Life Lately

Posted on February 15, 2023February 14, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

How is your week going? Ours is…going.

Here’s a bit of our life…lately.

The kids had a big Friday night! They went to the 7th grade dance. Hadley was counting down the days, and we were all shocked that Hayden contemplated going. 😆

I’m not sure what their school did before Covid, but last year there weren’t any dances/mixers. This year, the PTSA has done an awesome job organizing something for every grade level. They had a school wide mixer (dance/game night) one Saturday evening in January, then the 6th graders had a casual after school dance in early February. The 7th graders had the Valentine’s Day dance on Friday night, and then the 8th graders have a more “formal” dance in the spring.

It’s been so nice to see the kids and their friends have these opportunities.

Here they are all dressed up and ready to go.

One of the moms organized a pre-dance get together with appetizers for the kids at a local restaurant. The moms stayed as well, so that we could then get them to the dance. So, from 5:15-6:45, the kids hung out, ate, and we talked them in to a few photos before they headed to the dance from 7-9.

This really is such a great group of kids. I’ve said it before, but Hayden and Hadley have held on to their close elementary friendships and the new friends they made last year have been such an added bonus. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the parents too.

Hayden rode with friends, and I got to drop these lovely ladies off at school.

Hayden texted about a half hour in to the dance asking when it was over. 😂Some of my friends were chaperones and reported back that both kids were having fun. Hadley gave us all the details when she got home, and Hayden actually said he had a good time.

This was such a nice “rite of passage” for them, and I loved seeing every moment.

Go Chiefs!

On Saturday, my mom decorated Chiefs cookies with the kids. I was impressed.

Sunday night was game time.

I picked up some balloons and a cookie cake. We’d ordered pizza the two previous play off games, so we continued that tradition too. Everyone was up late for the big win! We were all so excited.

Valentine’s Day

I think the kids had a pretty good Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick this week, so I wasn’t up to make a special breakfast. I did put out a couple of decorations once I got up…

After school, we gave them a few gifts.

I got the kids some candy and donuts. Then, they both got a new alarm clock/sound machine. They both have the same sound machine from when they were babies (seriously – their sound machines are now 13 years old!), and Hayden’s is kind of glitchy. I’m going to put Hadley’s old one in my suitcase, so we always have it on hand for travel. I’ve decided the kids need to start setting an alarm in the morning, so that combined with the sound machine was a good little gift that they “needed.”

A couple of months ago, I picked up a heart necklace for Hadley when Shay had her collaboration with Victoria Emerson.

For Hayden, I also got him this running calendar and Toughness by Jay Bilas. (*I may end up reading it too!) 😉

Then, for dinner, we had heart shaped chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. An easy and delicious dinner made us all happy.

The past couple of years, I’ve made a special weekend Valentine’s Day lunch, but with our already hectic weekend and then V-Day falling on a Tuesday, we made the most of it. Travis and I hope to go out to dinner this weekend.

Have a great Wednesday,

{This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting my blog.}

Kids, Life Lately

Life Lately

Posted on May 31, 2022May 30, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello there!

I hope you had a great weekend. Memorial Day always kicks off summer, but it’s an important time to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a post, but today I’m getting caught up!

I’m sharing a bit of Life…lately.

A couple of weeks ago, Hadley attended a friend’s bat mitzvah, and looked so grown up!

She borrowed a dress from a friend, and then we ordered these cute shoes from Amazon. The outfit came together nicely. She had a great time with her friends.

We also had Youth Sunday at church. The kids all looked so grown up. Hayden handed out the bulletins and Hadley helped with offering.

It’s peony season at Trader Joe’s which I love!

Of course, we’ve had lots of sporting events including a recent CATS game. Travis took them, and Hadley sent me this photo. They had a great time.

Hayden was excited to get his baseball signed by a few players.

Then, we also watched my school’s baseball team the regional tournament.

We celebrated the last day of school. 6th grade seemed to fly by!

On Friday night, we went to see Top Gun Maverick.

It was SO good. I don’t know the last time I enjoyed a movie so much. I loved the nods to the first one, and we were on the edge of our seats with the action. The kids enjoyed it too.

They’ve been busy finishing up track season.

Two weekends ago they ran in a race just to get in more practice and work in speed. Then, this past Saturday, they ran in the state meet.

Both were in the 4×800 relay, but then Hadley got moved up from alternate to run the 4×400. So, Hadley ran in the first and last race of the meet. 😂 At least the weather was beautiful.

Anyway, they both did their part in they relays and ended on a high note for the season.

…and it’s officially summer. Of course, Memorial Day weekend is the most crowded, but we all went to the pool on Sunday and I had a skinny marg to kick off summer.

The kids spent a few hours there yesterday too, but I had a hair appointment and a few other errands like going to Trader Joe’s. Travis and I watched an episode of Ozark before grilling out for dinner.

With summer, I will still blog but it may be bit less…I will just see where the days take me…

Later this week, I will share the books I read in May and some Friday Favorites.

Holidays, Life Lately

Life Lately

Posted on February 15, 2022February 14, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hey! I hope your week is off to a great start. Yesterday, I shared a Day in the Life post from Saturday, but we’ve had some other things going on as well. Here’s a look at Life…Lately.

Hadley is almost finished with her first season on the middle school dance team. She had a big audience last week when my brother and his family attended her halftime performance along with my mom who was in town visiting.

The same crew came to both of Hayden’s middle school games on Friday night.

Wyatt, Layla (and GG) are some of the kids’ Super Fans!

Then, on Saturday, we attended cousin Wyatt’s game. It was fun watching him shoot around with Hayden after his game.

I fondly remember Hayden playing in this same gym (and Hadley was on his team for one season!)

Since Monday mornings can be hectic, we celebrated Valentine’s Day on Sunday morning. And…by “celebrating,” I just mean we gave the kids a few gifts, and I baked some cinnamon rolls.

Maddie’s Cookie Co is the best, and I always try to order cookies from her for special occasions. She had some many cute options for Valentine’s Day this year.

Cinnamon rolls with Valentine’s Day sprinkles (and some strawberries) were the perfect easy breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast…I went to brunch with a bunch of my friends on Sunday. We went to Dudley’s, and the food was delicious.

Then, we headed to the Lexington Opera House to see Waitress. It was amazing.

While I was out with my friends, the kids were with my mom (and cousins) decorating cookies my mom had baked. Check out the ballerinas for Hadley and Layla and t-shirts that Hayden and Wyatt decorated for the Chiefs and UK.

We went to my brother’s house for the Super Bowl. It wasn’t the same with our Chiefs not in the big game, but we made the best of it. In a nod to our “favorites” dinner, I told the kids to choose their favorite appetizers, and I’d make them.

Well, Travis must have taken to heart my love language being acts of service, because when I came home from the musical, he was making cheeseburgers sliders for Hayden, and had picked up the frozen mini tacos from Trader Joe’s for Hadley. I was so impressed. Travis picked up wings (his fave!), and we took all that food to my brother’s. My sister-in-law made soup, and we all enjoyed the evening.

Then, yesterday morning, I woke up to find a sweet card from Travis. He’s known for his bubble letters! Twenty years of being Valentines, and I feel very lucky.

So, that’s a bit of our life…lately! I have a couple more posts planned this week, so I will see you back here soon.

Thanks so much for reading,

Life Lately

Posted on January 25, 2022January 24, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Shew! Yesterday felt like quite a Monday. We were up really late on Sunday watching the Chiefs game which meant the 6am alarm was rough, I was really busy at school, and then it seems that Mondays are always our busiest evening with activities for the kids.

Today, I’m sharing a little bit of…

Last week, we only had school (in person) one day! Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were NTI (non-traditional instruction) days for our students.

I had a few questions about how our NTI works, so I thought I’d share a few details. On these at home learning days:

Instruction is asynchronous.
Assignments are posted on Canvas.
No new material is to be presented.
The district assigned office hour times for teachers at the various levels: 8:30-10:30 elementary, 10:30-12:30 middle school, 12:30-2:30 high school. Teachers are always available via email, but they are on Zoom during those assigned times to answer any questions.
Students have three days to complete their work after each NTI day. (That way, if a student doesn’t understand the assignment, doesn’t have internet access, is sick, etc., they still have time to complete the work without penalty.)
Attendance is marked by participation of turning in assignments.

After having three of these days under our belt, I’ve been pleased with the amount of work my own kids have received. Also, I’m able to work on school things and then Zoom with my regular students in the afternoon.

My former district was more rural, and they have used weather NTI days for years. When I was still teaching there, this was the same format we used except there was no Zoom, but that was pre-Covid! Also, we often gave paper packets for students who needed them.

Anyway, I don’t know if my current district will continue with NTI for weather in the future, but I hope so…or at least a compromise that after the third/fourth snow day, we do NTI or something like that. I know some parents aren’t fond of the NTI model especially after being virtual for a year, but I also don’t think it’s necessary for us to be in school past Memorial Day because we have so many days to make up. No one is happy to be in a school building after May 31 😉

Moving on…

One snow day perk was that we met Travis for an early lunch on Friday. We tried a new taco place in town.

Friday afternoon, I went to Kendra Scott to use my 50% off for my birthday. I love my new earrings.

Friday evening, we went out for pizza for dinner. Then, Hadley went to an overnight, and Travis and I took Hayden and a couple of friends to my school’s basketball game. We had a great time.

On Saturday, Hayden had an early basketball game which went down to the wire.

Saturday evening, Hayden went to a friend’s birthday. It was bowling and an overnight which meant we got one on one time with Hadley. After dinner at home, we went to Cattywampus Station, and Hadley chose the cookies and cream milkshake.

When we got home, Travis and I watched the first episode of Ozark. I can’t wait to keep watching!

On Sunday, we went to church, and then caught Wyatt’s makeup basketball game. I feel like it was just yesterday that Hayden was that little and playing basketball.

After the game, I picked up my Kroger order, made chili, and watched the Bucs/Rams game. Then, per play off tradition, we went to my brother’s house to watch the Chiefs/Bills game. We all went from sad to happy in 13 seconds. What an amazing game. Of course, that meant that we were up too late for a Sunday night, but it was worth it!

After the game, my mom called. She asked Hayden if he was alright, and he said, “No!” 😂 He had told me during the game that he thought he was having an anxiety attack.

A few other things…

It’s no secret that Homer rules the roost. On Saturday night, I headed to bed and found him in my spot:

Last week, I made these Peanut Butter Protein Balls, and the whole family loved them.

Lastly, it’s competition season, and it was Hadley’s turn to be in the spotlight:

So, that’s what has been going on with us lately. We’ve been busy per usual, but it’s been nice to have the snow days mixed in as well.

See you back here Thursday for Monthly Musings and Friday where I’m sharing a few favorite things I bought with my birthday money.

Life Lately

Posted on October 7, 2021October 13, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How’s your week going? We’re hanging on around here, but I’m very excited because today is the first day of our (short) fall break! I will take what I can get. Today, I’m sharing some bits and pieces of what we’ve been up to, so it’s just a little bit of some Life…Lately.

I had a Bath and Body Works coupon (two, actually) to spend, and when I parked outside right by the store, this Lexington mural caught my eye. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it before, and it looked so pretty on a beautiful Saturday. When I left the store, a family was taking a photo in front of it. So fun.

Speaking of Bath and Body Works, here’s my haul:

I knew the three wick candles were on sale, and I had a coupon for 20% (or maybe 30?) plus a coupon for a free small item.

I purchased Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin body wash, Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte lotion for Hadley, Marshmallow Fireside candle (one of my favorite scents!) and Pumpkin Apple hand soap for my bathroom.

Next time I got to BBW, it will be for Christmas fragrances!

This Kroger pumpkin roll was an impulse buy a couple of weeks ago, and now I’ve picked up a couple more. It’s the perfect fall dessert, and doesn’t last long in our house!

I won a book! I got a notification on the Goodreads app about a give away for the Christmas in Peachtree Bluff book. I received an email a couple of weeks ago that I won one of the copies! It arrived this week, and I plan on reading it in November before sharing some previous Christmas reads before the holidays. I love books by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

I was so excited to get this new mirror from Wayfair. (The app says it will be back in stock soon, if interested) This wall in our living room has been blank for 7+ years now, and I’ve always wanted a mirror there. I saw one years ago that I loved at Hobby Lobby but never got it. When I checked out Hobby Lobby recently, I didn’t see any that I liked, so I searched Wayfair next. This one was on sale and just my style. What I’d really like to do is put some ship lap on that wall and then hang the mirror, so that’s a project I may move up on our “to do” list. For now, I just have it sitting on the antique chest.

…and I love how it looks with the glow of my pumpkins and candles.

Another new item that arrived this week is this new rug (the Rachel) from Boutique Rugs. We’ve had the same runner rug in our hallway for a few years, and Travis, of all people, mentioned that it’s always bugged him how short it was. So, when Tina (@to_mimishousewego) shared her Boutique Rug code on Instagram for some of her favorite rugs, I went for it. BR was having a FALL60 sale, but Tina had MIMI70! Even better. The rug is going down a different hall, but I moved it here for the photo with better light.

I try to keep it pretty light-hearted around here, but we’ve had a rough couple of weeks. Our family has either been sick or in quarantine for the past two + weeks. Unfortunately, Travis was the first one diagnosed with Covid and was very sick for a few days. Four days after Trav’s symptoms, Hayden started having symptoms, and four days later, you guessed it…it was Hadley’s turn. My people have taken turns living in the basement, I’ve been wearing a mask non-stop, and it’s been a crazy couple of weeks with some sleepless nights and lots of stress. I knew vaccinated people could still get Covid, but I didn’t realize how sick they can still get. My kids were a couple months shy of being eligible for their vaccine. Thankfully, the kids had pretty mild symptoms (low grade fever, headache, and congestion) and after a few days and some medicine, Travis turned the corner. Travis finally went back to work Monday, Hayden went back to school Tuesday, and Hadley can resume normalcy tomorrow (with school on Monday). It’s been hard, and this mama is tired, but very grateful for all the love and support from family and friends over the past couple of weeks.

If you need Covid care tips, well, I’m ya girl: I’ve never been so thankful to have a basement for immediate and easy isolation. I wore my mask at all times, and served all food on disposable plates, bowls, and cups that they would throw away on their own in Kroger bags. Once Travis and Hayden were both in the basement, I bought basement snacks and breakfast items. The basement fridge came in handy for Gatorade, water, fruit and lunch meat. I disinfected the house and basement many times a day and even bought fabric disinfectant for couches and chairs, especially in the basement. And needless to say, stock up on the Clorox wipes! Also, all the vitamins are necessary: C, D, Zinc and whatever else you can get your hands on. I hope I never have to be the expert on this topic again!

Also, the school work, y’all! The kids’ teachers have been great and the amount of work is manageable, but it’s been full time job helping our kids get caught up, especially with the end of the quarter drawing near and them missing ten days of school.

Speaking of the generosity of others, we’ve had lots of fun and thoughtful porch packages from lasagna to Trader Joe’s faves, to margaritas and wine, to milkshakes, groceries and more, we’ve felt the love. While I could still go do what I needed to do, I still worked some days, helped the kids, tended to the sick, and more! We are so appreciative, and thankfully, the worst is past us now.

Just in time, I was able to get my Covid booster on Monday as well as my flu shot. Walgreens came to our school to give flu shots and added the booster as an option. Y’all, just like with the second vaccine, this one DID. ME. IN. Big time. Like this post was going to be for yesterday, but I was down for the count all day Tuesday and still didn’t feel 100% yesterday. Still, I’m thankful to feel like I have the extra protection now given what we’ve been going through.

I did rally for Hayden’s last regular season cross country race Tuesday night. I honestly physically didn’t feel like going, but I didn’t want to miss it. I showered beforehand, and the fresh air did me some good. Hayden always gives his best effort, but this race was a test after missing over two weeks (He was able to run some at home), three races, and running while still congested. As if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t tie his shoes tightly, and ran half the race with one shoe! 😆 It wasn’t his fastest time, but he still did great, and the boys team placed with their best score of the season!

I started fall break off right last night. I picked up a London Fog tea (thanks to a gift card from a friend), and was in my pjs by 4:18 PM. My neighbors are used to seeing me on my porch in my pjs these days! 😂

Weekly Recap:

I’m going to take tomorrow off from blogging, so no Friday Favorites for me, but here are my posts from this week:

September SEntence a DAy

Prime Purchases

Also, Monday is our Not Just a Mom link up and the topic is: How We Handle Busy Nights. I know my answer: on a wing and a prayer! 😉

I hope you have a great rest of the week, and I will see you back here on Monday!

Take care,

Holidays, Life Lately

Life Lately and Elf Antics

Posted on December 22, 2020December 21, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hey!…or should I say, “Ho, ho, ho?! because we’ve been having lots of festive fun over here. This post is basically a “Weekend Wrap Up,” but I’m going with “Life Lately: Holiday Fun Edition” as well as a glimpse of what our elf has been up to lately.

Friday:

Friday at 2:45 kicked off Winter Break for us, so I decided to plan a fun outside Christmas activity. In Millersburg, not too far from here, is a place called Mustard Seed Hill. I’ve seen people post about the lights and displays at this historic home, so I thought we’d check it out. The tickets were free, but we had to purchase tickets online beforehand to enter. I did so early in the week, and the whole weekend did end up being sold out by Friday. I appreciate that they were limited numbers due to Covid, and the security officer was turning people away who didn’t have proof of ticket.

We parked on the street, and Mustard Seed Hill was easy to find!

I did pay $5 per person in advance to see the gingerbread house display. We had a time frame of 6-7 to look at the houses. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and these displays were from a competition. I thought maybe there would be houses created by professionals, but instead there were displays of categories (teen, family , businesses, etc). That being said, there were so really cool houses on display! Considering the ones we do at home usually end up imploding, I was amazed at these creations.

We did end up going in the house. Again, I wasn’t sure what we were in line to see, but there was a really sweet greeter at the door who let only a few people in and out and shared the history of the home. Once we were inside, we just toured the main level, and then stopped to listen to another volunteer who shared more history about the family. Hayden loves this kind of stuff!

On the back porch of the home…

There was a little line to see this huge ornament, and it was the perfect spot for people to take photos….so, of course that’s what we did.

Hadley really wanted to have her photo taken in the glowing carriage!

Then, we stopped by the outdoor market for a treat. Everyone got hot chocolate, and both kids got a cookie. Mid-bite, I saw Hayden laughing, and asked him what was so funny. Travis had asked Hayden what he got to eat…Travis heard, “Big a$$ cookie,” when Hayden said, “Big iced cookie.” His mask must have muffled his response! 😂

Then, we headed home. We were probably there a little over an hour. The property was beautiful, and apparently this is only the second year they’ve put on this display. While it may not be a yearly tradition, I’m glad that we checked it out!

We got home a little after 8:00, got carry out for dinner, and I started break off with a glass of wine in festive cups I got from @cupsoncochran.

Saturday:

We had a low key Saturday morning, and then Hadley and some friends volunteered at dance for the Christmas Tea Party for the younger dancers. She had a lot of fun.

After that, Hadley and I stopped by our friend’s house who was hosting an outdoor hot chocolate bar for her daughters and friends. It was nice to see some friends, enjoy the hot chocolate, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

My friend had so many toppings and different flavors of whipped cream. We also brought a gift to take a gift, and girls always love to do those kinds of things. Hadley came home with some pretty bracelets.

We were there for about an hour and everyone wore their masks which actually came in handy in the cold weather!

Saturday night Travis and I watched Safety with Hayden. It was a really inspiring movie, and fun to watch.

Sunday:

On Sunday, we baked cookies…lots of cookies!

Hayden said he wanted to help with the peanut butter blossoms, and Hadley helped me with the rest of the cookies.

We made sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate crinkle cookies (my fave) and peppermint chocolate chip cookies which came from a Trader Joe’s mix.

I know we can have sugar cookies anytime during the year, but we usually make them at Christmas because we have fun decorating them…even Travis!

Finished products!

For dinner Sunday night, I made Amy’s potato soup. It was so delish!

We wrapped up the weekend by watching my favorite Christmas movie…Home Alone.

Elf Antics:

Going along with festive fun and holiday traditions…Red has been very busy while visiting from the North Pole.

He’s made a gingerbread house…

taken a marshmallow bath with a couple of friends, gotten stuck, and hidden 12 candy canes.

He also made (burnt) toast for breakfast one morning…

wore festive socks and put Santa hats on the kids’ heads in my favorite Santa photo.

He even got Santa to take a photo with them (and Homer!)

Speaking of Homer, he got a hold of Red. Red was still struggling from being #homered last year, but this time was even worse.

Y’all, Red is most definitely the 2020 version of an elf. It may be time for him to stay at the North Pole.

The kids were so upset with Homer…and I was too.

hot glue and Bandaids have him somewhat fixed…for now.

Red also brought cocoa bombs and kisses.

as well as some Pez candy. Then, per tradition, he took a selfie on the mantle and put it in one of our favorite frames .

I can’t believe Christmas is only a few days away. I feel like we’ve had to embrace this season more than ever with some traditions and fun to help make this year have some sense of normalcy.

I hope your week is off to a great start.

Take care,

Kids, Life Lately, Trader Joes

Life Lately

Posted on November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Compared to the past couple of months, life has been a little less hectic, and I’m here for it. We’ve gone from having some kind of practice every evening to practice just a couple days a week. We’ve gone from baseball tournaments and cross country meets taking up the weekend to just one basketball game on a Saturday afternoon. Also, with it getting darker earlier, it’s easier to convince my kids to get settled in for the evening.

Even with the slower pace, we’ve still been busy. So, today I’m sharing a bit of our life…lately.

Hayden’s in a 3 on 3 basketball league. Due to Covid, his regular league isn’t having a season (yet?). With this league, the season is shorter, the team is smaller, and they only play half court. That being said, he loves basketball, so I know he’s happy to be back on the court. His team won their first game on Friday evening, and Hayden had six points.

The kids (and Travis) wrapped up the regular cross country season last Saturday with the 5th/6th grade state meet. This was the first time the kids had been in a race with 6th graders, so I think there were a few nerves. It was the hottest day and the hardest course, but both battled to run pretty decent races. Hadley earned a medal, and I know Hayden wished he had placed a little higher, but we were proud of them, of course.

Y’all, I always joke that if you see me running, somebody is probably chasing me! haha…so who am I to judge?! 😂Both had an amazing season with ups and downs, PR’s, top 10 (& 1st) place finishes, and lots of miles put on those legs. They had fun with their teammates and supported each other in practices and races which is what it’s all about.

And, I have to give a shout out to Travis. He coaches this team during the busiest months of work for him, and he gives it his all. The kids don’t know how special it is to have this time and these memories with him. I know they’ll look back on these years with fond memories…and will hopefully forget that, according to them, he made them run farther in practice! 😂

On the run!

Cousin crew came to cheer the kids on!

We’ve had really beautiful weather, so I’ve been trying to ease back into working out with some walks every other day or so.

The leaves, even the ones on the ground, are so beautiful. I really do love fall!

There’s a beautiful street in Lex that’s known for their ginkgo trees. Facebook is flooded with Lexington peeps checking out the beautiful yellow leaves. For Tuesday’s recess, we decided to visit the “yellow brick road” and go for a little afternoon walk around that neighborhood.

The leaves are just stunning!

It was such a nice way to spend a few minutes on a weekday afternoon!

On Tuesday, Homer also enjoyed the lovely weather and the sunshine.

I’ve been reading Louisiana Lucky, and it’s such a cute read! I should finish it up in the next day or two.

Over the weekend, I finished watching Virgin River. Season 2 comes out November 27th, so I won’t have to wait long to see what Mel and Jack are up to!

I’d heard many people talking about The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, and I decided to give it a try. To be honest, I don’t think I ever would have clicked on this show while just scrolling Netflix, so I’m glad for the recommendation. I’m three episodes in, and I love it so far.

This is a miniseries based off of the novel with the same name. The main character, Beth, is an orphan, and she’s on a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. She learns how to play from the custodian at the orphanage. Beth is adopted by a couple from Lexington, so there are some Lexington references in the plot. I think the author grew up here? Anyway, I definitely recommend it based on what I’ve seen so far.

And…I’m excited because The Crown is back for Season 4 on November 15th. I was late to The Crown game, but started watching it back in March once life came to a halt! I really enjoy it as well, and can’t wait for this season.

I made a Trader Joe’s run over the weekend, and picked up some of our faves plus a few new foods to try.

Chicken nuggets – The kids love these for lunch.
Granola bars – I love these for an afternoon snack.
Blondie bars– This mix is perfect when you want something sweet. Hadley and her friend made these the other day, so I had to get another box to keep on hand.
Black bean burrito– We all love these.
White Cheddar shell mac & cheese– Hadley’s fave
Turkey and pumpkin mole burrito – This was a new find for me. I thought it was ok.
Everything but the Bagel Seasoning– I was running low on my other bottle, and started to panic!

Corn dippers – They go great with…
Buffalo chicken dip! – I also eat the dip with mini peppers.
Blue corn tortilla chips – I picked these up to mix in with our regular tortilla chips when I made sheet pan nachos for dinner on Tuesday night.
Chomps – Hayden’s fave!
Havarti Dill cheese – My fave! I eat some bites of cheese with…
Salami! – I love a snack plate!

I always stock up on our frozen staples when I’m at TJ’s. We eat the…

Gnocchi or Mushroom Risotto as a side dish at least once a week.
Mexican style roasted corn is usually a side dish when we eat Mexican food for dinner which is probably once a week!

Most Sundays I try to bake something for dessert. Hadley usually helps me, but she was outside playing on Sunday afternoon when I had time to make Shay’s pumpkin cake.

It was soooo good!

We also took some time this week to celebrate the end of cross country season and report cards with great grades on them! So, Hayden got the “You are Special” plate one night, and Hadley got it the next night!

It blows my mind that my kids haven’t stepped foot in a classroom in almost 8 months! I feel blessed that they are certainly persevering during these times. (Real Talk: I’m also glad they aren’t in primary grades where I know they’d need my help 90% of the time!) I’m thankful that they are pretty independent workers, for their awesome teachers, pod instructor and sitters! It really does take a village…especially during a pandemic.

I hope all of you are hanging in there as well! I know, for us, each day is different. Some days are definitely easier and better than others! And..on the “other” days, I just get in my pjs by 5:00 and count the minutes until bedtime…for all of us!

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Edition!

Take care,

Life Lately

Posted on July 2, 2020July 1, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

We’ve been walking the the fine line of busy but not too busy…so I thought I’d share a little of what we’ve been up to.

Activities:

We’ve definitely been enjoying our new family sized inflatable pool 😉 Since we decided not to join our club pool this summer, I knew we had to have something. A couple of afternoons in this confirmed that all I need is a little water, the sunshine, and a book. It will do for now and hopefully next summer will look a little more “normal.”

Hadley and I tested it out the first day.

The next day we let Hayden…

and Homer join us! Fingers crossed the pool won’t get #Homered this summer.

Homer hopped right in (whether we wanted him to or not), and then just hung out. I was impressed he wasn’t super crazy. The day before, he kept running laps around it before jumping in, so I was legit concerned he was going to pop it.

That being said, he barely pays any attention to it now, so maybe the novelty has worn off.

Also, there’s been lots of bike riding for the neighborhood kids lately!

Travis and Hayden have been busy with baseball….lots of practices and the first game is tonight.

The kids decided they wanted to start a dog walking business. They even made some flyers and have a couple of steady clients. They are splitting the money they earn.

Trader Joe’s:

Last weekend, I made another quick trip to Trader Joe’s for only some flowers and a watermelon. I wanted to get more peonies before they go out of season.

Homer:

Poor Homer has been scratching for a couple of weeks. The vet said we could give him Benadryl, and that did help his overall itching. BUT…he kept scratching and licking his back paws to the point where they were pink and raw. So, we made an appointment with the vet who thinks he may have a grass allergy. So, he received an allergy shot, and we’ll see if he needs another in the future. I’m still hoping it was a fluke.

Netflix:

On Netflix, I’ve been watching season 2 of Dead to Me and only have a few episodes left.

Travis and I started watching All-American. It has a Friday Night Lights/90210 vibe, and the first few episodes are pretty good. I didn’t realize it’s been on the CW…and after reading that, I feel like the show does seem like one that would be on that channel.

Reading:

My blog post yesterday was about what I read in June. I also started Our Little Lies, and so far, it’s SO good.

McConnell Springs Park:

Yesterday, the kids and I went to McConnell Springs Park here in Lexington. I’d never been before and figured it would be a good outside activity. There were a few trails, and we wandered around for about an hour and a half. We saw the Blue Hole, the Boils, and the Wetland Pond among other things. We went around 10:30 before it got too hot, but the shaded trails and overcast day definitely helped make for a pleasant experience.

Afterwards, we headed the the Distillery District to eat pizza at Goodfellas. I knew that would be a good spot to eat because of the outside patio. What I didn’t know was what a great lunch special they have! For $7, you get a huge slice of pizza, a drink, and a choice of bread stick or cookie (both are huge!)

LOL:

Just to end on a funny note…The other day, Hadley showed me yet another Tik Tok dance she’d learned.

Hayden is over it…He looked right at me and said, “Mom, if Hadley becomes a professional Tik Tok-er would you still be proud of her ?” 😂

It just made me laugh. Hadley’s always on 100…and Hayden is more like me…very low energy 😉

Anyway, that’s a look at our Life…Lately. See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites: 4th of July edition.

Life Lately

Posted on May 14, 2020May 15, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Well, the weeks are starting to run together, and I usually don’t know what day it is, but I thought I’d write a post about our Life…lately.

I’m forever grateful for my “mom friend” group and our ongoing texts. It’s nice to know we aren’t alone when our kids are overwhelming us, we need a break, or we just don’t want to think about 4th grade math anymore! Even better is when we make time for a Zoom meet up which we did last Saturday; it was good for the soul.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. I love previous years that include church and brunch out at a restaurant. This Mother’s Day was good, of course…but it was different.

I slept in and then the kids really slept in, so that was a great treat for all of us 😉

We got dressed and snapped a photo before heading to a local nursery to get my Mother’s Day ferns for our porch. It was the first time we’ve all been in the car together in months. Thankfully, the nursery wasn’t crowded and we were there and back in 30 minutes. It was still nice to get dressed and out of the house for a minute as a family.

I see this graphic every year, and I always think of how true it is. I know what it’s like to struggle to with infertility and yearn to be a mom. I know what loss feels like after a miscarriage. I know friends who’ve lost their mothers recently. I never really realized until trying to become a mom how painful this day can be for others for a variety of reasons. So, while I cherish my time with my kids, I often think of others who may be hurting as well.

Hadley’s teacher gave the class a template they could fill out about the TOP 10 reasons they love their mom. Then, they could show it on Google Slides or have someone print it out for them. Travis printed Hadley’s for me. My favorite one was that I “have potential and confience.” haha

I love a sweetly signed card, and they certainly delivered.

Also, Hayden presented me with his 40 drawing for my 40 years of age with references to things that have happened over the 40 years that would be special to me. He included family names, sporting events (Royals World Series win and Chiefs Super Bowl win!), wedding anniversary date, wine ;), blogger (which made me smile!), and much more. He was so proud of himself! (*Side note- I was fussing at him to go to bed Saturday night…come to find out, he was working on the 40 drawing).

Both of the kids are so sweet…but they still usually end up fighting on Mother’s Day. #keepingmehumble

For fun…a little flashback. Mother’s Day 2010. My first Mother’s Day as a mom. (Side note, y’all—my forehead looks perfect. ZERO wrinkles…and I look way more tired now!) 😉

We’ve been hanging out with Homer. I really do think he loves us being at home so much!

I’ve never been a binge watcher, but I’m getting the hang of it. I started watching Little Fires Everywhere, Dead to Me, and Outer Banks. I watched 4 episodes of Defending Jacob between Friday night and Saturday morning! I’m on the wait list at the library for the book.

We’ve been spending so much time in the sunroom now that we cleared out the sectional that was in there. I know I’ve referenced the new furniture and set up a couple times this week, but this is the final layout. We brought up the television stand that I painted a couple of years ago from the basement, put our living room tv out there (and bought a new tv for the living room), and have really been enjoying the space. We’ve hung out as a family watching tv, having dinner, or playing a game more time in the past week than we have for the five years we’ve lived here.

Crazy story about selling the sectional. I posted it on Facebook Marketplace and had multiple offers and over asking price within minutes. I even had a lady ask me what I’d take for the Target rug I had out there! I was going to buy a new rug anyway, so that made me feel less guilty about another new purchase 😉 We bought the new furniture last Monday afternoon, the sectional and rug were picked up by Monday night, the new furniture assembled by Travis on Tuesday (and I purchased the new Target rug Tuesday too), and the television situation was in place by Friday.

I’m still thanking the quarantine life for giving us the time and energy to get this space figured out!

I’ve been making an effort to pick back up with my walking. When everything shut down, I made a point to walk each day and did so for about a month. Then, I kind of lost the motivation. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve heard that seeing the sun and getting some Vitamin D in the first 30 minutes of your day can improve a person’s mood and positively impact mental health, so I’m trying to walk each weekday morning until the end of the month (and maybe longer–but wanted to set a small goal)

When we the weather has been nice, the kids have been playing outside…and they even let me snap this pic of them. They are getting big on me!

Also, we’ve been celebrating the kids’ teachers this week for Teacher Appreciation Week. Monday, they each sent their teacher an email about their favorite things they’ve learned this year. Wednesday was “chalk the walk” with a note to their teacher. It was raining, so chalkboards in the house would have to do. The kids have again been blessed with awesome teachers this year…who’ve gone above and beyond during these weeks of distance learning. I know Hayden and Hadley miss seeing their teachers and their classmates.

That’s a little look at our life…lately. Here are other posts from this week:

Monday: Fitness routine

Tuesday: Master Bedroom Refresh

Wednesday: Let’s Look at your weekend

Come back tomorrow to check out my Amazon Lately post!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great day.

Life Lately

Posted on April 23, 2020May 15, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! We’re certainly scooting right through this week as we continue distance learning and working from home. Obviously, we’ve been sticking pretty close to home, but I thought I’d share a peek at what we’ve been up to…a bit of our life…lately.

Well, while I knew it was coming, we got the official word that we would finish out the school year at home. I feel like I’m mourning the loss of this school year in a sense. I surprised myself when tears sprang to my eyes when I saw the tweet from KDE.

My kids will only be in the 4th grade once. They have awesome teachers, and I know how it goes…as the school years go on, there’s more stress, school seems less fun, and the memories of elementary school are some of the best. No carnival, no 4th grade field trip, no field day, and no end of the year teacher hugs…the list goes on and on…and I’m sad for them …even if they aren’t too sad right now. It’s absolutely amazing to me how resilient kids are. I’ve said to others that it’s almost scary that we are now kind of used to this new normal (in regards to staying put at home and distance learning) that I’m afraid kids won’t want to do much once we get back to normal, if that makes sense. I know they miss friends and will want to get back to sports, but we’ve started a new, more simple routine.

A friend brought up a good point about how our kids have been so over-scheduled and how content they are now at home. I do agree…but joked that Hayden’s been playing too much Xbox, so I can’t want to over-schedule him once we can get back to it, and that Hadley over-schedules herself!

Anyway, I know it will all be just fine…and I’m thankful this isn’t a milestone year for them, but I know springtime at the elementary level provides some of the best times and best memories.

That being said, the kids are doing a great job learning at home. That first week was rough but we are now in a routine. This week their teachers have incorporated some other activities like Earth Day activities, a video about kindness, and Hayden’s teacher is doing a chapter a day Read Aloud of the first Harry Potter book. Hayden has loved listening to the book this week.

Homer joined Hadley’s morning class meeting

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we’ve been working on our master bedroom refresh. Travis and I wallpapered one wall in our bedroom Friday evening. Then, Hadley helped Travis paint over the weekend.

On Saturday, Hadley decided to try on one of her dance recital costumes. She even put on some makeup (she’s better than me at doing so) and twirled around the house for a bit. Just your average Saturday afternoon! Hayden did ask her why she had a napkin ring on her head! haha

I had a Zoom call with some of my friends on Saturday evening. We had a little 7-8:00 Happy Hour and just caught up with each other. It was nice to see their faces and hear their voices!

Monday afternoon, I picked up by Kroger Clicklist order which included instant coffee. So, I made my first ever whipped coffee. I followed Amy’s directions from one of her recent posts. It was a delicious and refreshing treat!

I stopped by my classroom on Tuesday. I needed to get a few materials, and it felt good to sit and work there a couple of hours in silence…and in what should have been…

There was a birthday parade for one of my friends on Tuesday. Can birthday parades always be a thing? I love this idea! If we are still locked in our houses in July, can someone please organize a half birthday parade for me?!?

The past few evenings, Hadley and I have been watching the Elephants documentary on Disney + (narrated by Meghan Markle) while the guys have been watching the Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

I made a Trader Joe’s run recently and picked up some of our faves! Nothing says warmer weather to me than the canned Rose’ I love from TJ. The other items are family favorites but I’m also oobbbssed with the Havarti cheese with dill and the Buffalo Chicken Dip.

We’ve even kept up our (at least) weekly family bike ride.

Also, this week, I wrote my first ever Tuesday Talk blog post on Why I Started a Blog. It was a fun link up with Erika and Ashley.

Well, I guess that’s it. Just a little bit of what’s been going on with us! See you back here tomorrow for some of my recent favorites!

Thanks for reading,