Tag: birthday

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Sweet 16

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Today, I’m sharing how we celebrated the kids turning 16!! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached this milestone.

I’ve probably shared this story before, but we found out pretty early on that we had a “baby A” and a “baby B.” When I looked at the ultrasound screen and saw two little bubbles on the screen, the first words out of my mouth were, “When they turn 16, do we have to buy them each a car?” And…here we are! (And the answer is no. lol!)

You know I do birthdays big, but we’ve adjusted through the years based on what the kids want to do. The past couple of years, Hadley has still wanted a party with her friends while Hayden is fine without all the fanfare.

Of course, I still want them to be celebrated in ways, both big and small!

The night before their birthday, I still kept up the streamer tradition. Honestly, I almost forgot!

Thursday morning started off with muffins for breakfast, and I’ve been using this chalkboard for birthdays and first day of school since the elementary years!

Hadley was up early and off to Bible study, and Hayden and I had to be at school a little earlier than usual, so presents waited until the evening.

Hadley had shared lots of ideas on the Giftful app, while Hayden (eventually) sent me seven screen shots with a variety of UK shirts! haha

Oh, the difference in boys and girls! We opened a couple of gifts before going to dinner.

After dinner, it was cake time!

My brother and his family went to dinner with us, and they came over for cake and presents.

A couple of the kids’ friends came over too to help us celebrate them big. Overall, it was a great evening …school night birthdays hit different! haha

On Saturday, Hadley had a birthday party with her friends, and it truly turned out better than I had expected!

There’s a flower bar in town, and that was where we hosted some of her friends. There are a couple of rooms to rent for two hours, and we rented the bigger of the two rooms. Anyone can come to the main space at any time to make bouquets (Trav got my Mother’s Day flowers there last year), and there’s a bar with a few drink options too.

Anyway, we arrived a bit early to set up in the space. Trav picked the cake up from one of our favorite bakeries, and it was beautiful. I got the cake topper from Amazon, and it was the perfect addition to the cake.

I picked up the fun 16 numbers from Amazon too. I shared in the mom group text that I can pass them along to the next birthday girl; they can be the “sisterhood of the traveling 16.” (I can also save them for her 19th birthday too. haha!)

Our niece painted the sign for Hadley, and it was just too perfect!

I made a slide show which was a fun trip down memory lane…

…and I made sure to include group and individual pics with all of her friends who were in attendance.

Hadley had requested fettuccine Alfredo, and one of my friends made it for the girls. So, they ate that once everyone arrived.

Then, it was trivia time! I had this idea at the last minute, but Hadley had the idea for sixteen questions. Hadley ran the trivia round, and two of her (longtime!) friends tied, so they each got a Starbucks/Seven Brew gift card.

Let’s just say that nobody missed Hadley’s Taco Bell order. lol

Then, it was gift time!

Hadley held up each one, and that person raised their hand as giving the gift. All of her friends made so many sweet cards. Hadley took the time to read each one as she opened the gifts.

Then, it was flower bar time! There are a ton of flowers in the main space, and then we had our own flower bar in our space. Each girl could choose seven stems for their bouquet. After they made their bouquets, we took them to the main space where they were wrapped and delivered back to our room.

While they waited for their bouquets, they took a ton of pics and did their TikToks. In case you didn’t know, you need to factor in a good thirty minutes for digital camera and TikTok time!!

Then, it was cake time. One of Hadley’s friends captured this moment, and it was just precious. Hadley’s happiness was so genuine, and she really appreciated all the girls being there.

Happy birthday to you….

…making a wish!

Once the bouquets were delivered, I got a couple of group photos. Beautiful girls, both inside and out!

My girl truly had a special afternoon with her friends.

I’m so glad we made this party happen for Hadley. I think they made the best memories that afternoon.

Hayden’s main gift is an out of town UK basketball game with Trav. I think both kids had a memorable Sweet 16!

Posted in Amazon, Family, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#282}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week?! I feel like the week flew by!

I’m typing this late at night, so I’m stopping by quickly to share a few favorites from the week. I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea, as always.

Here are some favorites from the week…

Last Friday night, the four of us went to the UK basketball game. One of our friends gave us tickets which was nice, and it was a good family outing!

We had passes to the Lexus Club which was extra fun. Food and drinks were included, so we grabbed a drink and a few snacks before the game.

It was an easy win for the CATS, and we had a good time cheering them on.

Sunday’s weather was gorgeous, so I went for a walk and finished listening to an audiobook. I figured I should take advantage of the sunshine and good temps while they last.

I went to Target last weekend, and snagged a few seasonal items like the peppermint scented Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap and surface cleaning spray.

…Target had the Chobani peppermint mocha creamer out, so of course I picked that up too.

I was heavily influenced by Sarah when she shared these jeans the other day.

I wore them last night to dinner, and I love them.

Last night, we went to Malone’s for the kids’ birthday dinner. Then, we headed back to the house to open presents and have cake. My brother and his family went to dinner with us, and then they came over for cake as did a couple of the kids’ friends. Overall, they had a great birthday! I’ll share more later after Hadley has her party tomorrow.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Teaching the teens to drive isn’t for the faint of heart. For some reason, parking has been one of the harder skills to learn. I think they both have the hang of it now, but just this week I’ve had to remind them that sometimes you do have to adjust your parking or try again.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Speaking of driving…the kids loved these cars…and it’s hard to believe they’ll be driving on their own in the near future.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Monday Meals: Potato Soup
Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? Tomorrow, Hadley is having her birthday party with some friends, and I truly hope to get my Christmas decorations put up. I feel so behind at school and at home!

Have a great Friday!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#266}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I’m officially at the part of summer where I really need the weeks to slow down. I still have things to cross off my list, and I guess I will need to start reading school emails soon.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

I’m really loving this romper from SSYS. I love that it’s forgiving, has a flutter sleeve and is easy to dress up or down. I wore it last week when we went out to dinner.

The runners had to “carb load” before the Bluegrass 10k on the 4th of July, and we went to a fun pasta place. If gnocchi is on the menu, I usually order it! This definitely hit the spot.

I had some pool time over the 4th, and that was nice and relaxing.

Fireworks are always a fave, and the ones at our usual spot were 10/10 this year!

Hadley arriving home from camp is always a fave, but this year, given the devastation and loss of lives in Texas, I was just ready for her to be home. I think she was ready too. She had fun, but I know she was happy to sleep in her own bed.

Last weekend, I took a stroll through my favorite book. I went there to buy Kristy Woodson Harvey’s newest book since it’s on my summer reading list.

While I was there, I picked up a birthday gift for my Gma. Also, I spotted a few cute finds like this “book lovers journal”…

…and these cute playing cards that look like the book check out cards from the library. I resisted the urge to buy both.

Travis and I have been watching The Waterfront. To me, it’s Outer Banks meets Ozark, and we’ve really enjoyed it.

On Monday, we celebrated Trav’s birthday. We went out to dinner, gave him a few gifts, and had some Bundt cakes for dessert. Since Hadley was gone, and then Hayden went to camp, Monday was the one day we could all have dinner together…and it was Trav’s actual birthday.

The past few days, Trav and I have been in Michigan. We wanted to take some time away to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, and neither of us have been to Michigan. I’m sure I will do a recap, but here are a few favorite photos from our few days here:

Favorite Mom Meme:

Isn’t this the truth?!

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Prime Purchases
4th of July Recap

What are your weekend plans? We’re headed back soon, Hayden comes home from running camp, and we’ll soak in the last few weeks of summer break.

Posted in Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: May 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was good but non-stop! Right after school, Hadley and I left for Gatlinburg, TN for her last volleyball tournament of club season.

Crazy story! On Saturday, after her first game, I went back to the hotel for a bit. While I was sitting there, I felt the floor move/tremor…but wondered if I was crazy…and then it moved again. Well, once I went back to the convention center, I heard people talking about the earthquake in Knoxville! I guess there’s a first time for everything! Now, I can say that I’ve experienced an earthquake.

Hadley’s team played well, and we got home yesterday, late afternoon. Just in time for a nap! Trav cooked dinner, and the kids gave me a card and flowers for Mother’s Day. We made the most of the evening before preparing for the week ahead.

Anyway, it’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting the Share Our Lives link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed…

  • Saving time on chores in January
  • Tips for falling asleep in February
  • Day in the life, an average day in March

This month’s topic is…how do you spend your birthday?

Well, I joke that my birthday is “my favorite holiday,” and my family is quick to humble me that my birthday isn’t a holiday. haha

Well, it should be!

Before I share about how I spend my birthday, I just wanted to start with that I really do love celebrating other people’s birthdays too. What a blessing it is to get older!

I hope my kids look back and appreciate all the effort from the birthday parties, balloons, presents, birthday streamers, cakes and more. I hope they always feel the love on their birthdays.

As I’m assuming it is with most, my birthday is just another day. That being said, I do feel the love.

I always appreciate a card for any special occasion.

Dinner out at some point is always special too. Some years, that doesn’t happen on my actual birthday due to the kids’ activities, but give or take a day is fine.

Jeff Ruby went all out for my birthday this year! haha

It was a delicious dinner…

…followed by cake! There must always be cake –whether it’s a cookie cake or a Bundt cake…I love cake.

One thing that made this past birthday “special” was that we had a snow day on my birthday! You’d think with a January birthday that would have happened at some point but in all my years teaching, I’ve never had a snow day on my actual birthday.

So, I took the time to start my day off with a Pilates workout followed by cashing in my birthday coffee coupon at Starbucks.

I really appreciate Facebook for holding on to many memories, but I especially appreciate it when everyone shares birthday wishes.

I always receive cards from family members, and I look forward to checking the mail that week!

January has always been one of my favorite months, and one of the reasons why is because of my birthday, of course.

Next month we’re talking about unique things about where you live. That will be a fun topic!

I hope you have a great week! The countdown is officially on…This is our last five day week of school!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

Posted in Friday Favorites, Me

Friday Favorites {#241}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this was a different kind of week for us…three NTI days and then two days back to school. Yesterday, was a good day, but I’m tired! It kind of felt like the actual first day of school.

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

This week was basically about my birthday. If you know me, then you know that’s really “on brand” for me….as I always look forward to my birthday. haha

But, really –with all the snow days and the kids just in the practice phase of their sports right now, we didn’t have a ton going on. It was a good week though.

A few days before my birthday, we went to Jeff Ruby’s for a family dinner.

Jeff Ruby’s went all out for my birthday…just look at the menu! haha

We’ve been to this restaurant a few times, and I usually get sushi whereas Trav and the kids usually order steak. The sushi was delish.

Then, it was time for dessert. Jeff Ruby’s doing the most…

I didn’t want any attention, and out walks our server with my dessert on fire! At least no one sang to me!

We also ordered cheese cake and a gooey butter cake as well to share around the table. For special occasions, the server takes your picture, prints it out and gives it to you as a keepsake.

This one is a keeper:

On my actual birthday, we had a snow day. In 23 years as a teacher, I’ve never had a snow day on my birthday. That morning, I went to Pilates class and then picked up my free Starbucks. I got an email for a free Jimmy John’s birthday sandwich, so since we were home for the snow day, that’s what we had for lunch.

(BTW: I’m sure both of these freebies have a time frame in which to cash in…I just had the time to do so on Tuesday)

After dinner, Trav and the kids gave me flowers and a card…and bubble letters on the card, of course.

Then, it was cake time! Bundt cake for my birthday! It was delish.

Wednesday morning, I picked up another Starbucks (I’m loving the cold brew with peppermint foam) and had a slice of cake for a late breakfast. This is one of my traditions (if we have cake leftover. haha)

Yesterday, was back to school. I packed my lunch in my new containers that I got as a Christmas gift. These were my suggestion to Trav’s mom as she needed some ideas, but now that I’m using them…the lid only seems to snap on/stay secure on one side…which is a bummer. I will give them another try, but I might have to find a different brand on Amazon.

My lunch was perfect…and I was able to take one of my favorite things…a “snack plate” lunch to take to school.

I still love sharing what I’m reading on my Instagram account. When I started making the book trackers last year, I only had a couple for January and February, so I made a couple new ones to add to my Instagram highlight.

If you use any of them, feel free to tag me!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Only occasional swearing? j/k!

Screenshot

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week…

Share our Lives
Let’s Look
Currently

Well, we were back to school for two days, and now we have a three day weekend. It’s hard to get in a groove lately, but I will take the extra day of rest!

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Kids

Friday Favorites {#234}…Birthday Edition

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…from a wintry Kentucky! We had our first measurable snow of the season…and of course school was crazy yesterday! haha

TGIF for sure!

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

This week’s post is all about the kids’ birthday this week! How are they 15?!

Hayden didn’t feel the need to have a party, but Hadley still wanted to have one with her friends. Literally, the only time in the near future where we had a free afternoon was last Sunday.

Hadley’s friends came to the house for a bit, and then we headed to the bowling alley.

Apparently, the dress code was sweatshirts and black leggings. haha!

They bowled for about an hour and a half, and Trav and I sat in the bar area and watched football. The girls wrapped up their games right as the Chiefs game was starting.

We went back to the house for presents and cake. Hayden was there watching the game.

Hadley “polled” her friends to see if they liked red velvet cake (her fave!), and they all agreed. She also polled them on what activity they should do for her birthday. Kids these days…

The cake was super cute.

…as are these girls.

Listening to them open the gifts, chat, and laugh was the best. They really are great girls and celebrated with Hadley all afternoon.

After that, Hayden requested a burger and fries, so Trav got him that, and they finished watching the game.

Meanwhile, I took the girls for hibachi for dinner. They were so excited. I had told Hadley that I could sit in the other part of the restaurant (the sushi side), if they didn’t want me hanging around. She said they didn’t mind, so I did get to join the crew at the table.

It was a great meal, and then I took them all home.

Tuesday night, per tradition, I put streamers on the kids’ doors. Hayden did tell me that I didn’t have to put the “paper strings” on this door. haha

I told him that I liked the tradition, so he said I could!

Birthday morning, I had baked them some muffins for breakfast. Oh how times have changed. They used to both sit at the counter, eat their muffins, and open a gift or two.

That morning, Hayden had PT at 7am, so he was out the door early. Hadley got up, got ready, we picked up her friend, and we headed to Starbucks before going to school.

That day, was the 9th grade field trip. It was a just a few hours at a college/career Expo at the convention center downtown. Students ride coach buses, and the kids were on my bus. I stayed outside the bus to take attendance, and when I got on the bus, I was shocked that they were sitting in the second and third rows close to me! It was a nice afternoon.

One of my teacher friends spoils them…and she made them brownies. She told them she wished she’d had two pans, but that they’ve been sharing things since day one. haha

After school, I went and picked up their cookie cake…

…and put out their presents.

Once Travis got home, they opened their gifts. I wasn’t sure on a few of their gifts, but apparently Travis and I knocked it out of the park.

Hayden always asks for this college basketball magazine, and I got Hadley a Dr. Pepper ornament. That’s her fave drink.

My mom had these little Funko dolls made. Hadley’s is wearing flip flops and has a volleyball. Hayden’s has on tennis shoes and is holding a video game controller. She also gave them some money!

After presents, we went out to dinner. It was a nice treat on a weeknight!

The Christmas lights were up, and they let me snap a pic of them. They look so old!

Then, we went back to the house for cake.

My brother’s family came over which was really fun!

May all their wishes come true!

It was a great day…even for a school day! I know we still celebrated them big, but it sure is different compared to when they were little.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I got my answered prayer…x 2!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I don’t know why but the past couple of months whenever I would think about their upcoming birthday, I would think of them being five. These past ten (15!) years sure have gone by quickly.

Truly, this picture…and them holding up “one whole hand,” is etched in my mind forever.

Weekly Recap:

My November blogging streak continues…

Gratitude Days 15 & 16
Gratitude Day 17
Day in the Life hour by hour
Gratitude Days 18 & 19
Wednesday Hodgepodge
Monthly Musings

I have some catching up to do on the “gratitude” front, so I plan on writing posts Saturday and Sunday too.

I hope you have a great Friday!

Posted in Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was good, and today was a Monday we got to sleep in!

I’m even late getting this post out, but that’s ok.

Did you catch my Saturday and Sunday posts?

I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly to share about my weekend.

Here’s a peek at our weekend:

I had a meeting on Friday morning, and as I headed downtown, it was as if I was headed straight to the bottom of this pretty rainbow. Later, when I looked at the pic, I saw a faint double rainbow. The rest of Friday was soggy!

Hayden had basketball practice, and Hadley requested Starbucks after school. I got a Pistachio latte, and we headed home. I put my pjs on and caught the weather because I was hoping for a snow update.

Hayden went straight from basketball to dinner with friends to celebrate his friend’s birthday. When Trav dropped him off, he picked up dinner for us. We ate and hung out with Hadley, but she had an early bedtime due to early wake-up for volleyball the next day.

While Hayden continued having fun by going bowling with friends, Travis and I watched a couple of episodes of Night Agent. We are hooked!

Hayden got home around 11:30, and we all headed to bed.

I was up around 6:15 to get Hadley up by 6:30. She had to be at volleyball by 7:30, and thankfully another dad was taking the girls.

Homer missed Sis!

Pool play started at 8:30, and then Hadley didn’t have games for a couple of hours, but she had to stay and ref.

I ran to Target for a few things before going home to do a quick workout. I’m glad I made the choice to do that because the rest of the day was non-stop.

Then, I headed back to catch the last two pool play games. The girls found their groove and went 2-1 in pool play.

Then, there was a break before bracket play. I went to a nearby restaurant, ate a little lunch and started a new book. I was there about an hour, and it was nice to have a little quiet time, catch up on emails and texts, and read.

These are some of Hadley’s best friends, and for this tournament, they were on two different teams. There were hundreds of teams at this tournament, but of course they ended up playing each other in the first round of bracket play. Hadley’s team won, but the first set was a nail biter…31-29!! We had fun watching them, and these girls did great.

Hadley’s team had one more game, and I think everyone was ready to leave the gym after 10 hours!

Hadley had started to not feel well, and she requested Panera for dinner, so we picked that up on the way home.

Then, Travis and I headed to Hayden’s basketball game.

It was just a scrimmage, but he was playing against one of his besties, and it was a fun game to watch.

Travis and Hayden went to Lex Live with the team to watch the football games, but I wanted to get home to Hadley…and to watch the Chiefs in peace and quiet.

I don’t know how they played in negative temps, but they did…and they pulled out a win!

Travis and Hayden were home around the end of the game, and it was another late night to bed.

Y’all I slept until 10 (after I woke up around 6:00 with a headache…I think they long week, busy Saturday and very little food, for some reason on Saturday, caught up with me. I was thankful that I was able to fall back asleep)

When I got up, I placed our weekly Kroger order…and then I watched two episodes of The Crown.

Honestly, I just spent the rest of the day in pjs which is all that I could ask for. I got lots of texts and Facebook wishes for my birthday which of course I appreciated.

Later, the kids and Trav gave me my birthday cards…

Hadley was amazed at Trav’s bubble letters that included my name and my age…and he said, “I took art in high school!” 😆

…and look at this cookie cake! They know me so well. haha

We had big family dinner plans, but Hadley really wasn’t feeling well, so we decided to postpone those, and Travis and I headed to get a quick bite to eat.

Honestly, this was still a very nice meal at J. Alexander’s for my birthday, so I really appreciated a few moments with Trav…and not cooking. We brought the kids some chicken tenders home for their dinner.

Then, I was going to finish up this post, but Travis asked if I wanted to watch more Night Agent. So, that’s how I wrapped up my birthday weekend.

This morning, as I type this, I’m enjoying coffee, and a piece of cookie cake for breakfast…and there’s snow on the ground! This is the best kind of Monday.

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Birthday Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We had pizza and cookie cake…

…before heading home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yesterday, was their actual birthday.

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

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

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

Overall, I think they had a great birthday.

Gifts:

Tis the season for gift giving.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in Holidays, Kids

Happy 14th Birthday!

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

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

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

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

Hanging with friends…

…running cross country…

…playing volleyball…

…and basketball…

…& eating cake!

I feel like we went from this…

to this …

in a flash!

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

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

I saw this meme…and chuckled.

I feel like it can also apply to parenthood 😆

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

Thanks for reading!

Posted in Day in the Life, Holidays, Weekend Top 5

Day in the Life

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? We had a really good one. Did you catch my Bloganuary posts this weekend?

I wrote about books that have changed my life on Saturday and memorable gifts on Sunday.

I’ve been wanting to do a Day in the Life post since January is a “slower” month, and decided to do a weekend post…and Saturday so happened to be my birthday.

So today’s post is: Day in the Life: Weekend and Birthday Edition

Ahhh…I “slept in” a bit, not waking up until after 8:00.

I woke up to all kinds of Facebook birthday love including this sweet pic from my niece and nephew:

I scrolled social media for a couple of minutes, and then poured myself a cup of coffee.

I’ve been on a Will & Grace (original) kick lately, and settled in for a couple of episodes before…

…writing my Saturday Bloganuary post.

By that time, we woke the kids because they had running practice (with Travis) at 10:30. **Travis was Super Dad on Saturday –he was Hayden’s personal chauffeur, running him to all the things (running practice, home, basketball practice, home, Transy (local university) basketball game with his team and then a few errands with Hadley…and then home)

Anyway, once they left to run, I read on my Kindle and had some one on one time with Homer.

Then, I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and made the bed. I got ready to …

…head to the gym. Honestly, I almost skipped my Saturday workout, but I also know that I feel better after a workout and there was pasta and cake in my future.

Then, I did grocery pick up and arrived home just as Travis and the kids returned from running.

Hadley helped me unpack the groceries since Hayden had to get ready for basketball practice.

Then, I made lunch. I’d made chicken on Thursday night and added it to some to arugula, parm, EVOO and lemon juice. Easy and delish lunch.

I watched some of the Mizzou game while Homer watched me eat my lunch. I swear…he’s the biggest beggar.

Then, Hadley and I ended up running a couple of “fun” errands. I decided to go to Kendra Scott for my 50% off item, and then Hadley went into a couple of stores as well.

Once we got home, I decided to read a bit more and take a nap. I love an Saturday afternoon nap. Nothing better. Kentucky basketball was on tv too.

**Yes –pencil trees are still up in my bedroom and living room. I always keep them up until my birthday…and sometimes even longer if we have a chance of snow. That being said, they’ll probably come down next weekend.

Then, it was time to get ready for dinner. We timed dinner just right. We picked Hayden up at 6:00 from the Transy game, and then headed to Frank and Dino‘s for dinner. We were a bit early for our 6:30 reservation, but we were able to be seated.

We had calamari, and I ordered the Fagottini Sinatra which is my favorite (pasta filled with mascarpone and parm cheeses and pears and tossed in a Gorgonzola sauce…so good!)

**Bonus – we all had leftovers to take home, so I didn’t have to cook last night!

We were home around 8:00, and I opened my gifts, and we had…

…cookie cake (per tradition). We usually get cookie cakes from Great American Cookie, but Travis got this one from Insomnia Cookies. Besides being delish, I like that it’s a smaller cookie cake…less leftover since I have zero will power! (Hadley put the candles on…no rhyme or reason for six handles…haha)

After cake, we watched some football, and then I went to bed around 9:45. I read my book (I was really wanting to finish my book (The It Girl) this weekend, and I did yesterday. It was really good. Anyway, I read for a bit, before falling asleep before 10:30.

While Hayden was super busy on Saturday, it was still nice to not have too much going on. The past couple of months have been non-stop, seven days a week.

Anyway, it was a great Saturday and a wonderful birthday…and now we have one more day off!

I hope you have a great week.

**linking up with Sarah and Holly for: