Weekend Top 5

Weekend Wrap Up

Posted on February 15, 2021February 14, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I hope it was a good one. I’m sharing the details of what we were up to from basketball games, to my second vaccine, and Valentine’s Day in today’s Weekend Wrap Up.

Friday:

I got my second vaccine on Friday morning. The line was much longer than when I got my first dose. I think this was due to the fact that they had canceled vaccines due to weather on Thursday. So, there were scheduled and make up appointments on Friday. Also, now some people are getting their first dose while others are receiving their second dose. I still was there and home within in hour which was a win!

In the afternoon, I noticed our basketball goal…Brrrr!!!

Hadley went ice sledding on our street with one of her friends. I think the ice sledding on our street may have been a first! Sledding with snow has for sure happened in previous years, but I don’t know about sledding on ice.

They had lots of fun.

Later that evening, our power went out for 2 hours. We had friends and family who lost power the day before for 12-24 hours, so two hours was manageable although it took a minute for Hayden to realize all the things that need electricity to run….like his Xbox!

Later that evening, the vaccine caught up with me, and I went to bed.

Saturday:

Saturday I was very sick all day. All day. I felt like I had the flu. I had aches, chills, and a low grade fever. I also had very little appetite. Of course, I’ve heard this could happen, but I also know many who had little to no reaction with the first or second vaccine. I was definitely down for the count all day.

Hayden had two basketball games that I missed, and Hadley played with a friend for most of the day, so I was able to rest and get Homer snuggles.

Sunday:

Thankfully, I woke up yesterday feeling so much better. I’ve heard that too..that once you hit 36-48 hours post-vaccine, you are back to feeling normal. I was still tired most of yesterday, but I felt pretty good and was able to carry on with a pretty normal day (and an afternoon nap!)

Sunday morning, we went to church, and then Travis began his quest to find salt for our driveway and sidewalk. We have more inclement weather on the way this week.

After a couple of tries, we got lucky and got two of the last few bags of ice at a Kroger on our way home. ,

Just call me “basic” while shopping at Kroger: ice, bread, milk, and eggs…(and a few other items thanks to the kids!)

When we got home, some of the neighbors helped each other out shoveling driveways as many still were ice covered from last week’s Wednesday-Thursday storm. And, now we are preparing for this:

After lunch, and before baseball and dance, we gave the kids their Valentine’s Day gifts and candy.

Then, I prepped the table for our Valentine’s Day dinner.

The plates, napkins, straws, paper hearts, and name tags were all in my Valentine’s Day tub, so I had the table set in a matter of minutes.

Then, Hadley had dance and Hayden went to baseball. While Hadley was at dance, I treated myself to a pedicure before picking her up.

The kids decorated cookies for dessert, and we enjoyed homemade pizza for dinner. Cutting heart shaped pepperonis was way easier than making a heart shaped pizza. It still tastes good though…

Since we went to early church on Sunday, I wasn’t able to make a special Valentine’s Day breakfast. Since we have no school today, I’m going to make Bev’s Cinnamon Biscuit Bake for them this morning.

To end on a funny note, I saw this meme over the weekend and couldn’t help but laugh!

I’m definitely the “It’s already 10pm” person while Travis tends to be more “It’s only 10 pm” haha

I actually had to count on my fingers, but this was my 20th Valentine’s Day with Travis. I’m very blessed if I do say so myself!

Linking up with Tanya and others.

I hope you have a great week. Stay safe and warm!

Holidays, Traditions, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on December 8, 2020December 7, 2020 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.

Kids, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on September 21, 2020September 20, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Good morning, and happy Monday, y’all! Sheesh….we had a very busy weekend. I feel like we went non-stop with activities, to-do lists, and a bit of socializing. Since we were so busy, today I’m sharing a few details of our hectic but fun weekend.

Hayden and his team played in a baseball tournament this weekend. He knows most of the boys on his team, but this group hasn’t all played together until this season. Hayden got to pitch Friday night and Sunday morning, and did a great job.

His team made it to the semi-finals, but lost Sunday afternoon. We had beautiful weather all weekend which made baseball watching even better!

The “Mum Man” came to Trav’s work. He has the best mums and the best prices in town. So, I picked up some for my front porch…which then had me….

going to Trader Joe’s on Saturday morning to get pumpkins for my porch. I’d stopped by my regular pumpkin place on Friday, but that place looked like a pumpkin grave yard. There were hardly any of the whimsical stackable pumpkins or anything else, really.

One of my friends told me she heard there’s a pumpkin shortage which sounds like the saddest thing ever! 😉

The kids had their first cross country meet of the season. Again, the weather was beautiful, and it was the perfect day for racing.

Both kids had a 10 top finishes, the girls and boys teams did awesome overall as well.

The best part of the day was seeing the kids cheer for and run with their teammates to encourage them to finish their races! So very sweet.

Hayden cheering while Hadley (above) runs with and encourages their teammate.

Saturday afternoon, we went to Country Boy Brewery for a few appetizers and a beer with some friends. The patio was the perfect place to sit.

I made my first pumpkin muffins of the season. When I was at Trader Joe’s, I picked up a couple of boxes of their muffin mix. The best thing about pumpkin muffins (or pumpkin bread) is that they can be eaten for breakfast, for a snack, or for dessert!

One more highlight:

Two times this weekend, we sat with neighbors on their patios. On Friday evening, the kids roasted s’mores and celebrated one of the neighbor boy’s birthday while a few of the parents chatted.

Then, Saturday night, we sat together with our neighbors on a different patio. S’mores were again involved and the kids ran around for a bit.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt like I’ve needed a weekend to recover from my weekend, but that’s my current status! I’m sure we’ll have a good week…but first…coffee!

Have a great week,

Weekend Top 5

Weekend Wrap Up

Posted on September 8, 2020September 7, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Tuesday! My family enjoyed our 3 day weekend. How about you?

After a full week of school, it was nice knowing we had an extra Monday to relax and reset. Here’s a little recap of our 3 day weekend.

Friday:

Friday evening, I finished reading Wild at Heart. I enjoyed it! Then, later that night, I started In Five Years. I’d been on the wait list at the library for what felt like forever, and it finally arrived for me to pick up. It’s only a two week check out, so I feel the pressure to get it read! 😉It’s actually a pretty short book, and it’s good so far. I’m sure I’ll meet the deadline.

Friday evening, Hayden was at a birthday party, Travis was watching the Oaks with a couple friends, and Hadley set herself up a play date. While the girls played, I chatted with the moms in the front yard. Then, we went home for a late dinner.

Saturday:

The kids (and Travis) had cross country practice. While they were gone, I went for a walk…and decided to go off the beaten path a bit…

Homer wanted to remind everyone it was Derby day 😉

It wasn’t our typical Derby Day, but Travis kept his longstanding tradition of placing bets 😂He basically posted up in the sun room Friday afternoon and then all day Saturday with the tv, his computer, phone, and racing forms. Derby is certainly his favorite day of the year.

The cousins came over to play, and stayed for the race…

They don’t get to see each other often, so it’s nice when they do!

After they left, we grilled out, and honestly all went to bed pretty early for a Saturday night!

Sunday:

I took another walk on Sunday morning. It’s been such beautiful weather that I wanted to take advantage of it.

Hayden started watching Indian in the Cupboard movie. They are reading that book at the tutor’s house; he actually finished reading it on Saturday night!

Of course, Sunday is grocery pick up day, and then Hadley helped me make Andrea’s Pumpkin Sugar Cookies.

Oh my word are these good. Travis worked most of the day, and when he got home, I heard Hayden say, “Dad try these! They are amazing!” #truthyall

I did just use store bought frosting and not homemade.

Hayden was excited because he got NBA 2K21 …with his own money!

The kids played outside most of the day! Then, I made Andrea’s Ravioli Casserole. It was so good and made plenty. (Clearly you need to read Andrea’s blog for dinner and dessert ideas!)

I capped off the evening with a glass of wine on the back patio. I love Sunday night of a 3 day weekend!

Monday:

Monday started off in the best kind of way…not setting an alarm! We took it slow on Monday. Travis had to work, but I actually slept in until 8:00, and the kids slept until 9:00. I enjoyed my coffee before running to the grocery for a few things I needed for Monday night’s dinner. Then, I got a work out in, did laundry, and tried to get us organized for the week!

We ended our Monday with dinner with a few neighbors on their patio. One of our neighbors is moving, so we were celebrating them. We are sad they are leaving our part of town, but they will still be in Lex!

It’s bittersweet for sure…especially for Hadley as it means one of her good friends won’t be just up the street anymore. We’ll have to plan play dates in the future!

Love this crew.

Sweet friends.

The neighbors who are moving gave the other three families this ornament. Love it so much.

It was a lovely evening, and one that we certainly needed. It was good to catch up and let the kids play.

Now, we’re ready to tackle this week of school…as well as baseball, cross country, and dance! I’m already ready for a nap, y’all.

Leaving off on a funny note…My Gma sent this to me, and I laughed! Thankfully, we’ve had a pretty smooth start to the year.

Have a great week!

Kids, Meals and Recipes, Weekend Top 5

Monday Meals: Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole and Weekend Wrap Up

Posted on August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Friday afternoon, I had a hair appointment (hallelujah!), and Hadley came too for a trim. While we were gone, the guys played a round of golf.

Then, on Saturday, I got my traditional back to school pedicure. Again, Hadley joined me! #spoilt

Saturday evening we got together on a neighbor’s back porch for a drink with a few neighbors which was so nice!

Sunday, Hayden’s team won their first tournament game which was exciting.

Of course, I also continued my Selling Sunset binge and was productive with school work, grocery shopping, and other chores.

Overall, it was a busy, fun, and productive weekend.

Now, on to the recipe I wanted to share…

I was digging through my recipe box last week, and found a recipe that my whole family loves, but I hadn’t made it in a while. It’s an easy Mexican chicken casserole dish, and we got two dinners out of it + a small portion for lunch.

I found this recipe a few years ago in a local magazine here in Lexington. This recipe is by July Yeager of The Southern Lady Cooks.

Ingredients:

4-5 cups chicken, cooked and chopped. (I put 3 large chicken breasts in the slow cooker, covered them with water, and cooked on high for 5 hours and then shredded it.)
1 c. green onion, chopped (can use regular onion)
1 c. green pepper, chopped
2 Tblsp. oil
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, drained
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
3-4 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese, or any cheese of your choice

Instructions:

Cook the green pepper and onion in oil in a large skillet.
Add the tomatoes, celery soup, chicken soup, green chiles, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt and cumin to the skillet.
Mix well with a spoon and simmer about 10 minutes.
Add a layer of crushed tortilla chips to a 9″x13″ baking dish.
Add a layer of chicken and cover with half the soup mixture from your skillet.
Sprinkle on 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Add another layer of chips, chicken, and the rest of the soup mixture.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove and add remaining cup of cheese.
Return to oven for about 5 minutes or long enough to melt the cheese on top of the casserole dish.
Enjoy!
(makes 10-12 servings)

Dinner time! I served this with Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn.

This is definitely a recipe I will add back into our dinner rotation.

Now, I’m off for another day of professional development. Two more days until school starts!

Have a great week.

Activities, Holidays, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on July 6, 2020July 5, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! How was your 4th of July weekend? We were busy. I’m so tired! Thankfully, this week we don’t have much going on besides a couple of ball games.

I thought I’d do a little Top 5 recap of our busy weekend.

Canoeing:

We are adventurous, y’all. We started our holiday weekend on Friday canoeing. Kayak/canoeing was one of the activities we had on our Summer 2020 Fun list!

We went with a few friends and got our canoes from Canoe Kentucky in Frankfort. While I was excited, I was a little hesitant because I didn’t know what to expect. Long story short, about four years ago we had a tense and sometimes scary creek tubing experience in North Carolina. I figured a canoe is more substantial and the kids are older, so the canoe trip should be fine…and it was! It’s a great outdoor and socially distant activity. Win win.

We all met to get our life jackets, instructions, and canoes and then we rode on the bus (while wearing masks) to the entry point on Elkhorn Creek. Then, we canoed back which was about 6 miles and took us about 3 hours. We did stop 3 times to let the kids swim and to kind of regroup. Altogether, we had 11 people in 5 canoes and 1 kayak….and we all stayed together! Of course, it was a hot day, but on the water, it was fine. There was shade and the water was cool.

When the instructor dropped us off he said we may see turtles, a bald eagle, deer, and more. We did see the bald eagle, deer, and even a little water snake.

There were a few rapid points that we could easily navigate and there were even times I wished the water would move more! 😂

The adults sat in the back of the canoes to steer while the kids paddled (adults paddled too)—but definitely needed to be in the back to steer.

We really had a great time, and I definitely hope to go again (or make this a summer tradition!)

They enjoyed swimming more than paddling 😉

After we canoed, we headed to one of our favorite spots for dinner…Wallace Station. It’s the perfect spot with picnic tables and shade…and easy to social distance from other diners.

I got the shrimp wrap with orzo side and it was so good!

Festive Food:

I ordered some red, white, and blue cookies from a local baker, L’oven Cookies, and picked those up on Friday. We enjoyed them throughout the weekend.

On Saturday, we had our traditional red, white and blue waffles. This year, Hadley made the waffles using a mix and our mini waffle iron. (I usually just use frozen waffles and the toaster ;). She’s become a big help in the kitchen. I put the toppings on!

4th of July:

We actually did have a relaxing day with not much on our plate on Saturday. We lounged around, watched tv, the kids biked with friends, I hung out and read in our pool and that was about it…until it was time for dinner.

The kids did oblige with a red, white, and blue outfit pic with Homer and his new scarf.

He’s good at posing for pics if he knows he’ll get a treat.

Then we grilled out with another family in our neighborhood. The kids see each other pretty often these days to ride bikes and know they can play but to keep some space, and we keep up with the hand washing, of course.

After dinner, we set off a few fireworks before heading home to go to our favorite fireworks viewing location.

Sparklers are my fave.

The 30 minute fireworks display from a local country club did not disappoint.

Then, we came home, set off a few more fireworks (I had just bought a few things at Kroger) and then we headed to bed.

Netflix:

Friday night after we returned home from canoeing, I was exhausted. By 8:00, I was showered and in bed. I turned on Netflix, and The Babysitters Club popped up. I had forgotten that they were doing a series on the books. I swear, as a kid, I read every single one. I remember going to the book store to buy the books one at a time as they were released.

Hadley’s only read a few of them, and enjoys them. I knew she’d love the show and was excited to watch a couple of episodes, so we did. Then, we watched a couple more episodes throughout the weekend.

The show is an updated version that touches on modern topics while also including plot elements from the books.

Sunday:

Sunday was a lazy day mixed with a bit of productivity. We changed all the bedsheets and I made my grocery order for the week.

Hadley and I watched a couple more episodes of the BSC. I snuggled with Homer while the kids played outside.

Then, we met some of Trav’s family at The Stave for an early dinner.

Sunday ended with showers and early bedtimes for everyone. I’ve tried to make Sunday nights a good time to reset for the kids (& myself!)

Tomorrow is Trav’s birthday, so we have more celebrating to do tomorrow.

I hope you have a great week.

Delish Desserts, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? The weather in Kentucky was gorgeous! As with the past few weekends, we had a good mix of productivity and relaxation…and we tried to spend lots of time outside before the summer temps arrive!

The world feels pretty heavy right now, so fresh air and sunshine provided some sense of comfort.

Here’s our Weekend Top 5:

Hayden got a haircut and lots of snuggle time with Homer.

The kids enjoyed the Slip N Slide…and have the bumps and bruises to prove it!

Saturday afternoon we celebrated cousin Layla turning 3. They had an ice cream party for her. It turned out really cute and the weather was amazing! My kids had at least two cups of ice cream and two of the delicious cookies!

Cousin time!

Sunday morning, we went to The Stave, an outside restaurant just past Versailles in Frankfort, KY, which was our first time eating at a restaurant since early March. Travis had been there before for lunch, and we ordered brunch this time.

The restaurant is near Woodford Reserve Distillery. There were plenty of picnic tables all spaced out and then a “tree house” with seating of spaced out tables and chairs. We had ordered ahead and sat at a picnic table by the creek to enjoy our food. Travis and the kids shared biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and potatoes. I ordered the local chorizo hash. We all enjoyed our food.

Again, it was our first time actually eating at a restaurant in many months, and I was impressed. Of course, the servers wore masks, the tables we spread apart, and you could even purchase a plastic table cloth for $1 for the picnic tables if you wanted to. We enjoyed the weather, the kids threw rocks in the creek, and we took our time eating our meal. It was a great way to start our Sunday.

I’ve seen Christine share about her very indulgent brownie recipe on her Instagram stories. Hadley helped me make it yesterday for our Sunday dessert.

Ingredients:

Brownie mix (+ingredients needed for the mix)
Double Stuf Oreos
Chocolate chip cookie dough

Instructions:

Spray the bottom and sides of an 8×8 pan.
Press cookie dough down for the bottom layer.
Place Oreos in rows to fill the pan.
Fix brownie mix per the instructions on the box and pour over the Oreos.
Bake at 350 per box instructions for 8×8 pan (I think mine baked a little over 50 minutes!)
Definitely let it cool as long as possible before cutting into it. We baked it in the afternoon & didn’t eat it until after dinner, so it had perfectly set up.
Enjoy!

Finished product! Delish.

So that’s what we were up to this weekend! Now, we are ready to tackle the first official week of summer!

I hope you have a great week!

Weekend Top 5

Posted on May 4, 2020May 15, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! We had a pretty good weekend around here, and I hope you did too. The weather was really great especially on Saturday. Even with the lovely weather, I was still in a funky mood. My allergies have really been bothering me, and I haven’t been sleeping very soundly, so I think that all caught up to me.The sunshine and Vitamin D did help a bit though. I’m sure this week will be better.

We continue to find joy in the little things, and that’s what this weekend was all about.

Friday morning, I decided to make the kids a breakfast charcuterie board. Shay shared one she made for her kids recently. I decided it was the ultimate challenge for me with it being Friday, and I was in need of getting to the grocery store. I had made muffins the night before, so that got me off to a good start while making the plate. Like with the snack trays I make for the kids, I offered food items I knew each kid would like, so nothing would go to waste. Hayden eats Cinnamon Toast Crunch on repeat, but doesn’t like bananas. Hadley loves the chocolate chip muffins as well as bananas. Of course, both of them love bacon…#duh

Friday afternoon and evening were so nice. Hayden played basketball in the driveway while I read. Then, Hadley joined him for a few minutes while Travis went to pick up pizza. We ate pizza on our back patio and then Travis built a fire, and the kids had s’mores. It was a nice evening at home.

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. Hayden helped Travis do yard work, and Hadley helped him plant flowers. Then, we rode our bikes to celebrate cousin Neko’s 7th birthday. Even though it was a social distance birthday, it was still great to see them.

*Also, apparently I’ve given up on making my kids change their clothes. Hayden wore that Mahomes shirt Friday and Saturday! haha

Saturday should have been Derby Day. There are other tracks with horses racing, so Travis tuned in to some of those races while also watching some of the “virtual” Derby coverage.

The kids and Travis stayed up late Saturday night completing a puzzle. I went to bed early. I was hoping some extra rest would help my sinus headache!

I finished watching The Morning Show yesterday. I’d been wanting to watch it since I’d heard about it back in the fall. As I mentioned in a previous post, Travis got the free week of Apple TV, so he could watch a Beastie Boys documentary….so I was tasked with binge watching all ten episodes of TMS this week. #Iwasupforthechallenge

When I first saw the cast lineup last fall, I initially thought it would be more of a comedy…but it’s definitely a drama series. Basically, Steve Carrell is Matt Lauer who is fired leaving his co-host, Jennifer Aniston, in search of a replacement (insert Reese Witherspoon). That being said, it was a pretty heavy series to watch, and it certainly focused on the topics of the work place environment, the abuse of power, and the misconduct that is covered up. Some of the minor characters made the show even more than the main cast, in my opinion. I believe there is a season 2 in the works, and I will definitely tune in when it premieres.

On Sunday, Hadley helped me make Shay’s Oreo Peanut Butter Ice Box Pie. It was absolutely delicious. For the month of May, I made a goal to give up sweets….except on any Sunday where we’ve made anything with the words “peanut butter,” “Oreo,” and “PIE!” It was a great way to cap off our weekend.

So, that’s what we were up to this weekend. I was very grateful for the beautiful weather and hope we have more of it this week. Now, it’s time to wake up two kids for week 5 (I think?!) of distance learning.

I hope you have a great week.

Thanks for reading,

Weekend Top 5

Posted on March 23, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was very low key which I assume is how it is for most of us these days!

I have a calendar (paper/pencil) that I use to plan out blogging ideas. Well, a Weekend Top 5 post is what I had scheduled for today. I didn’t really think about changing topics, but I did stop to think, “I wonder what I will be able to post about…” My Weekend Top 5 posts usually include kids’ activities, family visits, Trader Joe runs, etc. That being said, I decided to embrace the simplicity of our activities and how we are spending our days during this time of social distancing. If anything, that’s what this time has forced me to do. Stop and appreciate what I have and now I have the time to pause and take it all in. I’d say that’s quite the blessing.

Here’s a little of what we’ve been up to!

Drive thru lunches. Who doesn’t love a Cherry Limeade from Sonic?!

Time to actually make lunch! haha I made a snack plate for Sunday’s lunch.

Time outside! I live in a pretty active neighborhood, but it’s amazing to see so many more people out and about (but, of course, keeping their distance!) walking dogs, or just getting fresh air.

The kids found time to play outside, and we even went for a bike ride Friday afternoon. (Yes, y’all, I’m starting this Weekend Top 5 post with Friday afternoon activities 😉

Arts and crafts. I plan to share more about our watercolor sesh tomorrow, but here’s a peek at an awesome idea I got from Andrea.

I spent time in my Sticker by Numbers book. The kids have a couple of these books which I’ve found on Amazon. I bought myself one a few months ago. I find the sticker book activities relaxing, and I always love the final outcome.

I decided to put up Easter decorations. I don’t usually put out much, but I love an Easter Bunny here and there.

It is difficult to think that Easter most likely won’t be celebrated in church this year, and it may just be the four of us out for an egg hunt, but I thought the decorations could help us get in the spirit a bit.

This weekend, I finished a book, Small Great Things, and started new one,The Secret to Southern Charm. Also, about two summers ago, I watched season 1 of The Crown. I enjoyed it, but just didn’t find the time to watch season 2 (and now there’s a season 3!) Anyway, I watched a few episodes of season 2 this weekend, and I can’t wait to watch more!

Other thoughts…

As we navigate this time of uncertainty, I’m having a hard time slowing down. It’s really taking me some time to downshift and pause. I’m so used to be on the go.

With that, comes time for reflection. So, some things for which I am thankful: sunshine and fresh air, online church, extra time with my family, a warm home with food to eat, and my family and friends —even if we can’t all be together right now.

I hope this post finds you happy and well, and I hope you have a great week.

See you back here tomorrow!

Take care,

Weekend Top 5

Posted on February 3, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Happy Monday. Shew…we had quite the weekend. The kind where I had to set an alarm on Saturday morning for the same time as I’d regularly get up for school. 😅 The kind of weekend where we were non-stop from the time our feet hit the floor until it was time for bed. I need a weekend to recover from our weekend! That being said, I thought I’d share some highlights…

I’m kind of cheating on the Weekend Top 5 and backing up to Thursday night. Hadley had her first chorus performance of the year, and she had been so excited for this night to come. The concert was called Snow Biz and the songs and dances were winter themed. She had such a great time, & always had a smile on her face. Sis doesn’t hate the spotlight 😂

I love a good winter theme …now, if only if would actually snow!

We were up early for the District Science Fair. Hadley set up her board and chatted with a few friends before the judging began. I sat in the stands while she waited her turn to talk to two judges. She did a great job. While only a few advanced to Regionals, I was so proud of her effort, confidence, and enthusiasm. I’ve been joking that I survived the 4th grade Science Fair 😂 We should probably start prepping for the 5th grade assignment now!

What would be a weekend without sports? Hayden had two basketball games, Hadley had one basketball game and a volleyball clinic this weekend.

Hadley and I missed Hayden’s first game, but when he and Travis got home, Travis asked if I had noticed Hayden’s shoes. Hayden’s just a sweet boy with a permanent marker and a pair of Mambas.

Their basketball league even had a “Thank You Kobe” sign which I thought was so sweet.

It’s Girl Scout cookie time. I picked up Hadley’s first two orders on Friday after school. We are now needing to find the time to sort through the 400 boxes I picked up. Needless to say, she’s met her goal and we still have one more round of orders to place.

On Sunday, her troop had a cookie booth at Kroger for a couple of hours.

And…saving the best for last!

We’ve been counting down the days until the SUPER B O W L !!! ❤️💛 We watched the AFC Championship game at my brother’s house two weeks ago. After the Chiefs won, I told my brother that maybe I’d have a Super Bowl party. He looked at me like I was crazy, said to remember what we were wearing & where we sat for the game and to be back for the Super Bowl. 😂Hayden takes after my brother; he wouldn’t let me wash the Mahomes shirt and socks he was wearing as well as the shorts he had on, so he could wear them again for the Super Bowl.

I brought a couple apps and dessert for the big game. We are huge fans of Great American cookie cakes!

The cousin crew was ready to cheer for the Chiefs. ❤️💛

Let’s just say there was a certain 10 year old boy crying in the third quarter…but then his idol, Mahomes, started to turn the team around…& we all celebrated an awesome V I C T O R Y ! (During the last few minutes of the game, Hayden’s face was red and sweaty and he said, “I feel like I’m in gym class!”) He cracks me up.

And then…when I tucked Hayden into bed last night, he said, “I hope this isn’t a dream!” ❤️ Sweet sports loving boy.

I’m so excited for my home town, and there’s definitely “no place like Mahomes.”

I hope you have a great week! Ours is off to an awesome start with that big win! ❤️❤️

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea