Christmastime.

“Home” is a relative term I guess. I feel at home when I’m at home, I guess because I’ve made it a point to make our house a home for my kids. But…I’m also at home when I’m in KC seeing family and creating memories for my kids there too.

One of my favorite country songs on the radio right now is Half of my Hometown. These lyrics always stand out to me:

Back roads raise us…
Highways take us…
Memories make us wanna go back…to our hometown.

I’ll be honest, never in a million years did I think I wouldn’t be raising my family where I grew up. I always joke that I moved to KY with Travis because I was “young, dumb, and in love.” Not to take anything away from him; I just mean that I don’t see my forty year old self making that same decision. When you are young, you can take chances like that. I didn’t have anything to lose.

…and sometimes you take a chance…and it pays off. Travis is the best, and we’ve created a really blessed life together.

I do miss “home” though.

Where did you grow up? What’s your best hometown memory? I’d love to know.

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello from dreary Kentucky. I swear we can’t buy some sunshine!

On the bright side (#seewhatIdidthere), 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 you organize for the new year in January
  • What you eat in a week in February
  • Your faves from high school/college in March (I didn’t do LL in March)

This month, we are looking at: how you plan / do date nights

Date night. What’s that? Does a night at the ballpark count because that’s where we were last night. 😂

Well, date nights were easier before we had two kids pulling us in ten different directions. (Although I always say we’re blessed to be busy!)

We’ve been together since 2001. Travis says he’s never ‘gone with’ anyone as long as he’s ‘gone with’ me! 😆

2001

It’s very rare for us to have a traditional date night. We always go out to dinner around Valentine’s Day and for our anniversary in June. Do we go out other times just the two of us to eat? Yes, but we make an effort to make reservations somewhere for those two occasions.

Since we don’t have family in town, we’ve always had to schedule sitter when trying to go to football games, celebrate special occasions, and more. Thankfully, it usually worked out, but it’s still more effort than being able to rely on a grandparent in town.

Honestly, we just do simple things together when we can like run an errand, go for a walk, or watch a show together. Ozark is a fave show of ours.

Now that the kids are older, we are able to go out with friends spur of the moment if we can’t find a sitter. Just last Saturday, we went to see a concert with some friends pretty; those plans came together pretty quickly. (My mom and Gma held down the fort while we were out.)

In October and April, we try to get out to Keeneland for a few races. Travis goes out there quite a bit during the meets, but I try to take a Friday afternoon to join him at least once a meet.

I’ve been fortunate enough to tag along on some work trips which gives us stretches of time together.

We went to Del Mar last August which is one of our favorite places.

I remember after our first vacation as a family, the kids had a scheduled doctor’s appointment when we got home. Our pediatrician said leaving town, even to the beach, is more like a trip than a vacation while kids are little. I agree!

That being said, now that the kids are older, I do feel like we are on more of a relaxing vacation when we go out of town. On vacay, Travis and I will drink our coffee on the beach while the kids sleep in…

…or catch a sunset while on vacay with a glass of wine.

We are so busy that anything outside of the house probably needs to be scheduled. We are fortunate now that the kids are old enough that we can leave them home a bit to run an errand together or go to dinner.

Also, this past year has also proven that the kids have very busy social lives and there have been a handful of times when both kids have had impromptu overnights with friends leaving us with a free evening. Honestly, sometimes that means we order takeout sushi and watch a movie at home rather than go out on the town.

We are at least intentional about spending time together when we can. Even if it’s not a huge “to do” like going to a restaurant.

So, that’s a peek at how we do date nights. I know we should be better at scheduling these, but I’m thankful that I have someone that I enjoy spending so much time with even if it’s grabbing a Starbucks and wandering around Home Depot!

We’ll celebrate 17 years of marriage together in June.

Time flies!

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you have a great day.