Category: Traditions

Posted in Friday Favorites, Traditions

Friday Favorites {#206}: Kentucky Oaks

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Wow! This week feels like it flew by. Honestly, we had less going on in the evenings thanks to some rain, but this week still really seemed like a quick one.

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

Well, I never got around to sharing about the Kentucky Oaks races last Friday, so that’s what today’s blog post is all about!

It’s definitely a favorite tradition.

In true Jen fashion, I like to wait until the last minute to figure out what I’m going to wear.

By now, I have a few fascinators in my collection (and a friend who is always willing to share what she has), but I picked up this bright pink one at Macys on Thursday. My dress is the “Tatum” from Shop Style Your Senses, and my purse and heels are Amazon.

A quick selfie before my friends picked me up.

Travis always goes to the Thurby (Thursday before Derby) races, so he’s already in Louisville.

We met up with him and headed to Churchill Downs. I was very nervous about the weather because our seats were at the first turn and not covered! There were some showers throughout the day, but it ended up being overcast more than rainy.

Midway through the day, there is a “survivors walk” for the Breast Cancer survivors, and pink is definitely the color theme for Oaks.

The “Lily” is the drink of the Kentucky Oaks.

My friend Megan!

Overcast skies and a sloppy track!

After a few races, we walked around a bit and got a bite to eat. After Covid, the food and drinks are all inclusive with the ticket which makes everything so convenient.

We found a covered seating area because it started to rain a bit. Then, we walked around a bit more.

The new paddock area is amazing. We walked around up top…

I didn’t get a picture on my own, but ESPN shared this one on Facebook. The paddock area is really pretty!

After that, we met up with some friends and then made our way to a covered box. One thing about Travis is that he will always figure things out, and he found us some seating where we would for sure stay dry.

We watched the rest of the races, and had a few more drinks and food. They had cheesecake on a stick…but I forgot to get a pic! It was so good.

We snapped a group pic…

…before I placed a bet on Gin Gin in the Kentucky Oaks.

She did not win (win!).

After that race, it was time to head home. We knew traffic would be crazy, and we needed to get home to check on the kids.

The main rain happened right as we were leaving…enough so that Megan and I pulled out our ponchos for the walk to the car. Every year, we get pretty lucky with parking as one of Trav’s clients owns a parking lot right by the track, but it’s still a bit of a walk. This was the first year, I brought some sandals to wear when not wearing heels, and I’m glad I did. I wore my sandals for the walk to and from the car, and that made all the difference in the world.

I wish that I’d gotten a pic of us wearing our ponchos. haha

We navigated traffic and made it home around 8:00. After we checked on the kids, the four of us went out to dinner which was nice. Then, we were ready to be home and go to bed.

I’ve been to Oaks off and on through the years, but I think this was my fourth Oaks in a row. It’s a fun tradition that I’m glad we make happen.

Derby:

Derby on Saturday was so low-key that I don’t even have any photos.

Did you see the photo finish though? What a race!

We took it easy most of Saturday which was so nice. Trav’s boss called with two tickets to Derby, but we were so tired (and besides Thursday and Friday, Travis was in Louisville on Wednesday too). Also, Hayden had a race, so we made the decision to stay home.

Travis watched the races, placed a few bets and made some work calls throughout the day.

After Hayden’s race, we headed to our friends’ house as they hosted a little neighborhood get together.

Overall, it was a low-key day which was very much needed after a long Friday.

Per usual, my mom hosted her Kentucky Derby party back in KC, and had quite the turn out. She’s collected some cute Derby decorations through the years. The pics are always fun to see with the winners and their money and the losers with their loser cups. haha

Oaks and Derby are definitely fun traditions here in the Bluegrass State!

Share Our Lives:

On Monday, we have our monthly Share Our Lives post. This month’s topic is “5 Favorite and Least Favorite Foods.” We’d love to have you join us.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Prime Purchases
Teacher Talk Tuesday
Let’s Look

What are your weekend plans?

We have a busy Friday night, but then not too much going on tomorrow. Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I’m hoping we can go to church and maybe out for lunch.

As always…

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Kids, Traditions, Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was one of the best ones we’ve had in quite some time.

I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday to share my…

This weekend was a doozy! I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the weekend….but it was full of so many good things!

Hayden ran in the state cross country meet on Saturday afternoon, and it was the first race of the season with cooler temps! It was perfect running weather…or so I’ve been told.

Hayden had a goal of placing in the top 10, and he finished 7th! We were so happy for him!

His cousin Jacob, who runs professionally, was in town, so it was really neat that he was there to see Hayden’s race.

Travis has also put in so much hard work and dedication this season, and I’ve loved watching him coach Hayden.

These three seasons of middle school cross country went by in a blink!

Hadley and friends had their first 8th grade cotillion dance of the year. While I was at Hayden’s race, Hadley was at her friend’s house getting ready with her girl friends.

So pretty!

A beautiful group of girls, on the inside and out!

After Hayden’s race I stopped by before they left.

They were both excited and nervous for this dance, but they ended up having so much fun.

Hayden was supposed to be at the dance too, but since he had his race and was excited about the UK game, we let him go to that.

I told him that he will be at the December dance with (jingle!) bells on.

The CATS were playing my Tigers…and Hayden definitely “bleeds blue!”

Jacob was at the game, and Hayden hung with him for a bit too.

A combo of it being a busy day, iffy weather, and I didn’t feel like being heckled, I went to my brother’s house to watch the game.

Shew…it was a rough start for MIZZOU, but once they turned it around, they were on the road to victory!

I was lowkey about the win 😉

At the end of last week, I realized if we didn’t go to the pumpkin patch on Sunday, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get there this season. So, yesterday afternoon, we headed to Evan’s Orchard per tradition.

I can’t remember the last time we were there on a sunny day! The temps were cool, and it was overcast, but we still got our apple cider donuts and…

…pumpkins to carve!

Let’s just say that I’m thankful for Hadley’s loyalty to this tradition.

While we weren’t home much this weekend, when we were, I caught two favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in a while.

Friday, night Karate Kid was on, and then Saturday afternoon I watched Troop Beverly Hills. I love both of those movies.

We truly had a wonderful weekend, and it was very much needed.

This week, our evenings are less hectic, and I’m so very thankful for that! I hope everyone has a great start to their week.

Posted in Kids, School, Traditions

Back to School 2023-24

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Well, we did it…we made it through the first day of the school year!

I used to do the “Back to School Breakfast” when the kids were in elementary, and then started doing the “Back to School Brinner” once they started middle school.

Back to School Brinner:

We had our Back to School Brinner Tuesday night. Travis and the kids were at cross country practice, so I had some time to myself to set up the table and cook dinner.

I use shipping paper as a table runner, and then have my decorations in a tub. Overall, it only takes me a few minutes to decorate.

I can’t believe we’ve held on to this chalkboard for over nine years…it’s a fun tradition.

I made Andrea’s Sausage Square Breakfast Casserole, and it’s a family fave. I made it for Easter too.

I put out donuts, fruit, and yogurt as well.

I like the shipping paper because I can write a few back to school things on it.

Not that it was a “mom fail,” but I didn’t pick up any cute cookies or a Bundt cake this year. Instead, I just put a few cookies in a cup.

Every year, I put a book at their place setting, but this year I “kept it real” with the books they needed to finish reading before school started. haha

I did all my summer reading, so my place setting was a little more simple 😉

It was a good meal to kick off the year…and probably a “snap shot” of most of our dinner times…since we didn’t eat until after 8:00 when they got home from running.

First Day of School Photos:

I’m grateful they still oblige for a traditional back to school photo….one was probably more agreeable than the other 😉

I will say that both set their alarm clocks and got up on their own!

What a difference two years can make…

Year 22 for me…hard to believe!

Back to School Interview:

After school, I picked them up and we got some ice cream. We all deserved a scoop after the first day back.

Then, they answered a few questions for me…

Hayden’s Thoughts:

  • As an 8th grader, I’m most excited about…sports.
  • A goal I have this year is…to get all A’s.
  • I think my favorite subject will be…gym.
  • One thing I’d like to get better at this year is…math.
  • The first day of school was…it felt like school.

Hadley’s Thoughts:

  • As an 8th grader, I’m most excited about…being the “top dawg” in the building.
  • A goal I have this year is…to keep up with my assignments.
  • I think my favorite subject will be …science.
  • One thing I’d like to get better at this year is…math.
  • The first day of school was…good.

Oh…I miss the days of sweet and funny responses…haha.

Anyway, I’m always thankful we start on a Wednesday…We all need to ease back into reality.

Posted in Seasonal, Traditions

ABC’s of Summer

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy summer solstice!

We’ve been on summer break for a couple of weeks, but since today is the first official day of summer, I’m sharing some favorites about summer…in A-B-C order…

A- activities: sidewalk chalk (I miss those little kid days!), pool time, movies and more!

B- baseball: I love having baseball on tv and even better is if we catch a game when in KC.

C- camp: Hadley loves her week at camp every summer. If she could go to camp for a month, I think she’d do it! Hayden is going to running camp this summer too.

D- dresses: I prefer dresses, so I embrace the summer weather and wearing them.

E- exercise: I like having a bit more time for exercising in the summer. That being said, I think I’m better about getting workouts in during the school year when I have a bit more of a routine going. I definitely go on more walks in the summer though.

F- fireworks and fire for s’mores. The 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the year. S’mores are definitely a summer (and fall) treat, but we haven’t made any just yet.

G- goggles: This is Hadley’s first summer not doing swim team, but the kids are still usually looking for their goggles.

H- Homer’s “gotcha day” – We always celebrate getting Homer on June 8th…4 years and counting..

I- ice cream: Summer is the best time for a sweet treat.

J- June/July before thinking about school in August. To me, summer is only two months long. Once August hits, I always feel like I need to focus on back to school.

K- Kindle – Of course, I use my Kindle year round, but I love having the time to read at the pool, the beach, or on the patio.

K- Kayak: We went kayaking this past weekend which was fun.

L- lake: We love time at the lake. Last summer, we went to the lake twice (once in KY and once in Missouri) and those were some of our best memories.

M- Margaritas: I enjoy a skinny marg in the summer or the margarita pack of Trulys.

N- nature: Having some extra time in nature and fresh air is always great. We usually find time for a hike or two.

O- ocean (beach) – Most of our summer vacations include a view of the ocean.

P- pool, patio, and peonies: Of course, our main source of entertainment in the summer is going to the pool. We also love patio weather, and then I can’t wait for peony season at Trader Joe’s.

Q- quiet mornings …while the kids sleep in. I’ve always loved my morning times, but in the summer, I usually get more time to myself before starting the day.

R – road trip: We usually hit the road at some point in the summer. Travis and Hayden have already been to St. Louis, Travis and I went to Georgia/NC, and we usually drive to KC at some point in the summer too. Thankfully, now that the kids are older, road trips are easier.

S- strawberries: strawberries are my favorite fruit…even better is when we get to pick them ourselves.

T- Trav’s birthday: It’s almost time to celebrate T-rav.

U- umbrella: I love pool time, but I always try to snag a spot in the shade under an umbrella.

V – vegetable garden: We’ve only planted a garden a few times, but it’s always so fun to see what’s growing. When we were gone just a couple days last week, Hayden was excited to show us what was growing. We’ve pulled a couple of cucumbers, and the green peppers are starting to grow too.

W- watermelon: The best summer side dish.

X – eXtra sunscreen: Of course, I always wear sunscreen at the pool. These are my faves:

Y- yard work (and flowers). While I don’t love yardwork, Travis does! Also, Hayden has done an amazing job mowing the grass (as well as a few neighbors’ yards) this summer. I always look forward to watching the flowers bloom throughout the spring and summer.

Hydrangeas are my fave in our yard.

Z–ZZZ’s extra sleep/sleeping in. It sure is nice not setting an alarm in the summer. Truthfully, while I haven’t had to get up super early like during the school year, we have had somewhere to be most mornings it seems. That being said, it’s still nice to stay up a bit later and ease in to the mornings.

This was a fun to post to write. I might do one for fall, winter, and spring too!

What did I miss? What are some of your faves for summer?

Posted in Traditions

Kentucky Classics: Oaks/Derby

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday.

While I think most people know that the Kentucky Derby is the “greatest two minutes in sports,” many aren’t as familiar with the Kentucky Oaks. Last year, I wrote this post sharing all about the Oaks.

The first week in May in Louisville is pretty festive. It used to just be Oaks and then Derby, but as the years have gone on and there’s horse racing all week, there are many days of fun.

Thurby (Thursday before Derby) is another busy day at Churchill Downs. Now, another big day is the Tuesday before Derby which is dubbed “502-uesday” (the Louisville area code). Now, many Louisville locals use that day the have fun at the track because so many from out of town are now there the rest of the week.

Anyway, Travis is pretty busy throughout that week, but he usually goes to Thurby with friends, and then I join him in Louisville on Friday for Oaks. We’ve done this for quite a few years as when the kids were little, it was hard to get away…or they had sports on the Saturday of Derby. Honestly, I think Travis really enjoys Derby at home now because he watches the races all day, has the tv on, his computer out, and has fun keeping tabs on everything and placing bets. I’m sure some day we’ll get back to going to Derby, but for now, this schedule seems to work for us.

We talk about having a Derby party, but the month of May is just so busy and hectic with kids’ activities and school, I’m usually just lucky to commit to going to the Oaks.

I always buy a new dress for Oaks, and I usually order a few, hoping one works, and then return the others.

Since pink is the color for Oaks (as the Oaks race honors breast and ovarian cancer survivors), I always look for a dress with pink in it…or one that could be worn with a pink fascinator. That’s what I did last year…

Well, this year I was really cutting it close, and had a few dresses arrive on my doorstep Thursday afternoon. (I did have one in my closet that I was going to wear if all else failed, but was hopeful one of the ones I ordered would work).

Well, guess what…I had a couple I liked, but my favorite was this one…from Amazon!

As soon as I put this dress on, I loved it so much. (I honestly want to get it in another color!)

Once I decided on the dress, I second guessed the fascinator that I had, and reached out to my friends.

My neighbor let me borrow this one…and Hadley snagged it off her porch.

Who wore it better?! haha (Actually, don’t answer that!)

Hadley wearing the fascinator reminded me of a few years ago when I borrowed one from the same friend…and Hadley looked like quite the fashionista!

Anyway…off to the races!

I picked up Travis from our friends’ house in Louisville, and took a quick photo!

Then, we headed to…

Thankfully, Travis knows a guy who lets us park right by the track. My feet were already thanking him.

Every year, we seem to end up sitting somewhere different, and it’s always a fun experience. We’ve sat in the Finish Line suites, an outside box near the finish, the Turf Club, and this year, were were in the outside Winner’s Circle suites.

Trav’s work had two suites in that area for Oaks. One was right behind the winner’s circle and the other was on the end.

I never really place any bets. If I do, it’s a simple bet based on the name (or if there’s a connection to Trav’s farm).

The Lily is the signature drink on Oaks Day. There was also a buffet inside with food and desserts. There is a bartender for each suite as well as one near the food.

We went to the paddock area before a few races. On Derby day this is where KC Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said the famous, “Riders up!”

After a few races, we walked around and found our friends/neighbors. I have Krista to thank for the fascinator!

The green space in front of the suite was a nice spot to watch the races, and snap a couple of pics.

The weather was amazing. Honestly, it was hot. That being said, I’d take a hot day over a rainy one. The past few Oaks have had a significant chance of rain. Friday’s forecast called for afternoon showers, but we never saw a drop of rain. Derby day weather was the same…it did eventually rain, but it was after the race.

Before the Oaks race, breast and ovarian cancer survivors walk around the track. It’s a moving experience seeing all the survivors in pink and Rachel Platten sang “Fight Song” as they walked.

The Oaks race is always exciting. Congrats to this year’s Oaks winner, Pretty Mischievous.

Then we stayed for the race after the Oaks because Trav’s farm had a horse running.

Then, we headed home. Thankfully, the walk to the car wasn’t too bad. Traffic was a bit hectic at first, but Travis knows the back ways. haha

We pit stopped for a snack, and then told the kids we’d order some pizza to pick up on our way home. We were both so tired that I also told the kids Travis and I were going to bed by 10! I really was asleep by then. It was such a long (but fun!) day.

Derby Day

Y’all, I couldn’t sleep Saturday morning, and I woke up around 5:00. I ended up watching quite a bit of King Charles’s coronation. Around 8:00, I told Travis I was going to shut my eyes for a bit. Then, I woke up at 11:30. Can you believe it?!

Thankfully, we didn’t have much planned…and spent most of the day at home. Like I said above, Travis worked a bit (phone calls, etc), watched all the races, and placed some bets. (He does a few large group bets too.) Hayden wasn’t feeling well, so it was a good day of downtime for him too.

I guess we all just needed a day to recoup.

My mom does more on Derby day than we do! In KC, she throws a party every year. It’s fun to see her friends in their hats, holding their Derby draw winnings, and “loser” cups. She has a quite a few cute decorations that she’s acquired through the years.

I did go to the grocery store before the Derby to pick up steaks and sides for dinner.

Then it was time for the race…

Congrats to Mage, the 2023 Derby Winner!

After the race, Travis grilled out, and we ate as a family on the patio. Overall, it was a really great day at the track and then a relaxing day at home. To me, that’s the best of both worlds.

Posted in Holidays, Traditions

Fall Fun

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

With our non-stop activities and going in a million different directions, we seem to have to “schedule” in the fun things.

One of the best things about October in Lexington is Keeneland. There’s no place like it in the fall.

Pre-kids, we’d go with friends a few times a meet and even tailgate beforehand…and go to dinner after! Obviously, life is more hectic now, but I like to go to the races at least once in the fall and the spring. It’s always fun to bump into friends and people that you know. Travis is there quite a bit for work, and sometimes I will tag along. When the kids were in elementary school, he’d usually pick them up once or twice and take them for the last few races. It’s just a fun thing to do especially when the weather is nice!

I shared a post all about Keeneland last spring…and here are a few pics with the kids…

…through the years…

and now…

We were able to go to the last few races on Friday, and I’m so glad we made it work!

The first race we were there, Travis had the kids each choose a horse, and he placed a trifecta bet…

…and they WON!

Hadley actually had winners in almost every race…and they hit another trifecta too. Hadley said, “This is easy!” {follow us for more parenting tips…}

Keeneland has great food and some great people watching too.

We had a really great afternoon. While it was a short visit to Keeneland, it was a good one!

Other weekend fun:

On Sunday, Hadley helped me put out the cobwebs, spiders and skeletons.

Then, the kids carved their pumpkins. I will say that while it’s bittersweet how quickly they are growing up, I’m not mad about the fact they can carve their own pumpkins!

They both had a “vision” and executed the plan. I love this tradition, and I hope we can do it every year.

When I shared my Pumpkin Everything post a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I wanted to try the Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Cake that I’d saved on Pinterest.

I added the ingredients to my Clicklist order this weekend, and made the cake on Sunday.

I followed this recipe…

Ingredients:

Mix and put in slow cooker…

Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip on top. We all enjoyed some after carving pumpkins on Sunday night.

It was so good! Now I’m thinking this is a fun way to make a cake without having to worry about the oven!

What are some of your favorite fall activities where you live? I’m so glad we made sure to get in a couple of our traditions this fall.

Tomorrow, I’m sharing the books I read this month.

I hope you have a great day!

Posted in Holidays, Traditions

Pumpkin Patch Time

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hey there! On Sunday, we went to the pumpkin patch which is one of my favorite days of the year.

Simon Holland cracks me up, and his pumpkin patch quotes are the best. On Sunday, we kept it pretty simple…no corn mazes, hay rides or sign purchasing happened, but we did have a great time.

We used to spend hours at the pumpkin patch letting the kids run around, go down the slides, pet the animals, jump on the inflatables, and more. That being said, right around Covid time, they probably aged out of those things anyway. So, the past couple of years have been more about enjoying the scenery on the drive there, walking around a bit, buying all the seasonal snacks, picking out carving pumpkins and heading home.

We go to Evans Orchard in Georgetown. This is the same place where we picked strawberries a couple of summers ago.

The weather was overcast (I remember going so many times when the kids were little and sweating in the hot temps!), and the temps were pretty cool. We actually had a few raindrops fall on us during out time there.

Can’t beat this sight:

The front porch is always so festive and cute.

There were a few raindrops right as we arrived, so we headed inside for our favorite snacks. We picked up some apple cider donuts, Hayden got a cold apple cider while the rest of us got hot apple cider, and then Travis always falls for the “buy 2, get 1 free” fudge. So, we wandered around the store a bit and then purchased our items.

My favorite part is looking at all the different kinds of pumpkins.

Hadley saw the muted colored pumpkins in the top left photo and said they were my “vibe.” She’s not wrong!

Every year, they always organize the pumpkins in different ways which is always so fun to see.

I was tempted, but I didn’t pick up any more pumpkins for the porch!

This carved pumpkin caught my eye:

The kids obliged for a photo by one of the set ups they had…

Then, they picked out their pumpkins to carve.

We paid for the pumpkins, walked around a bit more, and then headed home!

So it was a quick trip, but I still enjoy this tradition so much.

Then, I immediately inhaled two donuts when I get home 😂 and relaxed the rest of the afternoon.

Through the years…

I’ve shared this collage before, and I still love it so much. Travis and I have actually gone to the pumpkin patch every year we’ve been married. So, of course when we had the kids, we had to continue the tradition. (or at least that’s what I told him…😂)

Here they are in 2010–2018:

2019

2020

2021

and… this year…2022.

(Hadley’s getting a lot of wear out of her pumpkin sweatshirt I got her last year.)

Other Favorite Memories

In 2015, I went with the kids on their kindergarten field trip to Boyd’s Orchard. I loved going with them, seeing them run around, learn, hang with their friends, and pick pumpkins.

In 2016, Hadley’s Daisy troop went to Evan’s Orchard, and that’s when we made the shift as a family and started going there. It’s a little more spread out than Boyd’s, and when it’s crowded, that really makes a difference.

(Speaking of getting wear out of a shirt…clearly, I had a pumpkin patch outfit in 2015 and 2016. Actually, I still own that plaid Old Navy flannel. It’s a fave, for sure.)

I feel like we are so busy, but I told the kids and Travis that the pumpkin patch in October and Christmas lights at the Kentucky Horse Park in December are two traditions I want to make happen for as many years as possible! Even if we have to squeeze in a time to make that happen, I’m going to do it.

What’s your favorite fall tradition?

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom, Traditions

Not Just a Mom: Family Food Traditions

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! How was your weekend? We got back late Saturday night, and I’m still up to my eyeballs in laundry, suitcases, and errands. I’m going to continue to chip away at that stuff today too.

I swear…after the 4th of July, the summer just really starts to slip away. It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting this fun link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

This month’s topic is: family food traditions.

Today, I’m sharing the first few food traditions of ours that immediately came to mind.

Corned beef and cabbage:

My entire family looks forward to March 17th! They know this means we get to have corned beef and cabbage as well as Irish soda bread for dinner. I’ve shared those recipes before, and here they are again!

I grew up on these dishes around the holidays, and I’m glad to have carried the tradition on for my family.

Cookie cake:

We are big cookie cake people. Honestly, I think we started having cookie cakes around the time the kids were born. I remember picking a double stuffed one up at Sam’s Club for my brother’s birthday in 2010. Then, it just became a thing we do for birthdays, anniversaries (sometimes), Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

We always look forward to this sweet treat!

Christmas cookies:

Like many families, we make Christmas cookies every year. Again, I grew up baking cookies, and started doing that with my kids when they were little.

The kids always loved making the Hershey kiss peanut butter cookies, and when they were little, the best help they could be was peeling off the silver wrapper on the kisses. Now, they can make the cookies without any help from me!

Years ago, I added in the chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies I found on Pinterest, and those are our two main cookies. Sometimes, the kids will use cookie cutters on sugar cookies and then ice them, but we don’t do that every year like we do the other cookies.

My mom always sends us Christmas cookies, and then when we visit KC at Christmas, we make cookies as well. We make Spritz, Pfeffernusse, and Lebkuchen cookies as well as waffle cookies using the waffle iron that’s been in our family for well over 100 years.

Back to school:

Another tradition we have is our Back to School Breakfast. I started doing this when the kids were in kindergarten. I keep most of the supplies in a box and just bring them out the night before school starts. This is a fun tradition….

…that I tweaked last year. With the start of middle school, I decided to have a Back to School Brinner the night before the first day of school.

It was a success, and I think that will be the plan this year too. Honestly, it felt weird waking up on the first day already having that traditional meal over with, but it also was the perfect time for that transition.

Red plate:

Growing up we had the “You are Special” red plate. My mom served us dinner on it for anything from getting a good grade on a test to passing our driver’s test!

She gave one to us maybe four or five years ago for me to carry on the tradition with the kids.

The kids get it after report card time, after a game/performance/sports season, for being extra helpful and more.

So…those are some of our traditions. I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but those were the first to pop up in my mind!

What food traditions do you have in your family? I’d love to hear!

Next month, our topic is binge watching tv shows. Considering in binged all six seasons on Schitt’s Creek in the past month, I know that will be the first on my list!

If you have a blog, we hope you’ll link up with us. There are always so many great posts to read too!

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Posted in Holidays, Traditions, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! Tuesday! I took yesterday off from blogging because I was swamped from our action packed weekend! So, I’m recapping that for you today…just on on Tuesday rather than a Monday!

Here’s our Weekend Top 5:

1.

Hadley requested Chick-fil-A for lunch on Friday (what’s new?!), so I picked up a peppermint milkshake for myself! (Also, I’m late to the party using the Chick-fil-A app–I’ve been using it now for a couple months, and it’s life changing. Even better is usually Hadley rides along with me to pick up our order and runs inside to get it!)

2.

Cookies, cookies and more cookies.

My mom came to visit, and we baked lots of Christmas cookies over the weekend. Hadley helped her bake gingerbread cookies on Friday. On Saturday, most of us helped make Spritz cookies and Pfeffernuse. Then, Hayden helped her make more gingerbread men because he missed out on that fun on Friday. Saturday night, Hadley helped GG make fudge, and then on Sunday, Hadley (and others) helped dip the Lebkuchen in the icing.

Ta da!!! the finished Pfeffernuse…

Pfeffernuse, Spritz, and Lebkuchen cookies. Often times, GG bakes ahead of time or when we are in KC for Thanksgiving and sends us home with the goodies. Some years she mails the the cookies to us. This was the first year we all baked together (or took turns baking because…too many cooks in the kitchen…) 😂

A few weeks ago, I ordered cookies to decorate from a local small business baker/decorator (One Smart Cookie). The kids decorated those on Sunday after dinner, and those cookies were our dessert.

We always save a decorated cookie + a few of the family cookies for Santa. I just put them in a baggie and freeze them until Christmas Eve.

3.

I always put a few front porch decorations out, and Travis always puts the lights out on the porch and/or bushes. This year, I wanted to add garland to the porch. I couldn’t really find any I liked until…I made a stop at Trader Joe’s for a few goodies and saw their beautiful (and inexpensive!) garland.

I bought two swags of it…and Travis worked his magic in hanging it! I love it so much.

This may be what I do every year since I only need it a few weeks, it’s inexpensive, looks beautiful, and we won’t have to store it.

4.

Well, it happened! I know I mentioned last week that our favorite Santa spot wasn’t hosting Santa. This year, our club organized a drive thru Santa visit, so we decided to go for it. I’m assuming this will be our last year to visit Santa, so I wanted to take advantage of this offer. We waited in the car line and pulled right up when it was our turn. The kids got to chat with him outside for a few minutes, we hopped back in the car, and headed home.

It was a really sweet experience even if we didn’t get to enjoy all the usual festivities that the club typically offers.

Chatting with Santa, hand “Santa”-tizer, and waiting for their turn to see Santa while wearing their masks.

5.

Holiday lights! We usually drive by these festive lights at some point in December, and we decided to go ahead and swing by while we were out after visiting Santa. We ooh and ahh at them every year!

Bonus:


My mom brought Hayden the rest of her Harry Potter books. Hayden’s read the first few, and she gifted him the rest, so he can continue reading them through the years.

Shew! I told you we were busy! I was even able to wrap a few gifts while watching the Chiefs game on Sunday night! That made for a late bedtime, but it was worth it to cross one more thing off my list!

I hope you’ve had a great start to your week. See you back here tomorrow for Let’s Look.

Posted in Holidays, Traditions

Tis the Season!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Well, Thanksgiving was already a week ago, and we are in full Christmas spirit in my house. We’ve taken Christmas card photos, picked out our tree, decorated, welcomed our Elf back from the North Pole, and even had our first snowfall of the season!

Today, I’m sharing the details of our decking the halls and Christmas cheer so far this holiday season.

Starting with…this meme…

It cracks me up. I’m either watching a holiday baking show or Ozark. My tv watching goes from G to rated R real quick!

I mentioned in Monday’s post that we were pretty busy on the Friday after Thanksgiving. One of our errands was stopping by our favorite place to pick out the Christmas tree for our living room. The weather was perfect for wandering around to find just the right tree. Well, technically the kids each found a “perfect” tree, and had to rock, paper, scissors over which tree we’d bring home. Hadley won.

This is also the place we usually go to see Santa. Unfortunately, Covid is cramping Santa’s style this year! I know there are probably other options, but this Santa is our fave, and I guess for now, we’ll have to live with this very 2020 Santa experience. (or lack thereof)

Y,’all, this Santa really is the best!

A few Santa pics through the years…

Top: 2017; bottom left: 2016; bottom right: 2019

2020:

I’m assuming my kids won’t be “believers” for much longer, so I actually did tear up taking this pic. As the years pass by, I do miss the innocence of having little ones and seeing Christmas through their eyes. They are still excited for the holidays, but it’s just different than when they were little.

Travis strung the lights on the tree Friday night, so we could decorate on Saturday morning before everyone got busy.

I put any leftover ornaments not used on the living room tree on the artificial tree in the sun room. I think this is our fourth or fifth year getting a real tree for the living room. Last year was the first year we put our older artificial tree up in the sun room, and I’m glad we did that again this year.

We now have a total of five trees up in the house.

  • The kids each have a small tree in their rooms.
  • We have the artificial tree in the sun room.
  • The real tree is in the living room / office area.
  • and… I (Trav) moved my new pencil tree to our bedroom.

Then…we had to have a talk with Homer about behaving and not taking oraments off the tree.

“Who, me?”

He looks innocent, but last year he had a real knack for #Homering nostalgic ornaments and family heirlooms. 😂

I was hoping we could trust him because for the month the skinny tree was in the sun room, he didn’t bother a single ornament. But…within an hour on Saturday, he’d already taken three ornaments off the living room tree. So, I moved most of the ornaments up higher (even though he can still probably reach some), and now our tree is decorated like it was in 2010-2012 or so when we had two toddlers!

On Friday, I also had the kids dress up, so I could take pics for our Christmas cards. I always think I will have my act together in the fall for family photos for our cards, but that never seems to happen.

The last time we had a fall family photo for our Christmas card was 2014…

This year, the kids were adamant we bring Homer again for the photo, so I decided to head back to where we had our 2014 family photos, the Henry Clay Estate. I knew we’d have space to walk around and would be able to keep our distance from people and enjoy the beautiful weather.

When I saw the bench, I knew I wanted to have the kids sit there again, but later noticed they put their hands in the same spots they did for the photo years ago.

This was a very how it started…

how it’s going…

moment! 😆

I will share our Christmas cards (and photos that made the cut) when they arrive. I always order from Shutterfly and take advantage of the Cyber Monday deal they always have.

And…to really keep the spirit alive, Red, our elf, arrived on Tuesday morning. My kids were panicking a bit because some of their friends’ elves arrived after Thanksgiving. I told mine that Red was probably still in quarantine before safely entering our home (just kidding!) Really, I reminded them at Red doesn’t show up until December first, at the earliest!

When we were talking about our elf’s return, Hadley did ask how long the elf will visit. I said, “Well, I guess as long as you believe.” She said, “Well, shouldn’t you always believe?” It was the sweetest and something I need to remember for the next 20+ days 😉

Upon Red’s arrival, he brought the book that we’ve had since 2012. We know he’s our elf because he has the book and a few years ago, he glued a cotton ball to his hat, and the residue has been there every since. Also, last year Red was #Homered, and his torn hat and bandaged hand proves that the right elf came back to our house from the North Pole.

I know these holidays are going to be different (and I’m tired of saying that!), but I’m thankful some traditions remain: decorating, Christmas tree picking, fussing at my kids for pictures, and the return of Red are only the beginning.

I hope your December is off to a great start! See you back here tomorrow for a hodge podge of Friday Favorites.

Take care,